Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Bookish Wisdom earns from qualifying purchases. This doesn't change our picks or your price.
Quick answer: If you want something like Heated Rivalry with a man and a woman, try The Deal, Icebreaker, The Hating Game, Beach Read, The Love Hypothesis and The Spanish Love Deception. Each has rival tension, sports or work heat, and a satisfying slow burn.
Rachel Reid's Heated Rivalry follows two rival hockey stars, Shane and Ilya, who share a secret relationship over years. The story is male-male, so readers who want the same enemies-to-lovers, secret-heat energy with a heterosexual couple look for hockey romance and rivals-to-lovers. These 15 books deliver. Many have open-door scenes, so check each one.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Deal | Elle Kennedy | Adult | readers who want college hockey |
| The Score | Elle Kennedy | Adult | series readers |
| Icebreaker | Hannah Grace | Adult | readers who like rink rivals |
| Wildfire | Hannah Grace | Adult | readers who liked Icebreaker |
| The Hating Game | Sally Thorne | Adult | enemies-to-lovers fans |
| The Love Hypothesis | Ali Hazelwood | Adult | readers who like fake dating |
| Beach Read | Emily Henry | Adult | readers who want banter |
| People We Meet on Vacation | Emily Henry | Adult | slow-burn readers |
| Book Lovers | Emily Henry | Adult | readers who like book settings |
| The Unhoneymooners | Christina Lauren | Adult | readers who want a fun rom-com |
| The Spanish Love Deception | Elena Armas | Adult | grumpy-sunshine fans |
| Red, White & Royal Blue | Casey McQuiston | Adult | readers who want a similar couple |
| The Kiss Quotient | Helen Hoang | Adult | readers who want warmth |
| Part of Your World | Abby Jimenez | Adult | readers who like opposites attract |
| Twice Shy | Sarah Hogle | Adult | readers who want a gentle read |
1. The Deal by Elle Kennedy
Hannah and Garrett, a hockey star, fake-date so she can attract another man and he can pass his classes. First of the Off-Campus series.
Best for: readers who want college hockey.
2. The Score by Elle Kennedy
Allie falls for Dean, a hockey player who is far from a perfect boyfriend. Third in Off-Campus, with a slow reveal of his past.
Best for: series readers.
3. Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
Anastasia, a figure skater, shares the ice with hockey captain Nathan after budget cuts force them to share rink space. Funny and sweet.
Best for: readers who like rink rivals.
4. Wildfire by Hannah Grace
A companion to Icebreaker set in the same hockey world, with a new couple. Warm and steamy.
Best for: readers who liked Icebreaker.
5. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Lucy and Joshua, who work across the desk from each other, are in a constant war that turns into something else. The classic office rivals romance.
Best for: enemies-to-lovers fans.
6. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Olive, a grad student, pretends to date a professor to convince her friend she is over a man. Nerdy, funny and sweet.
Best for: readers who like fake dating.
7. Beach Read by Emily Henry
Two writers who are rivals swap genres for a summer. Banter, grief and a happy ending.
Best for: readers who want banter.
8. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Poppy and Alex take a trip every summer, until one goes wrong. Friends-to-lovers across ten years.
Best for: slow-burn readers.
9. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Nora, a literary agent, keeps running into Charlie, an editor, in a small town. A smart enemies-to-lovers rom-com.
Best for: readers who like book settings.
10. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Olive and Ethan, who dislike each other, take the honeymoon of two food-poisoned relatives. Funny and fast.
Best for: readers who want a fun rom-com.
11. The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
Catalina asks her grumpy coworker Aaron to be her fake date at a wedding in Spain. Slow burn, with spice.
Best for: grumpy-sunshine fans.
12. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
The son of the U.S. president and a British prince go from enemies to lovers. Another male-male rivals romance, for readers who want more of that.
Best for: readers who want a similar couple.
13. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Stella, who has autism, hires an escort to teach her about relationships. Sweet, steamy and real.
Best for: readers who want warmth.
14. Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
A doctor and a carpenter from different worlds fall in love in a small Minnesota town. Emotional and funny.
Best for: readers who like opposites attract.
15. Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle
Maybell inherits a mansion and finds a former crush living there too. Cozy and light.
Best for: readers who want a gentle read.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Heated Rivalry but Straight: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
For hockey, begin with The Deal or Icebreaker. For rivals and workplace tension, read The Hating Game or Book Lovers. For slow burns, choose People We Meet on Vacation or The Spanish Love Deception. If you want to stay with male-male romance, Red, White & Royal Blue is a good pick, and the rest of Reid's Game Changers series continues the story. Most of these include explicit scenes.
Related: 15 Books Like Wings of Fire Kids Will Love: Dragons, Quests and Animal Adventures · 12 Dystopian Books Like the Hunger Games | Best Books to Read Like Hunger Games
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Heated Rivalry a male-male romance?
Yes. It follows two male hockey players, and a TV adaptation has made it popular.
Is The Deal spicy?
It has several open-door scenes, as do most books on this list.
Which book has the best hockey setting?
The Deal and Icebreaker are the most popular hockey romances with a male-female couple.