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Book of the Month Review + Coupon – July 2020

Brandi D.
ByBrandi D.Jul 27, 2020 | 1 comment

Book of the Month
4.1 overall rating
37 Ratings | 13 Reviews

Book of the Month is a monthly book subscription box. Each month, 5 curators pick out their favorite new hardcover books, and you can choose which one you want to receive on the first of the month. You can also add up to 2 additional books for only $9.99 each. (This box was named one of the best subscriptions under $15 by MSA readers in the 2020 Subscription Box Awards.)

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

Check out all of our reviews of Book Subscription Boxes for more options, too!

About this Box

The Subscription Box: Book of the Month

The Cost: $14.99 a month

The Product: Subscribers get to pick from a selection of hardcover books each month. Skip any month you aren't interested in. Add up to two additional books for $9.99 each.

Ships to: The US for free

Book of the Month July 2020 Review

These are the five book choices for subscribers this month. While I was really tempted by Mexican Gothic, I felt like a nice romance was in order for this month!

Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein - Retail Value $16.99 (found here in paperback for $13.58)

This book has been newly released which is always exciting! There was a great author's note at the beginning describing how this story was supposed to be released just in time for the 2020 Olympic Games which are now postponed until next year. The author noted how devastating this is for those gymnasts who have been training mercilessly and she invites us to escape from the pandemic a little bit and enter this world where the Olympics go on as planned! I thought this was a great way to show that she doesn't make light of the situation and has a true admiration and connection to the gymnastic world as someone who previously trained herself for fifteen years.

Book Summary from Amazon:

The past seven years have been hard on Avery Abrams: After training her entire life to make the Olympic gymnastics team, a disastrous performance ended her athletic career for good. Her best friend and teammate, Jasmine, went on to become an Olympic champion, then committed the ultimate betrayal by marrying their emotionally abusive coach, Dimitri.

Now, reeling from a breakup with her football star boyfriend, Avery returns to her Massachusetts hometown, where new coach Ryan asks her to help him train a promising young gymnast with Olympic aspirations. Despite her misgivings and worries about the memories it will evoke, Avery agrees. Back in the gym, she’s surprised to find sparks flying with Ryan. But when a shocking scandal in the gymnastics world breaks, it has shattering effects not only for the sport but also for Avery and her old friend Jasmine.

I love this exciting concept: former gymnast returns home after a rough breakup to try and put her life back together and relives her childhood by coaching at the same gym she went to alongside her childhood crush- what's not to like? Avery has been through some rough stuff. After failing her Olympic trial as a teenager, she left for college, made some poor choices, and threw herself into a relationship that ended up not working out. Now she gets the opportunity to coach a hopeful young gymnast named Hallie just before she has her own Olympic trial. It feels like a second chance and a turning point in her life, that's made all the more exciting when it seems that her childhood crush, who is also her coaching partner, may just harbor the same romantic feelings towards her. It's complicated because neither of them wants to jeopardize Hallie's chances at the Olympics so they try their best to remain platonic while the undercurrent of romance sizzles beneath the surface, culminating in some steamy moments. Things get even more complicated when some people from Avery's past come back into her life, but it seems that she isn't quite the same person she used to be anymore.

The author does such a fantastic job of making you empathize with gymnasts and how fleeting their career can be with just one wrong move. It ingrains that desire to see them succeed as you're reading because you can sense how high the stakes are. As someone who has never been a gymnast and is not familiar with that world at all, I found it fascinating, and a little sad, that their window of opportunity is so narrow. I appreciated the way the author seamlessly wove in explanations of gymnastic terminology which painted a visual within the context of the story that I found to be neither distracting nor too wordy. Overall, this book earns a perfect score from me!

Each month, Book of the Month includes a bookmark.

If you picked this book this month, please let me know what you think of it!

Verdict: My Book of the Month pick was another quick read that I devoured. It flowed so nicely and while it seems like a somewhat predictable storyline, the inclusion of all the drama and competitiveness within the gymnastic sport gave it a fresh spin that I enjoyed. It was an easy read, slightly complex with just enough romance to satiate my sappy side! I'd definitely recommend it!

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this book if you sign up today? No, but it may be available as an add-on next month!

Check out all of our Book of the Month reviews and see what other book subscriptions made our favorites list!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

What do you think of the Book of the Month subscription? Which book (or books) did you pick this month?

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Book of the Month is a popular online subscription service for books that helps millennial women discover the best new reads. We announce a curated selection of between 5 - 7 new and early release hardcover books every month. Members choose one on the site, and we ship it to them in a bright blue... read more.

Brandi D.
Brandi D.

I am a homeschooling mom to 4 kids; 1 girl and 3 boys. While I have been reviewing boxes since 2018 and I love the luxury of trying new products, I'm also balancing it out by dabbling in a little bit of homesteading, too. We now have 4 chickens and a rabbit and my sourdough starter is going strong! I love learning about new brands and sharing the great things I find with others in hopes that they find something new to love or to fit their needs!


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1 comment

katie

Good review! I haven’t read this yet but your review makes me want to:)

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