'Heated Rivalry' author Rachel Reid pushes back 'Unrivaled' release

In a heartfelt Instagram post, author Rachel Reid said the release date for the next book in her popular \

"Heated Rivalry" fans will need to wait a bit longer for their next update on Shane and Ilya.

Rachel Reid, author of the popular "Game Changer" book series, announced in an Instagram post on Feb. 24 that she and her publisher, Harlequin Books, are pushing back the release date for "Unrivaled" to June 1, 2027. Initially intended to publish on Sept. 29, 2026, the book is the seventh in the "Game Changer" series, which explores queer relationships among hockey players. "Unrivaled" is the third book centered around rivals and lovers Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, the main characters in the record-breaking television show, "Heated Rivalry."

In a heartfelt video to fans, Reid said the past few months have been "absolutely incredible," busy and also overwhelming, providing less time for her to write than she would like.

"I think when good things happen, sometimes the universe hands you some worse stuff to balance it out and for me, that's been that my Parkinson's symptoms have gotten a bit worse and it's made it difficult physically to write, so I'm definitely a lot slower and that's just something I need to learn how to navigate and kind of face, instead of ignoring," Reid said. "I do think this book will be worth the wait. Ultimately, it's going to be a much better book and that's the most important thing to me."

"Unrivaled" pre-orders will still be honored, Reid said. The author also mentioned that some exciting announcements will be coming later in the week, which she hopes makes it up to eager readers.