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cluckieduck's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Well, this certainly lived up to the hype (possibly surpassed) for me! I found Game Changer just OK but had heard so many good reviews about Book 2 and the absolute hotness that is Ilya & Shane...I am in love.
After reading the two books, I find her writing definitely tilts smut > story, but Shane & Ilya hooked me in right from the prologue. The fact that this book spans YEARS is absolutely captivating (unlike the 1/2 season of instalove we got with Scott & Kip - not that their story wasn't cute!), and getting to see Shane & Ilya's growing "rivaly" from their first foray in Juniors through their current NHL career was a really smart narrative. It really sells the uneasy infatuation they have with each other and we get to peel back the onion alongside both of them as they grow more and more in love with one another.
While it is a standalone, I liked how it tied into Game Changer with the little tidbits that popped up, like the playoffs, awards night, and Book 1 spoilerthe impact of Scott coming out . It's not a typical romantic HEA ending, but I'm so excited that Shane & Ilya's relationship gets a second entry with The Long Game.
After reading the two books, I find her writing definitely tilts smut > story, but Shane & Ilya hooked me in right from the prologue. The fact that this book spans YEARS is absolutely captivating (unlike the 1/2 season of instalove we got with Scott & Kip - not that their story wasn't cute!), and getting to see Shane & Ilya's growing "rivaly" from their first foray in Juniors through their current NHL career was a really smart narrative. It really sells the uneasy infatuation they have with each other and we get to peel back the onion alongside both of them as they grow more and more in love with one another.
While it is a standalone, I liked how it tied into Game Changer with the little tidbits that popped up, like the playoffs, awards night, and Book 1 spoiler
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent
aromarrie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
it hasn’t been since january that i even touched this series, so completely attached to kip & scott’s story that it was difficult for me to read this much more popular book in the series without their pov’s. alas, though, i finally made that leap and i can see why so many people love shane & ilya.
their rivals to lovers dynamic is actually pretty surprising because the first half of the story seems to delve into their shifting dynamic over the years since their rookie season as they developed a much closer relationship way earlier than i expected, with a lot of secrets held under wraps. it wasn’t until the midpoint of the story that i really started to enjoy their romance, as we saw these two act more soft with each other and share such playful banter that made their competitive natures on the ice so much more thrilling. of course, there were some downturns due to the heavy weight that the hockey media has as they’ve created this story where this pair absolutely hate each other, and so it’s not easy for them to embrace their growing love for each other so publicly.
despite that hurdle,though, it doesn’t stop them from expressing so much vulnerability with each other in private, that development quite literally stunning me beyond words because at the beginning of this story, there genuinely were no sweet feelings they had for each other. yes, there was this immediate physical attraction but it did feel like a slow-burn of sorts as we were gradually seeing them act more comfortable with each other and like lovers; especially shane, who for some reason, just seeing the way he fell in love with ilya, completely wrecked something inside of me because it felt like he had the most trouble letting those barriers come free.
a part of me wishes we could’ve seen more outside of their relationship, only really getting to witness glimpses of shane’s friendship with one of his Montreal teammates, hayden, and then also the tense relationship ilya shares with his family from back in Russia. there were some mentions of shane’s parents, and seeing how close of a relationship he has with them warmed my heart, as much as it probably warms ilya for someone who never got to know what a loving family could be like after the loss of his mother way back when.
i was so hesitant in my dive into this second book but it exceeded my expectations and a little more, and i’m just so completely thrilled with how shane & ilya’s relationship has developed. i’m excited to see more of these players in the NHL find this happiness that they never thought they could have for themselves, kip & scott + now shane & ilya proving otherwise.
their rivals to lovers dynamic is actually pretty surprising because the first half of the story seems to delve into their shifting dynamic over the years since their rookie season as they developed a much closer relationship way earlier than i expected, with a lot of secrets held under wraps. it wasn’t until the midpoint of the story that i really started to enjoy their romance, as we saw these two act more soft with each other and share such playful banter that made their competitive natures on the ice so much more thrilling. of course, there were some downturns due to the heavy weight that the hockey media has as they’ve created this story where this pair absolutely hate each other, and so it’s not easy for them to embrace their growing love for each other so publicly.
despite that hurdle,though, it doesn’t stop them from expressing so much vulnerability with each other in private, that development quite literally stunning me beyond words because at the beginning of this story, there genuinely were no sweet feelings they had for each other. yes, there was this immediate physical attraction but it did feel like a slow-burn of sorts as we were gradually seeing them act more comfortable with each other and like lovers; especially shane, who for some reason, just seeing the way he fell in love with ilya, completely wrecked something inside of me because it felt like he had the most trouble letting those barriers come free.
a part of me wishes we could’ve seen more outside of their relationship, only really getting to witness glimpses of shane’s friendship with one of his Montreal teammates, hayden, and then also the tense relationship ilya shares with his family from back in Russia. there were some mentions of shane’s parents, and seeing how close of a relationship he has with them warmed my heart, as much as it probably warms ilya for someone who never got to know what a loving family could be like after the loss of his mother way back when.
i was so hesitant in my dive into this second book but it exceeded my expectations and a little more, and i’m just so completely thrilled with how shane & ilya’s relationship has developed. i’m excited to see more of these players in the NHL find this happiness that they never thought they could have for themselves, kip & scott + now shane & ilya proving otherwise.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide
frantic_vampire's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Y’all. This book. It just about broke my heart. I loved the secrets, the pining, the rivals/enemies to lovers, the emotions. It just…this book has everything that you could ever need in a romance book.
I absolutely adored Shane and Ilya. They may not have started their relationship with the intention of catching feelings or ever falling in love, but damn did they. And when they fell, they fell hard. The there was something so vulnerable about the way this story was told. From the time that they first met all the way through to finally admitting their feelings. It was just amazing.
Honestly this book just about gutted me. It was so emotional with these characters clashing and catching feelings and almost breaking up that I just wanted to scream. I was just so fucking invested in them that I almost cried when they finally figured their shit out. If it’s not super clear, I loved these two stubborn assholes with my whole heart and I can’t wait to see where their story ends up. Heated Rivalry is getting a solid five stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia, Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Mental illness, Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent
The suicide, mental illness and death of a parent tags are for mentions of Ilya’s mother who struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts.