Heated Rivalry - The Book

Let me start by saying if the words Heated Rivalry mean nothing to you, you’ve probably been living under a rock recently. About two months ago, right before Thanksgiving, the world was given possibly its greatest gift ever in the form of Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie. Disclaimer: they already existed, we just hadn’t heard of them unfortunately. Now they’re household names as they should be. Truly, I’ve never seen two actors embody their characters quite like this.

It’s like I’ve been saying to everyone and anyone who will listen – the only thing better than a book is when that book is adapted not only beautifully, but accurately to screen. Sincerest thanks to Jacob Tierney for doing the Lord’s work on this one.

Absolutely none of this could be possible without our Queen, Rachel Reid. A little over a year ago I read Heated Rivalry (for the first time) at the recommendation of a friend. I was going through something that only the MM hockey genre could fix, seriously I speed ran through like 50 in a month, and this one fundamentally changed me.

The story follows Canada’s golden boy/prodigal son, Shane Hollander, and Russia’s cocky powerhouse, Ilya Rozanov. Both of whom are in a league of their own in terms of the level of hockey they’re playing at. Those once in a generation kind of players… only this generation they came twice.

They meet during the World Juniors as teenagers. The book spans the course of a decade, as they get drafted – Ilya to Boston and Shane to Montreal, as the first and second picks, respectively. A fact that Ilya never quite lets anyone forget. They’re primed by the NHL (MLH in the show) to be arch rivals from the start. The animosity between Boston and Montreal is long standing and storied… so naturally, they can’t help but gravitate towards one another.

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

If there’s one thing I love, it’s a rivals to lovers arc with forces outside of the main characters’ control keeping them apart. At the time, in this universe, there were no out players in the league. Hollander and Rozanov fall into bed together the summer before their rookie season and then they just keep falling into bed together across years, countries, Olympic Games, All-Star weekends and vies for the Stanley Cup.

That’s not to say their rivalry is just for the public. They’re the best at what they do because of how badly they want to win. A desire they’ll give up for absolutely no one. Not even each other. To be clear.

Author Rachel Reid

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid

Shane is fighting to live up to this cookie cutter, wholesome image the world has of him. Perfect hockey player. Canada’s success story. A true man’s man. He struggles with what being with Ilya (and liking it) means for his identity and his career. He compartmentalizes to an almost pathological degree – his stolen moments with Ilya and his time on the ice with Montreal. He never lets one affect the other, but his anxieties and fear eat at him.

Ilya, meanwhile, has come to terms with his bisexuality already. He knows he can never be open about it though. Between the canonically homophobic nature of the NHL and the literal death sentence liking men as a man is in Russia, he’s locked up tighter than Fort Knox. Don’t worry too much, he still finds the time to be an absolute menace on the ice. Ilya’s arrogant, goofy, and underneath the bravado, a complete sweetheart. He chirps with the best of them, roasting players regardless of their skill, status or legacy. Poor Scott Hunter. There is simply no shame in this man’s game.

“It was so bold and fearless and so…llya.”

On paper, the smartest thing these two can do is stay as far away from each other as humanly possible. So, of course, they do the exact opposite. Ilya arranges for Shane to be on the same shoot as him. Then, proceeds to come onto him. Shane, my sweet summer child, speed runs a crisis and gives him his room number. My man wastes no time. They meet up and the rest is history.

Essentially locking themselves into a seven year situationship, as one does.

“It felt like we were… more.”

“We can’t be more, Hollander”

I love them. I do. However, these are two of the most emotionally repressed men I’ve ever come across. And, I get it. They can’t let themselves go there for their own sanity, but it takes literal years for them to even say they like each other.

My dudes, you think about each other all the time. You can’t breathe without each other. You insist you’re just “hooking up,” yet proceed to get the most jealous anyone in history has ever gotten when the other is even linked to someone else. Shane buys a whole entire building for the sole purpose of sleeping with Ilya.

They’re totally normal about each other. It’s fine. And I’m totally normal about them. I’m fine. *laughs maniacally*

Reid could have easily made the culmination of this book a grand, public coming out. Instead, she stays true to the theme and focuses on the boys’ internal struggles. Letting yourself be loved. Be truly seen. By not just anyone, but your “arch rival.” It’s terrifying and yet they’re so courageous. I’ve never been prouder.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but this is the kind of love story that isn’t fate. It’s never definite that Shane and Ilya are going to end up together. They choose each other consistently. Against all odds. Even when it would be easier not to. Especially then. They can’t stay away from each other, but they also can’t stay with each other. Only an act of sheer bravery, of letting themselves have this beautiful, weird, illogical thing they’ve created can break through their perfected feigned indifference.

“We were supposed to stand alone at the top, but we will always be there together. We will keep climbing until no one else can reach us, but it will always be together.”

Shane and Ilya’s story spans two books with a third on its way in September. Do yourself a favor and make sure to read The Long Game and then Unrivaled when it comes out later this year. It’d be remiss of me not to mention that Heated Rivalry is actually the second book in the exquisite Game Changers series. The first of which, Game Changer, focuses on our King, Scott Hunter, and his nerdy *affectionate* soulmate, Kip.

There’s actually an entire episode of the show focusing on Scott and Kip. Which is the perfect segue for me to discuss Crave’s utterly perfect show. Six episodes of possibly the best television I’ve ever seen. No joke, in the last eight weeks, I’ve watched this show all the way through no less than ten times. I told you, I’m practically an expert. As an expert, I think you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t read and watch this series. It’s basically the law.