Rating: 4.5⭐️

This story is set at the Athens 2024 Olympic Games and follows sprinter Zeke and Olivia, who is working at the games.

There were many elements of the story that I enjoyed. The Olympics is such a great setting for a romance novel! I love a book which has important and meaningful friendships, as well as romantic relationships. We had a great cast of characters. The side characters all added something to the story. I enjoyed the elements of Zimbabwean culture which were brought into the story, and how important family was to each of our MC’s. FMC had big career ambitions and was unapologetic about it!

The only slight negatives were that I wish we’d had a bit more depth to the side characters.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It was the perfect summer read and if you’re a fan of the Olympics, I’d definitely recommend picking it up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

I read this book at the perfect time, the olympics have just started and it’s never a bad time for a cute romance. I loved every character in this book and honestly wouldn’t have changed anything

I really enjoyed this book. It was a bit hard to get into as it's quite dense in information but interesting from the get go. I started reading this the week before the Olympics and it really got me into watching them. I absolutely adored these characters and was fully rooting for them!

This book was so fun! Especially reading it when the excitement for the 2024 Olympics are in full swing. I loved the development of both of the main characters and also their development with their friends and family. There's definitely a deeper level in this book, which makes it not just your standard romance novel. The sport aspect is very fun, even when you're not into running yourself. Highly recommend this fun summer read!

— 4 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"The thing with magnets was that as much as they tried to resist each other, hold back their power, face opposite directions and try to stay apart, the force of attraction would always win."

📖 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 384 pages
👤 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Rufaro Faith Mazarura
🏢 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: Penguin UK
📅 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 28 July 2024

What you can expect:
— Contemporary Sports Romance
— Third Person X Dual POV
— Closed Door Romance
— Friends-To-Lovers
— Opposites Attract
— Anxiety & Grief Rep
— Forced Proximity
— Slow Burn Romance
— Mutual Attraction & Pining
— Flirtatious Banter

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:
Let the Games Begin is a Contemporary Sports Romance by debut author Rufaro Faith Mazarura. It’s the Athens 2024 Olympics and Zeke and Olivia are there to win Zeke Moyo is the star athlete of Team GB. He’s in Athens to claim the title of fastest man in the world. Olivia Nkomo has landed a career-making internship, finally earning her seat at the table. Then Zeke and Olivia collide – literally – on the first day of the games, and something unexpected begins. But the competition is stirring up uncomfortable memories from Zeke’s past. And Olivia’s dream job is turning into a nightmare. Will love become a hurdle? Or could running beside the right person change the whole game?

𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:
Let the Games Begin is a wonderfully written story about two people striving for greatness and the struggles that they face along the way. The style of writing felt reminiscent to my time as a child being told bedtime stories as my experience was that of an outsider 'looking in.' It took some adapting to within the first few chapters, however I quickly settled and found myself immediately submersed into the story being narrated. The slow-burn was written to perfection as we are granted ample time to learn about our main characters which is something I greatly appreciated and enjoyed. Better knowing and understanding both interests helps me better engage with their interactions and find their journey to love all the more believable. This book only spans over a matter of weeks, and yet you know those TikTok videos where people rate the believability of a couple and their likelihood to make it as a couple? I truly believe that Olivia and Zeke can confidently demand their spot in that 'happy old married couple' category. The story itself was well-paced and written with a lot of heart, so it's safe to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Something I will note is that despite being marketed as a romance, I did find the romance itself to be a late addition to the story as the book heavily focused on the personal growth and healing journeys for our main character. The romance felt more of a sub-plot rather than the focus, however I personally loved the story for what it was and didn't mind that the romance itself wasn't the sole focus.

𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭:
As somebody that's isn't particularly knowledgeable about the Olympics and sports as a whole... I'm glad that despite being centred around a fictional Olympic event, the story wasn't drowning in sports knowledge that would've otherwise left me confused. The setting of the story and the environment we find ourselves in is hypnotic and engaging. I could truly feel the sense of pride that came with competing on behalf of your country and I had a lot of fun learning the little snippets that was dropped into the dialogue which served to enable us to better know our characters and their passion. I found the plot to feel well-balanced as we follow our characters on their respective journeys where they (literally) collide and provide the reader many banter-filled interactions. This romantic tale is also filled with the very present reality of grief and how detrimental that can be on a person's entire existence. I feel that this was handled with the utmost care and enabled me to better understand and connect with Zeke's character, and overall I was left with a sense of happiness and content with the conclusion.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
Zeke Moyo is the perfect epitome of a boyish 'golden retriever' character whom I utterly adored and found myself enamoured with. His commitment and loyalty to his loved ones is admirable and I adored that is something we see continually present within his character. A lack of communication leads to a misunderstanding and conflict with one of Zeke's closest friends, and admittedly how he handled that situation felt very unlike the character that I had gotten to know. However I really appreciate that despite how well-meaning a person can be, nobody is perfect and mistakes are made. Zeke is flawed and it made him feel like a relatable and well-rounded character. He often prioritises the feelings of others above his own which can often come at his own expense, so I was thrilled to see Zeke's ultimate journey towards embracing therapy and better learning to also prioritise himself. Grief and anxiety are at the forefront of Zeke's character and whilst it can be difficult to see even within a fictional setting, I'm glad to see that this is something that was focused on. This is something that Zeke has battled for many years and to see him receive so much love and support was everything I needed to see and hoped for. I loved being in his POV and in the end I felt immense pride over his character development and commitment towards making the decisions that he would like to make.

