I enjoyed this book a lot more than Game Changer. Heated Rivalry follows Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two rival NHL players who have fierce competitive streaks but also have strong attraction to . one another. The story takes place over several years and shows the relationship between Shane and Ilya change from “hate” hook ups to something romantic and emotional.

I loved the change in the relationship between Ilya and Shane, especially how gradually feelings developed beyond sexual attraction. They are always shown to be hated rivals, between their contrasting personalities and the deep-seated rivalry between their hockey teams, but as they get to know each other and do more together than hook up, they have a chance to go beyond their rivalry.

Ilya and Shane are very different people and have very different backgrounds, but the more time they spend together the more they open up and trust, and I loved watching that. I also especially loved their conversations about their future, even though they both feel the need to remain closeted (or at least hiding their relationship) until they retire from hockey. I definitely got warm-fuzzies when they confessed their love for each other.

This really has a nice Hate-To-Love arc set in a hockey romance, and I definitely would recommend.

This is one of the books I wish I could read again for the first time

I love stories that span over many years of the characters' lives. They feel more real, wholesome and well developed. "Heated Rivalry" takes us through about a decade in Shane's and Ilya's lives and it gave so much depth to the story and the characters.

The book is split in four parts and it slowly takes us through the phases of their relationship, from the early days when it was more hate than anything else, all the way to present day when all that has unexpectedly changed to love and a playful competitiveness that doesn't seem in any hurry to go anywhere.

As we follow them through many seasons of their NHL careers and through personal life events we get to really know them and connect with them. We see their relationship with each other change without them realising until it's too late to do anything about it but move forward.

I fell in love with this book and with the MCs, both of them. I read the book in a little more than a day and I still wanted more. The solution they found was realistic and exactly what I wanted for them. It was sweet to see their excitement when they managed to find a way to live their life together and keep their careers at the same time.

Shane and Ilya where so different from each other and that's what made this story even more captivating. At first, they didn't even like each other but still there was something that was pulling them together. As their feelings started to grow, we got to see them thinking about the other's annoying trates with fondness and teasing each other about them.

The idea for this book was great and I loved every part of it. It wasn't overly angsty, it was mostly sweet and funny. As the years passed they started to be jealous about who the other was spending time with when they weren't together but there was really no reason for it. When they finally gave in and accepted their feelings it was glorious and there was no going back. Once they were in they went all the way and never looked back.

I was eagerly anticipating "Heated Rivalry" from the first time I read the blurb and it didn't disappoint. I'm always happy to read about hockey players and the fact that this took place over many years made it even better.

5 amazingly awesome stars!




*An ARC of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *

This book will be rated in three parts:

Prologue: 10/10 Little black hockey pucks
Parts 1 and 2: 6/10 Pucks from the Real World: San Francisco
Parts 3 and 4: 9/10 Robin Goodfellows

Why this disparate rating?

The prologue is awesome.

The first half of the book is so repetitive I almost put it down (despite some brief scenes that sparkled and great characterization).
The second half of the book is lovely. I grinned while reading. This is rare but occurs when just the right things happen with just the right characters. (It’s kinda like that feeling you get when someone you really like sends you an adorable, perhaps unexpected, text message.)

To break it down further:

I would have loved this from start to end if the first half of the book had been condensed. After Shane and Ilya’s first meeting, almost all the scenes follow the exact same pattern.

I get it. It took them awhile of meeting up for sex a couple of times a year before they figured out that what they really wanted was a proper relationship with the other. However. I don’t need a rinkside seat to (what felt like) 76 scenes of Shane and Ilya repeating their patterns. Two or three encounters would have been enough to illustrate the heated rivalry.

Then we get to the second half of the book. This is where the magic happens (again). Because despite the groundhog day feeling earlier, these characters are well drawn and when they actually start talking to each other and letting the other person in - this book knocks it out of the park. There’s great dialogue, great scenes, great coming out moments, it’s an all-round excellent (grin-inducing) romance.

