Well, Rachel Reid. Are you happy? I finally gave you that 4th star.
And unlike the other 5 books in this series...I'm not gonna rip this one apart.
Because it was a joy to read.

It was not without it's problems --but I'll let you bask in that last sentence for a second before I go into them.

Done?

Okay. So, first of all: Ilya's mental wellness. While I appreciate that he was trying harder, I'm not really sure that this was handled well. It would have made a lot of sense for him to be meeting with Galina virtually, while on the road, not in this weird "whenever I want to talk" scenario that seemed to be set up.

Shane was also...so clueless. Painfully so. Was Shane always this self absorbed?
And everyone says that Shane can do better --but TBH...Ilya can do better. I don't, like, want him with Svetlana either. But c'mon. Shane could probably do with a little therapy too.

I enjoyed the inclusiveness in this one, like Max and Leah, but it felt like tokenism. I would really like to see other hockey players with partners who aren't obviously queer. It's great that Weibe is bi and married to a woman, but...how about someone with a non-binary partner (even if everyone assumes they're a particular gender)?

There were times when the style felt more casual than the previous novels too. Extra lines to push home something sarcastic. But they felt throw-away. I think the prose could be tightened up in some places.

Also, and I know...I know...it's a romance novel, but *cripes* do they have to bang so much? Take away all the of the sex and it's still a pretty solid novel. I'd really like to know more about *the characters* than about their bedroom proclivities. Like, their relationship was already established in the first book. So...are you just proving that they're still hot for each other? 'Cause it's not necessary. Like at all...

Over all, this was an enjoyable read. I'm hoping this isn't the end of the series? Or perhaps a spin-off to focus solely on the Ottawa Centaurs as the "gayest team in the league" perhaps? I really would like to know how Cromwell is dealt with and how Scott's plan for a group of activists goes.

The Long Game

By; Rachel Reid

4.5 stars

After waiting for this for a long time I am so happy to say it was definitely worth the wait! I had two little things that I wasn’t quite happy with but they are minor and I’m sure I’ll be one of the only ones they bother. They did not detract from the overall story at all.

To me, Heated Rivalry was perfect. I loved reading it and then I listened to the audiobook twice. I loved it so much and I loved Shane and Ilya. I’ve since enjoyed every book in the Game Changers series but nothing was quite the same as Heated Rivalry. Rachel Reid did something magical when she created these two men and their story. I was blown away by that book.

In The Long Game we get a story that completes a lot of what was promised and for me even more of what I didn’t even know I wanted. I really enjoyed seeing characters from other books and some of the situations mentioned in those books from Ilya’s point of view.

This book is definitely centered more on Ilya since the first book was centered more on Shane. Ilya is a favorite and with good reason. He’s first presented as a jerk, a bully who taunts other players and teams. On the surface he seems like an arrogant, selfish player who only thinks of himself. Even from Shane’s POV in Heated Rivalry it seems like Ilya has it all figured out. He wasn’t concerned with being bisexual, he was confidant that he was the best hockey player. He seemed like he breezed through life. What we see throughout HR is that there is much more beneath the surface. This book goes even deeper.

Depression is something I struggle with and seeing it portrayed in this book was really surprising to me. It was done so wonderfully though and I am so glad it became part of the story. Ilya lost his mom to suicide and he fears when he feels down that he is going to be like her. He has quite a long road in this book to figure out many things. He really is one of the best written characters ever. This storyline really touched me.

Shane was his usual self, worrying about everything, especially being found out. He thinks differently than Ilya and they aren’t always in sync. They make a great couple but their HEA isn’t easy.

I am excited to see what books Rachel Reid has in store for us in the future. This series has been really good! Except for those two tiny niggles I had this book was definitely the follow up these two men deserved!

4.5+ stars.

Ilya and Shane. We fell in love with them in Heated Rivalry as they were rivals to lovers, but now they are everything to each other and have been together off and on for ten years. They are still both playing professional hockey. Shane's team is riding high on three Stanley Cup wins. Ilya's new team can't seem to get it together, but at least by transferring to Ottawa he is closer to Shane. They have been committed for three years and are very much in love.

Shane is responsible, regimented, private, anxious, and concerned about his image and keeping their relationship secret. Ilya is more sarcastic, fun-loving, cocky, and he loves to push Shane's buttons. But he is also settling into some fatigue and near hopelessness regarding having to hide their relationship and being on a losing team, to the point he is feeling more depressed and apathetic.

Fear of discovery and damage to their careers, outside influences, separations, and distance stress and challenge them. But if they keep playing it could be another decade in this same limbo...unless they make a change.

I adore Ilya and felt so bad for him. His vulnerability and emotional struggles are just flayed wide open. He just wants to shout their love from the rooftops and does not care what anyone thinks. Sometimes I wanted to shake Shane at times because he cared so much about public perception and his winning team. But it is obvious that he also feels deeply and is devoted, but just sometimes gets caught up in the anxiety or fear of it all.

There is no doubt in my mind these guys are made for each other. Their chemistry is amazing, their connection solid, and they are not shy about expressing their feelings. But they also struggle and have to figure out how to navigate all of the obstacles. It has surprises, emotional situations, humor and fun banter, LOTS of sexy times, and raw vulnerability and intimacy. I was totally rooting for them to find a way to make it all come together in all aspects of their lives.

This book started out a bit slow giving us a window to their current lives and situation, but the second half really took off and brought all the feels and changing dynamics. There are some fun cameos from others in the series and some events cross over in a different point of view. I also enjoyed seeing the friendships and family bonds. I am so glad this author decided to give them another book to give us their full story. It is quite a journey for these two but well worth taking with this amazing couple.

I think I waited 24 hours after being approved for this sequel before reading it. I’m not sure I’ve awaited a sequel with such excitement - they were definitely a favourite couple of mine, and the first book was definitely not long enough.

