If you’ve been anywhere near the internet in the last couple of months, you’ve probably heard of “Heated Rivalry,” Rachel Reid’s hockey romance novel (the second in her Game Changers series), whose TV adaptation has swiftly become a record-breaking hit for its Canadian producer, Crave, and its American distributor, HBO Max. The story of two closeted male players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, who fall head-over-stick in love, has become a fan favorite — celebrated for its sizzling chemistry, rivals-to-lovers tension and the kind of emotional payoff that leaves you breathless.
Set within the high-pressure world of professional sports, “Heated Rivalry” stands out for its emotionally complex characters and unabashed celebration of queer joy, as well as its nuanced portrayal of neurodivergence and family trauma. It’s the kind of story you want to burrow into, on and off the page — capturing the messy, deeply human mix of fear, tenderness and desire that comes with being truly seen and loved.
The show has been renewed for a second season, and Reid recently announced that the seventh Game Changers book, “Unrivaled,” will publish on Sept. 29 and continue Shane and Ilya’s story. If you’ve already gobbled up all of Reid’s previous books, these 10 novels can help tide you over while you wait — offering more love stories built on rivals-to-lovers tension, sports and social pressure, with plenty of yearning and emotional depth that lingers long after the final page.
You Should Be So Lucky
by Cat Sebastian
“You Should Be So Lucky” unfolds in 1960s New York City, where a baseball career can be made — or ruined — on one’s reputation. The book follows Eddie, a struggling player who agrees to let Mark, a grieving journalist, follow him for the season. Their romance grows in the margins: long-distance phone calls, guarded silences, desire pressed flat by fear. It’s a heartwarming, deliciously nostalgic love story; fans of “Heated Rivalry” will recognize the heady cocktail of secrecy, public pressure and undeniable, odds-defying love. Read our review.
Normal People
by Sally Rooney
Like Shane and Ilya, Connell and Marianne are experts at missing each other, even when they’re in the same room. With every glance, they struggle to bridge the disconnect between what they truly feel and the filtered versions of themselves they feel pressured to show; sex becomes a way to communicate what words cannot. Rooney, who writes intimacy as captivatingly as any romance writer, plunges into the interior lives of these two young people as they navigate social anxiety, family trauma and years of longing. This novel (which also has an excellent TV adaptation) is catnip for level 10 yearners who crave a character-driven story full of feels — and well-crafted steamy scenes. Read our review.
Twisted Hate
by Ana Huang
If you love Ilya’s bad-boy edge, allow me to introduce you to Josh and Jules. Every encounter between these two — a superstar doctor and an aspiring lawyer, who happens to be his sister’s best friend — crackles with searing banter and palpable desire. Their enemies-with-benefits arrangement slowly ignites into a piping hot romance, despite their efforts to keep things purely physical. Each verbal sparring match is a lusty battle for control — and a treat to read.
The Fall
by Tal Bauer
In the high-stakes world of professional hockey, the pressure can be intense even for the strongest players. Torey is ready to crack: His career is on the rocks, his sexual identity is a secret and his love of the game has dried up. One night, he takes a bad hit on the ice. When he wakes up, it’s a year later and he is out, in a loving relationship with a man and on a winning team, with no memory of how he got there. His journey to figuring out what happened, and protecting this beautiful life he can’t remember building, is as tender as it is relentless, with emotional twists that will stay with you long after the final buzzer.
Like Real People Do
by E.L. Massey
Alexander, the youngest ever captain in the N.H.L., and Elijah, a figure skater turned social media influencer, start as online rivals, trading sharp words in the public eye. But that friction slowly melts into something much deeper. This sweet romance trades swagger for softness, exploring the slow, sometimes awkward work of learning how to let your guard down. Massey writes with care about anxiety, chronic illness and the challenges of public scrutiny, showing the warmth of found family and how sometimes the cockiest of bad boys are just protecting their cinnamon roll hearts.
Book Lovers
by Emily Henry
Nora, a literary agent, and Charlie, a book editor, turn masking vulnerability with ambition into a near-Olympic sport, even as one of them carries the weight of a parent’s declining health (sound familiar?). Their rivals-to-lovers summer romance is full of witty banter, stolen glances and slow-burning tension. Beneath the friction lies a story about wanting more than you’ve been told you deserve — and the exhilarating relief of a connection that feels like a balm. Expect delightful rom-com energy, and a memorable swimming hole scene (gimme kiss!).
On Merit Alone
by Adorabol Huckleby-Ordaz
Merit and Ira are both professional basketball players navigating the fallout of serious injuries, and the pressure to prove they still belong. What begins as guarded competition softens into mentorship, flirty banter and a slow-burn romance rooted in trust and mutual care. Huckleby-Ordaz captures that giddy realization that the person you can’t stop thinking about might like you back, while also exploring grief, gender discrimination and the exhaustion of trying to earn love through excellence. With a golden retriever of a hero and mild spice, this is a comforting read that will have you giggling and kicking your feet.
I Think They Love You
by Julian Winters
Winters’s novel blends the feel-good charm of a rom-com with the familiar what-are-you-doing-dude angst of your 20s. Set in a close-knit Atlanta community, the book follows Denzel and Braylon, two college exes who agree to fake a renewed relationship in order to advance their respective careers. But as they spend more and more time together, the men are forced to confront their unresolved feelings. Denzel’s vibrant family and their event-planning business add delightful depth to this read. Read our review.
Pucking Strong
by Emily Rath
Henrik, a Swedish star forward on the Jacksonville Rays hockey team, finds himself in need of a spouse, fast, in order to take custody of his niece after his sister’s sudden death. Enter Teddy, the team’s physical therapist, who agrees to marry his longtime crush … for purely legal purposes. Every moment of intimacy — physical and emotional — in this pair’s slow-burn story is earned. And while the book can be read on its own, it is part of a four-book series about the Rays, offering additional rewards for readers who want to spend more time in this world.
Idol Minds
by KT Salvo
Jason was a Hollywood teen star until an on-set tantrum torpedoed his reputation; Tae Hyun was on the path to K-pop stardom, but tensions in his band pushed him into military service. They have no interest in working together. But when a project comes up that could resurrect their careers, they reluctantly agree, and soon find they have more in common than they realized. Like Reid, Salvo captures the strange dissonance of being known by millions yet understood by almost no one, showing how intimacy can become both refuge and risk and how hard-won love can be transformative.
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