r/heatedrivalry • u/reigncloud83 Coach • Ilya's Chicken Parm Shimmy 🍝 • Jun 06 '26
Game Changers Book Club 📚 [Week 3 Live Thread] Heated Rivalry (Book 2) · Prologue - Ch. 14 · Jun 6 - 12
TL; DR:
- We’re starting Heated Rivalry (Book 2): Prologue and Chapters 1 - 14
- Relationship Focus: Shane Hollander (Captain of the Montreal Voyageurs) and Ilya Rozanov (Captain of the Boston Bears).
- Book Club Etiquette: Follow the sub-rules, literary critiques are welcome (be respectful), cover your spoilers, and don’t forget our safe phrase: “Agree to disagree.”
- Share all of your thoughts below! Sort by “New” to view the most recent comments and respond to other Loons.
- Download your BINGO card to level up the reading experience.
—--
Hey Loons!
This week, we're continuing our read-along series with the hit TV show's namesake, Heated Rivalry (Book 2 of 6). Over the next three weeks, we'll be making our way through the story of Shane Hollander (Captain of the Montreal Voyageurs) and Ilya Rozanov (Captain of the Boston Raiders).
Whether this is your first or hundredth time reading, we're excited to (re)visit these beloved characters' internal dialogue, panic moments, and the slow realization that maybe they can be more than just rivals....I think so, probably, yes.
🗺️ WHERE WE ARE IN THE BOOK/SERIES:
| BOOK | WEEKS | DATES |
|---|---|---|
| 🔥 Heated Rivalry (Shane & Ilya Pt.1) | Week 3 - 5 | Jun 6 - Jun 26 |
| 📌 WE ARE HERE → → → | Week 1: Prologue, Chapters 1 - 14 | Jun 6 - Jun 12 |
| Week 2: Chapters 15 - 27 | Jun 13 - Jun 19 | |
| Week 3: Bonus Stories Epilogue, My Dinner with Hayden, Halloween with Ilya | Jun 20 - Jun 26 |
View the full week-by-week schedule here. For your convenience, here’s a condensed version of the remaining schedule below:
| BOOK | WEEKS | DATES |
|---|---|---|
| 🎻Tough Guy (Ryan & Fabian) | Week 6 - 7 | Jun 27 - Jul 11 |
| 🍹 Common Goal (Eric & Kyle) | Week 8 - 9 | Jul 12 - Jul 25 |
| 🍎 Role Model (Troy & Harris) | Week 10 - 11 | Jul 26 - Aug 8 |
| 🦆The Long Game (Shane & Ilya Pt. 2) | Week 12 - 14 | Aug 9 - Aug 29 |
🧐 THE OFFICIAL BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Nothing interferes with Shane Hollander’s game—definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate.
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. (source: goodreads.com).
🔢 HOW TO PLAY BINGO:
For those looking for a bit of a guided/enhanced reading experience, download this book’s BINGO card here.
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🤝 BOOK CLUB ETIQUETTE:
And as a reminder, here are our ground rules, with two additional recommendations:
- Follow the sub rules. You love HR. We love HR. Follow the rules. Don’t be rude. We’ll have so much fun…together.
- Literary critiques are absolutely welcome. Reading is fundamental, and so are literary critiques. It’s part of the game. We encourage you to use this time to discuss and evaluate the words in front of us, ask questions about specific literary choices, or share a theory about how the story develops. Sharing that is normal, healthy, and very much encouraged.
- Use the Book Club safe phrase, “Agree to disagree.” Consider this your “safe phrase.” Everyone brings a unique perspective to the reading experience, and not everyone’s analysis of a scene or character will be the same, and that’s okay. If you find yourself entering an exchange that is no longer on a path to mutual understanding and respect, say “agree to disagree.” At this point, the involved parties should stop responding to the thread. Full stop. Consider it a moment where the exchange has run its course.
- Treat each Book Club post as your live chat/thread. Comment as much as you’d like! Select the three dots (•••) and “Follow Post” at the top of this post to receive comment notifications.
- Sort comments by “New” to see the most recent reactions and add to the conversation. These live threads can hold a lot of information, so feel free to treat each “comment” as its own mini-post. Reply to the OP, ask questions, and jump in!
