A review by lizanneyoung
Burnout by Rebecca Jenshak

3.5

 

TROPES

🎀 Rivals to Lovers

🎀 He Falls First

🎀 Dual POV

This was a fun sports romance. I love watching gymnastics, so knowing the FMC Avery was an Olympic gymnast recovering from an injury immediately caught my attention. 

Avery and Knox struggle with relatable issues. From wondering if you will ever be at the same competitive level again to taking on the burden of a parent, both are a ton for any young person to take on, and they handle that stress well. Of course, it is that stress that nearly drives a wedge between them in the third act, but it’s nice to see the growth with each generation. The chemistry between Avery and Knox is electric. What I wouldn’t give for a chapter from one of the friends’ POVs to see what it was like to be around that.

Both are arguably at major career crossroads. Unfortunate circumstances cause Knox to be kicked from his racing team and Avery is trying to rehab her knee in time for the start of the season. Combined with that pressure, I think it would’ve been really easy to write in some type of breakdown for either, and I was pleasantly surprised not to see one. 

This story is a really great representation that a career can take all forms, and there isn’t any one way to find your way back to a career you enjoy. The MCs are struggling with similar thoughts of “Is my career over before it ever really started?.” We harp so much on only one path for so many careers, and I think this is a wonderful example of why that can be detrimental to the next generation. There isn’t a single path to anything, even sports-related careers like these, and I like that Burnout shows that.