In The Long Game we find Shane and Ilya very much in love, but their romance is still hidden from the world. They both struggle with the masculine/patriarchy that is hockey, and the treatment of players by the bureaucracy and other players who aren’t seen as fitting the ideal hockey player mould. Between games for their respective teams in Montreal (Shane) and Ottawa (Ilya) the couple steal precious time together with only a few trusted people on Shane’s side, knowing about their relationship.

We learn more about Ilya’s family and his predisposition for depression, having sadly lost his mother, his family continuing to feel the impact of her death, as Ilya feels very much alone in the world but for Shane and his family. The emotional connection between Shane and Ilya is powerful and their chemistry is off the charts. Shane is guilty of viewing things from his own point of view, and turns things inwards, and Ilya needs more from him, which he doesn’t identify until he seeks professional help.

There’s certainly steam with this pair, which if you’ve read the first book you might expect - tender to searing hot. And then there’s the glimpses of both men who yearn for a future life together, a house, and a family.

Such a good book. I couldn’t say enough about it - and then I went back and read the first book … if that’s any indication.

The Long Game is book six in The Game Changers series by Rachel Reid. This is the continuation of Ilya and Shane’s story that began in book two, Heated Rivalry. You don’t need to have read the rest of the series but do need to have read that book. Although these two do make little appearances throughout the rest of the series. Now, at long last, we get the rest of their story and wow, it was everything I hoped it would be.

Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander are both now twenty nine years old. I should probably admit up front here that it’s Ilya that really holds my heart. That man feels so much and I think his heart is as big as the house he lives in. My stomach is getting all twirly just typing this.

Both Ilya and Shane are pro-hockey players. Ilya for the Ottawa Centaurs and Shane for the Montreal Voyageurs. They have been secretly seeing each other for ten years, three of them in a committed relationship, the last two where they were both in Canada. The entire hockey world, press, players and fans alike see them as rivals because that is how they started out. They still are super competitive in so many things. Now they run a charity together so people had to adjust that they became friends. But they both knew that no one would ever except that they were more. And they had no idea if their jobs would be secure if anyone found out and that’s not something they were willing to risk because hockey is both of their lives, besides each other. No one in Ilya’s life knows about them but a few people in Shane’s does.

During the off season, they spend every moment together but during the hockey season, it’s not unusual for them to have to go three weeks without being together. It’s hard for both of them but to me, it was hardest on Ilya. He truly had no one. Even with all of their obstacles, though, it was clear how deeply these two love each other. The author did a fantastic job of making their love just fall off the pages. I do have to admit, though, that I might have felt a TINY bit frustrated with Shane a time or two because I felt like he was just so dedicated to his team, to keeping their secret, that he failed to really pay attention to what was going on with Ilya.

“He closed his eyes and focused on how good it felt to be with Shane, alone in the dark, and tried not to wish it could be the same in the light.”

This book is one of those that just keeps your heart doing that flip flop thing all the way through. Their love is just so huge. Above everything else in their lives, they love each other so much and they verbalize it all of the time which I dearly love. I believe of all the thousands of books I’ve read, they are one of my top two or three couples ever. They have struggles to overcome but through everything, their love holds strong. What more could you ask for?

I don’t know if there will be more in this series. It kind of felt like it could be the end but I have no idea. Reading this book was both wonderful and sad because I knew it was the end of Ilya and Shane’s story. They will forever live in my heart.

3.5/5 stars. The Long Game is exceptionally good at providing new content for Heated Rivalry fans, but not entirely successful as a romance novel.

Heated Rivalry is currently one of the most popular books in the M/M romance genre, and one of the few romances that’s become its own fandom. The Long Game was clearly written with Heated Rivalry’s most dedicated fans in mind, because it provides exactly what they’ve been wanting in the three years since HR’s publication: as much new Ilya/Shane content as possible. If you count yourself as one of HR’s devoted fans, you will love the Long Game.

The downside of writing the book this way - focusing on maximizing new and novel scenarios for the characters - is that it hurts the book’s narrative flow. The Long Game is not entirely successful as a romance novel because there are so many different conflicts that none gets the space it deserves, and the narrative momentum is constantly broken by cameos, callbacks, and sex scenes that don’t advance the core narrative. As one example, there’s a sex scene approximately every 10% of the book. That’s probably great if you’re a huge HR fan who’s been dying for more content, but in a book that’s purportedly focused on an emotionally heavy story, it’s just too much, especially because the primary purpose of most of those scenes is apparently to be novel, not to advance the plot. As another example, a major new conflict is introduced at 80% and mostly resolved by 90%; two additional plot lines are covered in the remaining 10% of the book. HR has its own pacing problems, but one of its biggest strengths is that it has only one conflict and the back half of the book is dedicated to slowly, painstakingly unraveling it in a way that spools out tension for the reader. The Long Game, by contrast, continuously undermines any sense of tension by interrupting the narrative flow.

That being said, there’s plenty I liked in this book. Reid introduces several new issues for Shane and Ilya, most notably Ilya dealing with depression and the asymmetry between the sacrifices he and Shane have made for the relationship. There’s also the near-death experience from Role Model and the painful difficulty of a long-distance relationship that has no end in sight. Reid’s handling of each of these issues is powerful and emotional, and I wish the reader was given more time to sit with some of these issues and really feel what the characters (especially Ilya) are feeling.

I really liked that the book explores what happens after the initial Happy For Now and the effort it takes to maintain a relationship, especially a long-distance once. The conflict over the characters’ uneven sacrifices is something that I’m sure many readers can deeply relate to, and is fairly unique in M/M romance.

