10 romance novels recommended for fans of Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry

The New York Times recommended 10 steamy romance novels for fans of Heated Rivalry, Rachel Reid’s hockey romance whose television adaptation has swiftly become a record-breaking hit for its Canadian producer, Crave, and its American distributor, HBO Max. The piece notes Heated Rivalry centers on two closeted players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, and has drawn readers for its sizzling chemistry, rivals-to-lovers tension and emotional payoff.

Set within the high-pressure world of professional sports, the story is also praised for its celebration of queer joy and its portrayal of neurodivergence and family trauma. The roundup includes Cat Sebastian’s You Should Be So Lucky (a 1960s New York baseball romance of secrecy and public pressure), Sally Rooney’s Normal People (the interior lives of Connell and Marianne), Ana Huang’s Twisted Hate (a superstar doctor and an aspiring lawyer whose enemies-with-benefits arrangement ignites) and Tal Bauer’s The Fall (a hockey player who wakes up a year later with a life he cannot remember).

Other recommendations are E.L. Massey’s Like Real People (online rivals Alexander and Elijah), Emily Henry’s Book Lovers, Adorabol Huckleby-Ordaz’s On Merit Alone, Julian Winters’s I Think They Love You, Emily Rath’s Pucking Strong and KT Salvo’s Idol Minds; the list emphasizes rivals-to-lovers tension, sports settings and emotional depth.

Key Topics

Culture, Rachel Reid, Heated Rivalry, Game Changers, Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov