Books Like Heated Rivalry: 20 MM Hockey Romance Recs (2026)

If you’re still reeling from Shane and Ilya — the secret hotel rooms, the on-ice tension, the years of longing disguised as rivalry — you’re not alone. Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid set the gold standard for MM hockey romance: pro-league stakes, enemies-to-lovers fire, and explicit heat that doesn’t flinch. Then the 2026 TV adaptation pulled in 324 million streaming minutes by its finale, NHL ticket sales spiked 20%, and “rivals to lovers” became the most searched romance trope of the year.

So now you’ve turned the last page (or watched the last episode), and you need more. We’ve pulled together the best MM hockey romances that deliver the same cocktail of adrenaline, angst, and scorching spice — pro-NHL settings, college rivals, and polyamorous locker room drama. Whether you want sequels in the same world, comparable trad-pub picks, or KU-exclusive deep cuts, this is the reading list.

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Start Here: Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid - MM hockey romance book cover

If you somehow landed here without reading the source material, fix that first. Heated Rivalry is Game Changers Book 2 — Shane Hollander, NHL’s golden boy, and Ilya Rozanov, his Russian rival, secretly hooking up in hotel rooms across the league for years. The bones of every “rivals who can’t stop circling each other” trope you love are here. Pro-NHL stakes. Stolen weekends. The slow erosion of the lie they tell themselves about what they are. Heat level matches the emotional intensity — explicit, on-page, integral to the story.

Tropes: Enemies to lovers, rivals, secret relationship, pro-NHL, bi-awakening | Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Books Like Heated Rivalry — Trad-Pub & KU Picks

The Long Game — Rachel Reid

The Long Game by Rachel Reid - Game Changers sequel book cover

You didn’t think we’d leave out the sequel, did you? Shane and Ilya are back, ten years into their secret relationship, and the question is no longer if they’ll get caught — it’s whether going public will destroy everything they’ve built. The Long Game delivers all the emotional gut-punches of Heated Rivalry with the added weight of a long-term relationship under impossible pressure. The heat is just as intense, and the stakes are even higher. Required reading after Book 2.

Tropes: Secret relationship, coming out, pro-NHL, established couple | Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
👉 Get it on Amazon

Tough Guy — Rachel Reid

Tough Guy by Rachel Reid - Game Changers Book 3 hockey romance

Game Changers Book 3 — and the most emotionally devastating entry in the series, full stop. Ryan “Rye” Price is the Boston Bears’ enforcer, the guy whose job is to drop gloves and bleed for his team. Fabian Salah is the boutique store owner who lets Rye take refuge in his apartment one night and accidentally rewrites everything. This is the hurt/comfort entry in the Game Changers universe — anxiety, found family, the slow patient work of being loved by someone who stays. If Heated Rivalry hit you in the chest, Tough Guy will hit you in the throat.

Tropes: Hurt/comfort, hockey enforcer, anxiety rep, opposites attract, pro-NHL | Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
👉 Get it on Amazon

Iced Out — C.E. Ricci (Leighton U, Book 1)

If Heated Rivalry scratched your enemies-to-lovers itch, Iced Out will leave marks. Oakley and Quinton are college hockey rivals forced onto the same team, and when a superstitious hookup leads to a winning streak, they tell themselves it’s just for the game. It’s not. This is the book readers put in the same sentence as Heated Rivalry and Him — college MM hockey with enemies-to-lovers tension so thick you could skate on it, and spice levels that’ll fog your glasses. Free on Kindle Unlimited.

Tropes: Enemies to lovers, rivals, bi-awakening, secret relationship | Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
👉 Get it on Amazon / KU

Top Secret — Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Top Secret by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy - MM college romance

From the authors of Him, this college MM is the anonymous-hookup-app fantasy executed with the same emotional precision Bowen and Kennedy bring to every book. Keaton thinks he’s straight. He’s also been DMing a stranger on a hookup app for weeks. The stranger turns out to be his frat brother’s roommate. What follows is the bi-awakening playbook — confused, electric, sweet, and devastating in equal measure. Less rivalry, more denial-to-acceptance, but the same level of “they cannot stay away from each other” energy.

Tropes: Bi-awakening, anonymous hookup, college, friends-to-lovers | Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
👉 Get it on Amazon

Winging It — Ashlyn Kane & Morgan James

Winging It by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James - MM hockey fake dating romance

The fake-dating-with-a-twist book MM hockey readers won’t shut up about, and rightly so. Gabe Martin is a rookie struggling with a slump. Dante Baltierra is the veteran teammate everyone assumes is a disaster. When Dante offers to fake-date Gabe to throw off the press attention, neither expects the relationship that develops in the spaces between staged photo ops. The hockey is real, the chemistry is sharper than any blade in the rink, and the emotional payoff lands harder than you’d guess from a fake-dating premise.

