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Head Over Wheels

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Love is an endurance sport…

Recovering from a bad crash and a broken heart, Australian road cycling star Lori Gallagher gets back into training with the help of a coaching app and an anonymous training partner she knows only by his avatar and his voice. But with her career dependent on regaining her fighting spirit, she ditches her online friend to focus on the road. Then she hears his voice - on her team training camp.

Sébastien Franck is stunned to discover his goofy training partner is 'Top Gun' Gallagher, the most ruthless rider in the women's peloton. She's already ghosted him online and, with his career on its last legs, he's sure she won't want anything to do with him. But Seb and Lori's online chemistry transfers seamlessly into real life and they sleep together - a no-strings opportunity to get it out of their systems before the start of the season.

Yet Lori's year begins with disaster, while Seb finds the best form of his career. As the Tour de France approaches, Seb expects himself to crack and let his team down. Lori is torn between family loyalty to her brother and her feelings for Seb - not to mention the complex dynamics of a sport where teamwork and individual achievement are sometimes at odds.

Now, she faces the mental fight of her how much is she willing to sacrifice for love - or to win?

Paperback

First published June 19, 2025

13 people are currently reading
304 people want to read

About the author

Leonie Mack

22 books221 followers
After leaving Australia ‘for a year’, Leonie never went home and now travels across Europe jotting down love stories wherever she goes. She has a degree in languages and is an expert at taking public transport and travelling under her own steam on foot or by bike. ‘Home’ is now in central Germany, in the vineyards along the Main river, where she spends her time writing happy endings in English and speaking German with bad grammar.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
Profile Image for Book Riot Community.
1,144 reviews308k followers
Read
June 4, 2025
Book Riot's Best New Romance Books Out in June:

First tennis, now pro cycling? We are eating when it comes to lesser-used sports in romance this month. Lori is a champion cyclist recovering from a bad accident and gets back into training with a virtual partner on an app. When she decides to quit the app and focus on the road, Seb figures he’ll never hear her voice again. But then they run into each other as the season amps up, and their online chemistry transfers pretty well to real life. Unfortunately, their high-demand, high-impact careers might get in the way. —Jessica Pryde
Profile Image for Sab.
129 reviews135 followers
May 9, 2025
4⭐️
As a Belgian I loved reading my first romance book with a Belgian love interest ahhh🥹
Anyway, although I don’t know anything about professional cycling, THIS was such a fun ride.
Loved how the characters’ relationship developed throughout the story.
From anonymous online friends to real life friends and then more👀🌶️

Thank you for the arc, really recommend to anyone looking for a fun sports romance!
Profile Image for Danielle's.
Author 1 book169 followers
June 20, 2025
Head over wheels has a gorgeous cover and it’s a sports romance outside my normal read. I signed up for an ARC as this is an attending author of Rare. This book gave me You’ve got mail vibes.

Lori has been on the road cycling circuit for a while but after a break she needs something extra special to re boast her career. She turns to an app where she makes an anonymous ’friend’.

Once’s she’s back in the road she leaves the app without saying goodbye to the guy that got her through her tough spot.

Now she’s back on the circuit with her family where she meets Seb. There’s something so familiar about him, although they haven’t met before.

Head over wheels touches on metal health; worry and doubts. The characters have good chemistry and shows an insight into cycling. Hockey romance is my favourite and this cycling romance had a completely different vibe. Lori is the lead in the sport and she’s the one which the achievements. Seb is kind of a newbie. He’s struggling to find his feet and Lori is just what he needs.
Profile Image for Anniek.
2,565 reviews886 followers
June 24, 2025
Despite having read several of Leonie Mack's books before, the writing style here didn't work for me. The book struggled to keep my attention. Maybe the issue is that I don't care about cycling enough, but I do tend to enjoy sports romances when I don't enjoy watching sports in real life. I hope I enjoy her next book more!
Profile Image for Amy Elste.
217 reviews
July 20, 2025
I am Head Over Wheels for this book! 😍