Olivia Nkomo is my favourite type of main character. Feisty and fierce. Unafraid to go after what she wants and entirely unapologetic in her approach. Olivia's ambition and determination are at the root of who her character is and I was constantly rooting for her success in an environment that was determined to see her fail. As a woman Olivia has had to work harder than most to gain every inch of success that she has demanded and worked towards. As a black woman, Olivia has had to work even harder. I was mentally high-fiving Olivia for the iconic queen that she is and never giving up, as she continued to strive towards doing everything that she could to be and feel heard. As a result, Olivia has long lost the ability to maintain the healthy work and life balance that her best friend is desperately trying to encourage. Her ambition has controlled the majority of her adult life as failure is her greatest fear. I really enjoyed following Olivia on her journey as she quickly embraced the Summer that way awry learned to enjoy feeling more 'in the moment' along the way. Not only does Olivia gain more life skills that add to an already impressive CV, but she arguably most importantly rediscovers who she is and what she's working towards. Seeing Olivia make new friends as she opened herself up to the possibility of vulnerable moments and potential heartbreak cemented her as my favourite character within the story, and I had the best time cheering her on from beginning to end.

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:
The relationship development between Olivia and Zeke was filled with a lot of heart and fun. My favourite aspect of the pair was that they encouraged the very best of each other in an environment that could quickly turn competitive and toxic. Whilst the romance is slow to burn, the attraction between our colliding pair is instantaneous and electric. They dominated every interaction and scene that they were in and you truly can't help but root for them. At times I wished for a more outright conversation about their feelings as this would've helped ease some of the conflict and uncertainty that we find present throughout the story. However in the end I was left grinning ear-to-ear with their romantic and banter-filled interactions, so at least in the end we're granted a fulfilling happily ever after.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
This was such a lovely read which contained heavier topics than I had been anticipating. The ever-present theme of grief and on-page panic attacks was something I hadn't been anticipating, and yet it felt healing and fulfilling to see that grief so openly acknowledged. This was a wonderful story and well-written debut, and I look forward to reading future works by the author.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

Let the Games Begin is the perfect book to read in between watching the Olympic Games. It's set during the 2024 Olympic Games (held in Athens in the book). Zeke is currently the fastest man in the world and Great Britain's gold medal hope in the 100 metres. Olivia is organised, smart, and ambitious. She is at the Olympics on an internership, part of her long-term plan to land the career job of her dreams. Their first meeting doesn't bode well; neither is looking where they are going, they walk into each other, and Olivia's green smoothie ends up all over the front of her expensive new suit. However, on subsequent meetings, there is plenty of flirting and banter; their attraction is undeniable. I like my romances to have a bit of substance, and this delivers. Zeke suffers from panic attacks, is still grieving the death of his father more than 10 years earlier and is bothered by the fact that they way he is living doesn't really match up to his father's dreams and ideals. Olivia, meanwhile, has to deal with a career setback, classism, racism and misogyny and perceptions of her as a Black woman. She also questions how much of her ambition is innate and how much a desire to achieve her parents' unfulfilled dreams. There was a great supporting cast of characters - loved Zeke's large and boisterous family - and some good diversity representation. Both Zeke and Olivia's families migrated from Zimbabwe, and there is a minor lesbian storyline. And, of course, there are fun peeks into the life of a star athlete and life in the Olympic Village. I've no idea how accuarate this portrayal is and don't really care. This was a fun, breezy, closed door romance populated with likeable characters and just enough substance to keep me content. The ending satisfied in several ways, particularly both Olivia and Zeke working out how to be truer to themselves. The short chapters, told from alternating POVs, made it a quick read and mean it will be easy to pick up and put down as your Olympic viewing dictates.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC of this book

I just LOVEEE black love!!