4 stars

Heated Rivalry is the second book in the series and can definitely be read as a standalone. This is your enemies to lovers romance and while I don't read many of them, I really did like this one. The story was so different and I'm coming to love Rachel's writing style, it's very unique.

Hockey is my weakness. Add in the fact that it's M/M romance, and I'm at an all time high. The story spans a few years and I loved reading it. While they may be enemies on the ice, off the ice is a whole different story. It was very explosive.

The only thing was that I'm a romantic at heart and would've loved more of a HEA at the end and seeing more of them as a couple.

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 ;)

An ARC was kindly provided to me, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews are posted on WendysWyckedWords

This was such an angsty wonderful read! I really felt the push and pull between Shane and Ilya. I loved that their story spanned so long. The game of hockey was depicted well, as well as the rabid fan base in some areas. I liked this so much, I went and bought the first book of the series,but this one completely stands on its own. Great read and I am looking forward to more!

ARC Received from NetGalley for Honest Review

Book Rating: 4/5
Heat Rating: 5/5
Romance Rating: 4/5
Epilogue Rating: 1/5, the epilogue given, just felt like a chapter not a HEA.

That Prologue had me scared, had me thinking I walked into the middle of the a movie and missed the beginning. But thankfully Chapter 1 starts at the beginning LOL.

I really loved the natural drama that occurred in this book, no over the top crap.

The smexiness in this book was REALLY good, not mind blowing, but wasn’t disappointed. It seemed to be a little...repetitive?
Wish they experimented different things in the bedroom, cause it was a bit vanilla ESPECIALLY for the supposed bad boy Ilya.

But I can’t deny Ilya and Shane are ADORABLE together, they are definitely joined the memorable list.

This book actually could’ve been a 5/5 but I personally wasn’t thrilled with the ending, it’s HEA, not a HFN (don’t get me wrong)

I just wish they got a WELL DESERVED Epilogue or at least a bonus Epilogue.

The Epilogue’s just a ‘16 months’ later, even though what they got was ‘sympathetic nice’ ending, it should’ve been better. It really just felt like another chapter. Cause there is a lot of fast forwarding, which didn’t bother me.

I was hoping for a ‘Marriage/Wedding’ HEA, which I thought the Epilogue was going to be the ‘fast forward a few years’ kind, but nope not even close. Kinda leaves you a little disheartened.

This is the first book I’ve read from this author, I might read more.

Well, she's done it again. Heated Rivalry was as awesome as Game Changers. It had a bit of a different feel to it, as Shane and Ilya had a VERY unique situation. Right til the very end, their story was unlike any I've read before. So many conflicts, and in the beginning even within themselves. These two are competitive and combative, they talk a lot of smack, but they are both sincere and vulnerable. The banter is just everything! This was different than I was expecting. I knew it would be good, but it was better, with a fresh twist on mm romance.

Probably a 4.5.

My love for hockey romances is not hidden and I don’t miss any opportunity to read more of these books. When I read Game Changer last year, I found it very sweet and nice and while it wasn’t going to be a favorite, I still wanted to checkout what the author came up with next. And wow was I pleasantly surprised by this book. Heated Rivalry is a completely different kind of book and I enjoyed it far more than I expected to.

Shane and Ilya are pitted as rivals right from their teenage years, even before they are up for the draft and once they sign for arch rival teams, the publicity just keeps on. Both of them are amazing hockey players and their rivalry definitely brings out their best and they enjoy it. But their personalities off the ice can’t be more different - Shane is much more reserved, close to his family, sometimes unsure and confused and despite realizing that he is definitely not completely straight, can’t bring himself to utter the word gay. On the other hand, Ilya is cocky, confident, very charming, loves getting a rise out of Shane, while also dealing with family issues and knows that he maybe bisexual but logically, his only choice is to ultimately be with a woman. Whatever their issues with their sexualities, they can’t stop being with each other and though their encounters are quite sporadic, I loved their almost enemies with benefits relationship and it’s slow progression to something more. It takes a long time for them to realize that they are friends, they like talking to each other and spending time together and I thought this whole arc was done brilliantly. I absolutely loved how they fell in love and how they came to some decisions about their future.

