Shane lives and breathes hockey. It’s all he’s ever wanted until he meets Ilya. The egotistical, self satisfied, glorious Russian bad boy, captain of a rival team. Their story encompasses several years and is full of hockey players behaving badly.... or nicely, depending on your point of view.

The book is broke up into encounters Shane and Ilya have over a period of years starting at the beginnings of their hockey careers. The progression of their relationship is shown in small snippets of time when they happen to be in the same place. I enjoyed them falling in love. The doubts, paranoia, and stress that it brought them, deepened their feelings rather than pushing them apart.

I don’t understand hockey at all but hey, Ilya is a Russian, And I apparently find them very hot. This wasn’t an overly dramatic story. A few bits of angst but overall it was very enjoyable.

Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads

So well done and such a fun read. Sexy and well written characters, would recommend to all my friends. I loved this!

Absolutely loved it. Great dynamic between both main characters and realising conflict and resolution

I’ve reread Heated Rivalry several times and yet, I have been staring at the empty site trying to figure out how to write at least something resembling a proper review.

I love this book so much. The love-hate relationship between Shane and Ilya, the competitiveness, the jokes… Ilya is just an amazing character (and is also a Russian character not named Mikhail, as so many of them are). He is snarky, sometimes annoying, but inside he’s often just a giant marshmallow that cannot admit that.

Reading about him dealing with his family, their “expectations” and asking for money all the time? Several of his internal monologues just melted my heart and just… I just wanted to hug him for half of the story. Sometimes wrap him in a blanket. And yeah, maybe lightly punch some other times 😀

And Shane is SUCH a contrast to Ilya. The all around goody-two-shoes, the “boring” one. I loved their rivalry so so much and Shane was sometimes so vulnerable. Both when it came to sex and his insecurity for a while, and emotions.

These two guys really needed to be locked in a room, pushed together and told TO TALK ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS because they really really needed that communication. Thank god for the cottage part and Shane’s parents I guess?

I have so so many quotes marked and it was so funny and heart warming and melting and I could just flail about the book for several paragraphs but I just love it so much and I just want more Ilya and Shane because their dynamic is just amazing.

I also loved the fact that while they realised they were in love (and their rivalry made it hard to be public with it), they didn’t come out. Ilya went out in a gay bar with Scott Hunter in previous books, but neither Shane nor Ilya come out publicly with announcements or anything. They just announce their friendship and that’s that.

Also some parts with Shane’s mother were so hilarious but I don’t want to spoil that part (in case anyone hasn’t read the book yet 😀 ) ❤

The book has a great reputation about being awesome and it is totally deserved! ❤

This one was rough but I still liked it a lot. I had a hard time with how long it takes to get to present time... This book really starts at the beginning of their relationship, such as it was. Ilya and Shane meet when they're very young and first getting big in hockey, before they get signed to a team. I think they were teenagers. So this story takes a long time to get to where I've seen them in later books, because yes I read them all out of order.

But getting to see how they started and how much work it took to get them to where we know they are now? Even tho it takes a long time, it was still rewarding. I actually appreciate their relationship more than any of the other characters because of the fight they had. And if you've read these books, you know that they're not even where they want to be yet. Close... but not quite there.

It's a good story that pissed me off so many times but in the end was a really good HFN. Waiting for the follow up book they get will be torture.

Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov have been hockey rivals since they were at the World Junior Hockey Championships at age 17. Then, Ilya led the Russian team to defeat Shane’s Canadian team. The next year, they entered the draft and Shane was picked ahead of Ilya—by bitter rival teams in the same division. As both were vying for Rookie of the Year, the media built up their extreme competitiveness to an on-ice/off-ice hate fest.

But, behind the scenes, Ilya, the closeted bisexual bad-boy he is, begins to press buttons that turn boy-next-door Shane way the heck on. Shane knows he is gay, but he also knows he can’t do anything about it and be a pro hockey player. He only ever messed around with one boy—another who had just as much to lose. And Ilya is a jerk. Really. He plays mind games on Shane, because Ilya likes the danger of turning on and turning out Canada’s hockey hero.

