巅峰对决

Game Changers #2

by Rachel Reid, Aslendershadow (Translator)

“逆转攻势”系列之二

十七岁那年，加拿大男孩夏恩·霍兰德和来自俄罗斯的伊力亚·罗扎诺夫代表各自的国家队，参加在加拿大举办的世界青少年冰球锦标赛。两个冰球界天才少年的第一次碰撞算不上愉快，并为两人此后十年里的命运，定下了基调。从单纯的冰场竞争，到场下的言行举止，夏恩和伊力亚的对决成了球迷们津津乐道的话题。而对两位当事人来说，他们的关系远不止人们看得到的那么简单……

Genres: Romance, Sports, LGBT, M M Romance, Sports Romance, Audiobook, Enemies To Lovers

ebook

First published March 25, 2019

About the author

Rachel Reid is the pen name of Rachelle Goguen. She chose it because it is much easier to say, spell and remember than Rachelle Goguen!

Rachel writes cute, romantic smut, mostly about hockey players. Her Game Changers m/m hockey romance series is available from Carina Press.

Rachel/Rachelle lives in Nova Scotia, Canada. She has always lived there, and it's looking like she probably always will. She has two boring degrees and two interesting kids.

Reviews

[chan ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

did a lil reread in honor of Heated Rivalry TV Adaptation Eve. and what a blessed thanksgiving it was, indeed.


when hayley gives you an MM romance recommendation, just take it

THIS WAS SO FCKING GOOD! and proves why i shouldn't film my best of videos until like... after december is over lol. this is probably my favorite enemies to lovers romance of all time. there were HIGH stakes, TONS of steamy scenes, and a relationship that built over YEARS. it felt like this book was written just for me.

i think my main gripe about enemies to lovers is that authors are so quick to jump from characters that loathe each other to characters that would die for each other.

this book really is that bitch. these are the 2 best players in the NHL. pitted against each other as RIVALS. pro sports is high stakes but add in a MM relationship and this shit is forbidden af.

both of these characters own my fucking heart. shane is a precious bean and ilya is a perfect grumpy boy.


i need ALL the novellas for this couple. go read this.

[Marianna Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I reread this over the weekend after watching the show 4 times… yes.

NO BECAUSE IM SO OBSESSED ITS NOT EVEN FUNNT IM GONNA BE SICKKKKKKK!!!!!! I’m so in love with them send help i have a problem. Like I have unlocked a new obsession and it is Shane and Ilya. This is my first mm hockey romance and something in me has been awakened. ILYA MY SWEET BABY RUSSIAN ANGEL I CANT HANDLE HIMMMMM!! WHEN THIS SHOW COMES OUT IM GONNA BE EVEN MORE INSUFFERABLE THAN I ALREADY AM!!! And you’re telling me there’s a second book?!!!!!!! SPRINTINGGGGGGGGG TO READ IT!! Thank god because I need so much more of them. Idc if the show isn’t out yet if it doesn’t get renewed for a second season I’ll riot.

8 YEARNS OF YEARNINGGGGG????? Bye.

[Larissa Cambusano]

dnf.. i’m so sorry

y’all asked for an explanation so here I am. I had originally just written DNF HAHAHA but lemme explain myself. I realllyyyyy was not in the mood for pure smut and that’s what this book was to me (up until the point I dnf’ed of course)

I can’t speak for the rest of it. but the parts I did read, were just spicy scenes thrown together in different time jumps. I didn’t feel a connection between them and I didn’t feel the longing and yearning I was looking for. I also just didn’t vibe with the characters because I feel like I barely got to know them.

again, I dnf’ed like 40ish percent in? so obviously i’m only speaking for the parts I did read but it just was not for me. could have definitely been a timing thing and i’m in the minority here but :///

[Roxane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun, sexy, full of hockey and light on... depth but THAT IS OKAY. The book understood the assignment. Ilya is more compelling as a character, seems to have more depth and also is so secretly kind and passionate. I'm into it.

As an aside, the author (very talented) has a real fixation on showering after sex. Like, EVERY SINGLE TIME, across two books, there's some talk about getting clean. It's really... noticeable. Psychologically, this intrigues me. Anyway, highly recommend.

[Jack Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hope I never read the words “puckered opening” ever again

[len ❀ · Rating 1 out of 5]

EDIT: 9/5/23
I recently saw someone talking about how much they loved this book on social media, and it had me (respectfully) disagreeing with everything they said that I didn’t even finish reading their post. So that got me thinking, why did I rate this two stars when I actually didn’t enjoy anything?

Anyway, I love being a hater. I love having unpopular opinions. I love being a 1-star on a sea of 5-stars. I don’t know why I let myself rate this 2-stars for “the banter and freckles.” How sad. Well, I’m changing my rating to 1-star. This isn’t uncommon for me to do. I constantly go back to the books I’ve read and change the ratings, which are usually rated more low. Anyway, that’s all. Goodbye.
__________

How do you even begin to write an unpopular opinion for a book like Heated Rivalry?

Buddy read with Lara, who made this reading experience better. Thank you for reading this with me and dealing with my spam at certain times. I’m sad we didn’t like this, but glad we ended up having similar thoughts in the end.

To all my friends who have constantly recommended this to me (some of you have even begged), believe me when I say I’m mad that I didn’t like this. Usually, I try not to let the hype get to me, but when you take a book like HR, it is impossible not to have high expectations, and that is a strong reason why I didn’t like this. Could I have enjoyed this when it came out since it wasn’t as popular? Honestly, I don’t think so because I’ve always been about that emotional and romantic connection anyway, so everything that bothered me now would have most likely bothered me before. Would I have rated it higher? Most likely yes because past-me was such a people pleaser.

