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!

OMFG!! Make this book into A MOVIEEE.

I was so excited to read this book, and my expectations were definitely met.

First of all, a book about black love. SIGN ME UP.

OLIVIA is better than me, because I would’ve kicked up a right storm on socials about being slated for a job due to nepotism. We see how she has to actively not respond to such callous actions to not be labelled the “angry black girl”. She’s so focused on this five year plan, making her parents proud. That she kinda forgets to live and enjoy life, because you’re only young once. So her losing the internship and becoming a “volunteer”is kind of a blessing in disguise.

Her rocky start with Zeke, was great. They start off in dislike to like ( I guess quite quickly.

Zeke is also a character who holds a lot of cards to his chest. He deals with anxiety and guilt, due to his dad and the expectations of others. Through this book he becomes more comfortable with talking about his mental health.

Zeke and Olivia, push each other to be better versions of themselves. That’s okay to be vulnerable, take time to appreciate now instead of thinking of the eminent future.

LOVE BLACK LOVE

SUCH A GREAT SHORT READ. DEFOOOOOO RECOMMEND

This book managed to bottle all the emotions we feel whilst watching the Olympics and turn it into a beautifully written love story that will make your heart swell.

Set in Athens for the 2024 Olympic Games, we follow Zeke and Olivia on their journey as fate keeps putting them in each other’s path. Whilst the chemistry between the two characters is fantastic, this book’s brilliance transcends the romance aspect. The character development of both Zeke and Olivia outside of their romance is just as enticing. They’re both out to push themselves, pursue their passions and also discover themselves.

A fantastic read that’ll be a perfect companion to this summer’s Olympics in Paris.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin UK for the ARC.

great debut romance that would be great on screen as a rom com! personally didn’t love it as much as i thought but still worth the read!!

A great debut novel by Rufaro Faith Mazarura . Zeke is the fastest man in the planet and is Athens for the Olympics 2024 to win the gold medal . While he seems very cool & calm he actually suffers from anxiety . Olivia had a dream since she was a kid to work at the Olympic Games Committee and now she has earned an internship to Athens . When she arrives she discovers that she has lost the position to an other candidate who is healthy and has connection . But that doesn't stop her from making her dream come true and she works as volunteer . When Zeke and Olivia the sparks start to fly . They keep bumping into each other and she never treat him like he was a famous athlete . But when they been stuck in the elevator that changed their feelings . Will what they feel will only be a summer fling or something more powerful ? I loved that both of our heroes were kids of Zimbabwe immigrants and they wanted to make their families proud and happy .
I received this book from netgalley and the publicer as an ARC . Thank you . All thoughts and opinions are my own .

Cute, fun romance.

The story takes place during the Olympics 2024 (in Athens instead of Paris). I loved the characters and their individual stories and struggles. I almost preferred their storyline on their own over the romance, that’s how good the characters were fleshed out. Although, the romance was still sweet and lovely. I thought the romance was a little too fast in my taste (they only spend a couple of weeks together).

It’s a great debut novel and I would definitely recommend it for a good summer reading.
Let’s not forget the setting, I loved the little details in Athens (especially the food).

It was overall a great romance, with amazing characters and a sweet romance set in one of my favorite cities.

Thanks to NetGalley & Viking Books for this arc!

Let The Games Begin is a cute, fun romance that takes place during the summer olympics. The chemistry between Zeke and Olivia was amazing, and I loved the balance between their romance and the other aspects of their lives, especially Zeke’s training and competitions, which sometimes fall to the side in sports romances.

Mazarura did an amazing job at weaving the romance together with the characters’ individual lives, and Zeke and Olivia both had a lot of personal growth throughout the book. I enjoyed seeing their journeys and the conclusions they came to by the end of the book about what they both really wanted in life. I particularly liked Zeke’s emotional vulnerability around Olivia and him finally being able to open up to people.

This was a great debut and I look forward to reading Rufaro Faith Mazarura’s future work!

(This review will be posted on Goodreads and Instagram closer to the publication date.)

A cute black YA Romance

I was interested just by the cover, but the story is lovely. Let the Games Begin is based on Athletic runner 'Zeke' and head strong, focused, stands by her business Olivia.

They fall for each other the first time they meet, but circumstances get the best of them. Until they keep running into each other but both have their personal insecurities about life and relationships.

I enjoyed the relationship build up of the two, especially when Zeke needed someone and Olivia was there for him. He was able to express himself and show a more vulnerable side and the same for Olivia.

This book touched on some many different subjects which an everyday person deals with.

I would recommend this book to a romance book lover.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.com and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Sweet, fun, flirty! Honestly what more could you want than romance at the Olympics. Zeke definitely has written by a woman energy but we're good with that. It's was a good balance of tension but constantly moving forward. Olivia frustrated me with how stubborn she is but I loved her regardless. I enjoyed reading about these two, would definitely read this author again.

"Let The Games Begin" by Rufaro Faith Mazarua is a captivating and heartwarming love story set against the backdrop of the Athens 2024 Olympics. The novel follows the journey of Zeke Moyo, a star athlete representing Team GB, and Olivia Nkomo, a determined young woman on a career-making internship.

From the very beginning, the chemistry between Zeke and Olivia is undeniable, but their first encounter is far from smooth as they literally collide on the first day of the games. As they navigate their respective challenges and dreams, a deep connection begins to form. However, Zeke's past and the pressures of competition threaten to derail their budding relationship, while Olivia's dream job starts turning into a nightmare.

Mazarua skillfully weaves together themes of love, ambition, and personal growth in this page-turning novel. The sizzling Greek summer setting adds an extra layer of charm and allure to the story, making readers feel like they are right there alongside the characters, soaking up the sunshine.
I really enjoyed this book

I read ‘Let the Games Begin’ by Rufaro Faith Mazarura and decided to give it 4 stars.

Zeke, the main male character, is a runner who’s in Athens with Team GB to compete in the 100m sprint at the Olympic Games. Olivia is a no-nonsense graduate who’s attending the Athens Olympics as an intern (or so she thinks). They run into each other (literally) and Olivia finds herself begrudgingly flirting back and the sparks fly from there.

The chemistry between them was super fun. They bounced off of each other equally and the banter was naturally exciting. The scene with them both on the cart - they were firing off in true RomCom fashion. And the elevator scene…. loved it. I don’t know if this will be a standalone but I was also intrigued by their best friends Aditi and Haruki. I’d like to see more from them. I also loved the mature relationship Zeke had with Vanessa, it was certainly different but in a new, refreshing way.

The main thing I appreciated was how fleshed out Olivia and Zeke were as individuals. Zeke and the pressures he faced as an athlete and Olivia navigating her career where she doesn’t have the advantage of others made them characters you could really connect to. I liked that they related to each other culturally with them both being from Zimbabwe.

The cover of this book is beautiful is what initially drew me in, the description made me stay and the story provided a great experience.

This book would’ve been that much better with an epilogue. Also the chapters were surprisingly short. Nonetheless, these were not big issues to me and didn’t affect the rating at all.

Overall, this is a really great debut from the author and I will be recommending to others. They have talent and potential as well and I’m looking forward to whatever else they have to offer!