I really liked this! It gave me some serious I, Tonya vibes. (Yes I know that ice skating and gymnastics are different sports). I was interested in the story from start to finish, and I was invested in Ryan and Avery’s relationship. I also loved how nostalgic this book made me feel, which I was not expecting! I loved how this book dealt with things like not achieving our dreams and how to properly apologize. This book would make a great movie!

I received this as an eARC so I want to say thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for allowing me to read this early. I really enjoyed this book and thought it dealt with real issues very well. This book is about a woman named Avery who was on track to become an Olympic gymnast when an injury ended it all for her. Her coach of 5 years completely blew her off and was done with her, and sadly her best friend (another gymnast) also became estranged as she continued on to Olympic success. Avery moved to LA, started dating an NFL player, and adjusted to her new normal, albeit with some mental and physical remains of her long training career that came to a quick end. When her relationship ends, she decides to leave LA and go back home where she is asked to help coach a new up and coming Olympic hopeful named Hallie. While there, she's working with her other coach, Ryan. Ryan and Avery knew each other when they were both in their athletic prime, but now they're rekindling their friendship after 8ish years. The story goes on from there. The romance element of this book was definitely the weakest part but that didn't bother me. I loved the relationship between Avery and Hallie and how coaching was really cathartic and almost therapeutic for Avery. I loved the relationship between Avery and Jasmine and how they were able to reconnect after many years. I could relate so much to Avery. Though I was never an Olympic athlete, I have always been relatively athletic and now because of the demands of motherhood and pregnancy, my training cannot be my main priority anymore and the physical losses are, at times, very frustrating and disheartening. What I experience is small scale compared to Avery's experience, but I found her emotions regarding her loss of athletic ability to be very relatable. I loved Sarah and her addition of yoga to the story. Again, I could relate to Avery in her philosophy that a workout is not worth doing unless you sweat, but Sarah really helped bring in the mind/body connection and helped redefine the lines of what fitness/wellness really looks like.
**This book has major trigger warnings for body image, eating disorders, sexual and emotional abuse. As someone who knows very little about the world of gymnastics, I thought the portrayal was very good and this book shed light on some very important issues. Again, I just loved the emphasis on full body and mind health and the need to focus on more than just what wins the medals.

SPOILERS AHEAD:
Avery was coached by a man named Dimitri. He was a "tough coach" and thats okay right? No. He was very emotionally abusive to his girls and would belittle them for what they ate, how they looked and how they performed. However, his track record for producing Olympians was unbeatable. Jasmine, Avery's best friend who did go on to the Olympics, married him despite a huge age gap and his abusive nature. This further widened the gap between her and Avery. Ryan, on the other hand, is a soft, gentle coach who treats Hallie with kindness and respect. However, later in the book after he and Avery's relationship is established, he gets an opportunity to go work under Dimitri and despite her telling him the truth about him, he decides to take the job. This is the end of their relationship and Ryan lost all cool points in my book. However, when he actually goes to Dimitri's gym and sees how things are, he decides to back out. He and Avery don't start their relationship immediately back up, but in the very end they decide to start over.
Avery also reconnects with Jasmine and she gets the full story as to how she and Dimitri ended up together. Dimitri sort of groomed her and then just told her they were going to get together. She was creeped out at first, but being young and inexperienced eventually just went with it. In the end of the book, she decides to leave him and she and Avery get together to start an organization to help with the mental and physical health of young gymnasts. It's a place that offers things like yoga, counseling, etc. to address issues that often go unnoticed, but are greatly harmful to that population.
Also going on is a big scandal involving an orthopedic doctor who gets arrested for sexual abusing 7 gymnasts in his care. Hallie was a patient of his, but she's not one fo the 7 who turned him in. Between the abusive coach and the abusive doctor, these poor girls are being subjected to a lot, especially when added to the requirement to put in so many hours in the gym and eat/look a certain way. I loved the steps that were taken in the end to hopefully cause a paradigm shift.
Overall, highly recommend this book!

