Heated Rivalry

Game Changers #2

by Rachel Reid

“Sexy, hot, funny and sweet, Heated Rivalry is a game changer in sexy sports romance.” — All About Romance

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.

USA TODAY bestselling author Rachel Reid

Game Changers
Book 1: Game Changer
Book 2: Heated Rivalry
Book 3: Tough Guy
Book 4: Common Goal
Book 5: Role Model
Book 6: The Long Game

Genres: Romance, M M Romance, Sports, Enemies To Lovers, Sports Romance, Hockey, Contemporary

375 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 25, 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

[chan ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

when hayley gives you an MM romance recommendation, just take it

THIS WAS SO FCKING GOOD! and proves why i shouldn't film my best of videos until like... after december is over lol. this is probably my favorite enemies to lovers romance of all time. there were HIGH stakes, TONS of steamy scenes, and a relationship that built over YEARS. it felt like this book was written just for me.

i think my main gripe about enemies to lovers is that authors are so quick to jump from characters that loathe each other to characters that would die for each other. it usually happens in YA since characters aren't allowed to bone as the kind of intermediary step... but regardless i just don't think enemies to lovers is ever very high stakes or well executed.

this book really is that bitch. these are the 2 best players in the NHL. pitted against each other as RIVALS. pro sports is high stakes but add in a MM relationship and this shit is forbidden af.

both of these characters own my fucking heart. shane is a precious bean and ilya is a perfect grumpy boy.


i need ALL the novellas for this couple. go read this.

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

**Audio re-read in 2024- this book is the GOAT. No notes**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Original review)

I loooooved Heated Rivalry, and thanks to Rachel Reid, I'm on a total book high right now.

I have a weakness for hockey players and hockey romances, so I felt compelled to try another book in Rachel Reid's hockey series even though I didn't love Game Changer. And I'm SO glad I did because Heated Rivalry gave me all the feels.

Though the book has lots of sex in it, it's still a romance-first story, even though that romance is slow burn and takes a long time to get there. I loved seeing these two through the years, and I loved their love/hate dynamic. There was a chemistry there from the start, but the rivalry and competitiveness kept these two from anything but angry sex for a long time.

I thought the story was decent at first, but then I became seriously obsessed. I couldn't put the story down all day, and I read it straight through in less than 24 hours, even at over 300 pages long. The sex was fast and swift but the feelings build and build over time, so much so that I had tears in my eyes by the end. You need to be a very patient reader because it takes these guys FOREVER to admit their feelings for each other. They are enemies-with-benefits for the majority of the story.

However, if you like hockey romances, half-Asian guys with freckles, and tall, surly bisexual Russians, Heated Rivalry is SO worth your while.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

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

Reread- October 2023

**********************************************
Reread - December 2021

One of the best mm enemies to lovers ever. I will never get tired of this book.

**********************************************
GAAAAAAHHH!!!! I LOVE THIS BOOK!!

As for the Audiobook, let's just say it is tolerable. I bumped the speed up and it worked. Good thing the story is fantastic.

"I hate you."
"I know, Now Suck my dick"

That is so sexy!!! Ilya!! GAAAAAAAHH!!!

**********************************************
“I want to be in your lap when you fuck me. Facing you. Holding you.”



GAAAAAAAH!!! BOOKS! BOOKS! And MORE BOOKS! Where would I be without BOOKS?

Warning! GUSHING! GUSHING AND MORE GUSHING!!!

MC 1: Shane

MC 2: Ilya

Look at that cover!



I read Special Forces - Soldiers and said, This is the Best Enemies to Lovers story ever, nothing can ever come close. Then I read Captive Prince and I was like; This is the Best Enemies to Lovers story ever, ever, ever. THEEEEEN! I read this and I am like: This is the Best Enemies to Lovers story ever. Ok! that means I have 3 best Enemies to Lover story ever.

This is how you write an enemies to lovers story.

There is something about Russians in books. I freaking love them Russian MCs. Ilya Razanov is now my number 3 Russian book boyfriend, Of course Vadim and Alexei will forever top them all. Ilya love, no. 3 is not bad, you get a bronze! YAY!

Shane: Rozanov was a stunning man. Light brown curls that were always a mess fell into his playful hazel eyes and over his dark, thick eyebrows. His strong jaw and cleft chin were covered in stubble. His smile was lopsided and lazy, and his teeth were unnaturally white due to most of them not being real.

Me: There he is my Russian! Ok! Shane’s Russian but still!

These two MCs are so well written, so well developed and the chemistry they have is out of this world. Shane and Ilya start the book as enemies and slowly they evolve into a beautiful love story. This part is where the author shines. The relationship development is so realistic and just right. Gaaaah! Just Gaaaaah! The slow burn is soooooooooooo goooood! Soothing and GAAAAAH!

The banter in this book is gold. I was Loling and fanning myself at the same time. YAAAP! It is that Amazing! The conversations between Shane & Ilya are engaging and also realistic.

Rozanov didn’t reply for a moment. Then he turned back to the television and said, “I like girls.”
“Yeah, no shit.”
“But I also like you.”
“Well, lucky me,” Shane grumbled.
“Not as a person, of course,” Rozanov teased.
“But you have a good mouth.” He took a suggestive bite of his dill pickle.



THE SEX! THE FREAKING SEX! Jesus Lawd! Phantom multiple Orgasms!!!! Hot! Hotter! Hottest! My pants were on fire. Poof panties gone. The sex scenes are a lot in this book but they are part of the story, and the chemistry between the MCs makes it worth it.

Fuck.” He kissed Rozanov again, rough and needy. God, he needed this. This horrible, fucked-up thing.
“You taste like beer,” Rozanov said.
“You taste like that horrible gum you chew.”
“Is so I don’t smoke!”
“Shut up.”
They grappled and maneuvered each other until they reached the bedroom, where Shane shoved Rozanov roughly against a wall and continued kissing him. He felt the familiar slide of his rival’s tongue in his mouth, and slid his own tongue over teeth that had been fixed and replaced god knew how many times.



I like how Ilya’s family issues was handled, kudos for not letting that drag out throughout the story. Oh! I don’t like them at all.

Rachel Reid did a 360 with her writing. This book and book 1 are so different. Dear Author, keep doing what you are doing, it is working. I liked book 1 and freaking LOOOOVED book 2.

Hockey and Sex is the best combo ever.

[len ❀ [ia bc of school] · Rating 1 out of 5]

EDIT: 9/5/23
I recently saw someone talking about how much they loved this book on social media, and it had me (respectfully) disagreeing with everything they said that I didn’t even finish reading their post. So that got me thinking, why did I rate this two stars when I actually didn’t enjoy anything?

Anyway, I love being a hater. I love having unpopular opinions. I love being a 1-star on a sea of 5-stars. I don’t know why I let myself rate this 2-stars for “the banter and freckles.” How sad. Well, I’m changing my rating to 1-star. This isn’t uncommon for me to do. I constantly go back to the books I’ve read and change the ratings, which are usually rated more low. Anyway, that’s all. Goodbye.
__________

How do you even begin to write an unpopular opinion for a book like Heated Rivalry?