Lori & Seb had the best chemistry and backstory, getting to each other online whilst training, not knowing who they were when they accidentally met in person, falling in love, tick tick tick! 💕

This was such a fun, spicy read, definitely spice than I expected, but no complaints here! 😏

A big thank you to HQ for the gifted copy 💕
464 reviews1 follower
May 18, 2025
I knew as soon as I read the title of this book that it was going to fit my vibe. My intuition was exactly right! For someone who knows absolutely nothing about biking, this was an absolute delight to read! The characters are deeply likable (with realistic flaws) and the situations are so fun!

Lori is the daughter of elite athletes who is known for her skill on a bike. After a major injury, she met a friend online who helped her work back into top shape. But going back to the race circuit has been tougher than she thought when that online friend is suddenly there in person.

Sebastien is a cyclist in his last year of his career. He is at ease with retirement and happy to have spent his training time with his new online friend. But when his online friend turns out to be one of the best cyclists in the world, he is thrown off.

As these two navigate a budding friendship and feelings, a fake relationship proves valuable for both of them. But with one person in the height of her career and another at the end, they struggle to see a path to the future.

This book is a hilarious, dorky, friends to lovers read! If you’re looking for something lighthearted and fun, this book is a fun adventure!
Profile Image for Mar.
2,236 reviews43 followers
May 30, 2025
4 stars

this was so good!!!
the banter was great. the romance was fantastic.
the found family was chef's kiss.
the fact that the story kept me at the edge of my seat with every race day *kicks feet in the air* so good!!!
I definitely recommend this one even if you are not a cycling fan. Trust me, you'll stay for the romance alone.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm definitely picking up the physical copy when it comes out because it was amazing, and I need to annotate!!
Profile Image for Ashleigh.
207 reviews24 followers
May 1, 2025
Seb is so fucking earnest!! And Lori is impossible to judge.

I loved this story, so much. There was such a comforting consistency, in the characters’ personalities, in their feelings for each other, and in their personal growth.

I got to just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Funny, romantic, heart gripping — I highly recommend
Profile Image for Marg.
1,047 reviews254 followers
May 30, 2025
4.5/5 rtc
Profile Image for Emily.
247 reviews18 followers
August 15, 2025

This is for lovers of:
Sports romance
Age gap
Fake dating
Good banter
Cheese is life
Open door spice
Dual POV

I loved Seb’s character, he was the cinnamon roll MMC we love and made the best grand gestures. Lori’s character I find harder to warm to.

Overall this was a unique take on the spicy sports romance trope and was an easy read.

Thank you Harlequin Aus for a gifted arc to read and honestly review.
Profile Image for Madge Maril.
Author 2 books139 followers
July 2, 2025
a love story so good I considered buying a very expensive bicycle I don't know how to ride. read this one!!
Profile Image for Sophie.
1,441 reviews553 followers
August 16, 2025
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

In Head Over Wheels, Australian cyclist Lori Gallagher is ready to come back fighting after an accident and break up left her struggling. She knows that there’s a lot resting on her shoulders, and even though it’s silly, she can’t help missing her anonymous training partner that she grew close with in her recovery. Arriving in Europe ready to take the season on, she finds herself drawn to her new teammate, Sébastien Franck, who just might be her old training partner. This season is Seb's last chance to prove himself, but somehow he's gotten Lori's luck and the season is going better than ever. But he knows that Lori needs all the support she can get, and he's willing to give up his own future for her.

This was definitely a book I wasn't expecting to love so much, but I was really drawn into Lori and Seb's story. Neither had had easy times in their careers, and cycling is such a lonely and isolating sport that they really needed each other. Lori was extremely independent, and she struggled to let anyone in, but Seb was persistent and showed her that she could do it by herself, but she didn't need to.
Profile Image for Jade McDonald .
179 reviews1 follower
July 3, 2025
I received this advance review copy from NetGalley to provide an honest review.

