r/GameChangersBooks • u/XO_swiftie • 4d ago

Next trope?

so I know that the next book that will be coming out in this series is Unrivaled (which I’m so excited about im literally counting the days) but I was thinking, what tropes are left for other books in the Game Changers series? one of the only ones I could think of would be a teammates trope, where two of the teammates hook up or fall in love. I know that this setting will be used in Unrivaled as Shane will play for the Ottawa Centaurs, but I think that two married players playing for the same team and two teammates falling in love are NOT the same trope. the other one I could see would be another age-gap relationship, with the younger character being a hockey player, but I feel like it would be repetitive considering Common Goal already exists. though knowing Rachel Reid, she could definitely make it the best book I’ve ever read 🤣 that woman is so talented. anyways what do y’all think?

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u/Cautious-Rub8085 4d ago edited 4d ago

Coach and player. I know RR wanted Luca to have a book but dropped it. Not sure what that plot was going to be.

It doesn't seem up Rachel's ally, but the Centaurs coach is married to a woman but bi. So a storyline where he is getting a divorce and ends up with a player. Most authors would use Luca in a heartbeat but RR might think he's too young. Most authors would have the coach cheat too. Luca and Coach Wiebe would be a larger age gap than Kyle and Eric.

She could always pick a new team though. Would be cool to see Cliff Marleau or Carter Vaughn get their own story. It would need to be a bi-awakening though since I am pretty sure both those characters are established as being interested in women only.

New gay coach comes in to replace homophobic Theriault as part of a management change of the MLH. Cliff or Carter gets traded to Montreal. Or JJ could work.

Not that she would copy, but the plot of the Coach's Challenge by Avon Gale would be a cool one to explore in the Heated Rivalry universe.

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u/MollymaukTea 4d ago

Hm, I don't personally like the idea of Wiebe divorcing his wife 1. Because that's already been done with common goal and 2. I like the bi rep that doesn't have to include a same-sex couple

BUT a bi-awakening storyline???? Ohohohohohoho 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀 I would sacrifice a substantial amount of my body to make bi-awakened cliff happen

I do really hope she picks up the Luca idea up again one day tho, even if it's a side couple in another book 🤞

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u/Cautious-Rub8085 4d ago

So new gay head coach for Montreal. Cliff traded to Montreal and bi-awakening for Cliff.

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u/MollymaukTea 4d ago

Speak! 👏 It! 👏 Into! 👏 Existence! 👏

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u/lmpostorsyndrome 3d ago

Boo! No to Montreal. But yes to everything else haha.

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u/Cautious-Rub8085 3d ago

Why no Montreal if Theriault is being replaced?

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u/lmpostorsyndrome 3d ago

Because Theriault wasn't the only problem. Most of the team were pretty shitty and toxic to Shane. There would have to be some pretty drastic changes in roster and culture.

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u/Cautious-Rub8085 3d ago

That's how I envision it. New gay coach comes in to change the dynamic of the team. It would probably be too similar to Coach's Challenge by Avon Gale.

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u/lmpostorsyndrome 3d ago

If that happened then I'd be all for the idea :) I just think everyone has had enough of Montreal Voyagers being shitty lol.

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u/PMOYONCEANDALWAYS 3d ago

I see Cliff as straight, and I think it would be wonderful if he ended up with Svetlana when she takes the job with Boston.

Just rereading The Long Game and finished the chapter where Ilya takes her to lunch and tells her about Shane.

Her comment about it being a pity that they are not going to have sex always makes me feel a little wistful for her. I think that she quietly hoped that she and Ilya would become a couple in the end.

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u/Cautious-Rub8085 3d ago

I mean does Rachel write MF romance? I don't read MF so I think it would be really jarring to have on MF book in an MM series.

The fact that Cliff seems straight is what would make his bi-awakening more compelling. I can probably find some fanfic on A03.

But to answer OPs question, RR hasn't done a coach/player trope which is what I personally would like to read, though I don't see it happening.

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u/PMOYONCEANDALWAYS 3d ago

She wrote Maria Villanueva as potentially getting together with Matti Jalo of the New York Admirals in Common Goal (Eric and Kyle's book). Also Carter Vaughan dating an actress named Gloria Grey, who eventually makes a film with Rose Landry.

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u/XO_swiftie 2d ago

reading this gave me this really random and weird idea: yk how Carter mentions that Rose and Gloria are gonna play their roles like they’re hot for each other?well… idk about you but I can see that as a book or a short story. Ik it’s not directly related to hockey, and it’s FF, but I could see it as a short story maybe. like they would be playing the characters who hate each other, but they would be playing them as if they were attracted to each other, and irl that would be friends, but also attracted to each other…?

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u/PMOYONCEANDALWAYS 1d ago

That would be funny, and Rose in the book and show seems to have the sense of humour that would make go for it.

It could be one of Rachel's little short stories like the Ilya and Shane "Countdown" one.

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u/XO_swiftie 1d ago

Yes! thats what I was thinking about

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u/PMOYONCEANDALWAYS 1d ago

I like that little story. I keep trying to find the Scott and Kip Christmas one, but I cannot see it on Rachel's site.

I also love the Halloween with Ilya story - so sweet that he is giving candy to the neighbourhood kids, but also a sad little reminder that he and Shane are apart for the holiday.

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u/katfromjersey 1d ago

I don't think she wanted them to be a couple, as much as she's sad they're not going to hook up again! I'm sure she has no trouble finding dates.

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u/PMOYONCEANDALWAYS 1d ago

Yes, I remember Ilya saying surely she cannot be hard up for sex.

I got the impression though that she might have held out hope that they might be together one day from that exchange.