Game Changing: Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series

I was overjoyed when I learned that Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry was going to be adapted into a six-part TV series. (I was less so when I found out that the international distribution deal doesn’t include the UK, but that’s a moan for another time!) Sports romance – especially hockey romance – is a huge sub-genre in m/m romance, and even though I know nothing about ice hockey and am not at all interested in sport, I’ve read and listened to lots of hockey romances over the years that I’ve absolutely loved. Some of Rachel Reid’s Game Changers books are among my all-time favourites in the genre, and the two novels centring the angsty, sexy rivals-to-lovers romance between superstar players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov (Heated Rivalry and The Long Game) are two highlights of what is an excellent series overall.

Thanks to a Canadian friend of my daughter’s and a good VPN (!) I’ve been able to watch the first two episodes of the show and – wow. THAT is how you adapt a romance novel for the screen. The two lead actors have some of the most amazing on (and off) screen chemistry I’ve ever seen and the writer(s) are sticking fairly closely to the book – although episode 3 is a bit of a departure (albeit one that’s key to Shane and Ilya’s story.)

There are already calls for a season 2 of “Hollanov” – an adaptation of The Long Game, which delivers Shane and Ilya’s very long-awaited and very well-deserved HEA after the HFN of Heated Rivalry, and I’m definitely among the many whose fingers are very firmly crossed! If the massive online buzz pre-and post launch (headlines stating “Heated Rivalry has broken the Internet” are everywhere!) is anything to go by, Crave, the Canadian production company responsible for the adaptation, would be crazy not to announce a second season and/or adaptations of some of the other books in the series. But while we wait anxiously for news, there are six books to be read and re-read for all that sexy hockey player deliciousness!

If you haven’t read any of the Game Changers books, and fancy giving one or more a try, check out our reviews and jump in! Most of them work as standalones, although there are recurring characters who appear throughout, so I’d say it’s helpful to read in order, and you absolutely must read Heated Rivalry before The Long Game.

Game Changer: New York Admirals captain Scott Hunter takes his pre-game rituals very seriously. When a particular smoothie precedes Scott’s breaking his on-ice slump, he’s desperate to recreate the magic…and to get to know the sexy, funny guy behind the counter.

Scott needs Kip Grady in his life, but with playoff season approaching, the spotlight on him is suddenly brighter than ever. He can’t afford to do anything that might derail his career or the public’s image of what a hockey captain should be. Kip is ready to go all in with Scott—but how much longer will he have to remain a secret?

Heated Rivalry: 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 hook-ups 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…

Tough Guy: Pro hockey star Ryan Price may be an enforcer, but off the ice he struggles with anxiety. Recently traded to Toronto, he’s determined to make a fresh start in the city’s dynamic LGBTQ+ Village. The last thing he expects to find in his new neighborhood is a blast from his past in the fabulous form of Fabian Salah.

But playing the role of the heavy on the ice has taken its toll on his body and mind, and a future with Fabian may mean hanging up his skates for good.

Common Goal: Veteran goaltender Eric Bennett has faced down some of the toughest shooters on the ice, but nothing prepared him for his latest challenge—life after hockey. It’s time to make some big changes, starting with finally dating men for the first time.

Graduate student Kyle Swift moved to New York nursing a broken heart. He’d sworn to find someone his own age to crush on (for once). Until he meets a gorgeous, distinguished silver fox hockey player. Despite their intense physical attraction, Kyle has no intention of getting emotionally involved. He’ll teach Eric a few tricks, have some mutually consensual fun, then walk away.

Eric is more than happy to learn anything Kyle brings to the table. And Kyle never expected their friends-with-benefits arrangement to leave him wanting more. 

Everything they want is within reach… They just have to be brave enough to grab it.

Role Model: The hits just keep coming for Troy Barrett. Traded to the worst team in the league would be bad enough, but coming on the heels of a messy breakup and a recent scandal… Troy just wants to play hockey and be left alone. He definitely doesn’t want to “work on his online presence” with the team’s peppy social media manager.

Harris Drover can tell standoffish Troy isn’t happy about the trade, but Harris doesn’t give up on people easily. And when he sees Troy’s smile finally crack through his grumpy exterior… That’s a man Harris couldn’t turn his back on if he wanted to.

Suddenly, Troy’s move to the new team feels like an opportunity—for Troy to embrace his true self, and for both men to explore their growing attraction. But being together behind closed doors is one thing, and for Troy, being in a public relationship with Harris will mean facing off with his fears, once and for all.

The Long Game: To the world they are rivals, but to each other they are everything.

Ten years.

That’s how long Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov have been seeing each other. How long they’ve been keeping their relationship a secret. From friends, from family…from the league. If Shane wants to stay at the top of his game, what he and Ilya share has to remain secret. He loves Ilya, but what if going public ruins everything?

Ilya is sick of secrets. Shane has gotten so good at hiding his feelings, sometimes Ilya questions if they even exist. The closeness, the intimacy, even the risk that would come with being open about their relationship…Ilya wants it all.

It’s time for them to decide what’s most important—hockey or love.

It’s time to make a call.