Why Rachel Reid Had a “Difficult” Time Writing Sex Scenes for Heated Rivalry Sequel Book

Rachel Reid was straight up blushin’ while writing her latest book.

As the Heated Rivalry author brought Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov’s love story back to life in the upcoming seventh and final book in the series, Unrivaled, she had to separate herself from the TV adaptation—starring Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie—while writing.

“I watched it as it came out,” Reid said during the Sept. 29 stop on her Heated Rivalry Deluxe Edition tour in New York City. “Then I just said, ‘OK, I can’t watch it again until this book is done because I just need to focus on what I’m doing.'”

The writer—who noted that she had also watched rough edits of the Crave series before its November 2025 premiere—emphasized that she knew it was for the best, even though she wished she could get in on the obsession with everyone else.

“It was not easy because I wanted to watch the show,” Reid explained. “I love everything about the show. I love everything they did with the characters, but I just needed to stay focused on my version.”