Name: Nat Wong's review of The Long Game by Rachel Reid
Item: The Long Game
Rating: 4.5
Author: Nat Wong

Rachel Reid

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.

A Gay Sports Romance

The Long Game

Alyssa Weaver

“I choose you, Ilya. I promise I will always, always choose you.” Shane’s eyes began to shimmer. He took a deep breath and said, “Ilya Gregoryevich Rosanov, will you marry me?”

Quietly, in a voice that couldn’t disguise his pain, he said, “I already chose you, Hollander.”

He's on one side with his friends and family, while you're on the other side, alone.

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.

“I love you. Always. Maybe from the first time I saw you. I am thinking only about you right now. A million memories. Thank you for those.”

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

loved the depth added to ilya’s character but hated how shane ended up being treated by his team !!!!!!!!!!!!! 

overall a really immersive continuation of their story, felt real ! and complex!! can’t wait,,, to see this developed in the show 😭

Nat Wong

loved the depth added to ilya’s character but hated how shane ended up being treated by his team !!!!!!!!!!!!! 

overall a really immersive continuation of their story, felt real ! and complex!! can’t wait,,, to see this developed in the show 😭

After watching the show, I had to know how their story ended!!

Amelia Hruby

i don’t know if this goes exactly the way i’d imagine in a lot of ways but that’s what fanfic is for and i can’t wait for season 2 to tackle some of this

zoe m

𑣲 | ‘ilya only had vague ideas of the afterlife and any gods who may be waiting there, but he believed his soul would stay with shane, however it could. he believed the people you loved stayed with you until it was your time to go. he often felt his mother with him, and he knew he’d do the same for shane.’

i fear there are no words to describe how i feel about this book, and series, ending. this book was sad and heartbreaking and also happy and heartwarming. 

seeing ilyas struggle with, well with everything made me tear up. he is so precious and he deserved this happy ending so much. 

i loved how shane’s family treated him and don’t even get me started on that one david and ilya scene i was crying BUCKETS. 

also fuck montreal because when shane got outed how they treated him was fucking disgusting and i’m so glad he got signed with ilyas team.

this book had its highs and lows and ultimately this is family. i will forever be changed. 

also fuck dallas kent, roger crowell and anyone who ever said a bad word about shane hollander and ilya rozanov! 

𑣲 | ‘ilya only had vague ideas of the afterlife and any gods who may be waiting there, but he believed his soul would stay with shane, however it could. he believed the people you loved stayed with you until it was your time to go. he often felt his mother with him, and he knew he’d do the same for shane.’

— ❀ 5/5

i fear there are no words to describe how i feel about this book, and series, ending. this book was sad and heartbreaking and also happy and heartwarming. 

seeing ilyas struggle with, well with everything made me tear up. he is so precious and he deserved this happy ending so much. 

i loved how shane’s family treated him and don’t even get me started on that one david and ilya scene i was crying BUCKETS. 

also fuck montreal because when shane got outed how they treated him was fucking disgusting and i’m so glad he got signed with ilyas team.

this book had its highs and lows and ultimately this is family. i will forever be changed. 

also fuck dallas kent, roger crowell and anyone who ever said a bad word about shane hollander and ilya rozanov! 

I love them so much 🥹 I’m so glad they got the ending they deserve. 

Honestly, it was so nice to read about a couple who so deeply love each other, and it’s refreshing that even through all their trials and tribulations (and there was a lot to unpack here) that their feelings for each other were never ever a doubt for you as the reader. 

I enjoyed how Ilya’s struggles with his mental health were portrayed, It felt believable for the story but I do think Shane’s were slightly brushed over and could have been a bit more developed. And for some reason for me the ending felt a bit rushed with the time jumps but I think I was just sad it was over. 

Anyways, I genuinely need them injected into my bloodstream, I can’t get enough. I love them, and I cant wait to see this be brought to life with Connor and Hudson 🏒

Eimear O'Connor 

I love them so much 🥹 I’m so glad they got the ending they deserve. 

Honestly, it was so nice to read about a couple who so deeply love each other, and it’s refreshing that even through all their trials and tribulations (and there was a lot to unpack here) that their feelings for each other were never ever a doubt for you as the reader. 

I enjoyed how Ilya’s struggles with his mental health were portrayed, It felt believable for the story but I do think Shane’s were slightly brushed over and could have been a bit more developed. And for some reason for me the ending felt a bit rushed with the time jumps but I think I was just sad it was over. 

Anyways, I genuinely need them injected into my bloodstream, I can’t get enough. I love them, and I cant wait to see this be brought to life with Connor and Hudson 🏒

The Long Game by Rachel Reid will be available Apr 2022 from Carina Press!

