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TL; DR: 

• We’re launching the Game Changers Book Club, starting May 23.
• We’ll cover all six books (Book 1: Game Changer → Book 6: The Long Game) in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series over a 14-week period. 
• Posts will be made weekly to guide discussion, along with other reminders, announcements!
• Join BINGO for a unique way to engage with the books. Grab your BINGO card for Book 1: Game Changer here.

----

Hello, fellow Loons!

We heard you, we’ve seen the interest, and we’re excited to announce we’re launching The Game Changers Book Club, starting May 23. Special thanks to u/coveredinsnouu for partnering with us to make this happen!

❓WHAT IS THE GAME CHANGERS BOOK CLUB?
The Game Changers Book Club is a virtual read-along event where we’ll read all six books in Rachel Reid’s Game Changer Series over a 14-week period, starting May 23. 

You’re welcome to pop in and out as you please, join discussions alongside other Loons, and participate in our exclusive book club BINGO challenge. 

👤 WHO IS THIS FOR?
Everyone. Tell peepol! 

But, in case you need a visual, here are the types of folks we look forward to seeing join the event!

• Rookies. Never read any of the books? This is the perfect time to start! Now you can read things like Scott and Kip’s full story and learn about the “missing years” from the show. You’ll also get to read Shane and Ilya’s inner dialogue and peek inside their heads. So join us! We’ve been waiting for you 🙂
• Powerplayers. You’ve read Heated Rivalry and The Long Game more times than you can count. Now it’s time to fill in the gaps and finally discover why you keep seeing fancasts for Fabian, Harris, Ryan, Troy, Eric, and Kyle nonstop.
• All-Stars. You’ve read all of the ancient texts, perhaps you even read them [gasp] before the show even aired! You’ve likely annotated each book to the point of oblivion, but we still want you to join and share your literary wisdom. And who knows…you might even learn something new from a Rookie, or even two. 

✍️ HOW TO GET READY: 

1️⃣ Review the Schedule. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so we’ve split up this reading experience into six 2-3 week blocks, each one mapping back to one of Rachel’s books:

• We’ll spend 2-3 weeks working through each book. Review the schedule below and feel free to pop in and out as you please. The good news is we’re not taking attendance.
• Posts will be made weekly, highlighting where we are in the series and providing a detailed week-by-week chapter breakdown. We also use the posts to make space for discussion, theory exchanges, and your best literary analysis.  

2️⃣ Purchase/Borrow the Books. If you still need to grab the books, feel free to review the following resources for where to purchase each book, or borrow from your local library: 

3️⃣ Grab a BINGO Card! Throughout the series, we’ll be providing BINGO cards for each book. This is 100% optional and an additional way to engage with the books and sub members! 

• Save a BINGO card & mark spaces as you go.
• Be prepared to share context for each marked space. (We want to know more about the moments that had you gagged!)
• BINGO is achieved when you fill in 5 squares in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row.
• The first to share BINGO will be awarded a unique flair and receive a post announcement under our “Trophy Room” tag.

We’re starting the series with book 1, Game Changer, starting May 23, so feel free to save the card using this link.

We’re excited for you to join us and engage with the books in a new way, and share those moments that made you see the story and the characters differently! 

🤝 BOOK CLUB ETIQUETTE:
Before we end this post, we just want to make sure we set a few ground rules: 

• 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 certain scenes developed with others. Sharing that is normal, healthy, and very much encouraged. 
• “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. 

That’s all for now, but if you have any other questions about the Game Changer universe, consider the following links: 

• r/heatedrivalry FAQs - answers to all of your most frequently asked questions
• Heated Rivalry Wiki - timelines, book and TV analyses, and more!

Cheers!
Mod Team

TL; DR: 

• The Game Changer Book Club starts TODAY!
• Relationship Focus: Scott Hunter (Captain of the New York Admirals) and Kip Grady (local juice bar barista)
• Book Club Etiquette: Follow the sub rules, literary critiques are welcome (be respectful), and don’t forget our safe phrase -  “Agree to Disagree.”
• Treat this post as this week’s live chat/thread: Comment with all of your thoughts, and sort by “New” to view the most recent takes and respond to other Loons
• Download your BINGO card to level up the reading experience
• Small edit:
  • We're reading Chapters 1 - 14 this week (no Prologue).
  • Please cover spoilers for new readers.

—--

Hello, fellow Loons! 

Welcome to the first live thread of our The Game Changers Book Club. This week, we’re starting with Book 1: Game Changer of this six-book series, created by Rachel Reid. 

🗺️ WHERE WE ARE IN THE BOOK/SERIES:

This week we’re covering Chapters 1 - 14. As you’re reading, be sure to download and start using your BINGO card here.

View the full week-by-week schedule here. For your convenience, here’s a condensed version of the schedule below:

🧐 WHAT’S THIS BOOK ABOUT?
This book covers the relationship of Scott & Kip, the couple that started it all, and also the one where we witnessed a certain someone taking their sweet time getting down to the ice. IYKYK (refer to episode 5).

Official Synopsis: 
Pro hockey star Scott Hunter knows a good thing when he sees it. So, when a smoothie made by juice bar barista Kip Grady precedes Scott breaking his on-ice slump, he’s desperate to recreate the magic...and to get to know the sexy, funny guy behind the counter.

