Hockey sticks and jerseys emblazoned with the names Hollander and Rozanov draped over a few chairs left little doubt about the theme of the event. In the heart of Paris on Sunday, February 8, in the back of a bookstore that specializes in romance novels, about 20 fans of Heated Rivalry came together for a few hours to celebrate the Canadian series, which tells the story of a romance between two rival hockey players.
Even though episode one has only barely aired in France on HBO Max, enthusiasm among the French-speaking community has already been evident for several weeks online. “I suggested the idea of a fan event on my social media in mid-January and the tickets sold out in 30 seconds,” said Imane (participants did not wish to give their last names), 28, who goes by @imanenewreader online. With passion for the show having already set TikTok ablaze in North America, many curious fans have found ways since late November to keep up with episodes as they air in the United States.
The organizer has been reading hockey-themed romance – a subgenre with hundreds of titles – since 2020 and became passionate about the sport during a stay in Canada in 2024. She now works as an apprentice digital marketing strategist for the Jokers de Cergy-Pontoise hockey club. At matches, she said she sees “more and more young women, because they discovered hockey through the series.” Several attendees said they had started reading again, including in English (the books are no longer published in French for now), in order to keep up with the best-selling saga by Rachel Reid, upon which the series is based.
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