Insta fave! I loved every bit of this book and I can't wait to reread it! Ilya and Shane's epic love story continues, with both men working together to coach hockey camps for their charity while still keeping their romantic relationship a secret. After ten years of secrecy, they're good at keeping their feelings on the down low, but the strain is showing, especially as Ilya spirals. Meanwhile, Shane is even more obsessed with performance perfection and living up to the daunting expectations of his team and fans. Although their love is strong and they're closer than ever, Ilya and Shane long for so much more -- for the freedom to openly acknowledge their love and live publicly as a couple.

I fell for Shane and Ilya in Heated Rivalry and I loved getting even more in depth with them in The Long Game. They've both grown so much and their declarations of love, acts of affection, and emotional vulnerability are some of the highlights of the book! All of their interactions are so charged and real that I couldn't stop reading! Heart eyes for days. I also appreciated how they really worked on their communication, especially as Ilya begins to acknowledge that he's not okay and needs help. I liked how the timeline of this book overlaps with Role Model and shows key events from that book from Ilya and Shane's points of view. There's also a host of recurring characters from the series who offer support and give insights into what's going on in the larger hockey world. Seeing these characters again was like the best reunion, and the end had me basking in all the feels! Highly recommend to fans of character driven stories, emotional and steamy romance, sports narratives, and found families! If you read and enjoyed Check, Please!, you will absolutely adore this book and series!

I am reasonably new to the Rachel Reid Game Changers Series so I cannot IMAGINE having to wait for years for this book. Shane and Ilya!!! Honestly this book will soothe your soul, it's just a bunch of therapy, puppies, being sweet and in love, hanging with the parents, babysitting and sometimes some hockey. I read it in one sitting, I loved it so much. If you haven't read all the Game Changers, it's honestly worth reading all 5 before this, not only because they're so great on their own, but because then you get to read this book afterwards.

I Liked this one a lot.😍 Rachel Reid Delivered big time. This is for the lovers of book Heated Rivalry. The character development is so huge and well done.

Ilya is one of my favorite and he shines in this book. Loved being in his head, he made this book readable and entertaining.

The puppy and Ilya win the best scenes award.🤩🥳

Shane is so vanilla but I still like him. 🤷‍♀️😊 He needs someone like Ilya in his life to make it more enjoyable.

The other characters fit well into the story. I loved how the family members and friends were so supportive. I wish we had skipped the public outing but it didn't deter me from enjoying the book.

Overall, I enjoyed this extended Ilya and Shane epilogue.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

Okay, I think I’ve got my incoherent flailing under control…

My god, this book was EVERYTHING I didn’t even know I wanted it to be. It makes me want to go back and read Heated Rivalry again, or maybe the entire series, just so I can get the delicious build up to this one again. And then reread The Long Game, obviously.

The amount of aching and longing in this book, for a couple that’s been together for 10 years, is a lot. It just kind of made my poor heart ache for Shane and Ilya, and it was an entire book of my poor heart aching for them.

For anyone who has read my other reviews of the books in this series, you will know how much I like Ilya Rozanov. He is absolutely my favourite character in the series; I liked him right from the very brief appearances he made in Game Changer. And this is absolutely his book. I mean, it is dual POV between him and Shane, but it’s still Ilya’s book, and I am 100% here for it. I just love how much of an asshole he is, but also a complete marshmallow.

I really like how Rachel Reid had this book overlapping with Role Model, so getting to see Ilya’s perspective on things that happened in the other book that we saw from Troy’s POV. I mean, the scene on the plane. OMG, everything around that just about killed me.

Heated Rivalry really saw the development of Shane and Ilya’s relationship, from their weird, semi-casual hookups, to being a couple, and this one took it even further, and it was perfect. The times that Shane and Ilya are together are so sweet and tender, but also incredibly hot. I know I saw a review of Heated Rivalry that said they didn’t like the amount/kind of sex in it, and if you didn’t like that, you’re not going to like this one, as there is just as much sex in this one as in that one. But then, that’s kind of the whole point of these two books, like, that’s the story.

I liked the diversity of the side characters in this book, I thought it was well done. And I know that when side characters are more fleshed out that they usually end up getting their own book; Rachel, are we getting a Max and Leah book? Are we??? I know she’s already hinted at a Luca Haas book, which would be great, but I would love to see a whole story with Max and Leah.

I also really loved the mental health stuff. I won’t say too much because of spoilers, but I thought it was done well and with thoughtfulness. As someone who has dabbled in depression, the portrayal felt really accurate to me and I really appreciated seeing that.

