I loved this book so much because it really shows you that it’s okay not to be okay 👏🏼 I really appreciate when authors not only have mental health representation in their books but when they portray it in their MMC’s, it’s not always just women who struggle with anxiety and panic attacks.

Izzy and Nik’s relationship was so beautiful, it may have started out as just a fling but it quickly developed into so much more and I loved every second of it! I loved how supportive they were through each others struggles and I’m so so happy that we got to see so much of Izzy’s family and even some of Nik’s there at the end. The epilogue was chefs kiss and of course made me cry 🥹

✨3.5/5✨

One things for sure, I am deep in my hockey romance era. Wicked Serve by Grace Riley is the 4th book in the Beyond the Play series but I feel like it could definitely be read as a standalone (which i did) it’s easy to follow along with the characters that were most likely mentioned and developed in the first 3 books. This story follows Nikolai and Isabelle. Nikolai is Isabelle’s hockey rival and what started as a summer fling has quickly turned into more. This does have spice but the overall story is actually really sweet. I love how supportive Isabelle’s family is of her despite some of her insecurities. I do think the story dragged on a little with a few different plot twists but overall it was a good read. I’d recommend this to anybody in their hockey romance era!

Thank you to @authorgracereilly @netgalley and @avonbooks for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I had to DNF at chapter 16. I tried and tried to read but it just could not keep my interest. I didn't have a single care in the world for these characters.

4.75 stars

I adored this one! It is easily one of my favorite hockey romances I have read so far. I also liked the balance of volleyball and hockey elements. It was refreshing to see two talented athletes fall in love. The blend of tropes as a whole is just so great. It checked a lot of my boxes and did so skillfully.

I wish we could've seen a bit more of their summer fling in the past that started it all. There were a few flashbacks, but they didn't provide the context I was hoping for. They are so cute, and I would've loved to see more of how Nikolai pulled Isabelle at the beginning.

The one part that confounded me was how everyone continually brought up how purple everything was at the university. It seems to be building up to some kind of plot point and then it just... disappears. It was a failed Chekov's gun moment. If you are going to bring something up over and over, it should contribute to the plot in a significant way.

I love how there are a whole host of LGBTQ+ side characters. I noticed at least two lesbian characters and one gay character. It was a nice blend of queer culture being naturally integrated without feeling forceful or there for brownie points. In a sizeable friend group on a college campus, there are likely a few queer people. It helped ground the story in a bit of realism.

There were a lot of moments that made me laugh out loud. The guys in this story were particularly amusing. Especially when James locked Cooper and Nikolai outside in the snow to work things out. I also smiled at all of the bonding moments including the matching sibling tattoos.

The one part of this story that I didn't love so much was the aggressive daddy issues. It makes sense for Nikolai's character but less so for Isabelle. Her conflict would be much more effective if it was strictly centered on her brothers. Not every older male needs to be a threat or source of tough conflicting feelings.

I really admire Reilly for the way she employed the setting to propel the plot forward. Each setting served a purpose for the story in a sensical way. It felt deliberate and calculated effectively.

This book has a good bit of spice but this spice contributes to the character development. If you are not a fan of spice, I do not recommend this book.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to the hockey romance fans. It is full of characters with depth that also bring about a lot of humor. There are a lot of daddy issues so prepare yourself for that before going in.

I received this book as an arc from Valentine PR. My review is honest and voluntary.

Grace Reilly hit it over the net AGAIN! We return to McKee University and watch everyone’s favorite little sister, Izzy, live her own love story with Nikolai. It was so fun to learn more about Izzy and watch her develop on the page. This has been one of my favorite book series, and I’m so glad it ended with this story! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy.

This was SUCH a cute read and I absolutely loved Izzy and Nikolai! I'm a sucker for a grumpy meets sunshine dating trope and this one didn't disappoint! Plenty of spice with great pacing that also did a great job at addressing serious topics sensitively. Thanks so much for the ARC!

🏐 Book Review 🏐

Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly
🏐
This book was so cute! It is the perfect summer fling to secret romance book. Nikolai is broody, broken, secretive, and closed off. Izzy is girly, loves pink, and is sunshine personified. They are complete opposite, but they completed each other perfectly because they supported each other, but also pushed back when they felt like it was in the other person’s best interest. I loved Nikolai’s Russian heritage and the Russian words, phrases, and nicknames that are sprinkled throughout the book. It does deal with some heavy topics from Nikolai’s past, but it was done very well and with sensitivity. It was the perfect ending to the series, and now we have books for all of the Callahan siblings.
🏐
My rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
🏐
Read if you like:
▫️he plays hockey and she plays volleyball
▫️brother’s rival and teammate
▫️damaged hero
▫️found family
▫️dual POV
🏐
Thank you to Valentine PR, Avon, Harper Voyager, and Grace Reilly for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

i was very fortunate to receive an ARC of Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly from ValentinePr, thank you so much!! 🩷

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️/5

content warning: mentions of domestic abuse, alcoholism, disordered eating, panic disorder, and cheating, as well as explicit sexual content.