Heated Rivalry is far different from the first book in the Game Changers series. It’s told in vignettes spanning about 8 years. Ilya’s jerk persona isn’t attractive to Shane, but his commanding nature is. His brand of sexy-shaming-loving gets Shane so hot, and it’s impossible to turn Ilya away. Because they do not live near one another, their hook ups occur when their teams play, or when they are in Vegas together for the annual NHL awards, or at the All-Star game festivities. What starts as a bit of hate-love with mind games and shame grows over the years. It matures as Shane and Ilya mature. At first they don’t immediately depart an anonymous hotel room the second their need is sated. They cuddle and chat. They prepare snacks to share and sustain them. They begin to text one another, for no reason but to stay connected. Ilya inexplicably reveals the tensions of his Russian family, and the impossibility of returning there when he’s done with hockey. Shane calls to comfort Ilya when tragedy strikes. These steps toward domesticity are emotional landmines that drive Ilya and Shane closer, instead of apart. I loved every moment watching their love grow and develop.

Their trysts were happening maybe two or three times a year, and after the growth of a friendship between them, they recognize that this is no longer satisfying. Ilya stops seeking out other partners, Shane hardly ever sought any. Were they crazy, thinking they could make something permanent work? No…what was crazy was watching fellow player Scott Hunter kiss his boyfriend on the ice after winning the Stanley Cup. An out hockey player who wasn’t shunned? Was rather celebrated and beloved? Ilya is in shock. He needs to see this for himself first hand. And, he suddenly can’t imagine returning to the half-life of his Boston penthouse while his love, Shane, lives in Montreal and summers in seclusion in Ottawa.

This is almost two books in one. There’s the hot sex that changes both Shane and Ilya’s youthful outlooks, and then there’s the slow growth of an adult love story that changes their lives for the better. This isn’t a coming out book, though. Shane and Ilya have very important reasons for staying closeted, even after other players come out. Their “rivalry” has earned them a lot of money, and yet they mature enough to morph it into something else—something they can control. They become strategic partners in crafting their relationship so that they can be together without revealing all of their truths at once. While I’m a fan of true love winning out over all obstacles, I wasn’t disappointed in the end. Ilya and Shane are very happy lovers and boyfriends. They have a deeply committed relationship that is witnessed and applauded by their inner circle. Shifts in teams and priorities have brought them close enough to be able to have some semblance of a regular life together—for pro athletes on different teams who travel ten months of the year. Ilya hints they may come out—long before retirement. Without a doubt, this felt like a happy ending.

This is one of the sexiest, most engrossing enemies-to-lovers books I have ever read. It is gorgeously written, extremely slow burn (only in that the MCs don't fall in love for quite a while; believe me, they're keeping occupied in other ways with each other), and just a beautiful testament to finding love where it is least expected. All the stars to Heated Rivalry!

Ilya and Shane’s romance was years in the making. Neither wanting to admit the other half of their soul made their fierce competition alive for so many years.

Russian Ilya Rozanov and Canadian Shane Hollander are star hockey players who meet the first time as teenagers at the Junior World Championships. They are both team captains, and Shane’s disappointed his team loses to the cocky Russian. And, he’s not best pleased to go second behind Ilya in the NHL draft a couple of years later. They play for rival teams, but Shane has more endorsements and acclaim due to his boy-next-door looks and charming personality. Ilya thrives on conflict, and he’s got a penchant for low and dirty cutdowns.

Over these years, Ilya and Shane come into closer and closer contact, and there’s a current of attraction that they do not understand, but they do not resist either; Ilya is bisexual and Shane is gay–both are closeted. And, when they come together it’s incendiary. And confusing. Ilya tends to like dominance games, and Shane’s deep need to release tension favors a submissive role in the bedroom.

