Readers might have to wait for the adaptation of the BookTok series Off Campus, but they can already watch the perfect sports-romance adaptation on HBO Max. BookTok is the place for readers to find like-minded individuals, discuss new releases, and rave about their favorite books. As a book-lover, I appreciate this online space and BookTube because they get people reading.
Many of the BookTok favorites highlight genres and communities that are overlooked by marketing. The consumers are deciding what’s popular instead of the industry. TV and movie producers have even turned to BookTok to decide what shows they should option.
One of the most popular BookTok niches is the spicy sports romance subgenre. The audience for these books has skyrocketed. Lucky for BookTok fans, HBO Max just released the perfect show within the subgenre that will make the wait for Off Campus a little easier.
HBO’s Heated Rivalry Adaptation Is Perfect For Off Campus Fans
If there is one thing that’s true about BookTok, it’s that they love a good spicy, romantic book with a good enemies-to-lovers arc. What’s more, the hockey romance subgenre, specifically, has been booming in popularity. Besides Off Campus, other popular entries are Icebreaker, Pucking Around, and Rules of the Game.
Based on this, the book Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid is everything a BookTok fan could want. Surprisingly, it didn’t receive quite as much attention as other books within the genre.
However, Heated Romance instantly boomed on the streaming charts after the debut episodes released on HBO Max and Crave. Anyone who loves Off Campus and the other spicy hockey romance books needs to both read Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid, if they haven’t already, and continue watching the HBO Max TV show as it releases weekly.
Heated Rivalry Is Just As Steamy & Romantic As Off-Campus
Heated Rivalry is very similar to the popular Off Campus books in terms of the spice-to-romance ratio. It’s a pretty even split between sexual appeal and romantic appeal, even though sex starts before the romance in some instances.
At the same time, Heated Rivalry and Off Campus aren’t tame with their sex scenes. Neither should be consumed around children because they are about as explicit as it gets. I’m guessing that they wouldn’t even be able to make movies out of the stories because they would have to be NC-17 or X-rated.
Luckily, both Heated Rivalry and soon Off Campus will be TV shows, giving them much more wiggle room when it comes to adapting the most intense sexual scenes. From the first two episodes alone, which debuted on HBO Max and Crave on November 28, 2025, Heated Rivalry has already gained the label “the horniest show on television” right now.
Between the blowjobs and penetrative scenes, there are longing looks and flirty text messages to keep the romantic tension building between Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander. It’s easy to root for the main couple to open up to each other emotionally and develop a deeper romantic connection.
Heated Rivalry is notable enough on its own because it’s really good. The characters are compelling, the friends-to-lovers arc is strong, and the hockey rivalry just increases the tension. However, the book and show are also noteworthy because they expand the hockey romance subgenre and the romance genre as a whole in two notable ways.
Firstly, Heated Rivalry helps bring LGBTQ+ hockey stories to the mainstream. The book was far from the first, but the number of gay hockey romance stories is minuscule compared to the number of cis-het stories. With Heated Rivalry becoming a phenomenon on HBO Max, more gay hockey romances might have the chance of hitting it big and getting decent onscreen adaptations.
Secondly, LGBTQ+ shows tend to be tamed down in comparison to their cis-straight counterparts. Often, it doesn't even exist onscreen. This has shifted slightly in the past five or ten years. However, generally, queer couples don’t get the same steamy and sexy scenes. LGBTQ+ sex is still taboo or presented in a way that appeals to straight viewers instead of queer viewers.
Heated Rivalry completely throws that expectation out the window. The sex scenes are not just explicit, but they are told from an LGBTQ+ perspective. Sex in Heated Rivalry isn’t just penetrative. Ilya and Shane also engage in blowjobs, sensual touching, and mutual masturbation.
Heated Rivalry Will Make The Wait For Prime Video’s Off Campus Easier
Fans of Off Campus know that the TV adaptation is coming. It’s one of the most exciting romance book-to-TV adaptations. However, the show doesn’t have a release date yet, but it’s expected to come out sometime in 2026. They’ve already filmed, and Elle Kennedy has been providing exciting behind-the-scenes content on her TikTok.
However, these small 1-minute clips of photos and videos are not quite enough to satiate fans’ appetites. Heated Rivalry will fill in the gap while waiting for Off Campus. Unlike the TikTok teaser content, it’s a full-blown steamy hockey romance show with characters to root for. Plus, the chemistry between Heated Rivalry’s Ilya and Shane is to die for.
