Game Changer by Rachel Reid (Book 1 of the Game Changer Series) Review

This book (and entire series) is LGBTQIA+ themed. 

This book specifically is focused on two gay men (MM)

Other genres: Romance, Sports, Sports Romance

Before there was Heated Rivalry, there was Game Changer! 

In case you have been living under a rock the last few months, let me introduce you to the Game Changer Series by Rachel Reid. Gaining popularity, thanks to the Crave adaptation, the Game Changer Series has become an international phenomenon! But before Ilya and Shane, there was Kip and Scott. 

Kip Grady is casually going about his life, working as a barista at Straw and Berry, while living at home to help pay his way through grad school. Little did he know his life was about to change. 

Scott Hunter is the captain of the New York Admirals. And like any professional hockey player, Scott is going through a slump. Frustrated with how the season is going, Scott is ready to try anything to get back to his winning ways. One day, while out running, he stopped in a little smoothie shop. 

Blue Moon over Brooklyn, extra banana. That is Kip Grady's professional recommendation. And wouldn't you know it, Scott Hunter is a blueberry and banana fan. That night, Scott scored a hat-trick (3 goals), and the tradition began. Professional athletes are strange like that, keeping routines alive so as not to break the lucky streak. And with that in mind, Scott starts to frequently visit Kip at work to get his special smoothies. 

Known as one of New York's most eligible bachelors, pro hockey star Scott Hunter has a secret. Something that might derail his career entirely. He couldn't actually be seen with another man, could he? He had people who depended on him, but how much longer can he keep his love life a secret?

The Review

I must admit, I only started reading this series because of the Crave/HBO Max series Heated Rivalry. But I fell in love. I loved the slow burn that "Skip" (Scott + KIP) provided; there was a lot more romance and "meat" to the story. I enjoyed getting to know Kip, meeting his friends, and his family. It is such a sharp contrast to Scott, who is alone in life; he lost his parents young, and he doesn't really seem to have time for friends, though he does have teammates that he considers friends. He lives in a large penthouse and doesn't worry about money. The only thing Scott cares about is the New York Admirals, carrying his teammates to "the cup" and keeping his squeaky clean image. Kip, on the other hand, has long since come to terms with who he is, and everyone in his life supports him.

I think that's what I love about their story. Kip sees Scott as a pro-hockey player; he has money, he's handsome, has all kinds of things going for him. While Scott looks at Kip and sees everything he wants to be, free. Their relationship is hard to navigate, and it's heartbreaking to see how torn Scott becomes between his professional life and his personal life. 

SPOILER ALERT

Ultimately, Scott and Kip get their happily ever after in a very public way. And as a hockey girl, it made me screetch in delight. Every "tomboy" hockey girl has dreamed about the sexy hockey player making the grand gesture on the ice for them. For me, it was a certain Ottawa Senator, down on one knee with a dozen red roses and a wedding ring. Just me? Okay. . . Anyway, it is a wonderful ending to their story and a great start to the Game Changer series. 

I listened to this book through my local library (via Libby). 

The audiobook of Game Changer was narrated by Tor Thom. The first time I listened to the book, I didn't have a problem with the narration. In fact, I loved that Tor Thom did all kinds of different voices for each character. This really brought the characters to life in my opinion. Now that the TV series has come out, a lot of people seem to dislike Tor Thom's interpretation of Kip Grady. I must admit I understand. In the audiobook, Kip sounds very tough, like a hard New Yorker (with an accent), and a little barbaric in ways. That is definitely not what was portrayed in the TV series. While I do recognise that Kip Grady should probably have a New York accent, now that I know more about Kip, the accent used by Tor Thom definitely didn't suit the character. 

Tor Thom narrated Heated Rivalry (Book 2), as well as Tough Guy (Book 3), before being replaced. Many fans are now calling for the books to be rerecorded either by Cooper North (the person who took over narrating the series) or by the actors from the TV series. 

I don't care one way or another for a rerecord, but it is hard to deny that hearing Francois Arnaud (Scott Hunter) and Robbie G.K. (Kip Grady) reading their story would be amazing. 

Rating and Recommendation

I originally gave this book four stars, but that's because I had heard such great things about Heated Rivalry (Ilya and Shane's story). Now that I have listened to the whole series, I have changed my mind. Game Changer, for me, is a five-star book. I love the back and forth, the slow burn, the yearning for each other. I love that they have a love story, one that can make anyone (even a 30-something-year-old straight woman) want to fall in love like that. 

This is going to be an unpopular opinion, but I like Scott and Kip's story the best out of the original series. (By original series, I mean all the books before The Long Game. I consider this a sequel to Heated Rivalry, and naturally, now that I have fallen in love with Ilya and Shane, I can't be unbiased when reading any story involving them.)

After listening to this book, I bought it (and the whole series) from Indigo online. I also pre-ordered the next book in the series. 

Conclusion

If you are a fan of sports romance novels, of hockey, or just a fan of MM stories, you will love the Game Changer Series. Keep in mind, there are a lot of sexual scenes that are very detailed. If you offend easily or are under the age of majority, a different series may be better suited for you. 

You can find Game Changer in its respective mediums below: 

You can find Heated Rivalry (2025, directed by Jacob Tierney), Season 1, on Crave (CAN) or HBO Max (USA). 

* Book cover image retrieved from GoodReads. All rights belong to the author and/or publisher. 
* All the "stickers" in this blog were provided by Bookish (presented by NetGalley). 
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