I also liked how Reid handled Ilya’s depression. Like her portrayal of Ryan’s anxiety in Tough Guy, Reid writes Ilya’s depression in a realistic way, such as his struggle with feelings of worthlessness and his slow, grudging realization that depression doesn’t have an easy fix and will affect him and his relationship with Shane for a long time to come. I wish Reid had further developed the thread about Ilya hiding his feelings because he doesn’t want to be a burden - something many people with depression can relate to - instead of muddying the waters with Shane’s obliviousness. My biggest issue with this part of the story is that Ilya doesn’t really read like a person with depression. Ryan’s internal narrative in Tough Guy felt very real to me; Ilya’s narrative in The Long Game has moments of poignancy but sometimes feels more like Reid saying the right things about depression than Ilya actually living them. The best example of this is that Ilya mentions suicidal ideation a few times in such an offhand way that it felt inauthentic to me.

The weakest part of the narrative is Shane. I understand that this is intentionally more Ilya’s book because HR focused more on Shane, but this book didn’t do enough to reinforce what HR established about Shane’s personality and appeal. He’s not very sympathetic or interesting here; the main thing he does in this book (besides have sex with Ilya) is stick to a very restrictive diet. This wasn’t backed up with anything deeper (probably because there was no space to do so), so it doesn’t add much to the plot, other than make me feel concerned that Shane might need a better way to deal with stress.

Overall, I understand why Reid wrote the book the way she did: Maximum new Shane/Ilya content is what her core fans wanted, and they’re the ones who were most excited about this book (and will do the most to promote it to others). I don’t fault her for catering to that audience. But the drawback is that those who weren’t already sold on Heated Rivalry likely will not be converted by The Long Game. I highly recommend this book to HR fans, but my recommendation is more reserved for everyone else.

It's finally time! The direct sequel to the oft-recommended enemies-to-lovers powerhouse "Heated Rivalry," "The Long Game" finally gives Ilya and Shane the happily ever after they deserve.

Since the initial telling of their romance, Ilya and Shane have been in the background of the other books in the series, together and in love, but still keeping their relationship a secret. Ilya is still in the closet. The couple is deep in their long-term plan of making their relationship palatable to their teams, the NHL and fans.

Since their first book together, Ilya has gotten cooler, if that is at all possible. The cocky Russian forward has been encouraging and supportive in Ontario to the main characters of subsequent books, and I just wanted him to be happy, dammit.

Thank god that this book does it. It does it so, so well. In fact, I cried at one point.

A good portion of this book runs parallel to the one directly before it, and it's fascinating and amazing to see it from Shane and Ilya's point of view. This book is very, very much character and relationship driven, and that could have easily been boring or repetitive. But it's not at all.

In the first book, we learn about Ilya's mother's battle with depression, that she ultimately lost. In this book, Ilya himself struggles with mental health and it's treated realistically. There's no cure-all for depression: not a good team or season or relationship, and reading Ilya come to terms with that was really affecting. Reading how he struggled to let Shane into that part of his life was heart-breaking.

If you've read the fifth book in the series, you know Ilya was on a plane that nearly crashed. In the fifth book, it's a big emotional moment for Troy and Harris, too. But in this book -- it made me cry. To read how it affected both Ilya and Shane. Erg. It's so romantic and intense and I just -- cannot say enough good things about this book.

Also, this is spicy as hell! I think "Heated Rivalry" was already higher in heat than the other books in this series, but this one outdoes it. There are SO many sex scenes, like 8, at least. Shane and Ilya understand each other in the bedroom, and the dynamics between them are very hot and Rachel Reid does an excellent job writing them.

A great balance exists between this intense sexual energy and the equally intense narrative points. Ilya and Shane are undoubtedly in love, but the secrecy and time apart chips away at them throughout the book, and it's frustrating to read. I just wanted them to be out and happy, and it takes them time to get there.

This book was so worth the wait, and I wish I could better articulate everything I loved about it, but it's hard without spoiling literally everything about it. Rachel Reid stuck the landing with this one, and it's the strongest in the series.

| I received an ARC, and this is my honest, freely review. |

Ce livre ... Pu*ain, ce livre, ça fait trois ans que je l'attends ! Trois ans que je pense régulièrement à Shane & Ilya, trois ans que je rêvais d'une suite à leur histoire qui, pour moi, ne pouvait pas se limiter à un tome. Trois ans que je relis des bouts de <i>Heated rivalry</i>, trois ans que je guette chacun de leur cameos dans les autres tomes de la série "Game Changer", trois ans que ce couple formidable a élu une place très spéciale dans mon coeur. Et donc là, cette fois, ça y est Rachel Reid l'a fait, elle nous offre cette suite qu'une grande partie de la communauté M/M attendait avec ardeur !

Cette suite est largement à la hauteur de mes espérances, au-delà même. J'ai été complètement bouleversée par Ilya, rien que d'y repenser, j'ai la gorge qui se noue et les larmes aux yeux. Rachel Reid a fait un travail REMARQUABLE sur ce personnage, assurément l'un des héros que j'aime le plus parmi mes lectures de ces trois dernières années. Comment vous dire .... Ilya est juste parfait, et dans ce tome, il traverse vraiment des moments difficiles, et malgré tout l'amour qu'il peut porter à Ilya, j'ai parfois eu de violentes envies de gifler Shane et de le secouer comme un prunier pour la peine qu'il lui causait. Ilya est un homme charismatique, il est drôle, attentionné, plein de tendresse mais dans le fond, il reste ce petit garçon de 12 ans dévasté par perte de sa maman. L'autrice a vraiment fait un boulot extraordinaire avec lui, en abordant ainsi la question de la santé mentale et de la dépression, donnant parfois lieu à des scènes rudes à lire tant on sent la détresse et la tristesse profonde de cet homme.

