The wildly popular HBO Max television series Heated Rivalry has triggered a book-buying frenzy in Australia, leaving retailers struggling to keep physical copies of the source novels on their shelves. The unprecedented demand for Rachel Reid's Game Changers romance series has been likened by booksellers to the phenomenon previously seen with Bridgerton.
A Run on Romance Novels
Since the TV adaptation launched on 28 November, Australian bookshops have reported a massive surge in interest. A spokesperson for Dymocks revealed that their initial stock of the first two books, Game Changer and Heated Rivalry, sold out within a single day. They confirmed significant backorders are piling up for the entire series.
"No one has it in stock, not even the publisher!" the Dymocks representative stated. The series has been the bookseller's most-searched title online every week since mid-December.
Printing Struggles to Meet TV-Driven Demand
The show, which follows the secret romantic relationship between two closeted ice hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, is based on Reid's first two novels. While the books were available in ebook and audiobook formats, physical copies were scarce even before the show's debut.
HarperCollins Australia acquired the local print rights ahead of the HBO Max launch and rushed copies to print. The first batch of books one and two arrived on 18 December, with books three through six following on 27 January. A company spokesperson cited the Christmas printer closure as a cause for delay, but admitted the initial print run was quickly overwhelmed.
Online retailer Booktopia has been selling more than 100 paperback copies per day of the series, including titles not yet physically released, with total sales exceeding 10,000 units. All six books have consistently ranked in the store's top 10 bestsellers.
A Cultural Phenomenon Beyond Romance
Industry leaders note the demand extends beyond a typical genre release. Nick Croydon, CEO of QBD Books, observed a "clear and sustained surge" since November, with readers searching for and pre-ordering the entire series. He stated the engagement has surpassed major viral book moments in Australia, including a special edition of Fourth Wing and the viral Arnott's Cookbook.
"This places Heated Rivalry firmly within the realm of culturally driven book phenomena," Croydon said, suggesting it is "breaking out beyond its core romance audience" and indicates a long-term obsession.
The publisher, HarperCollins, announced that the seventh book in the series, Unrivalled, will be released internationally on 29 September. While over 650,000 books in the series have been sold globally, Australian fans face a wait for reprints, with Dymocks hopeful new stock will arrive next week.
Author Rachel Reid has remained mostly quiet on the shortage, though she expressed shared frustration in a response to a social media post in December pleading for more copies to be printed.
