Head Over Heels | 
pan⭐️⭐️
“Head Over Heels” had an interesting premise, but it fell very flat for me. I enjoyed Hallie‘s journey, however the romance component of the book was incredibly boring, bland, and predictable. Ryan‘s character also lacked depth compared to Avery‘s, and their relationship was not one I actually enjoyed reading about.
#TemptingTitles
#Withasong
Head Over Heels https://g.co/kgs/bpFtZq
🎤🎶 🎹
pickFirst book I‘ve read in what seems like a year. 3 stars for the story; 5 stars for getting me back onto the reading wagon.
pickCute! Nice, healthy relationship with great communication— something we don‘t see often in these kinds of books! Love the absolutely accurate portrayal of athletics and mental health
pickThis book was absolutely amazing. I learnt a lot about the life of a gymnast and the struggles that people go through to get to the Olympics. This book deals with a lot of hard subjects but it deals with it subtly. One of my favourite books because of this. 🩱❤️
5⭐️
I got this book box from Blind Dates Bookshop. This is their Mother's Day box 🥰 I know it's early for Mother's Day, but I couldn't resist. The book I got sounds really good. I also just ordered their fantasy box. I don't know what book I will get! 😊
pickThis was a weird romance in that the romance could have been left out entirely, and I still would have liked the book. The mc, Avery, had better chemistry with her friends, Jasmine and Sara, and the athlete she‘s training, Haley, than she did with the love interest, Ryan. The author also dealt with abuse in gymnastics and with how hard training can be on young girls. That was a more interesting story than the romance. #audiowalk
This was my night time book, but I transferred it to my walking book since I hadn‘t picked a new one. Every year my azaleas get tricked into blooming in February, then it freezes and they die. They‘re pretty while they last though. #audiowalk
pickSet in the gymnastics world in 2020, this romance had a lot going on and didn‘t turn away from difficult subjects like body dysmorphia, abuse, and eating disorders. Bit it managed to walk that fine line and not get too dark with layered characters that kept the story going. This is a light pick for me but I suspect it will stay with me for awhile. #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
pickIs it weird to say I like a romance best when I forget it‘s a romance because I‘m all caught up in the story allowing for the the meet cute? That‘s what happened here! The fictional story published in 2020 to coincide with the upcoming Summer 2020 Olympics (woops) was even more interesting now considering Simone Biles decision in summer ‘21 and her positive impact of mental health across all sports.
pickI LOVED this one. I read it in 2 or 3 sittings while my husband watched the Olympics. It‘s such an engaging look at the dark sides of being an Olympic gymnast, and how current gymnasts and their coaches are trying to change bad behavior that was once accepted.
pickI‘m a gym nerd. I never competed, but I watch gymnastics videos on Instagram while I listen to audiobooks. Gymnasts have such a combination of grace and power.
This book follows Avery, who just missed the 2012 team, and felt lost after, partly due to years of abusive coaching. When Ryan, a hunky former Olympian, brings Avery in to help coach an Olympic hopeful, she begins to find her footing. While this is a romance book, that plot line takes ⬇️
Well, I really did it. These are my last two boxes. I canceled #botm - both accounts. It‘s is sad day in Mudville.
But I am enjoying this last minute addition of Head Over Heels while I wait for basketball to start!
I‘ve been going through a gymnastics phase the past couple of years...I watch some of the college meets, national team, even men‘s, but I had passed on this book because I‘m super hit-or-miss with romance. But it was a member fave, and I‘m looking to shut down my account. Plus I lost my copy of Hunger, which is a favorite book, so there we go. My last #botm box for awhile!
pickThis one has been on my #bookspinbingo board for months.
I liked it more than I expected. I was concerned the gymnastics aspect to the story would be too much, but it wasn‘t.
A good mix of social commentary, light character development and some romance. An easy read.
“The funny thing about your dream coming true is that it never quite happens the way you think it will. There‘s always a twist.” #quotes
pickThis is kind of a hard one for me to review. While I did like a lot of it and finished it in one day, I also felt like it was too slight given the hard issues it was also trying to address. The romance was fine, though I found the resolution at the end to be way too tidy and easy to get to for the two characters. This book was trying to do too many things at once for it to be fully effective, but it wasn‘t bad. 3 ⭐️
so-soI promise this isn‘t a gymnastics pun, but this largely missed the mark for me. The gymnastics stuff was the best part—gave me some nostalgia from childhood, & neat to see creation of an Olympic routine. But the author tried to do too much & thus nothing was done well. Romance was bland & predictable, dude was the most boring cis het white man, the abuse scandal was relegated to a tangential side plot, which didn‘t sit well w/me. Mediocre. 2/5 ⭐️
“It‘s 2020,” she pants as she cruises past me. “No time to waste.”