Mais tout n'est pas triste ou rude dans ce roman, le hockey et l'esprit de camaraderie sont bien présents, et j'ai pris plaisir à redécouvrir certains passages de <i>[book:Role Model|54561591]</i>(puisque <i>The long game</i> se déroule en partie en parallèle de celui-ci. Dans ces passages-là, on sent tout l'amour que Rachel Reid peut porter à ce sport et cela m'a donné plus envie que jamais de regarder des matchs, et de suivre l'actualité de la NHL.

Et puis bien sûr, il y a cette magnifique histoire d'amour entre Shane et Ilya, qui se courent après depuis pas moins de onze ans. Onze ans de désir, de rencontres clandestines, de sentiments qui évoluent, mais aussi onze ans de rivalité sur la glace, une rivalité largement alimentée et marketée par les instances de la NHL. Seulement, toutes ces années de clandestinité ont un prix, et pour Ilya, ce prix est de plus en plus dur à encaisser. Il y a peu de M/M dans lesquels on peut ressentir à ce point la force de l'amour que ces deux hommes se portent, c'est beau, c'est fort, c'est bouleversant, et pour moi, Shane et Ilya sont vraiment un couple iconique dans la littérature M/M. Ce mélange de force brute et de vulnérabilité extrême, cette confiance qu'ils ont l'un envers l'autre, c'est tellement intense ! Et évidemment, le fait que leur histoire dure si longtemps, et dans le contexte que l'on connaît ne fait qu'amplifier la force qu'ils dégagent tous les deux.

Avec ce roman, je serai passée par toutes les émotions : j'ai ri, j'ai pleuré, j'ai couiné de joie, j'ai eu le ventre et la gorge serrés de tristesse, j'ai eu des papillons dans le ventre, j'ai enragé profondément après Shane que j'ai eu quelquefois envie de gifler, j'ai poussé des soupirs rêveurs ... Je me suis sentie vivante tout au long de cette lecture, je suis tombée encore plus amoureuse de ces deux hommes, ils ont tous les deux définitivement un morceau de mon coeur ... J'ai eu beaucoup de mal de les quitter, d'ailleurs dès que j'ai terminé le livre il y a deux jours, je me suis empressée de relire certains passages, je ne pouvais pas les laisser, et depuis deux jours, je n'arrête pas de penser à eux, de relire encore et encore certains extraits, avec toujours la même intensité émotionnelle.

J'ai même du mal à terminer cet avis, c'est dire ... Je sais déjà que dans les jours qui viennent, je reviendrai encore picorer ici et là quelques passages, de ce livre-là, mais aussi du premier, tant ce couple marque ma vie et mon coeur de lectrice.
Shane et Ilya ... ya lyublyu tebya. ♥ ♥

The Long Game (Game Changers #6)
by Rachel Reid (Goodreads Author)

Sometimes my love of romance novels lets me down. I've been in a PROLONGED, months long romance novel reading slump and I actually winced at the start of The Long Game - dreading/worrying it wouldn't or couldn't be as good as I hoped it would be.

Side note:
I've had this dread/trepidation for a while now, but I really hit rock bottom after reading/writing my last review for All About Romance (a TERRIBLE Viking debut romance), followed by a book my SIL insisted WAS AMAZING and breathlessly begged me to read (After, by Anna Todd). Reader friends, books like After - I MEAN AWFUL MISOGYNIST BULLSHIT - are why romance gets a bad rap. And it's a series. AND THERE'S A SHOW. My god. I CAN'T EVEN.

Anywho. I've also been largely MIA from NetGalley because I abandoned a long list of books when my non-romance-reading life became totally overwhelming and I just quit. I mean, something had to give...and for me, it was reviewing this genre I love so much. So...romance has been a disaster for me lately, and I cold-quit NG months ago and have felt guilty about it ever since. For those reasons, I've been reluctant to return to NG and face rejection after I abandoned all those books. But RACHEL REID HAD A NEW BOOK UP. AND IT STARRED ILYA AND SHANE. AND I LOVE THEM - STARRY EYES - SO MUCH. So I went back. And I requested it. AND I GOT IT. FIST PUMPING DANCING COMMENCED.

Reader - my happiness once I finished only two pages? Off the charts! You've made it this far in this non-review. You've seen the stars. And now you want to know about the ACTUAL book and not my weird mentalmidgetness. Look,
All right! Stop whatcha doin', 'cause I'm about to ruin
The image and the style that ya used to
Okay, okay. That quote doesn't even make any sense. But I kept thinking about those first lyrics (for reference: The Humpty Dance, by Digital Underground - LOL) as I was writing this review. (I decided to use them so they could be an ear worm for you to suffer through, too. You're welcome.)

MOVING ON. But really. Stop what you're doing and pre-order this book immediately. The Long Game is sexy and fun and funny and romantic and sad and profound and special and....It's W O N D E R F U L. An RR love letter to her fans, and I was here for all of it. I loved it. I loved it. I love it. I'm definitely going to read it again and probably I'm going to listen to it, too.

Ilya and Shane are together as a committed couple. They tell each other how they feel all the time (YES!), they show each other how they feel all the time (hello steamy sexy times! Yes!), and they pine for each other when they are apart all the time. OMG it's awful for both of them when they are apart. And Ilya is over it. He wants to be out and his hockey team is living the Pride HIGH life even though they aren't winning many games. For reals. He wants the world to know how much he loves Shane and he wants to stop hiding. Ilya feels like he's living a half-life. He has Shane, but no one else knows his true self. He also has a leetle secret he's hiding from Shane, too, and it's put a damper on his ability to see himself and his life clearly. So he keeps on doing what they've been doing. Hiding. Hating it. Loving Shane. Wishing things were different.

