The Long Game
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- Create Date：2022-03-27 08:51:51
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Rachel Reid
- ISBN：1335458522
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Summary
The sequel is finally here！ Shane and Ilya’s story， first seen in Heated Rivalry， continues in this long-awaited hockey romance from Rachel Reid。
"Everything you could want from this magnetic couple！ A passionate， sexy， emotional sequel that grips your heart！ Shane and Ilya forever！" —#1 NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely， author of Hopelessly Bromantic
To the world they are rivals， but to each other they are everything。
Ten years。
That’s how long Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov have been seeing each other。 How long they’ve been keeping their relationship a secret。 From friends， from family…from the league。 If Shane wants to stay at the top of his game， what he and Ilya share has to remain secret。 He loves Ilya， but what if going public ruins everything？
Ilya is sick of secrets。 Shane has gotten so good at hiding his feelings， sometimes Ilya questions if they even exist。 The closeness， the intimacy， even the risk that would come with being open about their relationship…Ilya wants it all。
It’s time for them to decide what’s most important—hockey or love。
It’s time to make a call。
Game Changers
Book 1: Game Changer
Book 2: Heated Rivalry
Book 3: Tough Guy
Book 4: Common Goal
Book 5: Role Model
Book 6: The Long Game
"Everything you could want from this magnetic couple！ A passionate， sexy， emotional sequel that grips your heart！ Shane and Ilya forever！" —#1 NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely， author of Hopelessly Bromantic
To the world they are rivals， but to each other they are everything。
Ten years。
That’s how long Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov have been seeing each other。 How long they’ve been keeping their relationship a secret。 From friends， from family…from the league。 If Shane wants to stay at the top of his game， what he and Ilya share has to remain secret。 He loves Ilya， but what if going public ruins everything？
Ilya is sick of secrets。 Shane has gotten so good at hiding his feelings， sometimes Ilya questions if they even exist。 The closeness， the intimacy， even the risk that would come with being open about their relationship…Ilya wants it all。
It’s time for them to decide what’s most important—hockey or love。
It’s time to make a call。
Game Changers
Book 1: Game Changer
Book 2: Heated Rivalry
Book 3: Tough Guy
Book 4: Common Goal
Book 5: Role Model
Book 6: The Long Game
Reviews
Shile
，
I Liked this one a lot。😍Ugh！ Going through a review slump and I feel like I have no energy left in me。 😤😭😭Ilya is one of my faves and he shines in this book。 Loved being in his head， he made this book readable。The puppy and Ilya win the best scenes award。🤩🥳Shane is so vanilla but I still like him。 🤷♀️😊The other characters fit well into the story。 Overall， I enjoyed this extended Ilya and Shane epilogue。 I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 I Liked this one a lot。😍Ugh！ Going through a review slump and I feel like I have no energy left in me。 😤😭😭Ilya is one of my faves and he shines in this book。 Loved being in his head， he made this book readable。The puppy and Ilya win the best scenes award。🤩🥳Shane is so vanilla but I still like him。 🤷♀️😊The other characters fit well into the story。 Overall， I enjoyed this extended Ilya and Shane epilogue。 I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you。 。。。more
Virginiatingley
，
Thanks to Edelweiss and Rachel Reid for the digital ARC。 I knew when I read Game Changer that I wasn’t finished with Shane and Ilya’s wonderful story。 The common thread in Rachel Reid’s fantastic hockey romance series is these two rivals， especially since in most of the books， they’re a background secret that you’re let in on and any mention of the two brings you glee。 But this book takes it so much further。 It’s honest and raw and fun and scorching。 You’re so fond of the characters already when Thanks to Edelweiss and Rachel Reid for the digital ARC。 I knew when I read Game Changer that I wasn’t finished with Shane and Ilya’s wonderful story。 The common thread in Rachel Reid’s fantastic hockey romance series is these two rivals， especially since in most of the books， they’re a background secret that you’re let in on and any mention of the two brings you glee。 But this book takes it so much further。 It’s honest and raw and fun and scorching。 You’re so fond of the characters already when you pick it up， and the book delivers more of that in spades。 Shane’s cautious honesty。 Ilya’s sweet hilarity。 And throughout the book， a very real message about depression and asking for help。 It was a fitting end to their story， but one that didn’t feel like it only functioned as the end of something。 Instead it was a brand new narrative。 The hockey world that is built in this series is addictive and almost as read as the actual NHL， with its teams and characters that you can’t help smiling about when they’re mentioned。 And the sex？ Is fucking fantastic。 。。。more
Tara （valleybookmama）
，
The Long Game is the long-awaited follow up to Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry （I recommend the entire Game Changers series！）， and one of the spring’s most anticipated reads for me。 This one DELIVERS as it picks up with Shane and Ilya years after they realize their feelings for each other， while keeping their relationship secret and keeping up the facade of their rivalry on the ice。 But they’re at the point a decade into their relationship where they have to decide—will they put what they have asid The Long Game is the long-awaited follow up to Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry （I recommend the entire Game Changers series！）， and one of the spring’s most anticipated reads for me。 This one DELIVERS as it picks up with Shane and Ilya years after they realize their feelings for each other， while keeping their relationship secret and keeping up the facade of their rivalry on the ice。 But they’re at the point a decade into their relationship where they have to decide—will they put what they have aside until they retire？ Do they want to， and do they both want the same thing？ I completely adored every second of this。 It gives fans of the first book EVERYTHING they could want—some good old-fashioned miscommunication， lots of steaminess， angst， all of our beloved characters， and real evolution and change for Shane and Ilya。 It also confronts Ilya’s past and his present-day mental health。 I honestly just love romance novels like this。 It is HEA and unabashed but still real and it hurts a little too， and I wouldn’t have changed a thing。 。。。more
Seb
，
WHY？？ PLEASEE TELL ME WHY？ TELL ME ITS A MISTAKE！！ Why would they changed the narrators？？？！！！ I Can not put my head around this！！ I just saw， that audiobook is narrated by Cooper North。 What the actual fck！？！ One thing is to change narrators for different parts of books， when you get used to MCs voices。 Second thing is， to change fine narrator Tor Thom， who’s russian accent was more then okey and sound manly， passionate， you Can clearly tell the difference between MCs personalities by the voice WHY？？ PLEASEE TELL ME WHY？ TELL ME ITS A MISTAKE！！ Why would they changed the narrators？？？！！！ I Can not put my head around this！！ I just saw， that audiobook is narrated by Cooper North。 What the actual fck！？！ One thing is to change narrators for different parts of books， when you get used to MCs voices。 Second thing is， to change fine narrator Tor Thom， who’s russian accent was more then okey and sound manly， passionate， you Can clearly tell the difference between MCs personalities by the voice depth。 BUT NOW！ We have Cooper North who sounds like a teenage high schooler， whit little voice differences and sounding like a radio ad reader！THIS IS MY WORST NIGHTMARE！ :（ For book this magnitude。。 。。。more
Sydney
，
This book is nothing like I expected but it is so amazing。 It was so interesting to read a book where they are together the whole time。 I saw myself in Ilya so much， I love him。 I am so glad that they were just able to have their happy ending。I received an arc through netgalley。
Cody James
