After “Heated Rivalry” and “The Long Game,” this marks the third book about the hockey rivals-turned-lovers.

Heated Rivalry author Rachel Reid announces Unrivaled, a new book about Ilya and Shane’s love story

After "Heated Rivalry" and "The Long Game," this marks the third book about the hockey rivals-turned-lovers.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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January 12, 2026 11:32 a.m. ET

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Rachel Reid and her newest book, 'Unrivaled'. Credit:

Caleb Latreille; Harlequin

*Heated Rivalry* author Rachel Reid just announced some game-changing news: a new book about Ilya and Shane is hitting shelves later this year.

Following the smash success of the Crave adaptation of her *Game Changer *novels, Reid is gearing up to release *Unrivaled, *the seventh book in her queer hockey romance series — and the third centering fan-favorite couple Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov.

The latest book picks up where the *Heated Rivalry* sequel, *The Long Game*, left off, with Shane and Ilya's relationship entering an exciting — and terrifying — new stage. Now available for preorder, *Unrivaled* will officially arrive in stores on Sept. 29, 2026.

In the meantime, fans can enjoy a tease of what's to come via the synopsis.

The cover of 'Unrivaled,' the seventh entry in Rachel Reid's 'Game Changers' book series.

"A line has been drawn—and the hockey world is divided. For the first time in their professional hockey careers, Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander have nothing to hide," reads the overview. "After more than a decade of keeping their love secret, they’re out, married, and even playing on the same team. The support has been incredible. Most of the time."

The synopsis continues, "While fans celebrate them, others in the hockey world are still reeling from the reveal. A growing backlash — led by the popular hockey podcast *Top Shelf* and the #TakeBackHockey movement — is making its presence felt. Standing together in the light was everything Shane and Ilya ever wanted. Now, they may be facing their biggest challenge yet."

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Reid divulged her excitement about the new book in a statement to PEOPLE, sharing, "I'm really excited to have the chance to continue their story with *Unrivaled. *I’m writing this one for all the Hollanov fans, old and new. I can’t tell you how much the love my characters have received over the years means to me. It has been a blast writing these guys again, and revisiting the entire *Game Changers* cast."

The hype for *Unrivaled* is particularly rabid, coming on the heels of *Heated Rivalry *becoming a full-blown TV phenomenon. The modestly made Canadian series about rival Major League Hockey players in a secret romance has smashed HBO Max streaming records, with such a massive response that the series earned a swift season 2 renewal and has turned its stars, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, into viral sensations.

Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov in 'Heated Rivalry'.

Courtesy Bell Media

Originally created for Canadian streaming platform Crave, *Heated Rivalry* season 1 consists of six episodes. The season primarily focuses on the story of Shane and Ilya, but it also allow viewers time with the couple centered in the first *Game Changers* novel, Scott (François Arnaud) and Kip (Robbie G.K). Going forward, the series will have plenty to mine from Reid's novels *Tough Guy, Common Good, *and *Role Model, *in addition to the two books that continue the Hollanov story.

Thus far, details about the second season of the Crave TV series are scarce, but Williams offered a memorable tease about what's to come in an HBO Max unboxing video: "Hotter, wetter, longer," he promised while announcing season 2.

Meanwhile, Storrie directed fans to the novels, adding, "Start reading *The Long Game* if you want to spoil it for yourself."

All six episodes of *Heated Rivalry* season 1 are now streaming on HBO Max. *Unrivaled *is set to debut on Sept. 29 and is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Books”