The Best Sports Romance: Why You Should Read Heated Rivalry and The Long Game by Rachel Reid

If you love sports romance that combines intense emotions, compelling characters, and authentic sports settings, Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry and The Long Game are must-reads. Both novels deliver gripping stories filled with passion, tension, and heartfelt moments that keep readers hooked from start to finish. Having read both books, I can confidently say they stand out in the sports romance genre for their rich storytelling and relatable characters.

What Makes Rachel Reid’s Sports Romance Unique

Rachel Reid brings a fresh voice to sports romance by focusing on the emotional depth of her characters alongside the competitive spirit of their sports careers. Unlike many sports romances that focus mainly on the game, Reid balances the tension on and off the field, making the relationships feel real and earned.

• Authentic Sports Settings

Reid’s background and research shine through in the detailed descriptions of hockey and baseball environments. Readers get a vivid sense of the locker rooms, training sessions, and game-day pressures, which adds credibility and excitement.

• Complex Characters

The protagonists in Heated Rivalry and The Long Game are not just athletes; they are people with vulnerabilities, dreams, and flaws. This complexity makes their romantic journeys more engaging and believable.

• Emotional Tension

Both books excel at building slow-burning tension that keeps readers invested. The rivalries and personal conflicts create a push-pull dynamic that makes the romance feel earned rather than rushed.

Heated Rivalry: A Story of Passion and Competition

Heated Rivalry centers on Shane Hollander & Ilya Rozanov's Enemies to Lovers relationship. Two professional NHL hockey players who are fierce competitors on the ice but find themselves drawn to each other off it. The story explores themes of rivalry, trust, and breaking down emotional barriers.

Key Highlights of Heated Rivalry

• Rivalry Turned Romance

The tension between the main characters starts with competition and gradually evolves into mutual respect and attraction. This slow transformation is satisfying and realistic.

• Strong Supporting Cast

Friends, teammates, and family add layers to the story, providing humor, conflict, and support that enrich the main plot.

• Emotional Growth

Both leads confront their pasts and insecurities, adding depth to their relationship and making their connection feel genuine.

The Long Game: Love Beyond the Field

The Long Game is the sequel to Heated Rivalry, which follows the life of Shane Hollander and Ilya Rosanov. A relationship that is Enemies to Lovers. It has yearning, angst, breaking emotional barriers, and so much more. If you have not read Heated Rivalry, then you must do so before reading the Long Game. Otherwise, you won't be able to follow the storyline. The novel explores healing, patience, and the challenges of balancing career and love.

What Stands Out in The Long Game

Before diving in, it’s worth noting that Heated Rivalry and The Long Game are companion novels within Rachel Reid’s beloved Game Changers series. Both books follow NHL rivals-turned-soulmates Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov — two of the most iconic, emotionally devastating, slow-burn characters in modern sports romance.

Their love story isn’t just a spark; it’s a multi-book slow burner loaded with angst, passion, yearning, frustration, and an almost overwhelming amount of love. Together, these two books chart a relationship that punches straight through the chest and refuses to let go.

Slow-Burn Romance

The gradual evolution of Shane and Ilya’s relationship is one of the genre’s best. Every brush of tension, every quiet yearning, every moment where they almost admit how much they need each other — it all lands with impact because the build is so intentional.

Insight into Sports Therapy

One of the standout elements in The Long Game is the inclusion of a sports therapist as a key character. This adds realism and a deeper layer to how professional athletes actually cope with pressure, injury, and emotional strain.

Balancing Ambitions and Emotions

Both Shane and Ilya wrestle with how to honor their careers while honoring their love for each other. It’s a painful, relatable tug-of-war that makes the payoff incredibly satisfying.

Why These Books Appeal to Sports Romance Fans

Both Heated Rivalry and The Long Game deliver far more than a romance — they pull readers into the intensely competitive, mentally demanding world of professional hockey… while also serving a romance that refuses to take shortcuts.

Realistic Portrayal of Athletes

Reid avoids tropes that flatten athletes into stereotypes. Shane and Ilya feel real: flawed, driven, insecure, hopeful. Their emotional depth is the heart of the story.

Engaging Plotlines

Fast-paced hockey scenes collide beautifully with simmering romantic tension. The stakes stay high on and off the ice.

Relatable Themes

Trust, vulnerability, ambition, identity — the books explore universal truths through the lens of elite athletes fighting for both greatness and love.

How Rachel Reid Builds Emotional Connection

Rachel Reid’s craft shines brightest in how intimately she brings readers into her characters’ worlds.

Detailed Internal Monologues

You don’t just watch Shane and Ilya fall in love — you sit with their fears, their wants, their self-doubt, and their deepest hopes.

Dialogue That Feels Natural

Their banter is sharp, funny, tender, and emotionally loaded in all the right ways. Nothing feels forced.

Scenes That Balance Action and Emotion

Whether it’s a high-pressure game or a stolen private moment, you always feel both the physical stakes and the emotional stakes simultaneously.

Tips for Readers New to Sports Romance

If Heated Rivalry or The Long Game are your intro to sports romance, you’re starting at the top of the mountain. Here’s how to make the most of the experience:

Pay Attention to Character Development

Shane and Ilya grow immensely — individually and as a couple. Watching that evolution is the heart of the journey.

Appreciate the Sports Details

Even if hockey isn’t your thing, the on-ice action is gripping and adds texture and realism.

Enjoy the Slow Build

These books are slow burn in the purest, most satisfying sense. Let the tension smolder.

Final Thoughts on Heated Rivalry and The Long Game

Rachel Reid delivers some of the strongest emotional storytelling in sports romance with Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov’s arc. These books respect the complexity of high-level competition and the complexity of falling in love under impossible circumstances.

If you want romance with grit, heart, heat, and characters who feel like they could skate right off the page, you’ll find it here.

Pick up Heated Rivalry and The Long Game for a sports romance that cuts deep, burns slow, and stays with you long after the final whistle.

B.A.R.