Fans of Rachel Reid’s bestselling romance novel can relax. The TV adaptation of Heated Rivalry is not just a faithful copy but a brilliant rework that understands how to translate pages into powerful television. The show, which stars Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov, has become a major hit since its November 28, 2025 premiere on Crave and HBO Max. Its success isn’t by accident. Showrunner Jacob Tierney made specific, smart changes to the source material, turning a beloved book into one of 2025’s standout TV adaptations.
The Foundation: Sticking to the Core While Changing for the Screen
The series faithfully follows the secret, years-long romance between two rival professional hockey players: disciplined Canadian star Shane and bold Russian athlete Ilya. The show captures the book’s intense yearning and explicit intimacy, a fact celebrated by both new viewers and longtime fans. Creator Jacob Tierney had a clear vision from the start. He told author Rachel Reid the show would have a lot of sex and it would not fade to black.
“Right from the jump, Jacob told me this is gonna have a lot of sex in it because that’s important. It’s not going to fade to black,” author Rachel Reid recalled.
This commitment to the book’s steamy spirit is a key reason for its warm reception. However, moving a story across different mediums always requires changes. The television format, with only six episodes to cover a decade-long story, forced creative decisions that ultimately strengthened the final product.
Key Character Expansions and Deeper Context
Some of the most effective changes involve giving side characters more screen time and adding new layers to the main characters’ identities.
- Scott Hunter’s Central Episode: In the books, Scott Hunter is a secondary character. The TV show dedicates an entire episode (Episode 3, “Hunter”) to his romance with smoothie shop barista Kip Grady. This episode adapts much of the first Game Changers novel, which focuses on Scott and Kip, weaving their story directly into Shane and Ilya’s world.
- Shane’s Cultural Identity: The show places a stronger emphasis on Shane’s experience as an Asian Canadian. It portrays subtle microaggressions he faces and expands the role of his mother, Yuna, who is more of a “mom-ager” on screen. Showrunner Jacob Tierney explained this was a deliberate choice to ensure this part of Shane’s identity was visible and clear to the audience.
- Ilya’s Russian Circle: Characters from Ilya’s life in Russia, like his friend Svetlana and former partner Sasha, are given bigger roles. We see scenes of Ilya with them in Russia, which are not in the original book, helping to flesh out his world and the pressures he faces back home.
Structural Changes for Emotional Impact
To fit the book’s sprawling timeline into a limited series, the show’s writers restructured key events, often making the emotional payoff even stronger.
A major example is the timing of Shane and Ilya’s first sexual encounter. In the book, this happens in February 2011. In the show, it is delayed by a canceled flight and finally occurs in the fall of 2013. This change builds more tension and makes their first time together feel like a bigger, more emotional release. The show also foregrounds moments of clear consent during this scene, with Ilya repeatedly checking if Shane is okay, which fans immediately noticed and appreciated.
The show also uses technology to replace a book’s internal monologue. A poignant moment occurs when Shane types out an unsent text message to Ilya that reads, “We didn’t even kiss.” This simple visual effectively communicates his inner turmoil and inability to express his feelings.
Scene-by-Scene: When Tone Makes All the Difference
Many scenes use the book’s exact dialogue but change the tone or context, showcasing the power of performance and direction.
- The Rooftop Argument: After an awards ceremony, a heated argument between Shane and Ilya on a hotel rooftop is more somber in the book. On screen, it is charged with more visible anger and frustration, making the conflict feel more immediate.
- The Commercial Shoot: A seemingly small change has big implications. In the show, the commercial the two stars film together is Ilya’s idea, a calculated move to spend more time with Shane. In the book, they simply both work with the same brand. This tweak adds a layer of intention to Ilya’s actions from the very beginning.
- New Scenes for Humor and Heart: The show adds completely new moments that work well for television. One fan-favorite scene shows Ilya accidentally sharing an elevator with Shane’s mother, Yuna, leading to a hilariously awkward encounter. Another shows Shane explaining to his dad his odd YouTube habit of watching videos about unlikely animal friendships, a sweet moment that reflects his own unusual relationship with Ilya.
What Couldn’t Make the Cut
Some beloved book details were inevitably left out, often for practical or budgetary reasons.
- Shane’s Secret Apartment Building: In the novel, Shane buys an entire apartment building just to have a private place to meet Ilya. This extravagant detail was cut from the show, with their trysts instead happening in Shane’s actual apartment.
- Team Names and Logos: Due to licensing, the show could not use the book’s team names (the Montreal Voyageurs and Boston Bears). They were changed to the Montreal Metros and Boston Raiders. This also meant Ilya’s described bear tattoo, representing his team, does not appear.
- A Russian Declaration: During an intimate moment in the book, Ilya whispers something in Russian that Shane doesn’t understand. The phrase, which translates to “Why does it have to be you? Why are you so perfect? It’s f*g awful,” is omitted from the show, though book fans know its significance from a bonus chapter.
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Fan and Critical Reception: A Hit on and off the Ice
The careful adaptation has paid off. The show broke records, becoming Crave’s most-watched original series debut ever and a top-five scripted debut on HBO Max for the year. Its popularity was so immediate that a second season was announced in December 2025, after only four episodes had aired.
The intense chemistry between leads Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie is frequently praised. To build this, director Jacob Tierney had them study the longing glances in Netflix’s Young Royals. The weekly release schedule on HBO Max and Crave has also fueled fan engagement, with viewers rewatching episodes and discussing details online all week while waiting for the next installment.
“Even if we were a big show with months of buildup, I don’t think you can expect or anticipate the reaction that we have gotten,” said showrunner Jacob Tierney.
New episodes of Heated Rivalry are released weekly on Fridays on HBO Max and Crave.
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