Rachel Reid, the mind behind Heated Rivalry, has announced that the release of her forthcoming novel Unrivaled has been postponed until June 1, 2027 as her Parkinson’s symptoms have worsened.

The 45-year-old author, best known for her bestselling hockey romance, shared the update with fans through a video uploaded on Instagram, thanking them for “the last few months”, which she described as “absolutely incredible”.

In December last year, Reid said the steamy hockey romance’s popularity had helped her access improved medical care more than two years after her Parkinson’s diagnosis. Parkinson’s disease, which can be inherited, is a neurological condition caused by a reduction of dopamine in the brain, leading to a range of physical and psychological problems, including memory loss, tremors and motor function issues.

Reflecting on her recent success, she said, “I can’t really put into words what any of this feels like for an author,” adding that it’s “beyond a dream come true”, and she appreciates all of the love. However, she admitted the whirlwind period has taken its toll.

 

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“It’s also been very, very busy and overwhelming. My life has gotten very different in the last couple of months and, although it’s all good, it’s also taken away my ability to have quality time to write.”

Reid explained that “there’s nothing more important” to her than “Unrivaled being the best book it can possibly be” and said she believes when good things happen the “universe hands you some worse stuff to balance it out”.

“And for me, that’s been (that) my Parkinson’s symptoms have gotten a bit worse, and it’s made it difficult physically to write, so I’m definitely a lot slower, and that’s just something I need to navigate and kind of face instead of ignoring.”

Despite the delay, she reassured readers that progress on the novel is steady and that the extra time will ultimately benefit the story.

“Ultimately, it’s going to be a much better book, and that’s the most important thing to me, and I think it’s going to be better for the readers and better for the characters,” she said.

In an interview with Today, Reid also revealed she was contacted by series director Jacob Tierney on Instagram about a potential television adaptation just days after receiving her diagnosis.

“Getting that message at that time was pretty huge for me,” she said. “It was exactly what I needed.

“It all went pretty quickly. The next day, we had a Zoom call, and he laid out his whole vision for the show, which is exactly the show that everybody’s seeing. I was just thrilled.”

Fans have continued to rally around the author, with one writing: “Rachel, we love you and we’ll wait until the book is ready. Take all the time you need and take care of yourself!” Another added: “TAKE YOUR TIME QUEEN we’re not going anywhere.”