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Heated Rivalry is the second book in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series set in the world of professional hockey. I haven’t read book one (Game Changer), but although characters from that book are mentioned in this one, it works perfectly well as a standalone. Heated Rivalry is a kind-of-but-not-quite enemies-to-lovers story that takes place across the span of almost a decade as we follow the development of the relationship between two players from opposing teams. There are a few things about the novel that require the reader to suspend their disbelief a bit, but on the whole, this is a steamy and sometimes poignant love story that boasts a pair of engaging protagonists and plenty of snark.
In the prologue, we meet Shane Hollander, captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, as he faces off against Ilya Rozanov, his opposite number for the Voyageurs’ arch-rivals, the Boston Bears. The on-and-off-the-ice rivalry between the two men has been ruthlessly stoked and fed by the media since before their rookie seasons years earlier; pitting the good-looking, easy-going, boy-next-door Shane against the big, brooding, ill-mannered Russian was like manna from heaven to media and fans alike, but while there’s no doubt that Rozanov can play dirty and deserves his reputation as the most hated man in Montreal, there’s more to their rivalry that meets the eye. A lot more.
After the game that night, Shane heads off to the condo he owns but doesn’t live in for one of the intense but infrequent – hook-ups he’s had over the years with … you guessed it, Ilya Rozanov. The explosive chemistry that ignited between them when they first met has never abated, and even though Shane knows it’s stupid and what’s at stake for both of them if they get caught; even though he’s angry at himself for continuing to crave Rozanov’s body, and even though he tells himself every time that this is the last time – he can’t stop.
We then jump back seven years to witness Shane and Rozanov’s first meeting at the World Junior Hockey Championships, then follow them into their first season with the NHL when they’re signed up by two rival teams who play each other regularly and often end up competing for championships. Even before that, each of them recognises in the other a serious opponent, possibly the only other player who can match them completely on the ice – and each is determined to get the better of his rival. But neither of them had bargained for the intensity of the desire that ignites unexpectedly between them or the almost addictive need they feel for one another. Over the next few years, they continue to meet up to fuck each other’s brains out when their schedules allow, even as both of them continue to berate themselves for letting this… whatever it is, go on for so long.
The first part of the book tells the story leading up to the hook-up in the prologue, and the second picks up after it. Shane and Ilya have been captains of their respective teams for a while and are widely respected within the sport – even if, in Rozanov’s case, not popular. They’ve been hooking-up all this time without getting caught (which was one of my problems with the book – seven years of sneaking off to bang in secret – sometimes at the same hotel as their teams! – and nobody ever suspected or caught them out?) and they’re still telling themselves they need to quit it and find themselves a real relationship. But it’s becoming harder and harder to do that, or imagine never seeing each other – other than as casual acquaintances – ever again. Things between them are shifting; they try to tell themselves that all they’ve been doing for the last seven years is fucking, but emotions have somehow become involved without either of them wanting or realising it – and now they’ve finally woken up to what’s happened, how can they possibly carry on as they have been knowing the other most likely doesn’t feel the same way?
I liked both leads, although Rozanov is a bit of a dick at times. He’s outrageously cocky and confidently bisexual – although of course, given the widespread homophobia in the world of professional sports, nobody other than the rare guys he hooks up with has any idea he shags men as well as women. There’s also the fact that being openly queer in Russia could land him in prison, so he’s used to having to keep that side of him suppressed. By contrast, Shane is quieter and not as experienced sexually, and when he and Rozanov first meet, is only just starting to question his sexuality. He sleeps with women, but over the years he realises that they don’t really do it for him and never have – certainly not in the way he’s coming to recognise that guys do. The author shows Shane and Ilya’s feelings for each other changing and growing in a subtle way; they still push each other’s buttons but there’s more affection and teasing behind it, and the moment when they just hang out together watching TV for the first time is nicely understated given it’s such a huge step for them. I really liked the way we’re shown these two each giving the other something they’ve never found elsewhere. Ilya has always had to hide part of himself and has built emotional walls to protect himself from the hurt heaped on him by his family (his father criticises him constantly, his brother only ever wants his money), but Shane shows him it’s okay to be vulnerable and let someone in, while Ilya helps Shane to uncover a different side of himself and gives him a space where he can truly be the person he’s meant to be.
