“Heated Rivalry” Ignites Conversation: How a Queer Hockey Romance Became TV’s Biggest Hit
The adaptation of Rachel Reid’s self-described “smutty” novels has become a cultural phenomenon, sparking conversations about representation, queer joy, and the surprising popularity of sport romance.
Four months ago, author rachel Reid openly addressed a discomfort she’d long held: “I write sexually explicit queer romance novels about hockey players. You probably know this, but I’m saying it because it’s something that I don’t feel agreeable telling everyone.” Now, that same work – adapted into the television series Heated Rivalry – is dominating headlines, social media, and even the Golden globes red carpet.
The show, which follows the illicit relationship between two rival ice-hockey stars, has catapulted Reid into the spotlight, a position she admits feels surreal. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about any more,” Reid told the BBC. “People are so open about loving the show, it’s embarrassing to not like it.”
From Fan Fiction to Mainstream Success
Reid initially published her Game Changers series anonymously online, disguising the novels as fan fiction. “I thought they where unadaptable,” she confessed, acknowledging the explicit nature of her work. Despite this, the adaptation has remained remarkably faithful to the source material. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen an adaptation this loyal before,” Reid noted.
The six-part drama doesn’t shy away from intimacy, but viewers emphasize that the sex scenes serve a deeper purpose: illustrating the complex, slow-burn relationship developed over eight years of rivalry between S
romance
Heated Rivalry‘s success is also indicative of a larger trend: the surging popularity of sport romance novels. literary agent Saskia Leach explained that the sub-genre has “absolutely snowballed over the last four to five years,” and is “arguably the breakout romance sub-genre of the 2020s.” Aimee Cummings, owner of Love Stories Bookshop in Cardiff, confirmed the high demand, noting that their first order was for a rugby romance and that requests for Heated Rivalry have been constant since opening. .
Addressing Deeper Issues
Beyond the romance, Reid’s work tackles critically important themes. She wrote her books “to work out a lot of my feelings about rampant misogyny, homophobia, violence” within the sport she loves.The show’s release has reignited discussions about representation in professional hockey, where there are currently no openly gay active players in North America’s National Hockey League (NHL), according to the Canadian broadcaster CBC. While the NHL hasn’t reached out to Reid directly, she reports receiving support from individuals within the hockey world “people I love and respect.”
A Bestseller and a Sequel
The show’s impact on book sales has been significant. Heated Rivalry and other titles in Reid’s series reached the New York Times bestseller list in December. Capitalizing on this momentum, Reid announced a new novel featuring Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, titled Unrivaled. Her backlist will also be available on UK bookshelves for the first time on January 20th,after previously being available only as e-books,and has already climbed Amazon’s best-seller chart. Waterstones reported a 700% increase in pre-orders for the series since the new year, while HarperCollins has increased print runs to meet the unprecedented demand.
For Reid,the ultimate hope is that her work inspires more positive and joyful LGBTQ+ love stories. “There just haven’t been many shows that have had a happy ending, and queer joy,” she said with a smile. “Maybe we don’t have to kill one of them before the end. It would be a nice change.”
