I love sport, I love the Olympics and I love books about them! It took me awhile to get into this. I wouldn’t say it grabbed my attention from the start, I read abit each day and eventually splurged it all near the end. I thought the characters were nice, they had interesting stories and it was nice to have one character who didn’t have much of a ‘sob story’. Overall I enjoyed the book as I loved the idea and the setting!

Thank you for the ARC! I loved this debut novel, it was amazingly written. I’m not sure if I would read again as it was a bit slow about 50% in but I look forward to seeing what other novels this author produces!

I found the start of this book really exciting and I couldn’t wait to see where it went.
I thought the book being set in and around the Olympic Games was so unique and really interesting to read about, it’s something that really interests me so I was really looking forward to reading about it!
Unfortunately around 30% in I just found myself not connecting with the way the story was developing, I struggled to form an understanding of the female main character, unlike the male main character, who I found really interesting and a great male lead!
I’m a little disappointed as I was really looking forward to this story, I can understand why people would rate it higher though, it might just be a me issue that I couldn’t relate to what was happening!

I loved the first chapter, but as soon as we got Olivia's POV I lost interest. I really tried to like this book, but I just didn't get their chemistry or root for them in any way. So sad as I really thought I'd love this book.

DNF at 50 percent.

Just not for me.

A cute summer YA romance following an Olympic athlete, Zeke, and an aspiring Olympic lawyer, Olivia. From the beginning the reader is given the impression that these two characters are fated to be together, following their story through the Olympic games is fun to read about.
The story doesn't prioritize romance, it has sub plots that focus on grief, anxiety, and finding the best versions of ourselves.
Alongside Zeke and Olivia are side characters that are loveable, endearing and really help pull the story along.
The only minor issue I had was the timespan of the Olympics is two weeks, it felt as though Zeke and Olivia 'fell in love' very quickly, but it didn't feel completely unrealistic and the story still flourished.

Overall, it's a joyful read perfect for the summer, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Mazarura comes up with next.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin for the ARC.

An impressive debut novel ! I would say this is slightly more YA than I was expecting but that’s personal. I love athletics & the fact that this is in an Olympic year makes it great!! Not itching to read again BUT maybe 2028 at the next Olympics !!! Or even closer to Paris <3

Let the games begin is set in the Athens 2024 olympics. Zeke Moyo is the star athlete of Team GB who claims he is the fastest man In the world and Olivia Nkomo has landed an internship. They collide (literally) on the first day of the Olympic Games and as fate keeps bringing them together, they develop a romance.

This book is definitely a YA romance. It has a really sweet meet cute and would be a great beach read.
I really enjoyed the feeling of being at the Olympics and how it feels to be an athlete there. It was really interesting to read the stories of each character as well as the struggles they both face. Especially how Zeke suffers with anxiety which can be really relatable to many people.
Some of the dialogue I do feel could have been a bit shorter but think this is a great novel for the YA fans!
It would be an amazing book to make a movie adaptation to really bring it to life!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. Views are my own.

This was an incredibly impressive debut novel that was so thoughtfully written and had one of the most realistic portrayals of grief and anxiety that I’ve ever seen in a romance novel. It was sweet and funny and I adored the two MCs. The family aspect to this novel was beautiful too.

There were a few minor things that impacted my overall enjoyment of it like the conflict with Zeke’s best friend because it seemed out of character and his friend seemed a little hypocritical. Also, although I loved both of the MCs separately (Olivia be my best friend lol) I wasn’t sold on them as a romantic pairing. In saying this, these things are very minor and I would still highly recommend this book.

Also, I want to note this quickly - just because a book does not have any spice does not make it a YA. I would not put this book in the YA category, it’s definitely written for adults and has very adult themes. This is not to say a young adult would not also enjoy this because I’m sure they would.

Thank you Penguin UK for this ARC!

I would recommend it if you love a journey of self-discovery, realistic portrayals of grief and anxiety and family relationships that make you feel warm and fuzzy.

this was such a sweet ya romance was genuinely interesting and wonderful characters to read!

the chemistry is there from the minute they meet but the circumstances of their summer keeps getting in the way until they’re constantly running into each other and learning more about each other. i genuinely enjoyed this story and the romance. i connected with both characters and loved how relatable olivia was

This was a good read. The perfect level of romance and spice in the most perfect setting. Didn’t want to put it down

This novel is a beautifully written love story that will make your heart sing—it manages to capture all the feelings we experience when watching the Olympics.

