How Old Are They Supposed To Be In Heated Rivalry

Okay, so you've probably read Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid and thought, "Wait... how old are Hackett and Brass actually supposed to be?" You're definitely not alone. This question has sparked more debate in the hockey romance community than whether pineapple belongs on pizza (it absolutely does, by the way).

Let's dig into it together because, honestly, the answer is both simpler and more complicated than you'd think. Grab your comfy sock and your favorite drink — we're going on a little journey.

The Official Age Setup

So here's what we know straight from the pages. Hackett Holt and Ilya Franchuk both play in the NHL, which means they're firmly in what we'd call professional-hockey-player territory.

The story itself doesn't exactly slap a bright red "BIRTHDAY REVEAL" sticker on every chapter. Rachel Reid keeps things relatively vague, which honestly is kind of her style — she lets you feel the story rather than memorize stats like you're studying for a trivia night.

Most readers and the fandom generally place them in their mid-to-late twenties throughout the span of the book. Think somewhere between 24 and 28, give or take a season or two.

Why Does It Matter Anyway?

Great question, and honestly? It matters more than people realize. Their ages directly affect how you read certain emotional beats and comedic moments in the story.

If they were, say, 21, the whole thing would feel like a chaotic college hockey recklessly falling into annihilation mode. If they were 35, we'd suddenly be reading about guys dealing with back pain between hot hockey sex scenes.

Neither of those vibes is quite right, is it? The mid-to-late twenties window is Goldilocks territory — just old enough to be self-aware and just young enough to still be gloriously immature.

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The Age Gap Between Them

Here's where things get even more fun. There is a slight age difference between the two — one of them is noticeably younger than the other.

Hackett is generally interpreted as being younger, and Ilya carries himself like he's seen more of the world (and honestly, he has). The gap isn't huge — we're talking maybe a couple of years.

But a couple of years can feel enormous when one person is the veteran who's built walls like they're defending the net, and the other person is the cheeky kid with an attitude problem.

Does the Gap Actually Influence the Plot?

Oh, absolutely. The slight age difference feeds into the existing power-dynamic tension between Hackett and Ilya, which is honestly one of the most addictive parts of the book.

One leans into being older and wiser (sort of), while the other leans into being brash and spring-loaded. Age as commentary is one of Reid's quiet superpowers.

The gap never becomes a defining feature so much as a gentle undercurrent that colors their banter, their misunderstandings, and those moments when they finally get real with each other.

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Readers Tend to Picture Them Their Own Way

Leave it to fandom, but different readers mentally assign different ages to these two. Some say they're 25 and 27; others swear it's 28 and 30.

The fun part is you genuinely can't be wrong here. The text stays loose enough that your headcanon runs free — and honestly, that's exactly how Reid probably intended it.

She's not writing a script. She's writing a feeling — two guys who feel like they belong to a specific life stage, no lab coat required.

So What's Everyone Actually Saying?

If you check BookTok, Goodreads, or Reddit threads, the most accepted consensus sits comfortably around mid-20s to late-20s for both characters.

Some fans even place them on the younger end — like 23 and 25 — because of how impulsive and chaotic their behavior gets. Which, to be fair, is not slightly inaccurate.

Either way, you're not going to walk into a fight at dinner unless fairness has gone completely out the window. It's a romance community, not a courtroom.

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The Bottom Line

The truth is there's no single hard-and-fast answer baked into the text. The ages are suggested more than declared, and that's part of the charm.

You get to decide the exact number that makes it work best for you. The authors trust you to read the room — and honestly? Most of us do just that.

Wrap-Up: Why This Book Feels Ageless

Whether Hackett and Ilya are 24 or 28, the beautiful thing about Heated Rivalry is that their connection doesn't care about the calendar. It Zelle-modes straight past every reasonable boundary straight to your heart.

Love doesn't check IDs, and that's honestly the best part about reading romance in the first place. It reminds you that real connection lives somewhere far beyond a driver's license date.

So take the age you like, own it boldly, and reread your favorite scene one more time with a big smile. Life's too short for spoiler-free joy — this book just makes it easier to remember that cleverly.

Now go tell your book club they're wrong about Hackett's age with the confidence of someone who just read every chapter twice. ❤️