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I laughed， I cried， I cheesy smiled， and then I uncontrollably sobbed。 No seriously， a book has never made me cry tears of all kinds before: happiness， frustration， fear， anger， loss…I shed tears for all of these scenarios。 If you read “Heated Rivalry” you know our MC’s very well。 The journey they go on in this though？！ HR gave us the preparation we needed because man this was an emotional journey。 I love and adore Shane， but this was Ilya’s book。 My heart broke so much for this man from the ver I laughed， I cried， I cheesy smiled， and then I uncontrollably sobbed。 No seriously， a book has never made me cry tears of all kinds before: happiness， frustration， fear， anger， loss…I shed tears for all of these scenarios。 If you read “Heated Rivalry” you know our MC’s very well。 The journey they go on in this though？！ HR gave us the preparation we needed because man this was an emotional journey。 I love and adore Shane， but this was Ilya’s book。 My heart broke so much for this man from the very beginning。 Our boy Ilya is suffering and he has no one to turn to。 Not his boyfriend that he can’t shout from the rooftops how much he loves， not his family， not friends。 Ilya is alone most of the time and that has started ti being forth a battle his mother lost: depression。 He suffers in silence for most of this book and it just breaks my goddamn heart。 The pair get put through the wringer so much in this page turning sequel， but the love they share is forever the main plot of this story and one of the best love stories I have ever read。 I read alot of MM romance， and Shane and Ilya are a pairing I will carry with me forever。 I can’t stress how much I love and adored this book as well as it’s predecessor。 The tie ins to characters from previous books are the cherry in top of a stunning， beautiful， intense romance that I’m so happy I could watch unfold。 。。。more
Trio
，
Fans of Rachel Reid’s marvelous Game Changers series rejoice， the most recent episode， The Long Game， is part two of Ilya and Shane’s romance！ While the rest of the novels in this fabulous series can be read in any order， you’ll definitely need to read Heated Rivalry first。I adore established couple stories， and the scope of this one is epic！ One of the finest enemies to lovers romances of all time， Ilya and Shane have incredible chemistry。 From their very first meeting， the heat between these t Fans of Rachel Reid’s marvelous Game Changers series rejoice， the most recent episode， The Long Game， is part two of Ilya and Shane’s romance！ While the rest of the novels in this fabulous series can be read in any order， you’ll definitely need to read Heated Rivalry first。I adore established couple stories， and the scope of this one is epic！ One of the finest enemies to lovers romances of all time， Ilya and Shane have incredible chemistry。 From their very first meeting， the heat between these two burly hockey players leaps off the page， and they are just so darn cute together。Fast approaching their thirtieth birthdays， the guys have known each other for eleven years now， and are still firmly in the closet with their relationship。 It’s not so much about coming out about their sexuality， as it is facing what the hockey world will say about these two fierce rivals being a devoted couple。I’m delighted by how Rachel Reid explores every aspect of what these two men go through as they face various challenges in this story。 We spend time with family， friends， teammates， and folks in the hockey world， and delve deep into how each of them is feeling。Shane’s drive and determination to be #1 hasn’t changed。 It’s no surprise that his dedication to his career conflicts with his desire for a real romance with Ilya， and there are some terrific scenes from Shane’s side of the story。What is an unexpected surprise is how deeply Rachel Reid gets into Ilya's head and heart in The Long Game。 I fell hard for Ilya in the first book， and I love spending time learning what makes this intricate guy tick。 An extraordinarily interesting character， Ilya has a unique sense of humor， is a solid friend and teammate， and is an appealingly dommy but sensitive lover。Ilya struggles with his mental health， and it’s an intense journey as he gradually comes to grips with his emotions。 Painful memories force Ilya to do some intense soul searching about how he sees himself， and how his past impacts the relationships he forms with others。The Long Game focuses mainly on the development of their relationship， and how both guys are coping with life。 And there are some terrific cameos from other characters from the Game Changers series。 I love the bonus that a little of Troy and Harris’ story overlaps the timeline here。 My only complaint is that it’s a little short on hockey scenes， but Rachel Reid totally makes up for that at the end！A superb series， and I definitely hope this isn’t the last we hear from Ilya and Shane！thank you to Carina Press and Harlequin through NetGalley for providing an ARC of The Long Game， this is my honest review and all opinions are my own 。。。more
Kat
，
I was so excited to see this new book by Ms。 Reid。 It is the anticipated sequel to Heated Rivalry that I adored so much。 Shane and Ilya have been a couple for over a decade and their relationship turned serious about 3 years ago。 Being competitors on rivaling professional hockey teams has been a major challenge to their relationship。 Shane is only 29 and wants more years to play and feels coming out will ruin their careers。 Ilya has had enough of the hiding and the lonliness this has caused。 He I was so excited to see this new book by Ms。 Reid。 It is the anticipated sequel to Heated Rivalry that I adored so much。 Shane and Ilya have been a couple for over a decade and their relationship turned serious about 3 years ago。 Being competitors on rivaling professional hockey teams has been a major challenge to their relationship。 Shane is only 29 and wants more years to play and feels coming out will ruin their careers。 Ilya has had enough of the hiding and the lonliness this has caused。 He wants to shout out to the world that Shane is his boyfriend and he feels preserving their careers is not as important as being open and honest。This book was everything I had hoped for and so much more。 Ilya and Shane are sheer perfection for each other。 I love Ilya's dry and snarky wit， and Shane is just such a sweetheart。 This unlikely pair are meant to be。 Ilya is battling some dark thoughts unkown to everyone， and I loved how the author addressed this。 Shane's amazing mom and dad have both their boy's backs and along with some true friends there is support。 But will it be enough？ I so strongly urge you to complete Ilya's and Shane's journey。 Brilliantly written and a story I couldn't put down， this is one of the best books I have read this year。 Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy for my reading pleasure。 。。。more
Shan（ Shans_Shelves） 💜
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Amazing！！ RTC。 🥺
W。
，
The Long Game gave me everything I wanted for Shane and Ilya 。 They stole my heart and imagination back in 2019 when they were first introduced on Heated Rivalry ， one of my favorite books in the genre。 Rachel Reid delivered an entertaining， sweet， snarky， loving， hilarious， passionate tale。 The Long Game lives to the hype and my high expectations 。 Yep， I am going to stop gushing in a minute。 Le sigh I just reviewed The Long Game by Rachel Reid。 #TheLongGame #NetGalley
Brynne McConnell
，
Everyone should go read Rachel Reid's series。 Right now。 And oh my god this conclusion to the arc of two of the characters。 I love it。 10/10， so good。Shane and Ilya have kept their involvement with each other a secret for a decade， and in the last few years， they've kept their relationship a secret too。 But keeping something so big from their teammates and their friends and the world is getting harder and harder。 Not to mention their legendary on-ice rivalry。 Theres a lot at stake for both of th Everyone should go read Rachel Reid's series。 Right now。 And oh my god this conclusion to the arc of two of the characters。 I love it。 10/10， so good。Shane and Ilya have kept their involvement with each other a secret for a decade， and in the last few years， they've kept their relationship a secret too。 But keeping something so big from their teammates and their friends and the world is getting harder and harder。 Not to mention their legendary on-ice rivalry。 Theres a lot at stake for both of them。 Is it all worth it？Hell yes， I love this book so much。 When I finished Heated Rivalry， Shane and Ilya's "happy for now" felt like enough because their story was so beautifully written。 I don't think there was a question in my mind that they would make it and I'm so excited that Reid delivered in the sequel to their story。This was full of sweet moments， and tension and heartbreak and love。 I also love how Reid approaches Ilya being depressed and going to therapy because mental health， especially in sports is so overlooked and I appreciate that inclusion。 The beginning of this was definitely a raw look at the pain of being closeted in an environment that may or may not support you， but the ending was worth the pain。I would recommend reading at the very least， Heated Rivalry before jumping into this book。 The rest of the series is great too， but less of a requirement to enjoy this book to the fullest。 。。。more