Head Over Heels was a compulsively readable novel that had multiple storylines that all worked together so well. Avery Abrams was a super interesting main character who adapted and evolved throughout the novel. Avery is a former gymnast who is still seeking the high that being on the mat in front of a big crowd once brought her. A huge break up puts her back into her childhood bedroom and sends her reeling to find her purpose in life. I loved seeing her figure out how she could fit back into the gymnastics world. She reconnects with her teen crush, Ryan, who is now a coach at her old gym. Ryan and Avery had a really interesting connection and the author did such a good job at making me feel fully invested in their relationship. I also loved seeing Avery become an advocate for Hallie, the gymnast she's coaching who's on the road to the Olympics, and for other gymnasts. Avery knows what it's like to work under an abusive coach and feel lost after the sport is over. Avery finds a way to help others avoid the pain and confusion she felt. This book shines a light on the way that women from all ages and walks of life can support each other. This is a must-read.

3.5 Stars. Hannah Orenstein is a new author to me. This blurb definitely caught my attention so I really wanted to give it a try. I enjoyed the gymnastics aspect of it. You could tell that it was really researched and used well in the story. However, the story was a little slow for me and I wanted a little more romance between the characters. That being said, the storyline was intriguing and I liked the author's writing and I will definitely be reading more from her.

I absolutely LOVED Head Over Heels! I think I might even have to raise my rating! Avery returns home after a breakup to coach Hallie, a rising potential Olympian. No doubt there is a love story between Avery and Ryan, the other coach for Hallie.

This book felt like so much more than a coming of age romance!! The gymnastics tie ins made it so unique. Helps to take the place of the Olympics that are no longer happening this year.

I loved the writing style and I flew through it, finishing it in one day! My favorite of Hannah’s books for sure. This is a summer read you don’t want to miss!!

Thank you @atria books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
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I really enjoyed this book and it was a fast read! It was a little bittersweet reading about the Olympics since they aren’t happening this year but it was still cool to read and learn more about gymnastics. I admire the gymnastic community and all the amazing talent they have. Head over Heels had great characters with lots of growth, the perfect amount of steam, in my opinion and a few tough topics that the author handles really well. The setting was really fun and as I was reading this book, I felt like I was right there in the finals with the characters. Avery was a great main character and she was very relatable. I enjoyed the yoga aspects of this book and all the internal dialogue that we were able to read and learn more about the characters this way.
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Trigger Warning and Content Warning: Emotional and verbal abuse

Avery Abrams was once an elite gymnast, but her Olympic dreams were shattered after an injury forced her into early retirement at the age of 19. In the years since the incident, Avery has lost her motivation, and more recently, the relationship that was helping her coast by. With no prospects on the horizon, Avery moves back in with her parents in the town where she used to be a local star. On her first day home, she gets a call from Ryan, a former Olympian, and Avery's former childhood crush, offering her a position helping him coach a young gymnast with Olympic aspirations. She's hesitant, but without any other options, she takes the job.

Despite her worries that she's out of practice and her bad memories of her abusive coach, Avery finds a renewed energy the moment she walks back into her old gym. She starts to find her purpose again and being around Ryan ain't so bad either. More than either of those things, she finds camaraderie with Hallie, the young gymnast she's training. She strives to be the coach she never had - one who cares about her athlete's wellbeing, mental health, and happiness.

The story is strongest when it sticks to Avery's struggles and how they impact her relationship with Hallie and the entire sport of gymnastics. The female relationships in this book have a much bigger impact than the romantic ones. Sure, Ryan is nice, but I found her friendship with Jasmine and her mentorship of Hallie much more important to Avery's growth. Ryan didn't have much depth, and their connection never felt passionate. It felt more like 2 people who had too much in common NOT to date. The relationship seemed to just be ticking a romance novel box.

Overall, this was a much better story than my last read by Orenstein, Love at First Like. The characters in that book infuriated me, whereas I found Avery much more likable albeit kind of boring. The sports elements make it an interesting read, so if the gymnastic world intrigues you, Head Over Heels might be up your alley.

This one was a quick read! Both a gymnastics and a new love story, but didn't feel strongly into either storyline. This did help my missing of sports.

Thank you Atria Books via Netgalley for gifting me a review copy of Head Over Heels in exchange for an honest review.

Recently dumped, unemployed & still dealing with the emotional aftershocks of losing her spot in the Olympics to a freak injury eight years ago, she moves back in with her parents to reassess. She finds her footing soon, though, once former Olympic champion Ryan Nicholson offers her a job training a young gymnast with her eyes set on the 2020 games.

