Absolutely wonderful and so hot!

I thought Game Changer, Rachel Reid's first published book, was fantastic and I wasn't sure how she'd be able to top it with her next book. Well, top it she sure did! Heated Rivalry is every bit as fantastic, and maybe just a bit more, than Game Changer. Both books are about hockey, and both books are kind of about coming out. But Heated Rivalry is so much more. It's a great enemies to lovers story.

Heated Rivalry totally stands alone but characters from Game Changer do make brief appearances. It actually took me a little while to figure out that a lot of things that happen in Heated Rivalry are on a parallel timeline to Game Changer.

This book spans 9 years or so, beginning in late 2008. It's a captivating story about two hockey players who are supposed to hate each other—and sometimes they do—but they also can't fight the attraction they feel to each other. I enjoyed following Ilya and Shane's relationship over this vast span of time.

Like Game Changer, Heated Rivalry hit me in all the feels. As the story went along, I kept waiting for their relationship to be found out (this was kind of expected because secret relationships almost always get exposed) but it sure didn't happen how I thought it might, but it was perfect the way it all went down.

I do wish that the epilogue had given us more of Ilya and Shane's relationship another year or so down the road. There's no cliffhanger but I'm just one of those readers who always wants more from a book that I love. I searched around on the 'net and found out that more books are coming in this series and that we haven't heard the last of these two guys (hint: check out the author's Goodreads page and the "Ask the Author" questions she has answered).

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book and I purchased a copy because it was just that good.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com on 4/17/19***

This story just gave me all wonderful feelings in my heart that I love in angst filled books.
Two players are vying to the number pick in the NHL draft: A Canadian hockey player named Shane Hollander and a Russian player named Ilya Romanov. Their rivalry in this book would reach epic proportions but all along both players struggled with their public personas and their private persona. The hockey world has their expectations and it clearly didn’t include two rivals being gay and in a relationship together. Shane and Ilya were so different but they just fit. I’m surprised that they were able to sneak around for so long.
What a brutal world where people have to go to such lengths to be with their person they truly want to be with. It was satisfying to get to the end and LOVE a little more publicly.

What I loved about this story was that it was very “man”. The ability to compartmentalize and not truly communicate about feelings for years. They don’t discuss anything. But actions spoke louder than words between them. Society puts sports players in a box. And they kept themselves in the closet. I am glad they managed to take a chance with each other.

-Friends to lovers
-Frenemies
-Secret hook-ups
-Sports romance
-Sports rivals
-Some angst
-Hot sex scenes
-And an ending that was believable but still felt like a HEA

I loved this, my favorite of the series. Rachel Reid is on my radar and becoming an auto-read.

4.5 Stars

What IS it about big, burly gay hockeymen that just GETS me? If you love a good opposites attract, enemies to lovers romance, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!

Do you like good guys? Shane Hollander is your man. He's a clean-cut wholesome Canadian boy whose parents come to all his games. He gives all the right answers during interviews, and is basically the NHL's golden boy.

Got a thing for bad boys? (I sure do!) Ilya Rozanov is a Russian playboy with a chip the size of a Canadian center forward on his shoulder. OMG, ILYA. He is such a badass, but also somehow super adorable at the same time, and I just love him. Especially his sexy Russian accent. *swoon*

The back cover blurb really doesn't do this book justice. It's not just Ilya who realizes that their hate-sex hookups are turning into something more - instead both men try to resist an undeniable attraction to one another as well as they can - for YEARS. YEARS, guys. And this enemies to lovers progression doesn't wait until they're feeling more friendly and loving before things start getting hot off the ice. Oh, no - there is PLENTY of hate sex in this book, and it's glorious. There is serious tension there from the moment they meet, and they're both used to being the absolute best in their field and have both finally met their match.

Heated Rivalry is written in the past tense third person limited POV, and switches between following Ilya and Shane. Some of my favorite scenes are when they're not even together, but one is catching a spotlight of the other on the news or in a hockey game on TV and thinking about him. It's just so swoony, and you can truly see the deeper feelings developing for both men. The progression of their relationship, both as lovers and as friends, is just so wonderful. Also, the sex scenes are SUPER hot.

This is the second book in the Game Changers series, but can be read as a stand alone with no spoilers for the first book in the series. That being said, I am TOTALLY going back to read book 1, Game Changer. There's an excerpt of the opening chapter in the back of Heated Rivalry and I made this mistake of reading it, then had to go one-click Game Changer to finish it, haha!

