Heated Rivalry Author Responds To Show & Book Criticisms

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Rachel Reid, the author of Heated Rivalry, has addressed common criticisms of both the book and the TV show, sharing her thoughts on fan feedback. The first season of Heated Rivalry is currently popular on HBO Max, telling the story of a forbidden romance between competing hockey players Shane Hollander (played by Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (played by Connor Storrie).

The series has faced some criticism, which Reid addressed in an interview with Wired. She responded to actor Jordan Firstman, who felt the show’s portrayal of gay sex wasn’t realistic. Reid explained that she values this kind of feedback and will use it to improve her work in the future, recognizing the importance of accurate representation.

I wasn’t very familiar with his statement and hadn’t researched it deeply. However, I’ve been aware of the discussion surrounding it for a long time, and I expected this show to bring a lot more attention to it.

I believe you can write freely as long as you’re mindful of your audience and open to their feedback. It’s crucial to be sensitive and considerate in your writing, and especially important to listen to and learn from criticism from the community you’re portraying.

She also talked about how the showrunner of Heated Rivalry, Jacob Tierney, chose not to discuss the actors’ sexual orientations. She felt it was perfectly acceptable for people to keep their personal lives private, explaining that not everything needs to be public knowledge – just like a Smallville fanfiction she wrote years ago wasn’t meant for everyone.

Look, as someone who loves a good story, I get why there’s sometimes pushback when a woman writes romance with multiple love interests. I haven’t personally faced a ton of criticism, but I totally agree with Jacob – the actors deserve their privacy. And honestly, that applies to everyone involved, including me and the authors of the books. I think it’s just smart to keep your personal life separate from your work.

Back in my early twenties, I briefly wrote fan fiction based on the show Smallville. I wasn’t a huge part of the fan community, but I had a LiveJournal blog where I posted it. Honestly, I’d rather not talk about it – it’s really embarrassing and hopefully lost to the internet forever. Trust me, you don’t want to read it.

Even before the series became popular on TV, fans have been closely examining the characters and ideas in the books. This detailed analysis applies to all of author Reid’s Game Changers series, but especially focuses on the relationship between Shane and Ilya, which began in their first book and continues throughout the series.

Because the show has become so popular, a second season of Heated Rivalry has been confirmed. While some people have criticized the show and the books it’s based on, many disagreements have been resolved. For example, actor François Arnaud responded to comments made by Firstman, which led to Firstman issuing an apology. Despite the controversies, the series continues to be a success.

Taylor Reid has demonstrated a willingness to grow and learn as a creator, particularly when portraying experiences outside of her own, like gay relationships in her series. She also rightly points out that actors are entitled to privacy and don’t need to publicly share every detail of their personal lives.

As season one of Heated Rivalry nears its end, the author shares her thoughts on the discussions sparked by both the book and the TV show. This provides a glimpse into how the series plans to explore these themes going forward, all while continuing the passionate romance between Shane and Ilya.

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2025-12-19 17:49