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“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 comfortable telling everyone.”
Those words were penned by Rachel Reid on her blog just four months ago. Now, the adaptation of her self-described “smut” has become a television sensation: Heated Rivalry.
Its stars have graced the Golden Globes, appeared on prominent late-night talk shows and podcasts, and fueled a seemingly endless stream of social media fan edits – thrusting Reid into the spotlight.
However, the Canadian author shared with the BBC: “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about any more.”
“People are so open about loving the show,” she continued. “It’s embarrassing to not like it.”
Heated Rivalry, based on the second book in Reid’s Game Changers series, pulls no punches in its depiction of the passionate relationship between two rival ice-hockey stars.
“I thought they were unadaptable,” Reid candidly admits about her books, which she initially published anonymously online under the guise of fan fiction.
Yet, the changes made for the TV adaptation are minimal. The Nova Scotia-based author notes: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen an adaptation this loyal before.”
Despite its sensitive portrayal of LGBT relationships and representation in sport, some critics have trivialized it, labeling it simply “the gay hockey show.”
Reid remains unbothered: “I feel very good about it. A lot of the community around it – all these events, watch parties, raves – it’s because the show is such a great vibe check for people.
“If you like this show, you’re probably on the right side of a lot of things.”
During a watch party in London, the atmosphere grew hushed as a packed pub awaited the UK premiere of episode one in early January.
A “shush!” echoed through the room when Canadian rookie Shane Hollander – one of the now-beloved protagonists – appeared shirtless on screen. The mostly young audience was captivated.
Cheers and applause erupted when Ilya Rozanov, the confident Russian player, was seen standing naked near Shane in an otherwise empty locker room shower. The camera lingered on both men.
Viewers emphasized that the intimate scenes served to illustrate the slow-burn relationship, developed through secret rendezvous and clandestine texting over eight years of public sporting rivalry.
“I went into it expecting it to be a 50 Shades of Grey type of thing,” confessed Joe Leonard, an organizer with the West London Queer Project.
“You’re watching a little bit in awe for the first few episodes,” he admitted, “but then by the end, you’re there sat with tissues drying tears away… it’s a very, very sweet story.”
Another fan, 21-year-old Alana, added: “If people are reducing it to the intimacy aspect, it’s like – people don’t say that about Bridgerton, about different shows that have intimacy between straight people, so how is it any different?”
In a room divided almost equally between men and women, some were eager to discuss the show’s popularity among female viewers – a demographic showrunner Jacob Tierney has playfully termed “wine moms,” sparking online debates from Reddit to TikTok.
“I don’t think it’s a new thing that women are interested in queer fiction, even straight women,” asserted Bethan Smith, 26.
“I think it’s just because it’s become so mainstream people are like, ‘oh why are women a fan of this?’ Where have you been?”
Reid, whose real name is Rachelle Goguen, offered a straightforward perspective: “Obviously, the books have a huge female fanbase because that’s who reads romance, that’s who reads fiction generally.
“Now, with the show, we’ve gained a much wider and more diverse fanbase of – yeah – a lot of men, which is really exciting.”
Combining romance and sport may seem unconventional, but to some readers, it’s a winning formula.
Kayleb, 23, shared that Heated Rivalry was one of many “sport romances” he enjoys. “I’ve read some Formula 1 romances,” he elaborated.
He alluded to the rising sub-genre of romance novels set in the sporting world – spanning football, boxing, and baseball – which literary agent Saskia Leach noted has “absolutely snowballed over the last four to five years.”
“It’s arguably the breakout romance sub-genre of the 2020s,” she stated, making the success of Heated Rivalry all the more predictable.
Aimee Cummings, who runs Love Stories Bookshop in Cardiff, confirmed the “huge demand” for these books, “even though they’re a niche within a niche.”
“Our first customer order was for Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh, a rugby romance,” she revealed, adding: “Since day one, we’ve had people ask for Heated Rivalry.”
But ice hockey is more than just a setting in Reid’s universe. The author explained that she wrote her books “to work out a lot of my feelings about rampant misogyny, homophobia, violence” within the sport she has loved her entire life.
According to the Canadian broadcaster CBC, there are currently no openly gay active players in North America’s National Hockey League (NHL), and the show has reignited discussions about representation in the sport.
Reid stated that no one from the NHL has contacted her since the show’s debut in the US and Canada in late November, “but a lot of people from the hockey world have… people I love and respect, so that’s all that matters to me.”
The show, created by Canadian streamer Crave, has naturally fueled book sales. Heated Rivalry, initially published in 2019, along with several of Reid’s other novels, landed on the New York Times bestseller list in early December.
Reid recently announced a new Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, or “Hollanov,” novel, Unrivaled. Furthermore, the rest of her titles will be available in UK bookstores for the first time starting January 20th. Previously, they were only accessible as e-books in the region but recently made it to Amazon’s best-seller chart.
The UK’s largest bookselling chain, Waterstones, reported a “roughly 700% week-on-week” increase in daily pre-orders for the series since the start of the year, with Heated Rivalry accounting for the majority. Publisher HarperCollins confirmed it has had to increase print runs to satisfy the surge in demand.
Reid hopes her books will inspire more positive LGBT love stories.
“There just haven’t been many shows that have had a happy ending, and queer joy.”
“Maybe we don’t have to kill one of them before the end,” she jokes. “It would be a nice change.”
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