Like most women in our generation, the show Heated Rivalry has taken over my world this winter. Truly, 10000/10 ✩, cannot say enough good things. And because I’m me and I love to read (and also because I couldn’t get enough of the world Jacob Tierney built) I knew I needed to go back to the OG source material and pick up Rachel’s books.
Overall, I really loved the series. I wasn’t sure if I would. Because I love the show so much and we don’t meet all of the books’ characters in the series, I didn’t really think I’d have an interest in many of the books – but boy was I WRONG. And I’ve never been happier to be wrong (and if you know me, you know I hate being wrong!).
I tore through Game Changer, then Heated Rivalry and the Long Game.
Maybe I’m biased because I loved the show so much, but I genuinely feel like Heated Rivalry is a masterpiece. The yearning, the POV shifts, the love Shane and Ilya share.. . It’s masterful. I would re-read this book 100 times over if that wouldn’t be frowned upon by the outside world (although, I think my fellow fans would understand). I also am so blown away by how faithful the adaptation is. I think I’d trust Jacob Tierney with every adaptation going forward. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a page to screen project so faithful.
When I started reading, I chose to read the series completely out of order (going from Game Changer to Heated Rivalry to The Long Game, then to Role Model, Tough Guy, and Common Goal).
What surprised me most about the series though was Role Model. We don’t meet Troy or Harris in the tv series, so to be honest, my interest in this book was almost non-existent when I picked it up.
But I was roped into Troy and Harris’ story from the very first page – I just couldn’t put the book down. I loved Troy’s growth throughout the book and I loved how much his and Harris’ characters juxtaposed each other, while also bringing out the best in each other. I read the majority of the book on a plane, and I remember thinking to myself ‘Wow, these people around me are really missing out’. I had BUTTERFLIES reading this book and I had to resist the urge to sit there and kick my feet smiling the entire time I read. If anyone was watching me, they were probably wondering why I was smiling so big and for so long on our mid-day, six hour flight.
Now that I’ve finished the whole series, I think a ranking is in order. I do plan on re-reading the series, but after my first read through..
My Ranking of The Game Changers books
- Heated Rivalry
- Role Model
- The Long Game
- Tough Guy
- Common Goal
- Game Changer
Now, I KNOW this is a hot take and most people will disagree, but let me justify a little bit.
#1 – Heated Rivalry will forever take the number one spot. I love how fun this book is. Like I said, I love the yearning and I think there’s a sense of joy and a type of character growth in this book that you don’t see in the others. Even though we don’t see Shane and Ilya together as an official couple until the very, very end of this book, I loved the build up and I loved being along with them on their journey as they fell in love and learned how to accept and embrace this love they share.
#2 – I loved the overlaps between The Long Game and Role Model, but I put Role Model above The Long Game because as much as I love Shane and Ilya, I felt happier reading Role Model. Like I said, I loved Troy and Harris and seeing their innocent love blossom into something real was so special. Which leads us into #3…
#3 – The Long Game falls in at #3 because I love the happy moments between Shane and Ilya. There are so many moments I just had to pause and smile. I can’t wait to see so many of these scenes on the screen (especially the wedding with Ruby and Jade and the trophy room scene, OBVIOUSLY). And I understand why this book wasn’t all fluffy and fun and I empathize with Shane and Ilya because I understand why they can’t just come out and be happy. I also understand Ilya’s struggles and I love watching him come to grips with his emotions and not only get to a place where he knows he needs help, but actually acting on it. And I don’t blame Shane for not seeing how much he was struggling, but I also don’t love that Shane could be so blind to what Ilya was going through at times. But that’s not to say I didn’t love the book, because I did. I think I was just hoping some of the story could be happier, but I do understand why it couldn’t be and that’s why it falls at #3 instead of #1 where people usually put it.
#4 – I loved getting inside Ryan’s head in this book. We met him so briefly in Heated Rivalry, so I loved getting more background on his character to fully understand why he was so scared on the plane with Ilya in HR and then seeing him grow with Fabian. Because I read Role Model and The Long Game first, I remember reading how proud Ryan was to see Fabian on stage at his show, and I really enjoyed seeing how they actually came together on the page.
#5 – Seeing Kyle back in this book was a joy and I loved getting into the nitty gritty of Eric’s life. I really enjoyed how these two created a safe space amongst themselves and I loved the yearning.
#6 – This is the other Hot Take… I KNOW people don’t usually put Game Changer as last on their list, but I do have a very specific reason for doing so. Scott and Kip’s love is so crucial to the entire arc in this series and I love them together, but I was SAD during so much of this book. I felt like some parts of it dragged a little too long, and I just wanted Scott and Kip to be able to be together and be HAPPY. And of course, I do understand why they couldn’t be and I really feel for Scott in particular. I never felt like he was trying to string Kip along, in fact, I felt like he was very open and honest with him in terms of what he could give. What I dislike is that he was in a position where he felt like he couldn’t give more, even though he wanted to. The fact that he couldn’t openly be with the person he loves made me sad, and on the flip side, I was sad for Kip because he also deserved to be with someone who could love him openly and honestly. I really do hate to put Game Changer in the bottom spot because I adore Scott and Kip, and contrary to this ranking, they are actually high up there on my list of favorite couples. I just wish they could have been together sooner, but I do love seeing them happy in Common Goal.
I’m curious to see if these rankings will change at all when I re-read. I plan on doing a tandem read and reading the series as it takes place chronologically – so if something changes, loons, I’ll report back!
Anchored Musings 