Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How does Heated Rivalry compare to other sports romances or other books in the Game Changers series in terms of emotional impact and character development?

2. By the end of the novel, Shane and Ilya are still unable to be fully open, yet the tone feels hopeful. Do you find this ending satisfying? Why or why not? How does it compare to endings in other romance or sports-focused novels you have read?

3. Which aspects of the novel stood out to you the most (such as the characters, the emotional tension, or the hockey setting)? Were there any elements you found less effective?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Shane spends much of the novel carefully managing his behavior to meet expectations, both on and off the ice. In what ways do you find yourself adjusting who you are in different spaces or relationships, and what does that cost you emotionally?

2. Family acceptance plays very different roles in Shane’s and Ilya’s lives. How do family expectations shape your own choices, and how might your decisions change with more or less support?

3. Shane and Ilya struggle to imagine a future that allows both personal happiness and public acceptance. Have you ever faced a situation where pursuing something personally meaningful seemed to conflict with external expectations, and how did you navigate that tension?

4. The novel portrays long-term secrecy as both protective and damaging. Can you relate to a time when hiding part of yourself felt necessary? How did that choice affect your sense of connection or authenticity?

5. Ilya often uses humor, provocation, and bravado to protect himself from being hurt. Have you ever relied on a similar defense when you felt vulnerable? Did it help or hinder your relationships?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel highlights the intense role of media scrutiny in shaping public personas. How does Shane and Ilya’s fear of exposure reflect the pressures placed on public figures in the age of constant media coverage?

2. How does the novel’s treatment of team loyalty as moral virtue comment on cultural expectations for athletes, and in what ways might this clash with their personal autonomy?

3. How does the novel’s focus on secrecy as survival, rather than moral failing, challenge arguments about visibility and the expectation for marginalized athletes to be open about their identity?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Heated Rivalry unfolds across a long, at times fractured, timeline. How does this structure shape the reader’s understanding of Shane and Ilya’s relationship, and why might the author have chosen to reveal key emotional moments this way?

2. Physical touch and restraint are both emphasized in the novel. How does the novel balance explicit intimacy with moments of withheld contact to heighten emotional tension?

3. The novel concludes without a full public resolution of the relationship. How does this open-endedness reinforce the book’s central themes? What does it suggest about progress versus completion in relationships?

4. The novel repeatedly contrasts public and private spaces, such as the ice rink, hotel rooms, apartments, and the cottage. What is the significance of these various settings? How do these settings speak to ideas of intimacy and identity?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Create a short playlist that captures the emotional arc of Shane and Ilya’s relationship, from rivalry to secrecy to commitment. Choose 3-5 songs and explain how each reflects a specific phase or turning point in the novel.

2. Imagine an alternate version of the story in which Shane and Ilya decide to reveal their relationship earlier in their careers. How might this change their relationship, their teams, and the public narrative around them?

3. If you directed the Heated Rivalry adaptation, how would you visually represent the contrast between Shane and Ilya’s public rivalry and their private relationship? What moments would you emphasize to convey that tension without dialogue?