Tropes: Fake dating, pro hockey, slow burn, hurt/comfort | Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
👉 Get it on Amazon

Gravity — Tal Bauer

Pro-NHL setting with a friends-to-lovers slow burn that hits like a freight train. Bryce Michel is a league superstar hiding a secret — he’s falling for Hunter Lacey, an average defenseman he meets at All-Star Weekend. Gravity is more feelings-forward than Heated Rivalry, but the on-page intimacy is tender, raw, and devastatingly hot. If you want MM hockey romance that makes you cry and fan yourself, this is it.

Tropes: Friends to lovers, bi-awakening, pro-NHL, coming out | Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
👉 Get it on Amazon

Him — Elle Kennedy & Sarina Bowen

The OG. The book that put MM hockey romance on the map for a whole generation of readers. Jamie and Wes were best friends at hockey camp until one night changed everything. Years later, they’re facing off at nationals and the tension hasn’t cooled — it’s combustible. Funny, filthy, and deeply romantic, Him is required reading if you somehow haven’t gotten to it yet. The sequel, Us, follows them into the NHL and is equally essential.

Tropes: Friends to lovers, second chance, bi-awakening, college hockey | Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
👉 Get Him on Amazon

Books Like Heated Rivalry — Free on Kindle Unlimited

Most “books like Heated Rivalry” lists stop at the trad-pub canon. The KU shelf is where the indie heat lives — and where you’ll find MM hockey romance specifically built for readers who came for Shane × Ilya and want everything that energy implies, dialed even higher. These are our picks.

Puck Off — Chase Power ⭐ Our Pick

If Heated Rivalry gave you enemies-to-lovers at the pro level, Puck Off cranks it to eleven. He’s the Wall — the NHL’s most feared enforcer who hasn’t let anyone past his defenses in sixteen years. He’s the Viper — the league’s deadliest sniper with a mouth that matches his skill. When hockey’s greatest rivals discover their hate might be something else entirely, the only rule is: don’t fall for the enemy. High-heat MM hockey romance with size difference, D/s dynamics, and a love story forged in blood and ice. Free on Kindle Unlimited.

Tropes: Enemies to lovers, rivals, pro-NHL, size difference, D/s | Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
👉 Read Chapter One free

Cold Wars — Chase Power ⭐ Our Pick

He’s the captain who hasn’t smiled in six years. He’s the trade who won’t stop talking. When forced proximity ignites a war neither can win, they discover that hate and desire burn at the same temperature. Cold Wars delivers everything fans of Heated Rivalry crave — the secret relationship, the locker room tension, the moment where the walls finally come down — with explicit heat and a love story written on skin. Free on Kindle Unlimited.

Tropes: Enemies to lovers, secret relationship, forced proximity, size difference | Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
👉 Read Chapter One free

Big Stick Energy — Chase Power ⭐ Our Pick

A 6’7″ defenseman who’s spent his whole life trying to disappear. A 5’6″ PR genius who controls everything — especially himself. When a viral photo forces them into a fake relationship, the size difference becomes the least interesting thing about their chemistry. Big Stick Energy is packed with praise kink, D/s dynamics, and the kind of slow-burn payoff that makes you want to throw your Kindle across the room (in the best way). Free on Kindle Unlimited.

Tropes: Fake dating, size difference, D/s, praise kink | Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
👉 Read Chapter One free

Odd Man Rush — Chase Power ⭐ Our Pick

Ready for something more? Odd Man Rush is a high-heat MMM hockey romance — polyamory on ice. The team captain has loved his best friend for ten years. The rookie refuses to let them keep pretending. When three players collide, they discover that some plays work better with three. If you’ve been looking for MM hockey romance with a poly twist, this is the one. Free on Kindle Unlimited.

Tropes: Polyamory (MMM), friends to lovers, forced proximity, praise kink | Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
👉 Read Chapter One free

Step Puck — Jace Wilder ⭐ Our Pick

He’s the D-I golden boy. He’s the D-II grinder from Bridgeport. They’re stepbrothers competing for the same camp invite, and the rules were simple: no kissing, no sleeping over, no feelings. They broke every one. Step Puck is a 104,000-word high-heat MM hockey romance with enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and the kind of forbidden tension that makes your pulse race from page one. Free on Kindle Unlimited.

