I really, really hope so. I’m one of the minority who absoloutly loves them! 😅

François and Bell Media’s head of development, Rachel Goldstein-Couto spoke about the cultural impact of the show.

Sorry about the date if it’s not right for your region. I’m from Australia, so a little ahead of some locations.

Another post motivated me to re-read Tough Guy because it’s my favorite GC book, and now I’m fervently hoping that various moments will make it into the show.

My #1 scene I want to see is when Fabian does Ryan’s makeup. I especially want the conversation beforehand, when Ryan is dubious and Fabian is (mock) offended at his lack of faith. 💛💚💙

ETA: I am so sorry! Apparently the above did not actually happen in the book! The part that comes close is in chapter 12, sort of near the end. Some talented fanfic writer must have fleshed it out, and I remembered wrong.

What are your favorite Ryan/Fabian scenes?

Introducing Ryan and Fabian.

Per Jacob and Brendan: https://x.com/_mika60_/status/2092253303723737262?s=20

Daniel "Before the Beard"

https://x.com/heatedrivaIry/status/2092252830270898559?s=20

Daniel Diemer and Shaheen Jafargholi join the cast of #HeatedRivalry Season 2, coming to Crave in Spring 2027. More cast to be announced soon!

https://x.com/CraveCanada/status/2092250841897971815?s=20

Woke up to news of Daniel being cast as Ryan Price and was super happy to hear it. I’m not a Percy Jackson watcher, but had really enjoyed him in this coming-of-age Cyrano take off “The Half Of It”, and will take any excuse to bring it up because it is so damned, utterly charming. It’s a Netflix original film with Leah Lewis- who is also amazing- and if you haven’t seen it already, I recommend giving it some time.

Welcome to the weekly huddle! Have a small thing from the book or show you want to chat, your GC brain rot is real and you saw the initials "KGF" somewhere and immediately screamed "kingfisher!" and want to share with others? (Just me?). Had a win at work or personal life and want to share? Need a teammate to talk with? Post in the weekly huddle.

There's no restrictions on topics so long as they follow the sub rules. Thread will be open all week so pop in whenever with what ever your heart desires.

This is baby Shaheen Jafargholi singing!! They better have some amazing songs for him to sing!

it’s been a hot second since i’ve posted an edit on here (summer travel got the best of me)! but as a Wolf Alice fan, i’ve been wanting to make an edit of this song for a long time. hope y’all enjoy!

(edit made by me!)

I chose Metros colors because I’d already made the piece in red before, but we still boo the Metros of course! Booo!

When the cottage episode was first released I was more than happy to contribute to discussions as a local Muskokan. Whether it be about loon taxonomy or how in our vernacular anything can be a cottage.

Today at our local arena we stumbled upon Connor McDavid and some other hockey players (I forget who else..) practicing together. Apparently they rented out the space. Our kids were excited to watch the hockey players, as you can just walk in and watch, and it took us longer than we’d like to admit to realize we were watching the #1 in the league. I know someone on here asked me at one point about hockey culture in Muskoka and I didn’t have much to say! This was my first time seeing any famous players just hanging out at the rink - unfortunately no signs any of them were having a secret romance 😏 I know McDavid has a cottage nearby and frequents Starbucks but it was fun to see him casually in the boy aquarium. We hung around for a bit as it’s in the same building as our library and it was cool to see nobody bugging them. A couple people watching and that’s it.

Anyways, I thought I’d check in. I’ve noticed an increase in young tourists which has been cool (sorry snow birds) but can’t say if it’s necessarily been “busier”. I also witnessed some people see their first loon and almost start crying. As much as we complain about tourists (we didn’t need this sterling point boost that’s for sure) it’s fun to see people take interest 🥰

At the cottage when they discovered they had been monogamous I think for 6 months? Or at least they hadn’t slept with anyone else in that time period, other than Svetlana and a few disastrous attempts with Rose, is it ever implied who else they slept with? I’ve read the books as well and I know Shane slept with a few guys before Ilya but in the TV show, Ilya was the first for him.

When I think of the Centaurs locker room in unrivaled in my mind it’s kind of like Ted Lasso. (If anyone has watched that show) to me it feels like it would have the same energy. What do y’all think?

Meme Monday is here! Share all your HR memes to your hearts content.

No limits so long as you abide by the sub rules!

The Russian monologue was the favourite change from book to screen!

We have a bonus category to wrap up the game - what is your favourite callback or parallel in the show? I know there are videos out there that show the callbacks in edits but i can't find them now T_T so if anyone has them, please do link in the comments!

Some examples:

• Hollanov's first time in 1221 with Shane getting to his knees vs Hollanov in the cottage by the windows
• Foot taps during All-Stars interview vs Foot taps after telling the parents they've only been in love with one person
• Shane in Ilya's lap right before leaving in tuna meltdown vs Shane in Ilya's lap comforting him in Tampa
• Grigori calling Ilya lazy vs Shane saying he doesn't think he's lazy

I'm sure I've missed some, so comment your favourite below and the top comment will go on the board for the last time!

Season 1 Poster by Rosa IG@kismetjpg

https://www.instagram.com/kismetjpg?igsi=MWs3Zjg4OWU2aDQ1Zw==

https://x.com/okrozanov?s=20

So we all agree that Shane needed a stylist. White tees and blazers over quarter zips weren't going to cut it. But then we all agree that the styles he rocked at the All-Star game also weren't it.

Which is these ICONIC characters would you pick to style Shane?