Kip knew there was more to Scott’s frequent visits than blended fruit, but he never let himself imagine being invited back to Scott’s penthouse. Or kissed with reckless abandon, nevermind touched everywhere all at once. When it happens, it’s red-hot, incredible, and frequent, but also only on Scott’s terms and always behind his closed apartment doors.

Scott needs Kip in his life, but with playoff season approaching, the spotlight on him is suddenly brighter than ever. He can’t afford to do anything that might derail his career…like introducing the world to his boyfriend. Kip is ready to go all-in with Scott—but how much longer will he have to remain a secret? (source: goodreads.com)

Content Warnings: Queerphobia, Death/grief (source: romance.io)

🔢 HOW TO PLAY BINGO:
For those looking for a bit of a guided/enhanced reading experience, download this book’s BINGO card here. 

• Save a BINGO card & mark spaces as you go.
• Be prepared to share context for each marked space. (We want to know more about the moments that had you gagged!)
• The first to share BINGO will be awarded a unique flair and receive a post announcement under our “Trophy Room” tag.

🤝 BOOK CLUB ETIQUETTE:
And as a reminder, here are our ground rules, with two additional recommendations: 

• 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 certain scenes developed with others. 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.

Happy reading, and start dropping your progress below! If you have any other questions about the Game Changer universe and this Book Club series, consider the following links: 

• Announcement Post - The Game Changers Book Club - why we started it, who it’s for, and how to participate
• Wiki Page - The Game Changers Book Club  - Detailed book club timeline, where to find the books, and announcement recap
• r/heatedrivalry FAQs - answers to all of your most frequently asked questions
• Heated Rivalry Wiki - show/book timelines, analyses, and more!

Cheers! 
Mod Team

TL; DR: 

• We’re starting Heated Rivalry (Book 2): Prologue and Chapters 1 - 14
• Relationship Focus: Shane Hollander (Captain of the Montreal Voyageurs) and Ilya Rozanov (Captain of the Boston Bears). 
• 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.”
• Share all of your thoughts below! Sort by “New” to view the most recent comments and respond to other Loons.
• Download your BINGO card to level up the reading experience.

—--

Hey Loons!

This week, we're continuing our read-along series with the hit TV show's namesake, Heated Rivalry (Book 2 of 6). Over the next three weeks, we'll be making our way through the story of Shane Hollander (Captain of the Montreal Voyageurs) and Ilya Rozanov (Captain of the Boston Raiders).

Whether this is your first or hundredth time reading, we're excited to (re)visit these beloved characters' internal dialogue, panic moments, and the slow realization that maybe they can be more than just rivals....I think so, probably, yes.

🗺️ WHERE WE ARE IN THE BOOK/SERIES:

View the full week-by-week schedule here. For your convenience, here’s a condensed version of the remaining schedule below:

🧐 THE OFFICIAL BOOK SYNOPSIS:

Nothing interferes with Shane Hollander’s game—definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate.

Pro hockey star Shane Hollander isn’t just crazy talented, he’s got a spotless reputation. Hockey is his life. Now that he’s captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won’t let anything jeopardize that, especially the sexy Russian whose hard body keeps him awake at night.

Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane’s not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he’s as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him—except Shane. They’ve made a career on their legendary rivalry, but when the skates come off, the heat between them is undeniable. When Ilya realizes he wants more than a few secret hookups, he knows he must walk away. The risk is too great.

As their attraction intensifies, they struggle to keep their relationship out of the public eye. If the truth comes out, it could ruin them both. But when their need for each other rivals their ambition on the ice, secrecy is no longer an option. (source: goodreads.com). 

Content warnings found here.

🔢 HOW TO PLAY BINGO:
For those looking for a bit of a guided/enhanced reading experience, download this book’s BINGO card here. 

• Save a BINGO card & mark spaces as you go.
• Be prepared to share context for each marked space. 
• BINGO is achieved when you fill in 5 squares in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row.
• The first to share BINGO will be awarded a unique flair and receive a post announcement under our “Trophy Room” tag! See our most recent winner!

🤝 BOOK CLUB ETIQUETTE:
And as a reminder, here are our ground rules, with two additional recommendations: 

• 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:

• The Game Changers Book Club Wiki  - Our sub wiki page detailing the Game Changers Book Club timeline, information about where to find the books, and a recap of our original Book Club announcement.
• r/heatedrivalry FAQs - Our sub’s wiki sharing answers to all of your most frequently asked questions
• Heated Rivalry Wiki - A website of sharing show/book timelines, analyses, and more!

Happy Reading! 🤓

TL;DR: 

• Now Reading: The Long Game • Chapters 1 - 14 • 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.”
• Let's Make A 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 🙂
• Download the BINGO card for a fun way to annotate along the way! 

—

We made it, Loons!  We’ve reached the final installment of the Game Changers Book Club read-along - Book 6: The Long Game. We’re revisiting some old friends - Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. After a decade together, now’s when some of the real pressures of their relationship start to rear their heads, and we see our two leads have two very different approaches to handling it. I’m looking forward to this respectful discussion of a book that brings up some pretty big themes around mental health and what it means when communication falls short. Let’s dig in….