Firstly, the cover alone had me hooked. Yet alone the beauty that was within the two covers. This book was pure good vibes and energy - hell, its even made me want to join the olympics just so I can experience what everyone was experiencing there - can I even do any sport?!

I was obsessed with Olivia: how she knew her worth, how intelligent and driven she was, but also how she let love in. Now Zeke, his entire story was moving and it made me love him even more! What a man! He'd experienced all those things - the loss, the pressures, the pain etc and it made that final run so much more powerful and beautiful. I actually shed a tear at that point.

Zeke and Olivia were just perfect together and it made me love this book 10 times more

This was such a fun read! If you are a fan of the Olympic Games, then this is the perfect setup to make the short wait until the actual games fly by. It all happens in the Olympic village and I absolutely loved all the shenanigans going on with all the teams and athletes. I do hope that in real life, the athletes have a lot fun too during such a special occasion (but maybe not as much as our character on the night just before their final!).

I found the idea for the story and setup very original and refreshing. It made for a very fun read but it also didn't forget how hard it is to be a woman, especially of color, in traditionally old white men environments. A great reminder to always speak up and don't be afraid to follow your path.

If you are not a fan of the Olympics, I think this could make for a fun and interesting read too. As I mentioned, it touches on other topics too and the story is light and fast to read.

For me this is a 4 stars read because there were several secondary characters that I feel could have been more relevant to the story and the main characters were a bit immature in some scenes. But all in all, a cute romance to enjoy this summer!

Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin UK for this eARC.in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect for fans of the Olympics, especially as we approach Paris 2024, an enjoyable and sweet sports romance.

Olivia and Zeke were very cute and had some chemistry but this did read for YA romance than adult. Overall a light and fun read for the season.

A fictionalised Olympic Games in Athens in 2024 is the setting for this flirty, funny and heartfelt romance.

Our MCs are both black Zimbabweans with ambitions to get to the peak of their respective professions. Zeke aims to the fastest man alive and claim a medal for Team GB. Olivia is an intern for the Olympic Committee. But there are obstacles in their paths - Zeke is having unbearable panic attacks and Olivia's job is not what it was supposed to be.

This strong storyline is all about being your best self and still having that HEA. Who says you can't have love and ambition! It has such positive energy and I really cheered for Olivia and Zeke from the start - which is a lot for me cos I am not a sporty person, lol! Witty, flirty, funny, banter-filled and a HEA - I'm sold!

This book has so much potential, personally it isn’t my style of book as I found it slow paced and the audience it should be for is more YA although saying that I loved the build up of characters and story, as a debut novel it was well written

This was an enjoyable sports romance, but it felt too YA and was just a little too slow paced for my liking.

I liked both characters as individuals, and they did have good banter, I loved Olivia's passion and the way Zeke's anxiety and grief was handled. Unfortunately, I didn't find the romance convincing enough, I didn't really feel enough chemistry between them, and the drama & misunderstanding towards the end felt weak and pointless. I was definitely invested at the start, but once they acted on their attraction my interest waned.

The chapters were short though, and it was dual POV, so it was an easy read overall.

So check this…
You are an ambitious young lady (Olivia) who has had a strategic plan from age 9 and have ALWAYS wanted to work at the Olympics. So when you land an intern position for the 2024 Olympics you are beyond excited. This would put you on track for world domination. Only thing is your secured internship isn’t so secured when you get there…

On the flip side Zeke Moyo is the sprinter that has all the babes hot under the collar, and has the whole of team GB hoping he will bring home gold this year! When Olivia and Zeke’s paths collide it makes for an interesting story.

I really enjoyed the dynamics between the main characters, their friends, teammates and families. The story was believe-able as well as touching on real issues that relate to everyone.

This is a story I would not hesitate to recommend to friends. Thank you NetGalley and Rufaro Faith Mazarura for the arc.

I didn’t like the POV it was written in, I also didn’t realise at the time that it was YA, I typically don’t read those. It held promise and I’m sure as experience is gained the author will find her footing.

In an accomplished debut novel, we follow star athlete Zeke and powerfully ambitious Olivia as they head for a fictionalised 2024 Olympics in Athens. Zeke's given up his life to the 100 m sprint and Olivia's tamped down "Summer Olivia" after one bad summer affair to throw all her efforts into securing internship after internship, working her way towards world domination and making her parents, who have struggled somewhat since coming to England from Zimbabwe, their professional qualifications not recognised, proud. Zeke meanwhile has suppressed his grief at his dad dying when he was 14, with father figure coaches from the GB and Zimbabwean teams looking out for him and a best friend he doesn't confide in (Olivia's best friend is practically a sister and knows her inside out).

