It's been a while since I rated a book like this five stars, but it deserves it just based on how much I enjoyed it. I know the world of gymnastics pretty well, and this book sucked me in from the beginning and made me want to keep reading as fast as possible. I loved the characters and how much growth they experienced throughout the novel. It was both interesting and fun and exactly what I needed right now.

The setting of elite athletes in competitive gymnastics kept me engaged and invested in the story in Head Over Heels. It was enjoyable to witness the growth of main character, Avery, and I found her instrospection especially poignant.

For me, the romance was secondary to Avery's personal journey. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad either -- just a supplemental plot. I was more interested in the relationships between females in the book like the teacher-student relationship of Avery and Hallie and Avery's re-connection with Jasmine.

This book is a beautiful journey of assimilating the person you thought you'd be with the person that you've actually become. It's also an ideal read for those missing the world of competitive gymnastics due to the postponement of the Summer Olympics.

LOVED this one. This was Hannah's best book yet. The world of Olympics mixed with the rom-com was super adorable. I laughed, I cried, I really loved this one. Would definitely recommend!

I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was a solid 4 star book. A quick read, I looked forward to picking it back up. The characters seemed real and the topic couldn’t be more timely. The female characters were strong physically and emotionally. Theybwere empowering. I’ll recommend this one! Who would have ever thought that the 2020 Olympics would be canceled?

I always enjoy watching the Olympics and was pretty disappointed to hear that they are going to be postponed until next year. Head Over Heels looked like a good way to get a small Olympics fix in the mean time. However, it wasn’t really much more than that.

I was pretty bored throughout most of this book. I did enjoy the gymnastics included and reading about Hallie’s training routine as she prepared for the Olympic trials. I just wish there was a little more of an inside look. I feel like everything shared are things you can pick up by watching any of the countless features that play during the Olympics every year. There’s a lot more said about how hard gymnasts work than actually showing them working that hard.

I also never really cared about the romance. Avery and Ryan had crushes on each other as kids and their crushes have bled over into adulthood and they get together fairly quickly. I didn’t feel invested in their relationship at all, so when things went poorly and then got better, I just didn’t care. They could have ended the books as just friends and I wouldn’t have minded.

I expected a lot more to be said about the sexual abuse scandal, as well. It follows a lot of what happened in real life, just with fictional names. The doctor that is accused is one that made Hallie feel uncomfortable once, but thankfully nothing more than that happened with her. There’s a lot of talk about backlash online and a hearing scheduled for the doctor, but no type of resolution. I felt like from the synopsis this would be a major part of the plot, but it mostly stayed in the background. Avery and her old training partner come together to create a foundation to help the mental and emotional health of gymnasts and even that is barely addressed.

Overall, Head over Heels was not really for me. I would have liked for things to be more developed. It felt like just the bare minimum was done in terms of character development, relationship development, gymnastic research, and #MeToo details. What should have been interesting and emotional came off as boring and superficial. This is the second book I’ve tried by this author and I think it will probably be my last.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 2 Stars

I adored this book- it was just what I needed right now. The cover makes seem a little more romance mushy than it is - I found the writing to be solid, the plot intriguing and the ending very satisfying. I have kids involved in gymnastics (and crushed there are no summer Olympics!) so I really loved reading the terminology and details of the meets - that I actually understood!
I thought that the sexual/mental abuse by the coaches was handled very well and the messaging was sensitive and handled beautifully by the characters. All around a great read and I will be looking for more from this author in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an e-ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Avery Abrams is at a low point in her life: after a devastating injury ended her elite gymnastics career at the Olympic trials seven years ago, she’s lost her former best friend, flunked out of college, and broken up with her pro-football player boyfriend. Motivated to make a change in her life, Avery moves home to live with her parents in her Massachusetts hometown, where she gets the opportunity of a lifetime to coach Hallie, an Olympic hopeful, at her old gym. Adding to the excitement is Hallie’s other coach, Ryan, Avery’s teenage crush. As Avery works to rebuild her life and Hallie pursues her Olympic dreams, an abuse scandal erupts in the gymnastics world.⁣
•⁣
If you’re a fan of sports books and missing the Olympics this year like me, I think this is one that you’d enjoy! All of the competition scenes kept me on the edge of my seat, and I loved being immersed in the world of elite athletes. I also appreciated Avery’s character growth and found her clear communication style and self-reflection so refreshing.⁣
•⁣
The romance was, in my opinion, neither the focus nor the strength of this book, and it came across as somewhat one-dimensional. Instead, I was invested in Avery’s well-developed and more interesting relationships with her student, Hallie, and ex-best friend, Jasmine. Overall, this was an entertaining and heartwarming read that lightly touched on serious issues in the sport of gymnastics.⁣
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3.5/5⁣ stars