Buddy read with Lara, who made this reading experience better. Thank you for reading this with me and dealing with my spam at certain times. I’m sad we didn’t like this, but glad we ended up having similar thoughts in the end.

To all my friends who have constantly recommended this to me (some of you have even begged), believe me when I say I’m mad that I didn’t like this. Usually, I try not to let the hype get to me, but when you take a book like HR, it is impossible not to have high expectations, and that is a strong reason why I didn’t like this. Could I have enjoyed this when it came out since it wasn’t as popular? Honestly, I don’t think so because I’ve always been about that emotional and romantic connection anyway, so everything that bothered me now would have most likely bothered me before. Would I have rated it higher? Most likely yes because past-me was such a people pleaser.

It’s like Thrown Off the Ice again. But in this case, HR, as I see it, is a classic MM. I know we usually associate classics with books from the 1800s or whatnot, but HR is a classic MM, especially sports-romance/hockey romance, along with Him. Are you really an MM reader and lover if you haven’t read this? It’s one of the most commonly recommended stories, and I have to say, I’m disappointed.

To get it out of the way: This isn’t an enemies to lovers; it’s a rivals (with benefits) to lovers. Shane and Ilya say they hate each other, but we know what that means. So to put it short, Heated Rivalry follows Canadian hockey player Shane Holland and Russian player Ilya Rozanov who are two idiots always horny for each other.

That’s it. That’s all this is about.

I consider it rivals to lovers and not enemies to lovers (although I’m having trouble understanding the lovers part) because the two are so competitive and always try beating each other during their games. I want to say that they have hate sex once or twice, but I already forgot with all the sex they had. Still, the hate is never really there. This is a reason why enemies to lovers is not something I read a lot because the trope feels so loosely marketed all the time. The characters always hate each other for like, 10% of the book, and later on start developing feelings, whether romantic or sexual, that the hate is suddenly invisible. Two characters will dislike/hate each other so much but they're so attractive and sexy that it overpowers that dislike.

“Shane fucking hated him. But Rozanov was really good at sucking cock, and he was, for whatever reason, willing.”
(This is from the prologue, so it was October 2016, but it’s basically the entire premise. If that’s your type of “enemies” to lovers, then you'll probably be okay with this)

So yes, Ilya and Shane are rivals, and it’s evident in how they communicate. I’m not complaining, though. Their banter was one of the only things I liked from this, yet a large portion of the credit should be suitably given to Ilya. Confident, cocky, and straightforward, Ilya doesn’t care about what others think about him and knows he’s good. His personality shines on and off-page. Whether it was his perspective, it’s easy to imagine his character in a realistic scenario. He knows what he wants, what he can get, and knows he’s right. However, under all that mockery, perky humor, and interesting character lies a side of him stowing away. Playing for the Boston Bears as a Russian, he faces more criticism than others think. He has no family who loves him, his father does not treat him nicely, and his brother only calls him for money. He sometimes becomes annoyed with his accent, is scared of coming out not only because he’s a hockey player but because of Russia’s LGBTQ+ rights, and feels alone. Shane ends up being one of the only important people in his life. Adding on to that, I also found the obsession Ilya had with Shane’s freckles cute. I love it when one character loves a specific feature about the other character that they can’t stop thinking about it.

But, despite the top-notch, entertaining, and playful banter between the two and the obsession with freckles, there was nothing else this offered.

To put it mildly, the book is more than half sexual. The prologue started in October 2016. A sex scene. Then we go back to when Shane and Ilya met in December 2008. Time jump to June 2009. Shane has spent the last six months obsessed with Ilya. Do we see these obsessive thoughts? No. Time jump to December 2009. The whole chapter was an inner monologue of Ilya with only one dialogue between the two. Time jump to July 2010. The two engage sexually for the first time. What follows next are more time jumps (sometimes one or two months, sometimes it’s the next year) and some “moments” thrown in there for laughs and giggles. We see Shane and Ilya do nothing but hook up almost every month between these time jumps.

It’s all an exhausting, frustrating, annoying cycle.

The time jumps were probably one of the worst things about this. We’re supposed to believe their feelings are growing for each other as they do nothing but hook up throughout six years (and counting). We go from them hooking up once to them hooking up again two months later, with nothing in between or before that. And then it just repeats. Three months later. Four. Five. Next year. The sex scenes became so repetitive and tiring, I became so exhausted that I started skimming them. They were all the same, with the few changes being some positions, angles, and hotels (cause they only hooked up at hotels besides that (1) time).

I can tell you absolutely NOTHING about the two, even though we’ve seen them grow for six years. The insta-lust and “slow-burn” isn’t even what bothered me. It was how we’re set to believe they’ve known each other for six years, yet all they did for the majority of the book was hook up. They never stayed and talked. I didn’t like this at all because I want to see their thoughts and actions outside the bedroom. But we don't see them because there aren’t any. It doesn't help that according to The Long Game, they've been seeing each other for ten years, but six/seven of those years were of them hooking up. It was all a complete waste of time and missed opportunity to add character development, both individual and for the relationship. My asthmatic lungs started hurting from how much I started laughing when the two wondered why they didn’t talk before. Like shit, what an interesting thought, huh?

Look, I’m all for the couple taking months or years to get together, but I want to see that emotional connection the two start sharing where they want to be together but can’t. The yearning, the pining, the forbidden love? Especially yearly?! Yes, please! Their relationship starts in 2008 and the book ends sixteen months after July 2017 (you do the math). Would this be something I love? Absolutely. But that isn't how it happened here. All that “progression” was sexual. They take years to admit their “feelings” because all they did in those years was hook up and leave before someone saw them together. The time jumps didn't help because they only added to the missed opportunities of seeing the relationship grow since it jumps from one sex scene, to some monologue, to another sex scene, to a hockey game, to a scene of their personal life, and so on. In other words, whatever happens outside of the bedroom is what we don't see besides the few and small scenes mentioned above.

Yes, I know I’m repeating myself. That should be okay, though, because this book did that too.

The two are so horny for each other that it took Ilya until November 2016 to say Shane’s name because they would refer to each other as their last name (not to mention it was pre-orgasm). Usually, this is something I adore, especially in hate to love books, because the last name-calling becomes adoring and even endearing when they get together. But here I question: Was I supposed to feel something for the first time Ilya said Shane’s name even though they hooked up so many times before that? Add on to that how little they knew about each other because, again, all they know how to do is hook up. All we know is that Ilya’s favorite drink is Coke. We also know that the two are hockey players who met when they were rookies at seventeen. Ilya is bisexual and Russian, and Shane is gay and Canadian (with Japanese roots, although him being part Japanese is pretty irrelevant). Ilya also has a shitty family and his mom is dead, while Shane has nice and supportive parents.

