Rachel Reid Interview: Heated Rivalry & Hockey Romance

This author hub brings together the key takeaways, themes, and highlights from my very first interview with Rachel Reid — recorded back when Heated Rivalry was still a bold, slightly risky experiment and before the Game Changers series became the touchstone it is today.This episode is especially fun to revisit because it captures Rachel at the very beginning of her publishing journey, talking candidly about writing instincts, hockey culture, queer representation, and why Heated Rivalry was never meant to follow the rules.

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🎧 Listen to the Episode

This conversation originally aired as part of the What to Read Next podcast archive and is well worth revisiting — especially if you discovered Rachel Reid after Heated Rivalry became iconic.

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Why This Conversation Still Matters

• Rachel’s first-ever podcast interview
• A deep dive into the origins of Game Changers and Heated Rivalry
• Honest discussion about hockey culture, queerness, and masculinity
• Early hints at sequels and future books (before fans knew what was coming)
• A rare look at a character-first writing process

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Rachel Reid on Writing Hockey Romance

Rachel shares that her love of hockey came long before writing — but so did her discomfort with its culture. Growing up immersed in Canadian hockey, she was constantly aware of the unspoken rules around masculinity, silence, and conformity.

Game Changers was her way of imagining something better:

What hockey could look like if emotional honesty, queerness, and vulnerability were allowed to exist openly.

Rather than writing “issue books,” Rachel focuses on people first, letting the themes surface naturally through character choices, relationships, and consequences.

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Why Heated Rivalry Broke the Romance Mold

One of the most fascinating parts of this interview is Rachel openly admitting that Heated Rivalry was written for herself, not to fit genre expectations.

She talks about:

• Ignoring traditional romance beats
• Using time jumps (a risky move in romance)
• Letting the relationship evolve over years instead of weeks
• Ending with a happy-for-now rather than a neat bow

At the time, she fully expected readers to hate it. Instead, it became one of the most beloved queer sports romances of the decade.

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Characters, Culture & Representation

We also talk about:

• Writing Illya as a Russian character without leaning into stereotypes
• Balancing realism with emotional safety for readers
• Portraying mental health struggles without overwhelming the romance
• Toxic masculinity in pro sports — and how fiction can challenge it

Rachel is clear that she writes what she feels equipped to handle thoughtfully, choosing care over shock value every time.

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Writing Process: Chaos, Feelings, and Trusting Instincts

Rachel describes herself as:

• Deeply character-driven
• Not a plotter
• Someone who writes scenes out of order to “meet” her characters first

Some of her most iconic moments — including the Heated Rivalry prologue — were written before she even knew what the book would become.

A Fun Personal Note

• Rachel is a lifelong Montreal Canadiens fan
• She genuinely loves writing sex scenes (and makes sure they matter)
• Her goal is always emotional progression, not filler

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If You Enjoyed This Author…

If Rachel Reid’s books work for you, chances are you love:

• Character-driven romance
• Sports stories with emotional depth
• Queer love stories that feel grounded and real
• Romance that bends (or breaks) the rules

👉 Check out other authors writing queer romance, emotionally rich contemporaries, and character-forward love stories 

• Cat Sebastian
• TJ Alexander 

Related Posts

• Why doing this interview meant so much to me? Personal Essay
• Rachel Reid on Hockey Romance, Heated Rivalry, and Writing What Feels True
• Books Like Heated Rivalry: 8 Queer Hockey Romances
• Book Review of Heated Rivalry