I really enjoyed Hannah Orenstein’s third book! I loved the premise of the novel and I thought Orenstein did a great job at illustrating the difficulties facing young female gymnasts. This book covers a lot of difficult topics (including sexual assault, the fear of failure, emotional abuse & eating disorders) and it does it well, really putting the reader in a place where they can truly understand the lingering effects the sport can have on these girls as they grow older. As women’s fiction, I thought this book excelled. As a romance, I found it a little lacking— I felt Ryan was a very lackluster character, and I didn’t really buy into (or feel invested in) Avery & Ryan’s relationship. I thought Avery’s connection with Hallie, the gymnast she’s training, to be much more compelling. Overall, though, I thought this was a fun read that offered a much-welcomed escape into the 2020 we thought we were going to have.

Still reeling from her disastrous performance at the Olympics trials several years ago, Avery Adams isn’t sure what her future holds. Avery moves back to her hometown in Massachusetts after breaking up with her football star boyfriend in LA and needs a new job.

Ryan, an old acquaintance and Olympian gymnast calls her out of the blue and asks her to help train a new Olympic candidate. Avery can’t believe her luck. Ryan is incredibly swoon-worthy and she has the opportunity to bring gymnastics into her life again. But when a scandal irrupts in the gymnastics world, Avery finds herself reconnecting with her old friend Jasmine, a gymnast who went on to compete in the Olympics and left Avery behind.

This is the perfect book to pick up if you are experiencing Olympics withdrawals. I found myself experiencing the same excited/nervous jitters that I would feel while watching Olympic gymnasts compete in the past and enjoyed the detailed gymnastic terminology Orenstein incorporates into technical scenes. It’s evident that Orenstein thoroughly researched the atmosphere of gymnastics and the technical moves of the sport.

The book also discusses important issues in gymnastics including abuse and assault found among gymnast-coach relationships. This spin definitely gives the book a bit of oomph to the light and airy feel of the overall storyline. I definitely recommend this one if you are a fan of gymnastics and are looking for something lighthearted to read.

Despite some of the heavier emotional plot elements, I truly enjoyed reading this book. It has a lightness and ease to the storytelling, making the more serious pieces manageable and not overbearing.

The characters are likeable (the ones who are meant to be). You don't need to be a fan of gymnastics to enjoy the book but I'd you, like me, found yourself enthralled with the young women and the process they went through to get to the Olympics every 4 years as you grew up, you'll enjoy this book.

Thanks to Atria/Simon & Schuster for the eARC!

Rating: 3.5 stars
Recommend? Yes! Obviously for gymnasts, but an ex-competitive athlete will appreciate this. A good "beach read."

[Thank you to the author and publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!]

This is the first book I've read that was set in an alternate-reality 2020 in which COVID didn't shut down our lives (and the Olympics!) and reading it was very surreal for that reason, but also a great escape from our current situation. The book follows Avery, an ex-gymnast who was headed to the Olympics when her career ended due to injury. Seven years later, she's in a bad place physically and mentally when she moves back to her hometown and starts training a 16-year-old gymnast who is an Olympic hopeful.

This book started out a little slow for me, but it grew in depth as the characters and story line did. I think the author did a great job of building female relationships - both friendships and coach/athlete. The competition scenes were very well-written; I was on the emotional edge of my seat waiting to see how Hallie would do! Most importantly, I appreciated how the book dove into very topical issues in gymnastics, including sexual assault and body image, and how the romantic relationship in the book was woven into that narrative.

3.5 stars

Head Over Heels is a story about Avery Abrams: She spent her entire life training to make the Olympic gymnastics team, but a bad performance ended her athletic career for good. She goes home after losing her dreams and boyfriend. She vows to never return to gymnastics again. She soon finds herself with a chance to train an up and coming gymnast. Avery also gets a second chance at love. Head Over Heels is an easy entertaining read. I don't know much about gymnastics so some of the technical terms were lost on me but I still really enjoyed it. I never really felt the connection between Ryan and Avery, it always seemed like it was just a convenient relationship. However I did find myself enjoying this story and wanting to know what happened next!

This book is a solid 4 stars from me!

The overall book was fantastic, and I enjoyed it immensely. It's incredibly clear that Orenstein did massive amounts of research regarding the sport and the issues that come with that. The storylines surrounding the sexual abuse and emotional abuse of female gymnasts were incredibly well-written, handled with both class and care. I found myself tearing up at the realness of it all, not because the writing was unnecessarily dramatic!

A star off for little to no romance, and the romance that way there was predictable without depth.

A side note: I so wish the Olympics were actually happening this year!

Thank you to @Netgalley and @atriabooks for providing me with a free e-copy for an honest review.