In between these time jumps, I can count on one hand how many cute scenes there were: Ilya and the kids; the support of Shane’s parents because there is nothing better than parents accepting their children as who they are; when Shane told Ilya to talk to him in Russian because it’s easier for him; the time Ilya was worried when Shane got hurt; the time Ilya made Shane a tuna melt, and they laid down together.

But of course, both of those last scenes then had to be ruined by making them sexual because the two were pretty damn incapable of having one scene where they simply talked. Sex is the only thing these two know how to do because they choose not to try anything else. So talking without getting horny is impossible for them.

I didn’t keep track of how many sex scenes there are, but there are 15 (I got this from Alisa’s review). Regardless, it felt more than that. And because they all felt the same with those tiny, minor changes, they were no longer good.

“They should give us a chance to get to know each other,” Ilya said. He leaned in and dropped his voice. “We might even have something in common.”
(That’s funny cause you’ve had the last six years or so to do that, actually)

Before we know it, the two have suddenly started caring for each other and started falling in love. How? Where? Why? I have no idea how the two started seeing each other differently when they know almost nothing about each other, haven’t had a conversation without it becoming about sex or their rivalry, or weren’t even friends. Perhaps these moments happen off-page, but even if we aren’t shown, we aren’t told either. I’d expect some backstory on what the two had previously discussed or how much time they spent getting to know each other off-page. Something. Anything that contributed to the new perspectives they had of each other. But that didn’t happen because, as I’ve said too many times that I’m annoyed at myself as well, the only time they talked was when they had sex. This is a very weak strategy. Considering they have sex more than ten times, with those sex scenes being an excessive amount of pages, their scenes never felt tender, sweet, or intimate. Like the time Ilya almost cried as he told Shane about his mother. The chapter ended there, and while the next started with them playing video games (think FIFA but the hockey version), it later turns into them having sex. There was also the time Shane went to the hospital because he got slammed in the wall during a hockey match, and the only thing he was worried about was the fact that his and Ilya’s “night” (you know, night) was ruined.

I know I already said this, but they had so much sex that my brain became damaged from its repetitiveness.

I understand this is rivals with benefits to lovers, but sex being the primary plot device for the actual 50% of the story and later being used in between scenes for the rest of the story makes it weak. With the blurb saying, “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…”, I really thought there would be that forbidden love part where the two find ways to be together. But when you only let your characters be together as rivals in the ice and fuck buddies in hotels, it becomes cheap. And if someone says, “They can’t be together because they can’t risk it” or anything similar, that is exactly why the forbidden part failed. If the author can give them 10 minutes to fuck, why can’t those 10 minutes be replaced with domesticity?

Their attraction is lust. Point black. Nothing else. I knew this was insta-lust, and know that beforehand actually helps, but not when the whole book is that.
The feelings they started feeling towards each other were guided by their dicks and arousal. They came out of nowhere.
Tension? Too sexual. Forbidden love? Needed improvement. Their need? Horny 25/8. Relationship? Well, if you count the benefits part, that’s it.

“The last time they had really spoken had been almost six months ago, before the Olympics, and Shane hadn’t actually done all that much talking. What he had done was let Rozanov push him to his knees in the middle of his hotel room and fuck his mouth until Shane’s eyes watered.”
(Talking wasn’t even an option when all you think about is dick)

In other words, I will never understand hypersexual people.

I know many of us care more about characters than plot, and usually, a plot is irrelevant to me in a romance book. However, I think adding one can add strength to the book, but it depends on how it’s written and how much it contributes to the overall romance. In this case, with the repeated and constant sex in this, even the plot wasn't able to make up for it. Why? Cause there wasn't even one! Even the banter and how much I liked Ilya (and Shane too, I guess) didn’t save the story for me, so even the story itself was irrelevant because where even WAS the story? Lara mentioned how this felt like a long prologue, and it did when I think about it. There is no character development whatsoever that the two felt the same by the end. Like, two things happened in the entire thing.

Let’s see.

Ilya’s dad died, so he went back to Russia.

I think that was it, actually.

Shit.

Am I missing something?

Wait.

What actually happened, besides sex?

Hold on, I’m thinking.

I think…

Um…

Well, I’m sure something happened…

Right?

I recently got a retail job so let’s just blame that on taking over my brain and pretend this story was memorable.

Anyway.

It was also upsetting not knowing what Ilya told Shane in Russian. It would have made a big difference in the story. I love it when a character speaks in a different language and uses it to say pretty words to another character because they know they won’t understand. Maybe the author was scared to be wrong with the translations or something.

“I’m fucked,” he murmured in Russian. “I am so fucking in love and it’s horrible.”
“In Russian.” No, tell me in Russian)

I’d rate this 1-star if it weren’t for the banter and freckles. In the end, this was, quite honestly, one of the most overrated and overhyped books I’ve read.

*Yawn*
Next.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

They hated each other but they couldn't keep their hands off each other...

Not so much enemies to lovers but enemies AND lovers.... nothing better ( this stuff makes me swoon)

This book pushed all my buttons in the very best way.I absolutely loved it.


Fierce rivalry on the ice rink and even fiercer passion between the sheets.

Shane and Ilya are both 19 when come into the media spotlight.Not just because they're such promising young players but their hatred for each other becomes legendary.Wouldn't the world love to know the truth?? Starting in the present day the story then goes back seven years to when they both started hooking up.



HATE-SEX.....people!! And it was downright delicious. The sex scenes,and there's a lot of them,are scorching hot.The Author gets it just right here.You don't get pages and pages of long drawn out foreplay and preparation here....these boys get straight to it and it's pretty damn perfect.It's desperate sex at it's best.There's pushing against walls,throwing on the bed,dirty kisses,it's take-me-now,I'll-beg-if- I-have-to stuff.....

*twirls*


I'm not normally a fan of sports romance but,again,the Author totally nailed the sports element.The ice hockey theme was,obviously,ever present but never got boring.Often with these stories you get a lot about rules,tactics,etc but I never felt that here-in fact I might have fallen in love with ice hockey a bit.


Ok,so it took a while for the feelings to come but I didn't care.It worked.I read this in 24 hours.These boys went everywhere with me,I couldn't put it down once I started and isn't that just the best thing?


I adored these two guys.I loved the writing.I honestly can't fault this.

Highly Recommended.


Review copy provided by the publisher,via NetGalley

[brooke (hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

➸ 4.5 stars

“you are very beautiful.” ilya said. shane smiled without opening his eyes. “come on.” “is the truth. your freckles.” ilya grazed a fingertip over his own cheek. “i am nuts about them.”

i have a severe case of ilyashane brainrot. i want this book engraved in my heart forever 🧸🔐

[Mwanamali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reasons you should read this book:

Ilya motherfucking Rozanov.