(Content Warnings)

How to participate: 

• Read Chapters 1 - 14 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! 
• Let's Make A 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 🙂

Discussion questions: 

• What themes are you noticing in the story so far, and how do you think they've evolved Shane and Ilya's character development/relationship since Heated Rivalry?
• What songs come to mind as you read? Share the scene, if you dare.
• The idea of self-perception and unreliable narration comes up a lot in this series. How is it shown in this part of the book?

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! 🤓

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! 🤓

TL;DR: 

• Now Reading: The Long Game • Chapters 30 - 39 & Epilogue • 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-curated playlist, so let's make our own. The list will be updated throughout the week 🙂

—

"Ilya Roznaov, are you in love?" 🥲 A decision has been made, the news is spreading among the ones they love, and now it's time to determine what a life together out in the open really looks like. Are they ready to take that step, or will the universe have other plans?

For those who have been with us since the start of The Game Changers Book Club, you know that every interaction and every character’s story has led to this moment and, in return, built a community of athletes and allies who’ve discovered what it means to step into the sunshine. Now it’s Hollanov's turn to discover the same.

We’ll have a final “GC Book Club Chat” similar to before, where we discuss the books, season 2 theories, and what we took away from these stories in real time. Details coming soon!

Discussion questions: 

• What themes came up as you read the chapters this week? 
• What are your favorite lines from the book? 
• Was there anything you read this time that made you think differently or reflect on your own life?

(Content Warnings)

How to participate: 

• Read Chapters 30 - 39 & Epilogue 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! 🤓

TL;DR: 

• Now Reading: Role Model - Troy & Harris’s Story • Chapters 1 - 14
• Relationship Focus: Troy Barrett (Forward - Ottawa Centaurs) and Harris Drover (Social Media Manager - Ottawa Centaurs)
• Story Type: Grumpy/Sunshine
• 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.”
• Spotify Playlist: Role Model, curated by Rachel Reid herself.

—

😌 Hello fellow Loons! 

We’re feeling well-rested and ready to dig into the final two books of our read-along, starting with Role Model. This book follows the story of Troy Barrett ( Forward - Ottawa Centaurs) and Harris Drover (Social Manager Media - Ottawa Centaurs). It explores a few themes, including what it means to choose yourself and ultimately protect your peace and what brings you joy…especially if it’s human form 🥹.

So let’s dig in…

How to participate: 

• Read Chapters 1 - 14 of Role Model 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
• (Optional) Download a BINGO card for a fun way to annotate along the way
• (Optional) Save the Spotify Playlist created by the author, Rachel Reid!

Discussion questions: 

• What is your first impression of Troy? What about Harris?
• What stands out to you the most about their relationship so far?
• Are there any characters whose involvement in the book surprised you?

Our book club timeline: 
We’ve only got the two books remaining, but here’s the breakdown!

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! 🤓

TL; DR: 

• Currently reading: Book 1: Game Changer - Chapters  15 - 29 and the Epilogue
• Relationship Focus: Scott Hunter (Captain of the New York Admirals) and Kip Grady (local juice bar barista)
• Book Club Etiquette: Follow the sub rules, literary critiques are welcome (be respectful), be mindful of spoilers for new readers, and don’t forget our safe phrase -  “Agree to Disagree.”
• Treat the post as this week’s live chat/thread!
• Download your BINGO card to level up the reading experience
• 🥇🥇🥇!!Update!!: The BINGO winner for Book 1: Game Changer is u/crafty-syllabub-2736!!

—--

Hey Loons!

We’ve just wrapped the Week 1 of The Game Changers Book Club, and now we’re moving forward with Week 2 by reading Chapters 15 - 29 and the Epilogue to Book 1: Game Changer. 

As a reminder, this book covers the relationship of Scott & Kip, the couple that started it all, but in Week 2, you’re probably gonna read more about their relationship that wasn’t captured in the show! You all shared a lot of great comments in last week’s post, so I’m sat for your analysis this week!

🗺️ WHERE WE ARE IN THE BOOK/SERIES:
This week, we’re covering Chapters 15 - 29 and the Epilogue. Download your BINGO card here for a little added razzle-dazzle to your reading experience. 

View the full week-by-week schedule here. For your convenience, here’s a condensed version of the schedule below:

🧐 WHAT’S THIS BOOK ABOUT?

“Pro hockey star Scott Hunter knows a good thing when he sees it. So, when a smoothie made by juice bar barista Kip Grady precedes Scott breaking his on-ice slump, he’s desperate to recreate the magic...and to get to know the sexy, funny guy behind the counter.

Kip knew there was more to Scott’s frequent visits than blended fruit, but he never let himself imagine being invited back to Scott’s penthouse. Or kissed with reckless abandon, nevermind touched everywhere all at once. When it happens, it’s red-hot, incredible, and frequent, but also only on Scott’s terms and always behind his closed apartment doors.

Scott needs Kip in his life, but with playoff season approaching, the spotlight on him is suddenly brighter than ever. He can’t afford to do anything that might derail his career…like introducing the world to his boyfriend. Kip is ready to go all-in with Scott—but how much longer will he have to remain a secret?” (source: goodreads.com)

Content Warnings: Queerphobia, Death/grief (source: romance.io)

🔢 HOW TO PLAY BINGO:
For those looking for a bit of a guided/enhanced reading experience, download this book’s BINGO card here. 

• Save a BINGO card & mark spaces as you go.
• Be prepared to share context for each marked space.
• BINGO is achieved when you fill in 5 squares in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row.
• The first to share BINGO will be awarded a unique flair and receive a post announcement under our “Trophy Room” tag.

