Heated Rivalry Book Review: Tough Guy: Part 1 - First Impressions

Declan is joined by Jenn from The Book Refuge to dive into Tough Guy, the third book in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series, and it’s quite the change of pace after Heated Rivalry. This time, we’re talking Ryan Price and Fabian Salah, two characters who couldn’t seem more different, but who might be exactly what the other needs. We unpack Ryan’s anxiety and complicated relationship with hockey, Fabian’s unapologetic confidence and queerness, and why their much slower journey towards intimacy makes their relationship feel so different from Shane and Ilya’s. We also get into the book’s exploration of toxic masculinity and hockey culture, the importance of friendship and support, Ryan’s experiences with performance anxiety, and the way Rachel Reid writes intimacy without making sex the end goal. Plus, we ask whether Fabian is always quite as understanding as he thinks he is, discuss why Wyatt might secretly be one of the best characters in the series, and inevitably find several excuses to talk about Shane and Ilya again. Is Tough Guy actually the best-written Game Changers book so far?  The next episode of the Long Game podcast will be released on Sunday 20th September 2026. Find Jenn: Instagram: thebookrefuge18 Youtube: TheBookRefuge Patreon: https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patreon.com%2Fthebookrefuge%3Futm_campaign%3Dcreatorshare_creator&e=AUDcHdy3h2tYt5j5YUAD8Re3PXU1crwrEij1q-82r98fN984taClIYwUaMLBoe1PQnXUsfy1kbJQXvs4wTt0GnLYX0NObFyxW6nlNS1UcBO3-FyOMD1ZLVw6643uo0WL8EueRlFiJe3shYKbyw Our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/LongGamePodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Join our Long Game Podcast Book Club on Fable to read along with us each week.: https://fable.co/club/long-game-pod-book-club-with-long-game-pod-349252537194?invite=fc285de0-86ea-45c4-ab3f-8dcc82b8cad8&referralID=4tVUzsxlCC Find us on instagram: longgame.heatedrivalry.pod Write to us: [email protected] Find Declan:  Instagram: declan712 Tiktok: declanmccallion1 Find Silvan: Instagram: Silvates Tiktok: silvates1 Listen to the Podcast on: Apple podcast:  Spotify podcast:  Amazon podcast:  Watch it on youtube: https://youtu.be/S22mVMWG5JA Listen to Silvan’s ‘Silvates’ podcast on mental health and wellbeing here: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/silvates/id1531620495 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xMX59teVzpf6M86Cv7WG9?si=016f5477aed14697 00:00 Introduction to Tough Guy and the Series 02:15 Character Dynamics and Emotional Connections 05:18 Themes of Mental Health and Anxiety 08:09 Exploring Hockey Culture and Masculinity 10:03 Ryan and Fabian: A New Kind of Relationship 13:05 The Role of Support Systems in Mental Health 16:08 Fabian: The Antithesis of Traditional Masculinity 19:04 Concluding Thoughts on Character Growth and Relationships 26:59 Exploring Representation in MM Romance 30:10 Feminine Characters and Their Importance 34:44 Diversity in Character Types 38:00 The Complexity of Relationships 41:41 Character Flaws and Growth 47:50 Missed Opportunities for Character Development 52:27 Character Development and Relationship Dynamics 55:00 Exploring Career Choices and Personal Growth 58:38 Navigating Sexual Performance Anxiety 01:06:51 The Complexity of Identity and Relationships