Book Talk | Heated Rivalry

 Is it hot in here, or is it just me? JK. But seriously, it’s already unnecessarily hot here in south Texas. Anyway, yes, I did jump on the wagon that is called Heated Rivalry. I admittedly didn’t watch it during its original run and wasn’t really planning on it. Hockey is cool, but sports related stories just aren’t my thing (although maybe they are, shout out to Yuri on Ice and Skate the Infinity). However, my FYPages were telling me otherwise. What actually were the final two nails that hit the coffin for me were when people were talking about the Kip and Scott scene and I kept hearing about the cottage, so I guess I wanted to sneak a peak. And then I just wanted to be the lamp in the room. After I finished the show, I went to a new independent book store, grabbed the second to last copy, and savored the story all over again. Here is my book talk on Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid.

About the Author

Rachel Reid is the New York Times Bestselling author of the Game Changers hockey romance series, as well as the standalone hockey romance novels Time to Shine and The Shots You Take. She lives in Nova Scotia, Canada. She has always lived there, and it's looking like she probably always will. She has two boring degrees and two interesting kids.

About the Book

Pro hockey star Shane Hollander isn’t just crazy talented, he’s got a spotless reputation. Hockey is his life. Now that he’s captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won’t let anything jeopardize that, especially the sexy Russian whose hard body keeps him awake at night.

Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane’s not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he’s as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him—except Shane. They’ve made a career on their legendary rivalry, but when the skates come off, the heat between them is undeniable. When Ilya realizes he wants more than a few secret hookups, he knows he must walk away. The risk is too great.

As their attraction intensifies, they struggle to keep their relationship out of the public eye. If the truth comes out, it could ruin them both. But when their need for each other rivals their ambition on the ice, secrecy is no longer an option

Book Talk (with some show talk)

Well, that was a book alright. A very steamy book, but a book nonetheless. 

Just like I had the need to keep watching the show, I had the same need to keep reading the story. What made the book a little better than the show were the inner monologues. You don't get those in the show, although, you can guess what someone is feeling, it is just that, guesses. In the book, we get to venture into the inner thoughts of our two main characters, Ilya and Shane. We learn how one another is feeling throughout the entirety of their decade long situation-ship through not only their spoken words, but their deepest thoughts that they keep to themselves. Their inner monologue gives our characters more depth and ultimately is a nice touch the the overall story.

 Speaking of our characters, I think something that the book lacks that the show captures a better is our side characters. We know that Shane's mom is a momenger right from the beginning, whereas in the book, we don't see that until literally the very end. We also just get to know his parents better in the show than the book. The same goes for Ilya. As we're reading through the story, we don't get to see too many of the complex feelings that Ilya's family brings him, or his relationship with Svetlana (which I think her character's purpose is totally different in the show, but comes to the same conclusion in both mediums). In the book, our side characters are pretty much to the side, with the exception of Rose.

 In terms of steamy-ness, both the show and the book are on top of it (lol). There were some book scenes that the show left out. Just like the first steamy scene happens in the twelve minutes of the show, the first steamy scene in the book is in the prologue. 

Overall, besides some seemingly awkward dialogue at times, I enjoyed the book almost as much as I enjoyed the show. I will be reading the next book that follows Ilya and Shane. I'm not sure if I will read the others (although I did in fact love Kip and Scott), I think I will, but I may go back and read them after I'm done with the next story for Ilya and Shane. So if you're looking for something a little steamy, a little romantic, and has almost nothing to do with Hockey (it's the background character), then read Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid. 

Until next time, Happy Reading!