I'm so glad we got this extension of Shane and Ilya's story. It was heartbreaking for a good amount of it while they're on their seperate teams and still keeping their secret. I felt for Ilya especially, as he dealt with his depression (therapy on page!) while being more isolated in the secret and wondering whether Shane would ever actually be ready to come out together. Heads up that they are outed, and that one of their teams and friends takes it well but the other doesn't, and neither does the league commissioner. Overall, despite the emotional rollercoaster, it was lovely to spend more time with these two as they bantered, got spicy, and loved each other so incredibly much. I'm excited to get to the rest of the series books I skipped since I now know all the characters and it's clear that some of the books overlap timelines. 

okay so if every second chapter in the first book was wow i have decided i am not going to have sex with this guy anymore i'm not gay and i don't even like him followed by a sex scene then every second chapter in this book is wow i resent my boyfriend and i will not be telling him this followed by a sex scene. a lot of this book felt like it was happening in the background of another book and everything that feels like it was written for this book was crazy. they get outed from a CAMEO video. 
also. i would be pissed as hell if i moved from a stanley cup winning team to OTTAWA to live closer to my boyfriend and he got mad at me for telling a single person that i was bisexual when like most of his friends know about him being gay. ilya is a better person than i am.
gonna be honest i don't know how they'll turn this into a tv show bc most of it is just characters driving from montreal to ottawa.
i read like the last 10 chapters of this at work in retaliation for exposing me to black mold. 

The Long Game is the sixth book in the spicy MM hockey romance series Game Changers and is the direct sequel to Heated Rivalry. Hockey rivals Shane and Ilya have been seeing each other for ten years and have made a life with each other secret from the public with only a few people in their own lives knowing. Shane is content to keep their relationship hidden until they retire, but Ilya is ready to risk it all and declare their love.

This book was so goddamn good and is deeper and richer than Heated Rivalry. While there isn’t as much spice as that earlier book, there is more than enough and with more meaning and variety to satisfy those looking for it. Shane and Ilya are now both more mature and secure in their relationship with each other despite having to keep it secret.

While Shane is happily settled with their lot, Ilya is struggling. Who would have thought that the cocky Russian playboy Ilya would be the one who falls so hard and loves so deeply? He was just so precious throughout this book and will make you root for him in his mental health struggles. That “I already chose you” moment was just so powerful and painful. I had literally tears streaming down my face.

Meanwhile, I wasn’t as bothered by Shane’s wanting to stay in the closet. His fear and conviction is just so real and understandable. Watching them grow and love and be honest with each other in the face of all their challenges was just so raw and emotional. They had me at a chokehold throughout with tears of both joy and sadness.

From Heated Rivalry to The Long Game, Shane and Ilya have cemented themselves as peak gay couple.

2nd read — 5 stars
06/06/2025 to 06/07/2025
i love them so much more omg i am obsessed with shane and ilya


1st read — 5 stars
12/01/2024 to 12/04/2024
this was beautiful. a perfect sequel. it hasn't even been 5 minutes since i finished this book and i already wish i had the ability to erase it from my memory and read it for the first time again.