What a fun, engaging romcom! I loved this author's book Playing With Matches, so I was excited to get this galley from Netgalley.

This story was engaging, affirming and just plain fun. The world of completive gymnastics has always fascinated me - what strength those athletes have to have not just physically, but mentally too. This book also addressed the underside of completive sports - career ending injuries, mental health, verbal and physical abuse, and sexual assault. While it didnty dive deeply into all these topics, they were still addressed and presented as a reality, which I appreciated.

The best part though is the growth that these characters experienced and how their story ends. I was a big fan.

This book is set in the world of competitive gymnastics centered around Avery Abrams, an Olympic hopeful whose dreams were dashed before she got the chance to qualify for the Olympics when she was a teenager.

Avery is now on her way back to Massachusetts after a devastating break up with her boyfriend in LA. She moves back in with her parents when a coach from the local gymnastics gym, Ryan calls her and asks if she wants to help him train a rising young star.

Reluctantly, Avery agrees and eventually ends up joining the team and training Hallie, the young gymnast. The story follows their path to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 (what an alternate universe now!). While working together Ryan and Avery can't resist their undeniable chemistry for each other.

During this time there is also a scandal that breaks out and changes the landscape of the gymnastics world. This, in part, leads Avery to reconnect with her former friend and Olympian Jasmine and shapes into new opportunities for Avery.

I thought this book was the right mix of sweet without being saccharine. I'm not a huge romance reader but I picked up Playing with Matches, Hannah Orenstein's first book and completely fell in love with it.

I find her writing style approachable and Avery was real and relatable. I especially loved the coaching relationship she develops with Hallie. It was also a pretty fun peek behind the curtain of competitive gymnastics - something I didn't know much about but I know the author has a background in and it felt genuine.

That being said, as far as romance books go it does follow the pretty typical narrative - I think the reason why I loved Playing with Matches so much is that it didn't and it was more unpredictable and a fun ride. I think there's a bit less excitement here as well because the book centers in a sleepier, small town and not some place glam like LA or New York but that's a personal preference.

This book comes out June 23, 2020 and would be the perfect summer read and in an odd way, a very escapist book to immerse yourself in as it's set in 2020 and definitely shows a different version of the year we're currently living in.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a delightful read! It was an interesting glimpse into the world of competitive gymnastics, and it was clear the author did lots of research! We'll be interviewing her for an upcoming installment of Sit Dow & Write.

I was offered a galley of Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein through Atria Books and I gladly accepted! This rom-com focuses on the 2020 Olympics, which were unfortunately cancelled, but was no less satisfying despite that detail. It did make me feel even more horrible for the Olympic athletes that have put themselves under immense pressure and rigorous training for this chance of a lifetime.

As far as rom-coms go, this was a 5 star within the genre. Our main character is Avery, a former gymnast that missed her shot at the Olympics after an injury. Years down the road, she still deals with depression that stems not only from this twist of fate but from the emotional abuse that her renowned coach spewed at her during her years of training. She finds herself lost and reeling after a breakup and back in her hometown when she’s offered the chance to coach a promising contender for the 2020 Olympics. This offer is extended by a former Olympian acquaintance named Ryan (hence where the romance comes in).

When Avery is thrust back into this world, she really has to face the repercussions that stem from years of training with an emotionally abusive coach. This novel stands above most that I’ve read within this genre because it addresses some serious issues. It focuses on the sexual abuse a lot of a female athletes face, which is often a product of trusted professionals or adults grooming and taking advantage of young girls. It discusses the self-image issues that come from some of the more severe coaching strategies and whether the brutal techniques are worth the results if they come at a detriment to a young woman’s mental or physical health. I loved that this novel managed to keep me interested enough to read this all in one go, with lighthearted prose, while tackling these issues. The romance was there, for those that are interested in the relationship aspect, but it didn’t play a more important part in Avery’s life than her addressing the issues she faced in the world of female athletes. This sends such a good message, because Avery didn’t sacrifice herself or what she believed in for a man, when it came down to having to put her experience out there. She cared more about helping other female athletes than getting the guy. Another aspect I really enjoyed was Ryan’s coaching style in contrast to the experience that Avery had when she was in training. He coaches with authority but gentleness in comparison to the ridicule, insults, and taunting that she experienced as motivators. They also recognize that his experience as a male athlete was likely very different than her experience as a female athlete in the same sport.