“our love has felt like springtime. warmth chasing away shadows, light spilling into the open. i imagined sun-drenched days ahead, but the frost hasn’t left the ground. the flowers haven’t bloomed.”

i absolutely devoured this book, once i started reading it i couldn’t stop!! and though this book touches on some heavier topics, nothing ever felt forced or awkward. the plot was just beautiful and the characters are fantastic!! I loved that both characters had their own sport that they excelled in and had to find their self-worth one and together.

isabelle and nikolai are so cute together! the love story between them was both beautiful and heartbreaking. nik was dealing with so much trauma, and it obviously impacted the way he viewed the world, especially his view of what love and relationships could be. and isabelle became the bright spot in his light, and she took care of him in ways no one else ever had. they really did have a sweet and genuine connection!

this book was super cute and lighthearted, and the spice was good! so if you're in the mood for an easy cute read, i definitely recommend reading this book! also, this was my first time reading anything by grace and it definitely didn’t disappoint!! i will now be binging all of her previous work and i can’t wait to read her future work!! once again thank you so much to valentinepr and grace reilly for providing me with this arc 🩷

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Wicked Serve…Isabelle and Nikolai… NO NOTES!

While Sebastian may be my favorite of the Callahan brothers, Isabelle is giving him a run for his money in the favorite Callahan sibling contest.

There was so much to love about this book. Watching the relationship between Izzy and Nik, learning and watching Nik deal with his childhood trauma, getting to see all of the Callahan family again… yes, yes, yes.

Grace Reilly has a hold on me and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyage for the chance to read an advanced copy of Wicked Serve!

Wow. This book exceeded all my expectations. It’s the final chapter of the Callahan family series from Grace Reilly, and she finished with a win. Wicked Serve is the perfect blend of sports and romance that hits all the right notes. Nikolai and Izzy’s story is filled with the ideal amount of steam, tension, and heart.

I adored how the book combines the intense world of college sports with a romance that’s both swoon-worthy and complicated. The chemistry between Nikolai’s broody charm and Izzy’s fiery independence kept me turning pages. And those playful koalas? I CANNOT!

If you’re into steamy, emotional reads with a sports backdrop, Wicked Serve is a must-read!

Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.

5/5 stars

I have read other books in this series and really wasn’t a fan. This book seemed to handle the substance a bit more delicately, while also being - ahem - still extra spicy.

This book centers on Isabelle, the youngest of the Callahans, and Nikolai, a rival of Cooper, Isabelle’s brother on the rink. Isabelle and Nik meet because of her summer internship and choose to keep their relationship secret because of Cooper. This becomes increasingly more difficult as Nik is forced to transfer to McKee University and join the hockey team.

There are several triggers in this book: panic disorder, domestic violence, difficult parental relationships.

Izzy and Nikolai had a wonderful summer romance. Nikolai went back to college, ready to play hockey when as team captain he took the blame for a team member’s mistake and was kicked off the team. Nik’s grandfather told him he would get him in wherever he wanted to go but then he had to go to work for him and playing professional hockey was out of the question. Nikolai struggles with nightmares concerning his dad, an abuser in Russia, earning the trust of Izzy’s brother, hockey team captain, and the loss of professional hockey. Izzy struggles with being a strong athlete like her older brothers. Izzy and Nikolai struggle to keep their rekindled romance a secret. This is a wonderful book about trust, communicating, and allowing someone to help in times of trouble. Great story and characters.

Another sweet and sexy entry into Grace Reilly's Beyond the Play series! Wicked Serve delivers a wicked helping of heart and heart. With a little bit of angst, a lot of emotions, and a really charming love story in the center, it was a great journey back into the Beyond the Play World.

Never let Grace's covers fool you- they are always full of deep topics and also are ultra spicy- and this one certainly touches on heavier things- like the impact of trauma on a persons mental and emotional well being, and also how those kinds of challenges can impact personal relationships. I really appreciated the mental health representation - and while I might not have catalyzing incidents like represented here or the depth of challenges faced, I think we all can relate to a certain extent to what it feels like to have anxiety, to feel overwhelmed and over committed. And while I'm not a mental health expert, to me at least it seems liked Grace handled this topics with realism, sensitivity, and care.

I really adored Nikolai- he made the whole book for me. He's a beautiful soul trapped in a big hockey players terrifying frame. The Russians swooner- I mean a man who whispers sweet nothings in his native tongue?! Microtrope I never fail to melt for. And I loved seeing a the focus of the mental health of the hero for a change- so much of their story is about his journey, and I appreciated how it was prioritized. Isabelle I didn't quite love at first- in part because of the ways in which she pushed Nikolai early on. It felt a bit immature- but as things moved along, I grew to like her and found her to be quite patient and sweet. The angst was pretty low between them, which I appreciated - it's refreshing to have a low drama dynamic.

Their summer romance (which is a great way to finish my summer!) was a whirlwind that evolves into more thanks to fate. I really liked them together and their chemistry, and overall enjoyed the story, but I do feel like the pacing dragged a bit in places. The HEA felt to happen about halfway, which honestly I liked getting to see so much of them in their happy couple place, but the backhalf did feel a bit long for how it progressed the story.