"Head Over Wheels" was thoroughly enjoyable! I have never read a romance novel about professional cyclists before, but I genuinely appreciated that unique aspect of the story.

The book follows Lori, who is struggling with self-doubt after a significant injury. During her off-season, she begins a pen pal relationship with a man but abruptly ends it when her feelings become too intense. Back in training, a new teammate reminds her of her pen pal, leading to a question of whether it could be him.

I particularly enjoyed the character development and the realistic portrayal of communication between the characters.

Sebastian's feelings developed first and intensely, a dynamic I found quite appealing.

Overall, this is an excellent romance novel, and I highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Celia - lostinmoonlitpages.
88 reviews
May 16, 2025
Head Over Wheels was such a fun read!!! I love sport romance books, and I was so excited that this one featured professional cycling, so original! I now need more books with smaller, less popular sports on them because the cycling parts of this book were amazing and some of my favourites! They also made me realise that my knowledge on professional cycling was very basic despite growing up watching the Tour de France, although that's not much of a surprise I guess! Leonie Mack captured the excitement of the races perfectly and made those scenes thrilling to read!

I liked the setting of the story, the writing and pace were good, and it felt realistic that the story expanded over a few months - it gave time for the relationship and feelings to develop! I liked Seb immediately, and although it took me a couple of chapters to warm up to Lori, I ended up being her biggest fan! I was constantly rooting for her, and alth0ugh she had the worst luck, it was entertaining to read and so satisfying when she got back to her top form! I loved how Seb and Lori had a previous connection and relationship through Zpeed before they ever met in person, it helped make the romance more realistic, and added an extra level of intimacy between them because they shared that "secret". I liked how they were so silly to think that they could just get it out of their systems (of course they couldn't!) and every time they were drawn to one another I wanted to squeal with glee. Seb was down soooooo bad for Lori and he was just adorable. I liked the relationship development and loved the scenes wandering around Italian towns and getting to know one another. The yearning and tension kept building up throughout the story and I loved when they finally gave in!

My only negative point about this book was that, although I like fake dating, I was not expecting that trope in this one and I wasn't the biggest fan of how it was done. I honestly don't think it was necessary and it didn't bring that much to the story.

The character development was great, they both learn things from each other and fought to have a future together. I was very happy that they both got what they wanted from the start and none of them had to give up something for the other, but rather worked together to make their relationship strong. Their communication game was strong throughout the book, which I loved! The ending was so fun and I really enjoyed reading it, I kept giggling and kicking my feet!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bedford Square Publishers, and Leonie Mack for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Profile Image for Bookskee.
476 reviews
June 7, 2025
4.4 ✨This book was such a breath of fresh air.

I have never read a book by Leonie Mack but I think that is going to change!

Lori is an Australian cyclist recovering after a very bad cycling accident. She connects with Sebastian(Belgian) online as they train together on the cycling coaching app Zpeed. After many hours of training, chatting Lori Ghosts Seb when she realizes that she may be a little too invested in their online friendship. She doesn't have time for this and needs to focus on her training.

While at training camp she thinks she recognizes HIS voice.. This turns out to be very distracting!
When they discover their identities the tension is hard to deny.
They both agree to one time to break the tension and move on.

As they part ways and prepare for the tour Lori is plagued by bad luck at every turn and Seb is suddenly breezing through and that for someone who plans to retire..

Seb falls first for Lori and feels awful that she's had so much bad luck. He tries to be there for her as best as he can as her friend.

Lori finds it hard to deny what Seb does to her. He calms her, gives her peace of mind, cheers her on but shes determined to focus on her sport and not her feelings.

This denial and tension made for a very, very enjoyable need.

There is so much growth on Lori's part as this story covers months of their interaction ( and sometimes lack of).

I felt bad for Seb because he was really taken by her and was also dealing with his decision to retire after this tour.

