Lace up your skates and hit the ice again because more literary content from the “Heated Rivalry” series is on the way next year!
The excitement that began with writer Rachel Reid from Nova Scotia continues with a fresh novel being released by Harlequin. Reid initially revealed a new addition to the Game Changer series on January 12, with plans for a September release this year. However, a recent announcement made through an Instagram video by Reid and Harlequin disclosed that the publication date for “Unrivaled” has been rescheduled to June 1, 2027.
In the video, Reid shared that while the increased attention on her work is a dream come true for any author, it has significantly impacted her writing time. She also mentioned the challenges of writing due to her Parkinson’s symptoms, a condition she was diagnosed with in 2023.
“Unrivaled,” the seventh installment in Reid’s hockey romance series, delves back into the evolving relationship between two hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. No longer rivals, their love is now out in the open. This pair was first introduced in the second book, “Heated Rivalry,” and the upcoming book will pick up right after the events of the sixth book, “The Long Game.”
The screen adaptation of “Heated Rivalry,” directed by Montreal filmmaker Jacob Tierney, premiered last November as the most successful Crave Original Series so far, appealing to both new and seasoned fans of queer hockey love stories.
The popularity of the show has propelled its lead actors, Hudson Williams from British Columbia and Connor Storrie from the United States, into instant stardom, even leading them to present at the 2026 Golden Globes.
Rachel Reid expressed her delight at the global reception of her uniquely Canadian queer characters, describing it as a surprising “hit of dopamine.” In a recent interview on “The Next Chapter” with Antonio Michael Downing, she emphasized her desire to contribute to the increasing number of queer stories with happy endings and expressed gratitude for the positive response.
“Heated Rivalry” made the Canada Reads 2026 longlist and topped the weekly bestseller list in Canada, six years after its initial publication in 2019.
In the latest book, “Unrivaled,” the celebration of queer love continues as Shane and Ilya navigate new phases in their lives, including being newlyweds and playing for the same hockey team for the first time. Amid the #TakeBackHockey movement gaining momentum, the couple remains steadfast in their love for each other and the sport.
With over 1.3 million copies of the Game Changers series sold in North America and a confirmed second season of the show, fans are eagerly anticipating more. Reid has authored six other novels, five of which explore diverse romantic relationships in her intense hockey universe, such as “Role Model,” “Tough Guy,” and “Common Goal.”
Reid reassured that all existing pre-orders will be fulfilled.