It’s like Thrown Off the Ice again. But in this case, HR, as I see it, is a classic MM. I know we usually associate classics with books from the 1800s or whatnot, but HR is a classic MM, especially sports-romance/hockey romance, along with Him. Are you really an MM reader and lover if you haven’t read this? It’s one of the most commonly recommended stories, and I have to say, I’m disappointed.

To get it out of the way: This isn’t an enemies to lovers; it’s a rivals (with benefits) to lovers. Shane and Ilya say they hate each other, but we know what that means. So to put it short, Heated Rivalry follows Canadian hockey player Shane Holland and Russian player Ilya Rozanov who are two idiots always horny for each other.

That’s it. That’s all this is about.

I consider it rivals to lovers and not enemies to lovers (although I’m having trouble understanding the lovers part) because the two are so competitive and always try beating each other during their games. I want to say that they have hate sex once or twice, but I already forgot with all the sex they had. Still, the hate is never really there. This is a reason why enemies to lovers is not something I read a lot because the trope feels so loosely marketed all the time. The characters always hate each other for like, 10% of the book, and later on start developing feelings, whether romantic or sexual, that the hate is suddenly invisible. Two characters will dislike/hate each other so much but they're so attractive and sexy that it overpowers that dislike.

“Shane fucking hated him. But Rozanov was really good at sucking cock, and he was, for whatever reason, willing.”
(This is from the prologue, so it was October 2016, but it’s basically the entire premise. If that’s your type of “enemies” to lovers, then you'll probably be okay with this)

So yes, Ilya and Shane are rivals, and it’s evident in how they communicate. I’m not complaining, though. Their banter was one of the only things I liked from this, yet a large portion of the credit should be suitably given to Ilya. Confident, cocky, and straightforward, Ilya doesn’t care about what others think about him and knows he’s good. His personality shines on and off-page. Whether it was his perspective, it’s easy to imagine his character in a realistic scenario. He knows what he wants, what he can get, and knows he’s right. However, under all that mockery, perky humor, and interesting character lies a side of him stowing away. Playing for the Boston Bears as a Russian, he faces more criticism than others think. He has no family who loves him, his father does not treat him nicely, and his brother only calls him for money. He sometimes becomes annoyed with his accent, is scared of coming out not only because he’s a hockey player but because of Russia’s LGBTQ+ rights, and feels alone. Shane ends up being one of the only important people in his life. Adding on to that, I also found the obsession Ilya had with Shane’s freckles cute. I love it when one character loves a specific feature about the other character that they can’t stop thinking about it.

But, despite the top-notch, entertaining, and playful banter between the two and the obsession with freckles, there was nothing else this offered.

To put it mildly, the book is more than half sexual. The prologue started in October 2016. A sex scene. Then we go back to when Shane and Ilya met in December 2008. Time jump to June 2009. Shane has spent the last six months obsessed with Ilya. Do we see these obsessive thoughts? No. Time jump to December 2009. The whole chapter was an inner monologue of Ilya with only one dialogue between the two. Time jump to July 2010. The two engage sexually for the first time. What follows next are more time jumps (sometimes one or two months, sometimes it’s the next year) and some “moments” thrown in there for laughs and giggles. We see Shane and Ilya do nothing but hook up almost every month between these time jumps.

It’s all an exhausting, frustrating, annoying cycle.

The time jumps were probably one of the worst things about this. We’re supposed to believe their feelings are growing for each other as they do nothing but hook up throughout six years (and counting). We go from them hooking up once to them hooking up again two months later, with nothing in between or before that. And then it just repeats. Three months later. Four. Five. Next year. The sex scenes became so repetitive and tiring, I became so exhausted that I started skimming them. They were all the same, with the few changes being some positions, angles, and hotels (cause they only hooked up at hotels besides that (1) time).

I can tell you absolutely NOTHING about the two, even though we’ve seen them grow for six years. The insta-lust and “slow-burn” isn’t even what bothered me. It was how we’re set to believe they’ve known each other for six years, yet all they did for the majority of the book was hook up. They never stayed and talked. I didn’t like this at all because I want to see their thoughts and actions outside the bedroom. But we don't see them because there aren’t any. It doesn't help that according to The Long Game, they've been seeing each other for ten years, but six/seven of those years were of them hooking up. It was all a complete waste of time and missed opportunity to add character development, both individual and for the relationship. My asthmatic lungs started hurting from how much I started laughing when the two wondered why they didn’t talk before. Like shit, what an interesting thought, huh?

Look, I’m all for the couple taking months or years to get together, but I want to see that emotional connection the two start sharing where they want to be together but can’t. The yearning, the pining, the forbidden love? Especially yearly?! Yes, please! Their relationship starts in 2008 and the book ends sixteen months after July 2017 (you do the math). Would this be something I love? Absolutely. But that isn't how it happened here. All that “progression” was sexual. They take years to admit their “feelings” because all they did in those years was hook up and leave before someone saw them together. The time jumps didn't help because they only added to the missed opportunities of seeing the relationship grow since it jumps from one sex scene, to some monologue, to another sex scene, to a hockey game, to a scene of their personal life, and so on. In other words, whatever happens outside of the bedroom is what we don't see besides the few and small scenes mentioned above.

Yes, I know I’m repeating myself. That should be okay, though, because this book did that too.