Okay, this is getting so long, so I’ll wrap it up. I think this is my favourite in the whole series. It is just, so, so good. Is it because the story was excellent? Maybe. Is it because of the Ilya Rozanov content? Probably.

I’ve actually preordered the PB of this one, and you should preorder it, too, if this seems like your kind of book!

THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING.

I mean, really. Everything. *sighs in contentment*

Rachel Reid delivered a satisfying continuation to Shane and Ilya's love story. I wholeheartedly believe that any reader who has been patiently (or impatiently) waiting for The Long Game will love this book. I had a book hangover for WEEKS.

The Long Games picks up where Heated Rivalry has left Shane and Ilya. They're still hosting hockey camps during the summer and spending their off time secreted away at Shane's cabin. During the hockey season, they remain focused on their careers and getting to the playoffs, and continue pining and longing for the small scraps of time they can be together. It's not always easy for them to navigate the demands of their profession and the needs of their relationship. However, the deep love and respect that Ilya and Shane share for each other shines brightly throughout. I will never get enough of the way that they joke around and dig at each other (SO many zingers and one lines had me laughing out loud, for real), and then come through and support each other in moments of self-doubt, low confidence, and pain. Shane and Ilya are one of my favorite book couples. #bookcouplegoals

Readers should be aware that an MC in this book experiences depression. As with other books in the Game Changers series, Reid handles writing about mental health issues with care and thought.

All the thanks to Carina and NetGalley for the ARC copy of this instant re-read book. I can't wait until my pre-ordered paper copy is delivered so I can read it again!

The Long Game is the long-awaited follow up to Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry (I recommend the entire Game Changers series!), and one of the spring’s most anticipated reads for me. This one DELIVERS as it picks up with Shane and Ilya years after they realize their feelings for each other, while keeping their relationship secret and keeping up the facade of their rivalry on the ice. But they’re at the point a decade into their relationship where they have to decide—will they put what they have aside until they retire? Do they want to, and do they both want the same thing? I completely adored every second of this. It gives fans of the first book EVERYTHING they could want—some good old-fashioned miscommunication, lots of steaminess, angst, all of our beloved characters, and real evolution and change for Shane and Ilya. It also confronts Ilya’s past and his present-day mental health. I honestly just love romance novels like this. It is HEA and unabashed but still real and it hurts a little too, and I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Fans of Rachel Reid’s marvelous Game Changers series rejoice, the most recent episode, The Long Game, is part two of Ilya and Shane’s romance! While the rest of the novels in this fabulous series can be read in any order, you’ll definitely need to read Heated Rivalry first.

I adore established couple stories, and the scope of this one is epic! One of the finest enemies to lovers romances of all time, Ilya and Shane have incredible chemistry. From their very first meeting, the heat between these two burly hockey players leaps off the page, and they are just so darn cute together.

Fast approaching their thirtieth birthdays, the guys have known each other for eleven years now, and are still firmly in the closet with their relationship. It’s not so much about coming out about their sexuality, as it is facing what the hockey world will say about these two fierce rivals being a devoted couple.

I’m delighted by how Rachel Reid explores every aspect of what these two men go through as they face various challenges in this story. We spend time with family, friends, teammates, and folks in the hockey world, and delve deep into how each of them is feeling.

Shane’s drive and determination to be #1 hasn’t changed. It’s no surprise that his dedication to his career conflicts with his desire for a real romance with Ilya, and there are some terrific scenes from Shane’s side of the story.

What is an unexpected surprise is how deeply Rachel Reid gets into Ilya's head and heart in The Long Game. I fell hard for Ilya in the first book, and I love spending time learning what makes this intricate guy tick. An extraordinarily interesting character, Ilya has a unique sense of humor, is a solid friend and teammate, and is an appealingly dommy but sensitive lover.

Ilya struggles with his mental health, and it’s an intense journey as he gradually comes to grips with his emotions. Painful memories force Ilya to do some intense soul searching about how he sees himself, and how his past impacts the relationships he forms with others.

The Long Game focuses mainly on the development of their relationship, and how both guys are coping with life. And there are some terrific cameos from other characters from the Game Changers series. I love the bonus that a little of Troy and Harris’ story overlaps the timeline here. My only complaint is that it’s a little short on hockey scenes, but Rachel Reid totally makes up for that at the end!