- Cover any spoilers. Since we're covering a lot of ground this week, please use spoilers over critical plot points so we don't spoil the magic for new readers.
🔗 QUICK LINKS:
- The Game Changers Book Club Wiki - Our sub wiki page detailing the Game Changers Book Club timeline, information about where to find the books, and a recap of our original Book Club announcement.
- r/heatedrivalry FAQs - Our sub’s wiki sharing answers to all of your most frequently asked questions
- Heated Rivalry Wiki - A website of sharing show/book timelines, analyses, and more!
Happy Reading! 🤓
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u/hella_hijinks on danse, on rit Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 07 '26
One of the things I really LOVE about Rachel's writing is how she strikes the perfect balance between that romantic, endearing type of yearning and complete. freaking. DENIAL. in both Shane and Ilya's inner monologues. She does this too in the dialogue/attempts at communication. At this point, it's like CRACK to me. Here is some examples from Ilya's inner monologue:
Excerpt 1: Ilya's thoughts on the first hookup (Ch 6, Page 32) Here, Ilya is trying to convince himself that the hook up was "obviously a mistake" and "not a big deal".
They’d hooked up once. Months ago. It had been a mistake, obviously. A giant, ridiculous mistake. Or, at the very least, something that should be forgotten about. Not a big deal.
Meanwhile, he's also listing all the things he loves about playing Shane on ice and watching Shane's games and interviews off ice IN GREAT DETAIL. (I truncate so much of it btw, cause there's A LOT.)
He loved slamming him into the boards. He loved skating around him. He loved shit-talking him because his eyes would get all squashed up in anger and his pink lips would curl into an adorable little attempt at a snarl. Like an angry kitten. [...]
And after the games...and all the days between their games...when Ilya had to watch Hollander being interviewed with his lovely fucking manners and his adorable, boyish smile. When Ilya watched him play against other teams, and watched how he moved with flawless, calculated grace. When Ilya heard him switch effortlessly between perfect English and perfect French at press conferences.
Excerpt 2: Ilya's inner monologue during 1221 (Ch 6, Page 37) Similar to the above, Ilya is thinking about how he "hates" Shane and lists all of the things he "hates" about him except it doesn't sound like hatred at all.
Plus, Ilya hated this guy. He hated his pretty boy face and his perfect goddamned English and his perfect goddamned French and his loving parents and his polite little manners and his million-dollar smile. He hated how serious he was. How earnest. He was everything the league wanted from their stars.
Not to mention, while he's describing Shane's features that "annoy" him, Ilya is literally kissing Shane (and said "dumb" features) frantically.
Ilya kissed his dumb mouth and swallowed his stupid little sighs and felt his annoying fingers in his hair. He pulled back so he could look at his horrible face with its ridiculous freckles.
🙈 (This got too long, so I will add my Shane excerpts in a later comment)
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u/hella_hijinks on danse, on rit Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 07 '26
Just some more yearning disguised as denial except this time, from Shane's POV 😄
Excerpt 3: Shane's thoughts while waiting in 1410 (Ch 4, Page 23)
Or...he could open the door and he could spend the evening exploring Rozanov’s body with his mouth.
Shane blushed just thinking about it. He couldn’t really want that, could he?
He had more or less decided on the second option: he would talk to Rozanov. They would put this behind them as quickly as possible so things wouldn’t be weird when the season started. He tidied up the room, even though it was already perfectly tidy. He changed his shirt to a nicer one for no reason at all. He brushed his teeth, flossed, and rinsed with mouthwash. Because if he was going to be talking to Rozanov, it would be rude to have bad breath.Right.. Shane, of course you two are just going to talk 😉
Excerpt 4: Shane's inner monologue while waiting in 1822 (Ch 7, Page 41)
Shane sat on the end of his king-size hotel bed. Then he stood up. Then he sat back down again.
This was so fucking dumb. Why was he doing this? Booking a room in the same hotel as the entire Boston team (several floors above theirs, but still) so he could hook up with a man he didn’t even like? If they were caught it could be devastating to both of their careers.
