Continuing the story of Shane and Ilya from The Heated Rivalry, in a secret relationship but with Ilya now in Ottawa, living and working much closer to each other than before. I liked this one more because it featured their lives, teams, and teammates more. ( )

Whenever I start RR's book I think it's going to be good, and yet I ended up surprised by how good.

This story, in particular, is so easy to do wrong and the stakes are so high. A couple who has decided to remain closeted for their careers isn't always relatable, a superstar isolated from everything he once knew but hockey playing for a team that sucks. One so uncompromising ppl with disordered eating should beware-Shanes's athlete's diet is such a focus it smacks of orthorexia.

But this couple is always on the knife's edge of pain and joy. They are so raw and understandable. This was very much Ilya's journey for be, his symptoms of depression forcing him to rest, isolate, put on the face to move forward--these were SO well done. It was also interesting to see the life of the party as lonely and needing connection.

I mean it's also very very hot. But it's so emotional that those breaks provide us (along with the humor) just the distraction and helps remind us what and who this couple is behind closed doors. ( )

Rachel Reid's creations, llya and Shane, are among the most perfectly romantic leads ever. I can make this claim after reading six or seven hundred romance novels.

We have already lived through their romance in earlier books in the Game Changer series.

So a lot was riding on this sequel. Reid nails it! I loved the sequel as much as the heart stoppingly good Heated Rivalry, Shane and Ilya's story from the time they meet at 17 till they are about 28.

I was astonished that The Long Game wasn't narrated by Tor Thom. Yet Cooper North won me over - he's different from Thom but almost as good - that's very high praise! Perhaps Tor was slightly better with Ilya's accent.

(Later - July 2023) At the conclusion of maybe my third listen to this audiobook, I can say that it is still in my top 5 romance novels.

With each listen, I hear more -it may be only a phrase that I haven't caught before - but I love it that there is still more to find, and still plenty to ponder afresh about these two leads.

I'm flummoxed that I haven't written acres about this series in my comments across the books. I acknowledge that I've had difficulty putting into words why they appeal to me so much.

It's something elusive about the note that Reid strikes. You know how tone is everything in a singer's voice - greater than skill and technique? Reid has that gift - her books are full of warmth, and sweetness and longing, like a voice with beautiful tone. ( )

Much like certain hockey players, Heated Rivalry might not be the best, quality-wise, but it's still my favorite. I've read it several times, and for one reason or another it has become a comfort book of sorts. Maybe because it's the ultimate rivals to lovers without insta love (though insta lust is very much present) and you can't help but love the characters.

Having said that, four stars for The Long Game is generous. After a very smutty first book for this couple, I felt like it was time to show how much they'd grown to love eachother in addition to lusting after oneother, but unfortunately this book was more telling than showing on the feelings department, with way too much smut in comparison to romance. I get that a lot of this was fan service after how popular Heated Rivalry became, but I still hoped for more.

I don't think the book was bad necessarily, just not what I personally was looking for. I'll probably keep re-reading the beginning of Shane and Ilya's relationship ad infinitum, but I don't think I really need to revisit The Long Game at any point. ( )

Given all the hype, it was still pretty good. ( )