‘Heated Rivalry’ Fans Get Good News

Shane and Ilya’s story isn’t over just yet.

The Crave/HBO romance series Heated Rivalry, about the secret love affair between two closeted hockey players named Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, has taken the internet by storm since it released this past November.

Described by critics as a “global sensation” and HBO’s latest breakout hit, the show is based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers book series. If you’ve looked up anything to do with the series at all, though, you’ve probably learned that Shane and Ilya’s story is unfinished—with only two books about everyone’s favorite hockey power couple.

Thankfully, the success of Heated Rivalry on TV has spurned Reid to get back to writing. A third book centered on Shane and Ilya, titled Unrivaled, will release this September.

The first book in the Game Changers series focuses on hockey player Scott Hunter and his lover Kip Grady, who fans of the TV show met in episode three. The next book, Heated Rivalry, is the basis for season 1 of the television series, while the sixth book in the series (titled The Long Game) jumps ahead as Shane and Ilya continue their relationship. This new book will presumably conclude their story.

The television series of Heated Rivalry was HBO’s biggest debut for an acquired series in over five years, with HBO Max revealing the show was the #2 driver of new customers to the service in 2025 just behind horror hit IT: Welcome to Derry. The series currently sits at a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Heated Rivalry was renewed for a second season in December. Season 1 is streaming now on HBO Max.