[LOLOLOLOLOLOL FUUUUUUUUUUCK remember when we thought it would be a good normal year 😖😖😖]
There was a time in my life when going out before midnight seemed lame. Now, the prospect of even making it to midnight seems questionable.
This feels similar to Beach Read in that the cover looks way more cutesy than the story inside may be, based on the synopsis. #NowReading
panA romance that does its best to be inclusive and carry out a female empowerment theme, but is just not interesting. Not even sexy. The romance is just a shrink wrapper for the gymnastics sex abuse story in the news.
pickI liked this book more than I thought I would. I thought by the title I didn‘t have high expectations but I finished it in 3 sittings. I learned a lot about gymnastics. I describe this book as ambitions, comebacks, trials and tribulations in life and in gymnastics, with a little romance on the side. #BOTM
pickRomance novel about gymnastics and that world. Shockingly in depth look at how it effects mental heath and self esteem and how the world has been changing.
Starting this Book of the Month selection. These are a big hit or miss for me, hoping for a hit.
pickI was able to get my 2020 Summer Olympics in! Whenever that time of year comes around, I always gravitate towards the gymnastics category. "Head Over Heels" is definitely a love story to the sport. My only wish is that Orenstein had given a little bit more love towards the romantic relationship between Avery and Ryan. Other than that, the book is pretty solid. ??
pickThis is the third book I‘ve read from Hannah Orenstein, and I must say that this one is a lot different from her last two that she wrote. Head Over Heels focuses more on the sport of gymnastics and how ex-gymnast Avery Abrams helps train a young and hopeful gymnast earn a spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. I enjoyed the story and I loved all of the characters (except Dimitri, of course). Would‘ve loved more romance, but still a good read!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
so-soI don‘t think this is bad but it‘s definitely more fiction with a side of romance, which wasn‘t what I was expecting. Averys life after her gymnastics career ended, how she coped at first then takes on coaching. sadly I‘m not too interested in gymnastics &reading about the moves just doesn‘t do anything for me.😅
#bookspinbingo
Possible trigger warning: it touches on sexual abuse by a doctor, it‘s more of a side story but just wanted to say.
so-soAs a romance this did not do it for me. It seemed secondary to the gymnastics story and the chemistry of these two characters was lacking. There were a couple of storylines I felt were resolved too quickly and could have been more fleshed out. Overall it was fine, I enjoyed it, but if it hadn‘t been sold to me as a romance I may have liked it more? Expectations 🤷🏻♀️ The drink, however, was delicious! DIY Dole Whip!
so-soEngaging read for gymnastic lovers.
It was OK, but it was not really for me.
pickJust read this new one by Hannah orenstejn and it didn‘t disappoint but was definitely not as good as her other two. I enjoyed reading about the Olympic gymnastics process and the love story thrown in was nice. It seemed like the plot could have been developed more in certain areas but overall was enjoyable.
pickThis book was awesome. I had so much fun reading it and looking up the gymnastics moves. I was also pleasantly surprised by the political conflict. Started this book at 8pm and finished at 2am.
New BOTM books just in time for the weekend! What to read next...? 🤔📚
so-soI‘ve read 3 of Orenstein‘s books and I am seeing a trend. They all have easily digestible premises- like a sweet treat you don‘t need, but want anyway. After, you feel a mix of guilt and gratification. The same holds true here. This is the story of a retired gymnast who is trying to bounce back, in more ways than one. There‘s nothing wrong with the writing. The story is pleasant. It just lacks something special to make it truly memorable.
The romance part in this one was a bit weak, but it was a good book overall.
so-soOverall, this was an enjoyable read. However, as a romance novel, the chemistry between Ryan and Avery totally missed the mark. I enjoyed the gymnastics topic and I liked reading about Hallie's evolution over the course of the novel. As a romance it wasn't my cup of tea. I like more steam and chemistry between the two people falling in love, and this was too much of a rebound/instalove story for my liking.
Let‘s hear it for light reads!
#bookofthemonth yay my box came #mexicangothic#withthefireonhigh#headoverheels
pickThis book, with the cover and the name of it misled me to think it's just romance. But this is so much more. It deals with serious topics like depression, sexual assault, body issues with perfect balance of humour, romance and cathartic endings. It was a wonderful read, and I never felt bored while reading this. Avery is relatable to a great extent, I felt all she's been through, I too have experienced at some point in my life. A perfect romcom.
