"Heated Rivalry" is heating up library waitlists
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Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams in "Heated Rivalry." Photo: Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max
Demand for "Heated Rivalry" at Twin Cities libraries is red-hot.
Why it matters: The "gay hockey smut" book-turned-HBO-streaming-hit has exploded into a pop culture sensation.
Catch up quick: Rachel Reid's novel about two male professional hockey players who fall in love came out in 2019.
- But the "Heated Rivalry" fandom soared after the drama dropped on HBO late last year.
- Now Reid's book — and the entire "Game Changers" queer hockey romance series it's a part of — are in high demand.
Yes, but: If you devoured the show and now want to borrow a "Heated Rivalry" copy from the library, you may be stuck on the bench for a while.
By the numbers: As of late January, over 300 Hennepin County Library patrons were waiting to check out one of 11 copies of the physical book.
- Over 1,870 were in the queue for the system's 135 e-book copies.
St. Paul Libraries has also seen "a rapid increase" in demand for titles in the series, spokesperson Stacy Opitz told Axios.
- As of Jan. 26, there were over 200 holds for the system's 22 e-book copies.
St. Paul has ordered physical copies, but they remain on backorder.
- Hennepin County's purchasing team also plans to buy additional e-book licenses to lower wait times, spokesperson Joshua Yetman told Axios.
The big picture: It's not unusual for popular titles to fly off the shelves and cause long wait times for borrowers, Yetman noted, citing "The Women," "Lessons in Chemistry" and "Spare" as other recent examples.
- But Yetman said sports romances are having a moment, describing them as "right up there with some of the hot authors like Emily Henry."
The silver lining: Both Hennepin County and St. Paul library patrons can skate right into the audiobook through the Libby app with no wait.
- More than 5,000 Hennepin County users and 485 in St. Paul have taken that route.
While you wait: Hennepin County librarian J.R. Genett shared three more titles for those with a burning desire for hockey lit:
- "Pinch": An enemies-to-lovers hockey romance
- "Pucking Amazing": A "why choose" hockey romance
- "Mullet Madness!": A deep dive into hockey's favorite haircut
Plus: You can always go back and watch season one again — for research, of course.