EPISODE · Dec 22, 2025 · 26 MIN
Why Heated Rivalry Changed Sports Romance | Rachel Reid's First Podcast Interview (2020)
from What to Read Next Podcast l Book Recommendation Show
This episode originally aired September 21, 2020. Yes, this was Rachel Reid's very first podcast interview. This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.What happens when you take one of the most toxic masculinity sports cultures in the world—and rewrite it with tenderness, queer joy, and emotional honesty? 🏒💖In this retro What to Read Next author interview, I’m joined by my friend Amanda (from Escape from a Book) to chat with romance author Rachel Reid, the creator of the beloved Game Changers hockey romance series.We talk about Rachel’s lifelong love of hockey, why she wanted to challenge toxic masculinity in sports romance, and how Heated Rivalry broke every romance “rule” and somehow became a fan favorite anyway. Rachel also opens up about writing sex scenes with purpose, representing mental health and anxiety on the page, and what’s coming next—including Common Goal, Role Model, and the long-awaited sequel to Heated Rivalry.📚 Books Mentioned Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid — Rivals-to-lovers | Sports Romance | QueerGame Changer by Rachel Reid — Hockey Romance | QueerTough Guy by Rachel Reid — Hockey Romance | Mental Health RepCommon Goal by Rachel Reid — Hockey Romance | Bisexual RepRole Model by Rachel Reid — Hockey Romance | Redemption ArcThe Long Game by Rachel Reid — Sequel to Heated Rivalry | Established CoupleTwo Rogues Make a Right by Cat Sebastian — Historical Queer RomanceThe Last Kiss by Sally Malcolm — WWI Historical Queer Romance | KU ✅Spellbound by Allie Therin — Historical Fantasy Romance⏱️ Episode Timestamps[00:00] Welcome & intro to Rachel Reid[02:00] From hockey fan to published romance author[06:00] Why queer hockey romance matters[09:00] Writing Heated Rivalry & breaking romance rules[13:00] Mental health & toxic masculinity in sports[15:00] Crafting unforgettable sex scenes[17:00] Upcoming books: Common Goal & Role Model[19:00] The Heated Rivalry sequel (The Long Game)[24:00] Rachel’s favorite books & reading recsJoin the ConversationSubscribe to our Substack for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com)Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog | YouTube: What to Read NextSubscribe & leave a review!
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What this episode covers
Welcome to the What to Read Next Podcast. Today we have an author interview with Rachel Reid. Rachel writes one of my favorite hockey romance series. For this interview, I invited my friend Amanda from Escape in a Book to join me. She is also a Rachel Reid superfan. In this interview, we chat about Rachel’s source of inspiration, her upcoming books, and some fun book recommendations. Now let’s go to the interview. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/what-to-read-next-podcast-l-book-recommendation-show--5263998/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/what-to-read-next-podcast-l-book-recommendation-show--5263998/support).
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Why Heated Rivalry Changed Sports Romance | Rachel Reid's First Podcast Interview (2020)
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