Rachel Reid: Writing Unrivaled Sex Scenes Is 'Very Weird' — SkimNews
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Rachel Reid told a Q&A it's "very difficult" and "very weird" writing sex scenes for "Unrivaled" because she now associates characters Shane and Ilya with actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie from the Crave series.
- Reid watched "Heated Rivalry" as it aired but declined to rewatch it until the book was done, to "stay focused" on her own version of the characters.
- Unrivaled, the third Shane-and-Ilya novel, was announced in January and pushed from last month to a June 1, 2027 release date.
- Reid attributed the delay partly to managing her Parkinson's diagnosis.
- The seventh book in her Game Changers series faces "increased expectations," Reid said, as the show expanded a "small-ish loyal fan base" into a global audience almost overnight.
- Season 2 of the Crave series, based on "The Long Game," began production in Canada in August and premieres in spring 2027, with newly announced cast including Justice Smith, Emily Hampshire, and Edvin Ryding.
Why it matters: Reid's once-niche Game Changers novels now serve a global fanbase, and she's writing the seventh installment while managing Parkinson's — so Unrivaled's June 2027 release carries unusual creative and health pressure. The delay pushes the next Shane-and-Ilya chapter more than a year out for readers who powered Season 1's breakout.
Ask SkimNews