A superb series, and I definitely hope this isn’t the last we hear from Ilya and Shane!

I laughed, I cried, I cheesy smiled, and then I uncontrollably sobbed. No seriously, a book has never made me cry tears of all kinds before: happiness, frustration, fear, anger, loss…I shed tears for all of these scenarios. If you read “Heated Rivalry” you know our MC’s very well. The journey they go on in this though?! HR gave us the preparation we needed because man this was an emotional journey. I love and adore Shane, but this was Ilya’s book. My heart broke so much for this man from the very beginning. Our boy Ilya is suffering and he has no one to turn to. Not his boyfriend that he can’t shout from the rooftops how much he loves, not his family, not friends. Ilya is alone most of the time and that has started ti being forth a battle his mother lost: depression. He suffers in silence for most of this book and it just breaks my goddamn heart. The pair get put through the wringer so much in this page turning sequel, but the love they share is forever the main plot of this story and one of the best love stories I have ever read. I read alot of MM romance, and Shane and Ilya are a pairing I will carry with me forever. I can’t stress how much I love and adored this book as well as it’s predecessor. The tie ins to characters from previous books are the cherry in top of a stunning, beautiful, intense romance that I’m so happy I could watch unfold.

This book is nothing like I expected but it is so amazing. It was so interesting to read a book where they are together the whole time. I saw myself in Ilya so much, I love him. I am so glad that they were just able to have their happy ending.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I was so excited to see this new book by Ms. Reid. It is the anticipated sequel to Heated Rivalry that I adored so much. Shane and Ilya have been a couple for over a decade and their relationship turned serious about 3 years ago. Being competitors on rivaling professional hockey teams has been a major challenge to their relationship. Shane is only 29 and wants more years to play and feels coming out will ruin their careers. Ilya has had enough of the hiding and the lonliness this has caused. He wants to shout out to the world that Shane is his boyfriend and he feels preserving their careers is not as important as being open and honest.

This book was everything I had hoped for and so much more. Ilya and Shane are sheer perfection for each other. I love Ilya's dry and snarky wit, and Shane is just such a sweetheart. This unlikely pair are meant to be. Ilya is battling some dark thoughts unkown to everyone, and I loved how the author addressed this.

Shane's amazing mom and dad have both their boy's backs and along with some true friends there is support. But will it be enough? I so strongly urge you to complete Ilya's and Shane's journey. Brilliantly written and a story I couldn't put down, this is one of the best books I have read this year.

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy for my reading pleasure.

The Long Game gave me everything I wanted for Shane and Ilya . They stole my heart and imagination back in 2019 when they were first introduced on Heated Rivalry , one of my favorite books in the genre.

Rachel Reid delivered an entertaining, sweet, snarky, loving, hilarious, passionate tale. The Long Game lives to the hype and my high expectations .

Yep, I am going to stop gushing in a minute. Le sigh

I just reviewed The Long Game by Rachel Reid. #TheLongGame #NetGalley

DO YOU ALL KNOW HOW LONG IT'S BEEN SINCE A CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE MADE ME CRY!! WHAT THE FUCK!!!!

Ilya and Shane's story stayed with me for a full year since first reading their book, and I reserved a reread of Heated Rivalry for the moment before I'd (hopefully) get to read their well-deserved sequel. Rereading that book immediately reminded me of all the reasons I liked it in the first place, and why I love the enemies (or in this case rivals) to lovers trope so much. I really think this series is the best use of this trope in a contemporary context I've read so far.

I have to say that I usually don't love the idea of a direct sequel to a romance book. I find it unnecessary in most cases and it makes me dread the potential for a dramatic break-up that seems to be so common with books about an established couple. But Heated Rivalry, and especially Ilya and Shane, needed and deserved a sequel, and I couldn't wait for it. And it was everything I could have asked for.

Most of The Long Game takes place as they try their best to keep their relationship secret, and we see the different way Ilya and Shane feel about all the different aspects of it: the distance, the secrecy, the yearning that comes with only being able to be together pretty much one night at the time, the endless wait for summer when they can spend more time together (but with the looming presence of the new season starting, always too soon). I think upon rereading Heated Rivalry we already had a feeling of who would be the one more cautious and scared of coming out in the public, a process that's made scarier and more complicated for them given their roles as rivals. The Long Game was consistent with what the first book started and it expanded on it, giving even more depth to both of their stories, and especially to Ilya's journey with his mental health.

