Is Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid the best hockey romance?
Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid is filthy on the page and still punches you in the heart, with enemies to lovers vibes and the hottest queer TV adaptation.
This book is steamy and sweet, funny and cute. It’s a great combo that will have you turning the pages, completely addicted and wanting to know what happens next. ~ Under the Covers
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
Game Changers #2
March 25, 2019
Read this if you want:
- rivals to lovers, secret hookups, bi panic on ice
- grumpy x golden retriever pro hockey captains
- queer sports romance with feelings
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What happens when your favorite sports romance leans into eight years of tension between two rival hockey captains who cannot keep their hands off each other in private? That is the deliciousness of Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid, a queer enemies to lovers story that is equal parts filthy, tender, and emotionally satisfying.
What is Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid about?
Two rival NHL captains keep losing their self control around each other, turning trash talk into years of secret hotel room hookups. As careers rise and media pressure tightens, casual hate sex turns into real feelings. The question is whether they can win at love without losing everything else.
Heated Rivalry Book Review
I started reading this series out of order (read book 3 back in January) and I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. I also loved the glimpse we got of the couple in this book so I knew I wanted to go back and read this. I promise I don’t make a habit out of reading out of order!
HEATED RIVALRY is even more perfect than the other book I read. There’s a sweetness the author managed to mix in with how steamy the relationship was between Shane and Ilya that was fascinating. These two are not friends, they’re enemies on the field and in the media, and fuck buddies in private. The chemistry is off the charts!
If you are a fan of sports romances you won’t want to miss this one. It reminded me a bit of HIM (Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy) but without the strong friendship bond. I loved how polar opposites Shane and Ilya are. They are both dealing with their own struggles and as they are still quite young, they are finding their place in their career and life in general. I certainly enjoyed how they complemented each other so well. One scene in particular stood out to me because of how special it was. Ilya needs to unload some emotional stuff and Shane asks him to tell him everything that bothers him in Russian, even though he can’t understand him. It really struck me in the feels!
This book is steamy and sweet, funny and cute. It’s a great combo that will have you turning the pages, completely addicted and wanting to know what happens next. I can’t wait to see what this author releases next!
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About the Heated Rivalry TV adaptation
If you finish Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid and immediately think this would be unreal on screen, first …same. And also, good news: the story is getting a full TV adaptation. Crave has developed a six episode Canadian sports romance series that follows Shane and Ilya’s eight year secret relationship as rival pro hockey stars. I am beyond excited for it.
The show is created by Jacob Tierney and stars Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov, with an emphasis on keeping the emotional beats, consent, and queer representation of the book intact. Early coverage is already calling out how intimate and character focused the series feels, instead of leaning on tragedy or joke side character energy.
The adaptation is set to premiere November 28, 2025 on Crave in Canada, with episodes also streaming on HBO Max in the U.S. and Australia and additional international platforms to follow. So if you want to read the source material before you watch, now is the time to pick up the book and meet Shane and Ilya on the page first.
About the Game Changers series by Rachel Reid
Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series follows different players around a fictional NHL, focusing on queer relationships, locker room dynamics, and the emotional mess behind all the on ice swagger. Each book works as a standalone romance, but reading several builds a richer sense of the league, friendships, and career arcs over time.
Final Thoughts
If you love sports romances that lean filthy on the page but still punch you right in the heart, Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid is an easy recommendation. Whether you are coming in from the Game Changers books or the TV adaptation, Shane and Ilya are the kind of messy rivals readers obsess over. Have you fallen for a sports romance couple this hard yet?
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