Head Over Heels

June 5, 2020

Orenstein (Love at First Like) is back with another fun and light read, this time focusing on the competitive world of gymnastics. Avery Abrams's gymnastics career was over when an injury close to the Olympics took her out of the running. What's worse, her best friend and teammate Jasmine ended up not only going to the Olympics but marrying their abusive coach, Dimitri. Meanwhile, Avery ends up in L.A. in her own relationship with an NFL football star that soon loses its luster. When they break up, she heads back to her hometown in Massachusetts. Things take a turn, however, when her former crush, men's Olympic gymnast Ryan, calls her and asks her to help him coach an Olympic hopeful at her old gym. When she says yes, they do more than stick the perfect landing. VERDICT Readers will not only want to research gymnastics moves and watch pro meets after reading this book, they will also fall head over heels for Olympic hopeful Hallie, and the dynamic duo of Avery and Ryan as they guide her and fall for each other at the same time. Perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey and Emily Giffin.--Erin Holt, formerly at Williamson Cty. P.L., Franklin, TN

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2020
For Avery, coming back to Greenwood, Massachusetts, is like stepping back in time. Sure, she's still in her twenties, but it feels like she left a lifetime ago. A one-time Olympic hopeful, Avery spent her childhood fixated on competing as a gymnast. After suffering a freak injury and a subsequent depressive episode in college, Avery found the perfect distractions in boys and booze on L.A.'s high-society party circuit. Back in Greenwood after a disastrous breakup, Avery realizes she may yet have something to offer the next generation of gymnasts. A glimpse inside a world few readers know outside of Olympics highlight reels, Head over Heels is a high-flying romantic comedy unafraid to examine the hardships of a sport that demands much of young people and their families. And Orenstein (Love at First Like, 2019) has done her homework, making the book both timely and realistic. This will delight anyone heartbroken over the postponement of the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, fans of the movies Stick It and The Bronze, and readers of Lianne Moriarty and Sophie Kinsella.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)