The Long Game by Rachel Reid

Narrated by Cooper North

The Long Game, the sixth intstalment in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series of hockey romances is one of my most highly anticipated books of 2022 – and I’m delighted to say that not only did it meet all my expectations, it exceeded them. It’s the sequel to Heated Rivalry, the story that introduced us to top- flight players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozunov who, despite their highly publicised reputation as intense rivals who hate each other’s guts, had in fact been carrying on a years-long affair in secret. By the end of that book, their relationship – which began as hook-ups when they were both in the same place at the same time – has evolved into a deep and abiding love, but they decide to continue to keep things under wraps for the foreseeable future – at least while they’re still playing hockey at the highest level. Coming out as queer is going to be difficult enough, but for two players whose professional rivalry is legendary to reveal that they’re in love with each other is going to need really careful handling when they decide to go public.

By the time The Long Game opens, Shane and Ilya have been together on the quiet for around ten years, the last three of those as a solid, committed couple, but the secrets and the lies are taking a toll on both of them. They’re apart way more than they’re together, their hectic schedules allowing them to see each other for only the odd day or two during the hockey season, and Ilya, especially, is finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the loneliness and sense of isolation he feels. He and Shane love each other more than ever, but with Shane riding the wave of another Stanley Cup win, in peak form and playing for the top team in the NHL, Ilya is afraid they’re going to have to wait another ten years before they can start to make a life together – and he isn’t sure he’ll be able to make it. That doesn’t mean Shane likes the way things are panning out any better, but their situations are very different. Ilya moved to Ottawa (Shane’s home town) to be nearer to him and so they would be able to see each other during what little downtime they have during the season, and the small number of people who do know about them are Shane’s friends and family; Ilya has no-one he can talk to about Shane or their relationship and is terribly lonely. His team – the Ottawa Centaurs – is good at losing and little else – which is a real downer – and worst of all, neither of them is willing to risk spoiling the little time they have together by really talking about the elephant in the room. When Shane realises Ilya is a bit ‘off’, he tries to be supportive, but Ilya – in typical Ilya fashion – just waves him away, reluctant to open up about his concerns about his mental health, which is taking a real battering.

The Long Game is told in dual PoV with chapters from both Shane and Ilya’s PoV, but this is undoubtedly – in my mind, anyway – Ilya’s book. He’s become everyone’s favourite character over the course of the series, and I’ve loved seeing him pop up in the other books to dispense his own brand of wisdom and snark and basically steal the limelight! He’s a wonderful, multi-faceted character; larger-than-life, always ready with a smart comeback and never bothered about what others think of him, but beneath all that surface bluster is a genuinely kind and sweet individual who cares passionately about the people and things that are important to him and who feels things deeply. This book showcases a more vulnerable side of him, and my heart broke for him over and over as he comes to admit he’s not doing so well, to realise just how much he’s put in to keeping his relationship with Shane going – and to wonder how much he has left to give. And while Shane is doing his best, too, trying to balance the personal and the professional, his fear of losing everything he’s worked so hard to build blinds him – for a time – to the fact that Ilya is struggling.

If you’re following the series, then you’ll know that the timelines of this book and Role Model overlap in places, so we get to see Troy Barrett’s arrival in Ottawa from Ilya’s perspective, and yes, The Plane Incident, which, as I think we’d all guessed, is a real wake-up call for both men. I liked the way we get to see Ilya and Troy becoming friends, and also the way the author presents the two teams – Montreal might be winners on the ice, but their management style leaves much to be desired, while Ottawa’s coach is a decent guy who treats the players like human beings and fosters a real sense of camaraderie and team spirit.

Cooper North’s performance is, hands down, one of his very best, and there is not a single thing about it that doesn’t work. His interpretation of Ilya is perfect, conveying every part of his complex, layered personality; he absolutely nails it when it comes to the heavy lifting and I could feel Ilya’s every emotion – his frustration, his despair, his loneliness, and his devotion to the man he loves. (I was in tears at least twice, in no small part due to the realism and intensity of the portrayal.) Mr. North is just as good in the lighter scenes, too; his comic timing is spot on, and he’s great with Ilya’s deadpan humour and snark. Shane is just as superbly characterised – a bit prickly, a bit starchy, and a lot in love, he, too, comes vividly to life. The supporting cast – many of whom we’ve met before – are all distinctly portrayed and clearly differentiated (Harris is as adorable as ever!) using a variety of pitch, tone and accent, and although there aren’t many female characters in the story, those that do appear sound convincingly feminine.

The Long Game is one of those books that delivers perfect moment after perfect moment. Some of those moments are funny, some are scorchingly sexy, some are quietly domestic and some are gut-wrenching, and through it all, Shane and Ilya remain very much them – Shane adorably buttoned up and a little bit neurotic, Ilya all swagger and endearing charm. Rachel Reid has created two unforgettable characters here, and has written them a truly wonderful HEA that’s all the more satisfying because it’s been so hard-won. I’m sad to say goodbye to these guys, but it’s a fantastic and heartfelt send-off, and I’m absolutely delighted to be leaving them on such a high. The Long Game is everything I’d hoped for; funny, sexy, poignant, and deeply romantic, topped off with an outstanding performance from Cooper North. Don’t miss it.

Caz