Rachel Reid on Heated Rivalry's global hit and returning to Shane and Ilya

Rachel Reid's life has shifted from the shadows to the spotlight. Once writing in anonymity, the author of the Game Changers series — whose first two novels inspired Crave's breakout Heated Rivalry adaptation — now faces recognition in the street, walks red carpets, and is launching a North American literary tour starting in Montreal at the Pop Montreal festival later this month.

"I didn't expect my life to have nothing normal about it," Reid said in an interview from her home in Nova Scotia. But she returns there to recharge and to finish drafting the seventh book in her series: Unrivaled, a new novel bringing back Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, the hockey rivals-turned-lovers who anchored Heated Rivalry. "I felt there were still things to tell about their journey as married players on the same professional team," she explained.

The series' adaptation — which premiered on Crave in November 2025 and became the platform's most-watched series — has already reshaped her world. The show's stars, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, became instant celebrities. A second season began filming in August across Toronto and Montreal. Reid plans to visit the set as often as possible, a contrast to the first season when she arrived as a stranger.

Monreal holds particular significance: it's home to the fictional Shane Hollander's team, and the real-world base of director Jacob Tierney, who adapted the books for screen. "For the better part of the last year, it's been mountains and valleys — the most positive way," Reid said. "I have luck, and an admiration from readers that authors can only dream of, and more than I ever believed possible."