*This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we earn a small commission if you make a purchase through links on our site. This is at no additional cost to you.
Like everyone else, Heated Rivalry has me in a chokehold.
Ever since the TV series came out, I have been obsessed with Ilya and Shane. In order to cure my emotional hangover after I finished watching the series (three times), I read all of the Game Changers books.
After finishing the BOOK series, I’ll admit I do have some mixed feelings on them. Overall, though, I loved this gay hockey world created by Rachel Reid and would definitely recommend to anyone interested!
If you’re thinking about checking out the Game Changers series, or just want to hear what my thoughts are on them, you’re in luck! Below are my reviews for each book in the series. I kept them pretty spoiler-y free (but if you don’t want any spoilers at all, go read the books now!!)
Game Changer
Game Changer, the first book in the series, follows Scott Hunter, a closeted captain for the New York Admirals. He meets Kip, a history student and smoothie shop icon.
Scott is drawn to Kip in a way that he has never been before, and for the first time, he allows himself to be in a relationship with a man. Though his fears about how their relationship might affect his career keep him from coming out, he falls for Kip hard and fast 😉
…see what I did there? hehe
I love Kip and Scott, but if you are an audiobook girl, I would highly recommend reading the physical Game Changer book if possible. Sorry to the narrator, but Kip’s “Brooklyn” accent was unbearable.
Dare I say that I liked the TV adaptation of this better than the book? I do dare say. Also, insta-love is not my favorite trope of all time, but I still really enjoyed this book. 3/5!
Heated Rivalry
I LOVED Heated Rivalry.
In case you’re not already aware of the plot, this book follows two young hockey stars: Canadian good boy and known hard worker, Shane Hollander, and Russian hotshot Ilya Rozanov. Heated Rivalry takes place over the course of their careers, from before the NHL all the way to them both becoming the captains of their rival teams. However, behind the scenes of their famous rivalry, they’re also hooking up!! At first, they both think it’s just to let off steam, but then it turns into the most yearning romance I’ve ever read!!!!!
The Shane and Ilya books in this series just feel like the stakes are so much higher. Also, am I crazy, or is the writing just stronger in Heated Rivalry and The Long Shot? I might be blinded by my love of Shane and Ilya tbh.
This book is a new favorite of mine, and the show is a very spot on adaptation. Side note, but I also appreciated how, in the show, they developed the female characters more than in the book. 4/5!
Tough Guy
Tough Guy, unfortunately, fell flat for me. The chemistry between Ryan and Fabian was just not as strong as the couples in the first two books. We actually meet Ryan Price in the previous bookas an enforcer who often gets traded.
Ryan is a very different character from the other hockey players because he doesn’t love the sport in the same way. For him, it’s really more of a job. When he gets traded to Toronto, he ends up being reunited with Fabian Salah, his teenage crush. Though Ryan is out, he learns to really embrace himself when he sees how unapologetically himself Fabian is.
I appreciate that the characters between all the books are very different, but this one just felt like it had way less plot than the first two books. I will say, childhood-friends-to-lovers is my least favorite trope of all time, so that could also have affected my overall reading experience. 2/5!
Common Goal
Meet zaddy Eric Bennett, closeted bi icon who is currently going through a divorce, contemplating his upcoming retirement, and wanting to finally live out his bisexual life. ALSO meet Kyle Swift, a bartender at the Kingfisher and an art grad student. Kyle loves to flirt, and as he gets to know Eric and his secret, he agrees to teach him everything he knows, helping ease Eric’s way into gay culture. Though, of course, they both catch some feelings in the process.
At first, I felt pretty similar to this one as Tough Guy, but I think seeing more of Kyle in the next two books made this one grow on me over time after finishing it. I kinda just love Kyle tbh. Also, I’m a sucker for an age-gap relationship. Overall, Common Goal was a fun read, but not as big a fan of this one as I was of books Game Changer andHeated Rivalry. 3/5!
Role Model
Role Model follows Troy Barrett, recently traded to the worst team in the NHL after speaking up against his former bestie, who’s been accused of assault. Troy is struggling with his own self-hatred for having joined in with his previous teammates’ hate, even though he himself is gay. He meets Harris, the social media manager on his new flop of a team, who is openly gay and embraced by everyone on the Centaurs, including the captain, Ilya Rozanov. Troy’s new team is filled with kind people who support each other, inspiring him to change. Harris sees past Troy’s past (lol) and becomes a friend to him when he needs one most. Because of this, Troy finds himself drawn to Harris’ kindness and warmth.
As someone who is a social media manager, I was excited by the premise of this one, though the apple farm of it all was a little overkill. I was like, I get it, he likes apples. But y’know, not the end of the world. Troy’s development and homophobic past, I thought, was a good addition to the series and was a topic that I think is important to talk about. I also appreciated the advocacy of listening to women shown throughout the book.
This book is really intertwined with The Long Game, so I wonder if it will be like season 1 episode 3 of the TV series when we get season two. Overall, I definitely felt more connected to these characters than in the last two books. 3/5!
The Long Game
The Long Game follows where we left off with Shane and Ilya after Heated Rivalry. I am just so obsessed with both boys, so seeing them have relationship problems made me so sad LOL. But, I think the way that Rachel handled mental health in this book was great.
The time jumps and how much of a slow burn the first Hollanov book was one of the things that made it stand out to me so much compared to the rest of the series. While I definitely missed that element in this one, I remain obsessed with this couple, so I was still in it.
One of my favorite things in the book was seeing Ilya become a part of Shane’s family, as well as his chosen family of the Ottawa Centaurs (side note, but do we think that they are going to keep the team in season 2 as the Centaurs?).
I’m so intrigued to see how this is adapted for the TV series. I think that Shane gets kind of a bad wrap in this book, which I feel will be handled differently in the show, but we shall see!
This book is a nice end to Shane and Ilya’s story, and I am very interested to see what book 7 (Unrivaled) is about! 4/5!
Do You Need to Read All the Game Changers Books to Read Heated Rivalry?
If you’re interested in reading Heated Rivalry but worried you’ll miss some key plot points if you skip the rest of the Game Changers series (and aren’t super interested in reading those books), I’ve got good news! You do not have to read all the Game Changers series if you just want to read Heated Rivalry.
Like many romance series, Game Changers is made up of multiple stand-alone books. The only exception is that The Long Game continues the story of Heated Rivalry. So, if for whatever reason the only book in the series you wanted to read was The Long Game, I would recommend reading Heated Rivalry first.
I do think, however, that you will get a better overall reading experience if you end up reading all of them, as many of the other characters do pop up across the series. If you were only willing to read one of the other books, I would recommend Role Model. That book is the most intertwined and has the most Ilya in it, so definitely give that one a read before The Long Game.
What did you all think of the Game Changers series? Let me know in the comments!!
-Paisley
Other Articles From PaisleyReads: Percy Jackson And The Olympians: Wrath Of The Triple Goddess – Summary & Review