The long game

"Shane loved Ilya so much it physically hurt to contain it some days."

Fucking perfection. This book was everything I wanted and more 💘💘 In Heated Rivalry, we watched Shane and Ilya’s relationship slowly shift from physical desire to deep emotional connection. We saw them fall in love—but that wasn’t the end of their story. Falling in love didn’t magically solve their problems. In The Long Game, we follow them as they navigate their new dynamic while fighting for their future together ⚔️⚔️

Reading an entire book centered on Hollanov being in love was an incredible experience. Dating didn’t dull their competitiveness; they still teased, challenged, and pushed each other, all while loving fiercely. They both grew so much from book one, and witnessing that growth was indescribable. You truly have to experience it yourself 🤩🤩

For so long, Ilya was portrayed as the funny, flirty, larger-than-life guy. But here, we finally see the depth of his internal struggle. This book allows us to look beyond his humor and confidence and witness the cracks beneath the surface—the emotional weight he’s been carrying on his own 😭😭 Having the chance to really look into Ilya’s mind was one of the highlights of the story. Rachel Reid handled the mental health themes with incredible care; it was both heart-wrenching and deeply honest. Watching Ilya struggle was painful, yet I was so proud of him for choosing therapy. Healing is slow, messy, and full of setbacks, and this book never shied away from that truth 💯💯

They had lots of reasons to keep their relationship a secret, but those reasons seemed extremely unimportant now. What if Ilya had died? What if he had fucking died? Shane would have died too. Alone, and secretly, and for the rest of his life.

I know a lot of readers were frustrated with Shane, but I wasn’t one of them 🙅‍♀️🙅‍♀️ He can’t read Ilya’s mind, and when he sensed something was wrong, he encouraged Ilya to talk to a therapist if he didn’t feel ready to open up to him. Ilya repeatedly insisted he was fine. What else was Shane supposed to do? He supported Ilya the best way he knew how 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

They both make questionable choices at times, and that’s exactly why I adore them. They’re imperfect. They make mistakes, they learn, they grow 🥰🥰 Their fights don’t stem from petty reasons—they come from two people still learning how to communicate and exist within a long-term relationship. And the way they work through those problems shows just how much they’ve matured 🥺🥺

Ilya didn’t want to fight. He was exhausted, and miserable, and his boyfriend was breaking his fucking heart. Quietly, in a voice that couldn’t disguise his pain, he said, “I already chose you, Hollander.”

Hollanov in love was everything. The domesticity, the intimacy, the softness—it was so satisfying to read. We didn’t get much time with them as an official couple in Heated Rivalry, and The Long Game makes up for that immensely 💕💕 The way Shane and Ilya love each other is mesmerizing. I was swooning, giggling, and crying the entire time. They’ve carved out a permanent place in my heart.

Seeing Ilya receive the familial love he never had—from Shane’s parents—was incredibly emotional. His relationship with Yuna and David is unbelievably precious. Watching Ilya soften around them, almost like a little kid finally getting all the affection he deserves, made me tear up. They truly love him like a second son 💖💖

And can we talk about how their relationship gets exposed? Of all the possibilities, Hayden’s fan video was not on my bingo card. It was hilarious 🤣🤣 I adore Hayden and his friendship with Shane—he’s a real one. The rest of Shane’s team, however? Absolutely not. The audacity they had in the way they treated him 🤬🤬 I’m beyond happy that Shane is going to play for the Ottawa Centaurs with his husband.

Shane and Ilya’s story is one of the best things I’ve read in a long time. I’m so incredibly glad I picked up their books. And the fact that we’re getting another installment, Unrivaled, where we’ll see them married and playing on the same team? I cannot explain how excited I am. See you in that review 👋👋