TORONTO — The “Heated Rivalry” boys are coming back sooner than expected — at least in book form.
Harlequin announced Monday that Nova Scotia author Rachel Reid would publish the seventh instalment in her “Game Changers” series in September.
“Unrivaled” returns to the love story of Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, the subjects of the Crave TV show and of the second and sixth books in the series, “Heated Rivalry” and “The Long Game.”
The other books in the series follow different gay couples in the world of professional hockey.
The TV series, which is broadcast on HBO Max in the U.S., propelled Shane and Ilya’s books to the New York Times bestseller list, with publisher Harlequin saying more than 1.3 million copies have been sold.
“Unrivaled” picks up where “The Long Game” left off — with Shane and Ilya open about their relationship and playing on the same team.
The show, for its part, has been picked up for Season 2, but Crave hasn’t said when it’s expected to be released.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2026.
Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press
