Well, this was...interesting. Honestly, I think I would have enjoyed this more if I hadn't gone in with such high expectations. Rivals-to-lovers is one of my all-time favorite tropes and especially when it comes to sports romances, I have a high standard. Olympic Enemies just fell a bit short of that. There were so many time jumps and scenes that felt very much pieced together instead of providing to an overall readable narrative and I couldn't really connect to our two MCs. While there were some fun and interesting moments, the characterization and everything surrounding the sports events just felt a bit too flat for me to actually be invested in the outcome.
That being said, I think that if you're looking for a sports romance and haven't read a ton of them so far, then this might be perfect for you!

I have been excited for this book for probably over a year at this point, maybe even longer and it definitely was worth the wait. I am a huge fan of enemies to lovers/ hate to love and forced proximity so that’s what I was excited for.

Both Lucas and Oliver were fun characters to read about, from their interactions with each other to interactions with their friends and even their backstories were well done and very believable.

I know nothing about gymnastics so I definitely had to google some things as I was reading so I knew exactly what to imagine, but that only added to the fun of reading this.

It was very fast paced, which was expected because it takes place over a timeframe of 3 weeks as said in the description, but I will say I didn’t expect that characters to get together at the point in the book which they did which I ended up enjoying. Overall Lucas and Oliver are very cute with each other and their personalities match well with each other.

The reason I have this 4 stars was because the writing did feel a bit bland at points and I feel like it’s much more hate to love instead of enemies to lovers, which can be said about most books marketed as that so it not that big of a negative for me.

Unfortunately, this book did not work for me. The first quarter of the book was agonizing with the guys being so mean to each other and then, suddenly, they're having sex. Enemies switched immediately to lovers and I didn't really buy it. I did enjoy the middle part of the book, where Lucas and Oliver are in their happy bubble together. However, that bond is tenuous and doesn't stand up in the face of challenges, sending the guys back to fighting and not listening to each other. When the book ended I honestly had no idea where they were as a couple because one of them was all HEA and the other was wondering if they were actually boyfriends. So for me it was a very frustrating read, especially with how the characters acted towards each other during high pressure moments. Also, I would have liked for there to be more depth/reflection when it came to issues like being outed, struggling with grief, the weight of being in the Olympics, the mental and physical wear and tear. I felt like all of these issues only got superficial treatment. I feel bad only giving 2 stars because I did enjoy some parts of the book, but overall it left me feeling frustrated instead of satisfied.

OLYMPIC ENEMIES has a great premise and the book had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, it fell short for me. The central relationship dynamic lacked chemistry, on both the enemies and the lovers front. Oliver is consistently hostile to Lucas in a way that reads more like a bully romance than a true EtL or RtL, and the book doesn't quite reconcile this in the last act. I found it hard to root for either character. The editing was also questionable; a typo or two I could excuse, but the sheer amount, often multiple per page, pulled me out of a narrative I already struggled to connect with.

This is a new to me author and I was intrigued as I enjoy sports romances especially with an enemies to lovers twist and loved the idea of including the Olympics.

There is definitely a bit of animosity in the beginning of this book between these two characters and the core of it is a misunderstanding between these two and never taking the time to get to know one another. I always think having a dual POV in an enemies story is key because sometimes one character can come off as utterly unlikeable but when you see the story from their perspective you get greater insight into their motivations. Oliver takes some time to warm up to in this book but was grateful for the dual POV. Lucas’ character might seem standoffish from the beginning but he’s carrying a lot of weight on his shoulders and extremely focused on the path ahead once gymnastics is done.

When these two finally get together, enjoy how they compliment each other. Lucas begins to unwind a little and Oliver’s caring side begins to really show. Definitely some angst between these two and scenes are fade to black.

This was a fast read for me with a sweet ending for these MCs. It was a different read cause not too many sports romances focus on gymnastics so it was a nice change. I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest and fair review.

Olympic Enemies was super sweet. I read it in one afternoon and was quickly caught up in the chapters alternative though Lucas and Oliver's points of view. The secondary characters were great and really added some much needed support to the story. It was a feel good queer romance, set against the backdrop of the Paris Olympics and full of emotion.
I'll admit it was a little rough in places, lots of little spelling errors and such, but it was still a very enjoyable read.

This one was a slow start for me that really picked up about a third of the way in. Oliver is the captain of the 2024 Olympics gymnastics team from Britain and Lucas is a team member whose specialty is the floor routine. Oliver is outgoing and a natural leader while Lucas is a loner who sticks to his workouts and studies for a Master's in his "free" time. Both are overcoming difficult pasts. They have also been rivals and hated each other for years before the Olympics. The forced proximity of a shared room in the Olympic Village leads fairly quickly to insta-sex (full-on) but their relationship becomes complicated as emotions and insecurities kick in as they prepare to perform on one of the largest stages in the world.

