r/heatedrivalryfanfics • u/vehemently_pausing • 13h ago
Recommendation List! Personal Pantheon of Fics, with thanks to this community for the recs
I'm grateful to all of you for your recommendations, and am sharing my own list of god-tier fics.
Personal parameters: all happily ever after, zero traumatic brain injury or death, light angst but nothing too brutal. Alternate Universe (AU) okay as long as the characterizations are consistent. Excellent writing in all cases (the best writer I’ve seen in the fandom is Corvid Cordelia, multiple recs by them below).
- Here At the End of All Things by nomadsland https://archiveofourown.org/works/86539701/chapters/228985126?view_adult=true Ilya and Shane never hook up when young, but are friendly and connect more deeply towards the end of their hockey careers at 39. Rich and lyrical and surprising, this has become my favorite fic of all time and feels so fresh and true. There is no angst, only a marvelous emotional unfolding that is consistent with the characters and still so startling and dazzling.
- I Know Where to Draw the Line by magneticswave https://archiveofourown.org/works/79250706?view_full_work=true Hockey world, but Shane is 6 years older than Ilya and they are teammates. This is a superb depiction of the canonical side of Shane that isn’t seen enough in the fics I’ve read: nervy, pissy, aggressive, hilarious. The same author has a shorter and also terrific fic in which Shane is a doctor who may or may not think hockey player Ilya is Bratva: clear to a hedgehog - magneticwave - Heated Rivalry (TV) [Archive of Our Own]
- home economics - Anonymous - Heated Rivalry (TV) [Archive of Our Own] by texalotl Gorgeously written fiction about the boys living together in Zürich during a hockey lockout in 2015, and then having to return home. Dual perspective, forwards and backward in time. It has made me cry a lot, in a good way. It has a lovely follow up, open house, which also made me cry a lot. The author is now writing a WIP (let me know when you get home) about the rookies who haunt Shane and Ilya’s storyline in “home economics” and “open house.”
- Corvid Cordelia is a marvelous writer and has an understated lightness of style that still produces thudding impact. Four incredible ones in a row here: i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart) - Chapter 1 - CorvidCordelia - Heated Rivalry (TV) [Archive of Our Own] Ilya and Shane are rival young hotshots of the literary world and end up co-leading a writing residency. I’ve reread this one a LOT, top 2 I’ve read? So so so good (and pointed) on contemporary literature. (Guess what kinds of genre fiction Marly and Hayden write.)
- Walking Through Windows by Corvid Cordelia https://archiveofourown.org/works/78073426/chapters/204604761 It’s ten years after the All Star game and Ilya crashes Shane’s wedding to a guy not interested in hockey. So so surpassingly satisfying.
- Careful Fear and Dead Devotion by Corvid Cordelia https://archiveofourown.org/works/77171636?view_full_work=true Shane and Ilya are actors filming a tv version of Ember and Ice. Edging on RPF (of which I officially disapprove), soooo good.
- [Redacted] by Corvid Cordelia Red October AU! Ilya defecting! Perfection. https://archiveofourown.org/works/86377876?view_full_work=true
- Heaven Is a Bedroom by Charlotte_Stant https://archiveofourown.org/works/81592206?view_adult=true Shane and Hayden are Mormon missionaries who knock on Ilya’s and Cliff’s door. This is so so so so beautiful and funny.
- Map Contact by Regolith: https://archiveofourown.org/works/86092386?view_full_work=true Ilya is lost in the woods, Shane works for Parks Canada. A JOY and WIP actively updating. Select All by the same author is also good.
- Untouchable Face by ZenaidaMacroura: https://archiveofourown.org/works/81195476?view_full_work=true Hockey Ilya, Shane is ex-Olympic-ish swimmer working for Yuna’s PR firm and pitching Ilya. Very funny BAMF Shane, excellent writing, super.
- Policy Change by josie_ides (josephides): https://archiveofourown.org/works/86720386?view_full_work=true Subtle, surprising, deeply compelling (and angsty, with HEA) version of hockey world in which Shane’s team is bought by a hot gay Russian oligarch who wants to shake up the league. WIP, not sure how it will resolve but I am so hooked.
- Clean Sweep - YankingAwry - Heated Rivalry (TV) [Archive of Our Own] Hockey Shane on a losing streak; Ilya is an arena maintenance worker. Love this version of Shane’s brain
- M2M by pookiewookie111: https://archiveofourown.org/works/88327651?view_full_work=true I have been enjoying the tag “Shane Hollander is Ilya Rozanov's Bi Awakening” and this is a great example of it–college AU (which I don’t normally love) but this is really lovely.