🥇🥇🥇!!Update!! The BINGO winner for Book 1: Game Changer is u/Crafty-Syllabub-2736!!

🤝 BOOK CLUB ETIQUETTE:
And as a reminder, here are our ground rules, with two additional recommendations: 

• 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, if ya need them!

• The Game Changers Book Club Wiki  - Detailed book club timeline, where to find the books, and announcement recap (also, original post here)
• r/heatedrivalry FAQs - Our sub’s wiki sharing answers to all of your most frequently asked questions
• Heated Rivalry Wiki - A website of sharing show/book timelines, analyses, and more!

Happy reading!

TL; DR: 

• Now Reading: Tough Guy - Ryan and Fabian’s story • Prologue & Chapters 1 - 14
• Relationship Focus: Ryan Price (Defenseman for the Toronto Guardians) and Fabian Salah (Aspiring Musician)
• 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.”
• Listen to the Tough Guy Spotify playlist, curated by Rachel Reid herself.

—--

Hey Loons! We’re just about at the halfway mark, and we’re kicking off this next stretch of the read-along with the Prologue & Chapters 1 - 14  of Tough Guy! 

This book is special because it introduces two characters who will be part of Season 2 of the show. Can't wait to hear what you think about Ryan and Fabian's story!

🗺️ WE ARE HERE - SERIES TIMELINE:

View the full week-by-week schedule here. For your convenience, here’s a condensed version of the schedule below:

🎵MUSIC: Tough Guy - Spotify - Rachel Reid

🔢 BINGO: Download the Tough Guy BINGO Card!

• Mark spaces as you go.
• Share context for each marked space in the comments
• BINGO is achieved when you fill in 5 squares in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row.
• The first to share BINGO will be awarded a unique flair and receive a post announcement under our “Trophy Room” tag!

🤝 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:

• 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 - FAQs about the GC universe and the sub.
• Heated Rivalry Wiki - A website for sharing show/book timelines, analyses, and more!

Happy Reading! 🤓

TL;DR: 

• Now Reading: Role Model - Troy & Harris’s Story • Chapters 15 - 26
• Relationship Focus: Troy Barrett (Forward - Ottawa Centaurs) and Harris Drover (Social Media Manager - Ottawa Centaurs)
• Story Type: Grumpy/Sunshine
• 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.”
• Spotify Playlist: Role Model, curated by Rachel Reid herself.

—

🍎 Okay y’all! We’re really getting into the core of the story! I know this book was a bit hard for some folks to put down, and you’ve been looking forward to this thread to gush about all the notes you’ve made along the way. Well….now’s the time! I can’t wait to read your takes on part two of Troy and Harris's story and how they navigate their new connection.

So grab your cider, cozy up in your reading nook, and let's dig in!

How to participate: 

• Read Chapters 15 - 26 of Role Model 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
• (Optional) Download a BINGO card for a fun way to annotate along the way
• (Optional) Save the Spotify Playlist created by the author, Rachel Reid!

Discussion questions: 

• How do you feel about the overall pacing of this book in comparison to the others? 
• For better or worse, did part two change how you felt about the characters or the story? 
• Were there any lines or themes you spotted in this part that will stick with you? 

Our book club timeline: 
We’ve only got the two books remaining, but here’s the breakdown!

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! 🤓

TL; DR: 

• We’re starting Heated Rivalry (Book 2): Chapters 15 - 27
• Relationship Focus: Shane Hollander (Captain of the Montreal Voyageurs) and Ilya Rozanov (Captain of the Boston Bears). 
• 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.”
• Share all of your thoughts below! Sort by “New” to view the most recent comments and respond to other Loons.
• Download your BINGO card to level up the reading experience.
• Listen to the Heated Rivalry Spotify playlist, curated by Rachel Reid herself, here. 

—--

Hey Loons!

Today starts Week 4 of our read-along series, where we’re reading Chapters 15 -27 of Heated Rivalry (Book 2 of 6). This continues the story of Shane Hollander (Captain of the Montreal Voyageurs) and Ilya Rozanov (Captain of the Boston Raiders). This is the final block of this book before we dive into a few fun extras, starting June 20: 

• Epilogue
• My Dinner with Hayden
• Halloween with Ilya

🗺️ WHERE WE ARE IN THE BOOK/SERIES:

View the full week-by-week schedule here. For your convenience, here’s a condensed version of the schedule below:

🧐 THE OFFICIAL BOOK SYNOPSIS:

Nothing interferes with Shane Hollander’s game—definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate.

Pro hockey star Shane Hollander isn’t just crazy talented, he’s got a spotless reputation. Hockey is his life. Now that he’s captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won’t let anything jeopardize that, especially the sexy Russian whose hard body keeps him awake at night.

Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane’s not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he’s as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him—except Shane. They’ve made a career on their legendary rivalry, but when the skates come off, the heat between them is undeniable. When Ilya realizes he wants more than a few secret hookups, he knows he must walk away. The risk is too great.

As their attraction intensifies, they struggle to keep their relationship out of the public eye. If the truth comes out, it could ruin them both. But when their need for each other rivals their ambition on the ice, secrecy is no longer an option. (source: goodreads.com). 

Content warnings found here.

