Break the Fall

By: Jennifer Iacopelli

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

Audrey Lee is going to the Olympics.

A year ago, she could barely do a push-up as she recovered from a spine surgery, one that could have paralyzed her. And now? She’s made the United States’ gymnastics team with her best friend, Emma, just like they’ve both dreamed about since they were kids. She’s on top of the world.

The pressure for perfection is higher than ever when horrifying news rips the team apart. Audrey is desperate to advocate for her teammate who has been hurt by the one person they trusted most - but not all the gymnasts are as supportive.

With the team on the verge of collapse, the one bright spot in training is Leo, her new coach’s ridiculously cute son. And while Audrey probably (okay, definitely) shouldn’t date him until after the games, would it really be the end of the world?

Balancing the tenuous relationship between her teammates with unparalleled expectations, Audrey doesn’t need any more distractions. No matter what it takes, she’s not going to let anyone bring them down. But with painful revelations, incredible odds, and the very real possibility of falling at every turn, will Audrey’s determination be enough?

©2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Solid narration, bad production

The levels on this were all outta wack. The reader's Narrator voice was sotto voce, while the dialogue / announcements were full voice, so I kept having to adjust the volume on my headphones - it was either incredibly hard to hear or waaay too loud.

The book is great, and the reader certainly has the dramatics of a teenage girl down pat. Just needed a better producer to fix the volume disparity.

Gymnastics fans must listen

4.5 STARS

Audrey hopes to make the Olympics before her body gives out. Her best friend, world champion Emma is a shoo in. Then a doping/abuse arrest rocks the US gymnastics team. Loyalties will be tested. Friends will turn on each other. A victim will be bullied. If they don’t pull together, the team expected to take the gold won’t have a shot.

BREAK THE FALL is a book for gymnastics fans first and foremost. Routines on floor, vault, bars and beam are described in detail, which interested me as a fifty year fan of the sport, but might have non-fans skimming.

As far as coach abuse, that angle of BREAK THE FALL is not unique.
Strict abuser coach=bad.
New compassionate coach=good.
Mean girls=bad.
Nice girls=good.

I liked Audrey as the underdog, happy to take second place to her best friend finding her voice and leadership abilities. She had many strengths, yet wasn’t artificially positive or without flaws. I also enjoyed how the competition was unpredictable.

Gymnastics lovers will devour BREAK THE FALL, other readers will probably not rate five stars.

ETA: I also enjoyed the audiobook narration.

I’m not even a romance reader!

This book was phenomenal, and I’m not even a romance reader. This is the second book I’ve read by Iacopelli (Finding Her Edge), and both are so compelling. She clearly knows her sports, and I crave more of this kind of storytelling from her. The characters are amazing and real. The situations are very real. Amazing work. Narration is fantastic too.