AGH the whole time reading this i was just 📈📉📈📉📈📉 girl … anyway !

since im also watching the show and now that ive read both of the hollanov centered books .. im really scared how the fandom is going to react to shane’s character for a season 2 (if there is a season 2 lol hudson) adaptation of the long game. seeing as how shane is so popular, i feel like he’s going to be burned at the stake when “those” scenes get adapted on screen. but in jacob tierney i trust <3

Nica

AGH the whole time reading this i was just 📈📉📈📉📈📉 girl … anyway !

since im also watching the show and now that ive read both of the hollanov centered books .. im really scared how the fandom is going to react to shane’s character for a season 2 (if there is a season 2 lol hudson) adaptation of the long game. seeing as how shane is so popular, i feel like he’s going to be burned at the stake when “those” scenes get adapted on screen. but in jacob tierney i trust <3

I fucking LOVE Shane and Ilya so so much. I loved how much depth these characters have and how much they love each other. I could have 10 books about them and only them and I wouldn’t be bored. I’m grateful we got an ending to this couple especially since I was sad at the end of the other. 

Keira 💫

I fucking LOVE Shane and Ilya so so much. I loved how much depth these characters have and how much they love each other. I could have 10 books about them and only them and I wouldn’t be bored. I’m grateful we got an ending to this couple especially since I was sad at the end of the other. 

So happy I read this series <3

Kymora Wang

This was literally just a super long epilogue but I had fun

Danielle Silverman

A Gay Sports Romance (Game Changers #6)

aaaaaaaaahhhh i feel like this is everything i wanted out of heated rivalry — more hockey, more complexity to shane and ilya’s relationship, more of a cast of characters around both of them. loved how this fleshed out both shane and ilya more so that we could see their flaws and how they navigate those flaws to remain together. ILYAAAAAAAAAA i feel a strong affinity for depressed characters like hello I SEE YOU. I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL. and so i rly loved delving into that aspect of his character. and i feel like i learned from his therapist too!! wow! thank you galina!!

still love how genuinely funny these books are, esp bc of ilya, and loved the DOG. YES THEY NEED A DOG. ILYA’S EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG. now that ive read role model too, i loved how this book built on criticisms of the league they all play in. the nhl is soooo stuck in its ways, which is part of why i fell out of love w hockey, but reading these books made me rly desperately hope for a league like this, where queer players are able to come out and build community among each other and actually slap back against the higher powers in the league. ONE DAY……. i also love how you can see the ways reid rly built her cast over all of these books so that they could all come together in this last book. the book felt reaaaaally fleshed out as a result, and i loved all of the ottawa senators—oops, i mean centaurs. i was esp intrigued by luca and wished for a book abt him! 

I DID think the near death situation was slightly silly bc i think just bc you have to make an emergency landing doesn’t mean you are that likely to crash? but did like how it was used as a catalyst for shane. i think it could have been written w higher stakes!

anyway just in general, overall rly enjoyed this and felt like it was a good way to wrap up shane and ilya’s story, since i felt like i did want more out of the end of heated rivalry. yay! also shout out cooper north!! great job on the audiobook 👍👍👍 

lucia

aaaaaaaaahhhh i feel like this is everything i wanted out of heated rivalry — more hockey, more complexity to shane and ilya’s relationship, more of a cast of characters around both of them. loved how this fleshed out both shane and ilya more so that we could see their flaws and how they navigate those flaws to remain together. ILYAAAAAAAAAA i feel a strong affinity for depressed characters like hello I SEE YOU. I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL. and so i rly loved delving into that aspect of his character. and i feel like i learned from his therapist too!! wow! thank you galina!!

still love how genuinely funny these books are, esp bc of ilya, and loved the DOG. YES THEY NEED A DOG. ILYA’S EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG. now that ive read role model too, i loved how this book built on criticisms of the league they all play in. the nhl is soooo stuck in its ways, which is part of why i fell out of love w hockey, but reading these books made me rly desperately hope for a league like this, where queer players are able to come out and build community among each other and actually slap back against the higher powers in the league. ONE DAY……. i also love how you can see the ways reid rly built her cast over all of these books so that they could all come together in this last book. the book felt reaaaaally fleshed out as a result, and i loved all of the ottawa senators—oops, i mean centaurs. i was esp intrigued by luca and wished for a book abt him! 

I DID think the near death situation was slightly silly bc i think just bc you have to make an emergency landing doesn’t mean you are that likely to crash? but did like how it was used as a catalyst for shane. i think it could have been written w higher stakes!

anyway just in general, overall rly enjoyed this and felt like it was a good way to wrap up shane and ilya’s story, since i felt like i did want more out of the end of heated rivalry. yay! also shout out cooper north!! great job on the audiobook 👍👍👍 

Most sequels ruin the story, not The Long Game, though.