The two are so horny for each other that it took Ilya until November 2016 to say Shane’s name because they would refer to each other as their last name (not to mention it was pre-orgasm). Usually, this is something I adore, especially in hate to love books, because the last name-calling becomes adoring and even endearing when they get together. But here I question: Was I supposed to feel something for the first time Ilya said Shane’s name even though they hooked up so many times before that? Add on to that how little they knew about each other because, again, all they know how to do is hook up. All we know is that Ilya’s favorite drink is Coke. We also know that the two are hockey players who met when they were rookies at seventeen. Ilya is bisexual and Russian, and Shane is gay and Canadian (with Japanese roots, although him being part Japanese is pretty irrelevant). Ilya also has a shitty family and his mom is dead, while Shane has nice and supportive parents.

In between these time jumps, I can count on one hand how many cute scenes there were: Ilya and the kids; the support of Shane’s parents because there is nothing better than parents accepting their children as who they are; when Shane told Ilya to talk to him in Russian because it’s easier for him; the time Ilya was worried when Shane got hurt; the time Ilya made Shane a tuna melt, and they laid down together.

But of course, both of those last scenes then had to be ruined by making them sexual because the two were pretty damn incapable of having one scene where they simply talked. Sex is the only thing these two know how to do because they choose not to try anything else. So talking without getting horny is impossible for them.

I didn’t keep track of how many sex scenes there are, but there are 15 (I got this from Alisa’s review). Regardless, it felt more than that. And because they all felt the same with those tiny, minor changes, they were no longer good.

“They should give us a chance to get to know each other,” Ilya said. He leaned in and dropped his voice. “We might even have something in common.”
(That’s funny cause you’ve had the last six years or so to do that, actually)

Before we know it, the two have suddenly started caring for each other and started falling in love. How? Where? Why? I have no idea how the two started seeing each other differently when they know almost nothing about each other, haven’t had a conversation without it becoming about sex or their rivalry, or weren’t even friends. Perhaps these moments happen off-page, but even if we aren’t shown, we aren’t told either. I’d expect some backstory on what the two had previously discussed or how much time they spent getting to know each other off-page. Something. Anything that contributed to the new perspectives they had of each other. But that didn’t happen because, as I’ve said too many times that I’m annoyed at myself as well, the only time they talked was when they had sex. This is a very weak strategy. Considering they have sex more than ten times, with those sex scenes being an excessive amount of pages, their scenes never felt tender, sweet, or intimate. Like the time Ilya almost cried as he told Shane about his mother. The chapter ended there, and while the next started with them playing video games (think FIFA but the hockey version), it later turns into them having sex. There was also the time Shane went to the hospital because he got slammed in the wall during a hockey match, and the only thing he was worried about was the fact that his and Ilya’s “night” (you know, night) was ruined.

I know I already said this, but they had so much sex that my brain became damaged from its repetitiveness.

I understand this is rivals with benefits to lovers, but sex being the primary plot device for the actual 50% of the story and later being used in between scenes for the rest of the story makes it weak. With the blurb saying, “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…”, I really thought there would be that forbidden love part where the two find ways to be together. But when you only let your characters be together as rivals in the ice and fuck buddies in hotels, it becomes cheap. And if someone says, “They can’t be together because they can’t risk it” or anything similar, that is exactly why the forbidden part failed. If the author can give them 10 minutes to fuck, why can’t those 10 minutes be replaced with domesticity?

Their attraction is lust. Point black. Nothing else. I knew this was insta-lust, and know that beforehand actually helps, but not when the whole book is that.
The feelings they started feeling towards each other were guided by their dicks and arousal. They came out of nowhere.
Tension? Too sexual. Forbidden love? Needed improvement. Their need? Horny 25/8. Relationship? Well, if you count the benefits part, that’s it.

“The last time they had really spoken had been almost six months ago, before the Olympics, and Shane hadn’t actually done all that much talking. What he had done was let Rozanov push him to his knees in the middle of his hotel room and fuck his mouth until Shane’s eyes watered.”
(Talking wasn’t even an option when all you think about is dick)

In other words, I will never understand hypersexual people.

I know many of us care more about characters than plot, and usually, a plot is irrelevant to me in a romance book. However, I think adding one can add strength to the book, but it depends on how it’s written and how much it contributes to the overall romance. In this case, with the repeated and constant sex in this, even the plot wasn't able to make up for it. Why? Cause there wasn't even one! Even the banter and how much I liked Ilya (and Shane too, I guess) didn’t save the story for me, so even the story itself was irrelevant because where even WAS the story? Lara mentioned how this felt like a long prologue, and it did when I think about it. There is no character development whatsoever that the two felt the same by the end. Like, two things happened in the entire thing.

Let’s see.

Ilya’s dad died, so he went back to Russia.

I think that was it, actually.

Shit.

Am I missing something?

Wait.

What actually happened, besides sex?

Hold on, I’m thinking.

I think…

Um…

Well, I’m sure something happened…

Right?

I recently got a retail job so let’s just blame that on taking over my brain and pretend this story was memorable.

Anyway.

It was also upsetting not knowing what Ilya told Shane in Russian. It would have made a big difference in the story. I love it when a character speaks in a different language and uses it to say pretty words to another character because they know they won’t understand. Maybe the author was scared to be wrong with the translations or something.

“I’m fucked,” he murmured in Russian. “I am so fucking in love and it’s horrible.”
“In Russian.” No, tell me in Russian)

I’d rate this 1-star if it weren’t for the banter and freckles. In the end, this was, quite honestly, one of the most overrated and overhyped books I’ve read.