CrabbyPatty
，
Two things 。。。。 Shane Hollander is an unmitigated arse AND I loved this book。Ten years in from his stellar rookie season， Shane is a hockey superstar， having just won his third Stanley Cup with his Montreal team。 He has a regimented diet （oops， performance nutritional system）， a grueling routine for keeping his body in tiptop condition， he doesn't drink or eat carbs or cookies or have much fun 。。。 and he is as just as laser focused on keeping his long-term relationship with Ilya Rozanov under wr Two things 。。。。 Shane Hollander is an unmitigated arse AND I loved this book。Ten years in from his stellar rookie season， Shane is a hockey superstar， having just won his third Stanley Cup with his Montreal team。 He has a regimented diet （oops， performance nutritional system）， a grueling routine for keeping his body in tiptop condition， he doesn't drink or eat carbs or cookies or have much fun 。。。 and he is as just as laser focused on keeping his long-term relationship with Ilya Rozanov under wraps。 Sure， the long-term plan is to finally come out and live their lives together， after they retire in 10 years or so。 Until then， it's just another grim routine 。。。。 or at least that is how it feels to Ilya。 In this book， we get Ilya's POV throughout， and it's wrenching to read。 Yes， Shane and Ilya absolutely love each other， yes they continue to have hot sweaty steamy sex a LOT， yes they work together in their hockey camps over the summer。 But it isn't enough for Ilya， and Shane doesn't understand， or seem to realize there is a problem with keeping their love hidden。But never fear， Shane and Ilya work it all out， because yeah， these two frickin' deserve a HEA of epic proportions， and as the book closes we get a series of chapters tracking their lives as they move forward。 I keep on flipping to the next page， hoping there was more chapters， not wanting this book to end。 Reid does a stellar job of keeping us up to speed on the Game Changers universe （parts of The Long Game run concurrently with Role Model- Troy Barrett's story） and I'm hoping for a few more stories in this series featuring some newer addition to the Ottawa Centaur's team （Luca perhaps？） because once you immerse yourself into Game Changers， you do not want the series to end。 5+ stars and highly recommended！I received an ARC from the Publisher， via NetGalley， in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Chelcie
，
I've been anxiously awaiting this book since the scary plane ride in Role Model， the previous book in series， when Ilya frantically messaged Shane thinking he might die！ The Long Game is， beautifully， not quite what I expected。 What spoke deeply to me as a reader was Ilya recognizing his own depression even as he and Shane become engaged and plan a wedding。 It's just。。。both。 There's great joy in his life and great lowness， and they don't cancel each other out， they just co-exist。 And of course h I've been anxiously awaiting this book since the scary plane ride in Role Model， the previous book in series， when Ilya frantically messaged Shane thinking he might die！ The Long Game is， beautifully， not quite what I expected。 What spoke deeply to me as a reader was Ilya recognizing his own depression even as he and Shane become engaged and plan a wedding。 It's just。。。both。 There's great joy in his life and great lowness， and they don't cancel each other out， they just co-exist。 And of course he seeks therapy and considers other interventions and does all the appropriate self-work。 I'm a woman married to man， I'm NOT a once-in-a-lifetime hockey talent， I'm not estranged from my living family — the particular constellations of power and privilege are very different for me and Ilya。 But I did receive life-reconfiguring mental health diagnoses when I was engaged， after years and years and years of dating while living in different states。 That's still not quite the parallel I mean to draw — some of the external circumstances of Ilya and Shane's relationship are familiar to me， sure， but it's more the way Ilya's interiority is depicted， the emotional palette that's so deeply familiar。 Anyway， this book will be forever special to me。 Aaaaaaand I really want an Ottawa Centaurs hockey sweater， so if someone could make that merch， that'd be great， thanks。 。。。more
Sam
，
*This book was read thanks to a Netgalley ARC。 Thank you Carina Press/Carina Adores for putting me on their auto-approve list！*Well， Rachel Reid。 Are you happy？ I finally gave you that 4th star。And unlike the other 5 books in this series。。。I'm not gonna rip this one apart。Because it was a joy to read。It was not without it's problems --but I'll let you bask in that last sentence for a second before I go into them。Done？Okay。 So， first of all: Ilya's mental wellness。 While I appreciate that he was *This book was read thanks to a Netgalley ARC。 Thank you Carina Press/Carina Adores for putting me on their auto-approve list！*Well， Rachel Reid。 Are you happy？ I finally gave you that 4th star。And unlike the other 5 books in this series。。。I'm not gonna rip this one apart。Because it was a joy to read。It was not without it's problems --but I'll let you bask in that last sentence for a second before I go into them。Done？Okay。 So， first of all: Ilya's mental wellness。 While I appreciate that he was trying harder， I'm not really sure that this was handled well。 It would have made a lot of sense for him to be meeting with Galina virtually， while on the road， not in this weird "whenever I want to talk" scenario that seemed to be set up。Shane was also。。。so clueless。 Painfully so。 Was Shane always this self absorbed？And everyone says that Shane can do better --but TBH。。。Ilya can do better。 I don't， like， want him with Svetlana either。 But c'mon。 Shane could probably do with a little therapy too。 I enjoyed the inclusiveness in this one， like Max and Leah， but it felt like tokenism。 I would really like to see other hockey players with partners who aren't obviously queer。 It's great that Weibe is bi and married to a woman， but。。。how about someone with a non-binary partner （even if everyone assumes they're a particular gender）？ There were times when the style felt more casual than the previous novels too。 Extra lines to push home something sarcastic。 But they felt throw-away。 I think the prose could be tightened up in some places。 Also， and I know。。。I know。。。it's a romance novel， but *cripes* do they have to bang so much？ Take away all the of the sex and it's still a pretty solid novel。 I'd really like to know more about *the characters* than about their bedroom proclivities。 Like， their relationship was already established in the first book。 So。。。are you just proving that they're still hot for each other？ 'Cause it's not necessary。 Like at all。。。Over all， this was an enjoyable read。 I'm hoping this isn't the end of the series？ Or perhaps a spin-off to focus solely on the Ottawa Centaurs as the "gayest team in the league" perhaps？ I really would like to know how Cromwell is dealt with and how Scott's plan for a group of activists goes。 。。。more
Kim
，
