I was completely hooked by the HBO Max series Heated Rivalry and the characters Shane and Ilya, so I immediately started reading the books it’s based on. I quickly finished both Heated Rivalry and its sequel, The Long Game, and I’m now enjoying the rest of Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series. As I’ve learned more about the other couples in the books, I’ve been curious about how their stories might connect to Shane and Ilya’s on the show. Luckily, the author has explained how they’ll all fit together.
Will Role Model And Other Game Changer Books Be Incorporated Into Season 2?
To get what I’m asking, you need to know how this book series works. Similar to Bridgerton, each book focuses on a new romantic couple. But all the stories are connected, with characters and events appearing across multiple books.
The series starts with the story of Scott and Kip in Game Changer, followed by Shane and Ilya’s story in Heated Rivalry. The first season of the TV show, which aired in 2025, adapted both books, primarily focusing on Shane and Ilya, with one episode dedicated to Scott and Kip.
Read More About Heated Rivalry
The creator of the popular series ‘Heated Rivalry’ has spoken openly about the show’s frequent sex scenes, admitting they intentionally leaned into that aspect. They also clarified rumors about scenes involving the characters Kip and Scott being removed.
Although Scott and Kip didn’t have the chance to fully explore their story, their book was still a key part of how Shane and Ilya fell in love.
Season 2 of Heated Rivalry will continue the story from The Long Game, the second book in Reid’s series about Shane and Ilya. However, Reid also wrote Tough Guy, Common Goal and Role Model in between their first and second stories. These books feature different couples and happen either before or during the events of the Heated Rivalry sequel.
It’s worth highlighting that the story Role Model runs alongside The Long Game, and the main couple in Role Model – hockey player Tory and social media manager Harris – work on the same team as Ilya from The Long Game. This means characters from all three books are connected, essentially forming one larger narrative. This raises questions about how much these characters will appear in Season 2, and whether we’ll also see the couples from the other books.
Well, while Rachel Reid doesn’t have a specific answer, she did share her take on the matter.
HBO Max subscriptions begin at $10.99 monthly. It’s the place to stream “Heated Rivalry” in the US, alongside popular series like “The White Lotus” and “Euphoria,” plus many other shows. See the deal here.
Rachel Reid Shared Her Thoughts On Role Model Being Part Of Heated Rivalry Season 2
After the success of Heated Rivalry Season 1, people are already talking about what might happen in Season 2. Author Rachel Reid was recently asked in an interview with Variety if she’d discussed potential plans with the show’s creator, Jacob Tierney. Here’s what she said:
It seems we all agree on the direction we’re taking. Our priority needs to be Ilya and Shane. We won’t be continuing with a second season featuring the original couple; we’ll be focusing on a different pairing instead, as that’s what will likely resonate best with audiences. While we anticipated some level of audience preference, we were all surprised by how much people loved Scott and Kip. Now, the challenge is figuring out how to give viewers more of what they want from Scott and Kip.
Scott and Kip make appearances in the other books, even though they aren’t the main characters. The same goes for the couples featured in Tough Guy and Common Goal. Role Model really brings everyone together, as Troy, Ilya, and Harris all work at the same company. This means that while Tory and Harris navigate their relationship, Ilya and Shane deal with theirs, and both couples’ stories intertwine and affect each other.
Reid explained that it would be difficult to tell the story of The Long Game without including Role Model in its second season. She added:
It seems like the main storyline will likely be ‘The Long Game,’ which Jacob has already mentioned. However, there’s also a connected story, ‘Role Model,’ and I’m hoping we’ll see both explored simultaneously. I don’t think there’s a better way to tell both stories, and I’m really hoping the show gets renewed for more episodes.
Honestly, if the show gets renewed for more seasons, it’d be a lot easier to adapt the entire book series into a cohesive story. But right now, we’re just in the dark about whether that’s going to happen or not.
Everyone agrees Season 1 was excellent and a very accurate adaptation of the source material. Because of that, I’m confident the team behind the show will find the right path forward as they continue adapting Rachel Reid’s popular books.
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2026-01-01 03:39