The texting and banter was funny, sweet/cute the spice was perfect!

The camaraderie between Seb and his team and the way the author described the races and the utter exhaustion after a race was 🤌🤌.

There was a tiny bit of fake dating and honestly if this romance played out in real life during the tour de France I would be a dedicated follower of the sport!

Absolutely recommend this book!

Many thanks to Netgally, Bedford Square Publishers and Author for the opportunity to read and share my thoughts.
Profile Image for Reading Rounds.
220 reviews14 followers
May 16, 2025
I received an advanced copy from Bedford Square Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Head Over Wheels by Leonie Mack is an absolute delight—equal parts swoony and sincere, with a healthy dose of yearning and heart.

This one hits so many of my favorite tropes: secret identities, fake dating, sunshine/grumpy. Seb, the male lead, is the human embodiment of golden retriever energy. As a road racing domestique, he’s spent his career making sure others shine, and that generous, self-effacing nature extends into his personal life. He’s got one last season before retirement, and he’s determined to go out without shaking up the status quo—until Lori crashes (literally and metaphorically) into his world.

Lori, the female lead, is a classic black cat heroine: prickly, focused, and fighting her way back after an injury and a rocky start to the season. The tension and chemistry between her and Seb is palpable. The fake dating setup is used perfectly to bring them together while keeping their goals and vulnerabilities front and center.

One of the things I loved most about this book is how deeply Seb respects Lori’s career. He’s hesitant to agree to the fake relationship because he doesn’t want Lori to be sidelined or defined as “someone’s girlfriend”—he knows she’s an elite athlete and wants the world to see her as such. (This was a breath of fresh air, especially after reading Heavy Hitter, where the MMC was noticeably less supportive of the FMC’s career.)

The spice level is a solid 3–4 peppers—enough to turn up the heat without ever feeling gratuitous. Every moment of intimacy feels earned and emotionally charged.

Mack draws both the characters and the cycling world with impressive clarity and heart. If you love sports romance, emotional arcs, and men who genuinely lift up the women they love, this one’s for you.
236 reviews
June 30, 2025

Head Over Wheels by Leonie Mack

My sincere thanks to Bedford Square Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read Head Over Wheels. I give my unbiased opinion of it in the following review.

Lori and Seb are both elite cyclists. There is an age gap between them, Lori is just starting to shine in her career and Seb is phasing out of his. Lori is also coming back from a serious injury. While she was recovering, she joined an online cycling community I assuming is something like Peloton where you train in your own home and make friends in the community. When she starts getting too close to her training partner, she ghosts him. When Lori meets Seb, she almost immediately knows that he was her online friend. Their connection is still there, but should they recognize and act on it? Would it be too much of a distraction for them to be in a relationship? Can they indulge for just the time being? Neither is having the best of luck lately so what could it hurt?

Let me start out by saying that Leonie Mack is one of my new favorite authors. I was really excited to read this book because I knew it would be different. The closest to a cycling book I've ever read was Breaking Away years and years ago. This book was different. I liked how Lori, the female rider, was the star and I love how Seb supports her. I found the whole world they were a part of very interesting. The work cyclists put in is beyond my imagination. While I liked a lot about this book, I wasn't as sold on the romance. I liked that they found each other in an anonymous situation, but I just didn't feel their connection like I wanted to. I would recommend this book to other readers who enjoy sports romance and want something a little different, and I will continue to watch for Leonie Mack's upcoming books.
Profile Image for Rachel.
194 reviews4 followers
June 4, 2025
“He tasted like summer sunshine and lazy mornings, with a shot of adrenaline, like my first coffee of the day.”

Head Over Wheels follows Lori and Seb. Lori is the ‘most ruthless rider in the women’s peloton’ and Sébastien’s career is fizzling out. When she’s recovering from a bad accident she joins an online training community, the two meet and become training partners. She bails when the tensions rise because she needs to get her head in the game, her career has to be her main focus. That’s until she hears his voice again, at her team training camp no less! Their online chemistry turns into real world attraction and they decide to get it out of their systems before the season begins - one night, no strings attached. But as their feelings grow, they are each faced with a dilemma - what’s more important to make sacrifices for, love or wins?