Thanks to Partner NetGalley for the digital ARC of Hannah Orenstein's Head Over Heels in exchange for an honest review. The book releases Tuesday, June 23.

Hannah Orenstein's Head Over Heels has a lot going for it: a fantastic cover; a great, insider's perspective on women's gymnastics; and a compelling, coming-of-age/redemption story for its protagonist. Avery Abrahams was at the center of the U.S. gymnastics world when she had a career-ending injury during the meet that should have cemented her path to the Olympics. Instead, her best friend Jasmine takes her place on the team, and Avery becomes a college dropout whose main focus is her professional football player boyfriend. When their relationship ends, Avery slouches home to her parents and her hometown.

She has nothing to look forward to. Until Ryan Nicholson calls. Ryan was a male gymnast on the Olympic team, and he's now coaching another Olympic hopeful. Hallie has a lot of potential . . . but a disastrous floor routine, which just happens to be Avery's specialty. Avery agrees to help Hallie and sees a chance to redeem herself and to find some meaning in her life.

This book does so much well, particularly in commenting about the scandals that have rocked the sport of gymnastics recently. It also confronts some of the health issues that plague the sport, through Avery's coach, her memories of his abusive coaching style, and her lingering issues with her self-image. The least successful part of the book, for me, was the romance. The book tells the reader, repeatedly, about the chemistry between Avery and Ryan, but I didn't feel it. Instead, the course of their relationship seems to be shoehorned into an otherwise compelling story of a woman trying to establish an identity after her dream is crushed in a moment.

A Silver Medal Gymnastics Romance!

Avery came so close to her Olympic dreams but was injured just before they were realized sending her into a tailspin that lasts for almost a decade. The cute boy gymnast, Ryan, she saw at competitions is now very much a handsome man and he’s asked her to help coach a talented new star.

I’m a huge fan of the Olympics, both summer and winter, so I was really exited to read a romance set in that world of competitive sports. The description of the gymnastics moves were technical but also described in a way that I could see them in my head. The exploration of sexual, emotional, and mental abuse by coaches and doctors was handled extremely well as was the advocacy for better overall health care for elite athletes.

I liked that Hallie, the rising star, was someone we wanted to root for and didn’t have a bratty phase that is so often associated with young gymnasts in movies and tv. I also really liked Sara’s role in Avery’s healing and reconnecting with Jasmine. My one complaint was that Ryan comes off as hot and cold, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, since we are never in his POV to know what he’s actually thinking and feeling it made it hard for me to champion him as any better for Avery than Tyler.

I’d love to see Jasmine get a story as I think she’s earned a true HEA!

I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.

I am pleasantly surprised to have misjudged this book by its cover. Despite its bright cover illustration and modern romance label, this book is a sports drama in disguise.

The writing is tight with the story beats hitting their expected rhythm. There are nearly no superfluous scenes here. Orenstein did her research and it shows. In so little time, we're taken on a dive into national/Olympic-level competition life without the romanticism. There is both glory and grueling sacrifice. The bittersweet longing of a has-been athlete is weaved with exposition. World building (for people who aren't high-level athletes) is there without alienating those unfamiliar with the circuit.

There are a lot of themes tackled here (trigger warning for: depression, anxiety, child molestation, sexual harassment, emotional abuse, mentions of eating disorders), and I worried that the love interest would detract from the importance of the plot and the (budding) strength of our heroine. Fear not, friends, the romance is plot B and settles into its role properly.