Gawd this was so good! I really didn’t want this story to end, I love Shane and Ilya, they are just so amazing together! I usually don’t like going back in time in books, but it was nice to see the beginning of their relationship and the growth they both went through to get where they were both happy. I honestly could read another book with them, happily together in the future. These boys both deserved to get a happy ending and I do believe they are going to get to spend the rest of their lives together.

HOLY SMOKES YA’LL! I ate this book up in one sitting! That’s how much I liked this book.
Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov have always been pitted against each other, from when they met in juniors and into their professional careers. What no one knows is how wrong the rest of hockey world is. They’ve been seeing each other secretly since their draft. My favorite part of this book? We get the entire journey! Seriously, from the first time they hooked up and all the way through the current season and them acknowledging that perhaps there is more to their love/hate relationship.
There had always been a boundary that Shane refused to let Ilya cross, entrance into his bedroom. They would always end up everywhere else but in Shane’s bed. Once that changed, I knew it was going to be amazing. I was not let down. At all.
There was something about how cocky Ilya was and how down to earth Shane was that just worked well together. They balanced each other out while at the same time they pushed each other to be more. They did not let their romance get in the way of how they played on ice. I feel like it made them play harder, to prove who was the better hockey player.
Now, there is a lot of sex in this book. Normally that’s not my thing. But for this, it worked. As their relationship grew, how they were with each other changed as well. Their sexual relationship evolved with them and it wasn’t the same thing every scene.
Then the ending… *sigh* They schemed together to figure out a way to be able to spend more time with each other during the hockey season. Then they found a way to portray the change in the rivalry. I was so happy with the way this turned out. I still want more of Ilya and Shane!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
Heated Rivalry is the second installment of the Game Changers series. While it could easily be read as a standalone, I strongly suggest reading Game Changer first, as there are parallel events.

Rachel Reid has a new fangirl. I've been dealt emotional blow after blow in the past week, and I found succor, entertainment, and escape in reading both books in this series back-to-back. I would do just about anything to have another.

As decadent as candy, I couldn't get enough of the addictive, juicy content, making me crave more. I spent the majority of the novel covering my face to hide the fact that I was smiling and blushing, or to cover up a rare burst of chuckles, as those reactions are inappropriate in my household right now. But the fact that this novel managed to break through the grief, where I felt more connected to Ilya because of it, says how much I enjoyed every word.

I actually highlighted a few passages, thinking this novel needed to come with a Combustible Contents warning.

From the outside looking in, Shane and Ilya are enemies on both the ice and off. While they may be rivals, they've known each other since the beginning of their careers. Heated Rivalry spans nearly a decade, as the reader watches Shane and Ilya grow into men and grow closer.

Heat. The banter has sparks flying, and it was involuntary on my part how my mind supplied a Russian accent during Ilya's narration and dialogue, which added to the overall addictive quality. I was surprised at how often I found Ilya's douchebaggery hilarious and endearing. He didn't come off as mean-spirited, just blunt as his grasp on the English language escaped him.

HEA? HFN? The ending is open for the future, where I'm assuming we'll see what plays out next with another set of narrators. Normally I'm a standalone series kind of girl, who gets bored when it's the same narrators every book, so it's surprising how I'm good even if we hear from Shane and Ilya as the main characters again, or just riding shotgun for other characters. But what I absolutely want is to continue to see Ilya on the pages, in any way the author decides works best. He is comedy gold.

Highly recommend to fans of MM romance, specifically sports romance who enjoy the angst and tension of having to remain in the closet.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
Oh wow. This is a sexy, funny, sweet, and sometimes heartbreaking read. The book tells the story of two hockey players and their unlikely decade long relationship. From the moment they first meet at a Junior Hockey tournament, chemistry crackles between Shane and Ilya, two crazy talented rivals who will spend their careers playing for different countries and different teams.

I love the little moments the author gives readers. Told alternately from Ilya and Shane’s perspectives, the story is a record of ten years of tiny moments the men steal to be together. As their first hostile hookups become something warmer and more personal, Shane and Ilya’s lives grow further apart and an actual relationship seems increasingly impossible.

The interactions between Shane and Ilya are captured perfectly. Ilya’s reputation as an asshole on the ice starts to crumble as his walls come down with Shane. He never completely loses his edge and the contrast between Russian Ilya’s nasty attitude and Shane’s earnest, polite Canadian ways had me laughing out loud. I love the competition between these two on the ice and the slivers of warmth that frighten them both in the bedroom. I love that both Ilya and Shane are more complicated men than they first seem, and I fell madly in love with both of them.