*Yawn*
Next.

[Emmy Rosam · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 stars 🌟 Worth the hype. One of the best hockey books I’ve ever read I feel physically unwell and obsessed with these characters.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you say as a review to a book that feels like a love letter to your soul?

Yes, I know I sound dramatic, but after re-reading it three times over the past six years and falling deeper and deeper in love with these characters each time, I knew I owed this book a new review. My previous review was... stale. This book is the gift that keeps on giving.

For fans of slow-burn romance and enemies-to-lovers, it really doesn't get better than this. Heated Rivalry starts out deceptively, with the tension and emotions creeping up more and more, but then you will not be able to put it down. My awareness of the force of Ilya and Shane grew with the characters' own awareness of each other. They orbit around each other like they are each other's suns.

It's easy to dismiss this book as just another sexy hockey romance, and, to be honest, that's what drew me to this book in the first place. However, it's really so much more. Rachel Reid lets Ilya and Shane be so, so real. It's hard to explain, but it literally makes my heart ache to think of how vulnerable and honest these characters get to be with each other in a way that we don't often get in romance. Their true selves are wrenched out, and it's emotional to be a part of it.

Yes, this book is sexy (insert sweating emoji), and yes, we get a half-Asian MC with freckles and a sexy Russian bi-guy, but it's so much more than that. It's sexy, it's sad, it's happy, it's stressful, it's exciting... it's just everything.

Heated Rivalry tops my Best of the Best list for a reason. I'll say it over and over again: This book is the GOAT

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(Original review- 2019)

I loooooved Heated Rivalry, and thanks to Rachel Reid, I'm on a total book high right now.

I have a weakness for hockey players and hockey romances, so I felt compelled to try another book in Rachel Reid's hockey series even though I didn't love Game Changer. And I'm SO glad I did because Heated Rivalry gave me all the feels.

Though the book has lots of sex in it, it's still a romance-first story, even though that romance is slow burn and takes a long time to get there. I loved seeing these two through the years, and I loved their love/hate dynamic. There was a chemistry there from the start, but the rivalry and competitiveness kept these two from anything but angry sex for a long time.

I thought the story was decent at first, but then I became seriously obsessed. I couldn't put the story down all day, and I read it straight through in less than 24 hours, even at over 300 pages long. The sex was fast and swift but the feelings build and build over time, so much so that I had tears in my eyes by the end. You need to be a very patient reader because it takes these guys FOREVER to admit their feelings for each other. They are enemies-with-benefits for the majority of the story.

However, if you like hockey romances, half-Asian guys with freckles, and tall, surly bisexual Russians, Heated Rivalry is SO worth your while.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

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[Sara Carrolli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this before the show came out, and was super excited to watch the show after seeing all the trailers & edits ‼️

I think the book was good! It was definitely spicy which I knew beforehand, and I wasn’t connected to the characters until the second half when their emotions got tied into what they were doing. Once that happened, I REALLY ENJOYED IT! I also think I’ve watched like hours worth of tik tok edits of the show & that may be my favorite part of it all

[Yana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drown me in an ice cold water pls 🙂‍↕️ I’m so ready for the show next 🙂‍↕️

[Ali L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two hockey players, both dumbasses in their own way, join the NHL and become rich and famous. They play for different teams but don’t let that get in the way of a decade-long lots-of-strings-attached top-secret affair. Ilya is a cocky, ne’er-do-well Russian and Shane is a Canadian who is chihuahua-like in his nervous energy. This book is not a slow burn in the traditional sense, as we see them bang vigorously in an empty condo within the first 20 pages, but it is a slow burn in the sense that neither of them admit to possessing a single feeling (besides Shane’s anxiety) until about 65% in. If you’re concerned that you’re not enough of a sports fan to enjoy, let me assure you: I have never watched a hockey game in my life and I gave this 5 stars. It’s people on ice chasing a biscuit, don’t worry about it. If you reach the end and go “sorry what?” fear not; they have a second book that you will want to get immediately. Why do I love this book with such devoted fervor? Simple: I adore idiots to lovers, and Ilya and Shane are their kings.

[Uswah · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

I guess I’m just gonna watch the show 😔 because no offense, this book is filled with smut 😭 and I simply can’t take it anymore. (Edit: I’m obsessed with the show 🥹)

I actually like the characters, ngl. If they weren’t constantly focused on lusting after each other, I would’ve loved them 😭🫂

I started the book, the prologue shows up, I’m reading, everything is going well, and then suddenly, they’re doing IT. WHAAAAT!?!? Like PLEASE, at least leave the poor prologue alone 😭

And then after every 2–3 chapters, they’re back to banging each other 😭 I’m so sorry, but I came here to read the plot, not how they’re lusting over each other every five minutes 😭 I even tried to push through, but seriously… every two chapters?? 😭 I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE.

That being said, I don’t think I’ll be able to continue this series 😭 I’ll watch the show tho 😭 maybe the adaptation will redeem it.

Yea, that’s it, guys. Love y’all 🫶💙🩵

————————————————
🏒₊˚⊹♡ pre-read 🏒₊˚⊹♡

I neeeeed to dive into the series, but I’m making myself read the book first 🙂‍↕️ so obviously it’s turning into a group read with my besties Joe, Vaishnavi, Ayeley, and Kimberly 🤭💙🩵

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forgot to mark this as read but I enjoyed spoiling everything for myself before I watched an episode 😀 I love them—show is 5 stars but the book isn’t as good 🏃🏻‍♀️shane and Ilya for life fr

[Kaila.Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ilya and Shane!!!!

