Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid (Book 2 of the Game Changer Series) - Book Review

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

This book specifically is focused on one gay man and one bisexual man (MM)

Other genres: Romance, Sports, Sports Romance

Canada's Shane Hollander and Russia's Ilya Rozanov! 

Jane and Lilly, finally! Heated Rivalry is book number 2 in Rachel Reid's Game Changer Series. Gaining popularity, thanks to the Crave adaptation, the Game Changer Series has become an international phenomenon! 

Shane Hollander is the poster child for the league. He is an amazing player, and he is squeaky clean. Everything the league would want to showcase and more. The Captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, Shane, is at the top of his game - an amazing young talent, ready to make it big. 

Enter, Ilya Rozanov. He is the exact opposite of Shane. The Captain of the Boston Bears is the self-proclaimed king of the ice. His cockiness is backed by his talent. Since their junior years, the two have been rivals. 

Who is the best? The only person who can beat Ilya Rozanov is Shane Hollander, and it seems the opposite may also be true. But rivals aren't the only thing that Shane and Ilya have been since the rookie season. The two captains have a secret.

Drawn to each other by fate and freckles, Shane and Ilya struggle to find a balance between their emotional bond and the reality of being gay (or bi) hockey players. How long can they keep their hookups a secret?

The Review

I can't say anything bad about Heated Rivalry (partially because I think people with pitchforks would show up at my door), mostly because it's such a feel-good book. Two young kids, finding love and the joy of a first love, exploring each other, getting to know each other. It's all a little wonky for Shane and Ilya, but I think that adds to their relationship. Sometimes relationships are tough like that. Not getting much time together, working too hard, too late, too much, it puts strain on a relationship. But the boys understand it because they are alike in that regard, even though personality-wise they are so different.

For Shane, hockey was always something he was good at. I spiked his competitiveness, and he thrived. For Ilya, hockey was an escape, away from his dad, away from his brother, away from Russia. The tension behind that alone is hard to imagine, but then add in being gay and bisexual, and it's sad to think how much harder that made things for both of them. It's unfortunate that even in 2026, this type of narrative is still prominent. 

I think Rachel Reid does a great job of really capturing the hardships that Shane and Ilya go through both together and apart. It is a much different type of story than Kip and Scott, though we see Scott struggle a lot with the idea that his hockey career may be over if he comes out.

SPOILER ALERT

Unlike Scott and Kip, Ilya and Shane don't really get the "pretty-bow" happy ending. They come up with a plan. They do have some closure. They do have each other. But they still have to hide. Even with the press conference announcing the Irina Foundation and the hockey camps, they still don't get to be themselves. Or together. They still don't get the happily-ever-after they deserve. It's unfinished in that way, which is no doubt why they get two more books covering their story. (We also get glimpses of Ilya and Shane throughout the next few books as we wait for The Long Game. 

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

As with Game Changer, Heated Rivalry was also narrated by Tor Thom. Again, I didn't have a problem with the narration. Obviously, it wasn't the perfect accent for Ilya, but it wasn't that bad. I enjoyed that he actually attempted to make different voices for each character. While not perfect, it came across as different people from different backgrounds. And I think that's the best a voice actor/narrator can do. 

Because of the pushback, there are talks of the audiobooks recorded by Tor Thom being rerecorded. The most popular choice would be to have the actors (Hudson Williams and Connor Storie) read the book. While others would be happy just to have Cooper North (the person who took over narrating the series), rerecord them.

Rating and Recommendation

I love Ilya and Shane, I love Heated Rivalry. But I loved Game Changer more. To me, Scott and Kip's story had more "bones", more of a story. Ilya and Shane's story was more about sex. Which, don't get me wrong, I enjoy that part too. But, personally, I like a little more meat. Now that is just a personal preference. That doesn't take anything away from Heated Rivalry or the series as a whole. I have read all the other storylines, and I think that Shane and Ilya eventually become the best couple. I think it just takes some time because their story is unfinished. With that being said, I can't wait to start The Long Game and Unrivaled next year. 

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

Conclusion

If you enjoyed the TV show, or if you like Scott and Kip's story, or if you just enjoy two hot hockey players getting together on and off the ice. You will love Heated Rivalry. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry. It will make you hate the world and yet love how beautiful it can be. Ilya and Shane's story is hot and heavy, whereas Scott and Kip's was more romance-based. Both are great dynamics and wonderful in their own way. It just depends on what you're in the mood for. So keep that in mind if you are coming to Heated Rivalry after Game Changer.

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. 

Homophobia in Hockey

Heated Rivalry and Rachel Reid's description and depiction of the trials and tribulations that Shane and Ilya have to go through are very eye-opening. I think we (straight people) don't necessarily think about certain implications of being "different" or how that may affect a person. If you don't have a problem with gay people, I think it's easy to overlook certain things. My initial reaction to both Heated Rivalry and Game Changer was, "So what? Come out... who cares?" But the reality is a lot of people do. A lot of people don't want to hear about their idols being anything less than the "epitome of masculinity".  (Note, I am using quotes because I don't think anyone is less masculine or feminine for being gay.) Which is unfortunate. I think the best thing we could ask for and want for our idols is to be happy, a good person, a good player, and a good teammate.

"If you can play, you can play." That was the slogan for "You Can Play" a campaign started by Patrick Burke (an NHL scout and son of Brian Burke), Brian Kitts and Glen Witman, in March of 2012. 

The inspiration for the campaign, now turned organisation, was Brendan Burke, Patrick's brother. Brendan was the closest relation to someone in the NHL coming out as gay. He played hockey for Miami University and found the strength to come out to his teammates as gay. He was one of the first players in the hockey world to do so. Brendan Burke passed away at the age of 21 from a tragic car accident. But his legacy still lives on in his brother's and father's dedication to eliminating homophobia in sports. 

For more information about You Can Play, its founding, and its partnership with the National Hockey League, visit their website youcanplay.org.

You can find Heated Rivalry in its respective mediums below: 

You can find Heated Rivalry (2025, directed by Jacob Tierney), Season 1, on Crave (CAN) or HBO Max (USA).  You can watch the trailer below via Crave's YouTube Channel. 

* 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). 
* Links in this blog may be generated through the Amazon Associates Program. By using this link, I may make a small profit (at no cost to you) from your purchase.