After their encounter, their roles reversed - he cycles some really good races and she has spectacularly bad luck. He feels like he’s a bad luck charm. I really liked their friends to lovers evolution - he seemed completely besotted with her and was so eager for her to win. He was her ultimate cheerleader.

“Go and fight. You deserve it – everything. I’d love to be your consolation prize, but you have to go for your main prize – right? Look to the future? You didn’t want any distractions this year and this… whatever we’re doing…’”

Tropes - Dual POV Sports Romance, cycling, friends to lovers, fake dating

Overall a cute, but spicy, romance that I’d recommend if you’re looking for a unique sports romance that’s an easy read. Perfect for summer!

ARC copy provided by Bedford Square Publishers & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Profile Image for Lydia.
368 reviews1 follower
September 15, 2025
This was such a refreshing read, I love a romance that is centred around a sport which doesn't get tonnes of attention in the romance world!

The way Lori and Sébastien met was pretty darn cute and then how they found each other again in real life (what are the chances?) was brilliant. Seb was coming to terms with the end of his career (his choice) but had to contend with Lori's overbearing yet endearing family - he handled it all like a champ. Lori for her part was recovering from injuries and getting back on the bike - pun intended.

Each character had their own obstacles to overcome and even though their budding relationship created complications for them they couldn't deny the chemistry or connection. Trying to maintain their physical fling without feelings developing was hard work and boy they were determined for a lot of this book to avoid a real relationship. But when they gave in? It was so sweet. They had so many lovely little stolen moments on the tour in a few cute cities and their banter over text was hilarious - they knew how to rib each other as a love language. Their families were such funny and necessary additions to the story, I particularly loved the time they spent in Seb's childhood home. Not to mention the cycling knowledge and lore about the tour - fantastic.

This book gave Wimbledon (the movie) to me: older man close to retirement experiencing an unexpected winning streak and younger woman in the prime of her career having a less than successful season. I love that movie so I equally enjoyed this. This was also surprisingly spicy but I ate it up.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC, I had such a fun time and keen to read more from Leonie!
Profile Image for Darcy  DecantingBooks.
499 reviews14 followers
May 16, 2025
Sports romance, tension, longing, forbidden(ish) love—can Lori and Sebastien endure?

World-class cyclist Lori’s had a tough year. Injuries forced her from the road and a broken heart made everything worse. Training at home with an anonymous online partner brings her back to life and showcases a new side to this intensely competitive woman. But with family pressure mounting and Lori worrying about distractions, she cuts off all contact and focuses on the racing season.

Then it turns out her anonymous partner is none other than the newest member of her brother’s cycling team and journeyman, Sebastien. He’s here for one last season before moving on to something else, namely running a farm and B&B in Belgium. Definitely not Lori’s style.

They try to stay away from each other but….

I am OBSESSED with this book! First of all, thank you for a sports romance with an FMC athlete. It’s always the MMCs getting to be the athletes in romances, but what about the FMCs and all the women out there who love sports? We need more, and Head Over Wheels delivers. Second, the characters were so real and the feelings and mentalities so genuine. I could feel not only their chemistry, but the longing, the angst, the competitive drive, the family pressures, the debates going on in their heads, all of it. And Seb? Adored him, the thought he puts into everything, his sincere concern for Lori and his grounded nature. Finally, the steamy scenes were hot and full of feeling too.

Thank you to @netgalley and @bedfordsq.publishers for my advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

Rating: OBSESSED
Themes and Tropes:
Steam: A handful of spicy scenes
Profile Image for Bookshortie.
862 reviews60 followers
July 6, 2025
Lori and Seb are both professional cyclists. But will they choose their careers over love?

I've read a few sports romances but I've not read one that was based in the competitive world of cycling and that's what attracted me to this book. The storyline included sports, romance and the friends to lovers and fake dating trope. What I really liked about the writing style was that the scenes that described the cycling competitions were so detailed that at times I felt like I was on the side-lines watching Lori and Seb raced.

I loved the chemistry between Lori and Seb because it was very much there from the beginning even though they never realised it. Through their messages on the coaching app they build up a friendship until Lori disappears from the app. Their first meeting in real life was the perfect meet cute because they literally cycle into each other. It’s at this point that they realise who the other is and they cannot deny their attraction. They decide to spend one night together and then concentrate on their careers but things don’t quite go to plan especially because Seb believes that he has passed on his bad luck to Lori. I can see why Seb starts to believe this because after their liaison when Lori races she is faced with nothing but obstacles whether that’s injury, being swooped on by a magpie or a horse running into the road. So as Lori’s career starts to get worse, Seb’s starts to gradually get better. So Seb decides to stay close to Lori to change her luck.

Lori and Seb are very similar. They both love cycling and want to be on top of their game but that means that anything else in their life including love has to take a back seat. They put a lot of pressure on themselves to be the best. As Lori and Seb’s relationship progresses they realise that there is space in their lives for a career and love. What I loved about them was that they really support each other and cheer each other on. When one of them is struggling with their confidence it’s the other that cheers them on and helps them to focus.

A cute sports romance.
Profile Image for Sharon.
100 reviews
September 17, 2025
This was my very first time reading a fiction book about cycling, and I really enjoyed it! The author did a great job showing the behind-the-scenes life of a professional cyclist, including the stress they go through. This is my second book by Leonie Mack, and she's quickly becoming one of my must-read authors.

Plot Summary
Lori Gallagher, a famous cyclist recovering from a crash, trains with a coaching app and an anonymous partner. They stop training together, only for Lori to discover he's on her team! They try to keep it professional, but as the season progresses, they must decide what's more important: love or winning.

General Thoughts

Character Development: The characters are written with so much care that you'll be on the edge of your seat, rooting for Lori and Seb. The strength they show both on and off the bike is truly impressive. Lori's brother is a great supporting character, as he does an excellent job balancing his loyalties to his family and his team.

Pacing: This book has a fast pace, which makes it hard to put down.

Tropes: This is a kind of a workplace romance and a forbidden romance.

Setting: I loved seeing the differences between the Gallagher and Franck families. Both are very disciplined, but Seb's relationship with his mother and grandmother is very different from Lori's relationship with her parents.

Who Is This Book For?
This book is perfect for cycling enthusiasts or anyone who wants to read a story that follows a sports tournament.
Profile Image for Holly.
2 reviews
Read
May 20, 2025
Thank you to netgalley for providing this arc!

Unfortunately I decided to DNF at 18%. I was so excited to receive this arc as the cover was so cute and the blurb sounded so fun but I just didn't click with it the way I thought I would.

I liked the idea of the book as I was curious since it was different from the usual sports romances I've read, the cycling was a nice change from football, basketball or hockey and I was actually enjoying that aspect of the book. The writing style was ok, it was easy to read and follow which was nice as it wasn't hard to comprehend. The format change in some chapters in terms of messages being exchanges was a good addition to the story. From what I got from just less than 100 pages in the characters were decent, I didn't feel negatively towards them but also I didn't feel any attachment towards them or their story. I loved how it was easy to tell the Author was a Swiftie and as a folklore girlie I enjoyed that aspect along with the Barbie movie reference.

