This is most people’s favorite in the series it seems and I’m very much in agreement. I think it’s positioned well to cover Reid’s weaker points as a writer and emphasize the most fun elements. For example:

-I’ve had complaints in past books about main characters being underdeveloped (Kyle/Eric/Fabian are the biggest examples) but because we’re returning to Shane and Ilya we get to go into more complex territory with them. (Light spoiler) Ilya’s depression is the best character work in the series in my opinion. -Generally I’m a bit underwhelmed by the side characters in this series but a lot of the side characters in TLG are main characters, or at least were already introduced, in previous books. So less character work is needed to create the feeling of a full, lively cast. -Ilya is obviously Rachel’s favorite character to write for (and a fan favorite) so it’s fun for all to have him shine as the main character again. -I usually wish for a solid B plot to balance the story but because The Long Game intertwines with Role Model you sort of get a B plot without having to actually build out the whole thing in this book. -Hockey! I know it’s a meme at this point about people wanting more hockey in Heated Rivalry but I actually love seeing how hockey affects and is affected by Ilya and Shane’s personal struggles. Their lives are built around trying to protect their careers in hockey and I like getting to see them in that space, I especially love getting to see Ilya coming into his own as captain of the Centaurs.

TLDR; I think Rachel Reid is reaping the benefits of building out a large cast over the course of six books and letting us actually see them all interact, while giving more of everyone’s favorite couple. Very fun book, definitely excited for Unrivaled to drop in September.

Easily among the best books in this series. Troy is so repressed it’s insane and watching him exhale and allow himself to enjoy things and connect with others is really sweet. Ilya is also an obvious highlight- it made me wish we got more actual hockey in Heated Rivalry (lol) bc seeing how Ilya operates as captain of the Centaurs definitely adds to his character. Now I wish Ryan Price or Eric Bennett had played for Montreal so we could have gotten a look at Shane in the same way!

I do wish Harris had a bit more going on as a character as he doesn’t really have a character arc of his own or any major flaws but that’s pretty typical for this series so no big surprise. Very excited to finally get into The Long Game as I’ve heard it is generally people’s favorite.

Ngl this one wasn't really for me. I found Eric and Kyle to both be really bland, the central "conflict" to be paper thin, and there's not much of a character arc for either of them. I do like the inclusion of the dom/sub dynamic but I wish it went deeper since it's the one thing that stands apart from the other books.

There's also a lot of Scott and Kip in this book which should be a plus since I liked them in Game Changer, but now that their conflicts are resolved (and no new ones were introduced) they're pretty bland as well. Overall not a terrible book but I'm happy to have this one done and move on to Role Model.