r/heatedrivalry

I was fed up with the AI generated Vogue covers and made one without AI. That inspired me to make a whole issue, and here we are, 200 pages later. I had so much fun making it. People are ordering their own copies, which makes me so proud!
The video is of somebody who ordered a copy and wanted to show me, because mine is still on it’s way.

Unfortunately AO3 doesn’t have a format for this so I can’t post it there. If you like to read it (or even print it), here are the Canva links:
(Disclaimer: I don’t own the copyrights to these images, and I don’t make any money from this)

Warning: There are TLG spoilers in the issue

Letter size:
https://canva.link/ehdsvvmeqse37kb

A4:
https://canva.link/jkzvodszibr34zt

Let me know what you think, enjoy!!

Just had to share these because the fandom needs more Troy art (he’s my #1 blorbo, though Ilya is a close second!)

The first is, of course, Ilya being a menace and embarrassing poor Troy, and the second is a nice soft moment between Troy and Harris (with a cameo appearance by Mr. Neck-Neck!)

These were both done by the insanely talented @bubun_ji on X! Both of them are based on moments from two of my fanfics (I know this sub isn’t for sharing fic, so I’ll just say to check out the r/heatedrivalryfanfics sub if you’re curious haha!)

Thanks for letting me share this lovely art here!

Courtesy: @legopathie on Instagram

From Forty Nothing to Forty Plus 1 Something....

Bonne Fête FRANÇOIS ARNAUD 🍷🍷🍷🍷!!!

Episode 5: I'll Believe In Anything - Peak Cinema

The scene with Ilya and David at the end of TLG always makes me cry, but I'd never noticed until now how much it parallels the scene in HR with Ilya's dad.
Apologies if this was widely known, but I just had to share :)

Original credits to the video and inspiration of the discussion go to @ya_tebya_lyublyu8124 on instagram

What do you think goes through Ilya's mind in this moment? I think Ilya has so much trauma that he repressed and pushed down because he never felt safe enough to address it. I think now, at the cottage, after they've declared their love for each other, Ilya is finally safe and protected.

And his nervous system is realizing that he is not in fight or flight mode anymore. That he doesn't have to repress or run from his trauma anymore. And I think it's all starting to come to the surface in this moment for Ilya.

Grief, for his mother, father, and in a way also his brother that he left behind. His life in Russia.

Realization that even though he has found love, unconditional love, it doesn't magically fix things within himself.

Directing-wise it's a very good foreshadowing for Ilya's depression in season 2.

We have got to hold on in season 2.. But the journey that Ilya will be going on is his way to healing.

Shane offers Ilya safety and a safe haven that allows Ilya the space to heal.

So, I've seen some discussion about whether the Gamechanger series, as written by a woman, is an accurate depiction of gay romance. I read that some gay actor found the sex scenes in the series "inauthentic." I guess that I've been doing gay sex wrong for the last forty years. (Not that my sex life can be compared with Hollanov's, but we don't come to romance for gritty realism!)

Personally, I have no complaints as to how authentic the novels feel to gay life, except for one thing: the reflexive jealousy the gay characters feel when their boyfriends show attraction, or even imputed attraction, to another man.

I mean, gay men can definitely feel jealous, and I completely buy it when a character is uncertain or insecure in his relationship to the man he loves. For instance, Ilya being jealous of Rose Landry, or in Common Goal, >!where Eric, before they're a couple, sees Kyle flirting with customers, pg 39.!<I can even grant it in The Long Game, where >!Ilya fires a puck to disrupt Shane's conversation with the attractive reporter, pg. 24!<. It seems a little extreme, but that's Ilya.

I'm talking about cases where the character has no reason to feel threatened at all.

To cite three that I was able to find on a quick search:

• In Heated Rivalry (book), where Ilya is describing going to the gay club with Scott after the MLH awards, “'There were some very hot men there.' And now Shane’s face changed to the expression Ilya called 'clenched disapproval.'” pg. 269.
• In HR (series), S1, Ep5, where Ilya and Shane are texting about Scott Hunter during the cup final, and Ilya texts, "He's hot so..." and Shane responds with a frowny face emoji.
• In Common Goal, >!where Kyle mentions to Kip that a customer "has a giant crush on your fiancé," and "for a moment, Kip looked outraged, pg 42."!<

I feel that I could turn up a bunch more with more hunting, but I'm not up for a full reread of all six. Just yet.

To me, these scenes seem to match more the dynamic I see depicted in male/female couples, where it's taken for granted that the woman will get huffy (even if teasingly) if the man notices another woman.

I feel that in gay male couples, the much more common reaction is to express interest. After all, it's common for couples to bond over shared interests, whether that's in trains, or golden doodles, or gardening. And one thing that gay couples have in common is attraction to men.