This book made me understand Ilya on a deeper level. I love how his depression is depicted; I love how it did not magically go away after a few therapy sessions and hockey wins. It persisted despite his engagement with Shane and the announcement of their relationship. This is not me trying to romanticize mental health issues. This is me trying to appreciate a realistic portrayal of it because that is the harsh reality of depression. One moment you are happy and alive, and the next second you’re a sobbing mess without any apparent reason. 

Although both Shane and Ilya underwent character development, I wished this book had also allowed me to emotionally connect more with Shane, as I had with Ilya. I was somewhat disappointed that Shane’s eating habits were not explored as much as Ilya’s struggles. It would have been nice if the change in Shane’s diet and behavior had happened gradually instead of that abrupt “fuck it, I am eating greasy, unhealthy food again!” when he turned thirty. 

Overall, The Long Game is still a fun read! Special mention to some of the side characters. Hayden Pike’s twin daughters, Troy Barett, and Coach Weibe, made this book more lovable!

Most sequels ruin the story, not The Long Game, though.

This book made me understand Ilya on a deeper level. I love how his depression is depicted; I love how it did not magically go away after a few therapy sessions and hockey wins. It persisted despite his engagement with Shane and the announcement of their relationship. This is not me trying to romanticize mental health issues. This is me trying to appreciate a realistic portrayal of it because that is the harsh reality of depression. One moment you are happy and alive, and the next second you’re a sobbing mess without any apparent reason. 

Although both Shane and Ilya underwent character development, I wished this book had also allowed me to emotionally connect more with Shane, as I had with Ilya. I was somewhat disappointed that Shane’s eating habits were not explored as much as Ilya’s struggles. It would have been nice if the change in Shane’s diet and behavior had happened gradually instead of that abrupt “fuck it, I am eating greasy, unhealthy food again!” when he turned thirty. 

Overall, The Long Game is still a fun read! Special mention to some of the side characters. Hayden Pike’s twin daughters, Troy Barett, and Coach Weibe, made this book more lovable!

This is my sixth or seventh reread and I’m still in love. This book is amazing and I just love these characters so much. 

Murphy-Ann Craig

Joyful Marie

My favorite couple in the series. This was the perfect way to end their story. I recommend this sequel, the writing was good and storyline kept me on my feet.

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.

lindsey

"Shane loved Ilya so much it physically hurt to contain it some days."


4.75 stars !!!!! i fear they've ruined me..i'll never be the same

listen, when i was left reeling over Heated Rivalry, i needed more from Ilya and Shane so damn bad. the ending is hopeful of course, but i knew that i had to get my hands on a bonus chapter or novella or something. what i wasn't expecting was an entire sequel ????? let's just say i abandoned everything and started it immediately.

honestly, this book was torture (in a good way). i loved Ilya and Shane so much and i was given this beautiful look into them trying to make their relationship work in such difficult and unfair circumstances. i felt their pain when they were apart and their intense relief whenever they were near each other. their love is probably one of the most beautiful and heartwrenching things i've ever read. 

this sequel could have gone many ways that i feel would have ruined it for me, but this ended up being a wonderful and visceral story showing all the ups and downs of their relationship. i didn't mind the tough conversations that they had because you could tell that it was serving the purpose of making their love even stronger and to realize what's really important. 

we also got so many scenes and quotes that have now become some of my absolute favourites. the way they talked about their love for the other in each of their pov's was so emotional and moving. their love felt like its own entity. their feelings just as physical. my heart felt like it was ripped out and being trampled on at times just because of how much i hurt for them and their complicated situation. i also really appreciated the discussions surrounding mental health and depression. i thought they were dealt with in a very respectful way. this book just made me...so incredibly emotional. i sobbed my way through it, which is not something i do. even though i cried don't let that scare you off, i promise all the emotions are worth it in the end!! i just love Ilya and Shane so intensely i can't help myself lol

now with the emotional rollercoaster that was this book, i felt that it was building up to a climax. although things were eventually dealt with, i just think i was anticipating something really intense to happen. just considering the build up that entire time. that's probably the only complaint i had about this sequel. however, i do not regret reading this book one bit. it was the beautiful and satisfying happy ending that Shane and Ilya definitely deserved. i will miss them SO much and i don't think i'll be the same after them :(

Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
The Long Game by Rachel Reid

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Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &The Long Game by Rachel Reid

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Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
The Long Game by Rachel Reid