ELLE Exclusive: ‘It’s Not A No It’s A Maybe,’ Says Heated Rivalry Author Rachel Reid On More Shane And Ilya Books And The Finale Episode

There are romance novels people casually enjoy, and then there are romance novels that quietly rearrange the cultural weather. The kind that sparks tears on public transport, inspires tattoos, and turns fictional longing into shared emotional language. The Notebook. The Fault in Our Stars. The Summer I Turned Pretty. Stories that become rites of passage rather than mere reads. And yet, when we look closer, how many of these great modern love stories are queer? The answer, still, is painfully few.

Which is why Heated Rivalry, an M/M romance by Canadian author Rachel Reid, feels less like a fleeting viral moment and more like a long-overdue correction. Part of the Game Changer series published by Harlequin (HarperCollins), the novel has slipped far beyond the borders of its original readership, finding new life across global fandoms, online discourse, and now, television screens. What began as an intensely private act of imagination — written without expectation, ambition, or certainty — has become something collective, cherished, and fiercely protected.

View this post on Instagram

As Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov make the leap from page to screen, Reid finds herself standing at the centre of a moment that is as exhilarating as it is disorienting. With scale comes scrutiny; with love comes responsibility. In today’s hyper-connected fandom culture, stories are no longer simply consumed—they are held, guarded, claimed.

Heated Rivalry now exists in that charged terrain, where tenderness and expectation exist side by side, and where readers see not just romance, but recognition.

Advertisment

So what does it feel like to watch something you once wrote purely for yourself transform into public property? To realise that characters you imagined in solitude now belong — deeply — to the world? We sat down with Rachel Reid to talk about writing Heated Rivalry, the vulnerability of being loved this fiercely, and the strange, humbling beauty of watching a queer love story take up the space it always deserved.

ELLE: When Heated Rivalry was written, it was a very private act of imagination. Today, it exists on an entirely different scale—international television platforms, global fandoms. When you think back to the version of yourself who was writing quietly back then, what feels most different now?

Rachel Reid (RR): Back then, I had no confidence in my writing at all. When I was writing Game Changer and Heated Rivalry, especially, I had no books out. Nobody had read what I’d written beyond a very small number of people. I remember saying to a friend at the time, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if this sold like 100 copies?’ I just didn’t think it would have a big audience.

I especially thought Heated Rivalry was weird for a romance novel. Game Changer felt more traditional, but with Heated Rivalry, I just wrote something for myself. I wasn’t sure if my publisher would even want to publish it because it didn’t fit the normal format of a romance novel. The person I was back then didn’t know anything about writing a novel for a larger publisher, and I certainly never expected anything like this to happen.

ELLE: Do you ever wake up and still feel like you have to pinch yourself?

RR: Every day! I can’t believe it. I’ll open Instagram, and there are just so many people talking about Shane and Ilya. I feel like I’m gaining thousands of followers a day, which is intimidating too, because it feels like pressure always to say the right thing.

ELLE: Does it feel a little scary at the same time—all this attention?

RR: It is scary. I worry I’ll say something wrong, or like or comment on the wrong post. I don’t always have time to vet everyone. Sometimes I’ll like something and then later realise I should have checked more carefully. I remember seeing a post early on — before the show really took off — that said, ‘Rachel Reid, thank you for giving us Shane and Ilya. Now, please never open your mouth again.’ And honestly, I understand the sentiment. People are protective. They’re scared because they’ve loved things before and then been disappointed. There are people with tattoos of my writing. I never want to disappoint anyone; I can’t.

ELLE: Your journey is often described as an indie success story. You didn’t traditionally enter publishing. Did that change how you think about validation and authority as a writer?

RR: I should clarify, it was always Harlequin that published the books, but through their smaller imprint, Carina Press, which was e-book only. That division is kind of like an indie press within Harlequin. The books weren’t in bookstores until last year, when they did a full print run. These days, I do feel more like a Harlequin or even HarperCollins author than a small-imprint author.

I went into publishing knowing very little. I didn’t have an agent. I had worked in marketing for a very small local publisher, so I knew something, but not much. I basically just sent my book out without really researching how you’re supposed to do it. And it worked. I don’t know if it was the right way, but I think something good about it was that I wasn’t paying attention to what other people were doing. If you go online to Reddit and author forums, there’s so much advice, and a lot of it involves spending a lot of money. I’m glad I didn’t get caught up in thinking I had to build a brand, build a website, run ads, do all of that before publishing. I just wrote the book.

ELLE: Queer romance is often dismissed as ‘just escapism’ until it becomes mainstream. Why do stories rooted in intimacy and emotional labour still need justification to be taken seriously?