All in all, this was a delightful and brisk read. It never felt like a chore to read, and it wasn’t filled with fluff like a lot of rom-coms are (which, there’s nothing wrong with, if that’s what you’re looking for). I felt like I got an insight into the lives of a female Olympic athlete (since I’m the farthest thing from it) and this is an important novel to have available for young women, especially in a time when women are finally starting to be heard when it comes to holding men accountable for their mistreatment of them. Thank you to Atria and the author for the opportunity to read this wonderful distraction from the reality that 2020 is, which is utterly lacking from the excitement that the Olympics would have brought. Pick this up on June 23rd, 2020!

Have you ever wanted something so bad, you put all your time and effort into it, only to make one mistake and have it all slip right from your fingers?

In Head Over Heels, Avery Abrams lived that life. She spent years practicing, being disciplined, and working towards being a gymnast in the Olympics only to have one false move cause an injury and take it all away from her. After her injury she found herself without her best friend, her coach and the one constant in her life, gymnastics. Searching to fill that gap, Avery moves to LA, attends college (briefly), finds herself partying and dating an NFL player.

Four years later, she is still lost, and finds herself moving back home after a breakup. Avery is trying to figure out her next steps, when she gets a phone call from Ryan, a gymnast she used to know, and one that did have the chance to go to the Olympics. Ryan offers her a job at her old gym helping with a floor routine for one of his clients. Avery is reluctant to take it, but realizes she doesn’t have anything left to lose, and may in fact find the part of herself that has been missing in the process.

I really enjoyed this book. I always love watching gymnastics in the Olympics, but more than that, I love hearing about the ladies and their road it took to get there. I really liked how Hannah Orenstein did not overshadow some of the more negative things that have come out of gymnastics in recent years. She worked them into the book, and addressed them head on. There is definitely a little bit of a romance element in this book, but there is also friendship, the importance of a mentor relationship and for having a support system to help you stand up for what you know is right. I really enjoyed it all while reading Head Over Heels so much, I finished it in just a day!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an eGalley copy to read and provide and honest review.

This book is more of a 3.5 for me, but not enough to push it to the 4 star level. I liked a lot of things about this book, but there were some things that were lacking.

I will start off with the things I didn't like so we can end on a higher note. The first, and most major, issue I had was with the romance. There wasn't anything drastic wrong with it, there just wasn't much development on page. The story is told, basically, month by month for about 10 months (I think?). As such, there is a lot that is glossed over in the developing relationship. The moments that we do see the couple together were actually kind of cute, but I needed more. Where was the real pining? I didn't really end up caring if they ended up together or not.

There is also a section of the book that focuses on the exposing of a gymnastic doctor ( I can't remember his exact specialty) for sexual harassment of the gymnasts. This wasn't handled super badly, but I feel like more could have been done with this concern.

This book has more darker themes that you would expect from a "romcom". There wasn't really anything comedic about this and there were a few different serious topics discussed as well, including the #metoo movement, abusive coaches, eating disorders, fatphobia in relation to gymnastics, and things like that. I feel like this seems to be happening more frequently where books are labelled as romcoms and are not that at all.

The things that I liked about this book were the relationships between the women in the book. Avery's relationship with Hallie, the gymnast who is trying to get to the Olympics is very sweet and sister-like. She starts off feeling like she wouldn't really be friends with her new roommate Sarah, but they become really good friends. Related to Sarah, there is such a nice, calming scene where Avery finally goes to one of Sarah's yoga classes and confronts her prejudices against it and realizes why people would go to these classes. I thought it was a really nice scene. My favorite friendship though was Avery and Jasmine, who used to be best friends and drifted apart after Avery was injured and Jasmine went on to be the Olympic gymnast. I was really happy that they were able to reconnect and become friends. I do wish we saw a bit more of their friendship, but I did really like it.

Overall, I think this was a solid book, but it lacked a lot in the romance department. As this is marketed as a romcom, I am basing my review on that.

I started our excited about this one. Unfortunately, it could have been better. I felt like there was more telling than showing. Ryan and Avery’s relationship was cute until somewhere after the middle and the resolution just didn’t feel real to me. The gymnastics aspect was interesting but I just was emotionally invested in the story.

Thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for the gifted copy of Head Over Heels.

I enjoyed the sports (Gymnasts) aspect of this one but wanted a little more romance feature (IMO it's secondary to her journey of starting over).. The characters were authentic and I appreciated Avery's realness surrounding her breakup. She wasn't afraid to admit she was crushed, a mess and forced to start over - BUT I loved that she gave it her best shot anyway.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The book deals with the harsher sides of the gymnastic world. Underneath all the glitz and glamour, the girls and boys competing have spent the large majority of their lives prepping for the big moment—the olympics. As an almost-Olympian, Avery went through years of brutal practices, that ended with a career-halting injury. After a bad breakup, she returns to Massachusetts and gets a job as a coach.

I think this book covered some really important topics, mainly focusing on abuse and mental health. It’s incredibly hard to speak up when experiencing abuse of any kind. Hallie’s story pays tribute to the victims of sexual assault and how they cope, specifically as an athlete. Avery’s story shows how emotional abuse isn’t easy to heal from, and can take years to even recognize and overcome. It’s only when she starts to coach herself that she is able to work through the pain. And then we have Jasmine. Her story cannot be ignored as she struggles with being in an abusive relationship and trying to break free from it.

The romance between Avery and Ryan was complicated. They’re coworkers working intensely with Hallie to get her to the Olympics. As a result, it would be messy if they started a relationship and it didn’t work out. While I understood why they would be good together, I didn’t understand how they found conversation easy. Mainly because the reader only gets a glimpse of awkward conversations between them. Even when the book is over, I still felt like the romance wasn’t top notch. It’s not that it was unbelievable, but there was something seriously lacking about it. In a way, the romance almost drags down the quality of the plot.

I thought the ending was too abrupt. The book had been carefully outlined by months and at what should’ve been the climax of the story, it ends. While the gymnastics side of the story was carefully researched, I feel like there were holes in the research of other aspects of the book (trying to be vague so no spoilers). Overall, I still really enjoyed it and would recommend.

Head Over Heels is a thoroughly enjoyable story about gymnastics, the Olympics, and Avery and Ryan. Avery trained her whole life to be in the Olympics, but was injured at the last minute and couldn't participate. She doesn't know what to do with her life now. Ryan works at a gymnastics training facility and hires Avery to help train his star pupil. This book included a lot of specifics regarding gymnastics including the sexual assault scandal. I really thought this book was well-written, but the romance gets a little lost in all the gymnastics specifics. I still enjoyed it though and would recommend it to anyone that enjoys gymnastics, the Olympics, and romance. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

In "Head over Heels", author Hannah Orenstein has created a heartwarming romance between two very likable main characters: Ryan and Avery. Former gymnastic stars, Ryan and Avery must work together to train the new up-and-coming gymnastic star, Hallie. I really enjoyed this book, and could tell many aspects were based on the true-life circumstances of Olympic gymnasts in present day. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cute romances.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book. I have read Hannah’s other two books and while I was expecting another cute romcom about online dating, this one really threw me for a loop!
I loved the gymnastics setting and plot line in this. I was not expecting it to take such a big role, but I was super pleased to experience a fictional view on the real-life gymnastics tragedies that happened.

Thank you for telling this story!

Overall- I loved this and read it in two sittings. Cannot wait to see what comes next from Orenstein!

