Can’t wait for Heated Rivalry Season 2? If you’re craving more sparks, drama and locker-room tension, you’re definitely not alone. Ever since the adaptation hit our screens, becoming a massive juggernaut for HBO Max and Crave, the obsession with Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov has reached a fever pitch. Fans everywhere are desperate for more of that sexy, high-stakes enemies-to-lovers energy.
Even if you’re new to the series, you don’t have to know a single thing about hockey to completely fall in love with this world. At its core, it’s all about intense chemistry, vulnerability and the thrill of the chase. Before we dive into our fresh lineup of book-a-likes, it’s important to remember that the show is actually based on a brilliant, multi-book series called The Game Changers. If you want to experience the source material or find out what happens next, here is how to read the original books in order.
Heated Rivalry made headlines, but it’s actually book two in the series, so you may want to start with the original 2018 book Game Changer before diving into the rest of the series. Written by Canadian author Rachel Reid, this iconic queer sports romance series features a mix of standalone couples and continuation stories tracking our favorite rival duo. Here’s all titles in the Heated Rivalry book series in order.
If you’ve already binged the books and are wondering what to read after Heated Rivalry, you’re in luck! We’ve put together a lineup of indie LGBTQ+ sports romance books that deliver the exact same formula: cold rinks, hot chemistry, sizzling tension and fierce competition. Check out these top-rated queer love stories.
Jamie and Ryan were best friends until one night at hockey camp changed everything. Years later, they reunite as coaches, and unresolved feelings begin to surface. As their friendship rekindles and sparks fly, Ryan struggles to reveal the truth about his feelings for Jamie.
Peyton Clarke is an up-and-coming hockey player determined to prove herself no matter the cost. Darcy Cole has reluctantly accepted the position of assistant coach after her own hockey career was cut short due to a chronic illness.
To Darcy, Peyton is a reminder of everything she had to give up. To Peyton, Darcy is just the coach’s daughter who has no business telling her how to play. But when their worlds collide, they both start to realize that maybe they have more in common than they think—both on and off the ice.
English teacher Harry and hockey coach Darius have been at odds for years, but their dynamic shifts when the two are forced to share a hotel room—and a bed—while chaperoning the school hockey tournament. Sparks fly as secret feelings are revealed in this cozy rivals-to-lovers novella full of banter, heart and heat.
When Patrick Roman lands a scholarship to a top hockey prep school, he immediately clashes with his new winger, Damien Bordeaux. Despite their differences, their rivalry slowly shifts from friendship into something more. With graduation looming, the two must confront past trauma, family pressures, and their own feelings to decide what they want in life.
A newly traded, newly out third baseman on the cusp of his first major contract hires a fake boyfriend. He doesn’t expect the decoy to be the former player who ghosted him years before. But as their star ascends in public, their feelings burn hot in private … threatening to expose what’s for the cameras—and what’s for real.
Lauren “Chip” Bellinger-Laur-and her hockey star brother, Nick, were inseparable until a devastating tragedy changed everything. She loses not only herself but her love for hockey.
Months later, Laur receives an amazing opportunity to join the marketing and PR program at West Michigan University supporting their stellar hockey team-the Wyverns. Except she never applied.
Despite her hesitancy to dive back into normal life, Laur decides to accept.
Her eyes instantly lock with Lucas Donato’s, the new captain of the Wyverns, but Laur has zero interest in getting involved with anyone romantically. Ever.
Whether you’re drawn to locker‑room banter, slow‑burn chemistry, or stories that blend emotional intensity with the thrill of the game, these indie LGBTQ+ romances deliver the perfect follow‑up to Heated Rivalry. Grab your next read, settle in and let these athletes sweep you off your feet.