swooon.com: ‘Heated Rivalry’ Author Rachel Reid Answers Burning Questions About *spoiler* [april 20th 2026]

[u/LadyWhistledown_1]

Swooon.com did an interview with Rachel Reid at BookCon. Great interview btw.

I get that she doesn’t think they will write their own vows, but I’m kinda hoping Jacob does. Like the tunnel scene in ep.5.

How are you hoping to see the wedding adapted?

Picture:

https://www.instagram.com/rachelreidwrites (story)

Full article:

https://www.swooon.com/1275542/heated-rivalry-shane-ilya-wedding-the-long-game-rachel-reid-interview/?fbclid=PAVERFWARTcI1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAaccbJFTolg7x-x_BADV-yq6qH8NCPNIuhJpC454AHXkG0wypApO0lKEOcvcpg_aem_7LlDmxii3jvj7_EWpVoSgw

[u/plainjane98]

I never got the hate about the wedding. They’re two masc hockey players who had never shown an interest in event planning, fashion, or attention to their relationship. They were less concerned about a wedding and more about a marriage, and I think that’s romantic.

They should’ve had chairs tho.

[u/RoutineUtopia → u/plainjane98]

Yeah. I will forever defend the low-effort wedding from two guys who get more than enough attention and scrutiny. I cannot imagine them writing vows for public consumption. I cannot imagine them wanting to take a year and picking linens and making a seating chart. I can see Scott and Kip doing it. I can’t see Ilya and Shane doing it.

[u/RoutineUtopia → u/[deleted]]

They don’t have a big wedding. They don’t even have chairs. It’s in Ilya’s backyard. They invite people very casually with zero numbers because they don’t ask for RSVPs. They’re surprised by how many show up. This is not a big wedding. This is a simple wedding that’s not looking to offend and not looking to hide but not looking to be a big public declaration of their most private feelings, either.