I love grace Reilly and this book is such an amazing story and I love a good hockey romance that is one of my favorite sport romances to read. I never wanted this book to end.

My favorite thing about Wicked Serve was the lack of toxicity. I love that we have a strong FMC and a strong MMC that work together to solve issues and have a good power balance without the male toxicity that plagues so many hockey romances.

Grace Reilly’s Wicked Serve is a captivating blend of sports romance and personal growth, set against the high-energy world of collegiate athletics. Izzy Callahan, the youngest of the Callahan siblings, is determined to prove herself on the volleyball court after a difficult freshman year. Her focus is unwavering until Nik, her brother’s rival and her secret summer fling, transfers to her university, throwing her carefully laid plans into chaos.

Reilly masterfully builds tension between Izzy and Nik, creating a romance that feels both forbidden and irresistible. Their chemistry leaps off the page, making readers root for their love despite the challenges they face, from family disapproval to the pressures of their respective sports. Beyond the romance, Wicked Serve delves into themes of ambition, resilience, and self-discovery, giving the story depth and relatability.

Reilly’s writing brings authenticity to the college sports setting, capturing the dedication, camaraderie, and competition that define athletic life. Fans of the Beyond the Play series will love seeing familiar characters while newcomers can jump right into this story without feeling lost. Wicked Serve is a heartfelt, steamy, and inspiring read that will resonate with anyone who loves stories about strong-willed heroines and the transformative power of love.

This was the perfect ending to the Beyond The Play series. I as nervous to see the shift to a sister, but was excited to see the dynamic between Izzy and her siblings when she’s the one falling in love. Nik and Izzy actually ended up being my favorite couple and story in this series. I loved the mental health rep and how close to home this story and characters felt. We love encouraging, supportive families and partners and this book was full of that. Sad to see this series end, but excited to see what Grace comes up with next!

Wicked Serve is a sports romance with plenty of drama and the fast-paced backdrop of hockey. While the premise was intriguing and the chemistry between characters had potential, I found myself unable to connect deeply with them, leading me to not finish the book. However, this could be more about personal taste than the story itself, sort of a right-book-wrong-time situation. Reilly's writing style is engaging, and fans of hockey romance who enjoy steamy, competitive dynamics might find this a satisfying read. Though it wasn't a fit for me, I’d still recommend it to those who love sports romances. I will definitely pick up other Grace Reilly books in the future, and will likely try this one again at the right time!

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3⭐️
2🌶️

Tropes: secret relationship, brothers rival, hockey player x volleyball player, boy obsessed, mental health rep

I wish I would’ve liked this one a lot more than I did. I absolutely love a good sports romance but this just fell flat for me. I didn’t really connect with Izzy and I found myself kind of just wishing that it would finally end. I did love how Nikolai and Izzy were together. I felt like they were so well matched and had some cute moments. I just wish the overall story gave me a little more. Not a bad read at all just not one of my faves.

This book started off with a lot of promise, especially given the tropes it incorporated, which initially had me excited to read it.. However, it ultimately fell a bit flat. The pacing felt overly drawn out for the story being told, and I found myself skimming through sections due to a lack of engagement. While there were moments of spice, the chemistry between the characters didn’t resonate with me, feeling somewhat forced rather than natural. Despite the potential of the premise, the connection between the leads didn’t feel convincing, which detracted from the overall enjoyment of the book. Thank you to Grace, Avon, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wicked Serve is perfect for lovers of sports romance, college romance, and new adult romance! This is part of a series, and it can be read as a standalone, but I think I would have gotten more out of it had I read the previous books in the series. There are a lot of side characters/couples/ family members I wish I had known more about.

I really enjoyed this book and thought the cute story was really well written. I also enjoyed each characters development and seeing them progress throughout the book

I appreciated both of the MCs and their character growth. They loved each other but they both knew they needed to do what was best for themselves individually in order to be happy. I loved how Isabelle's family accepted Nikolai and treated him as one of their own. ⁣
⁣
I also appreciated the emphasis that was put on the mental health of Nikolai. He struggled and had to work through it in order to give Isabelle everything he wanted to give her. I'm excited to go back and read the rest of the series because I really enjoyed all of the side characters as well

Loved this one and this series so much. This is my fave family ever. This book was so good I loved Izzy and her story and these two together are just chefs kiss

Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly is a captivating sports romance that earns a solid four stars for its engaging blend of competition, chemistry, and character growth. The story follows the journey of Izzy, a volleyball player, and Nic, a hockey player, who have a summer romance and then go their separate ways only to be forced back together by unforeseen circumstances. Reilly deftly explores themes of ambition and vulnerability, creating a dynamic narrative that keeps readers invested in the protagonists' evolving relationship. The author's keen insight into the world of college and professional sports adds authenticity to the plot, while the emotional depth of the characters ensures that the romance feels both genuine and compelling. Though some plot elements tread familiar ground, the novel's engaging pace and vibrant storytelling make it a delightful read for fans of both romance and sports drama.

Thanks to Netgalley and Publishers for giving me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I came into this series late, and I always have some regrets about not starting at the beginning. I am glad that I didn't wait on this one though, because there were so many things I loved about Nikolai and Isabelle's story.

