'Heated Rivalry' casting drama takes new turn as Rachel Reid speaks out

Rachel Reid has seemingly answered fans who are unhappy with the new casting for Heated Rivalry Season 2.

The author opened up online after Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie were announced as Harris Drover and Troy Barrett, the new couple at the centre of the upcoming season.

Reid shared an Instagram Story that appeared to look back at the criticism faced by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie when they were first cast as Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov.

“Thinking about all the people last summer who told me the casting for llya and Shane was wrong and bad…” she wrote, adding a side eye selfie.

The post, however, quickly caught attention as fans continued to debate if Smith and Gillespie were the right choices for the new roles.

Harris and Troy come from Reid’s Role Model, the fifth book in her Game Changer series.

Troy is a hockey player with a troubled past, while Harris is the team’s friendly social media manager.

The second season is expected to arrive in spring 2027, with filming already underway in Canada.

Series creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady have praised Smith and Gillespie, saying they connected with the characters’ “vulnerability and resilience.”

Reid did not directly name anyone in her post, leaving fans to decide exactly who or what she was responding to.