4。5+ stars。。。Spoiler FreeIlya and Shane。 We fell in love with them in Heated Rivalry as they were rivals to lovers， but now they are everything to each other and have been together off and on for ten years。 They are still both playing professional hockey。 Shane's team is riding high on three Stanley Cup wins。 Ilya's new team can't seem to get it together， but at least by transferring to Ottawa he is closer to Shane。 They have been committed for three years and are very much in love。 Shane is res 4。5+ stars。。。Spoiler FreeIlya and Shane。 We fell in love with them in Heated Rivalry as they were rivals to lovers， but now they are everything to each other and have been together off and on for ten years。 They are still both playing professional hockey。 Shane's team is riding high on three Stanley Cup wins。 Ilya's new team can't seem to get it together， but at least by transferring to Ottawa he is closer to Shane。 They have been committed for three years and are very much in love。 Shane is responsible， regimented， private， anxious， and concerned about his image and keeping their relationship secret。 Ilya is more sarcastic， fun-loving， cocky， and he loves to push Shane's buttons。 But he is also settling into some fatigue and near hopelessness regarding having to hide their relationship and being on a losing team， to the point he is feeling more depressed and apathetic。 Fear of discovery and damage to their careers， outside influences， separations， and distance stress and challenge them。 But if they keep playing it could be another decade in this same limbo。。。unless they make a change。 I adore Ilya and felt so bad for him。 His vulnerability and emotional struggles are just flayed wide open。 He just wants to shout their love from the rooftops and does not care what anyone thinks。 Sometimes I wanted to shake Shane at times because he cared so much about public perception and his winning team。 But it is obvious that he also feels deeply and is devoted， but just sometimes gets caught up in the anxiety or fear of it all。There is no doubt in my mind these guys are made for each other。 Their chemistry is amazing， their connection solid， and they are not shy about expressing their feelings。 But they also struggle and have to figure out how to navigate all of the obstacles。 It has surprises， emotional situations， humor and fun banter， LOTS of sexy times， and raw vulnerability and intimacy。 I was totally rooting for them to find a way to make it all come together in all aspects of their lives。 This book started out a bit slow giving us a window to their current lives and situation， but the second half really took off and brought all the feels and changing dynamics。 There are some fun cameos from others in the series and some events cross over in a different point of view。 I also enjoyed seeing the friendships and family bonds。 I am so glad this author decided to give them another book to give us their full story。 It is quite a journey for these two but well worth taking with this amazing couple。 Follow Me: Blog: Reviews by Tammy & Kim （Rachel and Jay） | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram 。。。more
Naomi （aplace_inthesun）
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I think I waited 24 hours after being approved for this sequel on Netgalley before reading it。 I’m not sure I’ve awaited a sequel as keenly - Shane and Ilya were definitely a favourite couple of mine， and the first book was not long enough for me。 In The Long Game we find Shane and Ilya very much in love， but their romance is still hidden from the world。 They both struggle with the masculine/patriarchy that is hockey， and the treatment of players by the bureaucracy and other players who aren’t s I think I waited 24 hours after being approved for this sequel on Netgalley before reading it。 I’m not sure I’ve awaited a sequel as keenly - Shane and Ilya were definitely a favourite couple of mine， and the first book was not long enough for me。 In The Long Game we find Shane and Ilya very much in love， but their romance is still hidden from the world。 They both struggle with the masculine/patriarchy that is hockey， and the treatment of players by the bureaucracy and other players who aren’t seen as fitting the ideal hockey player mould。 Between games for their respective teams in Montreal （Shane） and Ottawa （Ilya） the couple steal precious time together with only a few trusted people on Shane’s side， knowing about their relationship。 We learn more about Ilya’s family and his predisposition for depression， having sadly lost his mother， his family continuing to feel the impact of her death， as Ilya feels very much alone in the world but for Shane and his family。 The emotional connection between Shane and Ilya is powerful and their chemistry is off the charts。 Shane is guilty of viewing things without considering what Ilya might want， and whilst Ilya is bravado and words， on the inside he’s very much floundering。 Shane turns things inwards and tends to be pragmatic， choosing to delay their future and keep up the charade。 Ilya needs more from him， which he doesn’t identify until he seeks professional help。 There’s certainly steam with this pair， which if you’ve read the first book you might expect - from tender to searing hot。 And then there’s the glimpses of both men who yearn for a future life together， a house， and a family。 Such a good book。 I couldn’t say enough good things about it - and then I went back and read the first book … if that’s any indication。 。。。more
Carol [Goodreads Addict]
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The Long Game is book six in The Game Changers series by Rachel Reid。 This is the continuation of Ilya and Shane’s story that began in book two， Heated Rivalry。 You don’t need to have read the rest of the series but do need to have read that book。 Although these two do make little appearances throughout the rest of the series。 Now， at long last， we get the rest of their story and wow， it was everything I hoped it would be。 Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander are both now twenty nine years old。 I sh The Long Game is book six in The Game Changers series by Rachel Reid。 This is the continuation of Ilya and Shane’s story that began in book two， Heated Rivalry。 You don’t need to have read the rest of the series but do need to have read that book。 Although these two do make little appearances throughout the rest of the series。 Now， at long last， we get the rest of their story and wow， it was everything I hoped it would be。 Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander are both now twenty nine years old。 I should probably admit up front here that it’s Ilya that really holds my heart。 That man feels so much and I think his heart is as big as the house he lives in。 My stomach is getting all twirly just typing this。 Both Ilya and Shane are pro-hockey players。 Ilya for the Ottawa Centaurs and Shane for the Montreal Voyageurs。 They have been secretly seeing each other for ten years， three of them in a committed relationship， the last two where they were both in Canada。 The entire hockey world， press， players and fans alike see them as rivals because that is how they started out。 They still are super competitive in so many things。 Now they run a charity together so people had to adjust that they became friends。 But they both knew that no one would ever except that they were more。 And they had no idea if their jobs would be secure if anyone found out and that’s not something they were willing to risk because hockey is both of their lives， besides each other。 No one in Ilya’s life knows about them but a few people in Shane’s does。During the off season， they spend every moment together but during the hockey season， it’s not unusual for them to have to go three weeks without being together。 It’s hard for both of them but to me， it was hardest on Ilya。 He truly had no one。 Even with all of their obstacles， though， it was clear how deeply these two love each other。 The author did a fantastic job of making their love just fall off the pages。 I do have to admit， though， that I might have felt a TINY bit frustrated with Shane a time or two because I felt like he was just so dedicated to his team， to keeping their secret， that he failed to really pay attention to what was going on with Ilya。 “He closed his eyes and focused on how good it felt to be with Shane， alone in the dark， and tried not to wish it could be the same in the light。”This book is one of those that just keeps your heart doing that flip flop thing all the way through。 Their love is just so huge。 Above everything else in their lives， they love each other so much and they verbalize it all of the time which I dearly love。 I believe of all the thousands of books I’ve read， they are one of my top two or three couples ever。 They have struggles to overcome but through everything， their love holds strong。 What more could you ask for？ I don’t know if there will be more in this series。 It kind of felt like it could be the end but I have no idea。 Reading this book was both wonderful and sad because I knew it was the end of Ilya and Shane’s story。 They will forever live in my heart。For more about this book and so many others， come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World。https://www。facebook。com/groups/Carol。。。 。。。more
Destini’s Bookshelf ❥
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I’m so excited for this story！ Heated Rivalry is such a comfort book for me and the fact that I’m getting a bloody sequel to this is the best gift！
Olive
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DYING。 i need this now
Bizzy
