.png) First edition cover | |
| Author | Rachel Reid |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Game Changers |
| Genre | Gaysportsromance |
| Set in | 2008–2018 Canada, Russia and the U.S. |
| Publisher | Carina Press |
Publication date | March 25, 2019 (2019-03-25) |
| Publication place | Canada |
| Media type |
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| Pages | 371 |
| ISBN | 9781488051241 |
| Preceded by | Game Changer |
| Followed by | Tough Guy |
Heated Rivalry is a 2019gaysportsromance novel by Canadian authorRachel Reid. It follows a secret romantic relationship between rivalhockey starsShane Hollander andIlya Rozanov. The novel is the second in Reid'sGame Changers series of gay-themedice hockey romance novels. Atelevision series based on the novel was released in November 2025.
Rachel Reid'sGame Changer was published byCarina Press, anLGBTQ+ imprint ofHarlequin, in 2018. It was followed byHeated Rivalry (2019),Tough Guy (2020),Common Goal (2020),Role Model (2021),The Long Game (2022),[1] and the forthcomingUnrivaled (2026).[2] Reid, a hockey fan, said in 2023, "Game Changer came from a place of me being angry at hockey culture and how clearlyhomophobic it was and is, and all the other things that made me really ashamed to be a hockey fan. That whole series attacks theNHL and hockey culture quite a bit."[3] Writing the series, Reid questioned what would it mean to be acloseted player in a league with such ahomophobic culture. "I thought a lot about what it would feel like tocome out. And then I started thinking about the ripple effect—what would happen to the other players?"[4]
Reid drew inspiration from the real-life rivalry betweenSidney Crosby andAlexander Ovechkin for the book. In the novel's afterword, she creditedHBO'sreality television series24/7, which had followed the2011 NHL Winter Classic between Ovechkin'sWashington Capitals and Crosby'sPittsburgh Penguins.[5] She further citedJaromír Jágr,Teemu Selänne, andIlya Kovalchuk as inspirations for the character of Ilya Rozanov, andWayne Gretzky andPaul Kariya for the character of Shane Hollander.[6] Additionally, she creditedMikhail Sergachev as the biggest influence on Ilya's speech patterns.[7] However, she noted: "I never directly base my characters on any real people ... I was also inspired by other sports rivalries, by other fictional stories, and by my love of the enemies-to-lovers and forbidden romance tropes."[6]
Star hockey players drafted in the same year, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov play for rival hockey teams, the Montreal Voyageurs and the Boston Bears, and are often compared to one another. Canadian Shane is serious and introverted, and is known for his focus and discipline. Russian Ilya is a cocky party boy famed for both his talent and charisma. Shane has a close and supportive relationship with his parents, but Ilya's mother passed away when he was young, and he has a tense relationship with his family in Russia.
Shane and Ilya first meet as junior players, leading the teams of their respective nations. Duringthe NHL draft, they meet again by chance and begin to feel a mutual sense of rivalry and attraction. After filming a sponsor video together, they hook up in Shane's hotel room. Over the course of several years, Shane and Ilya continue to secretly meet for sexual encounters when their teams are in the same city. Both feel as though their relationship cannot go beyond casual sex, given their ongoing rivalry, and homophobia within their sport.
After a hookup, Ilya asks Shane to stay at his home and spend time with him. Shane realizes that Ilya feels romantically towards him, and is alarmed by his own realization that he himself would like more from their relationship. Shane has not yet come to terms with his attraction to men, and he fears that a relationship between himself and Ilya would conflict with their careers. While Ilya is bisexual and frequently engages in casual relationships with women, Shane recognizes that he is gay after briefly dating Rose Landry, a famous actress with whom he remains friends.
Shane and Ilya are assigned as teammates atan All-Star Game and reconcile, agreeing to be friends. Later that year, Ilya suddenly withdraws from a game, and Shane reaches out to him, learning that Ilya's abusive father has died after a long struggle withAlzheimer's disease. Both are forced to confront their deepening feelings for each other. Ilya contemplates ending their relationship, fearing that the romantic relationship they want is incompatible with their careers.