Funnily enough, I'd just been commenting on how all the hockey romance's I'd read resorted to making up their own hockey teams. This one didn't, to my delight, focusing at the college level and an early offer to play for the Sharks. A small detail, possibly, but one that I was here for.

While there's a good chance I missed a lot of their early meeting, or build up, Isabelle and Nik start out as a finished summer romance. They never thought they could last beyond then, and they're going back to different schools. Until an incident leads to Nik being kicked out of college and accepting a position at McKee University, where her older brother can't stand him, and he can't seem to avoid her.

They accept that they likely don't have a future with each other. Things will play out and they'll part ways, but for now, they're holding onto every moment they can. Even though it means sneaking around.

It was a bit of a surprise to read a book that spent so little time with them avoiding getting together. I really enjoyed how this allowed their relationship to develop though, and it allowed for spice throughout the book.

I'll definitely be going back to the earlier Grace Reilly books, and enjoy getting a look at the other Callahan siblings. Thank you to NetGalley and publishers at Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC of this one! All opinions are my own.

If you love a good broody MMC and sunshine FC, you'll love this book. I picked it up without having read any of the previous books in the series and it stands alone quite well on its own, even though they do bring in the other characters many times. I have never read this author before but she's great if you're into cute and spicy romantic books. This one was about 3 spicy chiles, maybe 2. Still really cute, does deal a bit with past DA for trigger warnings.

Huge thank you to Net Galley for the free book for honest review.

OMG so cute! If I am going to try a new author, it is going to be a romance. Every once in a while, you come across an author, you just know your going to read everything they write. I am obsessed with the plot, a forbidden romance of Captain's little sister. Served to you in a lovely dual POV. Major pinning, he falls first, forbidden love, sports romance, swooning with a nice dose of spice. I love the pink color, but it was mentioned in every chapter I swear- a little overkill. Also I definitely regret not reading the other books in the series but after this book I will definitely check out the other books in this series/ books from the author.

Quotes:
”If she’s sunshine, i’m the guy who hopes it never starts raining”

4.75 stars

Ah it was so good to be back with the Callahan family. I've loved every single one of Grace's books and this one was no exception.

I was so excited to be selected to read this one early as it is one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I loved so much about this story and felt it fit in perfectly with the others in the series.

Witnessing Nik and Izzy fall in love reminded me of what it's like to fall in love, which is one of my favorite parts of reading romance books. I loved how the reader got to know both main characters so well and felt that the character development was natural and paced eloquently. I also greatly enjoyed all of the glimpses of the rest of the family and their stories and really loved seeing the friendship develop between Nik and Cooper.

I'm truly so excited to see what Grace does next and highly recommend this story!

Read if you love:
-dual athletes
-brother's rival
-found family
-character growth

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (0-5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: 4.75/5
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (0-5) They like it rough. And I bump up for public places/outdoor spaces.

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 My initial response: I’m so very in love with these two babes and the beautiful sounding narrators playing them!! What amazing audiobook entertainment.
🤩 Oscar Reyes gives a superstar performance with all of his fantastic accents. And Faith Clark is his perfect match, with the beautiful accent changes in the dialogue.
🤩 Steamy hot stress relief! I love when Isabelle has to care for Nik the way she knows how, the way that works for them.
🤩 The pool apology!
🤩 Fabulous text chats.
🤩 The sneaking around.
🤩 The Izzy Day wedding crashers.
🤩 The sweet, supportive way the forbidden plot works itself out.
🤩 Christmas Eve & Callahan family Christmas fun.
🤩 The laugh-out-loud fun, even among some more serious topics.
🤩 Sibling tattoos. I’m so smitten with this family!
🤩The in-the-future epilogue! I want to be (or be with) a Callahan!
🤩 Beautiful therapy/mental health representation.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 I would like a little steamy intimacy after the time apart to solidify their bond/HEA.
💫 The brush—I’m not sure I loved it.

although this is not my favorite of the serie I still liked it so much!!

I loved how the relationship between Isabelle and Nik grows so much throughout the book. Isabella was supportive to Nik and tried to make him open up about his past to help him heal, Nik was helping Isabella to starting caring about her self and not letting her compare herself to her brothers and father but to be herself and do what she wants to do what what others expect her to do.

I love how Isabelle defends Nik and comes up for him to make sure he gets the life he wants and deserves.

This book has some touchy topics so if that is triggering or hard to read for you be aware that this book has the topics childhood trauma, domestic abuse and panic disorder.
Even thought these topics are really heavy and hard Grace has written about it in a respective and beautiful way.

I love this book and this whole series. I am literally obsessed with this little family and I love the brother's best friend trope, but before this book I didn't have a lot of experience with the brother's RIVAL trope, so that was a really fun twist and new experience for me! Would 100% recommend this book and the entire series to my friends.

I was an athlete growing up and I love a sports romance. Rarely do I find a volleyball romance though, so I was really excited about this one. It did not disappoint! The romance was sweet sport aspect was fun and I couldn’t put it down!