Tropes: Stepbrothers, enemies to lovers, forbidden, forced proximity | Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
👉 Read Chapter One free

More MM Hockey from Fractal Enigma

Can’t get enough? We’ve got an entire roster of high-heat MM hockey romances — all free on Kindle Unlimited:

Power Bottom — The scariest enforcer in the NHL meets the rookie who won’t stop pushing. Size difference, age gap, and a power bottom dynamic that redefines the position.
Get Pucked — A billion-dollar last name vs. the wrong side of the tracks. Enemies to lovers on ice with D/s heat.
Puck Around and Find Out — NHL enforcer meets the rookie who pushes every button. Enemies to lovers with secret-relationship heat.
Yes, Captain — Eighteen years in the league. One word he’d never let himself need. The rookie who said it first.
The Captain’s Crown — Nine years of wanting his captain in silence. One Stanley Cup run to break the seal.

👉 Browse all our MM hockey romance

FAQ: MM Hockey Romance & Heated Rivalry

Is there a sequel to Heated Rivalry?

Yes. The Long Game by Rachel Reid is the direct sequel to Heated Rivalry — same couple (Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov), set ten years into their secret relationship. It’s Game Changers Book 6, and most readers consider Heated Rivalry + The Long Game the essential pair. The whole series shares the same world, but if you only read two Rachel Reid books, those are the two.

What books should I read after Heated Rivalry?

If you want to stay in the same world: read The Long Game next. If you want similar emotional intensity but with different couples in the Game Changers universe: read Tough Guy (Book 3) for hurt/comfort and Common Goal (Book 4) for second-chance heat. If you want the same trope (rivals-to-lovers, MM hockey) from indie authors: Iced Out by C.E. Ricci is the closest match. For the indie KU shelf, our Puck Off and Cold Wars are the high-heat picks readers compare directly to Heated Rivalry.

Is Heated Rivalry a TV show?

Yes. The Heated Rivalry TV adaptation premiered on Crave in 2026 and went massive — 30 million streaming minutes in its first week, 324 million by the finale. The show stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams as Shane and Ilya, and the cultural moment around it is part of why “rivals to lovers” became the most searched romance trope of 2026. NHL ticket sales reportedly spiked 20% in the same window. The show is a six-episode limited series, with audience and critical reception that has fans loudly demanding a Long Game adaptation next.

What is the spice level of Heated Rivalry?

Heated Rivalry sits at a solid 4 out of 5 on the spice scale — explicit on-page sex, no fade-to-black, with the heat fully integrated into the emotional arc. Multiple extended sex scenes, frank language, and the kind of intimacy that’s central to the story rather than ornamental. If you want even higher heat, the indie picks on this list (Puck Off, Cold Wars, Big Stick Energy) hit 5/5 and lean further into D/s dynamics, size difference, and praise kink.

What is the Game Changers reading order?

The Rachel Reid Game Changers reading order is: Game Changer (Book 1) → Heated Rivalry (2) → Tough Guy (3) → Common Goal (4) → Role Model (5) → The Long Game (6) → Time to Shine (7) → Unrivaled (8). Each book features a different couple but the overarching world builds across the series. Heated Rivalry (Book 2) and The Long Game (Book 6) follow the same couple — Shane and Ilya — and are the fan favorites.

Are there other Rachel Reid books like Heated Rivalry?

Within the Game Changers series, the closest tonal matches are Tough Guy (Book 3, hurt/comfort with an enforcer) and Time to Shine (Book 7, more recent release). Outside Game Changers, Rachel Reid has written The Senator’s Husband and the Avon Calling! historical series — both well-reviewed but tonally different from the hockey universe. If you want more of the specific Heated Rivalry energy, you’re better served by Bowen and Kennedy’s Him series or the indie KU titles on this list.

Are there MM hockey romances on Kindle Unlimited?

Absolutely. Iced Out by C.E. Ricci, Gravity by Tal Bauer, and the entire Fractal Enigma hockey catalog (Puck Off, Cold Wars, Big Stick Energy, Odd Man Rush, Step Puck, Power Bottom, Get Pucked, Yes Captain, The Captain’s Crown, and more) are all available on KU. The Rachel Reid and Elle Kennedy/Sarina Bowen titles are not on KU — those are trad-pub buys.

What’s the best MM hockey romance for someone new to the genre?

Start with Him by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen — it’s funny, accessible, and packed with chemistry. From there, move to Heated Rivalry for the full pro-league enemies-to-lovers experience. If you want something darker and more intense, jump straight into Puck Off or Cold Wars from our catalog — they’re the high-heat indie companions to the trad-pub canon.

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We publish new high-heat MM hockey romance every few weeks — most free on Kindle Unlimited. Drop your email below and we’ll send the next release straight to you, plus the occasional “books like X” deep dive when a TV adaptation lights the genre on fire.

Books Like Heated Rivalry: 20 MM Hockey Romances to Read After the Show (2026)

Start Here: Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid