Heated Rivalry audiobook vs book: which should you choose?
Two rival hockey stars have a secret relationship over ten years. A single narrator reads the book and voices both men.
Short answer: for the Heated Rivalry audiobook vs book choice, we say read it on Kindle (65% confidence, leaning). Tor Thom reads it for Tantor Media (2019) in 9 hours 32 minutes, unabridged. It is the only English recording we found. The reason is the timeline: the story jumps across roughly ten years, and nothing confirmed favours audio.
Read it on Kindle
A story that jumps across ten years points to reading, and nothing confirmed points to audio.
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Confidence 65%, which puts it in the leaning band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above.
The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict (Tantor Media) | US edition (Tantor Media) |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Tor Thom | Tor Thom |
| Length | 9 hours 32 minutes (9h 32m) | 9 hours 32 minutes (9h 32m) |
| At 1.5x | 6h 21m | 6h 21m |
| At 2x | 4h 46m | 4h 46m |
| Abridged or unabridged | Unabridged | Unabridged |
| Audio publisher and year | Tantor Media, 2019 | Tantor Media, 2019 |
| Print length | Not confirmed for the Harlequin paperback (2026) | Not confirmed (sources give 371 and 375 for the 2019 Carina Press edition) |
| Price | £14.11 | $6.99 (sale price) |
Audible UK and Audible US list the same product, under the same product ID. It is the only English recording we found; Italian, French and German translations are also on Audible UK.
Prices are a snapshot from 17 October 2026. Lengths checked 17 October 2026. Speed times are calculated from the listed length.
Heated Rivalry
Rachel Reid
- Genre
- Romance (hockey)
- Series
- Game Changers, book 2
- Published
- 2019
- Length
- Not confirmed for the 2026 UK paperback
- On audio
- 9 hrs 32 mins, read by Tor Thom (Tantor Media, 2019)
- On screen
- Heated Rivalry, Crave series, 2025
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
Listening: nothing confirmed, 0 points. Reading: jumping timelines (8), 8 points. 100% of the confirmed points favour reading, so the verdict is read it on Kindle at 65% confidence (leaning). Only 8 points could be confirmed, so confidence is held at 65% until more evidence is found.
The recording in detail
- Narrated by
- Tor Thom, solo, unabridged, Tantor Media, 2019
- Editions
- The only English recording we found; Audible UK and Audible US list it under the same product ID
- Casting
- Thom voices both Shane and Ilya, including Ilya’s Russian accent
- Listener ratings
- 4.6 from 470 ratings on Audible UK and 4.7 from 3,442 on Audible US, as of October 2026
- What audio adds
- One voice for both men, with an accent for Ilya that listeners are split on
- What you miss
- Any printed markers for years and places, and the texts as set out in print (neither confirmed)
What this book actually is
Heated Rivalry is book 2 of Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series, first published by Carina Press, a Harlequin imprint, on 25 March 2019. Harlequin published a UK paperback on 20 January 2026 and a deluxe hardback on 29 September 2026.
Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are rival hockey stars who begin a secret relationship. It is told in the third person from both their points of view, in four parts with a prologue and an epilogue, and covers 2008 to 2018. The Crave series Heated Rivalry, with Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, premiered on 28 November 2025.
The case for reading it
The timeline is the case for print. The book opens in 2016, steps back to 2008 and then works forward through a decade, and in print it is easier to check which year you are in or flick back to an earlier meeting.
There may be a second reason we could not confirm. Shane and Ilya text and call each other under false contact names, “Lily” and “Jane”. If print sets those messages apart, that is something the audiobook cannot show, but we have not seen how a current edition lays them out.
The case for listening to it
The story has one main storyline: two rivals and the relationship they keep from everyone else. With two points of view and few other names, it is easy to follow while doing something else, and it runs under ten hours.
Tor Thom reads both men. Listeners rate the recording 4.7 on Audible US and 4.6 on Audible UK, as of October 2026, though Audible UK reviews split on his Ilya: one praises it, another says the Russian accent “blended into the English dialogue”.
The audiobook in detail
Tantor Media’s recording, read by Tor Thom, was published on 22 October 2019 and runs 9 hours 32 minutes, unabridged: 6 hours 21 minutes at 1.5x and 4 hours 46 minutes at 2x. It is the only English recording we found, made six years before the television series, and Audible UK and Audible US list it under the same product ID.
Queerty reports that Thom has narrated more than 500 titles and won SOVAS and Earphones awards, though none for this book. Italian, French and German translations are also sold on Audible UK.
Who should ignore this verdict
Anyone who can comfortably follow a story that moves between years on audio. The book has one main storyline, about two rivals and the relationship they keep secret, with two points of view and few other names, so it is easy to follow while doing something else.
Anyone who wants Tor Thom’s voice for both men. The recording runs 9 hours 32 minutes, and listeners rate it 4.7 on Audible US and 4.6 on Audible UK, as of October 2026. Try a sample first, as Audible UK reviews split on his Ilya.
Kindle
- Harlequin UK paperback, January 2026
- Print page count not confirmed
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Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
Who narrates the Heated Rivalry audiobook?
The Heated Rivalry audiobook is read by Tor Thom, who voices both Shane and Ilya. It was published by Tantor in 2019 and is the only English recording found.
How long is the Heated Rivalry audiobook?
The Heated Rivalry audiobook is 9 hours 32 minutes (9h 32m) long, unabridged. At 1.5x that is about 6 hours 21 minutes, and at 2x 4 hours 46 minutes (calculated).
Is the Heated Rivalry audiobook abridged?
No. The Heated Rivalry audiobook is unabridged on Audible UK and US.
Should I read or listen to Heated Rivalry?
Read it on our checks (65% confidence, leaning). The story jumps across roughly ten years, which print makes easier to follow, and nothing confirmed favours the audiobook.
Is Heated Rivalry the second Game Changers book?
Yes. Heated Rivalry is book 2 of Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series, after Game Changer (2018). The TV series’ first season also draws partly on Game Changer.
Is Heated Rivalry a TV show?
Yes. Heated Rivalry premiered on Crave on 28 November 2025, starring Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie. The audiobook predates it and has no TV cast.
Do you agree with this verdict?
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How this verdict was reached
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.
- The criteria: read the thirteen questions in full.
- What we checked for this book: the Tantor Media listing on Audible UK and Audible US, Harlequin UK edition details, Wikipedia and Open Library records, Queerty on the narrator, Rolling Stone Philippines’ review, Audible UK listener reviews and reviewer content warnings.
- Verdict last reviewed: 23 October 2026. Editions and narrators change, so verdicts are rechecked annually.
- Prefer different criteria? The app, coming soon, will let you change which of the thirteen questions matter to you.
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