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Warning: This review contains spoilers for The Long Game， Heated Rivalry， and Role Model。 If you want to go into The Long Game blind， do not read this review！3。5/5 stars。 The Long Game is exceptionally good at providing new content for Heated Rivalry fans， but not entirely successful as a romance novel。Heated Rivalry is currently one of the most popular books in the M/M romance genre， and one of the few romances that’s become its own fandom。 The Long Game was clearly written with Heated Rivalry’ Warning: This review contains spoilers for The Long Game， Heated Rivalry， and Role Model。 If you want to go into The Long Game blind， do not read this review！3。5/5 stars。 The Long Game is exceptionally good at providing new content for Heated Rivalry fans， but not entirely successful as a romance novel。Heated Rivalry is currently one of the most popular books in the M/M romance genre， and one of the few romances that’s become its own fandom。 The Long Game was clearly written with Heated Rivalry’s most dedicated fans in mind， because it provides exactly what they’ve been wanting in the three years since HR’s publication: as much new Ilya/Shane content as possible。 If you count yourself as one of HR’s devoted fans， you will love the Long Game。 The downside of writing the book this way - focusing on maximizing new and novel scenarios for the characters - is that it hurts the book’s narrative flow。 The Long Game is not entirely successful as a romance novel because there are so many different conflicts that none gets the space it deserves， and the narrative momentum is constantly broken by cameos， callbacks， and sex scenes that don’t advance the core narrative。 As one example， there’s a sex scene approximately every 10% of the book。 That’s probably great if you’re a huge HR fan who’s been dying for more content， but in a book that’s purportedly focused on an emotionally heavy story， it’s just too much， especially because the primary purpose of most of those scenes is apparently to be novel， not to advance the plot。 As another example， a major new conflict is introduced at 80% and mostly resolved by 90%; two additional plot lines are covered in the remaining 10% of the book。 HR has its own pacing problems， but one of its biggest strengths is that it has only one conflict and the back half of the book is dedicated to slowly， painstakingly unraveling it in a way that spools out tension for the reader。 The Long Game， by contrast， continuously undermines any sense of tension by interrupting the narrative flow。 That being said， there’s plenty I liked in this book。 Reid introduces several new issues for Shane and Ilya， most notably Ilya dealing with depression and the asymmetry between the sacrifices he and Shane have made for the relationship。 There’s also the near-death experience from Role Model and the painful difficulty of a long-distance relationship that has no end in sight。 Reid’s handling of each of these issues is powerful and emotional， and I wish the reader was given more time to sit with some of these issues and really feel what the characters （especially Ilya） are feeling。 I really liked that the book explores what happens after the initial Happy For Now and the effort it takes to maintain a relationship， especially a long-distance once。 The conflict over the characters’ uneven sacrifices is something that I’m sure many readers can deeply relate to， and is fairly unique in M/M romance。 I also liked how Reid handled Ilya’s depression。 Like her portrayal of Ryan’s anxiety in Tough Guy， Reid writes Ilya’s depression in a realistic way， such as his struggle with feelings of worthlessness and his slow， grudging realization that depression doesn’t have an easy fix and will affect him and his relationship with Shane for a long time to come。 I wish Reid had further developed the thread about Ilya hiding his feelings because he doesn’t want to be a burden - something many people with depression can relate to - instead of muddying the waters with Shane’s obliviousness。 My biggest issue with this part of the story is that Ilya doesn’t really read like a person with depression。 Ryan’s internal narrative in Tough Guy felt very real to me; Ilya’s narrative in The Long Game has moments of poignancy but sometimes feels more like Reid saying the right things about depression than Ilya actually living them。 The best example of this is that Ilya mentions suicidal ideation a few times in such an offhand way that it felt inauthentic to me。 The weakest part of the narrative is Shane。 I understand that this is intentionally more Ilya’s book because HR focused more on Shane， but this book didn’t do enough to reinforce what HR established about Shane’s personality and appeal。 He’s not very sympathetic or interesting here; the main thing he does in this book （besides have sex with Ilya） is stick to a very restrictive diet。 This wasn’t backed up with anything deeper （probably because there was no space to do so）， so it doesn’t add much to the plot， other than make me feel concerned that Shane might need a better way to deal with stress。Overall， I understand why Reid wrote the book the way she did: Maximum new Shane/Ilya content is what her core fans wanted， and they’re the ones who were most excited about this book （and will do the most to promote it to others）。 I don’t fault her for catering to that audience。 But the drawback is that those who weren’t already sold on Heated Rivalry likely will not be converted by The Long Game。 I highly recommend this book to HR fans， but my recommendation is more reserved for everyone else。 My review is based on the ARC of The Long Game。 。。。more
Natalie
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It's finally time！ The direct sequel to the oft-recommended enemies-to-lovers powerhouse "Heated Rivalry，" "The Long Game" finally gives Ilya and Shane the happily ever after they deserve。Since the initial telling of their romance， Ilya and Shane have been in the background of the other books in the series， together and in love， but still keeping their relationship a secret。 Ilya is still in the closet。 The couple is deep in their long-term plan of making their relationship palatable to their te It's finally time！ The direct sequel to the oft-recommended enemies-to-lovers powerhouse "Heated Rivalry，" "The Long Game" finally gives Ilya and Shane the happily ever after they deserve。Since the initial telling of their romance， Ilya and Shane have been in the background of the other books in the series， together and in love， but still keeping their relationship a secret。 Ilya is still in the closet。 The couple is deep in their long-term plan of making their relationship palatable to their teams， the NHL and fans。 Since their first book together， Ilya has gotten cooler， if that is at all possible。 The cocky Russian forward has been encouraging and supportive in Ontario to the main characters of subsequent books， and I just wanted him to be happy， dammit。 Thank god that this book does it。 It does it so， so well。 In fact， I cried at one point。 A good portion of this book runs parallel to the one directly before it， and it's fascinating and amazing to see it from Shane and Ilya's point of view。 This book is very， very much character and relationship driven， and that could have easily been boring or repetitive。 But it's not at all。 In the first book， we learn about Ilya's mother's battle with depression， that she ultimately lost。 In this book， Ilya himself struggles with mental health and it's treated realistically。 There's no cure-all for depression: not a good team or season or relationship， and reading Ilya come to terms with that was really affecting。 Reading how he struggled to let Shane into that part of his life was heart-breaking。 If you've read the fifth book in the series， you know Ilya was on a plane that nearly crashed。 In the fifth book， it's a big emotional moment for Troy and Harris， too。 But in this book -- it made me cry。 To read how it affected both Ilya and Shane。 Erg。 It's so romantic and intense and I just -- cannot say enough good things about this book。 Also， this is spicy as hell！ I think "Heated Rivalry" was already higher in heat than the other books in this series， but this one outdoes it。 There are SO many sex scenes， like 8， at least。 Shane and Ilya understand each other in the bedroom， and the dynamics between them are very hot and Rachel Reid does an excellent job writing them。 A great balance exists between this intense sexual energy and the equally intense narrative points。 Ilya and Shane are undoubtedly in love， but the secrecy and time apart chips away at them throughout the book， and it's frustrating to read。 I just wanted them to be out and happy， and it takes them time to get there。 This book was so worth the wait， and I wish I could better articulate everything I loved about it， but it's hard without spoiling literally everything about it。 Rachel Reid stuck the landing with this one， and it's the strongest in the series。| I received an ARC， and this is my honest， freely review。 | 。。。more