The author's writing needs work--beyond the typical typos--the style is too clunky. Nothing that a good editor can't fix. It's never really clear why they hate each other. The Olympic setting does not seem quite authentic. The ending is over the top--unrealistic (even for MM romance!) That said, she has created two flawed but winning MCs whom you root for and also decently developed secondary characters, particularly Tom and Julius, the other team members. Relatively low steam level. There is lots of angst and many many feels in the final third.

For some reason I thought this was between an American and a Brit.....
*Insert the vine of Wake Up Sleepyhead...cause that happened
The most unrealistic thing about this book is that there's 10 seasons of Brooklyn 99.
I can't speak to the accuracy of the gymnastics because I am a peasant.
The setting is the 2024 Olympics in Paris (which is legit).
It was ok. But stuff felt rushed.

Rating: 3.75/5 ⭐️(rounded up to 4⭐️)

Publication Date: February 6th 2023

Author: Rebecca J Caffery

Review: ok this was absolutely adorable. I loved the enemies X lovers moment between Lucas and Oliver. Going into it you know it’s going to be a HEA moment but I think a wholesome book like this you look forward to it. I also loved the Olympic village aspects. I don’t care who you are everyone dreams of being in the Olympics if you were and athlete and most of the world won’t ever make it so being able to read it and having certain aspects that you always hear about be also in a book, you just have to love it.

I have never known of a book to use the word “whilst” so many times and by the end it got to be a little overbearing for me 😂but that’s just because Iv never heard it like that before!

Definitely worth checking out such an easy read and honestly if you are in a book hangover I guarantee this will bring you out do it.

Finding a good Rom-Com in the LGBTQ+ category can be few and far between this was a gem of a book. Who doesn’t love a enemies to lovers book with comedy throughout? Also there’s the Olympics which we don’t read a lot about male gymnasts so I really enjoyed seeing this story play out. We start with Lucas a quiet head in the game, hard worker trying to be better and help his Mom anyway he can. Then we have Oliver the cutest Olympian there and the Captain for their team. Lucas and Oliver have had arguments over the years and some even public which isn’t Lucas’ style at all he’s very private doesn’t even hang with his team so that he can stay focused on winning gold and University. That doesn’t work for Oliver as his best friends are the other two people on their team so they are always chatting, having fun, and hanging out, which is just not Lucas at all. However when they get their room assignments Lucas and Oliver are bunking together so now Lucas is forced to be around him. Oliver makes the first attempt to try and have Lucas hang with the team more and he actually agrees but that ends in an argument that he’s very heated. Heated in a very steamy way which they both feel but don’t know how to handle these feelings. Oliver has the idea of being friend with benefits and Lucas goes along with it and they both quickly see the lines are blurred and they may actually have true feelings past just sex. Could there be something more or is this just during the Olympics and then life goes back to normal? Also figuring out who would and wouldn’t win gold was fun. I would recommend this book to anyone not just LGBTQ+.

DNF’ed this one. Authors writing style wasn’t my favorite. It felt…unpolished? I’ve read a decent number of sports romances and this one just didn’t do it for me.

3.5 stars. This book could’ve been much more fun without the lengthy descriptions of gymnastics routines. Gymnastics is one of those things where it’s fascinating to watch but if you don’t know the names of the moves, it’s so boring to read since you can’t picture it in your head. I enjoyed the dynamic between all of the characters and I wished we could’ve seen more of Estelle. I did think that Oliver’s dislike of Breyden was going to lead to something but the storyline kind of just got dropped at the end. The ending was hopeful which I much prefer to a sad or ambiguous ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to rate and review an ARC of this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the advance copy!

Wow! Just wow!! I loved this book! i loved everything about it. So let me dive into all of it. First off the setting and the premise!! The Olympics! Forced to be Roommates! Rivals to Lovers! Yes, yes, yes! And then you have each character with their past trauma that adds delicious elements to each of them!

This story is beautiful written, switching between Lucas and Oliver's POVs. Each one has a tone of their own and shows a different side not only the Olympics but the experience of being an athlete. It did a good job of adding the technical side of the gymnastics into the story as well.

It was such an easy book to read and I got lost in the world of these two trying figuring out their relationship as well their goals of winning Olympic gold! The perfect read for anyone who loves Sports romcom, especially fans of Olympics!

Thank you to Netgalley and The Wild Rose Press. Inc for this ARC.

4.5 ⭐️

I loved the characters, I loved the storyline, I loved the heartache... I loved it all. The only thing I wanted from this book was an epilogue to finish it off, hence why I didn't give this book 5⭐️. I will definitely read more books from Rebecca J. Caffery.

