I Needed A New Hockey Romance After Finishing Heated Rivalry (And I Already Found The Perfect One)

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The new TV season is starting, but I’m still enjoying my time at the lake. It’s been a while since the first season of Heated Rivalry finished, and even though it’s been renewed for a second season, I’m craving more hockey romance right now. I’ve already read all of Rachel Reid’s books in the series, so I’m on the hunt for a new one to get lost in—and I think I’ve just found it!

Heated Rivalry Sent Me Down Quite The Hockey Romance Rabbit Hole

It’s no surprise I joined the millions watching that steamy gay hockey series – I absolutely loved it! What was surprising was how quickly I became a fan and started reading the books the show is based on right away.

If you’re new to the story, the show Heated Rivalry is adapted from Rachel Reid’s Game Changers book series, which currently has six books with a seventh one coming soon. Heated Rivalry covers the story from the second book in the series, focusing on Shane and Ilya. Season 1 also includes content from the first book, Game Changer, which centers on Scott and Kip, and you can watch the entire season with an HBO Max subscription.

I quickly finished both of the first books, then dove into the rest of the series – Tough Guy, Common Goal, Role Model, and Shane and Ilya’s follow-up, The Long Game. There’s a seventh book coming out in September, but I had to tide myself over until then. I really needed another hockey romance to fill the hole these characters left, and luckily, I found one right away.

Now, I’m Diving Into Off Campus, And I Can’t Wait For The Show

I finished the Game Changers series and immediately started looking into the TV adaptation of Off Campus. I already knew Elle Kennedy’s books and that an Amazon Prime series was in the works, but I hadn’t actually started watching or reading it until now.

I decided now was a good time to start writing for a few reasons. I was still really excited after finishing Heated Rivalry, and I was craving another steamy hockey romance.

Similar to the books by Reid, the Off Campus series centers around a different couple in each story, and they all share connections – often involving a hockey player. Like Bridgerton, the four main characters – Garrett (Belmont Cameli), Logan (Antonio Cipriano), Tucker (Jalen Thomas Brooks), and Dean (Stephen Kalyn) – have a close, family-like bond. But instead of being related, they’re teammates and housemates on a college hockey team. Once I found that out, I was immediately hooked!

What really made me excited about this series and start reading the books right away was knowing a TV show was being made.

Get the complete Off-Campus series by Elle Kennedy – including ‘The Deal,’ ‘Mistake,’ ‘Score,’ ‘Goal,’ and ‘Legacy’ – for $52.99 on Amazon.

Off Campus’ show might not be out yet, but you can read all five books now! View Deal

The first season of the show will be based on the book The Deal, which follows Hannah, a music student, and Garrett, the captain of the hockey team. They strike a deal: Hannah will tutor Garrett if he helps her make someone she likes jealous. It’s a story about fake dating and how opposites attract. While it shares some similarities with Heated Rivalry – like the hockey theme and steamy romance – the plot is otherwise quite different. I’m really enjoying the book and can’t wait to see it adapted for the screen!

There’s no exact release date for Off Campus yet, but it’s scheduled to come out in 2026. That gives us time to catch up on Elle Kennedy’s books before the show starts! And as a bonus, it means I’ll have plenty to read while waiting for Season 2 of Heated Rivalry to come out.

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2026-01-14 07:38