I loved the cast of central characters and their different viewpoints and cultures, and I really liked the emphasis on Zeke and Olivia's pull between Zimbabwe and the majority UK culture, both having to do things against their own codes of ethics, code-switch and push for Black Excellence just to get things that Olivia's nemesis, a posh boy who gets the paid internship he doesn't need through nepotism, acquire with seeming ease. There's also a mental health aspect which was really nicely done, incidentally modelling how you might help someone through a panic attack.

There's plenty of sparky humour and we have some ellipses rather than really detailed trips to the bedroom; the only thing I'd say was a slight issue was an odd interpretation of the rules of athletics when Zeke is doing one of his races. I'm not sure why the actual rule wasn't checked as the scene could have worked without even mentioning it, or mentioning the correct rule (I'm a lower-level qualified athletics official but I checked with my friend who's handily an Olympics-level photo finish judge!).

But I enjoyed this novel and really liked that Olivia didn't have to tamp down her ambition in order to get the man - I also loved the little scenes at the start and finish with different people around the world watching the Olympics at home, and the scene where the author ran through all the times Olivia and Zeke could have met and the tropes they would have got trapped in then.

Review published 16 july https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2024/07/16/book-review-rufaro-faith-mazarura-let-the-games-begin/

~ thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for an ARC in exchange for my honest review ~

this book needs to be on essential summer reading lists! mazarura’s debut is not only a beautiful holiday/ sports romance, but also a love letter to the children of the diaspora.

love an ambitious black female main character and i love the fact that mazarura avoids and very much condemns the trope of an fmc having to give up on her dreams for romance.

the chemistry and banter between olivia and zeke is palpable, and doesn’t feel rushed despite the short timeline in which this romance occurs.

the author takes such care in her depiction of zeke’s grief for his father and how complicated it is to reconcile who you are becoming with old wounds. i love how realistic his reluctance to engage with therapy initially is and how healing it is shown to be when he finally opens himself to it - ‘talked about how he’d numbed himself to negative emotions so he could live alongside the grief’.

‘Let The Games Begin’ by Rufaro Faith Mazarura, set at the fictional “Athens 2024” Olympics, is an enjoyable and occasionally deep enemies-to-lovers romance set amongst the magic of the Athletes Village. The main characters - sprinter Zeke and aspiring international relations mogul Olivia - couldn’t be more different and have a seriously rocky start, but the sparks flying between them and their shared burning love for the Olympic movement mean that they’re at risk of distracting each other from what should be a pivotal fortnight in their lives.

I enjoyed how this story was told in dual POV format and over a compressed timeframe - I felt like it captured the frenzied excitement of an Olympic Games well, and it definitely made me wish I could sneak into a Village (I’d definitely be more of a volunteer than an athlete!) The banter and romance between the leads was fab, and I adored their friends Haruki, Aditi and Valentina and their partying.

The author added depth by chronicling Zeke’s anxiety issues and reflections on his Zimbabwean background and Olivia’s annoyance at her well-connected ex-coursemate getting prestigious career opportunities ahead of her. Uniquely, Olivia was characterised as self-assured, feeling righteous anger and using it constructively rather than sinking into feeling imposter syndrome. I admired her strength and power, as well as her realisation that being herself and having fun didn’t need to be a barrier to her ambitions.

Overall, this was a fantastic four star read which has certainly whet my appetite for the joy and fun of Paris 2024.

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Penguin UK via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I sped through this, completely enveloped in the setting of Athens and all the backstage machinations of the Olympic Games. I was fully invested in this romance, and all the secondary characters and relationships around the main couple are also a delight. A very fun, easy read despite dealing with darker subjects like grief, anxiety, nepotism and racism. Also thanks to Mazarura for introducing me to some Zimbabwean musical greats who are now on my permanent playlist!

I loved Zeke and Olivia from the moment they met. Their banter was so much fun to read and it became clear very early on that they would be great together!

I also really enjoyed the self reflection and growth aspects, as both characters went through a bit of a journey during those weeks. I actually thought Olivia’s journey was going in a. Completely different direction at one point and while I was slightly disappointed it didn’t, I loved seeing her being a badass and fighting for what she wanted (and deserved).

Overall, a great read, perfect for the summer and Olympic season. I’ll definitely keen an eye out for the author’s next book!

This was a fun and lighthearted summer romance read. It was cool to read a book set in the 2024 Olympics when it is about to occur in real life too. This books best elements were definitely the diversity and the chemistry between the two main characters, I felt they were so well suited for each other. I enjoyed their banter and the tension between them. The side characters were also great and the book touched upon numerous topics ranging from insecurities and mental health to racism and much more. It had conflict that wasn't overwhelming as well, hence it being an easy-going read.