Their on-ice rivalry leads to explosive sexytimes–but over the years they begin to talk more than simply hook up, and Ilya and Shane develop a secret camaraderie that they cannot reveal–so many of their teams’ promotional activities center on their intense rivalry and competitiveness. Even if Ilya and Shane wanted to come out, they don’t feel they are able to do so and begin a public relationship with one another. Not yet, but they are making plans that will enable them to have a private life and share their growing deep love for one another without making headlines.

This was a really interesting and surprisingly tender love story for two very different men. Ilya suffers the scars of losing his beloved mother to depression/suicide, and growing up without affection from his dysfunctional family. Shane has bee well-loved by his parents, who might understand his sexuality, but he doesn’t want it to define him–or the direction of his career. There are glimmers of the first book, especially the scene where their fellow hockey player comes out to applause, which puts a new perspective on how they could live their own lives. I liked how that dove-tailed and enabled these guys to make choices that would support, versus alienate, them. It’s probably the most fraught of the three books in this series, but ends on a hopeful note.

Heated Rivalry (Game Changers #2) by Rachel Reid
Publisher: Carina Press
Heat: 4 stars
Rating: 4 stars


This novel focuses on Shane’s and Ilya’s story and so well worth reading. I loved their dynamic interactions where they go head to head against each other. Their story drew me in from the start and I liked how it was so clear if it was present or past. We get to follow these two over the years and how they deal with the threat of being outed to the whole world.
There’s angst but also love and care. It starts as something physical but even before they realized feelings were changing into love, I could feel how they started caring for each other while simultaneously thinking it was time to stop. Very well written by the author.

These two men comes from very different backgrounds. Shane is laid-back, social, and confident while Ilya is arrogant and cocky. Their rivalry was amped up by the media before they even met in person. Sparks started flying and soon they can’t get enough of each other, although they tell themselves they should stop, their chemistry is too strong. It’s like an addiction.

As they are pro-hockey players, there’s a risk not only because of them being gay but also there’s an added problem- since they have been on opposing teams and painted out as die hard rivals- and the ending is dealing with this well although I did feel as if the focus changed from being gay as the main problem to them being rivals as the main problem in the ending. I also felt as if the book was a little long in the middle but at the same time I enjoyed reading about their interactions a lot hence I didn’t really care that much.

This is definitely a hockey love story I recommend for fun reading.

The Queer's Review

I’ve already read it twice.

So obviously enjoy Heated Rivalry a great deal. And that even though I’m not a fan of stories jumping between the past and the present, but it somehow works with Shane and Ilya’s story.

Although to be honest… I didn’t really had a chance, did I? Grumpy, Russian Ice Hockey player with an unhappy childhood… Seems like I’ve got a thing for these characters.

Enemies to lovers is so often done rather quickly and I’m left wondering where the actual being-enemies-part went. I’m not wondering about this here. Instead I had to fight the urge to take their heads and knock them together a little bit. Maybe more than once, because those two are blind idiots. Loveable blind idiots, but still.

The worst – so the best – part is the fucking tension. I mean, I knew what would happen because I was rereading it but I still felt the “oh god what will happen” and “are they going to” tension.

Maybe that isn’t the best part. Maybe the best part is how fun it is to read about them playfully interacting with each other. Or how awkward they can be. Or a certain Ice Hockey crazy mum. Who knows?

Bookish Thoughts

Time to schedule my next reread but first I’ve got my eye on book 3.

OMG! I love Rachel Reid's Heated Rivalry. Hockey romances are always so much fun, and this one is perfectly delicious. The second book in the Game Changers series, it's easily read as a standalone.

Shane and Ilya are two hockey players who start hooking up. It's fun watching them go from hook-ups to falling in love. As NHL stars, there are many complications, as the press loves to pit them against one another, they're both closeted, and how could they ever make a real relationship work?

