What will go down between Shane and Ilya in Heated Rivalry season two, according to the book

If you’re struggling to wait until season two of Heated Rivalry for more Shane and Ilya content, then I’ve got good news for you. The show is based on a book series. Shane and Ilya feature in four more novels, and three more short stories.

If you’re impatient, here’s a rundown of all the drama that will go down between Shane and Ilya in season two of Heated Rivalry, according to the book.

Wait, Heated Rivalry wasn’t the end for Shane and Ilya?

Absolutely not. Heated Rivalry is actually the second book in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series. The first novel focused on Scott and Kip. Parts of this made in into season one of Heated Rivalry. The Game Changers series focus on an interconnected group of fictional hockey players. Shane and Ilya aren’t always the main characters, although they make cameo appearances in other stories. The second book focused on Shane and Ilya is The Long Game, and it’s actually the sixth book in the series overall.

Season two of Heated Rivalry will be based on The Long Game. Connor Storie (who plays Ilya) joked to viewers: “Start reading The Long Game if you want spoilers.”

There’s so much drama still to come, gang
(Image via NOW)

Shane and Ilya will face a load of new problems in season two

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The Long Game takes place a few years after Heated Rivalry. It’s been ten years since Shane and Ilya first met, and they’ve been in a “mostly secret committed relationship” for three hockey seasons. Shane plays for Montreal, and Ilya is on the Ottawa team about two hours away. They run a charity together, which is their excuse for constantly meeting up. In the twelfth chapter, Shane and Ilya have an (unofficial) wedding ceremony with their friends’ kids, purple rings and “a large assembled audience of stuffed toys”.

The big dilemma of the story is whether Shane and Ilya should go public with their relationship. Ilya wants to, but Shane is worried about their careers. Ilya also struggles with depression. They grow further and further apart, then have an almighty row in which Ilya accuses Shane of caring about hockey more than their relationship *gasp*.

Not me forgetting this show was supposed to be about hockey
(Image via NOW)

Thankfully, their relationship recovers. When Ilya is on a plane, an engine fails. Amidst the panic, he texts Shane about how much he loves him. They get engaged, and everything seems hunky-dory… until a video goes viral of them kissing. Shane and Ilya are pressured into pretending the kiss was just a prank. Instead, they announce their engagement to the world via an Instagram carousel.

Shane and Ilya wind up both playing for the Ottawa Centaurs, so they can be together more. In the final chapter, they have a big (official) wedding. Their first dance is to Diamonds by Rihanna. Really.

A quick epilogue shows them playing hockey on the same team, and publicly flirting. The crowds cheer them on, and clearly ship them. The book says: “It had been a perfect day. Ilya was looking forward to ten more years of them.” Nawwww.

More Heated Rivalry is coming our way this year

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Rachel Reid’s next book, Unrivaled, will come out on 29th September 2o26. This sequel will see Shane and Ilya’s love be tested by internet trolls. The book’s blurb says: “They’ve gotten a lot of love from fans who are thrilled for them. But some people in the hockey world are still reeling from their relationship reveal, and the backlash—led by popular hockey podcast Top Shelf and the #TakeBackHockey movement—is getting louder.”

Does this mean there will be enough content for several more seasons of Heated Rivalry? We certainly hope so.

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