‘Heated Rivalry’ Author Appears To Dismiss Negative Reactions To Season 2 Casting

As Heated Rivalry hits the ice for another season with some new teammates, there’s bound to be some opinions about the casting choices for the book series’ beloved characters.

Following the news that Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie have been cast in Season 2, author Rachel Reid appeared to respond to negative online reactions to the news that the actors will portray Harris Drover and Troy Barrett, respectively, the couple from Role Model, the fifth book in her bestselling Game Changer series.

“Thinking about all the people last summer who told me the casting for llya and Shane was wrong and bad…” wrote Reid on her Instagram Story with a side-eye selfie.

Based on the second book in the series, Season 1 of Heated Rivalry became an overnight hit largely due to Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams’ steamy performances as Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, launching the actors’ profiles in Hollywood as well.

On Friday, Deadline reported that Smith and Gillespie have been cast as leads in Season 2 of the Crave Original, which is set to premiere in spring 2027. Production began on the sophomore season in Canada earlier this week.

In the Role Model book, Troy Barrett is a hockey player on Ilya’s team with a history of bullying, while Harris Drover is the team’s cheerful social media manager.

“Rachel Reid has given us two beautifully layered characters in Harris and Troy who you can’t help but root for,” said series creator Jacob Tierney and fellow executive producer Brendan Brady. “From the start of the casting process, we knew we were looking for actors who could create something truly special together and bring that same depth and heart to the screen. Justice and Charlie do exactly that. They immediately connected with the vulnerability and resilience at the core of these characters, bringing an instinctive understanding of who Harris and Troy are.”