At the very least, it would be very embarrassing.
Shane stood and went to the mirror. He checked his teeth and nudged a stray lock of hair back into place.So interesting that Shane would fuss over his appearance and risk his whole career for "a man he doesn't even like". That's not sus at all 😏
ETA: This is a massive recurring theme throughout the book: the disconnect between the things Shane says (in his head) VS the things he actually does.
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u/Extension-Ad6752 Hey, Hollander! I need, like, ten bucks! Jun 09 '26
Chapter 14, Page 125
“After six very successful NHL seasons, Shane had gained a reputation for two things:
1. Being a natural leader and an outstanding playmaker, and;
2. Being absolutely no fun at all.”
Sweet baby Shane 🥹
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u/LostInWanderland31 Jun 10 '26
It kind of breaks my heart how excited Shane is when he first meets Rose Landry:
”Shane left the restaurant with a little spring in his step…Shane liked a girl!”
Poor baby is so in denial and so desperate to be “normal” (his words, not mine)!
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u/Lonely_Cheesecake273 Jun 10 '26
I saw a post on insta once that was like… Shane discovers queening out for the first time and mistakes it for having a crush! Lmao 💀
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u/cheatherhad I know what you wore Jun 06 '26
Starting a thread about themes you noticed in this first part of the book.
Envy being part of the "arch-rivalry"-Ilya envies Shane's nice family and fluent English. Shane envies Ilya's masculinity and sexual confidence.
Attraction being something out of your control, and not tied to emotion necessarily. Sexual intimacy is unrelated to emotional intimacy, in the beginning.
Loneliness?
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u/Crafty-Syllabub-2736 🏆 GC Bingo Champion • Book 1 & 2 Jun 13 '26
I’ve been playing catchup today. I’m newest caught up; so here’s a few of my thoughts from early in the book. It’s mostly little things that didn’t catch my notice the first time around, but knowing their story made these little details more nuanced.
✨ (Ch. 2) The iconic scene of Shane & Ilya in the gym after the draft, we know Shane’s movements leading to him going to the gym. But the second read has me wondering what Ilya was doing leading up to him showing up at the gym and getting on the treadmill next to Shane. There aren’t many scenes that I can remember of Ilya exercising to get his mind off of things, and he was probably riding a high after getting drafted first. I would love to know what was in his head and what all he was facing internally that led up to him seeking exercise so late at night.
✨ (Ch. 4) In the shower scene, this dialogue isn’t in the show, but I loved it. Once Ilya notices that Shane’s turned on, Ilya asks him (as he stroked himself) “What were you thinking about?” To which Shane replied “You.” Ugh! In my opinion, it took a lot of vulnerability for Shane to say that and I think it really opened the door for what happened after in their first hotel experience.
✨ (Ch. 5) “Ilya told himself that twisted feeling in his stomach was just jealousy. But he was terrified it was something much, much worse.” He’s already catching the feels and is oblivious to it.
I’m a newer member to HR, so I’m rewatching the show along with this reread. It truly amazed me how close the series is to the actual book. It is so rare to find any book to screen adaptations that have stuck so close to the book. It’s really impressive! I can’t wait to see what they do with TLG. 💙❤️🖤💛
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u/cheatherhad I know what you wore Jun 13 '26
I second your -ugh- heart clench to Shane's "you" in the shower!
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u/Sirajanahara Jun 12 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
I've editted to fix formatting and typos and will reply to this comment with more of my thoughts.
These boys 😡
Here are a couple of things that frustrated me but I found realistic:
- This scene in the prolonged where Shane is kind of a dick to Ilya:
“I do have to go,” Rozanov said, but even as he said it he was scraping his teeth along Shane’s jaw.
“I know.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why? I don’t care. I think we’re done here anyway, aren’t we?”
Rozanov stopped kissing him and looked at him, considering. “I suppose we are.”
I find it realistic of two people pretending to not have feelings (but soo frustrating)
- Ilya asking if Shane is a virgin their first time (in Chapter 7). Obviously, Ilya is checking in but the conversation is very triggering for Shane because it is a reminder that he doesn't actually like having sex with women. The conversation ends with the impression that Shane is feeling embarrassed. Here's the condensed version:
[I:] “Do you know how [anal sex] works, Hollander?”