Em
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Sometimes my romance novels let me down。 I've been in a PROLONGED， months long romance novel reading slump and I actually winced at the start of The Long Game - dreading/worrying it wouldn't or couldn't be as good as I hoped it would be。 Side note:I've had this dread/trepidation for a while now， but I really hit rock bottom after reading/writing my last review for All About Romance （a TERRIBLE Viking debut romance）， followed by a book my SIL insisted WAS AMAZING and breathlessly begged me to rea Sometimes my romance novels let me down。 I've been in a PROLONGED， months long romance novel reading slump and I actually winced at the start of The Long Game - dreading/worrying it wouldn't or couldn't be as good as I hoped it would be。 Side note:I've had this dread/trepidation for a while now， but I really hit rock bottom after reading/writing my last review for All About Romance （a TERRIBLE Viking debut romance）， followed by a book my SIL insisted WAS AMAZING and breathlessly begged me to read （After， by Anna Todd）。 Reader friends， books like After - I MEAN AWFUL MISOGYNIST BULLSHIT - are why romance gets a bad rap。 And it's a series。 AND THERE'S A SHOW。 My god。 I CAN'T EVEN。Anywho。 I've also been largely MIA from NetGalley because I abandoned a long list of books when my non-romance-reading life became totally overwhelming and I just quit。 I mean， something had to give。。。and for me， it was reviewing this genre I love so much。 So。。。romance has been a disaster for me lately， and I cold-quit NG months ago and have felt guilty about it ever since。 For those reasons， I've been reluctant to return to NG and face rejection after I abandoned all those books。 But RACHEL REID HAD A NEW BOOK UP。 AND IT STARRED ILYA AND SHANE。 AND I LOVE THEM - STARRY EYES - SO MUCH。 So I went back。 And I requested it。 AND I GOT IT。 FIST PUMPING DANCING COMMENCED。Reader - my happiness once I finished only two pages？ Off the charts！ You've made it this far in this non-review。 You've seen the stars。 And now you want to know about the ACTUAL book and not my weird mentalmidgetness。 Look， All right！ Stop whatcha doin'， 'cause I'm about to ruin The image and the style that ya used to Okay， okay。 That quote doesn't even make any sense。 But I kept thinking about those first lyrics （for reference: The Humpty Dance， by Digital Underground - LOL） as I was writing this review。 （I decided to use them so they could be an ear worm for you to suffer through， too。 You're welcome。） MOVING ON。 But really。 Stop what you're doing and pre-order this book immediately。 The Long Game is sexy and fun and funny and romantic and sad and profound and special and。。。。It's W O N D E R F U L。 An RR love letter to her fans， and I was here for all of it。 I loved it。 I loved it。 I love it。 I'm definitely going to read it again and probably I'm going to listen to it， too。 Ilya and Shane are together as a committed couple。 They tell each other how they feel all the time （YES！）， they show each other how they feel all the time （hello steamy sexy times！ Yes！）， and they pine for each other when they are apart all the time。 OMG it's awful for both of them when they are apart。 And Ilya is over it。 He wants to be out and his hockey team is living the Pride HIGH life even though they aren't winning many games。 For reals。 He wants the world to know how much he loves Shane and he wants to stop hiding。 Ilya feels like he's living a half-life。 He has Shane， but no one else knows his true self。 He also has a leetle secret he's hiding from Shane， too， and it's put a damper on his ability to see himself and his life clearly。 So he keeps on doing what they've been doing。 Hiding。 Hating it。 Loving Shane。 Wishing things were different。Meanwhile， Shane has all the same desires -but he's committed to keeping the relationship a secret until he retires。 He's pretty sure Ilya is on the same page - but he wonders。 Even so， Ilya agreed to this plan and since Shane loves a plan he sticks to keeping their love a secret from the world。 Except， people in Shane's life DO know。 His team knows he's gay; his parents know he's in a relationship with Ilya。 Oh， and so does his best friend Hayden。。。and former girlfriend Rose。 People Know。 And his hockey team just won the Stanley Cup。 So even though Shane hates to be apart from Ilya and hates keeping their relationship a secret and hates that he can't show his love for Ilya to the whole world， he battens down the hatches， sticks to a TERRIBLE AND AWFUL， SOUL SUCKING diet， focuses on hockey - his other true love - and keeps on keepin' on。 Oh， but he's also a little bit worried that Ilya is keeping a secret from him but uncertain how to get him to fess up。Oh， friends。 You're seeing break-up-ville and the 'ole Big Misunderstanding trope just ready to rear their ugly heads aren't you？ Well， slow your roll。 This is Rachel Reid and RACHEL REID LOVES ILYA AND SHANE AND HER READERS AND LOVE AND HOCKEY and she isn't fucking around with that bullshit。 Nope， these two are SOUL FREAKING MATES and this author knows a lot about soul mates and rabid fandoms and she does not disappoint。 They do the work。 They tell each other hard truths。 They make up after ugly spats。 They CARE FOR EACH OTHER AND ARE THERE FOR EACH OTHER AND THEY DO IT ALL TOGETHER。 Their relationship is the centerpiece of this story and she never forgets it。 I loved how 'in love' these two are and their total and complete joy in each other。 I loved that we get so much of Ilya's PoV this time out。 I loved the evolution of this story and the events in this novel as they intersect with earlier books。 I love the cameos。 I love the dogs。 My god， I love the dogs。 I love the FREAKING AMAZING LOVE in this story。 You will too。 Ilya struggles this time out - but not over his feelings for Shane。 The story sometimes goes dark when it explores his mindset - but don't let it deter you from this novel。 Life is hard。 For Ilya， too。 。。。more
Silvia
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I was sent this book as an advance copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes， but all opinions are my own。DO YOU ALL KNOW HOW LONG IT'S BEEN SINCE A CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE MADE ME CRY！！ WHAT THE FUCK！！！！Ilya and Shane's story stayed with me for a full year since first reading their book， and I reserved a reread of Heated Rivalry for the moment before I'd （hopefully） get to read their well-deserved sequel。 Rereading that book immediately reminded me of all the reasons I liked i I was sent this book as an advance copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes， but all opinions are my own。DO YOU ALL KNOW HOW LONG IT'S BEEN SINCE A CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE MADE ME CRY！！ WHAT THE FUCK！！！！Ilya and Shane's story stayed with me for a full year since first reading their book， and I reserved a reread of Heated Rivalry for the moment before I'd （hopefully） get to read their well-deserved sequel。 Rereading that book immediately reminded me of all the reasons I liked it in the first place， and why I love the enemies （or in this case rivals） to lovers trope so much。 I really think this series is the best use of this trope in a contemporary context I've read so far。I have to say that I usually don't love the idea of a direct sequel to a romance book。 I find it unnecessary in most cases and it makes me dread the potential for a dramatic break-up that seems to be so common with books about an established couple。 But Heated Rivalry， and especially Ilya and Shane， needed and deserved a sequel， and I couldn't wait for it。 And it was everything I could have asked for。Most of The Long Game takes place as they try their best to keep their relationship secret， and we see the different way Ilya and Shane feel about all the different aspects of it: the distance， the secrecy， the yearning that comes with only being able to be together pretty much one night at the time， the endless wait for summer when they can spend more time together （but with the looming presence of the new season starting， always too soon）。 I think upon rereading Heated Rivalry we already had a feeling of who would be the one more cautious and scared of coming out in the public， a process that's made scarier and more complicated for them given their roles as rivals。 The Long Game was consistent with what the first book started and it expanded on it， giving even more depth to both of their stories， and especially to Ilya's journey with his mental health。 