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

i won’t be able to concentrate on anything until The Long Game comes out, at this point 😞😞

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

reread (47821): september 2021

will my love for Ilya and Shane ever fade? will i ever get tired of rereading this book?

*alexa play never ever by got7* 🤪

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

5++ stars ☆

“It was. It really…made me hopeful. That things might be changing.”
Ilya shot the puck back to Shane. “It made me jealous,” he admitted.
Shane laughed. “You wanna kiss me on television?”
“Yes. After I win the Stanley cup.”

Ilya and Shane will always have a special place in my heart. although they had a lot of back and forth through majority of this book + time skips, i felt their connection. their banters, tension, rivalry. chefs kiss. i adored their conversations (especially in the second half when they finally had a mini vacation for themselves in Shane’s cottage!!) and ate up every word of this book. i’ve only loved this book more and more with each reread. it’s hard to accurately put into words exactly how i feel for these two, but just know i loved them. so much. i’m excited for the sequel! 🥺🤍

[Corina · Rating 5 out of 5]

UPDATE 2025: I can’t stop thinking about this book. I have to resist the urge to read it over and over, even though I want to. It brings me so much joy and has easily become my all-time favorite. ♡
___________________________________



UPDATE 2022: This is my fifth time reading Shane and Ilya’s story, and it never gets old. They’re hands down my favorite MM couple!

UPDATE 2022: OMG, OMG, OMG—I just got The Long Game on my Kindle! I’m re-reading Heated Rivalry first and then diving straight into the sequel. A very happy reader right here! :D

UPDATE 2021: I’m still completely in love with this book and these two!

UPDATE: The second read was just as amazing as the first. I love them so much! ♥︎

Wow, what a book!

Epic, sexy, and one of the best MM stories I’ve read so far!

It's also one of the best enemies-to-lovers novels I’ve ever come across.

I finished Heated Rivalry in one sitting—literally stayed up until 1 a.m. on a Saturday because I couldn't stop reading. From the very first page, I was completely hooked, the tension was palpable, and the story just radiated epicness.

This book focuses almost entirely on the two main characters, spanning a passionate yet forbidden relationship over ten years. Most of that time is spent keeping their connection a secret, and I loved how the author avoided typical cliches. I expected certain things to happen, but was pleasantly surprised when the usual tropes were subverted.

It’s worth noting that Ilya and Shane don’t really have a "relationship" until later in the book. So if you're looking for a traditional "white picket fence" story, this might not be it. They start off with hookups and continue that way for a long time, living in different cities and only seeing each other a few times a year.

Heated Rivalry definitely has its share of sexy moments, and the teasing and banter between the two was top-notch. But what stood out most was the undeniable attraction they had for each other from the very first time they met.

Ilya’s character, especially as a Russian native, was brilliantly done. His language skills grew over time, but little moments throughout the book reminded me that he wasn’t quite as comfortable with English as a native speaker. It was an authentic touch that really showcased the author's talent for staying true to the character’s journey.

The overall vibe of this story was incredible. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what made this book so game-changing for me—perhaps the way the author structured the plot or focused so heavily on the character development of Ilya and Shane. The book has less external drama and more internal growth, which was exactly what I wanted. Heated Rivalry is the epitome of enemies-to-lovers, and I was completely enthralled.

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heated Rivalry, which can be read as a standalone, is very different from the first book in the series. It's edgier and has bitter undertones, while the first book was all sweetness.

This is a true enemies-to-lovers story in that the two MCs are huge rivals on the ice while fucking each other's brains out off the ice. Their torrid affair is super hush-hush.

The story spans several years. There is some angst, a lot of smokin' sexy times, and a strong HFN.

I loved both MCs and the secondary characters.

I was a little disappointed with the ending, mostly because the MCs remain in the closet and only a few people know that they're a couple. I'm not saying this isn't realistic for two professional hockey players, but I prefer more gooey HEAs.

I love Rachel Reid's writing style and am looking forward to the next Game Changers book.

[Snjez · Rating 5 out of 5]

To me, this was one of those stories that grab you from page one and stay in your head even after you finish it.

Shane and Ilya have definitely become one of my favourite couples. Both are amazing characters, with Shane being my personal favourite just because he is sooo adorable.

The first part of the story was slower and a bit repetitive, not that it bothered me at all, but once their relationship started to shift, it was an absolute delight to read.

The writing style was fantastic. I had to re-read some dialogues, they were so delicious.
I only wish the epilogue was longer, I didn't want the story to end.

*******
Re-read 4/2022: Even though I first read it three years ago, I remembered so much of it. And it's still a favourite.

[Ali L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two hockey players, both dumbasses in their own way, join the NHL and become rich and famous. They play for different teams but don’t let that get in the way of a decade-long lots-of-strings-attached top-secret affair. Ilya is a cocky, ne’er-do-well Russian and Shane is a Canadian who is chihuahua-like in his nervous energy. This book is not a slow burn in the traditional sense, as we see them bang vigorously in an empty condo within the first 20 pages, but it is a slow burn in the sense that neither of them admit to possessing a single feeling (besides Shane’s anxiety) until about 65% in. If you’re concerned that you’re not enough of a sports fan to enjoy, let me assure you: I have never watched a hockey game in my life and I gave this 5 stars. It’s people on ice chasing a biscuit, don’t worry about it. If you reach the end and go “sorry what?” fear not; they have a second book that you will want to get immediately. Why do I love this book with such devoted fervor? Simple: I adore idiots to lovers, and Ilya and Shane are their kings.

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

Dear Heated Rivalry:



Listened to the entire audiobook in one day. Amazing, as expected. I'm obsessed with this book.

Re-read in audio, read my ebook review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jay H (Hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

EDIT: GUYS WE'RE GETTING A TV SHOW A FUCKING TV SHOW!!!!!!! I am having a fucking panic attack right now😭😭

Heated Rivalry Adaptation in the Works at Crave

Something occurred to Ilya after he ended the call with Shane: maybe Shane had recorded that call and was going to run it through some sort of translating app later.[...] That admission would have been embarrassing enough, but Ilya had also slipped in an "and on top of everything, I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you and I don't know what to do about it."

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 "You are very beautiful," Ilya said
Shane smiled without opening his eyes. "Come on."
"Is the truth. Your freckles." Ilya grazed a fingertip over his own cheek. "I am nuts about them."
"I have no idea why. I hate them."
"Noooo..." Ilya moaned. "Hollander. They are stunning."
"Stunning?"
"Yes. Am I not using that word right? Very beautiful. Um... take my breath?"❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

"I love you."
Shane froze. And then Ilya froze.
"Holy shit," Shane whispered. It wasn't how he had meant to respond
"I..." Ilya's eyes were so wide and so scared.
"I love you too," Shane said.
Ilya gave a shaky smile and exhaled. "Thank Christ."
"Does it...does it feel like agony for you too?" Ilya started to nod, then stopped. He shook his head slowly instead
"Not anymore."