RR: That’s a really good question. People often ask why women like queer romance, but I think the better question is why more people don’t understand what’s important about these stories. Romance and love stories are about emotional vulnerability. Intimacy. And admitting you like that kind of thing is vulnerable too, isn’t it? I think people are scared of feeling things they’ve been told they’re not supposed to feel while growing up. And that is really one of the main issues, I believe.

Books like mine, and romance in general, have always been dismissed because publicly admitting that you like them can be quite vulnerable. For a long time, I wasn’t comfortable talking about what I write publicly. If someone asked, I’d just say ‘romance’ and stop there. Usually, they didn’t want to hear more anyway. But ever since the show’s announcement, and now with its success, it’s getting easier.

ELLE: Shane’s quiet coming-out scene with Rose contrasts sharply with Scott’s very public experience. How important was it to write different kinds of coming-out moments, especially since everyone has their own way and time to do so?

RR: I think both moments are beautiful on the show, important, and reflective in their own ways. A lot of the dialogue for Shane’s coming out to Rose is word-for-word from the book, but Hudson elevated it so much. His performance, the tears, the raw emotion, made it far more powerful. I love how kind Rose is to him. She gives him exactly what he needs at that moment. And the relief on Shane’s face afterwards, he’s so relieved to finally tell someone.

I love how that quiet moment contrasts with Scott’s loud, public coming out at the end—it’s bold and big. That bookending felt perfect. I could talk about that episode all day. I’m just glad everyone’s seen it now, so I can finally talk about it.

ELLE: The women on the show are the real MVPs of the story. Online discourse has claimed, ‘Only a woman could have written this,’ and we agree. Would you share a little about the thought process behind writing these female characters in an otherwise very queer story?

RR: When your books are about two male main characters, it’s important to have strong female characters around them. I didn’t want to write women who were obstacles or portrayed as stupid.

Sometimes in male–male romance, you’ll see women written as clueless, throwing themselves at a guy who’s clearly gay. I didn’t want that at all. I wanted women who showed real empathy and support, who noticed things, who were there for these guys. But I also wanted to show the men being there for the women, too. I don’t like seeing women endlessly holding men together without getting anything back.

The women are really important to me. I love that Jacob (Tierney) expanded their roles on the show, especially Svetlana. He gave her more to do and made her much more central to Ilya’s life, which I really liked. I’d love to write a book about women someday. For now, I think it’s important to just get a lot of women on the page.

ELLE: A subtle moment that stood out for us was Ilya speaking cautiously in Russian near a police van. Was that intentional?

RR: I wasn’t part of that decision, but when I noticed it too, I thought it was brilliant. It’s a subtle reminder of what Ilya has to lose and how scary this is for him. And yet, he says it anyway. There are so many little details like that in the show. All credit to Jacob — they’re just brilliant.

ELLE: This is a distinctly Canadian story—Canadian author, actors, director—and now a global phenomenon. What does it mean to see Canada at the centre of this moment?

RR: There have been things about my country that have disappointed me over the last few years, but one thing I can say, proudly, is that something like this can get made in Canada. That matters. We can make art like this — with a big budget, government support — and it can become the most hyped show in the country. Canada isn’t perfect, but it is a relatively safe place for LGBTQ+ people. I’m really proud this was made here. It’s a Crave production. Jacob has creative power. Future seasons will be made here, too.

View this post on Instagram

ELLE: With the whole world watching, how does it feel to return to writing? Has the pressure of this success affected your work?

RR: Yes — both because of time and expectation. I’m very glad I already have eight books out. I can’t imagine what this would feel like if Heated Rivalry had been my first book. I am on a deadline right now, and I’m stressed, but I’m making it happen. I can’t say what I’m writing yet, except that it’s another male–male hockey romance. It’ll be announced in January. I’m excited and really nervous. The only way I can do this is to pretend it’s my first book and write for myself again.

ELLE: We have to ask, for everyone’s sake, will we ever get another Shane and Ilya book?

RR: It’s not a no — it’s a maybe. I’d only do it if I had the right idea. I wouldn’t write it just because people want it, or because it would sell. I don’t want to ruin the series by forcing it. It would have to feel necessary. And if that happens, then yes, I’ll do it.

ELLE: Finally, the show isn’t officially available in India yet, but the fandom is huge and growing. What message do you have for Indian fans, especially with the finale approaching?

RR: First of all, thank you. Thank you for reading the books and watching a show about hockey. I know ice hockey isn’t the most popular sport in India, but the support has been incredible. I’ve received emails from fans in India for years, and it means so much. I’m hoping the show is coming to you soon. Episode six is such a warm hug of an episode after all the angst. It’s very sweet, romantic, and funny. It’s really focused on Shane and Ilya, and I think it’s a beautiful way to end the season. And yes, there is a happy ending. We didn’t know we were getting a second season, so we weren’t going to end on a cliffhanger. Happy watching!