I liked how it was shown that sometimes in a couple there's a certain unbalance （in their case， who has more support） that's not really anyone's fault but at some point it comes out in full force and it needs to be addressed。 And that's the thing， I feel like the communication in both of these books is excellent， with a few bumps in the road that are only to be expected。 No need for a super dramatic breakup arc （thank god）。 There was also more space dedicated to friendship， mostly with people that readers will know from the rest of the series （which I haven't read yet， but I really liked these characters anyway）。 I can't tell you how many times I teared up because of cute/heartwarming moments in this book。 There was really never a moment I wasn't invested with my whole heart in Ilya and Shane both as a couple and as individuals with their own fears and worries and small happiness found both within and outside of their relationship。 It's been so long since I felt like a book/series had a healing effect on me， so needed in these scary times， but this book and its direct prequel are now definitely in my list of books I'd reread when I'm in need of comfort。 Which isn't to say that they're all fluff and rainbows， quite the opposite （see TWs）。In conclusion I hope it's clear that I really can't recommend these books enough。 Even if you， like me， haven't read the rest of the series please make sure to check out these two books together because the chances that you will find a new favorite are high。TWs: depression， homophobia， mention of suicide， alcohol and drug use， （view spoiler）[（accidental） public outing， a scene in which a plane accident is avoided by a safety landing but a character still fears for their life （hide spoiler）] 。。。more
Zaza
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Ce livre 。。。 Pu*ain， ce livre， ça fait trois ans que je l'attends ！ Trois ans que je pense régulièrement à Shane & Ilya， trois ans que je rêvais d'une suite à leur histoire qui， pour moi， ne pouvait pas se limiter à un tome。 Trois ans que je relis des bouts de Heated rivalry， trois ans que je guette chacun de leur cameos dans les autres tomes de la série "Game Changer"， trois ans que ce couple formidable a élu une place très spéciale dans mon coeur。 Et donc là， cette fois， ça y est Rachel Reid l Ce livre 。。。 Pu*ain， ce livre， ça fait trois ans que je l'attends ！ Trois ans que je pense régulièrement à Shane & Ilya， trois ans que je rêvais d'une suite à leur histoire qui， pour moi， ne pouvait pas se limiter à un tome。 Trois ans que je relis des bouts de Heated rivalry， trois ans que je guette chacun de leur cameos dans les autres tomes de la série "Game Changer"， trois ans que ce couple formidable a élu une place très spéciale dans mon coeur。 Et donc là， cette fois， ça y est Rachel Reid l'a fait， elle nous offre cette suite qu'une grande partie de la communauté M/M attendait avec ardeur ！Cette suite est largement à la hauteur de mes espérances， au-delà même。 J'ai été complètement bouleversée par Ilya， rien que d'y repenser， j'ai la gorge qui se noue et les larmes aux yeux。 Rachel Reid a fait un travail REMARQUABLE sur ce personnage， assurément l'un des héros que j'aime le plus parmi mes lectures de ces trois dernières années。 Comment vous dire 。。。。 Ilya est juste parfait， et dans ce tome， il traverse vraiment des moments difficiles， et malgré tout l'amour qu'il peut porter à Ilya， j'ai parfois eu de violentes envies de gifler Shane et de le secouer comme un prunier pour la peine qu'il lui causait。 Ilya est un homme charismatique， il est drôle， attentionné， plein de tendresse mais dans le fond， il reste ce petit garçon de 12 ans dévasté par perte de sa maman。 L'autrice a vraiment fait un boulot extraordinaire avec lui， en abordant ainsi la question de la santé mentale et de la dépression， donnant parfois lieu à des scènes rudes à lire tant on sent la détresse et la tristesse profonde de cet homme。Mais tout n'est pas triste ou rude dans ce roman， le hockey et l'esprit de camaraderie sont bien présents， et j'ai pris plaisir à redécouvrir certains passages de Role Model（puisque The long game se déroule en partie en parallèle de celui-ci。 Dans ces passages-là， on sent tout l'amour que Rachel Reid peut porter à ce sport et cela m'a donné plus envie que jamais de regarder des matchs， et de suivre l'actualité de la NHL。Et puis bien sûr， il y a cette magnifique histoire d'amour entre Shane et Ilya， qui se courent après depuis pas moins de onze ans。 Onze ans de désir， de rencontres clandestines， de sentiments qui évoluent， mais aussi onze ans de rivalité sur la glace， une rivalité largement alimentée et marketée par les instances de la NHL。 Seulement， toutes ces années de clandestinité ont un prix， et pour Ilya， ce prix est de plus en plus dur à encaisser。 Il y a peu de M/M dans lesquels on peut ressentir à ce point la force de l'amour que ces deux hommes se portent， c'est beau， c'est fort， c'est bouleversant， et pour moi， Shane et Ilya sont vraiment un couple iconique dans la littérature M/M。 Ce mélange de force brute et de vulnérabilité extrême， cette confiance qu'ils ont l'un envers l'autre， c'est tellement intense ！ Et évidemment， le fait que leur histoire dure si longtemps， et dans le contexte que l'on connaît ne fait qu'amplifier la force qu'ils dégagent tous les deux。Avec ce roman， je serai passée par toutes les émotions : j'ai ri， j'ai pleuré， j'ai couiné de joie， j'ai eu le ventre et la gorge serrés de tristesse， j'ai eu des papillons dans le ventre， j'ai enragé profondément après Shane que j'ai eu quelquefois envie de gifler， j'ai poussé des soupirs rêveurs 。。。 Je me suis sentie vivante tout au long de cette lecture， je suis tombée encore plus amoureuse de ces deux hommes， ils ont tous les deux définitivement un morceau de mon coeur 。。。 J'ai eu beaucoup de mal de les quitter， d'ailleurs dès que j'ai terminé le livre il y a deux jours， je me suis empressée de relire certains passages， je ne pouvais pas les laisser， et depuis deux jours， je n'arrête pas de penser à eux， de relire encore et encore certains extraits， avec toujours la même intensité émotionnelle。J'ai même du mal à terminer cet avis， c'est dire 。。。 Je sais déjà que dans les jours qui viennent， je reviendrai encore picorer ici et là quelques passages， de ce livre-là， mais aussi du premier， tant ce couple marque ma vie et mon coeur de lectrice。Shane et Ilya 。。。 ya lyublyu tebya。 ♥ ♥ 。。。more
Esther R （esther。reads）
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If you haven’t given Rachel Reid’s MM hockey series a chance yet， you need to fix that。 Because you will fall head over heels in love with Ilya and Shane。 I am not someone who likes continuing one couples story， but for these two？ I would read four more books。 In Heated Rivalry， we get to know these two men and how hate and lust toe a really fine line。 You get to see Shane coming to terms with his sexuality。 The hate sex is top notch， truly。 The Long Game is a few years later， Ilya and Shane are If you haven’t given Rachel Reid’s MM hockey series a chance yet， you need to fix that。 Because you will fall head over heels in love with Ilya and Shane。 I am not someone who likes continuing one couples story， but for these two？ I would read four more books。 In Heated Rivalry， we get to know these two men and how hate and lust toe a really fine line。 You get to see Shane coming to terms with his sexuality。 The hate sex is top notch， truly。 The Long Game is a few years later， Ilya and Shane are still together and their relationship has grown so much。Ilya and Shane have been together， first as casual hookups and then in a relationship for over a decade… secretly。 From before their rookie year in the NLH， they’ve been pitted against each other as rivals。 The league may have chilled a bit about gay players coming out， but there is absolutely no way anyone would be okay with these two being together。 So， they’ve loved each other quietly for years， trusting only a few select people with this knowledge。 Being able to watch these two grow and see their love get so much better was just perfect。 They learn to communicate with each other better。 Ugh the way these two stand up for their love？ Perfection。 I love seeing the growth in both of these men within these books。 Shane has some internalized homophobia to overcome and it’s hard and wonderful。“Live how you want， love who you want。 People will judge you， hate you， criticize you， but plenty more will support you and love you。 And， in the end， no one matters except the people you care about。”I want to see these two dorks grow old together and raise babies。 Rachel， can we have Shane and Ilya as minor league hockey dads and coaches？？ I can picture it so clearly and they’d be too perfect。 CWs: homophobia Thanks to Carina/Harlequin and NetGalley for the e-galley of THE LONG GAME。 This title is a digital release only on April 26， 2022。 。。。more
