There’s a reason Heated Rivalry became such a phenomenon, and it’s simple: unabashed queer joy. In a political climate increasingly hostile to the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly trans people, Jacob Tierney’s adaptation of Rachel Reid’s iconic Game Changers series felt radical, necessary and utterly thrilling.

But the impact goes beyond the series itself. The popularity of Crave’s gay hockey romance has sparked a surge in sales for Reid’s seven-book series, fuelling demand for more queer romance stories across all mediums.

While television and film still face a significant shortage of joyous queer stories, literature is a different story. So, while we wait for Heated Rivalry season two and the upcoming eighth instalment (and third “Hollanov” novel) in Reid’s series, Unrivaled, we’re shining a spotlight on more queer stories that deserve just as much love and recognition.

From the magical mystery of Cemetery Boys to the heartwarming, Bachelor-inspired The Charm Offensive and the sapphic football romance in Cleat Cute, here are 19 novels to feed your appetite for queer romance, in the same spirit as Heated Rivalry.

All Hail the Underdogs, E.L. Massey 

All Hail the Underdogs follows Patrick Roman, a 17-year-old hockey player who is offered a scholarship to a top hockey preparatory school. With his legal emancipation in the works and his dreams of landing on a D1 college hockey team closer than ever, things are looking up for Patrick. That is, until he realises he’ll be playing alongside Damien Bordeaux, a winger with whom he has major beef, despite their perfectly in-sync chemistry on the ice.

Meanwhile, Damien is determined to start his senior year in a low-key fashion: no more wild parties or secret hookups. However, his plans for a drama-free, pretty-boys-free year are quickly derailed when he meets the new centre, Roman, and immediately assumes the worst.

All Hail the Underdogs charts the unlikely friendship between Damien and Roman as it shifts from antagonistic to something “much scarier for them both”… love.

Anything But Fine, Tobias Madden 

Set in Australia, Anything But Fine explores the opposites-attract, friends-to-lovers romance between Luca, an aspiring ballet dancer, and Jordan, his gorgeous schoolmate and captain of the rowing team.

After Luca breaks his foot, abruptly ending his dreams of becoming a professional dancer, he develops an unlikely bond with Jordan that soon takes a romantic turn. While their connection is undeniable, it isn’t long before their relationship hits some significant snags.

Anything But Fine is a heartwarming read that explores themes of sexuality, depression and grief.