Meanwhile, Shane has all the same desires -but he's committed to keeping the relationship a secret until he retires. He's pretty sure Ilya is on the same page - but he wonders. Even so, Ilya agreed to this plan and since Shane loves a plan he sticks to keeping their love a secret from the world. Except, people in Shane's life DO know. His team knows he's gay; his parents know he's in a relationship with Ilya. Oh, and so does his best friend Hayden...and former girlfriend Rose. People Know. And his hockey team just won the Stanley Cup. So even though Shane hates to be apart from Ilya and hates keeping their relationship a secret and hates that he can't show his love for Ilya to the whole world, he battens down the hatches, sticks to a TERRIBLE AND AWFUL, SOUL SUCKING diet, focuses on hockey - his other true love - and keeps on keepin' on. Oh, but he's also a little bit worried that Ilya is keeping a secret from him but uncertain how to get him to fess up.

Oh, friends. You're seeing break-up-ville and the 'ole Big Misunderstanding trope just ready to rear their ugly heads aren't you? Well, slow your roll. This is Rachel Reid and RACHEL REID LOVES ILYA AND SHANE AND HER READERS AND LOVE AND HOCKEY and she isn't fucking around with that bullshit. Nope, these two are SOUL FREAKING MATES and this author knows a lot about soul mates and rabid fans and she does not disappoint. They do the work. They tell each other hard truths. They make up after ugly spats. They CARE FOR EACH OTHER AND ARE THERE FOR EACH OTHER AND THEY DO IT ALL TOGETHER. Their relationship is the centerpiece of this story and she never forgets it.

I loved how 'in love' these two are and their total and complete joy in each other. I loved that we get so much of Ilya's PoV this time out. I loved the evolution of this story and the events in this novel as they intersect with earlier books. I love the cameos. I love the dogs. My god, I love the dogs. I love the FREAKING AMAZING LOVE in this story. You will too. Ilya struggles this time out - but not over his feelings for Shane. The story sometimes goes dark when it explores his mindset - but don't let it deter you from this novel. Life is hard. For Ilya, too.

"We are very good at pretending not to be in love. Maybe we are bad at showing it when we are allowed."

When I say I devoured this book! The concept of rivals-to-lovers is titillating on its own, but in Rachel Reid's hands it becomes a masterpiece. An emotional, clever, funny, sexy sequel to "Heated Rivalry', 'The Long Game' surpassed all of my expectations and hopes. The pacing of the book was incredibly well done, and the way the timeline weaved together with the others in the series was impeccable. It truly is one of the best plotted books I have ever read. I cannot rate this book highly enough, and cannot wait for everyone to read it and fall in love with Shane and Ilya all over again.

If you haven’t given Rachel Reid’s MM hockey series a chance yet, you need to fix that. Because you will fall head over heels in love with Ilya and Shane. I am not someone who likes continuing one couples story, but for these two? I would read four more books. In Heated Rivalry, we get to know these two men and how hate and lust toe a really fine line. You get to see Shane coming to terms with his sexuality. The hate sex is top notch, truly. The Long Game is a few years later, Ilya and Shane are still together and their relationship has grown so much.

Ilya and Shane have been together, first as casual hookups and then in a relationship for over a decade… secretly. From before their rookie year in the NLH, they’ve been pitted against each other as rivals. The league may have chilled a bit about gay players coming out, but there is absolutely no way anyone would be okay with these two being together. So, they’ve loved each other quietly for years, trusting only a few select people with this knowledge.

Being able to watch these two grow and see their love get so much better was just perfect. They learn to communicate with each other better. Ugh the way these two stand up for their love? Perfection. I love seeing the growth in both of these men within these books. Shane has some internalized homophobia to overcome and it’s hard and wonderful.

“Live how you want, love who you want. People will judge you, hate you, criticize you, but plenty more will support you and love you. And, in the end, no one matters except the people you care about.”

I want to see these two dorks grow old together and raise babies. Rachel, can we have Shane and Ilya as minor league hockey dads and coaches?? I can picture it so clearly and they’d be too perfect.

CWs: homophobia

Thanks to Carina/Harlequin and NetGalley for the e-galley of THE LONG GAME. This title is a digital release only on April 26, 2022.

So I was late to the game on this series. And when I read the second book Heated Rivalry, I was like, there needs to be more as their story isn't finished yet. Then I found book 6 & was like, yes we get to finish their love story. I loved that there wasn't any unnecessary drama or angst. It was not an easy ride for these two. We go from their on ice hatred to hiding that they are in love for years before coming out as a couple. Then there are accusations against Shane when they are playing against each other, which pissed me off to no end. So just because they are lovers it means that one player is going to throw a game? It's no different when two come up to through the minors to the pro teams and are good friends. Are they accused of throwing games because they grow up together when they play against each other? There are always those who make stupid comments/accusations. Even through they did struggle as a couple, underneath it all, they loved each other & would do anything for the other. I haven't read the books between these two & will most definitely be changing that.

Heated Rivalry is one of my favorite romances, so I was so excited to hear there would be a sequel! This definitely lived up to expectations. The Long Game continues Shane and Ilya's love story., showing how they're continuing to deal with having to keep their relationship a secret. Will they ever go public, and if so, how? I wish we could have a whole series about just Shane and Ilya - the other Game Changers books are good, but there's something about these two that's just better than any of the others. Very cute and worthwhile follow up to Heated Rivalry!

