2026~X1-6. Game Changer (Heated Rivalry series)

Rachel Reid. 2019.

I picked this out because of the recent hype around the Heated Rivalry show that is all the rage. This is the first book in that series.  I feel like I have to give a serious smut warning because the book is essentially a series of explicit sex scene interspersed with an incredibly sweet plot line.  Both main characters are just adorable and the supporting characters, also adorable. Set at the confluence of the homophobic world of professional hockey and the casual acceptance of gay culture in NYC, this was just a lot of fun to read. Light, heartwarming, full of kindness and hot sex, it has to get a recommend.

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Recommend.  

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This is the book that inspired the ultra-popular tv series, which I have now seen as well and I have to say the hype is justified.  A couple separate and apart from Game Changer, the tension in this book and the evolution of the relationship over time made for a total page-turner. I really enjoyed this story of rival professional hockey players hooking up and then getting hooked on each other in a world in which a future seems impossible to even imagine.  

Highly recommend.

Click here to purchase this book and support My 50 Bookish Friends blog project.

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The rest of this series is a bit of hit or miss, but the series as a whole is definitely highly recommended.

Tough Guy builds on tangential characters from the earlier book and addresses mental health and sexual dysfunction in a compassionate and interesting way.  Ryan's struggle with his enforcer role plays out with a lot of compassion here. 

Recommend.

I think Common Goal is the weakest of the storylines.  As with Tough Guy, we see previously tangential characters expanded with their own story.  I just didn't find the relationship tension here to be as compelling as the other stories.

Not not recommended.

Role Model returns to what this series does best in terms of exploring the toxic masculinity and rigid heteronormality in professional sports like men's hockey. Here, that is specifically in the context of sexual assault and the consequences for stepping out of the box to support survivors.  The romance is fun and flirty and having Ilya and Shane's story continuing to unfold in the background is an added draw.

Highly recommend.

The direct sequel to Heated Rivalry, The Long Game continues Ilya and Shane's romance as they navigate the complexity of their situation. I love the tensions that build and resolve and the evolution of Ilya's character to where he is all in is such a heartwarming story arc.  This storyline is definitely the backbone of the series and I couldn't stop reading.  I can't wait for the next instalment, Unrivaled, to come out in June 2027!

​Highly recommend.