"when I retire," Ilya said, "after I have won twelve Stanley Cups and thirteen MVP awards[...]"And you have been retired for, like, eight years already because you got very bad at hockey..."[...]"Then I will bring you to that dock out there. I will have hundreds of candles all over it.."[...]And I will get on one knee- [...] "And I will say, 'Shane Hollander, will you please marry me so I can become Canadian citizen faster?'😭😭 Ilya my babyyyy

[Wendys Wycked Words · Rating 5 out of 5]

08/25/21 Had to do another reread. Still just as awesome ;)


I really enjoyed the first book in this series Game Changer I mean who doesn't love a good gay "sports" romance ?? And hey...we are talking hockey here !!
 
But I've got to be honest and say that this second book, outshined the first one by miles ... for me that is. I absolutely loved this book and I fell head over heels in love with Ilya Rozanov...



This one has one of my favorite tropes... "enemies to lovers" Boy, do these two know how to have some awesome "hate/angry sex"!! My ovaries damn near exploded. I remember saying that the first book in the series could have done with a smidge less sex...but that was definitely NOT how I felt about this one... The first book was also much sweeter even though I think this one was more romantic... I hope I am still making sense :P

This story starts in the present and then takes us back about 7 years. Normally I really don't like it when a book takes me back in time, but with this one...I thankfully gobbled every bit of new info up and begged for more.



Shane and Ilya have been enemies on the ice for years and....lovers in bed. But how do you spent years being intimate with someone and not catch feels... The world may think they hate each other, and they both play their parts...but deep inside, ...they know better.



I really fell in love with Ilya and Shane, though I loved Ilya a tad more...I really have a thing for Russian hockey players

I can't wait to see what this author has in store for us next !!

I highly recommend this series ;)

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

GINGER ALE AND TUNA MELTS 💖
LILY AND JANE 💖
ILYA JUMPING ON SHANE AT THE POOL WHEN HE WAS WET 💖
PUSHING SHANE OFF THE DOCK 💖
“Will you please … help me get my citizenship quicker?” (Not actual words but if you know, you know) 💖

I loved every moment and I’m so sad it’s over, please console me.

[Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread: 6/12/21

I couldn't resist after finishing Role Model. I wasn't quite ready to leave the hockey bublé just yet.

Was still phenomenal the 2nd time around too. I love these two together more than words can say.

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

True story. I read the first book in this series AFTER I read the blurb for this one.

One might say a solid case could be made for me having a "problem" with the enemies to lovers trope based on this information so... let's just keep it between us, k?

Ilya Rozanov was introduced in Game Changer but this could easily be read as a standalone. I liked the first book fine but I LOVED this one. Ilya and his bear tattoo having "for Russia!" ass shot to the top of my most favorite characters ever list. In the dictionary next to the word "cocky" should be his picture with his devil may care smirk. He knows how great he is and is more than willing to let you know too.

Gawd, I loved him! The whole book had me strung out on snark, feels and swooniness. And it showed. On my face. In the form of a dopey grin.



Straitlaced, do-gooder Shane Hollander is Ilya's arch rival. They are complete opposites excepting hockey. Both are at the top of the NHL food chain and constantly competing. In all things. Their constant smack talking and competitive natures was sports romance gold. Even when the L word became part of their vernacular they were still razzing each other and it was fantastic!

I adored them both. I liked the contrasts in them personality-wise and enjoyed watching both evolve as they realistically moved from super casual to friends with benefits to more over the course of nine/ten years. Ilya is confident in his bisexuality and experienced whereas Shane is still trying to figure it out and inexperienced with men. Shane's sexual discovery felt organic and I appreciated Rose's characterization and positivity so much.

Even though the NHL revels in highlighting their rivalry and differences, they have no issues between the sheets. A couple of scenes... JAYSUS! Have I mentioned how much I love it when they beg? Shane turns out to be quite the bottom. Bless him.



Reid did a great job of gradually building their backstories and showing their connection. They have fun and laugh which I find appealing and I was delighted that it continued throughout the story. Their banter had me doing that weird half bark, half laugh thing that's guaranteed to make strangers look at you like you've lost your damn mind.

Tis true, there's not much I like better than sports romance. But then to add in an enemies to lovers trope, comedy, sexiness that blew my doors off and top it off with a heaping dollop of squishy marshmallowness?



The only thing missing was an age difference which likely would've caused me to burst into a cloud of marshmallow floof, glitter and bubbles so... I think we all dodged a bullet there. #messy

I usually like to close with recommending the book to people, but in lieu of that I will say I like my sleep. Rarely does a book come along that interferes with it but this one did. I couldn't wait to be back in the Ilya/Shane bublé, so I stayed up late and woke early. I also seldom want to start a book over immediately upon finishing it and I'm still tempted to jump back in this bublé.



An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Alisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had not cared much for the first book in the series but I saw so many glowing reviews of this one I decided to give this one a try. Turns out this author is not going to be for me.

It started really good. For the first 15% or so I thought this was going to be a great read. We meet Shane and Ilya in their current messed up situation and then it jumps back in time to them being teenage rookies and just meeting. Then I realized this was a pattern. They meet up, have sex, leave. Meet up, have sex, leave. It quickly went from unique to tedious. Finally around 60% or so we got caught up time wise to the current day. A few more things start to happen but they also drop back to the meet up, have sex, leave thing.

There was, in my opinion, an excessive amount of sex in this book. There were 15 sex scenes (I counted) and most of them are 5-7 pages long. They were the only way the author seemed to be able to show the guys were starting to care for each other. I don't like this technique at all. I think it's lazy and/or unskilled writing and not what I want in a book. I want to see how the MC's are falling in love through their thoughts and actions outside the bedroom. By the 60% mark or so I literally could not read another sex scene. I just skimmed them.

I wasn't buying the overall plot. They hook up for 6 years without becoming friends at all? They never talk, know nothing about each other? Then we get to a place where they're both internally thinking that they care for each other. How? Why? They've never talked outside of sex. It takes six years before they do anything as simple as make a sandwich for each other. They know nothing about each other outside of their hockey stats and what they've seen on TV. The whole thing was odd to me.

I didn't really care for either MC. We don't get to know them well. Everything is surface level. Shane in particular bothered me. He comes across very weak and whiny.

If you're not a hockey fan this next part won't bother you but I am and it did. The teams the guys are on is a famous real life rivalry (the cities...the team names here are made up). I was ok with that. It's not a unique, it's the two teams most authors seem to go to (I am still waiting for a Kings/Ducks rivalry authors!!) but it's very real and it sets a good vibe. It would be crazy if two Habs and Boston players started an affair with each other. I really bought into that part of their shared history and the authenticity of it was great. It wasn't too far into it though that I realized the author was basing Shane on Sidney Crosby and Ilya on Alexander Ovechkin and that's where she lost me. It is a real life rivalry (which is probably mostly media hype) and there is a ton of Crosby/Ove fanfic out there so apparently some people are fans of it but for me, no, just no. Like 'I just vomited a little in my mouth" level of no. I hate everything about this pairing. Too much to even begin to address in a review.