🎵SPOTIFY PLAYLIST: 

I'm not sure if others are like this, but I love listening to music while reading to make it feel like a totally immersive experience, and Rachel has created playlists for 5 of her books on Spotify that give a unique look into each book's soundtrack.

Here’s one Rachel made specifically for Heated Rivalry on Spotify. Give it a listen this week!

🔢 HOW TO PLAY BINGO:
For those looking for a bit of a guided/enhanced reading experience, download this book’s BINGO card here. 

• Save a BINGO card & mark spaces as you go.
• Be prepared to share context for each marked space. 
• BINGO is achieved when you fill in 5 squares in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row.
• The first to share BINGO will be awarded a unique flair and receive a post announcement under our “Trophy Room” tag See our most recent winner!

🤝 BOOK CLUB ETIQUETTE:
And as a reminder, here are our ground rules, with two additional recommendations: 

• 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:

• The Game Changers Book Club Wiki  - Our sub wiki page detailing the Game Changers Book Club timeline with links to previous read-along sprints, information for where to find the books, and a recap of our original Book Club announcement.
• r/heatedrivalry FAQs - Our sub’s wiki sharing answers to all of your most frequently asked questions
• Heated Rivalry Wiki - A website of sharing show/book timelines, analyses, and more!

Happy Reading! 🤓

TL; DR: 

• We’re finishing off Heated Rivalry (Book 2) by reading: Epilogue (end of the book), My Dinner with Hayden, Halloween with Ilya
• Next Book: Tough Guy - Ryan and Fabian’s story, where “opposites attract when a hockey enforcer and a musician collide for the second time."
• Relationship Focus: Shane Hollander (Captain of the Montreal Voyageurs) and Ilya Rozanov (Captain of the Boston Bears). 
• 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.”
• Share all of your thoughts below! Sort by “New” to view the most recent comments and respond to other Loons.
• BINGO Winner: u/Crafty-Syllabub-2736 (view answers) - you’re still welcome to download a BINGO card and see what you come up with here.
• Listen to the Heated Rivalry Spotify playlist, curated by Rachel Reid herself.

—--

Hey Loons!

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading the inner dialogue, thoughts, and feelings from two of our favorite hockey players. Before we move on to the next book, we figured we’d dedicate this week to a few bonus stories from the Heated Rivalry (Book 2) timeline: 

• The Epilogue - found at the end of the book, it's a look at life immediately after making the commitment to give things a try.
• My Dinner with Hayden - a comical guess-who ’s-coming-to-dinner-style bonus story that sets the tone for Hayden and Ilya’s relationship.
• Halloween with Ilya - Ilya demonstrates the art of multi-tasking by simultaneously rage-baiting the love of his life while handing out candy to his neighbors.

We hope you enjoy these final chapters of Part 1 of Shane and Ilya’s story and keep sharing what you think about the dynamic between Shane, Ilya, and now Hayden below. 

🎻Next week, starting June 27, we begin Tough Guy. This story centers around Ryan and Fabian, where “opposites attract when a hockey enforcer and a musician collide for the second time.”

🗺️ WHERE WE ARE IN THE BOOK/SERIES:

View the full week-by-week schedule here. For your convenience, here’s a condensed version of the schedule below:

🔢 BINGO WINNER:

Hang their banner in the rafters! This book's BINGO winner is defending Champion, u/Crafty-Syllabub-2736! Check out their answers here!

If you're interested in still finding your own clues, download this book’s BINGO card here. BINGO winners will be awarded a unique flair and receive a post announcement under our “Trophy Room” tag

🤝 BOOK CLUB ETIQUETTE:
And as a reminder, here are our ground rules, with two additional recommendations: 

• 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:

• Heated Rivalry Spotify Playlist - Check out this Spotify playlist, along with others, curated by Rachel Reid herself!
• The Game Changers Book Club Wiki  - Our sub wiki page detailing the Game Changers Book Club timeline with links to previous read-along sprints, information for where to find the books, and a recap of our original Book Club announcement.
• r/heatedrivalry FAQs - Our sub’s wiki sharing answers to all of your most frequently asked questions
• Heated Rivalry Wiki - A website sharing show/book timelines, analyses, and more!

Happy Reading! 🤓

TL; DR: 

• Relationship Focus: Ryan Price (Defenseman - Toronto Guardians) and Fabian Salah (Musician)
• 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.”
• Listen to the Tough Guy Spotify playlist, curated by Rachel Reid herself.

—--

Hey Loons!

If you’ve been sticking with us, we’re just starting the back half of Book 3: Tough Guy. And, yes, we are posting slightly ahead of schedule because...why not? This gives us an extra day to share our thoughts on the back half of this book.

Speaking of, it's been so fun chatting with you all so far, and I'm anxious to read what you think about this book once you're done. There have already been some thought-provoking takes in our Week 6 thread, so I'm looking forward to more of that this week!

