The wild success of the HBO Max adaptation of Rachel Reid’s “Heated Rivalry” book series has sparked an unprecedented surge in demand for the original novels, leaving Australian booksellers struggling to keep up.
The series, which follows the budding romance between two closeted professional ice hockey players, has captured the hearts of readers worldwide. But in Australia, where the TV show launched in late November, fans have found themselves in a frenzy trying to get their hands on physical copies of the books.
“No one has it in stock, not even the publisher!” a spokesperson for Dymocks bookstores told Guardian Australia, as paperback copies of the first two novels in the series sold out within a day and backorders piled up.
The situation has drawn comparisons to the “Bridgerton” phenomenon, with Booktopia reporting that they’ve been selling more than 100 copies a day of the “Game Changer” series, including titles that haven’t even been released in print yet. In total, the retailer has sold over 10,000 copies so far, with all six books in the series occupying spots in their top 10 best-sellers since the show began airing.
“We’ve seen this kind of sudden demand at Booktopia before for series like Fifty Shades of Grey, driven by word of mouth and social media buzz,” said Sophie Higgins, the head of merchandise at the online bookstore.
The surge in interest has extended beyond the currently released titles, with readers actively searching for and pre-ordering books across the full series, according to Nick Croydon, the chief executive of QBD Books. He noted that the series has generated more online product reviews than the July release of a limited-edition “Fourth Wing” special by Rebecca Yarros, a “benchmark moment for romantic readership in Australia.”
HarperCollins, the publisher of the “Game Changer” series, has acknowledged the overwhelming demand, with executive vice president Brent Lewis stating that the “community around these books felt like a small town before the show. Overnight, it became a big city.”
While the publisher has moved quickly to increase print runs and make the books available in Australia and New Zealand, the initial shortfall has left many fans frustrated. Author Rachel Reid has responded to the situation, empathizing with readers who have struggled to obtain physical copies of the books.
The continued popularity of the “Heated Rivalry” series, both on screen and in print, suggests that this queer sports romance has resonated with readers far beyond its core audience, cementing its status as a cultural phenomenon.