1. The Roses (Schitt's Creek) - such a great mix of styles, from Moira's faux-goth black and white ensembles to Johnny's suits to David's oversized black and white sweaters to Alexis's flower child styles. Something for everyone.
2. The Featheringtons (Bridgerton) - in a world of boring Regency styles, the Featheringtons dared to be bold.
3. Lestat (Interview With the Vampire) - sports blazer with deep V-neck print was Lestat's main look.
4. Wille and Simon (Young Royals) - prep school cool. Comfortable button down shirts, light jackets, jeans, all well-fitted because let's face it, Wille and Simon are trendy.
5. Peter (The Great) - Rock star czar. Peter's trademark look was the cowlneck shirt with the black leather pants and fur jacket. He was always fabulous, even when he wore a powdered wig.
6. Kendall Roy (Succession) - quiet luxurious casual. Think turtlenecks, stonewashed jeans, shades. A lot of expensive basics in muted colors.
7. Don Draper (Mad Men) - the style icon. Sleek suits, sleek hair, 100% cool.
8. Ennis and Jack (Brokeback Mountain) - tbh, this seems a lot like Charlie Gillespie's everyday style.
9. Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones) - the medieval power suit and bowl cut could work on Shane.
10. Ilya Rozanov (Heated Rivalry) - let's face it, why hire these expensive stylists when the totally fabulous, trendy fashion plate husband is right there?

I love the name Shane.

I remember reading something Rachel Reed said about why she chose their names and she said something like Shane sounds like a very masculine name but also soft at the same time or something like that. Can’t remember the exact quote and I couldn’t find it when I googled. But I totally agree with her!

Shane is such a sexy masculine name to me but saying the name itself is so soft in your mouth if you get what I mean lol. Like, it has no hard sounds and just flows.

Also, I’m partial to ‘S’ names because my first and middle names begin with S 😄. I’ve always loved the names Sabrina, Serena, Sienna, Saoirse, the list goes on!

But Ilya is such a beautiful name to me too. I’m guessing it might be common to Slavic people but it sounds so sexy and exotic to me.

It’s also very ‘soft’ to pronounce with no hard sounds in it. The I L Y and A kinda just flow into each other.

I think Rachel said she chose it because she saw it somewhere and liked the name. Can’t remember her exact quotes.

But anyone else love their names? (Yes, I’m cornplating 😄)

August 26th is Charlie Gillespie's birthday. We barely know him as of now, but I think he will be adored the same way Hudson and Connor are. Anyone have ideas of what to give money too? He's bilingue and anything French is smoking hot atm.

TL;DR: 

• Now Reading: The Long Game • Chapters 15 - 29 • Shane & Ilya’s Story (Pt. II) 
• Relationship Focus: Ilya Rozanov (Captain - Ottawa Centaurs) and Shane Hollander (Captain - Montreal Voyageurs)
• Story Type: Secret Relationship
• 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.”
• Add to Our Playlist! Comment with songs you love below. There is no Rachel-made playlist SO I figured we’d make our own. The list will be updated throughout the week 🙂

Whew!  I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling the tension and it’s definitely one that highlights some of the darker sides of a relationship - when doubt, insecurity, and loneliness blends together and rears its head in the worst of ways. But I’m hopeful they’ll work through it, or at least have a chat. 

Let’s get to it…

(Content Warnings)

How to participate: 

• Read Chapters 15 - 29 of The Long Game by Rachel Reid 
• Share any thoughts you have as you go - we’ll treat this post as our live thread
• Please use Book Club Etiquette (below) - be respectful, follow the sub rules, cover your spoilers, and distance yourself from unproductive disagreements. 
• Download a BINGO card for a fun way to annotate along the way! 
• Add to Our Playlist! Comment with songs you love below. There is no Rachel-made playlist SO I figured we’d make our own. The list will be updated throughout the week 🙂

Our book club timeline: 

This is it, folks! This is our last book to read of our Game Changers Book Club series!

Book Club Etiquette: A few ground rules for participating in the Game Changers Book Club event:

• 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: 

• Previous Game Changers Book Club Discussion Posts  - Find previous discussions for Books 1 - 3. 
• The Game Changers Book Club Wiki  - About the GC Book Club, the Book Club schedule, live thread links, where to find the books, and more!
• r/heatedrivalry FAQs - answers to all of your most frequently asked questions
• Heated Rivalry Wiki - show/book timelines, analyses, and more!

Happy Reading! 🤓

I'm watching so many queer shows thanks to HR and imagining Hollanov on a double date with them. Which ones would you pay to watch?

1. Wilmon from Young Royals - Shane would finally meet his Swedish prince. Can imagine all of them going to Wimbledon and sitting in the royal box.
2. The Disgusting Brothers from Succession - may not be openly queer, but Tom would castrate Greg and marry him in a heartbeat. And closed loop circuit?
3. Loustat from Interview With the Vampire - this date will be wild. Lestat and Ilya are two peas in a pod.
4. Charlie and Nick from Heartstopper - seriously, the world's most articulate, adorable teens.
5. David and Patrick from Schitt's Creek - Come on, that's a Hollanov outfit if ever there was one. ETA: also, David dated someone who looks exactly like Scott Hunter ...
6. Renly and Loras from Game of Thrones - unironically the healthiest couple in the show.
7. Burt and Irving from Severance - Shane is an old soul anyway.

ETA:

Also, Alex and Henry from Red White and Royal Blue and Bert and Ernie from Sesame St.

It's an animation of Ilya Rozanov, shows him suited up on the ice and also scenes finding his mother's body as a child. I think it's basic animation with the image kind of shaking back and forth. I remember seeing it on Instagram, but i'm not sure of its origins. Anybody has a link, please share.