Shane invites Ilya to spend two weeks together at Shane's remote summer cottage inOntario, which would give them the privacy they need to spend time together. While Ilya is initially hesitant, he accepts after Scott Hunter, another famous NHL player, wins theStanley Cup and publicly announces his relationship with another man.[a] During their time together, Shane and Ilya confess their mutual love for each other and agree to start a romantic relationship. Ilya also reveals that his mother had severe depression and died by suicide. The two are accidentally discovered together by Shane's parents, who are surprised, but ultimately accept Shane's sexuality and his relationship with Ilya.
To make their relationship easier, Ilya signs a contract with the NHL team inOttawa. Ilya and Shane also plan to create a joint charity, a mental health organization named in honor of Ilya's mother, both to use their wealth for a cause that matters to them, and to provide a pretext for the end of their public rivalry. They agree to eventually announce their relationship to the public after they both retire from the NHL. In the meantime, they publicly announce their joint charity and friendship, to the surprise of the press.
Rachel Kurzius ofThe Washington Post praisedHeated Rivalry and credited it with getting her "hooked" on the gay hockey romance genre.[3][8]Rolling Stone Philippines called the novel "steamy" and a "prose masterpiece", noting that "There is nothing subtle about Reid’s style of writing".[9] In a review ofThe Long Game,Publishers Weekly wrote, “Reid's characters ... are all charming and sexy, and she mixes humor, hockey, and positive messaging with aplomb.”[10]
It took nearly a year after publication forHeated Rivalry to gain attention, which happened after romance novelist Cat Sebastian recommended the novel on social media; Reid called Sebastian's recommendation "a real turning point" in attracting readers.[4]The Sydney Morning Herald described theGame Changers series as "hugely popular".[11]Heated Rivalry had been a popular bestseller since its debut, but sales increased exponentially with the sudden popularity of the television series,[12][13] which also attracted a new readership toHeated Rivalry and the hockey romance subgenre.[14] Several of Reid's novels subsequently appeared on theNew York Times Best Seller list.[4] As of December 2025, Harlequin had sold more than 650,000 books in theGame Changers series.[4]
AfterMayor of New York CityZohran Mamdani encouraged citizens to stay home during theJanuary 2026 North American winter storm and revealed that those with aNew York Public Library card could access theHeated Rivalry e-book or audiobook for free, the book's downloads surged by 529%.[15]
Heated Rivalry is the second book in Reid'sGame Changers series. In 2022, she releasedThe Long Game, a sequel toHeated Rivalry and the sixth book in the series.[1] In that novel, Shane and Ilya have been secretly dating for ten years, but face challenges as Ilya wants to finally go public with their relationship.[10][16]The Long Game made theUSA Today Best Seller list in 2023.[4][17]
Unrivaled, the third Shane and Ilya novel, is scheduled for release on September 29, 2026.[18][19]
In addition to the novel sequels, Reid also shared a short story on her blog, "My Dinner with Hayden" (2019), which is set inMontreal in November 2018, before the epilogue ofHeated Rivalry. In the story, Shane and Ilya host Shane's teammate Hayden Pike and his wife Jackie for dinner, where an uncomfortable discussion about relationships leads Ilya to reflect on his relationship with Shane and reaffirm his feelings for him.[20]
The novel was adapted into theCrave television seriesHeated Rivalry, which debuted on November 28, 2025.[21] Created, written, and directed byJacob Tierney, it starsHudson Williams as Shane Hollander andConnor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov.[22] Season one also partially adapts Reid's 2018 novelGame Changer, which depicts closeted American hockey player Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) falling for barista Kip Grady (Robbie G.K.).[23] Season two will adaptThe Long Game, Reid's sequel toHeated Rivalry.[24][25]
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