In a notable trend within the romance genre, ice hockey has emerged as an unexpectedly popular backdrop, with multiple authors achieving bestseller status by weaving the sport into their narratives. Earlier this year, Rachel Reid made headlines by securing three spots on the bestseller charts simultaneously with her gay romance novels centered around ice hockey players, notably her series "Heated Rivalry." Reid’s success highlighted a growing appetite among readers for LGBTQ+ themes combined with sports settings.

Six months later, Elle Kennedy has similarly dominated the paperback romance charts with three novels, all also featuring ice hockey players, but with a heterosexual focus. Kennedy’s "Off-Campus" series, which explores romantic relationships between college women and hockey players, has seen a significant boost in popularity coinciding with its adaptation into a Prime Video series. This adaptation has likely contributed to increased exposure and sales of the paperback editions.

The contrasting approaches of Reid and Kennedy—both embracing ice hockey as a central element yet representing different orientations and storylines—underscore the versatility of the sport as a storytelling device within romantic fiction. The prominence of ice hockey romance narratives reflects diverse reader interests and signals an ongoing trend for the sport’s integration into contemporary romance literature.