Review: Heated Rivalry

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars 

I buddy read this on StoryGraph but quick thoughts, 

We were supposed to stand alone at the top, but we will always be there together. We will keep climbing until no one else can reach us, but it will always be together. There had been nothing apologetic in Hollander’s eyes, but there had been no gloating either. And by the time Ilya had shaken the last Canadian hand in the lineup, he was smirking to himself. Because soon the real battle between himself and Shane Hollander would begin. And he couldn’t fucking wait. 

An erotica with good tension and hockey talk! I liked how the story started with a grab you bang and then went back and showed how the eight years had progressed for the two. 

Shane started off the vulnerable hurt your heart with him walking that shame and safety line while Ilya was the more outgoing, you can see how both of their personalities gave and received from each other. As the story goes on, their roles kind of reverse and we get Shane having to be there for Ilya as he deals with emotional abuse from his family and the danger of his home country of Russia. I thought Shane was a little naive here, thinking about/understanding the danger Ilya could be in but his character has that cloak of sheltered throughout; not sure it totally fit. 

I love when erotica has deeply emotional moments, it makes the sex scenes better. Instead of trying to get readers blushing with dirty words, the emotional groundwork has you feeling the connection, which makes the sex scenes feel more intimate, leading to hot scenes and that was done here often. 

He wanted to tell Shane that the closest he felt to home was when he was with him. 

YesYesYes, this always what I want to feel between my leads in romance! 

I liked the ending, it had them together in a HEA way but also one that emotionally resonated in a believable way. 

The old 24/7 Pens & Caps HBO doc shoutout, was much deserved, MASTER PIECE lol

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