We follow Zeke and Olivia on their adventure as fate keeps placing them in each other's way throughout the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Even if the two characters have amazing connection, this book's genius goes beyond its romantic elements. Just as captivating is Zeke and Olivia's character growth apart from their romance. They both want to challenge themselves, follow their passions, and learn more about who they are.
.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General Uk for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I always like to read new Authors and when I saw this book I jumped on the band wagon.

Though this is a romance, I'd say this was very subtle romance story as this follows two peoples stories within the Olympics. You see Olivia wanting to rule the world and follow her guide to success and Zeke on his journey to winning that Gold medal he really wants.

The way that their stories collided and the build up of their relationship was what I enjoyed most about this book. Also the fact we were seeing a fun behind the scenes side of the Olympics is something that I am so glad was within the story.

If you are a fan of the Olympics the this is definitely the romance story for you. The 2024 Athen Olympic Games take centre stage in Rufarao Faith Mazarura's debut, and the story follows Olivia, who is filled with unrelenting ambition and Zeke, an Olympic 100m Sprinter.

From the outside it looks like Olivia has her life planned to the second, however her road to success isn't quite as straight forward as she had hoped and after jetting to the Olympics to start an internship to tick off the next step on her 5 year plan she is knocked off course when she finds out her space has been pulled! She quickly recentres herself and instead of interning nabs a place as a volunteer which finds her helping out various department teams across the games. Meanwhile Zeke looks like he is living the life of an athlete superstar, he won Silver at the last Games and looks on track for Gold in Athens. However as we all know, appearances can be deceiving, and the trauma of losing his dad at 14 has left him with some emotional fallout which has been materialising in the form of Anxiety which is rearing it's ugly head when he's on the verge of success.

This story is a sweet YA romance complete with the all important meet cute, and it has a strong sense of placement in the Athens Olympics, and the heat and sunshine of Greece makes it the perfect summer read. I really enjoyed the characterisations; each person had a strong personality and backstory. I loved the whole feeling that the book evoke, it really put me in the centre of the Olympic Village, and the interactions between competitors from different countries added to a really diverse cast. The story had strong themes of family, and especially the Zimbabwean culture which was really interesting and added so much depth to the story.

I do have to admit that at times I did find myself skimming through some of the prose as it was overly wordy at times, there was a bit too much introspection that I lost interest in it. I also felt when this happened during a conversation it really slowed the pace of the conversations. I think that the romance was sweet but the depth of feelings felt very rushed because of the short timespan of the Games, it all happened over a matter of days. When I finished it I also did find myself wondering what happened to them going to the screening of Bend It Like Beckham? Or was that scheduled after the Games so after the story ended?
In conclusion I do think that the story feels like it could do with a little more editing but it is a fun, heartwarming and entertaining read that I really enjoyed!

i enjoyed this book. i loved the story and the characters, the story just fell a little flat for me at certain points but overall it was an enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It's a good YA romance book with diversity. The characters were written phenomenally where the female lead was strong in her beliefs and I was fully there for that. I loved how the relationship blossomed and the two leads pushed each other to achieve their goals.

The chemistry between Olivia and zeke is literally the best thing I’ve read recently they’re so suited and so cute together and I love the Olympic setting, this is such a very fun read and lovely book and I will be recommending it for a a very long time.

Honestly, I really enjoyed the opening and the writing style was fun, clear and concise, but I was just no meshing with the characters together.

DNF @38%

3.75
This was so wholesome and fun! I love the setting and all of the side characters were great, although I was hoping to see more of a certain pair together but maybe they’ll get their own book?

Olivia and Zeke were wonderful to read about because they got swept up in the romance without letting it take away from their own ambitions. They were complex and had goals and dreams, but they also had struggles to work through themselves and I thought it was handled really well! I love their dynamic and their banter was really fun. I’m not sure what trope I’d label it but he was so smitten from the start!

I had a great time with this and I’m excited to read more of Mazarura’s work!

Thank you to NetGalley, Viking Books UK, and Rufaro Faith Mazarura for the eARC!

I’m going to begin this review by saying this book was fun. Absolute fun.

The Olympic setting created two storylines for the two characters that end up being interwoven. At times, it can feel like the two stories instead of one romance but I feel this added to the book because the pressures on an athlete can’t just be talked about in terms of a romantic relationship especially at the Olympic level. Combine that with the pressures of ‘living to a plan’ that the FMC creates for herself and you get a story with actual heart and romance almost like a bonus.

This was fun!! Loved the vibes and emotions, really felt like watching the olympics! This would be fab as a movie!