The impossibility of Shane and llya’s relationship made me cry. And laugh. And finish the book in a single sitting. These two are wonderful together. I love the hockey in this book as much as the relationship stuff, and asshole Ilya on the ice is a wonderous thing. I loved everything about this book and I’m sure it’s one I’ll be rereading soon.


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆☆
Shane and Ilya at two of the biggest young stars in ice hockey and from the moment they are drafted, the media plays up a rivalry between them. In the media and the public’s eyes they are enemies but in private they are fiercely attracted to each other.

I love that while there is instant sexual attraction between the men there is no insta-love. There isn’t even really insta-like. The story takes us over the span of seven years and we get to see the men change and deal with different issues in their lives as they very slowly grow closer together, all the while trying to deny that there is anything more between them other than incredibly hot sex.

I loved watching Ilya and Shane fall in love. I fell in love with them. Every time they were apart, I was hanging for their next encounter to see what would happen. Would one of them be brave enough to take their intimacy from physical to emotional and if so, who would make the first move? Would they even make it to a happily ever after?

M/M Ice Hockey romances do it for me and Heated Rivalry is now one of my favourites in the genre. This is an amazing love story without being overly emotional. It is a fantastic read.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the second book in the series, and I would definitely recommend that you read them in order. In fact, if you could read them back to back, you would find it even more satisfying.

What this book cleverly does is give us a hockey story which compares the styles of two different countries, two different NHL teams, and two gorgeous players. Aided by the media's interest in them, Shane and Ilya are pitched against each other at every turn. And yet... in private they have a chemistry which overtakes them whenever they get the chance – and WOW, anyone who doesn't like insta-love will love this romance which develops at a snail's like pace over a decade!

I utterly loved it, from the rivalry, the clear respect and devotion that the men showed to each other, their sport, and in Shane's case, to his family. As we hear from each of them about how their career and private life progresses, we can only hope that they will be strong enough to acknowledge out loud what they both know in their hearts.

I could have immediately reread this and loved it all over again. When the next installment comes out, I will be reading all three in one go to get all the goodness back in my mind!

Ilya and Shane

This story just got better and better. Hot as hell, witty and emotional.
There was a moment i was a bit afraid of what would come... and than omg than it became even better ! Exactly what i was waiting for!

Over a time of many years they just sort of hated each other and were only angry fucking each other’s brain out. But over all these years slowly something changed. They had their highs and lows together. The urge to see each other began to be unbearable.
To the breaking point of not wanting to live without each other. The pull so strong.
But they can’t come out. In a world of hockey... they just can’t.

An amazingly beautiful written story. Throughout the whole book it was full of emotion, funny and witty lines and steamy encounters. The way of writing was engaging and vivid. Both men had great characters. The sport environments was attractive. The Russian background of Ilya gave some fire to this story.
A story with strong plot and it left me with a satisfying feeling.

New author for me. My first book by said author but definitely not the last. Have to go back and read book 1. One of favorite tropes. Loved all the emotions on and off the ice. The progression in their ever involving relationship was perfect. Looking forward to more books.

I really hate giving a book a bad review, but after finishing this one (rather quickly at least) and hoping it would redeem the first half, I just can't give this book more than 2 stars, maybe 3 if I'm generous. I read the first book in the series and I think I liked it more. It at least had some romance to it, even though I disliked Scott in that one.

The book started out pretty good. The prologue was pretty much filled with nothing but hate/angry sex and then we're taken back years before. I didn't mind the sex; after all, it was hot and got my attention. But apparently that chapter began a disappointing pattern for this book. I'd say the first 50-60% of the book is nothing but repeating chapters of the same hate/angry sex followed by regret. I mean take away the date of that particular encounter and it's the same thing that happened 6 months ago or years ago. There was no romance, no relationship development, just sex in a different location and time. After reading the authors notes at the end, I'm wondering why her husband didn't bother pointing out the fact that all the chapters sounded the same as she was reading them to him. I honestly just started skimming those scenes after a while. When I want a book filled with nothing but sex, I purposely read one that I know will be exactly that (sometimes you just want to read some smut). I didn't start reading this expecting that type of book. I expected a hot sports romance and that's not what I got.

The book didn't really start getting good until Part 4. At least we're starting to see that Shane & Ilya have matured some, are developing a personality, are starting to show some feelings towards each other and are behaving more like adults. But still, there's very little romance. I don't get the whole expressing love without any romance thing in this book. They never went out on dates, were never seen in public together as a couple (except in front of one of Shane's teammates), didn't talk a whole lot and didn't even spend that much time together getting to know each other, with the exception of a 2 week stay at Shane's 'cottage.' And by the end of this book, they are only shown as 'friends' in front of reporters for the first time and still haven't revealed their relationship. Sure, they have a plan, but we all know things don't always go as planned, and being that they're high-profile athletes, they have even more eyes on them waiting to catch them off guard. This book also had more of a HFN ending and left me feeling unfulfilled. Had the ending been better, I probably would have given this another star to make up for the boring first half.

