Romance fiction has long been one of the most commercially successful genres in publishing, consistently drawing devoted readers across formats and subgenres. But in recent years, few stories have generated as much crossover attention as Rachel Reid’s work—particularly after two novels from her Game Changers series were adapted into the widely discussed phenomenon Heated Rivalry. What began as a niche sports romance series quickly expanded into a cultural talking point, attracting both romance readers and sports drama fans. With anticipation already building, fans are eagerly looking ahead to the next chapter in Shane and Ilya’s story, which is currently scheduled for release in 2027.

Despite the intensity of fan excitement and the growing visibility of her work, Rachel Reid remains grounded, often reflecting on her writing life with humor and honesty. When asked about the works of art that have helped her through difficult moments, she doesn’t point to grand inspirations or literary classics. Instead, she mentions something unexpected: the Coen brothers’ film Barton Fink. The movie, which follows a playwright struggling to write a screenplay in Hollywood, has become a strangely comforting companion for her creative process.

Reid explains that she has watched Barton Fink many times, especially during periods when writing feels impossible. The film’s portrayal of creative paralysis resonates deeply with her own experiences as a writer. There is something reassuring, she suggests, about watching a story that so clearly understands the frustration of not being able to produce words, especially when that struggle mirrors her own. When she feels stuck, unable to move forward with a manuscript, she returns to the film almost like a ritual. It reminds her that creative difficulty is not failure—it is part of the process.

When asked what currently keeps her awake at night, Reid offers a surprisingly relatable answer: her fictional characters. Rather than finding rest in the evenings, she often finds her mind populated by voices she has created herself. Her characters, she says, have a habit of appearing most vividly when she is trying to fall asleep, as if they finally have time to speak freely. Ironically, when she sits down to write during the day, those same characters sometimes go silent, refusing to cooperate. It is a paradox familiar to many writers—the mind is most active when rest is needed, and most resistant when work is required.

One common misconception about her, Reid notes with amusement, is that she must find real-life professional hockey players attractive because she writes romance stories involving them. She is quick to correct this assumption. People often believe that writing about athletes in romantic fiction means she is personally drawn to them in reality, but she insists this is not the case. Her interest lies not in real players but in fictional characters and the emotional dynamics she builds around them. The distinction, she implies, is important: writing romance is about imagination, not personal attraction to real individuals.

Reflecting on her career, Reid identifies the most difficult moment not as a publishing milestone or a creative challenge, but as something far earlier—the act of submitting her first manuscript. She describes that experience as deeply vulnerable and emotionally intimidating. Writing fiction, she explains, requires a kind of openness that can feel exposing. To create characters and then send them into the world is to invite judgment from strangers. It means asking readers to invest emotionally in people who exist only on the page, and to care about their happiness, struggles, and relationships.

At the time, she struggled with the idea that anyone would even want to read what she had written. The fear of rejection was overwhelming, and she had to overcome a significant internal barrier before sending her work to publishers. Looking back, she still finds it astonishing that she managed to take that step. It required a level of confidence she did not feel she possessed at the time, and yet it was necessary to begin her career. That first submission, she reflects, was the hardest hurdle of all.

When thinking about her childhood, Reid describes herself in a surprisingly understated way. She does not recall being particularly memorable or attention-seeking. In fact, she believes she may have been somewhat invisible in group settings. However, she does remember one unusual detail: other children at school would sometimes try to provoke her into anger as part of a game. Despite their efforts, they were never successful. She rarely reacted emotionally in the way they expected, which may have made her stand out in a quiet, unexpected manner. Now, looking back as an adult, she jokes that this might reveal something deeper about emotional restraint or internal processing—perhaps even something worth discussing in therapy.

When asked to name an influence that might surprise people, Reid does not choose another author or filmmaker, but instead highlights musician Roger Miller. Her appreciation for his work comes from childhood, as her father was a fan and introduced her to his music at an early age. Over time, she developed her own admiration for Miller’s distinctive style.

She describes his songwriting as both playful and intelligent, often blending humor with philosophical undertones. Some of his songs rely on clever wordplay, while others embrace absurdity and lighthearted nonsense. What stands out to her most is the confidence behind it all. Miller’s ability to be playful, unconventional, and even silly without hesitation is something she deeply respects. There is a freedom in his work that she finds inspiring as a writer.

For Reid, Miller’s music represents an important creative lesson: the value of writing authentically, without excessive concern for external approval. His work encourages the idea that creativity does not need to conform to expectations in order to be meaningful. Instead, it can be personal, strange, humorous, or unconventional—and still resonate.

This philosophy has influenced her own approach to storytelling. Whether writing romance, sports fiction, or character-driven drama, she tries to remain true to her instincts rather than shaping her work to fit trends. The success of Heated Rivalry and the broader Game Changers series has only reinforced that belief. Readers, she has found, respond most strongly to sincerity and emotional honesty rather than formulaic storytelling.

As anticipation builds for the next installment in Shane and Ilya’s story, Reid remains focused not on pressure or expectation, but on the characters themselves. For her, they are not just part of a successful franchise—they are ongoing conversations, constantly evolving in her imagination, sometimes demanding attention at inconvenient times, and sometimes refusing to cooperate when needed most.

In many ways, her writing life is defined by that tension: between control and unpredictability, discipline and inspiration, silence and sudden bursts of dialogue from characters who feel very real to her. And while the world may see her success in terms of adaptations and release dates, Reid herself continues to experience it as something far more intimate—a private, ongoing negotiation between imagination and the page.