There was nothing glaringly bad about this book, I just didn't click with it. When I get nearly 100 pages in I at least want to feel drawn to picking the book up but I just had no desire to. I would recommend other readers to try it for a different sport romance as it had potential, I just don't think it was the book for me. Maybe I'll pick the book up again later and see if its right book, wrong time but for now I don't have any desire to continue or find out what happens.
Profile Image for Mandy Webb.
288 reviews3 followers
May 17, 2025
Secret identities, fake dating (always a favorite), and grumpy-sunshine = just to give you a few tropes you get with this book.
We have our FMC, Lori, who is a bit prickly and rough around the edges. Think black cat and highly focused. She is trying to get back to riding after an injury left her initially struggling.
Then, we have Seb, MMC, think golden retriever. That is all I could think every time I read more, and as the plot progressed, just major golden retriever vibes.
Seb and Lor = crash. BOOM.
Seb is such a good guy. He is so respectful of the work that Lori does to do her sport.
Both characters had development in this book! They faced challenges, frustrating times, and then fell in love with one another.
The plot was well structured, and the pace was exactly right for this book.
Again, characters are well developed. They are written sort of connectedly around one another. Initially a two-lane road, merges to one lane, back to a two-lane road, and then ends on a one-lane road. I hope that analogy makes sense... lol.
I know NOTHING about bike racing/riding, and I still enjoyed the book. Now I feel like I need to learn more! So if you like sports romance, this is a great book for you.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Leonie Mack for the opportunity to review this ARC!
Happy Reading.
Profile Image for Courtney Vickers.
467 reviews
May 28, 2025
What to expect:
🏅Professional Cyclists
Online Friends
Cinnamon Roll MMC 💕
❤️‍🩹 Competing After Injury
Age Gap
Yearning & Tension
🔥 Dating Arrangement
Insecurities

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

‘Besides, I know when it’s you texting him because he turns into a puppy and he can’t stop smiling.’

Lori Gallagher is coming back from a serious injury. She’s got to focus, because this year, nothing can go wrong. It’s why she abruptly exited the online Zpeed chat with her friend LoonieDunes. Nothing was going to get in her way, except maybe Sébastien Franck.

The new starter on the Harper-Stacked team literally knocks Lori off her bike when they meet, and it’s not long before she sees LoonieDunes in everything Seb says and does.

Seb doesn’t know why FolkLore99 suddenly left Zpeed, But suddenly she’s right before him, a beautiful spitfire that takes his breath away and leaves him weak in the knees.

Head Over Wheels was such a great read. It drew me in straight away, and I devoured every word. I loved the relationship between Lori and Seb, where it started and how it developed. I loved the new sides of themselves these characters explored, and I really loved the cycling aspects, which made for a thrilling read, as did the romance!
Profile Image for Emily.
70 reviews
May 28, 2025
There’s nothing that says summer quite like a sports romance and this cycling romance absolutely delivered!

We follow Lori, a rising star in the pro cycling world recovering from a serious back injury, and Seb, a seasoned racer in his final season, who connect anonymously through an online cycling app. Their friendship blooms over virtual training sessions, movie nights, and dorky in-jokes until one day one of them deletes their account. Joining their team’s training camp they crash into each other, quite literally, and the the penny drops that this stranger is someone who they’ve been racing (and flirting) with online for months.

The chemistry between Lori and Seb is fantastic, full of witty banter, mutual respect, and emotional depth. I loved how the story explored both the glamour and grind of professional cycling, with stunning European backdrops from Italy to France that made the race scenes feel vivid and exciting.

Lori’s family dynamic added heart and complexity, and Seb’s quiet confidence made him an endearing counterpart. Their romance is a slow burn, full of tension and timing challenges, but so rewarding to watch unfold.

A refreshing, heartfelt, and summery read, I’m definitely bumping Leonie Mack’s other books up my TBR!
Profile Image for Sonya Wagner.
118 reviews13 followers
June 3, 2025
Lori Gallagher is returning to her career as a professional road cyclist after an injury. She meets Sebastian, when a prank with a blow up doll goes wrong. We quickly learn that Sebastian & Lori have met before through an online forum & developed a friendly relationship. Lori is fighting to get back to her previous ability, while Sebastian is headed towards retirement. This shift frustrates Lori, feeling like he is wasting his talent.

