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book notes
title: Heated Rivalryauthor: Rachel Reid
series: Game Changers #2
published: 4.18.2023
publisher: Carina Press
Source: bought
genre(s): lgbtqia+, romance, sports
pages: 342
format: eBook
buy/shelve it: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | BookBub | BookHype | StoryGraph | Goodreads
rating:
| series rating: 
the blurb
Nothing interferes with Shane Hollander’s game—definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate.
Pro hockey star Shane Hollander isn’t just crazy talented, he’s got a spotless reputation. Hockey is his life. Now that he’s captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won’t let anything jeopardize that, especially the sexy Russian whose hard body keeps him awake at night.
Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane’s not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he’s as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him—except Shane. They’ve made a career on their legendary rivalry, but when the skates come off, the heat between them is undeniable. When Ilya realizes he wants more than a few secret hookups, he knows he must walk away. The risk is too great.
As their attraction intensifies, they struggle to keep their relationship out of the public eye. If the truth comes out, it could ruin them both. But when their need for each other rivals their ambition on the ice, secrecy is no longer an option…
a few notes
POV: 3rd person
setting: coming out, hockey, homophobia
keywords/phrases: Montreal, Ottawa, Boston
tropes: happy ending, forbidden love
spice: 5/5
language: 5/5
mood reading: in the mood for romance that feels real
bonus points: Shane’s parents. I love Yuna!
my review
Heated Rivalry had a little bit of a different feel to it than Game Changer. Part of that was the way in which the story was told. Unlike the first book, this one was told in alternating timelines. The relationship dynamic between Shane and Ilya was very different than that of Scott and Kip in the previous book. From the very beginning, even before their rookie NHL years, they were set up as rivals. Some of that was born of the natural state of competition between two elite up-and-coming hockey players, but some of it was also the baby of the media, framing them as enemies. It was a dynamic that the two bought into themselves, at least to some level. It was also a dynamic that underscored their relationship for a long time.
Like the first book, the story touched on some very real issues. For Shane, it was the struggle to accept his own sexuality. That really showed itself in how he viewed Ilya, how he felt about what was happening between them, even the shame he often felt after their times together. For Ilya, there was the added pressure of his sexuality being all but banned in his mother country. For both of them, there was the issue of acceptance within the NHL community.
There was such a bittersweet tone to this one, without the resolution that Game Changer has. But it was also a hope-filled story.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2026 52 Books Reading Challenge
- 2026 Barnes & Noble Reading Challenge
- 2026 Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge
- 2026 Linz the Bookworm & Logophile Reading Challenge
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