This is a slow burn emotionally, not physically.

I saw a review calling it “just smut” and I don’t agree at all….. The spice is an intentional narrative tool. It shows how unbalanced their dynamic is.. giving each other everything physically while holding back affection and commitment . Which made for the most INSANE YEARNING. This book is a masterclass in tension and yearning.

“Does it feel like agony for you too”
“Not anymore”
I am a pile of tears.

[Shile (Hazard's Version) on-hiatus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread- October 2023

**********************************************
Reread - December 2021

One of the best mm enemies to lovers ever. I will never get tired of this book.

**********************************************
GAAAAAAHHH!!!! I LOVE THIS BOOK!!

As for the Audiobook, let's just say it is tolerable. I bumped the speed up and it worked. Good thing the story is fantastic.

"I hate you."
"I know, Now Suck my dick"

That is so sexy!!! Ilya!! GAAAAAAAHH!!!

**********************************************
“I want to be in your lap when you fuck me. Facing you. Holding you.”



GAAAAAAAH!!! BOOKS! BOOKS! And MORE BOOKS! Where would I be without BOOKS?

Warning! GUSHING! GUSHING AND MORE GUSHING!!!

MC 1: Shane

MC 2: Ilya

Look at that cover!



I read Special Forces - Soldiers and said, This is the Best Enemies to Lovers story ever, nothing can ever come close. Then I read Captive Prince and I was like; This is the Best Enemies to Lovers story ever, ever, ever. THEEEEEN! I read this and I am like: This is the Best Enemies to Lovers story ever. Ok! that means I have 3 best Enemies to Lover story ever.

This is how you write an enemies to lovers story.

There is something about Russians in books. I freaking love them Russian MCs. Ilya Razanov is now my number 3 Russian book boyfriend, Of course Vadim and Alexei will forever top them all. Ilya love, no. 3 is not bad, you get a bronze! YAY!

Shane: Rozanov was a stunning man. Light brown curls that were always a mess fell into his playful hazel eyes and over his dark, thick eyebrows. His strong jaw and cleft chin were covered in stubble. His smile was lopsided and lazy, and his teeth were unnaturally white due to most of them not being real.

Me: There he is my Russian! Ok! Shane’s Russian but still!

These two MCs are so well written, so well developed and the chemistry they have is out of this world. Shane and Ilya start the book as enemies and slowly they evolve into a beautiful love story. This part is where the author shines. The relationship development is so realistic and just right. Gaaaah! Just Gaaaaah! The slow burn is soooooooooooo goooood! Soothing and GAAAAAH!

The banter in this book is gold. I was Loling and fanning myself at the same time. YAAAP! It is that Amazing! The conversations between Shane & Ilya are engaging and also realistic.

Rozanov didn’t reply for a moment. Then he turned back to the television and said, “I like girls.”
“Yeah, no shit.”
“But I also like you.”
“Well, lucky me,” Shane grumbled.
“Not as a person, of course,” Rozanov teased.
“But you have a good mouth.” He took a suggestive bite of his dill pickle.



THE SEX! THE FREAKING SEX! Jesus Lawd! Phantom multiple Orgasms!!!! Hot! Hotter! Hottest! My pants were on fire. Poof panties gone. The sex scenes are a lot in this book but they are part of the story, and the chemistry between the MCs makes it worth it.

Fuck.” He kissed Rozanov again, rough and needy. God, he needed this. This horrible, fucked-up thing.
“You taste like beer,” Rozanov said.
“You taste like that horrible gum you chew.”
“Is so I don’t smoke!”
“Shut up.”
They grappled and maneuvered each other until they reached the bedroom, where Shane shoved Rozanov roughly against a wall and continued kissing him. He felt the familiar slide of his rival’s tongue in his mouth, and slid his own tongue over teeth that had been fixed and replaced god knew how many times.



I like how Ilya’s family issues was handled, kudos for not letting that drag out throughout the story. Oh! I don’t like them at all.

Rachel Reid did a 360 with her writing. This book and book 1 are so different. Dear Author, keep doing what you are doing, it is working. I liked book 1 and freaking LOOOOVED book 2.

Hockey and Sex is the best combo ever.

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yay! A review that will probably get me in all sorts of nonsense with angry readers telling me I’m wrong and people starting up the argument about who is “allowed” to write certain stories to tell me that anyone is allowed to write anything! And sure, they can! But *I* am allowed to critique. So that’s what we are doing here!

This book is a prime example of why I always am wary whenever I pick up an MM romance written by a woman. To me, it felt like nothing but fetishization from start to finish. There is little authenticity here. The relationship is not well developed, and the book felt like nothing more than an excuse to write a hundred sex scenes between two hot men. I’m not exaggerating when I say the book is just 100% sex. You’d be hard pressed to find a chapter that isn’t sexual in some way, shape, or form. It may not be an explicit sex scene with our two leads going at it, but they are always mentioning sex, whether it be a quick line, or reminiscing, or whatever. Very repetitive might I add (obviously).

On that note, there were perhaps attempts at heartfelt moments and scenes. But they were instantly undercut because then it would be back to sex immediately in that very moment. To Rachel Reid, it appears that queer men are just sex addicts who can’t have a genuine conversation without keeping their hands off one another. It really left a sour taste in my mouth (as an actual gay man!!).