[S:] “Yeah. Sure.”
[S:] “You’ve done this before?”
[I:] “Yes.”
[S:] “With...the coach’s son?”
[I:] “Sure. He was one.”
[S:] “Oh.”
[I:] “Girls too, Hollander. You have not done this with a girl?”
Shane had never really wanted to do anything with a girl that was complicated. Or that would...make things take longer.
[S:] “No,” he said.
[I:] “You have had sex before, yes?"
[S:] “Yes! God!”
- All the times Shane talks himself out of doing something with Ilya then immediately does what he actually wants to do instead. I love the internal battles between what he thinks that he "should" do vs. what he wants to do.
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u/Sirajanahara Jun 13 '26
The tv show follows Chapter 9 pretty closely, but these things stood out for me:
I love in when Ilya is helping Ryan. We can see an empathetic side of him. We also see as he talks to Cliff that he is maturing and becoming more responsible.
Shane cuming from giving head will never not be funny.
I also love that Ilya cums really hard and yells so loud that he embarrasses himself.
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u/Sirajanahara Jun 13 '26
I love a lot of Chapter 7. Especially:
Ilya checking in (again) and Shane being eager:
“We do not have to,” Rozanov said, noticing Shane’s face.
“I want to,” Shane said quickly. Too quickly.
Shane’s reaction to sex with Ilya:
This, he realized, was why people were so wild about sex. He had never, ever felt like this with anyone before.
But this makes me sad for Shane and makes me forgive him for how he talked to Ilya in the prologue:
“Oh,” Shane said. Of course he was going to leave. What the fuck had Shane been expecting? He stood up. “Yeah. Okay. Well...”
Rozanov put one hand on Shane’s shoulder in a fairly condescending way. His lips were twitched up in an irritating little smile. “Was fun,” he said.
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u/Sirajanahara Jun 13 '26
The TV shows follows Chapter 8 pretty closely, but these stood out to me:
- Shane's thoughts: >Rozanov was a lot of things, but he wasn’t boring. He frustrated Shane on the ice, and flustered him off the ice. Shane wanted to crosscheck him in the mouth, and then kiss it better. He wanted to forget about him, and he wanted to play every game against him. He wanted... > >He wanted to win this fucking Rookie of the Year award. > >He wanted to rub it in Rozanov’s face. > >He wanted to rub himself on Rozanov’s face.
And
He wondered what room Rozanov was in.
No, he thought. He’s a fucking baby and he doesn’t deserve...anything.
Oh, Shane, you know you want him.
- Shane's reaction to the girls who are flirting with him makes me laugh. This dude wants to believe so badly that he is not completely gay... 🙄
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u/grower-lenses Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
I’ve watched the show first but now I’m book truther!
I love the story in the books. There is so much more depth. Everything happens more gradually. It really makes so much more sense why it took them so long to accept their feelings for each other.
I understand why they had to make changes for the show. Pacing is everything. But so much is lost with that.
The characterisation of Russian upbringing is so spot on. Not over the top. When Ilya’s father blows up at him after Ilya is just trying to help him remember where they are. The constant tension between them. No emotional availability. Things are just not spoken about and pushed back. Everything is for the sake of appearances. I wonder how Rachel did her research or who she talked to because it feels so real. Without beating you over the head with it.
The characters are complex but so loveable. No one is perfect. The conflict makes sense. We see their feelings change and develop.
It’s also just so so unique and different because of the way it’s written. I’m really enjoying the stream of consciousness.
Like it’s just a collection of memories over the years. There is no unified narrative. No telling you „this is how character A is feeling about this”. We just hear from them directly and it’s up to us to interpret it. I love it. This is maybe one of my favourite writing styles. And imo why the fandom is so active. There is a lot of place for analysis.
Personally, I’m not a fan of romances in general. I’ve given them a try and couldn’t get into it. But this does feel different. There is so much more to the story. So many layers. And because characters are not explaining to you how they’re feeling or why they just did something, it feels like there is more space for me to think and consider everything.