Head Over Heels was a fantastic novel that I couldn't put down. It follows the former gymnast Avery, who is recovering from a breakup and returns to hometown. Avery finds a job coaching at her old gymnastics gym, where her old crush Ryan also happens to be working. Avery has to navigate through her feelings of former abusive coaches, the memories of an injury that crushed her Olympic dreams, and figuring out what her life means now after years of disappointment.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

This was a cute book that relied too heavily on sports. I've always loved watching gymnastics during the Olympics and it was interesting to get a view of what it might be like for hopefuls, however, this book was too focused on the gymnastics. Maybe I didn't understand what type of book it was supposed to be. I thought it was a romance novel, not necessarily full on romance but I certainly expected more. The descriptions of the gymnastic moves, which I don't have a clue of most of them, was boring. Way too detailed, listing move names that mean nothing to me and not just once but for each competition which could have been a copy and paste from the first competition. I liked Avery and Ryan but something was lacking. Ryan came off as this super nice guy but as soon as an opportunity arises, he ignores what Avery has to say about it. It felt contrived, like the author just made him bad for the requisite time so they had a conflict to deal with. I received this from NetGalley for an honest review which I'm only posting here. I hate giving mediocre or bad reviews and so won't share anywhere else.

Avery’s Olympic dreams were dashed during trials with a fall causing an injury during her floor routine. It’s been 7 years and she has been trying to find out who she is and where she belongs. When he long term boyfriend ends things, Avery heads back to her hometown. An unexpected phone call leads her to coaching a promising young gymnast with Ryan, the heartthrob of her youth. When scandal breaks out, Avery finds her heart breaking for Hallie and the other girls this scandal has hurt. She thought she was done with gymnastics, but it turns out she is diving back in headfirst.

Ok so I finished Break The Fall yesterday and decided to grab my latest book mail of Head Over Heels. Little did I know they were both about Olympic gymnastics! I decided to go ahead and continue on anyway since I loved Break The Fall and was totally in a gymnastics mood now! I am glad I did! It’s hard to come off a 4.5 star book about a similar topic, but this book was just as fabulous! I loved that this book faced the many issues that young gymnasts are met with, and did so without sugar coating it. I adored Hallie and the friendship that grew between her and Avery beyond just a coach relationship. The love story part was of course just an added bonus. If you are like me and are missing the would be lead up to the Olympics right now, I highly recommend grabbing a copy of this book as well as Break The Fall to get your fix!

Thank you to Atria Books for my gifted copy of this book!

I’ve tried a couple of this authors books, but I haven’t loved any yet. I always expect more romance than there is. Head Over Heels felt especially women’s fiction vs romance to me. I thought the romance was very much secondary to the heroine’s story as a gymnast. I think if I had gone in expecting women’s fiction I would have enjoyed it more. 2.5 stars

A double salto with a full twist this #summerrelease even has the perfect dismount.

Last summer I read and enjoyed Orenstein’s witty Love At First Like. This spring I forced my way into a #buddyread of Head Over Heals and I couldn’t be happier with my sneaky #bookstagram tactics. Thanks, friends!

With the Olympics delayed due to #covid I’m 100% positive I’m not the only one crying in my chardonnay. Imagine all those athletes that have trained their whole life for this summer!

“Over the next hour, the bones of the routine begin to take shape. I’m reminded of one of the many things I loved about gymnastics: if you work hard, you can become a superhuman version of yourself, at least for a time. If I were in prime shape, I could spiral like a ballerina, contort myself like a circus performer, catapult myself like a soldier, and defy gravity like a goddess. There would be no limits on what I could do.”

I absolutely loved the protagonist, Avery. She was sweet and quite insightful. After Avery trained her entire life to make the Olympics team, her career is destroyed in an instant. Flash forward seven years and Avery has just been dumped by her famous football star boyfriend. She returns home to her family, an old town filled with memories and a gym where her childhood crush works. Soon she’s working with her crush Ryan to help Hallie prepare for the Olympic trials in 2020.