An accident on the gymnastic floor ends Avery's athletic career for good and seven years later she still doesn't know what to make of her new found life without being a gymnast. A breakup with her pro football quarterback boyfriend means she needs to move back home to sort out her life. When an offer to help coach a young Olympic hopeful comes along with her former crush Ryan, Avery is brought back into the world she lost. Avery and Ryan work hard at keeping their gymnast safe from the damaging world of gymnastics while trying to keep the sparks they are feeling a secret.

I really enjoyed this one. It was a good mix of sweet romance mixed with real life issues in the sports world. It would make for a great summer read. Out June 23rd! 3.5/5⭐️

This is my first book by Hannah Orenstein, but it certainly won't be the last! I've always been fascinated by the sport of gymnastics and especially the level of athleticism it takes to make it all the way to a gold medal in the Olympics. In Head Over Heels, Avery has her Olympic dreams dashed by a devastating injury, and without being an elite gymnast, she loses all sense of her identity. When a coaching job opens up with her former childhood crush, she takes a leap of faith and truly finds herself. I loved the in depth information on what goes into making a world class gymnast and I appreciated that real world concerns like abuse were tackled as well. It was a little bittersweet to read about Olympic trials and trips to Tokyo when our own 2020 Olympics have been postponed, but for the most part, I found this novel to be thought provoking and heartwarming.

I was provided a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to Atria and Netgalley.

Head Over Heels ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Avery is an Olympic bound gymnast, until an injury ended her career before she had the chance. Years later, she returns to her hometown after a breakup and is offered the opportunity to train a new prospective Olympian at her former gym. One of the other coaches Ryan and Avery have a connection, but they don’t want it to interfere with Hallie’s training.

This was a cute romance with the gymnastics twist. If I were a former gymnast, I totally would’ve eaten it all up! There was more focus on the gymnastics than the romance, but not too much. I thought it was a quick and light read. I loved Hallie’s character and admired her strength and discipline.

Thanks to @bradeighgodfrey and Atria Books for the free digital copy of this cute romance!

I flew through this one last night (I’m off my book a day game and trying to catch up!) and mostly it just made me miss the Olympics and want to watch Stick It. (Anyone else love that movie as a teenager?!) It’s a story about gymnastics and a new romance but it felt like it couldn’t decide which one it wanted to be, so it didn’t really do either of them well. It was solidly ⭐️⭐️ (okay) for me!

3.5 stars. Head Over Heels was a good, quick read. I have been a gymnastic fan ever since Nadia Comaneci's perfect 10 scores in the 1976 Olympics, and I followed with dismay the sexual assault allegations against gymnastics team physician Larry Nassar. So I've seen a lot of highs and low but remain fascinated with the sport. The 2020 summer Olympics have been postponed because of the pandemic, so until 2021, this book will have to suffice.

The novel is strongest when it sticks to Avery's struggle to find meaning in her life years after a freak injury ended her Olympic dreams. Her relationship with rising star Hallie and her strained yet unbreakable friendship with her former teammate Jasmine are heartfelt and full of Girl Power. Avery starts out broken and aimless, and ends up with purpose and a new passion.

However, the love story between Avery and fellow coach Ryan fell flat to me. It felt very pro-forma, ticking the boxes of approach/avoid/approach and then predictable breakup/grovel/reconciliation. Ryan didn't have much depth beyond being cute and hard-working. I was much more engaged in whether or not Hallie made it to the Olympics than I was in whether or not Avery and Ryan would stay together.

Along the way Orenstein references verbally abusive coaches (shades of Bela Karolyi), a physician sexual assault case similar to Nassar, and lots and lots of gymnastics moves that show she either did her research or has a background in the sport. She provides a balanced (no pun intended) view of the risks these women take when they sacrifice a regular life for a few minutes of fame, and lets the reader decide if it's worth the effort.

Orenstein's writing style is serviceable but not memorable. I don't know if I would read another book by her unless I was particularly interested n the subject as I was with this one. So I'd give Head Over Heels a qualified recommendation for readers like me who can still name all of the girls who captured our hearts as the Magnificent Seven, the Fierce Five and the Final Five.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein was such a fun read! Yes, there were some dark moments (sexual abuse) but they were told in such a way that to he reader comes away with knowledge, sadness and a better understanding of what these young ladies went through. Having gymnastics as the backdrop to this story made this relatable and having redemption in the end made me happy!
3 ⭐

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.