I liked how it was shown that sometimes in a couple there's a certain unbalance (in their case, who has more support) that's not really anyone's fault but at some point it comes out in full force and it needs to be addressed. And that's the thing, I feel like the communication in both of these books is excellent, with a few bumps in the road that are only to be expected. No need for a super dramatic breakup arc (thank god). There was also more space dedicated to friendship, mostly with people that readers will know from the rest of the series (which I haven't read yet, but I really liked these characters anyway).

I can't tell you how many times I teared up because of cute/heartwarming moments in this book. There was really never a moment I wasn't invested with my whole heart in Ilya and Shane both as a couple and as individuals with their own fears and worries and small happiness found both within and outside of their relationship. It's been so long since I felt like a book/series had a healing effect on me, so needed in these scary times, but this book and its direct prequel are now definitely in my list of books I'd reread when I'm in need of comfort. Which isn't to say that they're all fluff and rainbows, quite the opposite (see TWs).

In conclusion I hope it's clear that I really can't recommend these books enough. Even if you, like me, haven't read the rest of the series please make sure to check out these two books together because the chances that you will find a new favorite are high.

TWs: depression, homophobia, mention of suicide, alcohol and drug use, (accidental) public outing, a scene in which a plane accident is avoided by a safety landing but a character still fears for their life

Everyone should go read Rachel Reid's series. Right now. And oh my god this conclusion to the arc of two of the characters. I love it. 10/10, so good.

Shane and Ilya have kept their involvement with each other a secret for a decade, and in the last few years, they've kept their relationship a secret too. But keeping something so big from their teammates and their friends and the world is getting harder and harder. Not to mention their legendary on-ice rivalry. Theres a lot at stake for both of them. Is it all worth it?

Hell yes, I love this book so much. When I finished Heated Rivalry, Shane and Ilya's "happy for now" felt like enough because their story was so beautifully written. I don't think there was a question in my mind that they would make it and I'm so excited that Reid delivered in the sequel to their story.

This was full of sweet moments, and tension and heartbreak and love. I also love how Reid approaches Ilya being depressed and going to therapy because mental health, especially in sports is so overlooked and I appreciate that inclusion. The beginning of this was definitely a raw look at the pain of being closeted in an environment that may or may not support you, but the ending was worth the pain.

I would recommend reading at the very least, Heated Rivalry before jumping into this book. The rest of the series is great too, but less of a requirement to enjoy this book to the fullest.

Hold. My. Heart. A more perfect sequel for Shane and Ilya could not have been created. This is everything I hoped for and more. SO WELL DONE.

I loved how we see the two polar opposite’s of how a closeted relationship is impacting the two men. Ilya is struggling in a very hard way and Shane is worried about his career and seems to have blinders on for most of the book. This felt true to their character and very “real world”.

Throughout this series, I have so appreciated and enjoyed how the author has addresses toxic masculinity in sports, mental health as well as the different personalities and tropes she has brought to each book.

I have loved The Game Changers series so much and cannot wait to see what Rachel Reid gifts us with next.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book because I loved the coupling from Heated Rivalry, but I've always found continuations of romances to be lackluster. The fun part is falling in love, right? Well, The Long Game proved me wrong. Ilya and Shane are so in sync by the end of these books. We've seen them grow up together and we've seen them work through their issues, sometimes painfully. Ilya has to be one of the best characters in M/M romance. His snarky, shit-eating exterior that hides the softest sweetest boy on the outside? It makes me weak. Reid's series is one of my favorites of the M/M hockey romance subgenre, but Ilya and Shane? Total OTP material.

Thank you so much to Carina Press for approving me for this book! This is everyone's long awaited book for Shane and Ilya. I admit they were not my favorite (like, I love Game Changer more than Heated Rivalry), I was still very excited for this book since we do see a lot of Ilya in Role Model. Naturally, the storylines overlap, but while I was expecting a fall out of emotions from the plane incident, I wasn't expecting everything BEFORE. This book definitely needed some content warnings. The story from Ilya's POV is very sad and very hard to read actually. Ilya is extremely depressed and trying not to let anyone else know and it's a very, very heavy topic in this book that I was not prepared for at all. I was expecting fun and games, and maybe some angst from Shane about coming out. But not this deep depression from Ilya.

That's why I'm setting aside the e-ARC. I'm holding off until the audiobook comes out because I don't think I can read this book without help from the audio barreling through some of these harder to read scenes. Love the characters a lot, but this is a rough one, especially since it came with NO warning at all.

