Spoiler alert: The following article contains information about the characters and plot of the “Game Changers” series.
After finishing the first three books, I was excited to see where Rachel Reid would take the rest of the story. Now that I have completed the “Game Changers” series, here are my final thoughts:
Rating: 5/10
“Common Goal,” the fourth novel in the series, centers on the veteran goaltender of the New York Admirals, Eric Bennett, and Kyle Swift, friend and coworker of Kip Grady from “Game Changer.” Eric and Kyle meet at Kip and Scott’s engagement party, where they immediately hit it off. Newly divorced and hesitant to explore New York’s bisexual dating scene, Eric agrees to a friends-with-benefits situationship with Kyle, which gradually evolves into shared feelings. At 25 years old, Kyle has sworn off older men, but he still finds himself drawn to 41-year-old Eric. Meanwhile, Eric is forced to reconcile with his impending retirement from hockey and the realization that he wants more than a casual arrangement with Kyle.
I found this book to be the weakest in the series. Reid places a heavy emphasis on the issues caused by the couple’s age gap, making the story feel flat and one-note. Similar to my reaction to “Tough Guy,” I wish the central conflict had been given more room to breathe, allowing the discomfort and tension to linger so that the eventual resolution would feel more earned. There is a certain novelty about letting the reader sit in the relationship for a while, particularly near the end, instead of rushing to a close. After the layered struggles found in earlier books, I was disappointed with the conflict in “Common Goal” — it made this story feel very vain.
Rating: 9/10
“Role Model” follows closeted NHL player Troy Barrett after he is traded to the Ottawa Centaurs. The trade comes on the heels of a public scandal involving his former team and his best friend. Harris Drover, social media manager of the Centaurs, has been around the team his whole life. When he notices Troy having a hard time adjusting, Harris makes an effort to help the new guy feel included. Albeit reluctant to embrace being on the worst team in the league, Troy learns that there is more to hockey than just winning — including a cute guy who works for the organization. As he grapples with his self-worth and growing feelings for Harris, Troy ultimately decides it’s all or nothing, even if that means confronting his fears.
After my mixed reaction to the last two books, I was a little concerned going into this one. I’m happy to say it completely won me over. Reid takes a noticeably different approach with this story, threading together compelling internal and external conflicts, something that seemed to be missing from the prior books.
Troy struggles not only with being closeted, but also with his self-worth, believing that he needs to make amends for his past mistakes — all while adjusting to life on the league’s worst team. My favorite decision Reid made when developing their relationship is that Troy hesitates to pursue Harris, not because he is ashamed to be seen with him, but because he feels like he doesn’t deserve him and doesn’t want Harris to have to hide for them to be together. This internal conflict pushes Troy to grow into a better person, not just for himself, but for Harris, too. This shift signals Reid’s evolution as a writer, moving beyond some of the more common queer romance tropes present in her earlier works.
I absolutely loved this story, especially how it covered various topics relating to self-worth, believing victims and standing up for yourself. The only flaw is that “Role Model” cannot be read as a standalone book.
Rating: 10/10
“The Long Game” is (currently) the final installment in Reid’s “Game Changers” series. The novel returns to Shane and Ilya, two years after Ilya’s move to the Ottawa Centaurs. The pair have settled into a rhythm: running their charity, playing hockey and seeing each other whenever their schedules allow. While Shane is at the top of his game, Ilya is unraveling. As the story progresses, Ilya spirals deeper into his mental health issues, torn between his desire to be public with Shane and his fear of the consequences of coming out. Even with their love for each other firmly established, they still struggle with communication, and the two must overcome these new challenges if they want to stay together.
“The Long Game” is truly the “Avengers: Endgame” of this series. It’s a fantastic follow-up to where readers left off in “Heated Rivalry,” and I really appreciated that this story centered on Ilya rather than Shane, shifting the focus of the prior book. A strong choice in the novel is the portrayal of depression. Through Ilya, Reid depicts depression not as an undefeatable villain, but as something that can be worked through. She portrays the experience as an ongoing battle rather than a linear process that can be solved overnight. By allowing Ilya to endure both ups and downs as the story unfolds, Reid further highlights the unpredictability of mental illness and sheds light on the lived reality of many.
I found Ilya’s journey very moving as we see him work to push through his depression, fearful that he will end up like his mother. This fear takes shape through a line on page 99: “It could be because I’m depressed. No. He was fine. Normal. It’s not like he ever stayed in bed all day crying. Neither did mom.” I also appreciated that Reid showcased therapy in a positive light, something that Ilya consistently chooses to go to instead of a one-time fix. Reid provides a wonderfully realistic perspective here, describing how Ilya knows he can be an unreliable narrator when recounting difficult situations to his therapist (p. 174). Reid also does an excellent job at examining isolation and its impact on mental and physical health, adding to Ilya’s depressive episodes.
I really enjoyed the payoff this story delivers, with the way it weaves together familiar characters and plotlines. I am looking forward to what Rachel Reid chooses to explore in the upcoming books, and I am equally eager to see how Jacob Tierney adapts these stories for Season 2 of “Heated Rivalry.”