Light on the romance, I thought this story was an excellent peek inside the competitive world of gymnastics and the high stakes of it all. From start to finish, I was absolutely captivated and charmed by it all.

5 stars.

Head over Heels is about a hopeful Olympic gymnast who is having trouble coping after an injury kills her Olympic dreams. After a series of bad decisions, Avery ends up living at home and coaching gymnasts at her old gym. She meets up with her former crush “cute Ryan” at the gym and sparks fly.

The romance between Avery and Ryan was sweet and fun to read about. But, this book is is so much more than a sweet romance. It tackles tough topics like depression, emotional abuse, anxiety, and physical abuse.

This book is also a fun visit to the world of gymnastics. I love to watch Olympic gymnastics and it was interesting to see the allusions to real-life people and events in the gymnastics world.


I really liked reading about Avery’s growth during the book from almost rock bottom to being self confident enough to stick to her guns when Ryan is on the road to making a bad decision. Avery is empowered to do more than she ever dreamed and trusts herself when things get tough.

Once a potential Olympic hopeful, Avery Abrams's life is in a tailspin.
Injury ended her chance at living her dream and stole her motivation.
College should have given her a chance at a fresh start, but rather than see the possibilities it could offer her, she instead turned to partying.
That became her new focus, hanging with the beautiful people. But even that fun life has a time limit.
Forced to return home, things looked bleak. Until she got one phone call.

I liked how Avery fought for this new opportunity, which nearly passed her by. It finally gave her a purpose, coaching a gymnast on the rise, Hallie Conway. And I loved how Avery approached this new job. She didn't just try to coast thru it, instead challenging Hallie to try new ideas. And with each day at Summit Gymnastics, Avery's spirit grew.

It didn't hurt that Avery was now working alongside an old crush from her gymnastic days, Ryan Nicholson. I've heard of the ugly side of this sport, but Ryan isn't on that side. He's tough but supportive of Hallie. In addition, he doesn't micromanage Avery. Instead he lets her control the direction of Hallie's floor routine, which suits all three of them. And with time, that support brings Avery and Ryan closer together.

I mentioned the ugly side of this sport, and I liked how the author not only didn't ignore this, but instead made it a significant part of the story. It was relevant to real world events and fit well within the story-line. In addition, it gave Avery another area to shine as she tackled the problem head on.

While there is some drama within the story involving the direction of Ryan's career, this isn't an angsty read. I really enjoyed reading the process these two coaches went thru to help Hallie achieve her dream. Overall, this was a sweet and fun sports romance.

3.5/5 🌟

Sports is actually the topic I'm least interested in, which means I've never been much of a sporty person. I decided to give this book a try because it is a....well an "Olympian Romance" (the perfect word to use here) and I also got to enjoy sports through a book! 😁
Head Over Heels dealt with topics I didn't expect at all. It had in-depth discussions on depression, anxiety and most importantly, abuse ~ both verbal and physical ; and how people aren't safe from this crime in the athletic world as well. When we think about people engaged in sports, we always picture strong & muscular people, but we almost never let our minds wonder about how those people can be defined by something other than their talents. The book reflected this aspect perfectly. I got to know a lot about the Olympics and sports in general, so kudos to the author for her strong research on it! 💕
Now, let's talk about the romance. I was kinda sad when I realized that romance wasn't the focal point of the book, but enjoyed it anyway. Avery and Ryan were a very cute couple. I loved seeing their relationship develop from the beginning of the story. I felt that the sports part of the book over-powered the romance aspect, which made Avery and Ryan's relationship lack the depth it deserved. Ryan's contribution to the romance felt very flat to me too, but he got my approval by the end of the book.
Avery's character development was definitely my favorite part! I loved seeing her growth throughout the book. The side characters - Hallie, Jasmine and Sara added their own charms to the story and I really liked reading about them.
Overall, I really appreciate how Head Over Heels talked about women empowerment and raising awareness against sexual abuse. This is definitely a book worth reading.