Why Heated Rivalry Changed Sports Romance

Listen to Rachel Reid's very First Podcast Interview (2020)

What happens when you take one of the most toxic masculinity sports cultures in the world—and rewrite it with tenderness, queer joy, and emotional honesty? 🏒💖

---

---

It’s Been 8 Days Since The Cottage — And I’m Still in Withdrawal

It’s been eight days since The Heated Rivalry finale, and I am absolutely experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

My story with Heated Rivalry goes all the way back to the pandemic. I had just moved to a new city, was completely isolated, unemployed, and suddenly had more free time than I knew what to do with. I was deep into my romance-reading era—about four years in—and in my very first year running what was, at the time, a pretty niche thing: an almost exclusively author-interview podcast.

That’s when I kept hearing whispers about this small digital book called Heated Rivalry. People were saying it broke romance rules. That it didn’t follow the traditional beats. That it was messy, emotional, and different. So I picked it up—and devoured it.

What I found was a ten-year situationship between rivals, lived mostly in the closet, inside the hyper-toxic masculinity of professional hockey. It wasn’t neat. It wasn’t polished. It wasn’t trying to be “safe.” And I was obsessed.

Almost immediately after finishing, I emailed Carina Press’s publicist—Stephanie, you were truly a gem—and basically begged to talk to Rachel. This wasn’t the norm back then. Romance podcasts weren’t what they are now, and author interviews weren’t nearly as common. But I told her the truth: I loved this series, my friend Amanda loved this series, and we just wanted to gush with Rachel.

We genuinely didn’t expect her to say yes. But she did.

Amanda and I came prepared—very prepared. In those early days, I tended to over-prepare. We were nervous. We had notes. We had questions. But Rachel was so candid and open that the interview quickly stopped feeling like an interview at all. It turned into a conversation about what was, at the time, still a fringe obsession—queer hockey romance that dared to be emotional, political, and deeply human.

Fast forward five years, and that “fringe obsession” is now a worldwide phenomenon.

Watching Heated Rivarly felt surreal. The show respected the romance genre. It gave us angst. It gave us softness. It gave us cozy comfort—the kind you want to wrap yourself in. It gave us found family, healing, and a love story that didn’t just save Shane, but allowed Ilya to finally be seen and held, too.

Most importantly, it restored my faith in book-to-screen adaptations.

For a long time, I was skeptical. Burned, even. But this series reminded me that when creators understand the emotional core of a romance—and trust the audience—it can work. It can be beautiful. And it can feel like coming home.

And honestly? I’m so glad I was here to see it happen—from a tiny digital book during lockdown, to something that now belongs to all of us. 💙

Listen to the Full Episode Here:

This interview originally aired September 2020

In this retro What to Read Next author interview, I’m joined by my friend Amanda (from Escape in a Book) to chat with romance author Rachel Reid, the creator of the beloved Game Changers hockey romance series.

We talk about Rachel’s lifelong love of hockey, why she wanted to challenge toxic masculinity in sports romance, and how Heated Rivalry broke every romance “rule” and somehow became a fan favorite anyway. Rachel also opens up about writing sex scenes with purpose, representing mental health and anxiety on the page, and what’s coming next—including Common Goal, Role Model, and the long-awaited sequel to Heated Rivalry.

Rachel shares her journey to publication for the Game Changer series

⏱️ Episode Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome & intro to Rachel Reid
[02:00] From hockey fan to published romance author
[06:00] Why queer hockey romance matters
[09:00] Writing Heated Rivalry & breaking romance rules
[13:00] Mental health & toxic masculinity in sports
[15:00] Crafting unforgettable sex scenes
[17:00] Upcoming books: Common Goal & Role Model
[19:00] The Heated Rivalry sequel (The Long Game)
[24:00] Rachel’s favorite books & reading recs

Looking for more Queer Hockey Romance to read next after Heated Rivalry?

On the blog, I shared 8 book recommendations that you can add to your TBR - ASAP

In addition, my friend Kelly Reynolds wrote this list where I shared a bonus recommendation:

The 11th Day of Boobsmas

💭 Let’s Chat

I’d love to hear your Heated Rivalry origin story. Leave a comment and tell me when you first read it — pandemic read, late-night read binge, or post-show obsession.