#heatedrivalrycrave

[sebcstainstan]

This kiss shattered Shane and I both I think

[heated-hollander]

how much Shane needs a fistful of Ilya’s hair

top: @graceebooks; middle @shami1412; bottom @firstprinced

power bottom

power play, Hollander shoots and scores

even I love you’s that kill you (but not anymore)

even nose boop nuzzles

[connorstorriesource]

*sometimes you have to flip a scene on its side

[hudcon-and-on-and-on]

from the @medium article via @hudsonwonline ‘s Insta

[ngalitzine]

— THE LONG GAME (page 324)

[hollanov-in-lov]

Best viewed from top to bottom boy to truly enjoy their rhythm method

These moments brought to you by the delightful @handsywoman-ep2 whose brightened gifs let us actually see Shane’s face when he

[dgct2]

Shane and Ilya are for the fans. Hudson and Connor are not. Their personal lives are off limits. The actors do not want you shipping them in real life. Hudson had to say this again on Threads. It is why I refused to post that Page Six trash about the roof after the Met Gala. The "insiders" are just trying to stir the pot again.

[the-ladyrae]

I feel like Heated Rivalry is so hard for me to let go of because it's a Romance that respects the genre as an art form and the audience as intelligent beings.

I cannot remember the last big Romance of this scale.

Not a romcom. Not Romantasy. Not Dark romance. Or any of the other half genres.

Just an entirely romance based story that acknowledges falling in love in the society we live in is hard enough for it to be a valid central conflict and primary motivation.

A story where romance isn't treated as another obstacle to overcome, or a side quest to resolve on the way if convenient, or something you can fade to black and imply it resolves in an epilogue.

In this age of commodified intimacy where everyone has 4 different dating apps on their phone, people are crying about lonlienes epidemics and masc shortages, but the rest of existing requires so much time, money, and energy we're forced to accept a reality where situationships are the most anyone can commit to before ghosting you after a month.

I personally was fucking starved for romance.

I joke that they put drugs in the show because we can't stop watching, but it's actually just love without shame.

Finding someone who you could fall in love with is so hard right now, and most people don't shake hands with the love of their life at 17 and then spend the next decade doing everything they can to stay in each others lives.

Everything else now says that love is the latest luxury item that no one can afford. Falling in love requires you to already have your shit together expensive dates, once in a lifetime experiences, constant expensive gifts, immediate compatibility with no conflicts ever because you have to protect your peace. Most people treat dating like a multi-round job interview or a reality TV show.

Everyone is so focused on winning the prize of a partner who they could fit perfectly into their own individual plans for the future, love becomes an afterthought. But Romance is one of the oldest genres for a reason.

The makers of Heated Rivalry thought just a romance with a happy ending was worth the effort. Everyone did their best because they valued the story and wanted to make something to be proud of.

In the past decade it seems like the options for romance in western media at least is Winter Holiday romance, or Amazon reusing the same exact script 3 different times and just swapping out the nationality of the lead. (I'm so serious look up the movies 5 Blind Dates and Picture This.) In a genre overrun with mass market trope mad libs that is more focused on producing content than character, this show was a breath of fresh air that I as an enjoyer of Romance as a genre sorely missed.