Rachel Reid has revealed further details about Unrivaled, the upcoming seventh book in her Game Changers series, including the return of several supporting characters from the world of Heated Rivalry.
The novel will be the third instalment centred on hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, following the events of The Long Game. Its release was originally planned for September but has been delayed until 2027 because of Reid’s Parkinson’s disease.
Reid said Scott Hunter would have a more prominent supporting role in Unrivaled. The character is played by Francois Arnaud in the television adaptation.
“I’ve been writing maybe a little more of Scott Hunter into this book than I have into other Ilya and Shane books,” Reid said in an interview. “He’s more of an important side character, so that’s definitely one.”
She added: “I just really like the way he interacts [with them], with Ilya especially. I think that dynamic’s very fun. I left him in ‘The Long Game’ as maybe having this burgeoning friendship [with Shane and Ilya], and I wanted to play with that.”
Scott’s storyline has been closely linked to Shane and Ilya’s relationship. In the television series, he comes out by kissing Kip Grady after winning the Stanley Cup, prompting Shane and Ilya to consider whether they could pursue a relationship of their own.
The character also develops a friendship with Ilya after coming out and appears in The Long Game, where he visits the couple after they are accidentally outed by Hayden Pike.
More Game Changers characters to return
Reid said Unrivaled would also feature Shane’s mother, Yuna, as well as Rose and Svetlana, the best friends of Shane and Ilya.
“I tried to do a little more with Yuna, as well,” she said. “And, honestly, all of the women. Like Rose and Svetlana, I like to try to include a little more of them into the story. I think a lot of the side characters that are popular.”
Yuna is played by Christina Chang in Heated Rivalry, while Rose is portrayed by Sophie Nelisse and Svetlana by Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova. All three actors have been confirmed to return for the show’s second season.
Reid recently appeared alongside Hudson, Connor, Christina and Ksenia at a panel marking the launch of the Irina Foundation, a real-life foundation named after the fictional organisation established by Shane and Ilya in the books.
