The details · Readers
M/M alone doesn't explain Heated Rivalry's fan writing.
Red, White & Royal Blue is two men too, and its rate was under a third of Heated Rivalry's.
- From
- Case study · CS-001 · September 28, 2026
Before the shows: last on ratings, first for its size
Archived captures from before each adaptation premiered.
- The Deal, 1,004,420, 0.02
- Red, White & Royal Blue, 790,058, 3.8
- Heated Rivalry, 41,582, 13.6
Sources (6)
Source: CS1-109 CS1-111 CS1-107 CS1-110 CS1-112 CS1-108
See the numbers
| Book | Goodreads ratings | Fan works per 1,000 ratings |
|---|---|---|
| The Deal | 1,004,420 | 0.02 |
| Red, White & Royal Blue | 790,058 | 3.8 |
| Heated Rivalry | 41,582 | 13.6 |
What I found
Red, White & Royal Blue is also two men. Its rate was 3.8 fan works per 1,000 ratings, far above The Deal's 0.02 but less than a third of Heated Rivalry's 13.6. M/M is huge on AO3 (7,605,276 works against 3,893,175 F/M, and works can carry both). "M/M probably helps, but it doesn't explain the whole gap."
So do this
Don't credit (or blame) the pairing alone. Compare your book with others like it, not just others in its category.
Keep in mind
Three books can't settle it, and The Deal's rate rests on 21 works.
Source: Before the shows; My theoryCS1-107 to CS1-112CS1-140
Read the full case studyLast on Goodreads, first on AO3 for its size: what fan fiction saw in Heated RivalryThree adapted romances, two ways of counting readers, and a theory about books that leave room.Case study · CS-001 · 9 min read · 5 posts come from it