In case you haven’t heard, the BookTok sensation Heated Rivalry is now a Crave Original, airing in Canada and on HBO in the U.S., and the internet is absolutely losing it. The longing, the desire, the tension — everything is insanely hot, and we COULD NEVER get enough of Ilya and Shane. People were already losing their minds before the series even premiered, but now that the first two episodes are out, we can barely catch our breath from all the excitement.
For those who don’t know what Heated Rivalry is about, let me give you the spicy scoop: Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams), captain of the fictional Montreal Voyageurs, thought hockey was the only thing that could ever distract him — until he faced off against the Boston Bears and met his sizzling rival, Russian-born Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie). Sparks fly both on the ice and off, and Shane might have finally met his match…in every way.
We’re talking sports and sweat, team rivalries, steamy hotel-room rendezvous, long-distance romantic torment, unhinged longing, forbidden love…and yes, so much sex. The perfect recipe for a binge-worthy, can’t-stop-watching romance.
And although we only have the first taste of Ilya and Shane, the internet already has a lot to say:
But as a Canadian, my favourite comment has to be this comment about Canadians taking off their shoes when they enter a room:
Because yes, it’s true — we don’t wear our shoes inside. Like, if someone tells me, “Don’t worry, you don’t need to take your shoes off,” I immediately cringe and take them off anyway. I mean, I wore these on the streets of Toronto, and you want them on your carpet? That logic doesn’t make sense to me. And honestly, Canadians across the internet couldn’t agree more:
It’s nice to see that Heated Rivalry isn’t just a Canadian-made show based on a novel by a Canadian author and starring plenty of Canadians — it’s also true to the little things that make Canada special. Like…yes, taking your shoes off the moment you walk in the door. It’s just polite, people.
Are you watching Heated Rivalry? Tell me in the comments. And for all my fellow Canadians out there, did you notice the polite “taking the shoes off ot the door” moment?
If you need more info on where to find it — Heated Rivalry premiered its first two episodes last Friday, November 28th, on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the U.S. and Australia. And new episodes will be dropping every Friday. So make sure you tune in.
