Heated Rivalry, Eps. 1-4

Original Post -- January 17, 2026

What with my granddaughter being born and her unexpected birth defects, things were super busy for me when Heated Rivalry came out and I'm just now sitting down to watch it. I've now watched episodes 1-4, and, yeah. I'm enjoying it. It's so odd feeling to watching an MM romance!

I read the Game Changers series a long time ago, and bits and pieces are coming back to me as I watch the series. But I can't really remember how the plot goes and I can't tell what's been added or taken away. One thing I definitely noticed was how fast Rachel Reid's name is flashed on the screen, and that it says "based on" the Game Changers series. (So, how much has it been changed? Comment below if you know.)

When I first started seeing images on social media about the show, I would scroll away because I didn't want to be spoiled. And I got this idea in my head that the two leads were flipped--that the guy playing Shane was Ilya and vice versa. Later, I realized I was wrong, and it took a little mind-shifting to get that in my head, but after almost four hours, I now can't see it any other way.

The sex scenes are...quite realistic! That's all I'm going to say on that. (For now.)

The secondary couple is great, too. I can't help but feel for both of them. They're in an impossible relationship. As for Shane and Ilya, episode 4 was a hard hit. Shane's realization that he couldn't do it anymore was heartbreaking. I could feel it--how much he cared about Ilya and how he knew Ilya was still taking their relationship very lightly. Well, not anymore, buddy. Not now that Shane has taken up with the actress. It will be interesting to see their next interaction.

Comment below on your thoughts on the show. I'd love to hear them!

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