Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid

 

Published by Harlequin on April 18, 2023

372 pages

I read the paperback version

Back Cover

Nothing interferes with pro hockey star Shane Hollander’s game.

Now that he’s captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won’t let anything jeopardize that—definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate.

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. Publicly, they’re enemies. Privately, they can’t stop touching each other.

The smart thing to do? Walk away, once a few secret hookups turn into a struggle to keep their relationship out of the press. The truth could ruin them both. But for Shane and Ilya, secrecy is soon no longer an option…

My review

It’s book 2 of the series Game Changers, but I could understand the narrative without consulting the first one. Since people talk about the show a lot, I wanted to read the novel to get an idea of the hype. I’m not a huge fan of sports romance in general, Fortunately, I have a soft spot for hockey. I don’t read many M-M stories, so it was great to move from my comfort zone.

In general, I liked it. I could understand why Shane and Ilya relationship was secret. At first, they were only friends with benefits (or, in their case, rivals with benefits) and I hope it will become more serious later. I will let you discover if they chose to get further in that way.

Unfortunately, I found out there is a lack of communication between them. They meet to sleep together and I enjoy more profound characters even in romance. You have to be patient if you want find something deep.

I am aware that not everyone likes male-male stories, but in my case, I didn’t notice any difference. I’m glad the author chose this subject in a sports romance. It’s not a plot we see daily. The novel contains several spices, so I recommend it to a public over 16.

Excerpts 

Using the word “passionate” to describe Montreal hockey fans would be an understatement. Montreal loved they Voyageurs to the point of absurdity. (p.10)

Shane blinked and tried his best to stare Rozanov down, like it was a real game. But a real game would only require him to hold his position for a few seconds. This was awkward. (p.42)

He glanced at the cover before handing it back. Anne of Green Gables. Wasn’t that children’s book for girls or something? (p.106)

Not that they had ever regularly contacted each other before, but this silence had been particularly deadening. The past few weeks had been the first time that Ilya felt sure that, if he texted him, Shane wouldn’t reply. (p.190)

“We get together, and we fuck. Is simple,” Ilya said.

“Simple,” Shane grumbled. “Right.”

Ilya shrugged again. “Is simple for me.” (p.200)

Shane groaned and fell back on his bed, covering his face with his hands. He was super fucked. (p.229)