There’s also other issues I have with the representation, one of them being that Rachel Reid is clearly not equipped to deal with the topic of internalized homophobia. Early in the book, we get Shane thinking: “It was bad enough that he loved being fucked so much, that he loved having a dick in his mouth”… Now this of course could have and should have been expanded upon, examined, even talked about in some way, but nope! Never mentioned again through the whole book. Sure, Shane comes out and accepts that he is gay (kind of…) but there is no passage that considers these sorts of thoughts and has him working through them.

There’s also the matter of how our two leads are presented. Shane consistently comments on how hyper masculine Ilya is, while Shane is forced into a more “submissive” and “feminine” role, being called “pretty boy” and Ilya even saying to him that his hands are soft like a girl’s. I want to make it clear that there is nothing wrong with men being feminine- here I am commenting on the way Rachel Reid seems to play into patriarchal stereotypes wherein one of the characters (who happens to be a top) is the “manly man” while the other (who bottoms) is portrayed in such a way that aligns with femininity, despite them both being men.

There’s a weird misogynistic undertone to the entire book as well that goes beyond what I’ve highlighted already. There are precisely two women in this book who are characters: Shane’s mother, who doesn’t do anything except exist as his mother, and Rose, an actress who Shane hooks up with and dates for a while before coming out to her as gay. So, Rose, the only woman who bears any real sort of weight in this book, is merely a vessel for our protagonist to sort out his emotions (after having sex with her multiple times of course). But other women ARE mentioned throughout the book. They are simply reduced to nothing more than sex objects, who throw themselves at our protagonists and who are mentioned when Shane and Ilya compare how they’ve had sex before with women in their internal dialogues. They are nameless, and exist solely as sexual beings.

And, side note, the whole rivalry thing? Lies. They keep mentioning throughout the book that the world thinks they hate each other but what evidence would support that? They are pretty cordial to each other in public, even joking around in interviews. Friendly rivalry at best, enemies nowhere to be found.


In short: absolutely fetishization of queer men to me. And if you disagree still…okay. But here’s a quote from the “about the author” section: “She enjoys books about hot men doing hot things, and cool ladies being awesome.” You can think what you want.

Hated this, and highkey pissed that it got picked up for an adaptation over MM stories by actual queer men.

[brooke (hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

➸ 4.5 stars

“you are very beautiful.” ilya said. shane smiled without opening his eyes. “come on.” “is the truth. your freckles.” ilya grazed a fingertip over his own cheek. “i am nuts about them.”

i have a severe case of ilyashane brainrot. i want this book engraved in my heart forever 🧸🔐

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

obsessed is an understatement. haven't felt this invested in any sort of fandom since my 1D days. bless!!!!!!!

[Bailee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Yes yes I couldn’t resist reading this after watching the show!!!! Here’s the thing, if I hadn’t watched the show I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed this as much as I did. This is definitely a case, to me, where the show is better than the book. And some of the lines were BAR FOR BAR in the show. Loved that.

Regardless of that, I love them. The competitiveness, the jokes, the yearning, the love all of it I love them.

Was the book perfect? No. Do I care? Also no. Going immediately into The Long Game because I love them.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

They hated each other but they couldn't keep their hands off each other...

Not so much enemies to lovers but enemies AND lovers.... nothing better ( this stuff makes me swoon)

This book pushed all my buttons in the very best way.I absolutely loved it.


Fierce rivalry on the ice rink and even fiercer passion between the sheets.

Shane and Ilya are both 19 when come into the media spotlight.Not just because they're such promising young players but their hatred for each other becomes legendary.Wouldn't the world love to know the truth?? Starting in the present day the story then goes back seven years to when they both started hooking up.



HATE-SEX.....people!! And it was downright delicious. The sex scenes,and there's a lot of them,are scorching hot.The Author gets it just right here.You don't get pages and pages of long drawn out foreplay and preparation here....these boys get straight to it and it's pretty damn perfect.It's desperate sex at it's best.There's pushing against walls,throwing on the bed,dirty kisses,it's take-me-now,I'll-beg-if- I-have-to stuff.....

*twirls*


I'm not normally a fan of sports romance but,again,the Author totally nailed the sports element.The ice hockey theme was,obviously,ever present but never got boring.Often with these stories you get a lot about rules,tactics,etc but I never felt that here-in fact I might have fallen in love with ice hockey a bit.


Ok,so it took a while for the feelings to come but I didn't care.It worked.I read this in 24 hours.These boys went everywhere with me,I couldn't put it down once I started and isn't that just the best thing?


I adored these two guys.I loved the writing.I honestly can't fault this.

Highly Recommended.


Review copy provided by the publisher,via NetGalley

[mwana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reasons you should read this book:

Ilya motherfucking Rozanov.

Edit: 11/10/25

We're getting a TV show bitches!!!!!
Trailer: https://youtu.be/ADi1iextoUM?si=4W-Qy...

28/11/2025 AND WE'RE LIVE!!

[lisa ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

situationship from hell

[Miranda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Ilya couldn’t believe what he had been reduced to. He was...infatuated. It was disgusting."

Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander -- bitter rivals, sworn enemies, and...lovers?

"Ilya couldn’t resist a bad idea. And Shane Hollander was a bad fucking idea. The worst idea."

Ever since high school, Rozanov and Hollander were pitted against each other. Hollander's golden-boy persona vs Rozanov's dark heel antagonism.

And the fans freaking loved it - the world could not be more obsessed with the everlasting battle between the hockey players.

Despite their reputations and fierce competitiveness, the two of them cannot deny the attraction they felt. In locker rooms, in stolen kisses, in secret rendezvous.

