Romance Books To Read During Your Heated Rivalry Drought
If you’re a sucker for rivals-to-lovers romance books, add these to your TBR list.
Ever since the surprise breakout TV show, Heated Rivalry, sent the world into a frenzy, fans have been waiting with bated breath for new content. Good news for fans: a second season and a new book installment are on their way. The downside: season 2’s earliest predicted release date is 2027, and the seventh installment of Rachel Reid’s ‘Game Changers’ book series (the series that Heated Rivalry is based on) is September 2026. Basically, neither will be coming out any time soon.
If you’ve already breezed through Rachel Reid’s ‘Game Changers’ series and are itching for more rivals-to-lovers goodness, here’s a list of books that you should be adding to your TBR list during this Heated Rivarly drought.
1. From Lukov With Love by Mariana Zapata
A one-line summary: A slow burn romance with a poignant unpacking of the main character’s emotional baggage.
Why it deserves a read: If you loved the more tender aspects of Heated Rivalry, this book will get you in your feels all over again. While slow burns might not appeal to everyone, this one spent a lot of time really getting to know its characters. Combined with the main couple’s chemistry (as they go from rivals, to friends, to lovers), and moments of humour and lightness, it’s a sweet and compelling love story that’ll leave you grinning by the end.
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2. If You Could See The Sun by Ann Liang
A one-line summary: Academic rivals to lovers (or so the main character thinks) with a magical twist.
Why it deserves a read: If you want a good ol’ rivals-to-lovers romance, author Ann Liang is a master. Her debut novel is a romance story that’s action-packed, filled with charismatic characters, and does a decent job at thoughtfully unpacking themes of racism and class differences. The story is magical and witty, with a captivating will-they-won’t-they dynamic between the two romantic leads.
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3. Thrown for a Loop by Sarina Bowen
A one-line summary: Two people who hate each other reunite and are forced to work together again as a figure skating pair.
Why it deserves a read: If you love romance tropes, this book is chock-full of them: rivals-to-lovers, bad-boy-good-girl, forced-proximity... enough to get you in a romance-induced tizzy. This story centres on two characters who had a short but intense connection that ended badly, but reunite a decade later to skate together. It’s a fun and sweet romance with lively and spunky characters, and a solid storyline.
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4. Offside by Avery Keelan
A one-line summary: A steamy college sports romance for those looking for a new fictional boyfriend.
Why it deserves a read: If you want a romance that balances wholesomeness and spice, this book is a suitable option. While the two romantic leads are technically rivals-by-proximity (the male lead is a hockey player, while the female lead is not an athlete but her brother and ex are from his rival team), the two still have tons of fun banter and smack talk that could make a rivals-to-lovers trope connoisseur go ‘awww!’
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5. Love, Off the Record by Samantha Markum
A one-line summary: Academic rivals to lovers fall in love while competing for the same position at their university newspaper.
Why it deserves a read: If you saw the 2018 rom-com Candy Jar and loved it, this book might hit the spot. This story follows two journalism students who are competing for a spot on their university newspaper team, and turn to mind games and sabotage to outsmart each other. It has witty dialogue, likeable characters, and banter — lots of it. If you love Young Adult books and adore academic rivals-to-lovers, this is the book for you.
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6. The Kennedy Rule by K. C. Carmichael
A one-line summary: An electrifying hockey romance between the captains of rival teams who are forced to work together.
Why it deserves a read: If you love the dynamics of the rivals-to-lovers trope, this is a fast-moving romance that’ll have you giggling and kicking your feet. It’s a pretty straightforward plot: two captains, each from rival hockey teams, are forced to work together in the same national hockey team for the Olympics. If you want a romance that gets to the point, this is right up your alley.
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7. Backhanded Compliments by Katie Chandler
A one-line summary: Tennis rivals fall in love, with a tiny sprinkle of magical realism.
Why it deserves a read: If you loved Heated Rivalry and Challengers, this book might hit the spot. The book centres around tennis rivals who consistently butt heads on and off the court, and discover that they are soulmates. If you want a romance with emotional twists and turns, this story will take you on a ride as the two romantic leads navigate their very reluctant connection and their sports rivalry.
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8. Cut & Run by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
A one-line summary: If Heated Rivalry happened between two rival detectives.
Why it deserves a read: If you love romances and murder mysteries, this romance series has an edge that you’d love. It follows two older detectives who hate each other, but are forced to work together to solve a string of grisly murders. In extremely plain terms: if you loved Shane and Ilya’s dynamic, this has a similar vibe except they’re solving murders.
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9. Top Secret by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy
A one-line summary: Opposites attract in a fast-paced college frat romance.
Why it deserves a read: When two powerhouses in the romance genre join forces, you get this gem. Picture this: a jock and a science nerd hit it off on a dating app, only to discover that they’re from the same fraternity and start a top secret romance. It’s a witty, fast-paced romance with great chemistry and banter.
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10. Power Plays & Straight A’s by Eden Finley & Saxon James
A one-line summary: A jock and nerd fall in love in a good old-fashioned opposites attract love story.
Why it deserves a read: If you want a good ol’ fashioned jock and nerd romance story, this is the book for you. A hot jock and awkward nerd fall in love after a first meeting where sparks fly. It’s a light romance where two characters with great chemistry fall in love, accompanied by a likeable cast of characters and witty dialogue and banter.
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