3.5 stars. This is a delightful, cute m/m romance reminiscent of a fun fanfic. As someone who enjoys fanfics and stories like this, I had an enjoyable time reading this book. The writing was perfectly fine and a quick read, though some of the pacing was a bit off. Oliver and Lucas were very cute together, but their romance felt so sudden and did not have as much build-up. It felt like a switch was flipped, and they were suddenly in love. There needed to be a bit more tension between them before their relationship. Also, their fights felt very forced. Like oh here's the last act let's put the required breakup before reconciliation that every romance book needs regardless of if it makes sense for the character. The Olympic subject was super fun, but you could tell the author was not an expert in the sport. So even though I enjoyed the story, it overall felt like an amateur fanfic that they changed the names in.

It was an odd choice to make the enemies two people who have spent years together on the same team, practicing, completing, and travelling together. They have already spent an abundance of time together and hate each other. The opportunity would have been there so many times, it doesn't fit that they would end up sharing a room and quickly fall into a lust. It also means their relationship is fully formed by the time the story starts.

The short enemies length, set up, and pacing would really be better suited for friends to lovers, so the only reason I can think that the author would choose to make it "enemies to lovers" is to match the trend of mm best sellers and in trying to do so opened the book up for easy comparison with superior best selling novels.

I was looking forward to this, and while it was very readable (I rather galloped through it without getting bored!) and I enjoyed parts, overall there were too many huh? or nope! parts for me to feel anything but meh.

My first huh feeling came from what felt like a disconnect between the marketing and the boon. The title and the blurb lead me to expect a slow build up of sexual tension between two rivals, who hate that they are attracted to each other. However they are barely shared the room before they kissed, then had sex very shortly after, and their tension - sexual and rivalry - had disappeared almost immediately.

There was also a big deal made rihht at the start, of Lucas being fairly inexperienced in terms of relationships and sex, but that then made the very quick escalation to sex feel a bit odd?

The author clearly knew a lot about gymnastics, and I enjoyed reading those parts. I was also prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt about the Olympics, but there were various moments that raised my eyebrows, especially that professional gymnasts would get a tattoo on a part of their body that would be in contact with the equipment just before the Olympics started, without even mentioning any potential issues.

I also questioned the coaches, that they appeared very lackadaisical with regard to their athlete's well-being and injuries. Again maybe this is a reflection of the truth, but that it goes completely unremarked upon made me very uncomfortable.

The final thing which irritated me long after the book finished, was that the book emphasises throughout the importance of the team. But this is apparently only for the four main members and not Brayden, the reserve, who is constantly ignored and dismissed, regardless of his input. It made the whole team spirit aspects of the book feel very very weak.

Overall I was rather disappointed by some of the choices, and I feel a good editing could have dealt with most, if not all, of the issues I had. But the writing wasn't bad, and I'm hopeful that this author can improve in their future books.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC*

This book has a a lot of things that I liked but it wasn’t a favorite. It is a sports enemies to lovers, which is one of my favorite tropes! I liked that they were enemies for a while (like had a history before the book started) and it wasn’t like insta enemies to lovers that you see in many books. I could understand their annoyance with each other. There were also just some fun moments in the book that I just really enjoyed reading.

The chemistry between the two characters was pretty well written, even through their fighting. I also enjoyed the press being a factor throughout the story. That always feels real life to me with the way they dig into personal lives of celebrities and athletes.

Despite the things I liked, there was just something missing for me. I almost wish the book was longer so we could have had more out of the climax and ultimately the resolution, as well. And gosh, I was rooting for a year or so flash forward epilogue. I really wanted to see where they all ended up.

Thank you to NetGally for the arc!

I loved the vibes and just how fun and swoony a read this was. The similarities to Red, White, and Royal Blue definitely shone through for me, and I adored the banter, humor, and sexual tension. While I do think that the main characters' written voice was similar at times, which is always the hardest thing about a dual POV story, I enjoyed the overall narrative voice and tone. I also appreciated that both Lucas and Oliver managed to share so many of the same goals, but still had well-developed, distinct backgrounds and motivations.

And while I questioned the fact that these top athletes would be out drinking alcohol and eating so poorly when the Games were mere days away, I do appreciate that fact that it made the story more exciting and there was at least some guilt about it on Lucas' part haha.

Lastly, I loved the Olympics and gymnastics as a backdrop to this romance. I was a gymnast when I was young, until I got too tall for the bars lol, and gymnastics has always been my favorite Olympic sport to watch!

Overall, if you're looking for a steamy, forced proximity, rivals-to-lovers story with a unique setting and some heart, then this book is for you!

I am dnfing the story 25% into it because I have too many problems with it:
- it's dual POV but they are indistinguishable from one another
- for being set during the Olympics, there are some obvious mistakes that really took me out of the story (changing your floor routine 2 weeks before the event???)
- the writing is pretty terrible. We get lots of information simply reported to us with little emotion, the characterization is all over the place

I was not having a good time reading this and looking at the other reviews, I don't feel my issues are getting resolved before the book ends so I'm cutting my losses now.

I could swear this was marketed as having demisexual rep but Lucas explicitly says he's not ace.