I loved the way the author decided to tell this story. In the prologue itself, we realize that Shane and Ilya have been in a sexual relationship for around 6 years; then the author proceeds to tell us their story from the beginning - how they met, the heating up of their rivalry, the push and pull they feel towards each other and how it proceeds for almost a decade. This method of unraveling the story hooked me right from the start and I couldn’t put the book down. Because of their perceived relationship on the ice, all emotions and even the intimate scenes felt very very intense and heightened and I think that was definitely a reason why I loved this book much more than the previous installment. While it’s always awesome to see the endings of these romances to be about the players coming out publicly and being supported by their teams, I applaud the author for taking a very different route and staying true to the two characters. It’s a very realistic choice and while it may not feel like the usual HEA, there is never any doubt about whether Shane and Ilya will be together forever.

This book works excellently as a standalone, so if sweet saccharine love stories are not your jam, you should definitely check this book out. However, the events in Game Changer play a significant role in the choices the two characters make for their future and I loved how the author integrated the two storylines. This is a wonderful slow burn and intense rivals to lovers romance that takes place over a decade and I completely fell in love. I highly recommend this book to all sports romance lovers and can’t wait to see if there will be another book in this series.

HEATED RIVALRY by Rachel Reid is an amazing fun read! I couldn't put it down! I loved the interaction between the characters. The hockey scenes were so true to life, I felt like I was right there watching the face off. The romance was crazy and the way they felt for each other. The pressure, intensity and laugh out loud moments! A five 🌟 read for sure!

Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes because it creates great tension and UST. Heated Rivalry does this very well. It’s an excellent read and I loved the contrasts between Ilya and Shane and how their backgrounds further enhanced the story.

Thank you Harlequin - Carina Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book. I finished it within a couple hours of starting it.
I loved the years these 2 spent with each other.

Mare~Slitsread

Heated Rivalry is the companion sequel to Reid's Game Changer. To say these two books are polar opposites in how the romance is developed is an understatement. And I do mean that in the most positive way possible.

What's better than a good old rivals to lovers romance? One where they're already in it. Sort of. There's a prologue at the beginning that shows Ilya and Shane are already in a sort of physical relationship. The story then goes back to Ilya and Shane's rookie year and we find out that it's been going on since then. The first part of the book basically fills you in on everything, their rivalry, their place in the league, how they ended up where they are. I loved seeing it. I loved seeing how they ended up where they were in the prologue and how they later grew from there.

There were the typical tropes of m/m hockey romance, understandably there to reflect real life. It also took place when Game Changer would've taken place as well, which did impact the story eventually. I think that was a good idea on Reid's part when it did affect Ilya and Shane's own romance.

I liked both Ilya and Shane a lot. Ilya is a cocky, charmer sort of character while Shane is pretty intense at times.

Ilya is from Russia, so there is some semblance of (low key?) denial of being bi, especially since he knows he can't be open there. He also has a disconnect with his family, especially his father. He's not close to his brother either and his mother died when he was pretty young.

Shane is the opposite in that respect, he's close with his parents. On the more sexuality side of things, he's kind of in some denial about being gay. He'd been with women in the past but he'd never felt as strongly to anyone as he did to Ilya. It's kind of one of those compulsory heterosexuality cases where he didn't really think about it, only to later realise he was gay.

*rubs hands* Okay, now onto the important bit: the romance. I loved the romance. I found these two had a lot of chemistry. From the start there was that tension that always makes rivals to lovers one of my favourite things. I also didn't expect to see that they were already together (sort of). That kind of made it better because it made their relationship and romance more interesting. They had this hate that mostly stemmed from being intense rivals, while they were having a physical relationship behind the scenes.

And it had a random favourite trope of mine: switching from calling the other their surname to their first name. Anything with names is always one of my favourite things.

