Review | Heated Rivalry (Game Changers #2) by Rachel Reid

Review of ‘Heated Rivalry (Game Changers #2) by Rachel Reid. Discover the steamy, addictive sports romance filled with incredible chemistry, secret feelings and a relationship that will have you completely invested from beginning to end. If you loved the Heated Rivalry series and want to experience Shane and Ilya’s story on the page, this book is an absolute must read. And honestly, I loved it almost as much as I loved the series.

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid is an addictive hockey romance full of chemistry

Synopsis

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.

Review

I flew through this book. There was just something about Shane and Ilya that made it impossible to put down. Their dynamic is everything I want in a romance. The rivalry, the tension, the sneaking around, the feelings they absolutely refuse to acknowledge. I was hooked.

One of my favorite things about reading this after watching the series was getting to see just how true to the book the adaptation was. So many moments, conversations, and little details felt incredibly familiar, and I had so much fun recognizing them as I read. It made the whole experience even more enjoyable because I could picture the characters and scenes from the series while also getting more of their story through the book.

And Ilya and Shane? I could genuinely read ten books about these two. I loved getting to follow their relationship and seeing all those little moments between them. Their chemistry is just ridiculous, and even though I knew where their story was heading, I still couldn’t get enough of them. They have that perfect combination of teasing, tension, vulnerability, and undeniable affection that makes you want to keep reading forever.

I also really enjoyed seeing more of their individual perspectives and how differently they approached their relationship. There are so many moments where you can see how much they care about each other even when they aren’t quite ready to admit it themselves. It made their eventual emotional growth even more satisfying.

The biggest problem with this book? I miss them already. Honestly, I would happily read book after book about Shane and Ilya just living their lives together. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to them.

Final thoughts? Overall, I absolutely loved Heated Rivalry. It was fun, addictive, romantic, and completely flew by. Reading it after watching the series made it even more special because I got to experience just how closely the adaptation followed the original story.

If you love hockey romances, rivals to lovers, secret relationships, incredible chemistry, and two characters you will become completely obsessed with, I would definitely recommend Heated Rivalry.

And if you’re anything like me, you’ll finish it wondering when we can get ten more books about Ilya and Shane.

Rating

8,5/10

Details

• Trigger warnings: Explicit sexual content, homophobia and homophobic slurs, biphobia, suicide and suicidal thoughts, death of a parent, dementia, grief, alcohol use, smoking, injury and medical content, bullying, emotional abuse, and toxic relationships
• Representation: Gay, queer and bisexual main and side characters
• Pages: 372
• About the author:
  Rachel Reid is the New York Times Bestselling author of the Game Changers hockey romance series as well as the standalone hockey romance novels Time to Shine and The Shots You Take.She 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.