My Dinner with Hayden: A Heated Rivalry Short Story

Game Changers #2.5

by Rachel Reid

"This story takes place slightly before the actual epilogue in Heated Rivalry. So it’s an…epilogue prologue? It takes place almost sixteen months after the last chapter of Heated Rivalry, and about three weeks before the epilogue."
-Rachel Reid

Genres: Romance, M M Romance, Sports, Contemporary, Hockey, LGBT, Short Stories

24 pages, ebook

First published October 2, 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

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Dinner with Hayden: A Heated Rivalry Short Story is book #2.5 in the Game Changers series by Rachel Reid. This is a little short found on Rachel’s website that takes place about sixteen months after Heated Rivalry ends but about three weeks before the epilogue in the book takes place.

Ilya and Shane are a couple. It is almost time for them to reveal their joint foundation they created. It is so important to Shane to finally introduce Ilya to his best friend, Hayden as his boyfriend. So they invited Hayden and his wife over for dinner. Shane had worked hard on making Coq Au Vin and he wanted the night to be special. But things didn’t go as planned. Ilya was having way too much fun irritating Hayden and Hayden clearly did not approve of them as a couple.



This was such a fun little short story. I actually laughed out loud. It was the perfect way to wrap up my time with who is my current very favorite couple, Ilya and Shane. As I said in my review for Heated Rivalry, I started with this book. Now, I can’t wait to go back and read book one.

For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...

[Snjez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. It's perfect. Ilya and Shane are perfect.

[nark · Rating 5 out of 5]

that was so cute…🥺

Ilya is such a little shit sometimes.🤣 can’t help but absolutely love him!
Shane and Ilya are just perfect together. this little short story just solidified my love for them even more.

you can find it here along with some other extra short stories: https://www.rachelreidwrites.com/heat... 🖤

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading about Ilya and Shane makes me want to weep with joy.

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

“Do you know what I was thinking all night?” Ilya asked gently. “When I was being a dick?”
Shane’s shoulders tightened. “What?”
“I was thinking,” Ilya moved closer, lining his body up with Shane’s. Letting his chest brush against Shane’s back. “About how much I loved this. Being at home with you. Even having friends over. Being a couple.”
Shane’s shoulders relaxed as he exhaled loudly. “I love it too. I just want more of it.” He turned to face Ilya, and his eyes were much too sad.

I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. 😭 i feel ashamed i’ve only gotten around to this novella now, considering i’ve reread HR three times at this point but, thx to @nark’s update, i realized this existed. i think i’ve seen it around, but i thought it was only about Hayden, not Shane and Ilya as well lmaoo. it was lovely seeing all four of them bond tbh and Ilya and Hayden tryna get along towards the end. 🥺

anyways, i love my bbs!! brb while i go sob in the corner until The Long Game is released. ♡

[Wendys Wycked Words · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome <3

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute! Ilya and Shane just being Ilya and Shane 💛 I’m all for these fun little freebie short stories on the authors website - no newsletter sign up required!!

-Dinner with Hayden
-Halloween short
-Ilya POV Las Vegas scene
-Deleted scenes

[Shile (Hazard's Version) on-hiatus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread - October 2023

[Ky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny short story taking place a few weeks before the epilogue of Heated Rivalry.

Shane and Ilya were amazing as always of course!

I'm glad the author is writing more scenes about those two. You can find quite a few extras on her site if you don't feel like leaving this couple yet.

[oshiiy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars ⭐️ I read this novella ages ago, but I don't know why I haven't marked it as read. The only thing I remember is that I enjoyed this book a lot, and it isn't exactly a surprise since the book itself is featured by our badass Ilya and cute Shane.

[ʚ turtle ɞ (v. busy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

November 29, 2025 (4/5 ⭐️)
SO GOOD!!! I'M OBSESSED 😭

[Moony Eliver]

Loved it! I'll never tire of reading Ilya and Shane. More. Gimme.

[Erth · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This story takes place slightly before the actual epilogue in Heated Rivalry. So it’s an…epilogue prologue? It takes place almost sixteen months after the last chapter of Heated Rivalry, and about three weeks before the epilogue."
-Rachel Reid

[a_n_i_t_a · Rating 5 out of 5]

MORE SHANE & ILYA!!

5⭐️

This and the other short stories on RR’s webpage… amazing amazing amazing! The Las Vegas remix …. Ilya’s POV of the awards night…. Gah! 🫠🫠🫠🤌🤌🤌 I am thoroughly revelling in the Heated Rivalry phenom obsession I have going on right now!!


Thanks Jessica for giving me the heads up!! I’ve LOVED IT ALL!!!

I need more!!

[Joshita ❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This just wasn't enough!!!
It wasn't perfect but I will let that go because we are getting a sequel baby!!!!

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ilya and Shane being Ilya and Shane. What more can you ask for?

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute.

[Hniereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this was just ilya rage baiting hayden and it was so fun.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so funny, cute, and sexy. I loved it to death. A must read for any Rachel Reid fan.

[W · Rating 4 out of 5]

This vignette is in depth glimpse and awesome little treat in the lives of Shane and Ilya .

Story is FREE and can be found @Rachel Reid blog.

[Cadiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gaaaah too cute!

[Mariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give my firstborn (which I never plan on having) for a Shane & Ilya book 2 but this would do me.

[Kassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love these two. Love Ilya. Hayden is such a douche in this story. Ilya really was just being himself, but Hayden didn’t even try!

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't like the book about this couple and then I put the author on my "nope" list after she mocked my review (and some reviews by some other people) on her Twitter. She's still on my "nope" list but it's almost the end of year and I was way off my GR goal and I Really needed a bunch of Free short stories. And obviously my moral outrage only goes so far. :)

Anyways.....this was really good. This was what I wanted in the actual book. This was filled with emotions and the connection between these two jumped off the page (and she didn't even need to thrown in a bazillion sex scenes to do it.) I thought this was really well done & I'm glad I read this.

You can find this on the author's website. There is also a sweet story about Iyla passing out candy on Halloween that you should check out.

[Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow love is real

[Celine Ong · Rating 4 out of 5]

me, sobbing: i love these little shitheads

[Rachel Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shane and Ilya have to be one of my all-time favorite couples. Seriously, could read about these two NONSTOP.

I LOVE that the author is writing all these little sneak peaks into life of this couple. Can't wait to start on the next book in the series!

[Imanewreader ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love them so much, help !

[Andrea ☾ [is inconsistently consistant] · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️Our babies being cute af... and also Hayden is there, I guess lol

I liked Jackie, she's nice and all, but like Miss Girl give us something to work with, you know? She was nice to Ilya, who is obviously a sweet baby who deserves the world even when he's trying to get Hayden to punch him in the face. I'm not Hayden, so I think is funny he's so pressed and mad about his best friend being in love with THE Ilya Rozanov.

Shane was trying to grow out of his baby gay Shane phase, but he's still so scared and anxious, but like cute.

Just really cute and it's helped to tide me over until I can get my next Shane and Ilya fix.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is super short and set a few weeks before the epilogue of Heated Rivalry. When Hayden guesses (half jokingly) that Ilya is Shane's beau, Shane invites Hayden and his wife to dinner so he can see that Ilya is more than his rival and why he loves him... only Hayden and Ilya bicker most of the evening.
Its a sweet look at the domestic life that Shane and Ilya could potentially have in their future.