All this said, I'll probably still give the author another chance to redeem herself in the next book. After all, I'd really like to see where this couple's relationship goes, as long as the next book doesn't overlap this one as much as this book overlapped the last one (very little of this book was after the coming out scene in Book 1).

This was a new to me author and I’m glad I picked it up! I thoroughly enjoyed Shane and Ilya’s story. It hit so many high points for me: closeted athletes, FTG, and hockey! Their story was truly an emotional ride and I got all the feels with their story. I laughed, I cheered, I got teary and had to grab some tissues. Oh! And holy hotness! So much sexy times and chemistry between Shane and Ilya. Their story really sucked me in and kept me on the edge. Being a big hockey fan myself, I definitely had a certain set of hockey players in my mind for this story. Despite that (haha), it was a great read. I would highly recommend this to hockey fans and MM romance readers alike. Now I need to go grab this author's first book!

This book had a lot of things that don't usually work for me. I don't like most romances where the characters don't get together until close to the end. I don't usually like flashbacks throughout the book and I don't usually like a ton of angst in my books. However, everything about this book worked for me and I really loved it! I liked to see how Shane and Ilya met and how their relationship went from enemies to guys who hook up to falling in love with each other. I loved the contradictions between Shane and Ilya but how they fit together. I liked seeing Ilya who was lonely find someone he could connect with. I liked that Shane had someone who he could be himself with.
I also loved that the ending wasn't a typical HEA. I loved that their HEA was one that was realistic and one that they worked for and planned out.

Honestly there wasn't anything I didn't love about this book.

Heated Rivalry can certainly be read as a stand-alone, I know this because this is the first book I have read by Rachel Reid and I can also tell you this won’t be the last book I read by this talented author.
If you love enemies to lovers, sports romance and MM this book should certainly be on your TBR lis, it has the perfect mix of love and angst as well as some seriously smoking hot scenes. I’m not sure why the ending left this couple not opening up to everyone but I’m sure the author has her reasons for me I love over the top HEA and this wasn’t that. I loved how this love affair took place over several years, the characters were strong and had depth, the story flowed and I love this author’s style of writing so for me all in all a great read. Looking forward to what’s next for the Montreal Voyageurs as well as going back to read book one in the series as soon as time permits.

Heated Rivalry is the second book in the Game Changers series by Rachel Reid. It is currently scheduled for release on March 25 2919. While returning readers to this series will recognize some of the major players, each book also stands up well on its own merit.

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.

Heated Rivalry is not the boy meets boy that one expects. This book spans years as Shane and Ilya have a hidden relationship, and find their way toward more than secret meetings that are completely separate from the rest of their lives. So much of this book is about Shane figuring himself out and what he wants, and Ilya doing the same as most of their time is spent apart, and on very different paths. I liked seeing them come together, and come to terms with what they need for themselves and from each other. This is not a straight forward or traditionally told love story. I found it to be more real in its emotional complexity and the real life obstacles that haunt our couple. I very much enjoyed seeing Ilya find a happy place, and look forward to reading more from Reid.

Heated Rivalry is different, but wonderful. I love Reid's work because books like this are about the characters being themselves and understanding themselves just as much as it is about finding their happy ending.

First things first. This can totally be read on its own, as I didn’t read the previous book, and I never felt like I missed anything. There are probably some aspects of this story that will put off some of the more sensitive readers, but it pushed all the right buttons for me. It is the story of two professional hockey players who hook up in their rookie year and knowing there isn’t any chance of any kind of normal relationship, (a) because they are rising stars in the NHL; (b) they are media-created hated rivals; and (c) because they play for teams in totally different cities, decide to make the most of it and continue hooking up when their teams play each other.

These guys are opposite in many ways, yet perfect for each other in others. Shane is the shining star and team captain whom everyone loves. Ilya is the bruiser and team captain everyone loves to hate. They both play different roles on their teams, and with similar stats, have had their careers compared and them pitted against each other from the get go. Such is totally not the case off the ice, however. They sort of joke about not actually liking each other, except for the amazingly hot sex, but it doesn’t take long for feelings to become more serious. Unfortunately, their life/career situations have not changed, and indeed, they are in the spotlight more and more. They continue on with things for years, but it never gets boring or feels drug out.

