TL;DR
- A massive snowstorm hits NYC, disrupting travel and closing schools.
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani tells residents to stay inside—and read Heated Rivalry.
- NYPL is offering free e-book and audiobook access to the popular queer hockey romance.
- The book’s TV adaptation has skyrocketed in popularity, turning its stars into global names.
- Mamdani’s suggestion fits his strong pro-LGBTQ+ platform and the support he received from queer voters.
NYC Mayor Tells Residents to Ride Out Snowstorm With… a Gay Hockey Romance
A Blizzard, a Mayor, and One Extremely Gay Recommendation
Leave it to New York City to turn a historic snowstorm into a queer cultural moment. As the Big Apple got slammed with double-digit snowfall and travel chaos, Mayor Zohran Mamdani stepped up to the podium—not just with safety advice, but with a reading list. His top pick? Heated Rivalry, the beloved gay hockey romance that’s taken book clubs, TikTok, and now public policy briefings by storm.
“The snow is coming down heavily across our city,” Mamdani said, “and I can think of no better excuse for New Yorkers to stay home… and take advantage of our public library’s offer of free access to Heated Rivalry.” Staffers behind him reportedly chuckled, proving that sometimes leadership requires both caution and impeccable taste.
The storm forced flight cancellations, bus delays, and school closures—but if you’re snowed in, why not thaw out with the slow-burn, eight-year rivals-to-lovers saga between Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov?
NYPL Opens the Floodgates — of Queer Literature
The mayor’s comments came just after the New York Public Library announced a special Valentine’s Day promotion: instant access to Heated Rivalry and other titles in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series for anyone with an NYPL card. The library cheekily noted, “Now, with instant access, there’s room for everyone at the cottage!”
The novel—and its now-iconic TV adaptation starring Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie—follows two major-league hockey stars whose on-ice rivalry melts into a tender, fiery, secret relationship. The show’s success has been meteoric, propelling its actors to the Golden Globes stage and even the Olympic torch relay. That’s the kind of queer excellence you want warming your frostbitten fingers.
A Mayor Unapologetic in His LGBTQ+ Allyship
Mamdani’s playful recommendation isn’t a surprise. Since his election, he’s become a favorite among LGBTQ+ New Yorkers for his outspoken commitment to queer rights. His campaign centered LGBTQ+ issues, he appointed trans advocate Abby Stein to his transition team, and a whopping 81 percent of queer New Yorkers backed him on Election Day.
His use of a popular queer romance to encourage public safety is both on-brand and, frankly, iconic. Imagine: a city where being told to curl up with gay hockey players is part of the official storm briefing. That’s the New York queer folks have always deserved.
The LGBTQ+ Impact: Representation, Joy, and Escape From the Cold
Heated Rivalry has become more than a bestseller—it’s a beacon of joyful queer storytelling. For LGBTQ+ readers who grew up with scraps of representation, seeing a mayor uplift queer literature during a crisis sends a powerful message: our stories aren’t niche; they’re part of the cultural fabric.
The book’s popularity also challenges long-standing myths about queer narratives being “too niche” or “too risky” for mainstream attention. If anything, the public has spoken loud and clear—give us relatable, tender, unapologetically queer love stories, and we’ll devour them faster than a blizzard blankets Midtown.
Snowed In With Shane and Ilya
As New Yorkers hunker down and wait for the city to thaw, many will be spending it with the city’s newest unofficial mascots: two gay, emotionally complicated, hockey-playing heartthrobs. Let the snow fall. This storm just became the coziest queer event of the season.
And once again, Mayor Mamdani understood the assignment.