“Found you,” said Ilya.
“You were looking for me?”
“Of course not”

But is it just a couple of guys letting off steam? Or is there something more? Could they actually be...in love?

“On your knees,” Ilya said softly, just to see what he would do.

Ohhh boy. Hockey? This is about hockey, right? Honestly, I don't think I could learn less about the sport if I tried.

All I know is that there's a little bit of ice. And a lotta bit of boys kissing.

Joking aside...I rarely read pure romance books. I love a bit of fantasy, or historical fiction, or something else to help dilute the romance. That goes even moreso for sport themed books.

And yet here I am. Front and center.

The author did such a freaking amazing job with the enemies to lovers trope that I can hardly believe it. Ilya was so freaking hilarious and played off of Shane absolutely perfectly - always teasing, always kind and never mean or vindictive.

I felt like their dynamic was pure perfection and I couldn't have enjoyed their series more.

Cannot wait for the next one.

[cherie ^_-★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars ⭐
⤷ mini spoiler-free review!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ my thoughts
i’d already watched lots of clips of the tv series on tiktok before reading this book so i went in knowing most of what was going to happen, but i still ate 👏🏻 it 👏🏻 up 👏🏻 yes, it was filled with smut, but the tension, the angst, the yearninggg 😫🤌🏻 shane and ilya are so fucking cute ugh i love them your honour 😭

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ overall
i totally get the hype and i’ll definitely be watching the tv series when i get the chance!

────────── ⋆⋅end⋅⋆ ──────────

pre-read 🏒
hihi besties 💖 merry belated christmas! 🎄 first of all, sorry for disappearing 😭 i’ve been pretty busy lately and i literally haven’t picked up a book in TWELVE days 😭 second, i wanted to catch up on everyone’s updates and reviews BUT GLITCHREADS ISN’T LETTING ME COMMENT ON THEM 😭 and third, everyone and their mother has read this book/watched the tv series and i’m having major FOMO so i’m gonna read this RN (even though i’m supposed to be reading the other two books on my currently reading shelf 😅)

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes I just want a silly lil read where men have intense eye contact, tension so solid you could deep fry it and then for them to fuck right away, ya know?


I keep seeing haters of this book, this is the one time I don’t wanna be in enemy territory 🤣 (normally I am the enemy territory and I know that, plez forgive me ahahhahah)

Leave our Jane and Lily alone 💖



***added edit before HR the show was released, just after the gym scene trailer drop**
Yes… the gym scene…. I get it….
BUT THE FACT THAT WE MIGHT BE BLESSED WITH THE REAL LIFE POOL SCENE??????????
I’m hyperventilating 🙈



original review:
GINGER ALE AND TUNA MELTS 💖
LILY AND JANE 💖
ILYA JUMPING ON SHANE AT THE POOL WHEN HE WAS WET 💖
PUSHING SHANE OFF THE DOCK 💖
“Will you please … help me get my citizenship quicker?” (Not actual words but if you know, you know) 💖

I loved every moment and I’m so sad it’s over, please console me.

[Alisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had not cared much for the first book in the series but I saw so many glowing reviews of this one I decided to give this one a try. Turns out this author is not going to be for me.

It started really good. For the first 15% or so I thought this was going to be a great read. We meet Shane and Ilya in their current messed up situation and then it jumps back in time to them being teenage rookies and just meeting. Then I realized this was a pattern. They meet up, have sex, leave. Meet up, have sex, leave. It quickly went from unique to tedious. Finally around 60% or so we got caught up time wise to the current day. A few more things start to happen but they also drop back to the meet up, have sex, leave thing.

There was, in my opinion, an excessive amount of sex in this book. There were 15 sex scenes (I counted) and most of them are 5-7 pages long. They were the only way the author seemed to be able to show the guys were starting to care for each other. I don't like this technique at all. I think it's lazy and/or unskilled writing and not what I want in a book. I want to see how the MC's are falling in love through their thoughts and actions outside the bedroom. By the 60% mark or so I literally could not read another sex scene. I just skimmed them.

I wasn't buying the overall plot. They hook up for 6 years without becoming friends at all? They never talk, know nothing about each other? Then we get to a place where they're both internally thinking that they care for each other. How? Why? They've never talked outside of sex. It takes six years before they do anything as simple as make a sandwich for each other. They know nothing about each other outside of their hockey stats and what they've seen on TV. The whole thing was odd to me.

I didn't really care for either MC. We don't get to know them well. Everything is surface level. Shane in particular bothered me. He comes across very weak and whiny.

If you're not a hockey fan this next part won't bother you but I am and it did. The teams the guys are on is a famous real life rivalry (the cities...the team names here are made up). I was ok with that. It's not a unique, it's the two teams most authors seem to go to (I am still waiting for a Kings/Ducks rivalry authors!!) but it's very real and it sets a good vibe. It would be crazy if two Habs and Boston players started an affair with each other. I really bought into that part of their shared history and the authenticity of it was great. It wasn't too far into it though that I realized the author was basing Shane on Sidney Crosby and Ilya on Alexander Ovechkin and that's where she lost me. It is a real life rivalry (which is probably mostly media hype) and there is a ton of Crosby/Ove fanfic out there so apparently some people are fans of it but for me, no, just no. Like 'I just vomited a little in my mouth" level of no. I hate everything about this pairing. Too much to even begin to address in a review.