The one thing I loved about this book is that they chose to not come out about their relationship. I know this is a complaint from some readers but I loved it. It's realistic. I absolutely loathe in sports books where one MC forces the other to come out to prove their love (which was one of my complaints about the first book in this series). I'm super glad the author handled this aspect the way she did. I saw a few reviewers mention it was more HFN to them than HEA but I don't agree. These two had a firm plan for the rest of their lives. They have a plan for while they're playing and another for when they retire. (& hockey players rarely play past their early to mid 30s. It's not a long time to be private) They do not plan to split up. I think that's a firm HEA. Just because they plan to keep their private lives private doesn't change that for me.

So...I gave this author two tries and neither worked for me. This writing style is just not my thing. Most of the other reviews of this book are positive though so you should probably check out some of them.

**ARC provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

[Bhavya Marya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so FUCKING good. I have no words honestly.
Their banter had me going like this for half the book.




You know you're in love with a book when you immediately start from the begining to read it again. True story.
I've also re-read this book countless times since the first time I read it.

When I went into this book, I thought I was just gonna read another enemies-to-lovers book. But this story just stands out for me in that genre. It's one of the best M/M romances I've ever had the pleasure of reading. This was so well-written, especially the banter. Also, the steam level is pretty high in this book.

Shane and Ilya were hilarious together and I loved how they complemented each other. They were just so cute and hot at the same time.

I liked how well thought out this was and that it took them a long time to go from enemies to lovers. Their relationship was built over time. Sometimes, in this trope, the couple goes from hating each other to loving each other in such a short time that it's not even believable.

I recommend this to literally anyone who wants to have a good time.

LOVE IT SO MUCH !!

[Marci · Rating 5 out of 5]

You guys were right!!! 🤭🥰

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

Heated Rivalry is book two in the Game Changers series by Rachel Reid. This is my very first book by Rachel and I am head over heels in love. This book is part of a series but can definitely be read as a stand alone. You can bet though, that I’m going back now and reading the first book in the series!

This book begins with the present. If you are someone (like me) who likes the sheets to get messed up early on in the book, then you won’t be disappointed. But then the author takes us back to the beginning so we can see how these two progressed from the day they met to present day, a span of about seven years.

Both Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are just finishing high school when their story starts, and are getting ready for the NHL draft. They both have something huge in common, they want to play professional hockey. And they both achieved that dream, and so much more!



Shane is the good boy. He grew up with loving parents in Canada and got drafted by the Montreal Voyageurs. He’s dedicated, honest and gives hockey everything he has to give.

Ilya Rozanov was the opposite of everything Shane was. Ilya is from Russia. He’s the bad boy, the one who likes to stir up trouble. His home situation back in Russia is not pleasant and he’s glad to finally have some distance. He is drafted by the Boston Bears.



These two teams are long time rivals. Both Ilya and Shane are naturally competitive and become instant focuses in the media. Their careers sky rocket as does the rivalry between them. There is one more thing that is present from their first meeting, a chemistry between them that neither of them can seem to escape, no matter how many times they tell themselves that it’s the last time. They don’t even like each other, but they can’t seem to stay away from each other.



Over the years, these two keep the two sides of their relationships separated. The rivalry is on the ice, but in secret, it’s something else. Slowly, though, those feelings begin to grow. An hour here and there every month or so just isn’t enough. But they can never have more. An out player in the NHL is not something that could ever be acceptable. Not to mention, they are supposed to be arch enemies. They should stop, but they just can’t.



I LOVED this book. I loved these two men. I think of the two, I mostly loved Ilya. As things progressed, the little things he did just made me swoon. I’ll give you one little hint, tuna melts and ginger ale. I’ll just leave that there! I could not turn the pages fast enough to see what happened with these two. I am definitely going back to the first book in this series. I love the authors writing and am so excited to read more about her swoony hockey players.

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...

[Simone - on indefinite hiatus - · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread July 2021: Audiobook = ***3 Stars***

**********************

Original review April 2019:

Lordy lord, have mercy on my ovaries! LOL

Shane pushed the other man back against the shower wall and kissed him aggressively. It was always like this. Shoving and cursing each other and battling for control until one of both of them gave in and allowed themselves the release they both craved.

Damn, this story is an almost perfect hockey rivalry romance and soooo ticked all of my boxes...

enemies-to-lovers with the suitable banter to prove it

slow burn with years spent keeping their feelings from the world and each other

enough sneaking around to make all undercover agents proud

hot and sweaty man-on-man action, on and off the ice

a sizzling chemistry between Shane and Ilya that almost melted said ice

emotions that left me all but drowning in the former ice, now puddle of water

When their eyes had locked, he'd squeezed Ilya's fingers, just a little.
That look, and that squeeze, had said so many things to Ilya.
I know.
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.

And what the heck is it with all these Russians sneaking into my heart??? ;-)

Some technical information for those - like me - who would want to know that: the story is divided into four parts with the first two parts going back in time from first meeting to secret-lovers status, but as a time sequence, not flashbacks and part III starts where the Prologue ended.

Highly recommended! :)

[Hayley ☾ (TheVillainousReader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 reread: ✨contented sigh✨

"Are you getting tired of second place?" Rozanov smirked.
"I'm winning this game," Shane growled.
"There is not an 'I' in team, right?"
"There's an 'I' in 'suck my dick.'"
Rozanov raised an eyebrow as they bent for the face-off.
“There is also an ‘I’ in ‘silver,’” he said.

*taps microphone* I READ THIS TWICE IN FOUR DAYS. AND I ALREADY WANT TO RE-READ IT AGAIN. I. NEED. HELP. Also, I now have this intense need to be a hockey fan. I NEED TO.

First, let me just say that I don’t really throw five stars around, especially for romances, and when I saw this cover and thought... yikes... I'm sure this is just another poorly written smut fest. DO NOT LET THAT COVER DECEIVE YOU. I mean, it is a smut fest, but an extremely well-written one. Enemies-to-lovers is my
K R Y P T O N I T E and this one is numero dos in my list of faves. It’s officially my favorite contemporary M/M (and sports M/M). So yeah, I lurvered this one a lot.

Ilya kissed his dumb mouth and swallowed his stupid little sighs and felt his annoying fingers in his hair. He pulled back so he could look at his horrible face with its ridiculous freckles.

Shane and Ilya were fucking hilarious. Dear Lawd, their banter had me on the verge of tears most of the time. It was so snarky and quick-witted and some of the best I’ve ever read. Honestly, this book has a lot of “some of the best I’ve ever read” in it. I’m a little shooketh about how fabulous it was. The enemies-to-lovers trope was, SURPRISE, some of the best I’ve ever read. At the beginning I could really feel how much these two characters disliked each other (mostly because they couldn't stop loving to hate each other in the bedroom, if you know what I mean), but at the same time I could also see the underlining respect and attraction they had for one another. As the story progressed, as they grew as characters and their relationship developed, that underlining attraction grew with them but more importantly so did that respect. Yes, they were rivals, talked shit to each other and wanted to destroy each other on the ice, but they never tried to drag each other down as actual humans. They had a deep respect for each other as players and people and it really showed throughout the story.