roma
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3。5 stars
Erin
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THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING。 I mean， really。 Everything。 *sighs in contentment*Rachel Reid delivered a satisfying continuation to Shane and Ilya's love story。 I wholeheartedly believe that any reader who has been patiently （or impatiently） waiting for The Long Game will love this book。 I had a book hangover for WEEKS。 The Long Game picks up where Heated Rivalry has left Shane and Ilya。 They're still hosting hockey camps during the summer and spending their off time secreted away at Shane's cabin。 Du THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING。 I mean， really。 Everything。 *sighs in contentment*Rachel Reid delivered a satisfying continuation to Shane and Ilya's love story。 I wholeheartedly believe that any reader who has been patiently （or impatiently） waiting for The Long Game will love this book。 I had a book hangover for WEEKS。 The Long Game picks up where Heated Rivalry has left Shane and Ilya。 They're still hosting hockey camps during the summer and spending their off time secreted away at Shane's cabin。 During the hockey season， they remain focused on their careers and getting to the playoffs， and continue pining and longing for the small scraps of time they can be together。 It's not always easy for them to navigate the demands of their profession and the needs of their relationship。 However， the deep love and respect that Ilya and Shane share for each other shines brightly throughout。 I will never get enough of the way that they joke around and dig at each other （SO many zingers and one lines had me laughing out loud， for real）， and then come through and support each other in moments of self-doubt， low confidence， and pain。 Shane and Ilya are one of my favorite book couples。 #bookcouplegoals Readers should be aware that an MC in this book experiences depression。 As with other books in the Game Changers series， Reid handles writing about mental health issues with care and thought。All the thanks to Carina and NetGalley for the ARC copy of this instant re-read book。 I can't wait until my pre-ordered paper copy is delivered so I can read it again！ 。。。more
Hirora
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This was such an anticipated sequel and Rachel Reid rose to every single expectation。 This was the miscommunication trope done absolutely correctly。 It wasn't miscommunication for the sake of scooting the plot along it was grounded in their character's personalities and insecurities and the stressful situation that they were in keeping their long-term relationship a secret。 This book was the perfect balance of character growth with the domesticity that we all so craved after book 1。 I honestly l This was such an anticipated sequel and Rachel Reid rose to every single expectation。 This was the miscommunication trope done absolutely correctly。 It wasn't miscommunication for the sake of scooting the plot along it was grounded in their character's personalities and insecurities and the stressful situation that they were in keeping their long-term relationship a secret。 This book was the perfect balance of character growth with the domesticity that we all so craved after book 1。 I honestly loved every minute of it。 The humor， the growth of each character individually and in their relationship together， as well as the well-developed side characters。 Was honestly a perfect sequel。 。。。more
Katherine
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Can't remember the last time I've been so excited for an impending book release。 Inject all the Ilya-Shane into my veins， I'll take every crumb Rachel Reid will give us from now until forevermore。 Already devoured the three-chapter teaser from NetGalley and can't wait for the rest of the book。 Can't remember the last time I've been so excited for an impending book release。 Inject all the Ilya-Shane into my veins， I'll take every crumb Rachel Reid will give us from now until forevermore。 Already devoured the three-chapter teaser from NetGalley and can't wait for the rest of the book。 。。。more
madigan459
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 In this review I will happily share my thoughts on the book。 However， for anyone interested in this book， it is my strong recommendation that you read no reviews and seek no spoilers; go into this one as I did， totally blind。While not included in the ARC， it's my understanding that the published version will include a very important CW: this book tackles depression and the management of mental health， and does include a few on-page mentions of suicidal ideation。 My expectation for this book was In this review I will happily share my thoughts on the book。 However， for anyone interested in this book， it is my strong recommendation that you read no reviews and seek no spoilers; go into this one as I did， totally blind。While not included in the ARC， it's my understanding that the published version will include a very important CW: this book tackles depression and the management of mental health， and does include a few on-page mentions of suicidal ideation。 My expectation for this book was that it would be more wonderful， more swoon， more feels than I could have ever imagined。 More than that， I sincerely believed that even that expectation would be exceeded。 And here I am， at the end of a two-day emotional reading journey （I shed actual tears！） and I can say in all honesty that Rachel Reid has walked into my life， busted everything up， and I am now dead。 This book was everything。 And I am now destroyed。 In this long-anticipated Shane/Ilya sequel， I think Reid could have easily written pornographic fluff interspersed with domestic scenes and her rabid fanbase （myself included） would have been perfectly happy。 I don't believe it was possible for her to go wrong here。 Rather than fluff with an unrealistically easy HEA though， Reid took us in an unexpected direction。 This book was Ilya's book and in it we get to see a more real， more raw Ilya and come to understand the depth of emotion he experiences。 We've seen this emotional side of Ilya before （I'm thinking of many of the scenes from the cottage in the last quarter of Heated Rivalry in particular） but he has， in my view， always been predominantly shown as the carefree， annoyingly charming， Russian trickster。 And while I swooned so hard at the end of Heated Rivalry when Ilya agreed to walk away from hockey success to join a losing team in order to be closer to Shane， in this one we see the consequences of that decision。 Yes， he and Shane are happy/relieved to be a short drive apart， but it's hammered home how Ilya changed his whole life and Shane changed nothing。 Shane has nearby family and the support of close friends， while Ilya has no one he feels he can really talk to， leading to Ilya's loneliness， sense of isolation， and eventually depression。 Rachel Reid has tackled mental health before （I'm thinking of Tough Guy specifically） and has shown that she can be trusted to handle the topic with care。 I think what I valued most here was the honesty surrounding mental health care management。 Ilya entered therapy hoping to easily "fix" himself， which is a common enough desire for those of us suffering from mental health issues。 Where Reid took great care was in showing that clinical depression is not a thing that can be "fixed" after a one or two therapy sessions， or even after building the life one believes should make them happy。 It takes time and a lot of hard work to reach a stable place。 And I appreciated that Reid showed those aspects of Ilya's mental healthcare journey。Of all the characters in this series， Ilya is probably my favorite character， but I do have a soft spot for Shane。 I think it speaks to Reid's talent that she could write me into being very angry with Shane （he made me shed a few tears when he hurt Ilya） and then bring me back around to loving him by the end of the book。 All along though， I've rooted so hard for the Shane/Ilya relationship。 And even though the HEA here comes at the very end， and even though it so hard won， it was extremely satisfying。 And swoon。 And all of the feels。eleventy billion of five stars。 A+。 100% worth the wait。ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Long Game
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Long Game&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Long Game&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0