‘Heated Rivalry’ author says reaction to TV show is beyond expectation

Canadian author Rachel Reid discusses the international success oh ‘Heated Rivalry’

The international acclaim and rabid enthusiasm for the hit Canadian TV series “Heated Rivalry” doesn’t appear to be slowing down.

In a short time, the Crave production about torrid romances between male hockey players has catapulted its lead stars into household names. Rachel Reid, the Nova Scotian author behind the books that the series is based on, says she has also been adjusting to the newfound fame.

She told CTV’s Your Morning on Thursday it’s hard to remember just one moment in which she realized her book’s story had turned into a global sensation.

“There were so many that happened at once,” she said. “I’ve never seen anything like this. Everyone is saying they’ve never seen anything like this.”

The Montreal premier, which attracted crowds of screaming fans, was an eye-opening experience for Reid. She said it helped her realize the series was resonating with a large audience.

Reid added that it was surprising to see so many celebrities, from Oprah to Pedro Pascal, showing support for the show.

“It just was beyond anything I was expecting,” she said.

Reid credits listening to her gay and bisexual friends for helping her “write something authentic and with a lot of love.”

“I just wanted to tell a story that I felt there weren’t enough stories like it in the world,” she said.

The “authentic” storytelling that Reid says she strived for resonated so much that some have been compelled to share their stories publicly. Hockey player Jesse Kortuem took to Facebook this week to come out, in part because of “Heated Rivalry.”

Reid said that kind of reaction is “lovely to see” and that if her story helps just one person, she’ll be thrilled.

“It’s nice to know that maybe my writing played a small part in that,” she said.

She added that how the book is represented on the small screen has been “a dream come true” and even if she hadn’t been a consultant on the show, she would still be obsessed with it.

Fans of “Heated Rivalry” will be happy to hear that a follow-up book called “Unrivaled” is slated to be published in the fall.

There’s real-world inspiration to be found in how quickly her life changed following the Crave series’ debut in November, but she’s also trying to ignore the show’s existence.

“‘I’m trying really hard not to think about the show versions of the characters while I’m writing this,” she told The Canadian Press on Thursday.

“I’m pretending there’s no show, because if I start thinking that way, I start thinking about the possibility of what I’m writing being filmed, then I think about real people having to say and do these things, and then I’m just not going to be able to do it.”

With files from the Canadian Press

CTV News, Crave and CP24 are owned by Bell Media, which is a division of BCE.