Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for my review copy.

I have been a longtime spectator of the world of women's gymnastics and the postponement of the 2020 Olympics left a giant, depressing hole in my summer. Head Over Heels was just the read I needed to help fill that void.

Former gymnast and Olympic hopeful, Avery Abrams, has been slowly trying to pull herself together and figure out what she wants from life after suffering a career-ending injury right before the London Olympics. She ends up moving back home to be an assistant coach to another Olympic hopeful, sixteen-year-old Hallie. The novel follows their path to the 2020 Olympics.

While there is some romance along the way, it is so much more than someone finding a partner. It's ultimately a novel about learning to overcome years of emotional abuse to finally accept and love yourself. I loved watching the character of Avery evolve and come into her own and was surprised to find myself in tears at the end.

Was a cute, easy read. I was maybe expecting a little more but nonetheless enjoyed this book overall! good character development!

I thought this was really nice. I liked the romance and the friendships. I think I almost liked the friendship development more than the romantic relationship development. This talked about some tough subjects without being too heavy or making light of it. I just thought this was a nice read!

This just may be the most realistic and relatable rom-com that I have read to date! Head Over Heels is a fast-paced story about competitive gymnastics, determination, friendship, forgiveness, and love. I really enjoyed the natural progression of the main character's relationship. So often in rom-coms things seem unbelievably quick or a little forced. That definitely wasn't the case here.
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The research and detail that went into this book to usher the reader into the world of elite gymnastics really showed. As a former gymnast I could see, feel, smell and hear the sounds of the gym while reading this book. It was nice to get back on the mats (so to speak) and route for Hallie.
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This book will leave you searching YouTube for past Olympics floor routines and performances b on the uneven bars, wishing for the 2020 Olympics.

Head Over Heels is a delightful journey into the world of gymnastics and Olympic athletes. This book was a romance with a hefty dose of reality built in. Going into this book, I was excited because I am a huge gymnastics fan. The story follows Avery, who was an Olympic hopeful who had her career abruptly ended due to an injury. We see how she pulls the pieces back together and moves on with her life, post-Olympic dreams. The book dealt with all the pressing issues that gymnasts face as well as current real-life allegations of misconduct in the world of gymnastics. I enjoyed every ounce of this book. The topics were well researched and were all very relevant to the life of a gymnast. 5 stars for this one! Thank you, NetGalley, for the early review copy.

Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein is a sweet romance about Olympic gymnastics, and moving forward. Avery Abrams is headed to the Olympics seven years ago, when she is injured during a performance ending her athletic career. After her boyfriend ends their relationship, Avery moves back home. When Avery gets offered a job to help train a promising gymnast, she accepts the job. This was a fun well written book, perfect for anyone who is a gymnastics fan.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This one was more serious than I expected with some topics that really don't lend themselves to the lighthearted romance I was thinking I'd be reading. I really think that's at least partly my fault and may have come from that lively cover more than the blurb. Serious isn't a bad thing, it just took some adjustment on my part since I was expecting something else. The book is well written, and there are some prevalent topics here, including the #metoo movement. I did like that the story revolved around a gymnast, which isn't something I've seen much of in fiction, romance or otherwise. All in all, it's an emotional story about second chances and not giving up - something we could all do with these days.

Before I started Head Over Heels, I expected just a cutesy romance, but this ended up being so much more than that! While there was a romantic element that I really enjoyed, I also loved the themes around personal growth, achieving dreams, and advocacy for mental health for young women. While there were some heavier topics around multiple types of abuse, it was such a feel-good story by the end!

Hannah Orenstein! Yes!! This lived up to the hype. It was a quick and delightful read (although, not a light read per se...but more on that later). If you're like me (& from what people are saying about this book, you are!), then you are missing out on our long awaited reunion with Olympic gymnastics this year. This book helped fill that void for me.

Now, onto the heavier stuff. This is definitely a delightful read, but there are some heavy topics tackled in regards to abuse in gymnastics. Orenstein does a solid job of bringing that to light, without weighing the whole book down with it. I think that allows us as the reader to recognize the issue and feel for those who have experienced it, but to also dig deeper into the subject on our own, if so desired. It's an important topic, but it is not the only purpose of this story. It is addressed respectfully and I think we need more books like this.

Overall, this was a great summer read! Important topics were addressed, but it was still the summer-romance that I expected going into it!

Hannah Orenstein is officially an auto buy/read author for me! Her writing stile is so addicting and the dialogue between her characters is smooth and completely natural. I loved this story and really enjoyed the gymnastics element. HEAD OVER HEELS was definitely a fun read and will stick in my mind for a while! I wish there had been a little more drama between the old coach and some of the other characters but all in all it was a solid read and I would highly recommend it! Thank you to Atria and Netgalley for sending a copy in exchange for an honest review.