I suppose it may be different when a bear who's only attracted to twinks is with a twink who's only into bears. Then the Venn diagram may not have much overlap. But, in general, I feel that gay couples tend to bond over shared interest in hot men.

That's one aspect of it. Another is that, while it may just be a stereotype, I think there is something in the view that men find it easier to divorce sexual attraction from emotional attachment. So, if your boyfriend thinks another man is hot, you don't jump to the idea that he wants to leave you for him.

To give instances of what I'm talking about, early on, my boyfriend and I (we've been together 33 years and legally married for 13, but he's still my boyfriend) developed a code for referring to other men when we're out in public.

• NB — "Not bad"
• KoC — "KInd of cute"
• QC — "Quite cute"
• NBAA — "Not bad at all"
• JYT — "Just your type"
• JMT — "Just my type" (For the small group of men where our tastes don't overlap.)

A typical exchange between us, when he's coming back from a workout:

• "How was the gym?"
• "Okay. Not much to look at. Except this one guy: South Asian, forties, furry, really nice beard, built, with big guns."
• "Wow, sounds hot!" Teasingly, "Did you get his number?"
• "He was with his girlfriend."

But maybe I'm just weird? How do other gay men. on the subreddit feel about this?

Found this old video on Shane and Ilya love languages that thought would be interesting to discuss:

https://www.tiktok.com/@todayshow/video/7616726520916135199

It is interesting to hear her thoughts on this because that‘s how I felt too. Ilya has this facade to keep his sensitive side very hidden and he carefully chooses who to show it too.

And given how much privacy is important for Shane (cottage is utter example), I can see him trying to ensure this for others as well.

Did a test on my new Pentel 8 Colored mechanical pencil. (Verdict: the lead sucks, but the convenience is worth it as I frequently avoid making art because set up and break down seem too tedious). Paper is my 2026 Hobonichi planner tomoe river.

bisexual terminator Ilya was the top comment for favourite shot/frame from Episode 4 as submitted by u/NoleFandom.

For day 33, what is your favourite editing moment from this episode?

Top comment goes on the board!

Just created the family heirloom for generations to come. Rebound softcover of Heated Rivalry turned scrapbook (ish). Filled with photos, curated memorabilia, artwork and Spotify soundtrack codes.

It took so long to complete, as I kept finding things to add, buying from sellers from all over the world.

If you see something and want to know where it’s from, let me know and I’ll find the source/creator.

A special thanks to:

u/softseagulls for this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/heatedrivalry/s/YmHu71Tkj0 with a full overview of the soundtrack with corresponding scenes - saved me hours when adding the Spotify codes.

u/monas440club for creating the very detailed and aesthetically pleasing month-by-month timeline: https://www.reddit.com/r/heatedrivalry/s/kKKm0k2w6V displayed on the last page.

And

u/erik_ted for the Russian translation: https://www.reddit.com/r/heatedrivalry/s/PTm2HbGWnZ of Ilyas monologue in episode five.

I decided that the ebooks were not enough so I had to get the paperbacks as well.
I was a bit bummed they didn’t have TLG in stock, I’ll have to go back. I’ll wait until the French version comes out and get them both at the same time.

In the books Ilya is supposed to be 6’3 and Shane 5’10. And Ilya is supposed to look older than Shane (even though he’s younger) and also be more muscular (I think?).

But I actually really love that they’re the same height and have a similar body type in the show.

Edit: just to clarify on what I mean when I say ‘similar body type’ Obviously their bodies are not exactly the same but they are both muscular and non slim, with Ilya having more definition. But looking at that picture of them hugging, their bodies don’t look vastly different, in my opinion. That’s what I meant. Shane is not, for example, a skinny guy with no muscle tone. They are both around 200 - 220lb with muscle.

It makes them seem even more like equals, and that they are a perfect fit for each other. They don’t need to tilt their heads up or down to reach each other’s mouths when they kiss. They can look at each other in the eyes easier. I love when their noses touch. When they hug they fit together like a puzzle.

Edit: and to also clarify when I said ‘even more like equals’ I mean they’re already equal in terms of age, profession, the amount of money they make etc. Their height being the same is just another thing *visually* that adds to all the equality in their relationship.

Also it just looks aesthetically pleasing and satisfying to me lol.

bolsche bolsche bolsche!!!!!!! also i LOVE ilya in long sleeves!

Andy and AC were playing a game, Ricki Lake joining in because why not?

So, naturally, the proud Texan was shown and the boys went WHOOOO!!

AC also mentioned he’d just met and chatted with Kip (Robbie). So that’s fun.

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! 🤓