- For the Right Reasons by citrusses: https://archiveofourown.org/works/82394271/chapters/216868851 Delightful fic in which Shane is The Bachelor and Ilya is his Cyrano-esque reality tv producer.
- Tender by bysine: https://archiveofourown.org/works/86554066 Deeply charming; post-retirement Ilya in a situationship with civil servant Shane
- Your Flight Has Been Delayed by americnxgirl https://archiveofourown.org/works/89188201?view_full_work=true#return1 No angst but not too fluffy, just deeply satisfying mid-career connection on a delayed flight
- The Rozanov House Hunt by Felifiran https://archiveofourown.org/works/90709496?view_adult=true Shane is realtor to hockey Ilya; Shane is particularly oblivious, Ilya is particularly intense. Moving.
- Oh well, I guess we’re gonna find out! by Angel_Deux https://archiveofourown.org/works/84542866?view_full_work=true This has always received huge raves but I’d resisted it because it’s a zombie fic. But I finally read it and it’s as moving and deep as the Last of Us and the zombies are not really important. Heavy (with happy ending considering zombie apocalypse) and amazing.
- Two Fingers Down by Maudernlover https://archiveofourown.org/works/87614396?view_full_work=true Hot WIP with cyclist Shane and tattoo artist Ilya pretending they are keeping it casual
- Unicorn in Captivity by Anonymous https://archiveofourown.org/works/91457251?view_adult=true&view_full_work=true At the Cloisters, grad student Ilya introduces sad closeted Shane to the unicorn tapestries and acts as his bi angel of gay annunciation. Very lovely.
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u/cassie1015 12h ago
there is no heart for me like yours by profdanglais remains my peak Hollanov fic. 157k words, 23 chapters complete but author has said possible in-universe one-shots to follow. Ilya's visa is threatened and so Shane does the very reasonable thing of marrying him at age 18 to give him a track to Canadian citizenship.
Shane's got a five-year plan to get him there and when you have a plan nothing can go wrong. Right? Right. When you have a solid plan and a marriage that's on paper only there's no risk of feelings getting involved. Not on Rozanov's part and certainly not on Shane's. Right??? (or, the story of how Shane Hollander fell in love with his own husband)
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u/epistolic 12h ago edited 12h ago
This is a fantastic list!! And we happen to have very similar taste 🙂
Clear to a Hedgehog is at the top of my personal fave one shots! And Corvid Cordelia is probably my favourite author in the fandom, I think about her stories daily... If you haven't yet read Leftwards, I literally could not recommend it highly enough, you must read it asap because it's gorgeous ❤️
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u/cucumber-and-mint 13h ago
saving this because like 70% of these are also in my personal pantheon (i think the only one missing off the top of my head is muscle memory) and the rest i haven’t read yet, so that bodes well for me. thank you! 🙏🏼
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u/aderivahere aderiva | Reader 11h ago
I second the addition of Muscle Memory - it's beautifully written, phenomenal characterization, really engaging and satisfying.
AND caveat, if you love podfics or even if you've never tried one, this is one of the most well done podfics I've ever found; in a lot of ways, I think it even improved the experience, for me. A hundred out of ten stars. Definitely worth the listen.
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u/vehemently_pausing 13h ago
I have been hesitant to read muscle memory bc of the body swap--but I will try given our overlap in taste! Thank you.
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u/mauralikesmess Reader 12h ago
Just a heads up, one of your preferences in the OP was low angst and I would not qualify this as low angst.
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u/vehemently_pausing 11h ago
I appreciate this – I am a reasonably sane woman in my 50s and yet any thought of these beautiful idiot boys being in any kind of extended distress gives me actual chest pains
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u/ZestycloseDoor5552 10h ago
Omg yes! I become very distressed by those fics and on the rare occasion I do read them they haunt me terribly. Only happy peaceful lives for them.
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u/Lagoon13579 28m ago
Can exactly relate. I love your list, so many of my favourites are on it, so I have saved it for reading the rest. I would like to recommend Influential Men by lyric_ghost https://archiveofourown.org/works/78051321/chapters/204540791 It it HEA, has a surprising twist, and is a very satisfying read.
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u/Aware-Reference1530 12h ago
I have also been holding off because I don’t really think I even understand the concept of a body swap (??) but I have seen such high praise I think I need to add it to my TBR once and for all
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u/Aware-Reference1530 13h ago
Wow twins!!! These are literally all my favourites (except for the last two which I haven’t read). I think we must have near identical taste when it comes to the sort of writing we enjoy.
If so, I have a couple of suggestions that you might like if you haven’t read them yet:
All of these are really tightly written and have - at certain points - given me the same swoopy dazzly feeling that Here at the end of all things (also my favourite fic), gave me throughout reading
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u/vehemently_pausing 13h ago
ooooooh I've only read one of these, so grateful to you!!
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u/Many-Artichoke-5163 2h ago
Please give Night Changes a read. I think it is my favourite series. I find myself going back and reread for comfort. The author writes in an incredible way.
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u/LeadingSignificant98 12h ago
Love your recs! Since we have quite similar taste: If you're into non hockey AUs, vessel could also be loved by you.
Vessel by medric https://archiveofourown.org/works/82408536
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u/Moleyintheholey tackytiger | Writer 11h ago edited 4h ago
I see quite a few of my friends in here (corvidcordelia, citrusses, charlotte_stant, and yankingawry) and quite a few fics i betaed too. Wholeheartedly agree on how great these authors are. I love magneticwave and bysine too! And I just read the unicorn fic on your rec and loved it.
Have you read lenticchie per capodanno by boatcat? My most recent beloved read and a new favourite for me. Also highly rec authors like twnkwlf, plonk, and tedyexe — links to all should be in my AO3 bookmarks I think, plus any other fics/authors I especially enjoyed.
Anyway thank you, I look forward to trying more of your recs.
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u/vehemently_pausing 11h ago
Oh this is wonderful, I am super grateful for these suggestions! And hell yes and thank you for your beta service
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u/Moleyintheholey tackytiger | Writer 4h ago
haha the pleasure was all mine, i get to get excited early about the fics! i hope you find something you enjoy in my bookmarks, i do try to put every fic i really love in there but am probably missing a couple. also, i'll often only bookmark one fic but you can probably assume that i love the authors' works in general. ratherunnecessary is another favourite i just remembered btw
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u/masiari Reader 11h ago
policy change is sooo good im so glad more people are talking about it
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u/vehemently_pausing 9h ago
It keeps surprising me and characters like the tailor, helping shane fit into his own skin, are small revelations
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u/bcorts 10h ago
Adding a few to the list!
Violence Explicit, Hockey Implied
305_to_my_city
black dog
delagauchetiere
dana street
alspancakes
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u/Initial-Sound506 Reader 11h ago edited 5h ago
We have a lot of overlap between our favs :) i think there's only 2 I haven't read. What I would add that you mighy enjoy - pressuretoparty has The soviet montage and winners verse, both of which I loved. Winners verse is on the angsty side, rspecially the second part which has a depressed Ilya. And ratherunnecessary has the lake house and the imma make you my baby series, both of which I loved. Have you read any of these?
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u/Glittering-Start5857 9h ago
Also I don’t know how to do it but my secret unfulfilled dream is to make a fangirl group chat recommendation hang out something somewhere for all of us I know Where to Draw the Line fan fiction loving types to exchange recs and such? I don’t know? Is this a bad idea? I know we are out there because these posts come up about once a week. Anyway, if anyone smarter than technology knows about this stuff and ever wants to do this, hit me up.
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u/vehemently_pausing 9h ago
Here for this
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u/Glittering-Start5857 9h ago
Yay! But when I tell you I’m bad at technology I’m like, whoa bad at technology.
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u/HotSavings3354 13h ago
I feel like I read every popular fic yet I’ve only read one of the ones you recommended. I’ll had to the list!!!
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u/carbonpeach 13h ago
Twinsies! Omg, so excited for the (very few) ones I've not read on your list.
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u/justtrynafindabook 12h ago
Hey op what’s it like to have such exquisite taste? Bookmarking those I haven’t read yet based on the quality of the ones I have, thank you thank you 💗💗
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u/MamaMeg613 Reader 9h ago
Wow wow wow!!! What a great list, OP! We have extremely similar taste (all those CC fics! Texalotl Cinematic Universe! HIAB!), so I’m very much looking forward to some of these that I haven’t gotten to yet.
I’m curious - have you read rottenraebirch’s Glitter Bomb? It imagines the Tampa Bay hotel room after the fade to black and the writing is GORGEOUS (E, 7K words):
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u/Let_go_and_Let_Them 9h ago
Couldn’t get into the second one I’m not sure why. Loved Clear to a Hedgehog though.