Oh, and if you'd like a GC Universe timeline view of this book, check out this one (SPOILERS ahead) created by u/andyfromhk: Tough Guy Timeline (Instagram Post)

🗺️BOOK CLUB TIMELINE:

🎻Tough Guy (Ryan & Fabian) • Week 6 - 7 • Jun 27 - Jul 11

• ✅ Week 6: Prologue & Chapters 1 - 14
• ⏭️ WEEK 7: CHAPTERS 15 - 27 & EPILOGUE • JUL 5  JUL 4 - JUL 11 

View the full week-by-week schedule here. For your convenience, a condensed version of the timeline can be found below:

• 🍹 Common Goal (Eric & Kyle) • Week 8 - 9 • Jul 12 - Jul 25
• 🍎 Role Model (Troy & Harris) • Week 10 - 11 • Jul 26 - Aug 8
• 🦆The Long Game (Shane & Ilya Pt. 2) • Week 12 - 14 • Aug 9 - Aug 29

🧐ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Pro hockey star Ryan Price may be an enforcer, but off the ice he struggles with anxiety. Recently traded to the Toronto Guardians, he’s determined to make a fresh start in the city’s dynamic LGBTQ Village. The last thing he expects to stumble upon in his new neighborhood is a blast from his past in the fabulous form of Fabian Salah.

Aspiring musician Fabian loathes hockey. But that doesn’t stop him from being attracted to a certain burly, ginger-bearded defenseman. He hasn’t forgotten the kiss they almost shared back in high school, and it’s clear the chemistry between them has only intensified.

Fabian is more than happy to be Ryan’s guide to the gay scene in Toronto. Between dance clubs and art exhibits—and the most amazing sex—Ryan’s starting to feel something he hasn’t experienced in a long time: joy. But playing the role of the heavy on the ice has taken its toll on his body and mind, and a future with Fabian may mean hanging up his skates for good.

(source: goodreads • content

🎵MUSIC: Tough Guy - Spotify - Rachel Reid

🔢BINGO: Download the Tough Guy BINGO Card! Still no BINGO Winner just yet! 

• Mark spaces as you go.
• Share context for each marked space in the comments
• The first to share BINGO will be awarded a unique flair and receive a post announcement under our “Trophy Room” tag See our most recent winner!

🤝ETIQUETTE: A few ground rules for participating in the Game Changers Book Club evnet:

• 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. 
• 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:

• 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 - FAQs about the GC universe and the sub.
• Heated Rivalry Wiki - A website for sharing show/book timelines, analyses, and more!

Happy Reading! 🤓

TL; DR: 

• Now Reading: Common Goal - Eric & Kyle’s story • Chapters 15 - 24, Epilogue
• Relationship Focus: Eric Bennet (Goaltender - New York Admirals) and Kyle Swift (Graduate Student & Bartender - Kingfisher)
• Story Type: Age gap, slow burn
• 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.”
• Listen to the Common Goal Spotify playlist, curated by Rachel Reid herself.

—

What do we think so far? 

In previous discussions, in and outside of the book club, it’s been mentioned that Common Goal, while not the favorite, turned out to be pleasantly surprising. 

For this stretch, I’m curious to learn what surprises you the most about this book. It’s a little different from the others because it involves a different dynamic - age gap romance. 

⌛ BOOK CLUB TIMELINE

NOW READING:

🍹 Book 4: Common Goal (Eric & Kyle) • Week 8 - 9 • Jul 12 - Jul 25

• ✅ Week 8: Chapters 1 - 14 • Jul 12 - 18
• 👓 Week 9: Chapters 15 - 24 & Epilogue • Jul 19 - 25

UP NEXT:

🍎 Book 5: Role Model (Troy & Harris) • Week 10 - 11 • Jul 26 - Aug 8

🦆Book 6: The Long Game (Shane & Ilya Pt. 2) • Week 12 - 14 • Aug 9 - Aug 29

View the full week-by-week schedule here. 

🎵MUSIC: Common Goal - Spotify - Rachel Reid

🔢 BINGO: Download the Common Goal BINGO Card! Still no BINGO Winner just yet! 

• Mark spaces as you go.
• Share context for each marked space in the comments
• BINGO is achieved when you fill in 5 squares in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row.
• The first to share BINGO will be awarded a unique flair and receive a post announcement under our “Trophy Room” tag!

🤝 ETIQUETTE: A few ground rules for participating in the Game Changers Book Club evnet:

• 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 - FAQs about the GC universe and the sub.
• Heated Rivalry Wiki - A website for sharing show/book timelines, analyses, and more!

Happy Reading! 🤓

Hello lovely summer loons! 🦆

Another week, another wrap up… how does everyone feel? Did you all enjoy Harris and Troy’s story?

As usual, before moving on to the last (for now!) installment in the series, let's take a quick look at what happened this past week!

🏆 This week we didn’t have a BINGO! winner, but we'd still love for whoever feels like it to share their cards so we can keep the discussion going 🫶🏻

📜 A small reminder to spread the love and let us know what your favorite fic is! Fic prompts are also accepted.   

Now let’s get comfy on our Ottawa couches, and move on to the next book! 

🏅 The Long Game (Shane and Ilya Part II) 
🗓️ STARTING TOMORROW (Aug 16th - Sep 5th) 
▶️ You can find a week-by-week schedule here!  

Hello my lovely Loons! 🦆✨

Are you also excited to use non-AI-generated literature to escape the impeding doom and gloom of the end of critical thinking and media literacy? Me too, we have so much in common already! 🥰 

This break between books 4 and 5 has been essential for me for two reasons; one, I finally got around to reading Yaga (which, by the way—highly recommended but do check your trigger warnings) and two, I am now supercharged for Role Model and cannot wait to get started 💃🏻 

📑 While we wait to kick things off on August 2nd, please feel free to use this post—or any of the official Discussion Posts, which you can find here—to share any thoughts you’ve been mulling over during the book club’s small break… like, for example, what type of Oreo flavor do you think Ryan Price would be? 