I did really enjoy the audio narration- I'm not super familiar with either narrator, but Faith Clark brought a lot of charm to Isabelle and Oscar Reyes as just the right dash of grit to a very emotive performance- and I thought the accent was great and ultra delicious.

*Established/pre-existing relationship
*Found family
*Hockey x Volleyball MMCs
*Spice
*Brothers rival turned teammate
*secret romance
*Mental health rep
*boy obsessed
*found family
*Russian MMC

I've been waiting for this book since reading Izzy's brothers stories and it was so worth the wait. Getting to see Izzy from a different point of view added so much to her character. Nik and her were so good together.

This was my first Grace book and while I enjoyed it, it was too long. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and it was slow going for me. I did enjoy a less than toxic relationship with these two which was nice given their collage age. If it had been shorter I may have devoured it. I loved the rivals and hockey troupes and I will probably pick up another book by her in the future.

✨ Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly ✨

This book grabbed me from the second I started it! I loved the whole summer romance that ends up being back in your life. And I always love a brother's best friend and rival romance.

✨ Sports Romance (Hockey + Volleyball)
✨ College Romance
✨ Brother's Teammate and Rival
✨ Secret Relationship
✨ Found Family

📚 Book: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥Spice Rating: ❤️

Thank you so much to Grace Reilly and Valentine PR for this gifted ARC.

Spice Rating
🤍 clean romance
💗 closed door/ fade to black
❤️ sexual content (a few detailed scenes)
❤️‍🔥 explicit, play-by-play (major part of the plot)
🖤 graphic, more than vanilla

Thank you valentine pr for sending me an arc of this book.

I’ve read the rest of the beyond the play series so was super excited to receive this arc. It did feel a bit longer than it needed to be and probably would have been more enjoyable if it was slightly condensed. It was great to see the final instalment of the Callahan siblings come together and I enjoyed getting to see more of the family dynamic. The brothers rival trope is always a winner for me so I knew I’d be a fan of Nik, but some of Izzy’s characterisation felt repetitive at times.

Wicked Serve is a super easy read for any sports romance fans who love some spice in their books,

Overall i would rate 3.5 stars.

As you know, my heart beats hardest for Cooper, but Nik... Nikolai stole my heart just as hard. With every little gesture (THE KOALA THING!). Every tender word he said to Izzy. Every moment he suffered - I suffered with him. Wicked serve is a painful story, even despite the fact that most are light, funny and sexy. Underneath this lightness lies a boy with a painful past, a past that doesn't want to leave him alone. I'm damn glad that apart from his sunshine, his Izzy, he found a friend in Cooper and a family in the rest of the Callahans. This series would not be complete without Nikolai. And Izzy was exactly the same as in the previous books - crazy, full of passion and energy. And full of love.

Wicked serve has everything I hoped it would have. It is the perfect ending to the series (epilogue made me ugly cry) and at the same time a really good story as a standalone.

I absolutely love the relationship that developed between Nik and Cooper - it's definitely more than rivals to friends (but sorry, Cooper stole every scene he appeared in).

I love the way Izzy and Nik's relationship developed. On the one hand it's a slow burn, on the other hand, it burned and sparks flew.

I love the scenes with James and Bex, with Sebastian and Mia, and even (shock!) I fell in love with Richard Callahan in this book, who, after all, had previously irritated me (especially with Cooper book).

And I really like the fact that there is more hockey here than volleyball.

You absolutely have to read Wicked serve! You will love Izzy and Nik as much as I do. Promise.

Received as an ARC.

☀️ Sports romance
☀️ Close proximity
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine
☀️ He falls first
☀️ Secret romance
☀️ Former summer fling
☀️ Teammate’s sister

And we’re back in the Beyond The Play world to finally get the chance to devour Izzy’s story….and devour it I did. If there’s one thing Grace knows how to do well, it’s to write a college age sports romance without making you feel icky about the characters being younger. The plot is always so well thought out with great characters that progress from start to finish. Indy this case Izzy and Nikolai were the embodiment of that, they were absolutely perfect for one another and the definition of end game.

The fact that this is a hockey x volleyball players romance is mindblown, all because I'm addicted to these two sports atm lol!

It's about Izzy, the youngest sibling of Callahan's family. She met Nikolai during her internship at his mother's wedding planning business. They had a fling during the whole summer but decided not to pursue it since they would part ways. Plus Nik is Izzy's brother's hockey rival. But things happened that led to Nik transferring to Izzy's college.

I love them! They heels over head for each other but keep sneaking around. Izzy is adorable and Nik is that broody hockey player but soft toward Izzy.

Both have their problems. Izzy wants proof that she's good at volleyball, especially living with three talented older brothers and a sports superstar father. Nik has bigger family issues and a hard childhood. But together they understand and support each other.

Check this if you wanna read:
🏒 Hockey x volleyball romance
🏐 Secret relationship
🏒 Brother's teammate
🏐 Broody x bubbly
🏒 Found family
🏐 He falls first