While the overall tone of the story is fairly light, there are darker elements, mostly to do with Ilya and his family, and ultimately, both men have to make some difficult decisions if they want to be together openly. This is one of the other things I had a bit of a problem with; not only do Shane and Ilya have to worry about coming out, but they also have to contend with the fact that they’re supposed to hate each other, a story that’s largely a media construct. I didn’t really understand why they couldn’t just announce that they were friends and take control of the narrative whenever they wanted to, rather than the plan they come up with which means they have to continue living apart and concealing their status as a couple. Still, the book ends on a very firm HFN, and left me hopeful for their future (maybe we’ll see them again in a future book in the series).
Heated Rivalry is a fun, steamy read, and I had a great time with it. I liked the characters, the structure really worked for me, the banter is great, the sex is hot, and when the romance kicks into gear, it’s charming and lovely.
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Grade: B+
Book Type: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 02/08/19
Publication Date: 03/2019
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
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Just finished this book and really enjoyed it!
Reid’s approach, which lets us see how the protagonists’ relationship evolves over the years from the occasional, semi-awkward hookup to full-on romance, was compelling and refreshing.
Love stories featuring two gorgeous, wealthy professional athletes are not my usual catnip; kudos to Reid for making me a believer here.
I avoided this book even after every single person who read it, loved it. I DNF’d the first book in the series and was convinced this one couldn’t be any good.
I LOVED IT. I INHALED IT. I WANT TO READ IT ALL OVER AGAIN. One of my favorite books this year.
Every single thing about it clicked for me & I hope this author revisits this couple again. Soon.
Is Price the next hockey player to get a story? PLEASE?!
(PS to Caz: The couple reminds me of another partnership we both love…with a novella just around the corner. Right?!)
Heh – and yes, it does! (Not long to go now!)
I also DNF’d the first book very quickly, and thus I never picked up this one. But clearly the author’s writing and the editing has improved so I’ll have to give it a try!
I went back to it. It’s not nearly as good as this one – but I was able to finish it!
I remember editing our review of the first book (a B-) and then skimming it to see if I wanted to read it… and decided not to because there was something about the writing that didn’t work for me. I’m so glad I decided to give this one a go; it’s SUCH an improvement!
I wish more authors would write stories of an entire relationship like this! It’s one of my biggest catnips, and yet it’s weirdly hard to find. Setting aside romances where they start the story when the couple meets and then the couple gets together in fairly short order, usually either they start the story when the couple’s relationship first changes (which then happens in very short order), OR (a big pet peeve) the whole thing is part of a series and has been evolving over the series in the background, but picks up chronologically where the last book left off. In all of these cases, In both of these cases, I often feel cheated, because the story of the relationship doesn’t feel fully told. A lot of friends-to-lovers romances, for instance, never really give me a sense of what they were like as friends, and that means that the shift to romance is less meaningful, less nuanced, and less well explained. It’s so rare to see an author show you the course of a relationship that unfolds over years like this.
Yes, I really liked the way the book is structured – we get a series of vignettes spanning several years, and each one shows the relationship gradually evolving. so subtly that even the characters don’t realise just how deep in they are – until it’s too late for them to even consider doing anything else BUT being together.
I love a good, hot hockey romance and this sounds like fun!
I loved, loved, loved this book—it’s my favorite read of the year, so far. I’ve read it several times and each time I see something different that Reid did so superbly—for example, as the years go by, Ilya’s English becomes better, he’s more expressive and eloquent in his non-native language. But this happens so gradually, you hardly notice it; Reid’s handling of it is so understated. Certainly a keeper-shelf reread for me! (The first book in the series, GAME CHANGER, is also very good—but to me it was less about the romance and more about one man’s journey to self-acceptance and coming out.)
Yes! I noticed that as well – it’s all really subtly done, and the romance is just lovely.
I just finished reading Taylor Fitzpatrick’s latest – Coming in First. If you liked this, you will love it. Working on my review right now!
Loved Fitzpatrick’s first. So glad to hear the next one is good too!