When I first saw the description for this book, I got major Stick It vibes. It was one of my favorite gymnastics movies as a kid and this book totally scratched that itch (especially since I won't be getting my gymnastics fix with the Olympics this year 😭). I loved the main character Avery's mentorship with the young gymnast that she coaches, and I also enjoyed Avery's character arc throughout the story. I found this book a perfect balance of romance and contemporary fiction, and you can't help but root for the relationship. The author touched upon some tougher topics that are all too real in the gymnastics world such as abusive coaches and sexual assault without it being too heavy handed or graphic. This book was engaging, and kept me turning the pages for more.

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC!

This was a fun, fast paced story that kept me evenly engaged throughout! While a lot of the storyline felt light and fun, there were heavier sub storylines layered in that kept me curious and excited to keep going. I loved the main character being so forthcoming with the state of her mental health and loved that the romance was closed door (not too steamy). Most everyone in the book was quite likable, and the ending tied up in a nice, neat little bow.

I will read more from Orenstein in the future!

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beyondthebookends
A problematic book for me from one of my favorite romance writers.⁣
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First the good. As always, I was charmed by Orenstein’s characters occupation - Avery is a former Olympian and the detail we receive about what that means is wonderful.⁣
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It gave me the indulgence I needed in the wake of the Olympic Games postponement. The love-interest was a hunky fellow Olympian as well.⁣
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But in this book, Orenstein attempts to tackle tougher subjects, like sexual abuse at the hands of a doctor which she did well, and emotional abuse at the hands of her former coach.⁣
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The latter of which when it relates to her love interest is what I took issue with. I’m going to explain why this book had me upset, but there will be spoilers involved so....⁣
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SPOILER WARNING⁣
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The love-interest is offered a job with Avery’s former coach, the perpetrator of her emotional abuse. She tells him point blank about the abuse and he doesn’t believe it’s that bad. They break up, he takes the job, and then he sees it for himself and apologies saying something along the lines of “it was one different to hear you say it, but seeing it for myself I realized how bad it was.”⁣
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What. The. F..⁣
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Someone not believing abuse can be a very accurate and sad truth. But for a man to not believe his girlfriend, and further for that girlfriend to get back together with him is so wrong.⁣
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Especially in a book that features #metoo and mental health in gymnasts. I was deeply triggered by his response and while my trauma-based reaction may not be everyones, if it has the potential to be someone else’s reaction, I can’t ignore it.⁣
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I love Hannah’s work. I’m still a huge fan and will excitedly look forward to her next book. This one hit too close to home in a way that was deeply upsetting. ⁣
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If you chose to read it, and love it, great! I’ll be thrilled that she has another happy reader, but for me, it was a miss. Thanks to @atriabooks for my review copy.⁣

I am a sucker for women's gymnastics so I loved everything in this story about gymnastics, and then teared up when the author mentioned Aly Raisman in the acknowledgments.

I think this story tells a really important one about what happens to Olympic athletes after their Olympic career is over, and in general, how do you proceed when you have had the same dream your whole life and that dream is suddenly no longer possible.

I loved Avery's relationship with Hallie and her journey to find a place for herself in a world she loved but no longer fit in the way she previously had.

The romance in this was decently cute, but so much of it happened off-page that it was difficult to really root for them.

Overall, I loved this story and Avery's journey back to herself.

This was an enjoyable read It was emotional and addressed several issues. I liked that it was about second chances and finding oneself.
Many thanks to Atria Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The highlights of this contemporary romance (although I wouldn’t call it a romance, really) were the female characters, and certainly not the romance.

The relationships between the women in HEAD OVER HEELS would make it worth reading, but there’s a greater focus on the romance between Ryan and Avery than the friendships between the women. Avery, Jasmine, Hallie and Sara shine, while Ryan is flat.

I also had a VERY hard time stomaching Ryan’s behavior in the middle, where he ignored Avery’s truth about her emotionally abusive coach. I can’t judge a person for when they do or don’t decide to forgive, but in this fictional world, Avery shouldn’t have forgiven him. He didn’t deserve it.

And finally, there was very little romantic chemistry. Avery had always had a crush on Ryan, and that was all it took. When they finally got together, most of their interactions were fairly generic, and I didn’t feel a spark.

All of this is to say: I was fairly unimpressed with HEAD OVER HEELS.

TW: This book contains mentions of sexual assault and emotional abuse based on the real-life scandal surrounding the USA Gymnastics team.

What do you do when the dream you’ve worked toward your whole life slips away in one afternoon? It’s been seven years since a career-ending injury shattered Avery Abrams’ Olympic dreams. Her teammate and best friend, Jasmine, went on to become an Olympic champion; and then, inexplicably, to marry their emotionally abusive coach, Dimitri. With no goals, no money, and now, no boyfriend, Audrey returns to her Massachusetts hometown and receives an unexpected call that could put her life back on track: Ryan, a new coach, wants her help in training a young gymnast with Olympic prospects. But when a scandal shocks the gymnastics world, Avery’s budding new reality—and the unexpected spark she feels with Ryan—could fall apart.