The writing is wonderful, the development is perfectly paced, and the storyline is downright enjoyable. I love these two guys. The heat between them is scorching and the relationship that slowly develops is riveting.


My fav moment is the phone call in Russian. That's all I'll say. You'll have to read to understand. But trust me, it's a beautiful, sweet, and tender moment.

Damn, this story is hot and these men are so amazing together. Seriously, if you like Hockey romances, you need to read Heated Rivalry!

Heated Rivalry surprised me. I went in expecting a sports romance with rivals to lovers – that’s the story, but it’s also so much more. For one, it spans over years, from Shane and Ilya meeting in the beginning of their respective NHL careers to present day. It’s captivating to follow their careers and relationships and to see them grow from young lads to adults in highly competitive and public platform.

What a chemistry they have! Rivals or lovers, Shane and Ilya are sizzling. Not only that, it’s easy to fall for each of them. Shane’s actually pretty shy and enjoys spending his time away from the spotlight. He’s talented on ice and has dedicated his life for hockey. He’s adorable cinnamon roll, alright, and so easy to root for. Ilya’s almost Shane’s opposite as he’s arrogant, smug and entertaining. He’s also complex and feels deeply and I just loved him. They’re great together and separately, and Reid certainly wields some sort of magic to pull all of that together. My only complain is that there could have been more hockey – or more specifically, more games played on page.

Ilya has an accent and especially after he gets drafted to NHL, he doesn’t speak English fluently. I loved how Reid included that and how it was easy to see Ilya get more fluent but still have that speech pattern that a native wouldn’t have. I haven’t seen a lot of books do this (unless it has been the bad guys who don’t speak English fluently) and it was great. I’m not a native English speaker and I was pretty fluent when I moved abroad, but I could still relate to Ilya’s struggles at times to find the right word. It made it much more realistic than just saying that Ilya had an accent.

Shortly, I truly enjoyed Heated Rivalry. It has all the elements of rivals to lovers I love, there’s hockey which is one of the only sports I somewhat follow. Incredible character chemistry and epic romance; I highly recommend this to everyone who wants a great rivals to lovers and brilliant storyline. Now, I just need a sequel because I need to know what happens next to Shane and Ilya.

I loved this second book in the series. Ilya Rozanov could be completely arrogant, but hiding underneath was so much more substance that we got to see come out as his relationship with with Shane, his on the ice rival, developed over the years. I loved seeing how the relationship grew into something neither of them wanted or expected and how hard it was for each of them to get their heads around what it was they truly wanted. I couldn't put this down once I started. There are plenty of hot sex scenes, but plenty of substance to the story too. I loved how Scott and Kip from book one played a part in their realisations about where they might go. I hope Rachel Reid continues this series.

Rising hockey stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov really do begin as enemies from the get-go. It's not simply that they're competing for the same prize - they just can't stand each other.

Ilya's a total douchenozzle, while Shane's has the golden-boy holier-than-thou vibe going. They're just too different to ever be friends.

Yet the sizzling tension is undeniable. They make each other's blood boil, but also want to screw like bunnies.

And so begins a secret dance over the years. On the ice and in public, Shane and Ilya fight to come out on top. But whenever they're in the same city, behind closed doors, the two men channel that rivalry in another direction.

Though this is definitely a sex-forward relationship, the romance is equally significant. It takes Ilya and Shane years to admit it even to themselves, but it makes complete sense.

It's not just that they're mega-stars who have everything to lose in the homophobic world of sports. They're also just boys when they first meet, and have a lot of growing up to do.

I think that's what I loved most about this book - seeing Shane and Ilya grow into men over the years. And seeing how their relationship changes, and grows in small doses, because of that for the better.

It's not easy, and the heartache is real, but once they can finally love each other and admit it, it's so precious.

Because despite the rivalry, the years, and their situation, Ilya and Shane are truly the only people who fully get each other.

The ending might not be all sunshine and roses, but I'd say it's the perfect beginning of their happy ever after.

