What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedHeated Rivalry
Jacob Tierney · Series · 2025
If you loved Heated Rivalry, start with Heated Rivalry (Rachel Reid, 2019) — a book from the same story. Below: 2 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to Heated Rivalry across media.
If you loved Heated Rivalry, you crave the tension of high-stakes environments where professional ambition and secret, forbidden desire collide.
Start with the source
Books on the same thread
Game Changer
Rachel Reid · Book
Shares 3 threads with Heated Rivalry: sports romance, LGBTQ+ romance, contemporary romance.
Like Heated Rivalry, this story centers on the intersection of professional sports and personal identity, focusing on how public scrutiny complicates a private, hidden relationship between two men.
Icebreaker
Hannah Grace · Book · 2023
Shares a thread with Heated Rivalry: Sports Romance.
This book captures the same competitive spirit found in Heated Rivalry, using the high-pressure world of elite athletics to catalyze a transformative, slow-burn romance between two formidable rivals.
Films on the same thread
Red, White & Royal Blue
Matthew López · Film · 2023
Shares 3 threads with Heated Rivalry: Forbidden Love, Coming of Age, LGBTQ+ Romance.
You will recognize the familiar dynamic from Heated Rivalry here, as two public figures forced into a rivalry must navigate the friction of their hidden, evolving romantic feelings.
Love Me Love Me
Roger Kumble · Film · 2026
Shares 2 threads with Heated Rivalry: Forbidden Love, Rivalry.
This narrative mirrors the core of Heated Rivalry by grounding a volatile, forbidden romance within a high-stakes environment where personal secrets and professional pressure threaten to derail everything.
F1
Joseph Kosinski · Film · 2025
Explores: Mentorship, Second Chances, Comeback Story.
While lacking the romance of Heated Rivalry, this film echoes the intense professional obsession and the pursuit of career glory that drives the central characters in the source material.
Brokeback Mountain
Ang Lee · Film · 2005
Shares a thread with Heated Rivalry: Forbidden Love.
This film explores the same lifelong, complex emotional tether seen in Heated Rivalry, highlighting the quiet, enduring intensity of a love that must be kept apart from the world.
Podcasts on the same thread
Wingmen with Matthew & Brady Tkachuk
Podcast
Explores: brotherhood, professional athletes, sibling rivalry.
If the professional hockey backdrop of Heated Rivalry kept you watching, this podcast provides an authentic look at the competitive drive and sibling rivalry defining the lives of athletes.
OverDrive
Podcast
Explores: sports commentary, team analysis, current events.
For fans of the hockey culture depicted in Heated Rivalry, this podcast offers a candid, unfiltered window into the camaraderie and daily discourse that surrounds the professional hockey world.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Heated Rivalry based on a book?
Yes, Heated Rivalry is based on the 2019 book of the same name. While the 2025 television adaptation by Jacob Tierney brings the story to the screen, the original source material provides the foundational narrative of the eight-year journey between the two hockey stars.
What is the main plot of Heated Rivalry?
Heated Rivalry follows two Major League Hockey rookies whose secret fling evolves into a complex eight-year relationship. As they pursue professional glory, they must navigate the tension between their intense on-ice rivalry, their mutual ambition, and the personal struggle of denying their feelings for each other.
How long does the story in Heated Rivalry span?
The narrative of Heated Rivalry covers a period of eight years. It tracks the characters from their time as fresh-faced rookies in Major League Hockey through their professional development as they chase success on the ice while dealing with the evolution of their private relationship.
Should I watch the Heated Rivalry TV show if I read the book?
If you enjoyed the 2019 book, you can watch the 2025 television adaptation of Heated Rivalry to see the journey of the two hockey stars brought to life. The series directed by Jacob Tierney explores the same themes of love, denial, and self-discovery found in the original novel.