Now, though the unfamiliar jargon made me wish for some helpful diagrams so I could visualize the routines, the gymnastics are where this book shines. I was invested in Avery’s personal journey as she grappled with years of emotional abuse, the abrupt end of her career, and the long-term effects to her mental health. I cheered for her as she regained her confidence, and returned with renewed ambition to a sport that’s always been her home, now as a coach. In fact, Avery and Hallie’s coach-gymnast dynamic was thoroughly engrossing, and I wish we got even more of it...but this is where things go south. I want to make something clear here: my criticism is not bashing the author in any way. As an easy-to-read contemporary novel about gymnastics, I can still recommend that people with an interest give it a try and form their own opinions; you might come into this book with a different mindset and enjoy it in ways I didn’t. As a romance, I can’t say the same.

Marketing Head Over Heels as a rom-com is like calling Die Hard a Christmas movie; technically true, but not remotely the point. Everything about this is misleading. The cover art makes it seem like we have two leads of equal importance, but I doubt even the most in-depth analysis could argue that this story is Ryan’s in any capacity. The title implies a love that sweeps you off your feet, but there is no passion between Ryan and Avery, mostly because Ryan’s complete lack of personality negates any attempt at emotion with their dynamic, which essentially boils down to a senseless back-and-forth of ‘love me, love me not’ that’s not even impactful enough to be frustrating. He is so flat as a character, that if I were setting him up with a friend and she asked me, “What’s he like?”, I wouldn't be able to come up with a single word to describe him. The only moments where I could attribute any adjectives to him were when he was actively being a jerk. And the worst part is, it’s obvious that none of this is on purpose: it was intended to be read as a rom-com; the romance was supposed to sweep you off your feet; Ryan was supposed to be this charming guy you want Avery to get with… And that’s just not the end result. This story would’ve benefitted from focusing on Audrey as an individual, her coaching relationship with Hallie, and her friendship and shared trauma with Jasmine, and cutting out the romance altogether.

~Thank you Atria and NetGalley for my review copy.~
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I’m going to give this 4 stars for a really enjoyable book.
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If we are being honest. I was not a huge fan of Hannah’s Love at First Like...but I wanted to try her again. I’m glad I did.
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Simply put this is an enjoyable happy ever after. I enjoyed the characters. I like how Hannah touched on some real life issues...for both women athletes and women in general. It was well thought out and well executed.
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The characters were surprisingly relatable. (I say surprising, because I am not an athlete...nor have I ever been). The coaches perspective was enlightening and it gave me a new respect for coaches who really care about their students. Very, very refreshing.
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The love story was not my favorite. It was very vanilla. Very cutesy. Sometimes that works for me...this time it was ok 🤷🏻‍♀️.
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Overall, if you want a pleasant read that gives a bit of the #metoo movement, I would recommend Head Over Heels.
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*There are some triggers present in this novel. Sexual abuse. Emotional abuse. And body image issues. If these are a problem for you...this will not be a good fit.*

I went into this book knowing literally nothing about gymnastics so I was surprised to learn of the abuse that many athletes face and the devastation of an injury. Overall the book was an easy read and even though I didn’t know much about sports, I was still able to follow what was happening. I liked the theme of second chances and rebuilding.

Head Over Heels takes place in an alternate universe. No, it’s not science fiction; it’s a world in which COVID-19 never happened, and the Tokyo Olympics went on as planned. I’m sure that when the publisher was drawing up its marketing plan, June 2020 seemed like it would be the perfect time to capitalize on Olympic fever; now, it’s like a relic of a lost world.

That said, I still really enjoyed the book, though it definitely made me spare a thought for all of the young gymnasts who have spent their whole lives working toward the goal of making it to the Olympics.

Our heroine, Avery Adams, is a former elite gymnast who seemed like a shoo-in to make it onto the American team for the 2012 London games. An injury derailed her plans, and she’s spent seven years trying to figure out what to do next. After her pro football star boyfriend dumps her—he’s tired of her aimlessness and lack of ambition—she is forced to move back in with her parents.

Avery gets a job coaching 16-year-old Olympic hopeful Hallie Conway, a gifted gymnast who just needs to add some artistic flair to her floor routine. Hallie’s main coach is a former Olympian named Ryan, whom Hallie had a crush on back in the day. Romantic sparks fly, but they don’t want anything to distract them from their goal: getting Hallie a slot on the U.S. team.

Head Over Heels doesn’t sugarcoat the downsides of gymnastics at this elite level; there’s a scandal involving a doctor who sexually assaults his young charges (shades of Larry Nassar), and Avery frequently flashes back to the emotionally abusive training she went through, which involved being shamed for her weight and her appearance. Avery is determined to protect Hallie from going through what she endured.

Still, the book eloquently describes the joys of the sport as well: “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,” muses Avery. “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.”