[4.6] rejoice my dear friends, rejoice with copious fanfare for the long awaited sequel did not disappoint!

writing a direct follow-up to such a cult classic in the m/m community would have most authors cowering in fear but Rachel Reid? she took this bad boy by the horns and gave us a run for our money.

while she’s out here churning out 400+ pages of pure magnificence, i’ve been struggling to formulate a single coherent review encapsulating every fiber touched, every heartstring plucked, every pang in my chest wrought by this experience, because gosh, where do i even begin to speak on a story of finger-licking delectable goodness that bars you from going lengths of time without feeling warm and chicken tendy? 🥺

so with the emotional support of my winnie the pooh pillow pet acquired during this drawn-out pandemic (i highly advise you seek solace in a furry friend of your own during the reading and processing of this book), here i go *cracks knuckles*

this book. this book!!!!!

imbued with a maelstrom of emotions, it was softness, hilarity, and frustration thrown in a steam room set on high with writing so pleasantly smooth and engaging, you will barely notice you’ve wolfed down half the book in one go until nature *rudely* calls.

TLG brings us back into the world of Shane & Ilya, still hopelessly smitten with one another and throwing around playful competitive banter aka their love language, but on the cusp of another season of hiding the true nature of their relationship that begins to put an undeniable strain on the bonds that hold them together.

captain of NHL’s top-ranking team and surrounded by the love and support of family and friends, Shane is able to draw on his career highs to remain cool and generally unperturbed.

in stark contrast, Ilya silently struggles with the mountain of change and sacrifices he’s had to make to be close to Shane. he is far from resentful—he would do it again and again if he had to—but bottling up the torrent inside his brain (and the marked absence of close friends in the know to confide in) start to take their toll.

Ilya’s mental health journey was very thoughtfully crafted and left my stomach in knots to read, but like magnets, propelled me ever forward in spite of my fears of the worst. i appreciated how the author highlighted the important point that with depression, your life could be going swimmingly, but you still wake up feeling numb and unable to face the day.

i won’t be surprised if you find yourself itching to play a few rounds of Whac-A-Shane for his oftentimes crass responses stemming from general inexperience with matters outside of hockey, but the conflict remained authentic and the sharing of responsibility went both ways. rest assured, he more than makes up for his dingus behavior by the end, and the glaring imbalances in their relationship are expertly tackled along enthralling developments backed by fascinating side characters, new and old.

as for a handful of questions and quibbles i had with HR, Rachel Reid essentially went “hold my tea” and pulled out all the stops: oh sorry, did you find HR too vanilla? *inserts searingly steamy scenes that had my pants burning to crisps* problem solved 😎

here is where i most likely differ from the crowd: the last 80% made perfect sense in the scope of the series and i was very happy with the gloriously on-brand final scenes, but the pay off did fall short for me in some respects.

call it greed (another 100 pages please 🥺), “sensible” sadism (i seek a balance of suffering between my mcs 😂), or spite (serve more on-page resolution and/or mic drop moments to satisfy my vengeful heart 😩), but the pacing took a bit of a wonky turn, and the ending suffered from bouts of telling that somewhat glossed over the emotions and consequences imo. Rachel Reid did mention recently on GR that she has ideas for more Game Changers books/short stories, so perhaps these gaps will be filled in eventually.

as nitpicky as i can be, TLG is at its core a supremely romantic story complete with schmoopy smiles, heartfelt sighs, and misty eyes. prepare yourself for feels akin to full-on body checks straight into the boards and an underlying, pulsating ache etched in the shape of a certain loon tattoo—the official release cannot come soon enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review :)

This was everything I hoped the sequel of Heated Rivalry would be! I was concerned we might get something similar to the 2nd Him book which was honestly a little too much angst for me but I felt like this one was perfect! We can really see how their relationship was growing and changing but unlike with the second Him book I never felt like their relationship was in any serious trouble. I definitely cried a few times which was a little unexpected but the love they have for each other just felt so powerful and real that it was hard not to get emotional about it. especially during the scene with Hayden's kids. Ugh, I was a mess. Overall, this book was amazing and I will love it forever.

In this review I will happily share my thoughts on the book. However, for anyone interested in this book, it is my strong recommendation that you read no reviews and seek no spoilers; go into this one as I did, totally blind.

While not included in the ARC, it's my understanding that the published version will include a very important CW: this book tackles depression and the management of mental health, and does include a few on-page mentions of suicidal ideation.

My expectation for this book was that it would be more wonderful, more swoon, more feels than I could have ever imagined. More than that, I sincerely believed that even that expectation would be exceeded. And here I am, at the end of a two-day emotional reading journey (I shed actual tears!) and I can say in all honesty that Rachel Reid has walked into my life, busted everything up, and I am now dead. This book was everything. And I am now destroyed.

In this long-anticipated Shane/Ilya sequel, I think Reid could have easily written pornographic fluff interspersed with domestic scenes and her rabid fanbase (myself included) would have been perfectly happy. I don't believe it was possible for her to go wrong here. Rather than fluff with an unrealistically easy HEA though, Reid took us in an unexpected direction.

This book was Ilya's book and in it we get to see a more real, more raw Ilya and come to understand the depth of emotion he experiences. We've seen this emotional side of Ilya before (I'm thinking of many of the scenes from the cottage in the last quarter of Heated Rivalry in particular) but he has, in my view, always been predominantly shown as the carefree, annoyingly charming, Russian trickster. And while I swooned so hard at the end of Heated Rivalry when Ilya agreed to walk away from hockey success to join a losing team in order to be closer to Shane, in this one we see the consequences of that decision. Yes, he and Shane are happy/relieved to be a short drive apart, but it's hammered home how Ilya changed his whole life and Shane changed nothing. Shane has nearby family and the support of close friends, while Ilya has no one he feels he can really talk to, leading to Ilya's loneliness, sense of isolation, and eventually depression.

