This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of Game Changer on my blog, now! Heated Rivalry premieres on November 28, 2025 - only on Crave.
Oh I ate this up so bad... some of my new favorite boys. Obviously I wanted to read this before the show premieres later this month, and now I wish I could wipe my memory and read it all over again. I have been seeing some "arguments" online with some people stating this book was porn without plot, but the plot in this book is so extremely vital to Shane and Ilya's individual struggles and their relationship. That being said, the smut was well written and tasteful as their relationship develops. We see two newly drafted teenagers enter the world of professional hockey while trying to figure themselves out and navigate this rivalry that has been thrust upon them, all while engaging in one of the most complex secret relationships I have seen.
When I heard I had to brace myself when reading the prologue, I could not imagine what Reid had in store for us - when I tell you my jaw dropped. There was no holding back with this book, and it is certainly a leg up on Game Changer. I will say that the timeline of this story was a touch hard to keep track of, but once you get the hang of the way the book flows, it becomes much easier to follow. Typically I am not a major fan of text message usage in books, but I found myself loving Shane and Ilya's conversations - you could really get a sense of their own personalities and humor even when they were not together.
Ilya's storyline felt like he was going through the horrors every two seconds, meanwhile Shane was trying to tell himself he was not gay even though he was literally sleeping with Ilya every chance they could get. Shane's story felt more lighthearted in my opinion - you could tell that he was going to be surrounded by supportive family members, while Ilya's story had me clutching my seat waiting for the next blow. Both experienced some major battles but they were basically there for each other the entire time, even when they would hold back on telling the other something that made them more vulnerable.
I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and from what I hear, this is certainly not the last we will see of them. Their relationship was more intriguing than Scott and Kip's, and while I would not consider this a true "rivals to lovers" trope, I can say that I can see how their "rivalry" made the relationship development more interesting. There was a more significant amount of depth to both characters in this book compared to the first and I was glad to see that Reid was able to create some more complex characters. I already placed a Libby hold for the next book in this interconnected series and I am excited to see where it leads readers with the new couple.
You can add Heated Rivalry on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.
No comments:
Post a Comment