I don’t know about you, but as a queer romance fan, I’m thrilled about how big a hit Crave’s “Heated Rivalry” is. The queer Canadian hockey romance, which is streaming on HBO Max, is likely all your social media feed is talking about — even the hockey bros are in on the discussion.
If you haven’t binged all six episodes yet, the show is about Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams), two rival professional hockey players who fall in lust (or is it love?) at first sight, and their unfolding romance. (There’s also a parallel love story between hockey star Scott Hunter and juice bar barista Kip Grady in episode 3.) “Heated Rivalry” is full of action-packed hockey scenes and even more action-packed bedroom scenes (like, really, there are so many).
Yet, since it’s based on a romance novel by Canadian author Rachel Reid — specifically, a full series of romance novels titled “Game Changers” — it is, ultimately, all about heart-melting, dreamy, sigh-inducing love. And who doesn’t love love??
No, there’s nothing Jewish about “Heated Rivalry,” aside from the series’ writer and director, Jacob Tierney. But for those of you who’ve watched it all and are jonesing for more romance, perhaps some with quality Jewish representation, here are some icy, sporty, queer, sexy and Slavic Jewish romances to fill the “Heated Rivalry”-sized hole in your heart.
Let's start with a book blurbed by Rachel Reid herself. This hockey friends-to-lovers romance features a Jewish team captain who keeps kosher. Just like "Heated Rivalry," it also deals with some heavy topics, like substance abuse. And yes, it's wonderfully steamy.
Did you know that "Heated Rivalry" stars the first openly trans professional hockey player? Harrison Browne, who used to play for the NWHL, plays Connors, one of Ilya's teammates. KT. Hoffman's "The Prospects," is a baseball romance, and its hero, Gene Ionescu, is the first trans professional baseball player, and oh — he's also Jewish. And if that's not enough to get you excited about this book, well, just like "Heated Rivalry," this is enemies-to-lovers romance about Gene and his former rival turned teammate, Luis Estrada.
What's the Jewish equivalent of an Ilya? The Jewish son of Soviet refugees, of course! Ethan Rivkin is not only that, he's also the first out gay baseball player to be the first overall draft pick. Rivkin hires a fake boyfriend, only to discover said boyfriend is Akiva Goldfarb, formerly the first Orthodox Jewish professional ball player, now a freelance editor just trying to make ends meet. What a perfect Jewish romance.
A love story between an artsy Jewish girl and an all-American football star? It's giving Scott and Kip vibes, except Rachael Hamilton, the heroine of this tale, doesn't fall in love at first sight with NFL star quarterback over smoothies. She accidentally crashes an NFL party.
Did you love the themes of family in "Heated Rivalry" and just how much the show made you feel? Then this book, set in a Jewish funeral home, is the perfect read for you. It tells the story of Ezra, who is bi, trans and ends up running his family's funeral home (after his mother abandons it to elope with the rabbi's wife — juicy!). What makes this task extra difficult? Ezra sees the ghosts of his "clients," including that of the late husband of funeral home volunteer Jonathan, his current neighbor and crush.
KD Casey is the queen of gay Jewish baseball romance, and I couldn't only include one of her books. Her "Unwritten Rules" series features plenty of great Jewish protagonists. "Heated Rivalry" author Rachel Reid wrote that this romance between Jewish pitcher Jake Fischer and catcher Alex Angelides might be "the best sports romance I have ever read.” It's a wonderful second-chance romance about two players who meet again 10 years after sharing their rookie season.
This regency gay romance is great for those who are fans of the show and of TV's other big steamy romance hit, "Bridgerton." It's a delicious romance between a Jewish bookkeeper, Elie, and his client, a Navy agent. The story is set between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and so perfectly themed for those Jewish holidays. Lerner's period romances are a delightful, deeply researched ride.
Do you love Ilya's Eastern European Slavic vibes? Are you also a fan of romantasy (that's romance fantasy novels, for the uninitiated)? Can you handle a really dark, dense read? Then look no further than this series from queer Jewish writer Laura Samotin. The story is set in the fictional Jewish empire of Novo-Svitsevo, full of themes of Jewish mysticism and tradition. It follows the perspectives of exiled Tzar Dimitri, his spymaster Vasily, and Dimitri's ex-husband Alexey, the reigning tzar whom Dimitri and Vasily are hoping to dethrone and kill.
One of the more underrated things about hockey romances are their punny titles (so many takes on the word puck!), and this sapphic Purim romance definitely wins at the Jewish puns. Also, just like Ilya and Shane's story, it's about a love story 10 years in the making (in this case, a second-chance romance!).
I couldn't not include on this list the king of spicy Jewish gay romance. M.A. Wardell's "Teacher of the Year" is the first of his "Teachers in Love" series, which features lots of great Jewish representation and steam. Jewish kindergarten teacher Marvin Block is nominated by his county for his state's teacher of the year award, but when he meets the father of one of his new students, he realizes he might have a thing or two to learn about love.
What a perfect title for this magical Jewish hockey (yes, hockey!) romance, set during the winter holidays (Christmas and Hanukkah). Its heroine, Ellie Klein, who suffers from lupus, has left her hometown of Vermont in hopes of never coming back, leaving behind not just her Jewish family but the boy who broke her heart, her brother's best friend and now professional NHL player, Theo Fox. But when a blizzard predictably (this is a romance, after all) traps the two together, Theo hopes he can find a way to win over the girl he's never forgotten.
A queer hockey and ice-skating young adult romance with an icy Jewish protagonist? What's not to love about that! When Charlie Porter gets herself suspended from school (and therefore, the school's hockey team) after a post-game brawl, she finds a way to revive her college dreams through Alexa Goldstein, who is looking for an ice-skating partner (after hers was injured in said fight). What ensues is a really well-crafted, winning sapphic high school romance.