Shane wanted to crosscheck him in the mouth, and then kiss it better. He wanted to forget about him, and he wanted to play every game against him. He wanted...
He wanted to win this fucking Rookie of the Year award.
He wanted to rub it in Rozanov’s face.
He wanted to rub himself on Rozanov’s face.

The writing, and development of everything, was phenom. With the period of time this book spans, I was concerned that there would be some slip ups and/or confusions, but nope everything was very consistent and easy to follow. As the characters changed and grew, so did their perspectives and outlooks, but their characterization stayed consistent. They were still freaking ridiculously funny and snarky, but also so thoughtful and sweet and just more than they were at the beginning of their story. They were so vibrant and I could feel all their emotions: their dislike for one another, their confusion, their laughter, their yearning. I can almost picture them perfectly, which doesn’t happen often for me, and I can hear their voices so clearly. Especially Ilya and his accent. I have read multiple stories that have characters with accents, but the accents have never been so well-written that they carry over to the voice in my head like his did.

On top of awesome development, the plot of following the hockey career of these two was so much fun. It was fast-paced, exciting and interesting. It’s clear that the author knows a lot about hockey and is obsessed, which like, I get the obsession now. I don’t know much about hockey, but after reading this I definitely have a new found love for the sport. Like, I actually want to watch it on TV and pick a team and be a fan. The plot overall, romance and hockey wise, was just (chef’s kiss). It didn’t take typical routes when it came to certain scenarios and I really didn’t know how/if everything was going to work out.

And just one more time for the people in the back. Shane and Ilya were so fun, and heartfelt, and hilarious, and swoon-worthy. I. JUST. LOVED. THEM. SO. MUCH. It’s gross. For two big, shit-talking hockey players they were cute and romantic AF. Reid really walked the line between swoon-worthy and over the top cheese-y. Anytime I thought things might cross that line into too sugary sweet she would throw in a hilariously well-placed and witty comment that would make me cackle and bring everything back to center.

“You are very beautiful,” Ilya said.
Shane smiled without opening his eyes. “Come on.”
“Is the truth. Your freckles.” Ilya grazed a fingertip over his own cheek. “I am nuts about them.”
“I have no idea why. I hate them.”
“Noooo...” Ilya moaned. “Hollander. They are stunning.”
“Stunning?”
“Yes. Am I not using that word right? Very beautiful. Um...take my breath?”
“Wow. Alright”
“I told you...” Ilya grinned. “You love praise.”
When Shane didn’t reply, Ilya said, “And you like to hog it all for yourself. You asshole.”

It’s a hockey story, a coming-of-age story, a story about life and love and IT’S JUST THE BEST! I feel like I didn’t do a good job conveying how much I LOVED THIS TO PIECES, but I tried.

“Do you want to know what Rozanov just said about you?” one of the reporters asked gleefully.
“Something nice, I assume.”
“He said he wished you’d been playing tonight.”

[Fiza · ia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 cuz I'm a good gurl??


Nothing really happened except s3x


Also for me it was like this;

SHANE HOLLANDER 💋💋💋
ILYA ROZANOV 💋

[Kati *☆･ﾟ · Rating 5 out of 5]

re-listen September 2025

gotta start preparing, right? First time listening to the audio while imagining the cast for the Heated Rivalry TV series. It looked goooood.

But... this problem will not go away.”
Shane bit his lip. “Tell me about this problem.”
“Is so annoying.”

“Do you want the problem to go away?”
“No,” Ilya said seriously, looking Shane dead in the eye. “I do not want the problem to ever go away.”

------ edit: Jan 23rd, 2025 ------

BREAKING NEWS ⇢ Heated Rivalry Television Adaptation in the Works at Crave

@Jay posted this today (thanks, hon!) and ofc my first reaction was stifling a scream of excitement. On second thought tho, am I the only one scared that there's no way they can do Ilya & Shane and their story justice?? 🫣 (I'm actually confident no network/production could)





* ☘︎ :･ﾟTOP 5 READ 2021 :･ﾟ☘︎ *


re-listen December 2023

How many times is too many to listen to their story? I hope I'll never find out. ♡


5***** thousand stars


re-listen no #352648947

It’s funny really, how with each time I revisit their epic love story I discover more tiny bits I’ve missed before; find their whole story more romantic than the last time; get an even deeper grip on their personalities and what makes them Ilya and Shane.


One of my favorite scenes is the memorable Skype call. I loved the intimacy of that even when there were thousands of miles away.

“I think you know exactly what I’d do, after all these years.”

Sure this was part of the sex talk but in that moment it’s also crystal clear how long it had truly been since they started.

I loved how they let each other in for the first time on moments from their shared past they never talked about before. Admissions on how they felt about each other through the years.

“Your freckles.” … “I am nuts about them.” … “The first time I met you. Those freckles...”
“The first time? You mean at the World Juniors? In Saskatchewan?”
“Yes.”

They were only 17 back when they first met and they are already 26 when they finally take a real chance at falling in love with each other. It’s impressive and for that so incredibly romantic that they held on to that impossible thing between them for all these years.

“Mine.” Ilya’s breath tickled Shane’s skin when he spoke the single word. “Yours,” Shane said dreamily. “All of this. For two weeks. Is mine.” Forever, Shane wanted to say. Forever if you ask.

*dreamy sigh ♡♡♡


-------------------
♥︎♥︎♥︎ Ilya & Shane 4ever ♥︎♥︎♥︎

I love a lot of MM romances but it’s save to say that this is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!! Can’t wait for Shane & Ilyas story to continue in The Long Game!!


*************
Game Changers Series

Book 1 - Game Changer
Book 2 - Heated Rivalry - 5.0 stars
Book 3 - Tough Guy - 4.25 stars
Book 4 - Common Goal - 4.0 stars
Book 5 - Role Model - 4.25 stars
Book 6 - The Long Game - 4.5 stars

[Nark · Rating 5 out of 5]

i reread this and YES i upgraded my rating to 5 stars. i don’t know what i was thinking giving it just 4. blasphemy!

[Joshita ❤ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read: still a bop!
4.5★

why do the best books have the cringest covers ever! Please just IGNORE the damn cover and read the goddamn book!

"Are you getting tired of second place?" Rozanov smirked.
"I'm winning this game," Shane growled.
"There is not an 'I' in team, right?"
"There's and 'I' in 'suck my dick.'"
Rozanov raised an eyebrow as they bent for the face-off.
“There is also an ‘I’ in ‘silver,’” he said.

This...was so good *sobs*. I wanna cry because of how single I feel right now *voice cracks*
I had my doubts man! but what a fucking book!!!

♠Hockey players ✔
♠enemies-to-lovers ✔
♠forbidden love ✔
♠humor ✔
♠amazing plot and writing ✔
♠relationship goals ✔
♠Very steamy sex ✔
♠Amazing banter ✔
WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT!

Shane and Ilya are leading players for NHL. And they both belonging to opposing teams are very famous for their on-court rivalry but what people don't know is they have been hooking up for more than 6 years now....and 6 years of no-strings-attached could only work for a while, it isn't long when things start to change for them both.

I honestly had my doubts (i have doubts for every book I read but...anyways) BUT I have learned something, whenever I am not sure about a book, I end up loving it. So read this! I loved the pacing of the book. I loved the characters, I loved everything....did I dislike anything—I am too happy right now to figure that out.

“I like girls.”
“Yeah, no shit.”
“But I also like you.”
“Well, lucky me,” Shane grumbled.
“Not as a person, of course,” Rozanov teased.
“But you have a good mouth.”

Shane and Ilya's relationship is so fucking interesting...enemies to fuck buddies to friends to lovers. I loved how much they both loved to hate one another but as the story progressed you could see how their relationship evolved. They had an underlying attraction for each other but on top, they had mutual respect for one another even though they were archrivals. It is a whole package y'all. The heat, chemistry, humor, banter, it is all there served on a platter. (READ IT!)

The writing...oh dear lord..amazing! *chefs kiss* There was so much character development here, Shane and Ilya felt like different people by the end. I honestly cannot tell you how many dialogues, I wanna highlight and post here but it would never be enough!
And if this isn't enough to convince you—*whispers* Ilya is Russian, he has a very sexy accent (as if I can hear him lol), he is a douchebag with a kind heart, and he is a badass sexy ninja hockey player.

Ilya kissed his dumb mouth and swallowed his stupid little sighs and felt his annoying fingers in his hair. He pulled back so he could look at his horrible face with its ridiculous freckles.

This review is short but I mean it...read the book, it is worth the try.
THIS BOOK DESERVES MORE ATTENTION!!! READ IT! (57578th reminder here—read the book!)

"I hate you."
"I know, Now Suck my dick"

*if you get addicted to Shane and Ilya, there is a sequel coming up soon and in meantime here are 2 short stories the author posted on her website,
♣Halloween with Ilya
♣My Dinner with Hayden: A Heated Rivalry Short Story

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enemies to lovers? Rival hockey players?? Enemies with benefits??? This book was perfection. I loved how we got to go through Shane and Ilya's relationships, beginning with when they met as teenagers as they were both rising in the ranks as hockey stars to now as they're both playing for different teams and doing really well in their season. They were always put against each other and seen as rivals, so that's what they became. But one night leads to something more and the two give into the brewing attraction between them. They keep that attraction, though, to secret meetings of steamy nights and that's it. I loved their attraction and how they truly didn't want to fall for each other. But they slowly opened up to each other about their pasts and what was hurting them, and I loved how they ran to be there for each other whenever they needed help. They had off the charts chemistry and I could not get enough of them. And we got a lot of hockey in here, which I absolutely loved. I am just so obsessed with these two and I can't wait to get to their next book at the end of the series!

[ivanareadsalot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read: 01/20/22

Rating: All the Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐



This book is an absolute favourite for a reason! Got a short sample galley of the Long Game coming out in April and I honestly could not wait till then for a re-read. So I sorta fked my day's deadline, but Shane and Ilya's love story clings to my ribs like comfort food that feeds every place inside that needs a hug and I can't be mad about that.

🔥Plus it's hockey and the sex is hot AF🔥

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey Guys…. I am going to go out on a limb and say that I think these fella’s like a blow job lol…..

I’m not going to lie, I avoided reading this for the longest time because the amount of hype that surrounds it made it an intimidating read to pick up cause I was concerned I wouldn’t love it. I am glad to say though that my fears were unwarranted and I had a really good time with this!…. But I mean what can I say about this book which hasn’t been said a million times at this point. I guess like mild spoilers for the 3 people left who haven’t read this yet lol

I loved Shane and Ilya as characters and I can definitely see how Ilya has become such a fan favourite with all his sassy, asshole quips that are covering up more complex emotional depth and pain. That sort of tortured bad boy is like catnip.

This is probably the best example of rivals to lovers that I have come across. I feel like so often authors miss the vibe of this trope because its complicated to balance the arousal, interest and intrigue with the anger, shame and disgust that comes with that ‘I dont know if i want to kiss you or kill you (in the game)’ dynamic. But I thought that these two really hit that vibe out of the park! Every time Shane was like “I really need to call this off” but then immediately folded made me laugh.

Scenes I loved!
- Tuna melt! (omg Kati I can't believe I forgot this one thank you for reminding me hahaha)
-Shane and Ilya speaking a Sochi (I have more appreciation for this scene after the freebie from RR from Ilyas perspective)
- Shane and Ilya talking on the beach during All Stars
- Shane letting Ilya vent to him on the phone to him in Russian
- Ilya visiting Shane in the hospital
- Everything about the Lakehouse
- Ilya finding a new family and Shanes parents
- A realistic plan to manage their future
- NO THIRD ACT BREAK UP! The fact that these dumbos (somehow) had the emotional maturity to just sort their shit out amazes me but was very satisfying.

I think I did myself a favour reading this right after a very G-rated hockey romance, because I was freshly primed for a bit of spice and I know that one of the biggest criticisms of this is just how much spice there is, but it actually worked well for me (it did definitely get close to being a bit much though). I have to admit that this criticism kind of confuses me a little bit? and I think comes down to realistic expectations of what you are picking up here. If you are someone who needs the slow burn tension to invest in a relationship then I feel like you would be setting yourself up for failure with this book, where the whole premise is rivals who do nothing but bone a few times a year and then eventually catch feelings? These guys aren’t brunch pals, and it’s not like they would hang out for reasons that aren’t related to getting off? I would definitely say it was more of an emotional slow burn, but not a physical one. Also, strangely enough, despite how much spice there was in this book….it was actually all pretty vanilla? Like I definitely didn’t find myself clutching my pearls….

I have to admit I was a little taken aback by the amount of OM/OW action this book had, because I don’t often see that element of the story bought up in the conversation, but there was a lot. And while it was completely realistic and made sense in the context of the story and Ilya and Shanes arcs, even I found it got to be a little much sometimes.

My personal preference is a little more sports in my sports romances, like you could have swapped out hockey for basketball here and I don’t think I would have noticed. If I read a hockey romance I want there to be some actual hockey lol.

This might not have been the god tier book for me, the way it is for so many fans, but I had a really fun time with this and it was an incredibly easy read to demolish in a day.

Ngl, I didn’t think I had much to say about this one but that was apparently a lie lol….sorry in advance for all the words.