BookCon 2026: ‘Heat Rivalry’ author Rachel Reid on surfing the internet and keeping sane

On April 12, I attended a PWHL game at the TD Garden in Boston between the Boston Fleet and Montreal Victoire. I Hot Competition the result was inevitable. It was a chance for hockey fans to break out their favorite merchandise – one of my linemen excitedly ran towards the crowd’s cameras to show off his ‘I’m coming to the toilet’ t-shirt. Hot Competition Actress Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova was in the crowd, and the excitement that was there when she appeared on the screen made you think that one of the teams had scored a goal. And when the Hot Competition the winners of the competition looked like they shared a kiss on the jumbotron while tATu’s “All the Things She said” played, causing the crowd of 17,000 to lose their minds together.

From HBO Max Hot Competition premiered in November 2025, actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, along with their co-stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, have become household names. But so does Rachel Reid. The author of Hot Competition as well as Changing the game The series, of which it is a part, has always had a loyal following, but now that the show is popular worldwide, it reaches beyond the scope of the show and the books.

BookCon 2026 marked Reid’s first major event since Hot Competition adaptation, and fans come ready to celebrate and meet their favorite author. I sat down with Reid to discuss fandom and maintaining a sense of normalcy in the midst of this phenomenon.

Samantha Mangino: What’s it like meeting fans at BookCon?

Rachel Reid: It’s been great. Over the past few years, more and more people have been wanting to meet me at these types of events. Even before the show [HBO Max’s Heated Rivalry]it was just surreal and amazing, but in a really good way. Now with the show, it’s really exploded. I mean, I made a picture line. That kind of thing makes you feel like you’re in a Marvel movie.

SM: You said during your panel yesterday that writers shouldn’t be seen like this, so I think it’s unbelievable that all eyes are on you.

RR: Being recognized all over New York, too, is a great feeling as a writer. I’ve been like, “I love you, Rachels,” and people on the street see me. As a writer, that is very strange. I think even the greatest writers in the world are not seen often. We are not often seen.

SM: I think it really speaks to the popularity of the show.

RR: Yeah, with all the promotion the show got, and everyone doing the show was happy to include me in that, and that was the difference.

SM: How do you feel life has changed since the show came out?

RR: I have to be a little careful that the things I say may make headlines. I just can’t do counter-jokes. The things I share are often shared, so maybe I don’t post them often. I also know that people can photograph or videotape me at any time. So I’m very careful there, although not as careful as I should be. I’m still getting used to that.

Obviously, my career has moved up a lot of levels very quickly. I feel like I skipped a step somewhere. I had a list of goals that I completed at once. So now it’s about thinking ahead and rethinking my goals.

SM: Have you ever been online, watched the fandom explode?

RR: Not much. I try to get out of fan spaces usually, and I did that before the show, too, but definitely since the show, and my new book was announced. I’ve stayed as far away as Reddit. I’m not on Threads, I haven’t been on Twitter for years. I haven’t been on Goodreads in years. I just use Instagram. I think it creates a good barrier. I have friends, so when I see ideas for things that happen in Threads, I’ll be like, “Can you explain this to me?” I will not look at them.

SM: Are there any other boundaries you have created online?

RR: Of course, I don’t want anyone to give me opinions on this book. That’s huge. Obviously, I don’t read fan fiction because that wouldn’t be a good idea.

I try to make myself less accessible than I used to, and sometimes I feel bad about it, but it’s necessary. I have children, and I try to keep our privacy as much as possible. It helps that I live in Nova Scotia, Canada, which is not a big or fancy place. So when I’m at home, my life doesn’t feel that way. When I go to such things [BookCon]I have faced it.

SM: What has it been like to gain so many fans since the show started?

RR: It wasn’t easy seeing Ilya and Shane become household names. My characters went from having a small but loyal following, which was also lovely, but now everyone I’ve ever met knows these characters and has an opinion about them. It feels like I’ve found a genie and I wish the world would care about everything I write.

Everyone is so focused on these characters, and I think it speaks volumes for Jacob’s work [Tierney] and everyone involved puts on a show.

It’s a great show, and it’s no wonder people love it as much as they do, but I didn’t think it would get such a large audience. There’s something about your timing, and I think what people want, that just clicked.

People have told me that their relationships with their co-workers, neighbors, and even some relatives have changed, because they didn’t think they could be open about who they are with these people. However, because they are big fans of the show, they thought maybe it would be good if I told them more about myself. Places feel less safe than ever.