When Avery Adams was a teenager, she had her future all figured out. After she medaled in gymnastics at the Olympics, she would go on to work in television, design her own line of active wear, become a motivational speaker. It was going to be perfect.

Instead, her Olympic dreams were crushed when she got injured at the trials, and her long recovery basically ended her career. She tried college, but it wasn’t for her. She moved to L.A. and met a football player. But when that relationship ended, Avery realized she really didn’t have anything keeping her in L.A. In fact, she didn’t have much of anything at all. She didn’t have a career, an education, a relationship. She ended up packing up a couple of suitcases and moving back home to Massachusetts, back to her childhood bedroom.

She had no future. Until Ryan called.

Ryan had been a Olympic quality gymnast too. Only, he made it to the Olympics. He won medals. And now he’s coaching another Olympic hopeful. Hallie is strong and an exceptionally hard worker, but she lacks the finesse that would put her in the top at the Olympic trials. Ryan can coach her fine on the balance beam, vault, and uneven bars. But he can’t give her the help she needs on the floor. He’s heard that Avery was back in town, and he knew that floor was her specialty, so he asks if she’s interested in a job, helping coach Hallie on her floor routine.

Avery isn’t sure at first if she wants to coach, or if she can. But as she spends more time at the gym, she remembers what it was like for her to compete at that top level. She remembers the abusive coach she had and how long it took her to get over his judgments and hurtful comments. She remembers the stress of working out for hours, with a few hours of home school in between the morning and evening training sessions. She remembers not eating, laughing with her friend Jasmine, working through pain, having a crush on Ryan—all of it comes back to her, and this time Avery hopes to protect Hallie from as much of the pain and stress as she can. But when other female gymnasts start coming out with allegations of sexual abuse from a famous doctor, Avery isn’t sure what she can do to help Hallie, or the other young women coming forward.

As the months tick by, getting closer and closer to the Olympic trials, Avery has to decide what it is she wants for this new future she’s building, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to make her new dreams come true.

Head Over Heels from Hannah Orenstein is a charming romance set in the world of competitive gymnastics. The insider’s view of the training schedules and the amount of grit it takes to compete at an international level is fascinating and makes for a unique backdrop to the story of Avery and Ryan.

I really loved this story. I admired Avery for finding a new path for herself, and for creating new avenues for her to communicate what she wants and to help others in need. I enjoyed the world these characters inhabited and loved escaping to the gym whenever I could. Lots of fun!

Egalleys for Head Over Heels were provided by Atria Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.