The climax arrived a bit early and wobbled in its landing but can be forgiven by the excellence of this book's overall performance. The ending is hopeful with a slightly fairytale ending, but really. Who wants to read a sports story with a downer ending? 4/5

I agree with other readers that this book fills a little bit of the hole that the cancellation of the Summer 2020 games has left behind. <i>Head Over Heels<i> is the story of a 27 year old former gymnast named Avery who missed her chance at the Olympics after a devastating and career ending injury. Instead of Olympic gold, Avery finds herself without a path in life as she fails out of college and her boyfriend breaks up with her due to her lack of career goals or plans. Avery heads back to her hometown to lick her wounds and figure out what's next. Quickly after her return, she receives a call from Ryan, another gymnast looking for help coaching a promising young gymnast with her own Olympic dreams.

I really liked this book. I think the cover and title make the content seem a little more fluffy than it is-- while there is a romance plot, Orenstein focuses a lot on the sustained trauma so many gymnast (and elite athletes) deal with on the path to being the best, and how even the good guys can excuse the abuse.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

Hannah Orenstein has done it again! I absolutely loved this romantic tale of an ex Olympic hopeful who is drawn back into the sport helping to coach a new gymnast. I loved how she drew from the real life case of the doctor who preyed on young athletes. All Hannah’s books are excellent and this is no different.

Hannah Orenstein has done it again! I absolutely loved this romantic tale of an ex Olympic hopeful who is drawn back into the sport helping to coach a new gymnast. I loved how she drew from the real life case of the doctor who preyed on young athletes. All Hannah’s books are excellent and this is no different.

The title and cover is a little misleading. I was really excited because I love the Olympics and love watching the gymnastics competition. I was expecting a cute and fun rom com; but it was a little heavy. If you love gymnastics, I think you will really enjoy this as it goes into some details into the competition and the technical moves.

What I love:
- Life of an Olympic hopeful - I love how it highlights the dedication, stress and sacrifices an athlete has to face to try to make it onto the Olympic team and what could happen when things go wrong, both physically and mentally. I think that's super important.

What I didn't love:
- The romance - it was barely there.
- I also appreciated the nod to the #metoo movement but I think it could have been done better. It was literally copied from the news surrounding the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal.

Overall, a good read but didn't love it as much as I hoped too

Just the book I didn’t even know I needed.
Avery is a very like able character and I read this book in one sitting.
Every character was well written!
I was surprised that the darker subjects were covered in this book, but it was done tastefully.

Can’t wait for the next book by Hannah!

This is for anyone who enjoys a quick read! Extra points If you’re into sporty books. Double extra points for gymnasts!

Thanks for the ARC!

This was a fun book. The gymnastics angle was interesting. Hannah Orenstein included topical issues such as mental, physical and emotional abuse in the gymnastic world that need to be talked about.

I never got a good feel for Avery or Ryan. I feel their characters weren't fleshed out well enough.

Overall, I enjoyed the story that had more emphasis on coaching an upcoming Olympian than a love story.

Avery Abrams is a former gymnast who almost made it to the Olympics but a knee injury held her back and she went down a spiral of depression. When her boyfriend splits up with her, she has no job or place to live and she moves back to her hometown to live with her parents. Along comes Ryan, her former crush and fellow gymnast, and asks her to come work with him to coach a potential Olympian. ⁣

Head Over Heels touches on important issues in the gymnastics world including abuse in the gymnast-coach dynamic. This gave the book a bit of depth which I found really interesting. Overall I would definitely recommend this to fans of gymnastics looking for a lighthearted summer read.

I haven't come across many books focused on gymnastics and was very excited to read Head Over Heels. The cutesy cover drew me in, but I knew from the blurb that it would also be an emotional ride. The book ended up being more contemporary/women's fiction to me, but there was also a nice dose of romance thrown in.

Avery was a very relatable heroine. I think all of us, at one time or another, have felt lost and not quite sure where we fit in the world. Avery really comes into her own through the course of the book and I appreciated that the author showed all of her struggles as well as her triumphs. It's not an easy road. There are missteps and stumbles, but it made every step forward so much more meaningful. Her romance with Ryan was very sweet and added some nice push and pull (though it was fairly predictable), but I liked that it wasn't the main focus. It also wasn't overly steamy and was more fade to black/closed door.

I thought the more serious issues were addressed and highlighted very well in the book. It's not often that the mental and emotional toll that elite athletes face is discussed or considered. Head Over Heels really showed all sides of the world of gymnastics. I did find that there was a bit too much technical detail and information on moves/techniques, which made the story feel a little too long. Also, Avery and Ryan are in their mid to late 20's, but they came across as younger than that and I often had to remind myself that they weren't teenagers/this wasn't a YA book. The ending wrapped up a little quickly, but overall, it was an enjoyable read that left me feeling hopeful and my heart happy.

