A new 'Heated Rivalry' book is on the way — preorder 'Unrivaled' by Rachel Reid now
Riding the runaway success of Heated Rivalry, Rachel Reid is returning fans to the ice: The bestselling author announced that the next installment in her Game Changers series — reuniting beloved rivals-turned-lovers Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander — will be released Sept. 29, 2026.
The novel, titled Unrivaled, had its cover revealed exclusively by People, which reported that the seventh entry in Reid’s Game Changers series will focus on life after happily ever after.
(For fans of the screen adaptation who prefer to avoid spoilers, Unrivaled's plot details may reveal storylines for Season 2 and beyond.)
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Unrivaled finds Ilya and Shane in an entirely new phase of their relationship: Out, married, and even playing on the same team.
What is Unrivaled about?
Unrivaled continues the story of Rozanov and Hollander after the events of 2022's The Long Game (the sixth book in the hockey romance series), following the couple as they navigate life openly for the first time.
Now married and playing on the same team, the superstar hockey players face new challenges that come with visibility, public scrutiny, and shifting dynamics within the sport. The novel explores what comes after a hard-won happily-ever-after and how love holds up when it’s no longer hidden.
Here's the official synopsis:
A line has been drawn—and the hockey world is divided.
For the first time in their professional hockey careers, Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander have nothing to hide. For more than a decade, they kept their love a secret, but now they're out, married, and even playing on the same team. The support is incredible.
Most of the time.
They've gotten a lot of love from fans who are thrilled for them. But some people in the hockey world are still reeling from their relationship reveal, and the backlash—led by popular hockey podcast Top Shelf and the #TakeBackHockey movement—is getting louder.
Ilya and Shane are finally able to stand together in the light, the way they'd always wanted. And now they might be facing their biggest challenge yet.
Reid said she was eager to return to the fan-favorite couple, whose popularity has only grown thanks to the massive success of the Heated Rivalry TV adaptation.
"I'm writing this one for all the Hollanov fans, old and new," Reid told People exclusively. "I can't tell you how much the love my characters have received over the years means to me. It has been a blast writing these guys again, and revisiting the entire Game Changers cast."
Scrolling through social media, it’s clear fans are buzzing about Shane and Ilya's return.
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How can I preorder Unrivaled?
Unrivaled is set for release on Sept. 29, 2026. It's available to preorder now in multiple formats, including paperback, Kindle e-book, and Audible audiobook. A Barnes & Noble exclusive edition is also available, featuring a unique cover design, sprayed edges, and bonus content for collectors and fans.
The ice is set, the fans are watching, and Reid is back to give Hollanov fans exactly what they’ve been waiting for. Now the question is: What do we do until September?
For fans eager to tide themselves over, revisiting Heated Rivalry or diving into previous books in the series is the perfect way to keep the Hollanov excitement alive.
Crystal Bell is the Digital Culture Editor at Mashable, where she leads coverage of the creator economy, internet culture, and digital life. Her work focuses on the people, platforms, and communities shaping modern entertainment, from YouTube creators and livestreamers to fandoms, social media trends, and the evolving relationship between technology and culture. She also oversees the Mashable 101, the publication's annual list recognizing the internet's most influential creators.
Previously, she was the entertainment director at MTV News, where she helped expand the brand's coverage of fan culture, K-pop, and the internet's most passionate communities. Her work has appeared in Teen Vogue, Rolling Stone, PAPER, NYLON, ELLE, Glamour, NME, W, The FADER, and elsewhere on the internet.
She's exceptionally fluent in fandom and will gladly make you a K-pop playlist and/or provide anime recommendations upon request. Crystal lives in New York City with her two black cats, Howl and Sophie.