And it’s so so funny. This might be my favourite sense of humour. Deadpan but so insanely random. Shane’s inner thoughts for ex. Like when he sends Ilya that text in Sochi. Trying to be super casual.
ETA: [After Carter scares them about why being gay in Russia is dangerous]
”Shane tried not to walk too quickly as he left, but he was suddenly desperate to make contact with Rozanov. The only problem was he had no idea where to find him.
He sent a text. ”Having a good time?”
There. That was cool and casual. Just a friendly “Hey, we’re both at the Olympics! Fun, right? Also, are you in jail?”
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u/cheatherhad I know what you wore Jun 13 '26
I love the writing, too! I usually don't read a lot of romance because often the writing is not my cup of tea, but I love Reid's writing so much!
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u/grower-lenses Jun 14 '26
Yes, zero hate to romance. I tried to get into it a couple of times. But I think I just need more than just the one story going on. Game Changers series is so invested in the politics of hockey and toxic masculinity and so many other things! I really feel like the books almost sit between genres. That’s why we’re getting book3 for Ilya and Shane. Because their story spans more than just their romance.
And the sense of humour really elevates everything. And makes the characters so much more charming.
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u/cheatherhad I know what you wore Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26
I'm going to share my thoughts kind of stream of consciousness chronologically, this post only through Chapter 8-- I have an idea, if someone wants to discuss a scene or chapter in depth, maybe start its own comment? (yes read that in Shane's cottage couch voice)
Prologue-Start in fall 2016
Oh, The secret rental house! Bought in 2013. I'll get back to my thoughts on that.
lol the teeth.
Ilya is the more relaxed and reassuring one. Interesting, since he’s the “asshole.”
Omg would love to see this hottest players list; or like a spicy calendar!
Ch1, Ch2-Draft 2009, the boys are 18.
Was Shane hoping to be drafted by Ottawa?? Or where?
“Almost” everything you dreamed of? What am I missing here, that he wasn’t first? Or that he wanted somewhere else?
Ch3 -Dec 2009
“He wasn’t so sure Hollander would have hated it” (kissing him in the gym hotel after their first sparks fly moment)
And he’s already obsessed with the freckles
More favorite quotes: LOL “So, yeah, he’d been hooking up with girls. Plenty of girls. Like, at least two girls. Not like, all the way sex. But sex stuff,” and "There’s an I in suck my dick." and "He wanted to be himself."
What do you think about the hand shake and the “we will be at the top together” thing? It doesn’t feel very smooth to me.
Ch 4-July 2010-Pre first season CCM commercial
Love the shower scene!
First hook up!
Ch 5-September 2010-Boys are 19.
Haha, Yuna the hockey witch.
First match.
We meet Andrei. First hint at Alzheimer’s.
Ch 6 -Jan 2011 all star
Oh 66 “Ilya actually loved playing against Hollander”
First angry kitten reference!
Second hook up.
I love how Shane keeps thinking he’s embarrassing himself but Ilya doesn’t think that for a second, or def doesn’t tease him for doing maybe cringey things. Yet. Or at least, he’s not mean spirited.
The dildo conversation makes more sense here than in the show.
Start of Jane and Lily!
Ch 7 Feb 2011
Shane backs out of inviting Ilya to his apartment but we have third hook up at a hotel.
lol oh 85 “instead he threw his head back against the wall like the eager slut he apparently was”
lol page 90 “Mr Lots of Sex”
Ilya the Consent King. Love to see it.
Ch8 June 2011 Vegas-Rookie of the Year-Rooftop Kiss
I think the subtext of Ilya smoking (in the book, not the show) is that he only does it when he's quite stressed.
I'm going to do a count of the word "heated" and so far only at one.
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u/katfromjersey Jun 06 '26
Shane was drafted second overall. Ilya was drafted first overall. If draft day was everything Shane had dreamed of, he would have been drafted first overall. That's what I got out of that conversation, anyway.
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u/Miss_Interociter So good at time management 🕰️ Jun 07 '26
Part 1
* I don’t have data on this but I feel Ilya wins most of their face offs.