CW: Emotional and sexual abuse

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

This story is "ripped from the headlines" in many aspects. Star athlete gets injured and wanders aimlessly through life. Sexual abuse of young gymnasts. Redemption. Love. All of which is intriguing.

Avery is so lost. She returns to her home town to live with her parents with no plan for her life. The coaching job soon offered her provides just the avenue she needs to chart a new future. Ryan and she dance around each other trying to remain professional but when you find the right person it's hard to not act on it. There are a few challenges to their relationship beyond their work situation. Ryan doesn't really get some of Avery's reasons for not wanting to work with her previous coach and makes some choices she struggles with.

When other gymnasts come out about abuse, Avery is forced to address her own which isn't exactly something she wants to do.

I really enjoyed this story.

Eight years ago, Avery Abrams lost her chance of achieving her life-long dream in one instant. After training her whole life to become a part of the Olympic gymnastics team, a major injury that she sustained during the most important competition of her life, the Olympic trials, ended her career as an athlete. She was understandably devastated and when all her backup plans (primarily meaning college) didn’t pan out, she found her life tumbling out of control.

A years-long relationship with a famous American football player kept her grounded for a period, but the spark between them inevitably fizzled out. No relationship, no career, and now, no home - she was living with her boyfriend and has no place of her own. Avery chooses what so many 20-somethings out of options do: she goes home again.

Only for Avery, when she arrives back at her parents’ house in Massachusetts, it feels like living with the ghost of her glory days. Her talent and trajectory back in the day made her something of a hometown hero. These days, she doesn’t feel like much of a hero. She really needs a job, first of all.

Because she lives inside of a novel, Avery gets a phone call from a gymnastics coach at the gym where she trained throughout her young life. This guy calling her was not only her childhood crush when she was younger, but he’s now working at her former gym, training a very talented teenager for the Olympics. He wants to know if Avery wants a job helping with her floor routine, since that’s a trouble point and an area in which Avery has expertise: she was especially strong on floor in her younger years. Returning to her former gym stirs up lots of feelings and memories, but she commits to the job.

There’s a lot going on in this book. Avery returns to the gymnastics world, only as a coach this time. Avery and her former crush (Ryan) start to catch some feelings. Avery must confront her childhood friend who did go onto the Olympics and achieved everything Avery dreamed of doing. The past in general comes back to haunt Avery as she thinks about what might have been, but also is still feeling the effects of the verbal and emotional abuse of her own former coach, who is still a prominent name. And finally, she and all the rest of the gymnastics world must figure out how to confront a massive, upsetting scandal that erupts.

The book takes major inspiration from what’s actually been going on in the gymnastics world over the last few years. It essentially takes the gymnastics world we know and moves it over one dimension so it’s basically the same world, only with different famous gymnasts. Oh, and in that dimension, the coronavirus didn’t cause the 2020 summer Olympics to become the 2021 summer Olympics. Knowing the author wrote this and the publisher scheduled this to line up with said summer Olympics, was a bit awkward. And sad, really.

The main issue with this book is breadth over depth. The author was highly ambitious in what all she wanted to include, but because of that, no one element is explored fully. Everything is muted as a result.

There are some passages that show Avery’s pupil, Hallie, performing, but the author mainly calls moves by their names instead of painting a picture for the reader. I had to look up YouTube videos to see what actually would have been happening during these parts. Now, I may be the kind of reader who enjoys researching things surrounding the books I read, but if I need to turn outside of the book to get a mental picture of what’s going on inside of the book, the author has done me wrong.

The female characters were a little same-y and Ryan has barely any personality. Even when his actions are causing a problem, you can’t even get mad at him because he does everything in the blandest way possible. Dairy Queen Vanilla. Not even Breyers level.

Rinse and repeat for the other elements listed above; nothing is done especially poorly, it’s just not done all that well. It was fun for what it was and provided a needed substitute for the gymnastics video binge-watching I had planned to do this summer, but I’m docking points for execution (sorry, I had to). 2.75 stars, rounded up to 3.