Thanks also to the publisher for listening to fans and publishing a mass market physical edition of this book (FINALLY!!!). The shiny gloss effect on the cover and the font change is weird since it was JUST for this last book, but I'm crossing my fingers that we'll still get the other books in paperback too so we can all have matching copies in our collections!

5 stars

This book was everything I needed and more.
Since Heated Rivalry I'm obsessed with Ilya and Shane. Their banter. They're sizzling chemistry. But most importantly their love story is one of the most beautiful things I've ever read.
The way these two are always there for each other. How they complemented and help each other to not only be a better player but a better person I just... swooned.
With HR I laughed so much but here... it felt more real, like things would change for real and I have to say I was scared and anxious for them.
I cried I'm not going to lie, this book was very emotionally heavy especially with Ilya and to be honest that made me enjoyed it even more.
I loved Roz because he's in your face and sassy and honest and in this book I fell in love a little bit more with him.
With Shane I went through all the emotions even a bit angry at him but in the end I couldn't help to root for him... for them because they for sure deserve their happy ending and I'm so glad we got to see it.
This series has become one of my favorites and Ilya and Shane are my favorite couple ever.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The sweetest hockey romance you'll ever read! The Long Game follows Ilya and Shane, two professional hockey players who have been secretly together for a decade. I loved that this book begins immediately with Ilya and Shane already in an established, committed relationship--this is technically book #6 in a series, but it completely works as a standalone. The stakes of the book are all about the secret of Shane and Ilya's relationship, but also about the distance between them as they play for different teams and are both traveling a lot. This story touches on therapy, feeling disconnected from one's home culture, family, friendship, and deep love--with honestly a surprisingly low amount of hockey (which for me as a non-hockey fan, was perfect!). I had to immediately buy the other books in this series because I loved this so much.

Two things .... Shane Hollander is an unmitigated arse AND I loved this book.

Ten years in from his stellar rookie season, Shane is a hockey superstar, having just won his third Stanley Cup with his Montreal team. He has a regimented diet (oops, performance nutritional system), a grueling routine for keeping his body in tiptop condition, he doesn't drink or eat carbs or cookies or have much fun ... and he is as just as laser focused on keeping his long-term relationship with Ilya Rozanov under wraps.

Sure, the long-term plan is to finally come out and live their lives together, after they retire in 10 years or so. Until then, it's just another grim routine .... or at least that is how it feels to Ilya. In this book, we get Ilya's POV throughout, and it's wrenching to read. Yes, Shane and Ilya absolutely love each other, yes they continue to have hot sweaty steamy sex a LOT, yes they work together in their hockey camps over the summer. But it isn't enough for Ilya, and Shane doesn't understand, or seem to realize there is a problem with keeping their love hidden.

But never fear, Shane and Ilya work it all out, because yeah, these two frickin' deserve a HEA of epic proportions, and as the book closes we get a series of chapters tracking their lives as they move forward. I keep on flipping to the next page, hoping there was more chapters, not wanting this book to end.

Reid does a stellar job of keeping us up to speed on the Game Changers universe (parts of The Long Game run concurrently with Role Model- Troy Barrett's story) and I'm hoping for a few more stories in this series featuring some newer addition to the Ottawa Centaur's team (Luca perhaps?) because once you immerse yourself into Game Changers, you do not want the series to end. 5+ stars and highly recommended!

I've been anxiously awaiting this book since the scary plane ride in Role Model, the previous book in series, when Ilya frantically messaged Shane thinking he might die! The Long Game is, beautifully, not quite what I expected. What spoke deeply to me as a reader was Ilya recognizing his own depression even as he and Shane become engaged and plan a wedding. It's just...both. There's great joy in his life and great lowness, and they don't cancel each other out, they just co-exist. And of course he seeks therapy and considers other interventions and does all the appropriate self-work. I'm a woman married to man, I'm NOT a once-in-a-lifetime hockey talent, I'm not estranged from my living family — the particular constellations of power and privilege are very different for me and Ilya. But I did receive life-reconfiguring mental health diagnoses when I was engaged, after years and years and years of dating while living in different states. That's still not quite the parallel I mean to draw — some of the external circumstances of Ilya and Shane's relationship are familiar to me, sure, but it's more the way Ilya's interiority is depicted, the emotional palette that's so deeply familiar. Anyway, this book will be forever special to me. Aaaaaaand I really want an Ottawa Centaurs hockey sweater, so if someone could make that merch, that'd be great, thanks.