The one thing I loved about this book is that they chose to not come out about their relationship. I know this is a complaint from some readers but I loved it. It's realistic. I absolutely loathe in sports books where one MC forces the other to come out to prove their love (which was one of my complaints about the first book in this series). I'm super glad the author handled this aspect the way she did. I saw a few reviewers mention it was more HFN to them than HEA but I don't agree. These two had a firm plan for the rest of their lives. They have a plan for while they're playing and another for when they retire. (& hockey players rarely play past their early to mid 30s. It's not a long time to be private) They do not plan to split up. I think that's a firm HEA. Just because they plan to keep their private lives private doesn't change that for me.

So...I gave this author two tries and neither worked for me. This writing style is just not my thing. Most of the other reviews of this book are positive though so you should probably check out some of them.

**ARC provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

[Corina · Rating 5 out of 5]

UPDATE 2026: I’ve been completely lost in an HR hole since Christmas—my IG Explore page is 100% HR, and I couldn’t be happier! I’ve already watched the show multiple times and am loving all the fan edits on IG, plus the interviews and behind-the-scenes info. Honestly, what a time to be alive!!!

Update December 2025: I cannot believe I can’t watch the Heated Rivalry show right now. Everyone is raving about it, posting screenshots, losing their minds over Shane and Ilya—and I’m just sitting here in Germany suffering in silence.
At this point I think I have to re-read the book, because I desperately need some Shane-and-Ilya energy in my life again.

UPDATE 2025: I can’t stop thinking about this book. I genuinely have to stop myself from rereading it on a loop, even though every part of me wants to. It brings me so much joy and has officially become my all-time favorite. ♡

UPDATE 2022: This is my fifth reread of Shane and Ilya’s story, and it never — ever — gets old. They’re hands down my favorite MM couple!

UPDATE 2022: OMG, OMG, OMG — I just got The Long Game on my Kindle! I’m rereading Heated Rivalry first and then diving straight into the sequel. A very happy reader over here! :D

UPDATE 2021: Still completely in love with this book and these two!

UPDATE: The second read was just as amazing as the first. I adore them. ♥︎

Wow, what a book.

Epic, sexy, and easily one of the best MM romances I’ve read so far.

It’s also one of the strongest enemies-to-lovers stories I’ve ever come across.

I finished Heated Rivalry in a single sitting—literally stayed up until 1 a.m. on a Saturday because I couldn’t put it down. From the first page, I was hooked. The tension was electric, and the whole story just radiated epicness.

The book focuses almost entirely on the two main characters, following their passionate, secret, ten-year entanglement. So much of their connection happens behind closed doors, and I loved that the author avoided the typical clichés. I went in expecting certain tropes, only to be surprised in the best way when those expectations were subverted.

It’s worth noting that Shane and Ilya don’t have a traditional “relationship” until later in the book. If you’re expecting a cozy, white-picket-fence arc, this isn’t that. They start as hookups and stay that way for a long time, living in different cities and only managing to see each other a few times a year.
Yes, the book has plenty of sexy moments, and the teasing and banter are top-tier. But what really stood out was the undeniable pull between them from the moment they met.

Ilya, especially as a native Russian speaker, was portrayed incredibly well. His English improves over the years, but the author leaves little linguistic details that remind you he’s still navigating a second language. It felt so authentic and really showcased the author’s commitment to character nuance.
Overall, the vibe of this story is unmatched. I still can’t pinpoint exactly what made it so game-changing for me — maybe the tight focus on character development, maybe the way the plot unfolds without relying on heavy external drama, maybe the sheer emotional intensity of their connection. Probably all of it.

Heated Rivalry is enemies-to-lovers at its absolute best, and I was completely enthralled. If anything, I love it more every time I read it.

[moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 5 out of 5]

i won’t be able to concentrate on anything until The Long Game comes out, at this point 😞😞

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

reread (47821): september 2021

will my love for Ilya and Shane ever fade? will i ever get tired of rereading this book?

*alexa play never ever by got7* 🤪

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

5++ stars ☆

“It was. It really…made me hopeful. That things might be changing.”
Ilya shot the puck back to Shane. “It made me jealous,” he admitted.
Shane laughed. “You wanna kiss me on television?”
“Yes. After I win the Stanley cup.”

Ilya and Shane will always have a special place in my heart. although they had a lot of back and forth through majority of this book + time skips, i felt their connection. their banters, tension, rivalry. chefs kiss. i adored their conversations (especially in the second half when they finally had a mini vacation for themselves in Shane’s cottage!!) and ate up every word of this book. i’ve only loved this book more and more with each reread. it’s hard to accurately put into words exactly how i feel for these two, but just know i loved them. so much. i’m excited for the sequel! 🥺🤍

[manas (traveling) · Rating 2 out of 5]

reasons i didn’t like this:

1. horrendous writing.
2. excessive smut.
3. terrible pacing.
4. slumping.
5. atrocious audiobook.

[ivy · Rating 3 out of 5]

i ADORE Ilya. i adore Shane.

yes, this book was filled with 50% smut but somehow Rachel Reid also created an emotional connection between them? I was blushing and swooning SO hard it’s kind of embarrassing. ilya’s Russian accent and Shane helping him UGHH. and them having little emotional and mundane moments together?!? 😭 those were my absolute favorite parts (I would’ve preferred more of these than the smut scenes). yeah !! overall i enjoyed and now i am running to go watch the show.

(too many smut scenes though)

⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹

ᝰ ⋆ ── preread ✶
time for another hockey romance + A BUDDY READ WITH MY BFF!! we've both been seeing so many amazing things about this (specifically the show), hopefully it's got a good plot 😩.