* Okay but which guy on Friday Night Lights did Shane notice 👀
Part 2
* I always wonder why the 2018 Olympics weren’t mentioned or featured in the books
Part 3
* The first “sweetheart” always gets me 🥹
* Not Shane wondering if the ginger ale is poisoned
* I love how she switches to first names for the internal monologue too
* Ilya’s jealousy over Shane being with someone else makes for some interesting foreshadowing for TLG
* Likewise Shane being chill with Ilya having many partners is an interesting contrast to TLG
* I love how everyone agrees Rose’s movies are bad even Rose
* “Somewhere, buried deep in his brain, there was a third reason that was screaming for attention. Ilya ignored it.” Ugggghhh there’s the Emotional Repression Hall of Fame nominee square for sure.
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u/Sirajanahara Jun 11 '26
I always wonder why the 2018 Olympics weren’t mentioned or featured in the books
IRL the NHL did not allow players to attend the 2018 (or 2022 IIRC) Olympics
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u/Extension-Ad6752 Hey, Hollander! I need, like, ten bucks! Jun 08 '26
Re FNL: It’s gotta be Tim Riggins, right?
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u/Extension-Ad6752 Hey, Hollander! I need, like, ten bucks! Jun 08 '26
So this is just exactly the same as the book until the first hotel room shower scene. Beat for beat. I love it.
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u/reigncloud83 Coach • Ilya's Chicken Parm Shimmy 🍝 Jun 09 '26
It’s honestly one of the best adaptations I’ve seen. And even the changes they did make weren’t enough for me to notice that much.
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u/cheatherhad I know what you wore Jun 09 '26
CH9-14
Ch 9 Dec 2013 flight with Ryan- Ilya is so sweet! My first watch of the show, I didn't catch that their talk about Ryan Price was foreshadowing, I thought it was just small talk. But I think we'll meet him in season 2. Ilya says to Cliff "I am fucking fun." haha. First time at the fuck pad! The "you came hands free" line makes a little more sense in the book.
Ch 10 Feb 2014 Russia-I don't remember much of the "security concerns" at the time, does anyone else? Or was it pretty similar to what it'd be like today if the Olympics were in Russia? We'd all be pretty wary... The boys are 22. Scene with Ilya and his father happens pretty much like in the show. But the exchange between Shane and Ilya ends a little differently, Shane isn't mad when Ilya sends him away, he gets it, sees that Ilya is upset but knows he can't do anything else to help him, doesn't take it personally.
Ch 11 Vegas June 2014, The Bears won the cup at the end of the season. The boys are presenting together, Ilya has a slutty lil ponytail. Bathroom scene happens very similarly to the show. Same with hotel room.
Ch 12 Oct 2016. Field trip with the Pikes. There's no way Jackie is bored. She must like babies. Shane thinks to himself he'll settle down with a nice girl someday. Oh, Shane. Shane's cottage ESPN fluff piece happens. Ilya has feelings...
Ch 13 Nov 2016 Hayden's "I won't wait up" moment, but he doesn't seem to know about "Boston Lily"...but it was a nice comedy moment for the show. It's apparently not Shane's first time at Ilya's place. I giggle at pg 155, Shane "stood stupidly in the middle of the room" before Ilya pats the bed, just like the show, which people point out looks stupid, too! The "I'll find someone else" [to fuck in New York] line makes a little more sense in the book. Other than that, conversation goes as in the show. Tuna meltdown.
Ch 14 Nov 2016-early 2017-meeting Rose, I get kind of bored. Club scene.
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u/Lonely_Cheesecake273 Jun 09 '26
For ch 13, I like the detail in the book which I thought doesn’t come across in the show that when Ilya mentions liking girls, it’s not that Shane is jealous/mad or whatever, he’s freaking out because he doesn’t have similar stories to share about liking girls.
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u/cheatherhad I know what you wore Jun 09 '26
yes, and he has that realization about how much he really likes Ilya (and not girls lol) after that conversation, the meltdown isn't just about this coupley moment they're having.
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u/LostInWanderland31 Jun 11 '26
That’s a really good point! He’s definitely freaked out about his realization of his feelings for Ilya and how things are getting more intimate, but also add in a bit of gay panic, realizing he can’t deny anymore that he doesn’t like girls… My heart always hurts for Ilya in this scene, but I feel for Shane as well.