Rachel Reid has tackled mental health before (I'm thinking of Tough Guy specifically) and has shown that she can be trusted to handle the topic with care. I think what I valued most here was the honesty surrounding mental health care management. Ilya entered therapy hoping to easily "fix" himself, which is a common enough desire for those of us suffering from mental health issues. Where Reid took great care was in showing that clinical depression is not a thing that can be "fixed" after a one or two therapy sessions, or even after building the life one believes should make them happy. It takes time and a lot of hard work to reach a stable place. And I appreciated that Reid showed those aspects of Ilya's mental healthcare journey.

Of all the characters in this series, Ilya is probably my favorite character, but I do have a soft spot for Shane. I think it speaks to Reid's talent that she could write me into being very angry with Shane (he made me shed a few tears when he hurt Ilya) and then bring me back around to loving him by the end of the book. All along though, I've rooted so hard for the Shane/Ilya relationship. And even though the HEA here comes at the very end, and even though it so hard won, it was extremely satisfying. And swoon. And all of the feels.

eleventy billion of five stars. A+. 100% worth the wait.

ARC generously provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Long Game by Rachel Reid is easily one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I don't think I could have asked for a more perfect sequel for Shane and Ilya! Keep reading to hear what I loved about this book so much!

The Long Game picks up a couple of years after Heated Rivalry and overlaps in time with Role Model. Shane and Ilya are at the top of their game, but even though they only live a couple of hours away from each other and spend all of the time together that they possibly can, it's not enough. Keeping their secret is taking a toll, and while they're just as in love with each other as ever, the two of them need to decide of their relationship is worth risking their careers for.

I don't think this could have been a more perfect sequel. It had everything I wanted in it and was just adorable and lovely and I'm obsessed!

Reflecting on it, I did have a few concerns going in. Namely that the sequel might ruin my love of the first book. I was afraid there might be some plots I didn't like, like a breakup or a jealousy storyline. I was also a little worried about how much it would overlap with Role Model, since I knew the two books took place during the same season. And I wasn't excited by the idea of that near plane accident from Role Model being the impetus for Shane and Ilya finally taking their relationship public.

I don't want to spoil what happens at all, but all of those concerns were unfounded. It was actually really nice reading about two people already in an established relationship and navigating how best to support each other and be there for each other without dramatic nonsense thrown in there. And I loved how, while the timelines overlapped, Reid didn't spend too much time telling the same scenes from Role Model from Ilya's point of view, and instead added new scenes that I didn't know I needed.

There are so many great nods back to the first book that I adored seeing in The Long Game. We get to see a lot of characters come back from previous books, too, which was a lot of fun. And I could have sworn Reid said this was the last book in the series, but I really want Luca Haas to get his own story!!

I saw on Twitter that Reid described Heated Rivalry as Shane's book and The Long Game as Ilya's book, and I think that's really true. I loved seeing Ilya become more of a person than a bit of a god who pops up in random places, which is kind of how I've seen him since Heated Rivalry. His mental health story throughout this book is lovely, and it's so great seeing therapy on page.

I think one of the things I liked most about this, though, was how it addressed a lot of what I thought were imbalances in Shane and Ilya's relationship. Like, Ilya did give up pretty much everything for Shane, and he doesn't really have any friends or family to talk to outside of Shane's circle, and I really liked that that was addressed in this book. It just made me feel a lot more invested in their joint happily ever after.

One critique I saw of the first book is that Shane is biracial and half white, half Japanese, but his heritage has no impact on the story and he basically reads as a white person, which I think is a good point. I noticed that, for better or worse, this book only mentioned his heritage once and then he basically read as a white character. It's part of a bigger discussion that I don't really have much to contribute to, but it's something I wanted to mention.

My other reservation is that I'm not quite sure how I feel about the way that Shane and Ilya ultimately came out, but I'm really happy with how everything resolved as we powered towards the end! I don't want to spoil anything, but hit me up after you've read the book and we can talk about it more!

I'm going to cut myself off, because otherwise this review will basically just be me squeeing about every little scene that was just too precious. It would get very long and very spoilery and not be a useful review at all! I honestly don't think I could have asked for more from this sequel.

I was actually so excited to read it that I read maybe 20 percent and then started skipping around, because I just needed to absorb everything asap. I wound up jumping around a lot and rereading several parts before finally going back to the beginning and reading the whole thing through.

I can't really recommend that strategy, but it basically means I've read this twice in two days! And I will likely reread both Heated Rivalry and The Long Game before the end of the year. Maybe just the whole series, honestly. I really enjoy these books so much, though these two and Role Model are definitely my favorites.

tl;dr: If you loved Heated Rivalry, I don't think you'll be at all disappointed in this sequel! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!

This was everything I’ve been wanting since the first couple of books in the series. Ilya and Shane, FINALLY, getting their HEA was so necessary.

Things I loved: not having to go back through everything we already know about them, but still kicking off the book at a time we’ve already read, just through someone else’s eyes. Knowing what really happened on that plane for Ilya. Seeing Ilya with Shane’s parents with out Shane around. Getting that glimpse I to their lives. Shane finally getting to the point where he can open up and just live and be happy and appreciate it. Ilya’s perspective as team captain and how he tried to be what everyone already saw in him. Friendships for both that were strong and amazing. Seeing them both struggle with everything life threw at them, and coming out on top. Ilya getting help for his depression. Encouragement from both sides despite their on ice rivalry.

Really, the list can go on and on. For readers of the series, everything I think we’ve wanted, we’ve gotten. When I finished, I sat in my chair and hugged this book for a long time. It made me happy, even through the hard times. At times I felt it was running a little long, but at the end i was so upset it was over. So I guess it was not too long at all! I didn’t want to leave that happy place. I’m betting I’ll be back here again soon since I’m going to read it again.

5* The book I *didn't* know I needed, but am soooo glad I read. Beautiful.