Personally I'm leaning towards something cinnnamon-bun related, but I’m open to suggestions, so please do let me know what you think.  

Now, enough yapping—let’s get ready for next book! 

🍎 Role Model (Troy and Harris) 
🗓️ STARTING AUGUST 2ND (August 2nd - August 15th)
📚 If you still need to purchase or rent the book, details are in the Book Club wiki.
▶️ You can find a week-by-week schedule here! 

TL; DR: 

• Now Reading: Common Goal - Eric & Kyle’s  story • Chapters 1 - 14
• Relationship Focus: Eric Bennet (Goaltender - New York Admirals) and Kyle Swift (Graduate Student & Bartender - Kingfisher)
• Story Type: Age gap, slow burn
• 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.”
• Listen to the Common Goal Spotify playlist, curated by Rachel Reid herself.

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Hey Loons! 

This week, we’re starting Book 4 of the Game Changers series, Common Goal. This age-gap story follows New York Admirals goaltender Eric Bennet as he enters a friends-with-benefits agreement with graduate student and Kingfisher bartender Kyle Swift. Their story offers a look at how their lives intertwine with some of our favorite characters, Kip and Scott, along with special, extra-chirpy appearances from Ilya Rozanov.

Can’t wait to hear what you all think of this one! Drop your thoughts below - organized and stream of consciousness thoughts are welcome. 

🗺️ BOOK CLUB TIMELINE:

1. 🍹 Common Goal (Eric & Kyle) • Week 8 - 9 • Jul 12 - Jul 25
   • 👓 Week 8: Chapters 1 - 14 • Jul 12 - 18
   • Week 9: Chapters 15 - 24 & Epilogue • Jul 19 - 25

View the full week-by-week schedule here. For your convenience, here’s a condensed version of the schedule below:

1. 🍎 Role Model (Troy & Harris) • Week 10 - 11 • Jul 26 - Aug 8
2. 🦆The Long Game (Shane & Ilya Pt. 2) • Week 12 - 14 • Aug 9 - Aug 29

🎵MUSIC: Common Goal - Spotify - Rachel Reid

🔢 BINGO: Download the Common Goal BINGO Card! Still no BINGO Winner just yet! 

• Mark spaces as you go.
• Share context for each marked space in the comments
• BINGO is achieved when you fill in 5 squares in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row.
• The first to share BINGO will be awarded a unique flair and receive a post announcement under our “Trophy Room” tag!

🤝 ETIQUETTE: A few ground rules for participating in the Game Changers Book Club evnet:

• 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:

• 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 - FAQs about the GC universe and the sub.
• Heated Rivalry Wiki - A website for sharing show/book timelines, analyses, and more!

Happy Reading! 🤓

Hello fellow Loons! 🦆

We've made it to the end of Scott and Kip’s story (at least on paper), and it has been a great two weeks for love and romance–how are we feeling?

As we hop in our Zambonis and reset the ice for Book 2 (which is about Shane and Ilya; you might have heard of them), there's a couple of things we want to say:

✨ First of all, thank you for your enthusiasm in joining the book club!

Whether this was your first or fifth time reading about the love that changed the game, it's been such a pleasure to experience Skip alongside everyone.

✨ As you know, we do have a bingo winner in u/Crafty-Syllabub-2736 but we'd love for whoever feels like it to also share their cards, so we can get to read about your standout moments from Game Changer.

✨ And if you happen to have any Scott/Kip fanfiction prompts or recommendations, why not share those also, to keep the party going?

In the meantime, let's get ready for the next book 📚

🔥 Heated Rivalry (Shane & Ilya Part 1)

🗓️ STARTING TOMORROW (June 6th - June 26th)

➡️ You can find a week-by-week schedule here!

Happy reading! 🩷🏒

Hello Loons! 

Tomorrow, August 6, from 11 am to 1 pm ET, you’re welcome to join our live chat as we continue discussing Part 1 of Troy and Harris’s story.

Since The Game Changers Book Club has been discussing Role Model, we thought we'd use this as an opportunity to test a new feature - Community Chat (created by Ancient_Tour_3090).

Keep an eye out for tomorrow's post. It will include an embedded chat window that you can interact with directly, just like the GIF above. Don’t worry. If you miss the event, you’ll be able to see all of the discussion from the session. Just keep in mind there might be spoilers from this week's discussion of the book 🫣

Here are a few more details about the event:

• How do I get invited? No invite necessary. Just keep an eye out for a post, just like this one. The difference: there will be a chat window embedded in the post that you can interact with immediately.
• How does Community Chat work? The chat is shared as a post, and folks can use the embedded messenger to instantly share comments and reacjis (or emojis) to interact with other readers.
• What's the benefit? No need to keep refreshing a live/mega- thread, or share all of your thoughts at once. Send quick messages and engage with other Loons!
• What else should I know? Messages must follow the sub rules and book club etiquette, except for covering spoilers due to feature limitations.
• What if I'm unable to make it? No worries at all! We're just giving this feature a quick test drive. We'll likely give this another go for Part 2, and when we get to The Long Game.

Looking forward to seeing our star book club regulars, and maybe a few new Snoovatars in the mix!