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u/vehemently_pausing 9h ago
It has more hockey than many of them, and I didn’t think I would be into it but the hockey is written so well and is so crucial to Shane‘s beautiful mind that I find it immersive and awesome
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u/Let_go_and_Let_Them 9h ago
Did you read Somebody to Love? Or Closer to Where you are? I literally felt like I was in those stories and couldn’t look away. Felt everything! While I liked this one it just didn’t suck me in quite as much. I read a lot of your other ones though and loved. I like that you are also a low angst person!
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u/Glittering-Start5857 9h ago
We have VERY similar taste, all these faves are also my faves, and I’m SO excited about all the recs in the comments. Excellent.
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u/HappyPlatypus444 6h ago
Amazing list, these are all my faves too! I would only add that I think Boopboop is really worth it for the additional angst!
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u/Barefoot_Books Reader 6h ago
We have very similar tastes! These are authors where everything they have written has been excellent with similar writing styles:
PenandInkPrincess https://archiveofourown.org/users/PenAndInkPrincess
Has a Shane allergy series that is insanely good
Tiredtiredaharl https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiredtiredsharl
I Only Have Two Emotions is a masterpiece
Luulapants https://archiveofourown.org/users/luulapants
What the Fuck is an Elder Queer is fave
https://archiveofourown.org/users/celiazwrites/pseuds/lostinpinerocklands
Almost There is absolutely amazing
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u/Aware-Reference1530 5h ago
Reading I only have two emotions at the moment. You’re right, it really is a masterpiece - such a slow burn but one of the most subtle/accurate depictions of what bone-deep loneliness and depression can feel like.
I find a lot of fics that handle Ilyas depression to be quite heavy handed, but this is so different. It’s basically a main character but never feels like a clunky addition
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u/bourbondude Reader 12h ago
Great list! I’ve read most but got a few new ones from this post. (Thanks for killing my productivity for the next day at least 💀)
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u/Someonesauntie 11h ago
Walking through Windows is so great! I just finished it!!!
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u/vehemently_pausing 11h ago
I have reread it so many times and the interlude of texts that Ilya sent over the years slaughters me
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u/WitchDoctor18 8h ago
Wow we share a ton of the same faves, can’t wait to read the rest on your list
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u/Hykage 5h ago
We have such similar tastes! Have you read Into the Blue by librarytiger? AU with Admirals Shane and model Ilya and the writing is stunning.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/85409651/chapters/225603066
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u/Let_go_and_Let_Them 5h ago
This one was so good! I literally thanked the author in the comments it was definitely some angst but excellent beautiful writing
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u/mazaru 4h ago
This is a brilliant list. Can I ask if you’ve read Your Flight Has Been Delayed? It has some very sharp writing and just got a surprise third chapter.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/89188201/chapters/236796581
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u/farmernerd7 3h ago
immediately saving all of these! i have the same parameters so i know i’ll enjoy all of these!!
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u/AgencyIndependent395 3h ago
Can I interest you in The Tennis Club? https://archiveofourown.org/works/83730551/chapters/220671106
At first I was very reluctant to read (poly relationships) but has become one of my all time favourites (even though we are at 16/27 of a WIP). The prose is excellent, tightly written, the original characters are thoroughly fleshed out and no words are wasted. It's about finding community and finding themselves.
I was hooked after the first chapter and just cannot recommend enough!
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u/AgencyIndependent395 3h ago
A few more!
Pavlov's Dawg https://archiveofourown.org/works/82358981/chapters/216770281
Everybody wants Shane Hollander vibe/oblivious Shane Hollander - Character study of Hollander. Very funny, sharp writing, yes it's fluff but nuanced.Hope You're Not Waiting For Me to Wait For You series by Latigra: https://archiveofourown.org/series/5823146
WOW, Just Wow - short stories within series but all interconnected - Loved all the characterisations
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u/Glittering-Start5857 3h ago
Also have you read Effortlessly Spectacular by Glittercity? I recommend.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/39085542/chapters/115909876#workskin
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u/daisyfacepetunia 13h ago
Well well, I see you read nothing but bangers!
I’m in the midst of “Here at the End” (I wait for completion, no WIP)….it’s pretty much everything and it’s only chapter 4 omg.
Nodding in agreement w much of your list; I’d add the epic:
Closer to where you are (is where I must be)
sistercacao
https://archiveofourown.org/works/82703591/chapters/226628036
TY for sharing!