Heated Rivalry

Having reviewed the whole Game Changers series when it was originally published, I've been a big fan of Rachel Reid's writing ever since and I was delighted to hear Heated Rivalry had been picked up for a TV adaptation.

Having now seen both this opening episode and the second, I have to say I'm seriously impressed.

Not only is the casting spot on, but under Jacob Tierney's sensitive direction, the book has been brought to life beautifully.

Important scenes that drive the plot in the book are visually recreated in such a way that you can see the internal thoughts reflected on and through the actors faces and behaviour.

It's not slavishly the same though and the unique touches have only added more depth to what's already a genre classic.

I devoured the book in a day and I binged the first two episodes as soon as they came out a few hours ago. I didn't expect it to be so steamy (although I'm not complaining because it adds to the story buildup and character development that's in the book), but it exceeded my expectations with how well the actors were cast. With only two episodes and early in the story we already understood who these main characters are and why they are drawn to each other. The first two episodes were so good I'm encouraged to read the book again just to get more of the yearning that makes mm romance so appealing. It's going to be a long week until episode 3.

For the longest time, never had I seen a show wherein the two leads are oozing with god-tier chemistry. WE NEED 5 MORE SEASONS, 2 MOVIES, AND A HOLIDAY SPECIAL MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!! I'm serious when I said that Ilya and Shane has consumed every thought in my daily life. I AM OBSESSED AND I HOPE THERE'S MORE TO COME!!!

How can I ever thank you Jacob Tierney for creating one of the most wonderful shows I've ever watched. If you're not watching Heated Rivalry, you're missing one of the best shows ever created. Hudson Williams, Conner Storrie, François Arnaud, and Robbie G. K. are an impeccable Quartet, along with the entire cast, are flawless. Thank you, Hbo Max for putting the show in front of audiences. I'm forever grateful.

My gosh, where do I begin? Only two episodes have been released so far but this is one of the most faithful adaptions I've ever watched. It gives such a unique feel to the story while always staying true to its source material. Rachel Reid wrote an absolutely brilliant book and everyone apart of this project turned it into something visually stunning. Hudson and Connor are nothing short of incredible. They bring Shane and Ilya to life in a way that's almost indescribable but I would spend hours trying. I'm completely blown away from the first two episodes that I don't even need to watch the rest to know what kind of show is being brought to the table. God knows I will be watching and rewatching but nonetheless it's an incredible piece of media. You can tell everyone who's worked on this on screen and behind the scenes wanted to tell a story about love but also wanted to spread the love that goes beyond what we see on the screen. Perfect adaptions are few and far between these days but this one struck gold and I'm willing to bet on that.