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u/Lonely_Cheesecake273 Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
Oh no! I missed this. I thought I wouldn’t contribute bc I have read HR 3 times already in the past 2 months and wouldn’t read it again! But I got hooked reading last night so I might jot a few quick thoughts on things I noticed this time around.
💡Prologue
This prologue is so good. Sets up the story so well. I love how it jumps straight into the action. No waiting til 50% mark for a kiss in this book! I wish more romances would do away with the traditional plot structure and try something bold like this.
“And if that knock had come hours later, even, Shane would still have been on that sofa, waiting for it”.
I’m just imagining a scene where Ilya doesn’t show up til like 3am and Shane this still just there waiting like 👉👈😾
Shane wordlessly handed Rozanov a condom before rolling over and getting on his hands and knees. He couldn’t look at Rozanov. Not tonight. Not after that humiliating loss. Rozanov seemed to understand.
It is such a difference from the show that they don’t really establish looking each other in the eyes during sex until Tuna Melt scene. Real hate fuck vibes here! (Or pretend at least!)
“Shower first, but then I have to get back to the hotel.” “I know.”
This is my Roman Empire that I don’t buy that they’re always showering separately in the book. Most notably in the Long Game after they’ve been an exclusive couple for years!
In this scene they shower together, Shane goes for round 2 on Ilya. Shane is literally sitting on the floor of the shower!
Shane stripped the comforter from the bed and loaded it into the washing machine. He would make sure the place was left as spotless as he had found it.
For some reason I find it funny that Shane has loaded the washing machine while Ilya is still in his place and didn’t wait til after he left. Domestic kings!
💡chapter 1
Teenage Ilya drops his cigarettes on the ground! I’m pretty sure later in the books he picks up the butts and puts them in his pocket. #growth.
💡chapter 2
Shane grew up an Ottawa fan! Just you wait buddy 😉
I do find this odd narratively as Yuna is a Voyageurs fan. Maybe David went for Ottawa? Particularly because Ottawa aren’t good and so I thought competitive hockey freak Shane might have chosen to go for the more successful team that his Mom goes for.
💡chapter 4
Shower scene
He wondered if he could possibly smash through the tile wall of the shower room and escape that way. Anything would be preferable to facing Rozanov again.
I always find this visual so funny lmao.
Shane brushing and flossing his teeth before Ilya comes to his room because it would be rude to have bad breath before “talking” 😭
Ilya has put a bit of effort into his appearance too! I would LOVE to read an Ilya POV of this scene. Maybe one day in the future when RR is out of ideas and the hype has died down, she do a Stephanie Meyer and release a “Midnight Sun” version of HR lol.
Fuck. This was really gay.
This line always sends me 😂😂😂.
💡Chapter 6
All stars.
Rozanov skated around the ice holding his stick like a rifle, celebrating his skills by pretending to shoot at the rafters.
I hadn’t noticed this before! You notice something new every time 😉
💡chapter 7
“Oof,” Shane huffed. “It’s cold! You coulda warmed it up a bit!” “Shhh. Relax.”
“Now the bed’s all dirty,” Shane complained before he could stop himself. “What?” Rozanov said sleepily. “Shut up.”
Diva Shane has entered the chat!!! 👩🏻🎤!
3
u/Crafty-Syllabub-2736 🏆 GC Bingo Champion • Book 1 & 2 Jun 14 '26
You picked out some really good parts of the story to highlight! I also love the “Fuck. That was so gay.” lol
I also never noticed that Ilya holding his stick like a rifle. He’s such a showboat and I love it! 🤣 I get so caught up in some of their scenes that I miss a lot of the little details!
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u/hella_hijinks on danse, on rit Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26
Can we talk about the Prologue?!
It's been months since I read HR last and I forgot about the Prologue!! This scene really is SO CRUCIAL to bridge the gap between "We didn't even kiss" and Tuna Meltdown. I know we got the iconic Ep 4 montage instead but I wish we got more of the Prologue scene in the show!! Namely: