The heart of Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood is beating faster for a Canadian cultural phenomenon. Joie de livres, a local bookstore, has fully embraced its role as the unofficial hub for fans of the chart-topping series Heated Rivalry, with seven consecutive weeks of completely sold-out events dedicated to the steamy hit.
A Bookstore Transformed into Fan Headquarters
Running from January 2026, the bookstore's event space will be packed every Sunday for six weeks of episode reruns, culminating in a trivia night on the final evening. Every single ticket for all seven events has been sold, a testament to the show's intense local following. "We call ourselves Heated Rivalry headquarters," said Carie-Ann Kloda, the store's director of hospitality.
The demand is so high that the store can barely keep the source material on its shelves. The second book in Rachel Reid's Game Changers series, which shares its name with the TV adaptation, is conspicuously absent, constantly selling out. Kloda promises more copies are "coming any day now," with the store aiming to maintain a stock of at least 100 copies at all times.
Why a Gay Hockey Romance Captivates Montreal
Adapted from Reid's popular novels, the six-episode Crave series was the streamer's top show for 2025 and landed in the top five on U.S. platform HBO Max. Directed by former Montrealer Jacob Tierney, it follows the clandestine romance between two professional hockey rivals: Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), who play for fictional teams in Boston and Montreal.
The series navigates their intense physical connection and slow-burning emotional discovery against the backdrop of a hyper-masculine sports league with no openly gay players. This theme of "queer yearning" strikes a powerful chord with LGBTQ+ viewers, according to Sarah Fobes, co-operator of Montreal LGBTQ+ bars Champs and DD's on St-Laurent Blvd.
"The characters want each other intensely," Fobes explained via email. "But they're also deeply closeted and afraid of what that want might cost them." She notes the show "feels cathartic for a lot of queer viewers" because it mirrors lived experiences of secrecy and desire.
Community Events and Overwhelming Response
The local community's enthusiasm exploded when Champs sports bar hosted a marathon screening of the entire series on Boxing Day 2025. Doors opened at 5 p.m., and the venue was full by 5:45 p.m. The line outside grew so long that one resourceful fan streamed the show on their phone for the crowd in the stairwell. The owners eventually opened the adjacent bar, DD's, to handle the overflow.
The event featured special appearances by director Tierney and Montreal-born stars François Arnaud and Rose Landry. Due to ongoing demand, DD's is planning a Heated Rivalry-themed dance party for the end of the month, with Fobes confirming they will "of course" host another marathon "sooner than later."
Kloda, a romance novel aficionado who read the books before watching the show, praises Reid's writing for going beyond a typical "happily-ever-after" formula. "There's quite a lot of angst and there's also a lot of character growth," she said, describing it as a "spicy read" that also delivers profound emotion. "You're enjoying it, you're laughing … you're blushing and then all of a sudden you're crying."
She also commends the adaptation's fidelity to the source material, stating, "I've never seen a book so faithfully adapted." The show's success has even sparked a broader interest in the romance genre among readers, Kloda observed.
Prior to the series release, Joie de livres hosted author Rachel Reid twice: first for a trailer screening and later for an after-party following the Montreal Image+Nation festival premiere. Stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie made appearances, taking photos with fans and promoting the bookstore.
For Kloda and many fans, Heated Rivalry arrived as "a gift to everybody" at the end of a challenging 2025. "In the times that we are living, finding joy, finding ways to feel joy, finding places that spark joy is really important right now," she reflected. As Montreal continues to host these events, it's clear this particular story of rivalry and romance has found a passionate and permanent home in the city.
