Hockey romance fans have something major to celebrate. Rachel Reid, the New York Times bestselling author behind the wildly popular Game Changers series, is returning to the world of professional hockey with Unrivaled, a brand-new novel centered on fan-favorite couple Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander.
The book serves as a continuation of Heated Rivalry, the second installment in Reid’s series and a cornerstone of contemporary queer sports romance. Over the past year, interest in Ilya and Shane has exploded beyond the page thanks to a hit screen adaptation starring Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams. The series helped propel the story, and the “Hollanov” fandom, into mainstream pop culture, introducing a new audience to Reid’s emotionally charged, sex-positive storytelling.
Set to be released Sept. 29, Unrivaled moves the couple into uncharted territory. For the first time, readers will meet Ilya and Shane not as secret lovers or bitter rivals, but as an out, married couple playing on the same professional hockey team. While much of the public response to their relationship has been supportive, Reid doesn’t shy away from exploring the lingering homophobia within the sport.
According to the book’s synopsis, backlash begins to build from parts of the hockey world still struggling to accept their visibility. A popular hockey podcast and a reactionary movement dubbed #TakeBackHockey become focal points of resistance, threatening the stability Ilya and Shane have worked so hard to build. As the noise grows louder, the couple must confront what it means to live openly, and together, in a space that has not always welcomed them.
“They’ve gotten a lot of love from fans who are thrilled for them,” the synopsis notes, adding that Ilya and Shane are now facing perhaps their biggest challenge yet: standing proudly in the light they once could only imagine.
Reid has said the opportunity to revisit the characters has been deeply meaningful. The Game Changers series also includes Game Changer, Tough Guy and Common Goal, all of which explore queer love stories within the hypermasculine culture of professional hockey. Collectively, the books have earned praise for their authenticity, humor and unapologetic joy.
The timing of Unrivaled’s announcement comes on the heels of the massive success of the Heated Rivalry TV adaptation, which debuted in late 2025. The show charted Shane and Ilya’s relationship from their teenage years as fierce competitors to their rise as professional superstars grappling with fame, identity and desire. HBO renewed the series for a second season before its first-season finale even aired, cementing its status as a breakout hit.
With Unrivaled, Reid is giving fans exactly what they’ve been asking for: more time with two characters who have become icons of queer romance. The novel promises heart, heat and hard truths about love in the spotlight, and it makes clear that Ilya and Shane’s story is far from over.
Unrivaled is available for preorder now wherever books are sold.