I wouldn't say I liked this more than Game Changer but I can say that I will definitely be looking out for more by Reid. If you love rivals to lovers romances, definitely pick this one up.

I loved this sports romance featuring two top hockey rivals who slowly come to realize their growing feelings/attraction for each other. Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov could not be any more different, and they both have a lot to lose if their developing relationship and personal lives become public. I totally enjoyed their story, as I did "Game Changer", the first book in the series. I am so looking forward to what comes next from Rachel Reid!

3.5 stars (rounded to 4 stars)

I enjoyed this story. I loved the characters, Illya and Shane; they were so well developed and fleshed out. We got a sense of how they were feeling and experiencing everything. Their slow-burn romance was great!

The only criticism I had was that Part One and Part Two dragged a bit if both parts had been trimmed down and merged it would've made the story even better!

This book I would recommend for anyone that loves a smutty, sports, hate-to-love, romance.

(I kindly recieved a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

Loved this follow up to Rachel's previous book! She did a great job bringing both characters to life and creating plausible motivations for their behavior. I enjoyed the progression of time as they both grew up from rookies to experiences pros and thought the resolution was well done.

Great writing, off-the-wall chemistry between characters, flirty, funny, edgy. I hadn't read the first in the series but now I have to go find it because I loved this book. I loved the rivalry between Ilya and Shane. This will be a fun book to recommend.

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*

Hmmm. I’m trying to sort out my feelings on this one.

I admit, I almost DNF this one throughout part one. I couldn’t get past how insecure Shane was and how he got embarrassed ALL. THE. TIME. Over and over again it was “Shane was mortified.” “Shane was humiliated.” “Shane blushed with embarrassment.” He’s an amazing hockey player, shouldn’t he have some self confidence? It was honestly to the point where I questioned whether he would ever be successful as an adult in the NHL. Drove me crazy.

Which leads me to the repetition. I felt like a lot of the chapters were just regurgitations of previous chapters. “Here’s my hotel number” insert sex here. Two chapters later, “here’s my hotel number” insert more sex here. Where is the story line? Where is the deeper connection these two characters are supposed to feel? To me, this book and their connection was about almost nothing else other than sex.

This book takes place over the span of 6 or 7 years and I feel like the characters didn’t grow at all. They never seemed to mature and they never seemed to grow more confident in each other which was very much represented in their ridiculous “solution” to their issue. They could just man up and own it.

The book did get better as it went on, but it still was lacking in the story department. And that epilogue? Talk about leaving your readers hanging. This is not a cliffhanger, but in my opinion it does not wrap up. I’m left wanting more. I’m not sure if more was left out to make the book shorter but I could have done with less of the hotel number/sex combo in order to have the ending this book deserved. Ultimately this is why I’m giving this book 2 stars instead of 3.

Unfortunately, I do not think I recommend this book. It’s not even so much that I would tell someone NOT to read it, it’s just more so that I’m left unsatisfied and I would hate for someone else to feel that way.

Oh this book is utterly delicious, I absolutely love enemies to lovers and this one takes that trope and runs with it in a brilliant way.

Not only is the narrative style itself unusual - the story starts with a Prologue in the present time and then takes the reader seven years in the past to tell the epic romance of two ice hockey rivals - but the enemies to lovers element is twisted from an incendiary sexual attraction into a deep and abiding love.

I even wasn't in the slightest bit bothered by the fact that at the end of this book both MCs are still in the closet with only a very few people knowing they're a couple.

I know my lovely friend Dani described the end as a strong HFN, but for me this was an utterly convincing HEA, just one with a hidden element for now.

I really enjoyed book one in this series, this could be read as a standalone, there's very little overlapping, but you'd miss out on another great read.

Rachel Reid is rapidly becoming one of my favourite sports romance writers, she manages to pitch the pace perfectly between the playing ice hockey element and the romance.

And oh boy were these two on fire, their sexual chemistry is off the charts. There's so much more than just that though and I loved how their friendship and relationship developed in tandem.

More please!