You don't have to read all the books in this series to be able to enjoy this one, but you do need to read book 2, which is where Ilya and Shane's romance started. In fact, I'd recommend reading that as a refresher before embarking on this, as I'd forgotten so much about the guys that I rediscovered and it made me *want* to go back to book 2 and reread, which I did. Happy sighs.



So this tale summarises in parts, and then picks up and continues, the guys' lives from when they met, short of 18 years of age, to the present day, where they're about to turn 30. Some of it is skipped, understandably, which is why reading book 2 is a good idea, but it gives a good understanding of how the guys got to be where they are, of the toll that secrecy and shenanigans to remain hidden has taken. It also tackles, and does so really well, mental health. And in particular, mental health in males, coupled with testosterone, impatience, machismo and hints of inherited toxic masculinity and ethnicity-stemmed toxic masculinity. And sadly, it shows how much, still in 2022, sports-based toxic masculinity exists. But on the other hand, it also shows a bunch of guys who're without toxic masculinity, and a couple who're out and proud and comfortable with who they are, which is an eye opener for Shane and Ilya’s future. Surprisingly, Kit and Scott, the guys who started this series off with book 1, don't appear in here other than a passing mention, and I'd have liked to catch up with them. Tbh, I expected them to be the first married couple and perhaps that's happened, but having skipped I think the book before this final one, I am a little out of the loop.



It's sweet and romantic and swoony and whilst I’d left the guys in a great place, looking at a long-term future, this was total icing on my cake.



ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Carina Press, for my reading pleasure.

I think it’s safe to say the most popular book in the Game Changers series is the second book: Heated Rivalry. Much like its title would suggest, the book’s trope is a romance between two rivals. It was wonderfully done, ending with the characters Ilya and Shane not coming out as you would expect from a book handling this trope. All in all, it made sense for this book to get a direct sequel.

I really liked the build up to this book through the cameos in other books; especially in the fifth book Role Model. The Long Game also takes place during parts of Role Model. And some parts of the book does mention things that happened in Role Model.

I loved how this book played out. It took place over the length of a year, starting at the hockey camp Ilya and Shane had created for their charity. I think that was a good place to start, and it was cool to actually see it after seeing discussed in previous books. I could tell both Ilya and Shane really loved hosting the camp as well. This also gave the chance to bring in a few other friendly faces, as well as some new characters. I would’ve liked to see some of these characters more so I do hope they appear in future books.

Of course, one of the highlights of this book was getting to actually to see Ilya and Shane in a relationship. A particular niche romance trope I enjoy is established relationships; so ones that come in the form of a sequel are ones I really love. It’s especially rewarding to see with Ilya and Shane. Their relationship in Heated Rivalry has really stuck with me and I have read it five times at this point. I had wondered for a while, especially after cameos in the proceeding three books, what their relationship was like now that they were honest to each other about their feelings. There were a couple of glimpses of it through the short stories Reid posted on her blog but this book gave you the fullest feel. The biggest thing is how much they genuinely love each other and the good and bad that came with being together. The bad mostly stemming from the difficulty of not being out and for the longest time, feeling like they cannot come out until their careers are over.

A lot like Game Changer the book touches on homophobia within the NHL. In that book, we see the difficulty with being out as queer in the NHL, whether that came from hockey fans or from players. The Long Game references how Shane has teammates on Montreal who aren’t exactly pleased about him being gay, and this is while being unaware of his relationship with Ilya. I think this is also a good way to highlight that Scott’s coming out didn’t solve anything. This has been apparent throughout the entire series and most importantly, it has completely zero affect on Ilya and Shane’s ability to be an out couple. Regardless of the situation, their relationship is somewhat scandalous as an extension of the lack of out NHL players. Being the first in anything like that would be difficult for anyone; especially with how reserved Shane personally is. While he is at the point of being out in the league wherein he’s okay for other players to know and wouldn’t deny it, he also isn’t out publicly. There is a certain implication that if he were out publicly, he’d want Ilya by his side. In contrast, Ilya isn’t out as bi to anyone but those who know about him and Shane, as well as eventually Troy as we see in Role Model. Ilya makes an internal comment where he feels if people knew that he was bisexual and that Shane was gay, people might be able to figure out that they’re a couple. Which is a fair assessment to make, especially with how the public knows that they’re at the very least friends and Role Model showed Troy guessing almost immediately.

I wouldn’t say not being out had taken a toll on their relationship. But it was clear it was becoming too much effort for them to hide it. Watching them both consider what their future would look like was important to see. It is what made sense to follow Heated Rivalry. I also liked seeing more of characters like Hayden, his wife, and Shane’s parents as well as briefly Ryan and Fabian from Tough Guy who knew doubt their relationship. I liked seeing their support and how Shane and Ilya acted around people who knew. I do kind of wish there was a little more interactions with other queer people, especially after Shane acknowledged to himself he needed to be around non hockey players who were queer, so I hope we see that in the future. I was also expecting after Tough Guy that there was more to do with Ryan since he knew about their relationship, at least more than one scene where Shane and Ilya went on a double date with him and Fabian. But I guess it makes sense why there was so little. There was also a few bits and pieces of more queer characters in the form of a trans man named Max who used to play on team Canada in the women’s league with his wife prior to his transition. I hope we get more of him and his wife Leah as I really enjoyed what we saw of them.

Something in this book that I also loved that was brought over from Role Model was just the absolute positive energy of the Ottawa team. As mentioned in my review of the previous book where Troy was gobsmacked by the stark difference in environment between Toronto and Ottawa, the same went for Montreal vs Ottawa. Not to the same extreme but there were a lot of signs that it wasn’t the best environment was Shane. That is all I’ll say about it without getting into spoilers.

I did overall truly love this book. It had everything that I love about this series. I hope the series does continue, and I do have a theory of who a potential future book could be about. At my time of writing this review I have already read it twice. It truly is a great sequel to an already great book.