Review: Olympic enemies by Rebecca j. Caffery

 

Author: Rebecca J. Caffery

Saga: No

Pages: 290

Sinopsis

Three weeks at the Olympic Village.
Two Gymnasts who’ve been rivals for half a decade.
One tonne of sexual tension.

Forced to share a room at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Oliver and Lucas are less than happy. After five years of fighting, the team needs them to learn to work together if they stand any chance of medalling.

To make matters worse, Lucas, king of lone wolfs, has absolutely no desire to become best friends with the three musketeers who make up the rest of the male British Gymnastics team.

So when the press becomes intrusive towards Lucas and Oliver finally steps in to defend him, things are looking up. Until that sliver of common ground truly demonstrates how thin the line between love and hate really can be.

However, when their fighting turns to kissing which results in headlines in every newspaper and potential heartbreak for the pair, it isn’t just gold on the line - it’s their hearts

Review 

I finished this book in one night and really enjoyed it. The premise is interesting and it was what got my attention in the first place, the whole theme of the Olympics, the Olympic village, the competitions and the press make the story especially attractive.

However, what I really liked were the protagonists. Lucas is an intelligent and talented boy, but he has problems socializing, he tends to isolate himself from the group and that causes him problems with his team. Oliver is the complete opposite, he is outgoing, works very well in a team and is a bit of a jerk, but he means well. This contrast of personalities is one of my favorite tropes in fiction and the author does a good job with Oliver and Lucas, who also have a lot of chemistry.

The book reads quickly and makes good use of all the elements it raises throughout the story, however, the title can be a bit misleading, as the main characters get along badly for just a few chapters before solving their problems and starting a relationship. If you are looking for an “enemies to lovers” or a “rivals to lovers”, this book probably won't meet your expectations. Also, I'm going to be honest, I don't think the athletics thing is that realistic, so if you're a big fan you might be disappointed by this too.

In my case, it was a small disappointment, but once I got over that idea I was able to enjoy reading much more. The narrative is great, the characters are adorable, the story can be raw at times, yet it's still a spicy romance that's thoroughly enjoyed.

 

 Reseña

Terminé este libro en una noche y lo disfruté mucho. La premisa es interesante y fue lo que captó mi atención en primer lugar, todo el tema de las olimpiadas, la villa olímpica, las competiciones y la prensa hacen que la historia sea especialmente atractiva.

Sin embargo, lo que realmente me gustó fueron los protagonistas. Lucas es un chico inteligente y talentoso, pero tiene problemas para socializar, suele aislarse del grupo y eso le trae problemas con sus compañeros. Oliver es todo lo contrario, es extrovertido, trabaja muy bien en equipo y es un poquito idiota, pero tiene buenas intenciones. Este contraste de personalidades es de mis tropos favoritos en la ficción y la autora hace un buen trabajo con Oliver y Lucas, que además tienen mucha química.

El libro se lee rápido y aprovecha bien todos los elementos que plantea a lo largo de la historia, sin embargo, el título puede ser un poco engañoso, pues los protagonista se llevan mal apenas unos capítulos antes de solucionar sus problemas y comenzar una relación. Si estás buscando un enemies to lovers o un rivals to lovers, probablemente este libro no llene tus expectativas. Además, voy a ser sincera, no creo que el tema del atletismo sea tan realista, así que si son grandes fans quizás también se decepcionen por esto.

En mi caso, si fue una pequeña decepción, pero una vez superada esa idea pude disfrutar mucho más de la lectura. La temática es genial, los personajes son adorables, la historia puede ser cruda en ocasiones, sin embargo, sigue siendo un romance spicy que se disfruta muchísimo.

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