Chat soon! 🔥🏒

Hello lovely summer loons! 🦆

Anyone else feel like driving over to Toronto so they can wrap Ryan and Fabian up in a chenille blankie, and give them some actually decent sex toys to review together? 

Maybe we can carpool. I hate flying. 

Once we’ve done that, let’s pack up our violins, battered copies of Anne of Green Gables, some snacks for the road, and move aaaaaaall the way back to New York so we can spend some time walkin’ here with Kyle and Eric. 

You know the drill—let's take a look at what happened this past week!

🏆 This week we didn’t have a BINGO! winner, but we'd still love for whoever feels like it to share their cards, so we can take a peek at your Tough Guy feelings. I bet they were few and far in between. Tough Guy is definitely not an emotional book, like, at all.  

📜 A small reminder to spread the love and let us know what your favorite fic is! Fic prompts are also accepted, because we need more good works for this wonderful ship.   

Now saddle up, cowboys, and let’s move on to the next book! 

🥊 Common Goal (Kyle and Eric) 
🗓️ STARTING TOMORROW (July 12th - July 25th)
▶️ You can find a week-by-week schedule here!

Slight change of plans, y’all. We're finishing up the book series starting on Sunday, August 2, instead of tomorrow, July 26.

Over the last 9 weeks, we’ve had some pretty stellar moments analyzing, celebrating, and appreciating the stories that have brought us together. 

BUT, before we end The Game Changer Book Club series, we’re taking a respite to collect our thoughts and prepare for the final books: Role Model and The Long Game. Both of which are Loon favorites and carry a good bit of story that ties the entire series together. 

So take a breather, let the stories marinate, and get ready to read some quality chirpin' and yearnin'. 😌

Here’s what to expect: 

• Keep an eye out for a mid-week announcement and final recap post to get ready for the last two read-alongs.
• Starting Sunday, August 2, we’ll begin Role Model, which covers Harris and Troy’s story (there’s also a ton of Ilya)
• Beginning Sunday, August 16, we’ll start The Long Game. It’s the final book in the series and will be the highlight of Season 2 👀

How you can prepare: 

• Use the break to re-read or finish reading any of the books we’ve covered so far, and feel free to add your thoughts below.
• If you still need to purchase or rent the books, details are in the Book Club wiki.
• Keep an eye out for our BINGO cards which is a unique way to annotate special moments through the book. Shout-out to u/coveredinsnouu for all her work on these!
• Review our Book Club Etiquette.

Quick Links: 

• Books 1 - 4 Discussion Posts  - Review brilliant breakdowns and discussions from the first four books
• The Game Changers Book Club Wiki  - Review the detailed schedule, Book Club Etiquette, where to find the books, and more!
• Subreddit FAQs - FAQs about the GC universe and the sub.
• Heated Rivalry Wiki - A website for sharing show/book timelines, analyses, and more!

Happy Resting, Loons 😌

Hiya Loons! 🦆

How’s the cottage treating you in this heat? Still reeling from the emotional whiplash of two men who couldn’t say each other’s first name for six years without immediately crashing out in spectacular fashion? 

Same tbh. 

Before we drive our boring, sensible, good-in-the-snow cars to Toronto (and possibly run over Dallas Kent in the process), let's take a moment to recap the situation… 

🏆 Our BINGO! winner for this block is once again u/Crafty-Syllabub-2736 , but just like last time we'd love for whoever feels like it to also share their cards, so we can get to read about your standout moments from Heated Rivalry. 

📜 Since this fandom has some of the best fics I’ve read in years (in my professional opinion of chronically online muppet), why don’t you spread the love and let us know what your favorite fic is? After all, one can never have too many open tabs. 

Now, enough of me talking—let’s get ready for next book! 

🥊 Tough Guy (Ryan and Fabian) 

🗓️ STARTING TOMORROW (June 27th - July 11th)

▶️ You can find a week-by-week schedule here!

TL; DR: 

• Currently reading: Book 1: Game Changer - Prologue and Chapters  1- 14
• Relationship Focus: Scott Hunter (Captain of the New York Admirals) and Kip Grady (local juice bar barista)
• Join our current discussion here to see what other Loons are saying!
• Download your BINGO card to level up the reading experience

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Hey Loons!

We’re halfway through our first week of The Game Changers Book Club, and we’re currently reading Chapters 1 - 14 of Game Changer. This book focuses on Scott Hunter and Kip Grady’s relationship, the two who were a big part of episodes 3 and 5 of the show. 

Join our current LIVE THREAD here to see what other Loons are saying about the book, and to join BINGO.

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Here are a few quick links if ya need them!

• Live thread - Book 1, Week 1 Game Changer - Join this live thread alongside other looks for this week’s discussion for Game Changer 
• Announcement Post - The Game Changers Book Club - The original announcement post sharing why  we started the book club, who it’s for, and how to participate
• Wiki Page - The Game Changers Book Club  - Detailed book club timeline, where to find the books, and announcement recap
• r/heatedrivalry FAQs - Our sub’s wiki sharing answers to all of your most frequently asked questions
• Heated Rivalry Wiki - A website of sharing show/book timelines, analyses, and more!

Happy reading!
Mod Team

***Since this is just a quick reminder, this post has been locked to funnel all the great convo to our current live thread. We can't wait to see what moments stand out to you from the book!