I absolutely loved these guys! I loved sweet Shane and the sexy Russian, loved their banter, their dirty talk, how you could always tell how they felt about each other, but didn’t need them explaining it over and over (something that happens frequently in stories these days), and I was not ready to let them go at the end. I love reading a story about guys who seemingly have no chance of every being together, trying to figure out how it will ever be possible, then seeing them make it happen in the end. They gave me a total book hangover, and that, to me, is what I look for in a book.

If it bothers you to know the characters are having other relationships (with men or women), even if it is off page, and even if the main characters are not in a committed relationship at the time, then you might want to skip this one. These guys were hooking up for over 7 years. It would have been completely unbelievable had it not played out the way it did. This story felt real, it’s relationship felt real, the challenges they faced felt real, so if you are looking for a story like that with a fabulous ending, I highly recommend you give these guys a shot.

I LOVED everything about this book. It's my first time reading this author (yes, it's the second in the series, I'll be reading the first one ASAP), and I'm kind of worried that no other book by her will live up to this. Everything about this story worked for me. I loved the characters. I loved the dynamic. I enjoyed the way they developed their relationship as the book went on. I loved that it covered nearly a decade. I loved that we see the relationship from the start. Ilya is a snarky cocky little shirt. I love him so much. He's not a jerk though, at all. He's just self assured. Shane is less snarky and cocky but just as confident, at least in his hockey skills. But Ilya throws every thing else he thought about himself out of wack. I really liked that the "angst" wasn't angsty. It wasn't dark. He was baffled and resistant to see a new side of himself, but he wasn't angry or depressed over it. The dynamic between Ilya and Shane was EV.ER.Y.TH.ING. It was fun and competitive and snarky and it never gets mean. It's just two rivals who respect each other and fall in love. I love how their being in love never softens the rivalry. They are the best and they love beating each other, fairly. I was curious how it would end up working out, like the logistics of them being together, with their careers etc. And I'm pretty happy with how it ends up. I like it better than a magic ribbon tying up everything in a nifty bow.

No kidding, I finished "Heated Rivalry" in just one sitting. Yes, this book is that addictive. I love MM sports romance almost indiscriminately, but I am notoriously very picky and nitpicking with my books, so believe me when I say that "Heated Rivalry" is one of the best titles out there in this category. Shane and Ilya's story is delightful, sweet and hot, passionate and touching. I felt with them from beginning to end, and it was absolutely wonderful. They are two highly relatable characters, and while their backgrounds might be slightly cliched, especially Ilya's, this did not feel as a major flaw -which doesn't mean that I wouldn't have appreciated a little more thoughtfulness in this sense, but still.
One thing that instead constitutes somewhat of a flaw to me is that the ending sort of leaves us readers hanging. It is clear that the characters do achieve their much deserved happy ending, but nonetheless, I feel that more closure would have been an improvement. Overall, however, I enjoyed this reading immensely and I recommend it wholeheartedly to lovers of the genre. Four stars.

when ilya rozanov meets shane hollander in heated rivalry, it's the culmination of everything he's worked for. both are hockey superstars, ilya for russia, shane for canada, both are destined to go to the nhl. and both are crazy hot for each other.

the first time they act on their attraction, it's madness pure and simple. it's aggression and desire and so much wanting. every time is supposed to be the last time.

but instead it's more. it's everything. but how can they admit that? neither wants to be the poster child for gay hockey player in the nhl. everything has been made of their rivalry. they've played on opposite sides of the puck their whole career, how can what they feel off the ice change the narrative?

watching them figure this out is...amazing. i cannot tell you how hot and sexy and deeply emotional this read was. what i can tell you is how much i freaking loved it. this is one of those reads that gives you a hangover where the only cure is starting it over from the beginning again.

**heated rivalry will publish on march 25, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/carina press in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book in the Game Changers series. It is a MM contemporary hockey romance. It is the first book for me by this author and I must say it was wonderful and probably won’t be my last. In the story the author develops the characters from young boys to adult men and weaves a story of rivalry and developing friendship. The characters are funny and lovable and as the reader I was routing for them to succeed. The pace was wonderful, I had a hard time putting the book down. As I did not read the first book, this can be read as a stand-alone.

I really enjoyed this story by Rachel Reid and have downloaded book one to get Scott's story and more of this world! These two hot hockey players have been pitted against each other since their teens and the dislike for each other is deep seeded indeed. Shane and Ilya have a LOT more in common than anyone knows but the climate in the NHL world makes it nearly impossible for anything to ever happen between them...besides... they hate each other. This story encompasses years of hidden passion and so much more. As big a jerk as Ilya is...I found myself falling for him a little too!