I really enjoyed this book, even though I had no knowledge of professional cycling going into it. I loved seeing the relationship Lori had with her family, and watching her learn to set some boundaries and stick up for herself. Lori had been raised to believe that “in a relationship someone always loses” and watching her explore that vulnerability with Sebastian was satisfying. I’m a suck for good banter and you see that both in Lori & Sebastian’s present conversations, as well as flashbacks to their previous online relationship.

“Thank you, Bedford Square Publishers, for providing me with an advance copy of this book!”
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657 reviews26 followers
June 20, 2025
This was an excellent book for me, as the Tour de France has been a long-standing passion in our home. Granted, less so in recent years, but certainly dating back to the days when Djamolidine Abdoujaparov was always in contention for the green jersey. If you’re not a fan, this fabulous book may help to reframe your opinion, as I’m already looking forward to following this year’s Grand Depart!
Lori Gallagher is the daughter of a cycling dynasty. Both her parents and her brother live for the races and have pushed her to her limits and beyond. Her former boyfriend left her behind after having his fun, and she is now recovering from an injury sustained in a crash and also a badly bruised heart. She has used an online fitness course as part of her rehabilitation, which utilised usernames and voice chat while working out on static bikes. What Sebastien Franck hadn’t realised was that his virtual training partner was cycling royalty compared to his humble status.
Lori and Sebastien were from opposite sides of the tracks as well as the world. Lori was given a free pass into the sport through her parents. She had worked hard to prove that she was worthy of the opportunity, while Sebastien did not have any advantages and had worked hard to become a domestique (support rider) to an up-and-coming team.
I loved how this story freewheeled between the training and build-up to each race, all the way through to the celebrated arrival on the Champs-Élysées. The chemistry between Lori and Sebastien was tangible and sizzled off the pages. I know that this is a Leonie Mack book, but there was an unmistakable nod to her alter ego, Lilo Moore.
I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes glimpses of the sport and being reminded of how brutal competitive cycling can be on the human body.
I know that I am seeing more and more sports-based romances, but this felt like it was aimed just for me. Please don’t assume you won't like it just because it has a sporting theme; it is fabulous and worth taking a leap of faith.
208 reviews2 followers
September 2, 2025
Head over wheels is a heartfelt sports romance based around road cycling. I know nothing about road cycling in general so I was dubious if I would connect with the story but it surprised me in the best possible way. I really enjoyed this read!

The story follows Lori’s journey as she fights to get back on her bike after a crash. And seb an unexpected helper in Lori’s recovery. When virtual life and real life combine a beautiful love story unfolds build on trust support and chemistry.

Seb was the highlight for me, he’s pure golden retriever energy, always supportive and uplifting, and it was so satisfying to see him finally get his moment to shine. The chemistry between Lori and Seb was effortless, both online and in real life, and I loved how their romance balanced with the intensity of professional cycling.

A great mix of sport, resilience, and swoony romance. This one definitely won me over.

🚴🏽Sports romance
🚴🏽Forced proximity
🚴🏽Golden retriever MMC
🚴🏽Online friends to lovers
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11 reviews
May 8, 2025
I know nothing about pro cycling, but I love a good sports romance, and this one didn’t disappoint. I completely loved it!
Was it hard to get into the specifics of the sport and understand the terms? Yup! But it was interesting to learn about it.

Now, on the romance… Seb is the definition of down bad! He fell first and hard and I was so here for it! It was interesting how they met and how they revolved around each other, how they have to deal with personal challenges first and then finally truly love each other.
Both characters learn from each other in so many terms, and there was a true character development for each of them.

I always love it when there are Taylor Swift references in books. What Seb did for Lori at the end was so cool and funny, I was literally the heart-eyes emoji while reading it…

The story was fun, romantic and interesting! I totally recommend it.
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