Lace up your skates and hit the ice because more thrilling content from the “Heated Rivalry” series is on the horizon later this year! Nova Scotia writer Rachel Reid’s popular saga continues with a fresh novel published by Harlequin. Scheduled for release on September 29, 2026, the new installment in the Game Changer series is set to captivate readers once again.
Titled “Unrivaled,” the seventh book in Reid’s beloved hockey romance series delves back into the evolving relationship between Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two hockey players whose love has now blossomed openly. Initially introduced in the second book, “Heated Rivalry,” the upcoming story picks 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 yet, drawing in a diverse audience of both new and seasoned fans of queer hockey love stories. The show’s popularity has propelled its lead actors, Hudson Williams from British Columbia and Connor Storrie from the U.S., into sudden stardom, with both making appearances at the 2026 Golden Globes.
Rachel Reid expressed her delight at the global reception of her distinctly Canadian queer characters, describing it as a surprising “hit of dopamine.” In a recent interview on “The Next Chapter” with Antonio Michael Downing, Reid shared her intention to contribute to the increasing number of queer narratives with happy endings, emphasizing the positive feedback she has received.
In Canada, the literary community has taken notice, with “Heated Rivalry” making the Canada Reads 2026 longlist and continuing to top the bestseller charts, six years after its initial release in 2019, according to Bookmanager. The anticipation for “Unrivaled” is high, as it promises to further explore Shane and Ilya’s journey as they navigate marriage and playing together on the same team for the first time in their careers.
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 awaiting more from Reid’s sizzling hockey universe. Alongside “Unrivaled,” Reid has crafted six other novels, each delving into different romantic pairings within the intense world of hockey, including “Role Model,” “Tough Guy,” and “Common Goal.”
“Unrivaled” is slated for release on September 29 and is currently available for pre-order, promising another thrilling chapter in the captivating saga of Shane and Ilya.