Oh Shane and Ilya… I really liked Game Changer, the first book in this series, but I adored Heated Rivalry… for oh, so many reasons. *Sigh*

If you read Game Changer, (which you don’t really have to read to enjoy Heated Rivalry, but why skip a book in a series? 😉 ) you probably picked up on the fact at the end of the book that there was something up with Ilya. Him being nice and seemingly supportive toward Scott and Kip was a dead give-away. “Supportive” and “nice” were not words that anyone would associate with the Russian hockey player. So… finding out that the next book in the series was going to feature him wasn’t a huge surprise. Even so, it didn’t come close to preparing me for Shane and Ilya’s story.

I really liked the way this story was told. It started in the present, but it slipped back and forth between the past and present. It wasn’t hard to keep up with though, mainly because the story grew as Shane and Ilya grew. Some people see this as an enemy to lovers story and I guess I can see that, but I see it as more of a… well not really a friends to lovers story, but more. They were attracted to each other from the time they were teens just starting out in the leagues. They also both already had reputations. Their “enemy” rivalry was only on the ice. No one knew about their relationship and no one ever could. The more that Shane got to know Ilya though, the more he realized that he wasn’t quite as cocky and unfeeling as he seemed. There was a history there, because Shane knew Ilya was just a little bit broken and he wanted to be the one to fix it.

These two broke my heart more than once, but their story was also full of hope. I love watching a couple grow closer, even when they don’t really mean to. Their relationship wasn’t easy because of the secrecy, but in some ways it grew stronger because of it. Oh, and the supporting characters were amazing, even when they were clueless… until they weren’t 😉 There wasn’t a huge reveal like there was between Scott and Kip, but when there is, I really hope that Rachel Reid gives readers a front row seat. I have a feeling that with these two, that moment will be priceless. ❤

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5Nothing interferes with Shane Hollander’s game—definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate.Pro hockey star Shane Hollander isn’t just crazy talented, he’s got a spotless reputation. Hockey is his life. Now that he’s captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won’t let anything jeopardize that, especially the sexy Russian whose hard body keeps him awake at night.Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane’s not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he’s as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him—except Shane. They’ve made a career on their legendary rivalry, but when the skates come off, the heat between them is undeniable. When Ilya realizes he wants more than a few secret hookups, he knows he must walk away. The risk is too great.As their attraction intensifies, they struggle to keep their relationship out of the public eye. If the truth comes out, it could ruin them both. But when their need for each other rivals their ambition on the ice, secrecy is no longer an option…One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!As a fan of both hockey and hockey fiction, I'm always on the lookout for more contemporary romances with hockey and gay hockey players at the center of the action.  So I was delighted to come across this new release from Carina Press.  It represents both a new author and a new series for me.  And since I ended up loving both the story and this couple, it will send me running to pickup the first story in the series.To be honest, I wasn't sure at first how I felt about the format the author uses in Heated Rivalry (Game Changers #2) by Rachel Reid.  Told from both points of view of the main characters, we start the novel when they are teenagers vying for status and an award.  It is their first meeting and the beginning of their personal hockey competition and interaction.  From then on the story starts jumping forward as they meet in different cities in various time intervals, the competition and heated rivalry flaring hotter and hotter. Each time frame advancing both the personal competition between them as the best hockey players currently coming up in the game, and something more.  A physical closeted relationship that's still somewhat impersonal....until it starts to be something more.As I said I started out unsure about this flash forward framework because it didn't allow the reader to see any development of a relationship between the men.  Until I realized that was the point.  There wasn't one.  Only the one we saw on ice.  But midway, those jumps in time slowed and a relationship between the men started to develop beyond the competition and mere physicalilty they had allowed themselves.  And we as readers relished it all the more for the lack of intimacy that had gone before.Due to this format, we need the 2 pov narrative to fill us in on the men, their background and the drama that is happening around them and to them in some cases.    These characters are well developed and if they seem a tad familiar to those that follow hockey there is a reason for it.  If you read the Afterword by the author, you will know that Reid was a fan of the HBO hockey series about  Penguins/Capitals rivalry, specially the one between "good boy" Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and  "bad boy" Russian Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. As a Caps fan, I can tell you it's a hard fast competition that continues today between "The Kid" and "Ovi" .  And it sparked the inspiration for this romance and story.The slow to develop emotional intimacy is what we crave here because what they already have is an intense physical one.  So the payoff for the men at the end is a realistic one.    It's not a HEA but an authentic HFN which I thoroughly appreciated.  It's what they had worked for, were still working for, and, cleared eyed as to how the NHL is run, homophobia included, make plans that we as readers not only get behind but quietly cheer for.  And hope to see this couple pop up in future stories.I really enjoyed this tale.  The author has a feel for hockey action on the rink, a well developed storyline, great characters and a ending I believed in.  Love it.  And now to go back and check on the first book in the series.This is definitely a standalone novel as far as I can tell.  One that I recommend, especially if you are a fan of hockey and hockey romances like me.Cover art by Carina Press.  Ok not a fan of this cover.  Could be for any romance, nothing really distinguishes it as a hockey novel.

I've been stalling on writing this review because I'm not sure I can say anything other than good GOD, the hotness! I devoured this book in one sitting and then went back to it over the next few days to read and reread my favorite parts. It's got everything: enemies to lovers, super secret sexy times (my fave), some angst, some drama, men getting over themselves and realizing their true feelings, and a on-its-way-to-happiness ending! Seriously, if you like M/M romances, do yourself a favor and check this one out. Two hockey sticks way, way up! 🏒🏒

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.

Heated Rivalry is the second book in the Game Changers series, the first being Game Changer. I really loved Game Changer so I was excited to check out Heated Rivalry. This book covers a range of years, but it overlaps with the first book (though the characters in Game Changer are just mentioned, not actually “shown”). For this review, I thought I’d do a bit of a pro and con list!

Pros–

Ice hockey, which I love to read about
Shane and Ilya – I really was rooting for them
Shane’s parents – they are always there for him and super supportive
Shane’s best friend – he’s on Shane’s hockey team and he’s just really funny!
The emotion- I really enjoyed getting to know more about these respective men; Ilya’s background is especially heartbreaking
Cons–

Shane and Ilya carry on a secret tryst for years – so I kind of missed more of them just hanging out and being together. You get some at the end, but not as much throughout
The end was a bit bittersweet. I wouldn’t say it’s a big con, as it’s realistic, but it’s still vastly different from Game Changer
All in all, I did enjoy this one! I’m curious if there will be a third book in the series. I’m not sure who it would focus on though – as Ilya was a character mentioned in Game Changer, and I can’t think of anyone in Heated Rivalry who might have their story told.

Let me start by saying that I absolutely loved Shane and Ilya. They are complete opposites, which I love, and the rivalries to lovers angle is a great premise for a sports romance. They also have this magnetism between them, at least on the sexual attraction side of things, and they can't seem to get enough of each other. That said, I didn't really get a romantic feeling from either of them until the last thirty percent or so of the book, and it's kind of lengthy given the lack of said romance. What we do get plenty of is sex of mostly the hot, angry variety. Now, that in itself can go either way, at least for me. There's no denying how hot these two are together, but after so many intimate scenes, most things have been done and done again, and it feels more like erotica than the romance I was hoping for. In fact, I started skimming those parts after a while, hoping to eventually get to some feels. Then, after all that, the ending was rushed and not at all how I had hoped for these two. Rest assured, it's not a bad ending, just not what I was hoping for after this seven year non-relationship finally started getting somewhere. This is the second book in the Game Changers series, and both have left me with mixed feelings, so I'm still debating whether or not I'll devote any reading time to future books in the series. As for this one, I guess it comes down to my personal preferences in romance. I loved the characters, and I really wanted so much more for them.