7 Books To Read After 'Heated Rivalry,' According to a Librarian

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We’ve all been there before: after picking up the perfect book series, you let it alter your brain chemistry forever, allowing it to become your personality for at least six months. But after you’re done reading it, it’s hard to find something that even comes close. For a lot of Heated Rivalry fans, that probably sounds all too familiar. After devouring that novel—and most likely the rest in the Game Changers series it belongs to (by Nova Scotia author Rachel Reid), you’re probably looking for other books like Heated Rivalry to really scratch that itch.

Nothing has hit quite like this series’s success. The niche, queer-sports romance books have crossed over into mainstream audiences, even spawning the first season of the hit show by Canadian streaming service, Crave. American audiences were then introduced to Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov in late 2025 when HBO Max brought the series to its platform.

Heated Rivalry is the second book in the Game Changers series, which is currently comprised of six novels, two of which are about Shane and Ilya directly. Reid is working on a third book about the fictional couple (and the seventh in the series)—it’s coming out in June 2027, which is later than originally expected due to the sudden fame and also Reid’s Parkinson’s symptoms, which she was diagnosed with in 2023, according to the Associated Press.

The foundational gay hockey romance series, though, has taken the literary world by storm. Perhaps most likely because it intertwines secrecy and love affairs, a tension that says, “We shouldn’t be doing this,” according to public librarian Brynn Hurley, who goes by the TikTok handle @brynn.hb.

So, if you need more books likeHeated Rivalry (for fans who just can’t get enough of similar genres and character arcs!) that you can go read right now, she shares several with Parade.

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What Is ‘Heated Rivalry’ by Rachel Reid?

First published in 2019, the book Heated Rivalry tells the story of two rival professional hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. In the series, Hollander is a Canadian player who plays for the fictional team, Montreal Voyageurs, while Rozanov, a Russian athlete, plays for the fictional Boston Bears.

Both players are huge hockey stars, but harbor a secret: their casual, albeit spicy romance that turns into something big and real.

The series TV adaptation follows the same plot line, played by Hudson Williams (Hollander) and Connor Storrie (Rozanov), and the rest is history. It eventually turned into a huge cultural phenomenon, showcasing a queer sports story that hasn’t typically been seen before.

The book’s general story has introduced overdue conversations on LGBTQ+ representation in the sports world, with queer romance becoming a huge sub-genre lately, according to the University of Alberta.

Hurley agrees with that notion, saying that the book series isn’t just about a sports romance.

“From a reader’s advisory perspective, Heated Rivalry isn’t just ‘a hockey romance,'” the librarian shares. “It’s really about emotional intensity, secrecy and long-term tension between two people who can’t quite let each other go.”

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What Kind of Books Feel Like ‘Heated Rivalry’?

Is this series too niche to replicate? Do similar books have to have a queer romance element, mixed with an athletic storyline?

It might depend on who you ask, but Hurley says “appeal factors” have a lot to do with this. Some of those factors include a “high-intensity, character-driven romance, often rivals-to-lovers or forbidden,” she shares.

An “emotional arc that spans time,” as well as “some level of secrecy,” are also good elements to look out for when choosing a book that feels comparable.

While not needing to be exclusively revolving around an LGBTQ+ storyline, some of those factors are what fans of Heated Rivalry loved most about the books and the TV series. Hurley says these aspects matter when it comes to appeal.

“Queer romances often capture that same tension and stakes, especially around visibility and identity, while sports settings naturally heighten rivalry, pressure and public scrutiny,” she explains. “That being said, I’d still recommend non-sports or even non-queer titles if they deliver the same emotional payoff and intensity because I feel like that’s really what readers are chasing.”

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7 Books Like ‘Heated Rivalry,’ According to a Librarian

It’s so true that some of us would love the chance to read Heated Rivalry for the very first time again. But if you’ve already read it and are craving something with similar tensions, vibes and storylines, Hurley gives some suggestions for your next big read.

1. ‘Him’ by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

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This hockey romance is a sports-related gem of a find for anyone who liked Heated Rivalry. The Him book series tells the story of two former friends who later reconnect in adulthood, when their college teams are about to face each other at a championship.

“It has strong emotional history and chemistry, making it a good fit for readers who liked the relationship depth in Heated Rivalry,” says Hurley. “But it’s less centered on secrecy.”

2. ‘Gravity’ by Tal Bauer

This book is a great example of a “hockey romance that explores identity and being openly queer in professional sports,” according to Hurley.

“It matches the emotional stakes and pressures of a high-profile athletic career, though it’s more about visibility than a hidden relationship,” she shares.

3. ‘The Foxhole Court’ by Nora Sakavic

Another gay male sports-focused tale that is just as character-driven as Heated Rivalry, The Foxhole Court is the first book in the All for the Game series. The premiere story may feel like déjà vu for Heated Rivalry fans, since it focuses on many of the book’s similar aspects.

The first three books in the series revolve around Neil Josten, who is the son of a murderer on the run. As part of his fake identity, he signs up with his college team’s “Exy” team, a fictional sport that resembles a cross between lacrosse and hockey. Not only does he stay on the team to keep hiding who he really is, but to get closer to the goalkeeper, Andrew Minyard.

“Romance is secondary, but the intense rivalries, loyalty and long-term character arcs will appeal to readers who liked the emotional investment of Heated Rivalry,” says Hurley.

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4. ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ by Casey McQuiston

In a book that may just be the royal alternative to Heated Rivalry, this novel centers around the fictional first son of the United States, Alex Claremont-Diaz, and his rival—and romantic interest, eventually—a British monarch, the fictional Prince Henry of England.

While not as spicy as Heated Rivalry, Hurley assures that it contains a relationship that must be kept under wraps from their public and royal subjects.

“The secret relationship and public scrutiny create similar tension, but the tone is lighter and more rom-com-leaning,” Hurley states.

5. ‘Captive Prince’ by C. S. Pacat

In the first book of the Captive Prince trilogy, a prince named Damen is sent to live in a rival kingdom, where he has to work as a slave and hide his true identity. While navigating the court and other struggles, he must also deal with the growing tension between him and the powerful Prince Laurent as feelings begin to shift between the two.

The book is what Hurley calls a “fantasy enemies-to-lovers story with a slow-burn relationship that develops over a trilogy.”

“The dynamic is more political and power-driven, but it shares the long-term tension and complicated emotional evolution,” she notes.

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6. ‘The Favorites’ by Layne Fargo

Anyone who enjoyed reading the heated, but passionate relationship between Shane and Ilya will find something to read on about in this sports romance pick by Layne Fargo.

“A toxic, obsessive relationship set against a competitive backdrop,” Hurley says about this novel. “The rivalry, ambition and emotional volatility make it a great fit for readers who liked the intensity of Shane and Ilya.”

7. ‘You Should See Me in a Crown’ by Leah Johnson

You Should See Me in a Crown explores themes in Heated Rivalry such as discovering yourself and wanting to be heard.

The book follows a high school student named Liz who is running for prom queen, and hopes to win a college scholarship. While dealing with internet trolls, catty girls and popularity, she starts to fall for the new girl in school.

“It’s much lighter in tone,” says Hurley of this YA novel. “But it still explores identity, visibility and being seen, offering a softer connection.”

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