Romance is one of my go-to genres. I always know that I can find one I will enjoy, especially if I don’t feel like reading much at all.

In Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly, Nikolai and Isabelle spend the summer together when she works for his mom. But they can’t be together because Nikolai and Izzy’s brother hate each other.
Then Nik transfers to Izzy’s college for his senior year and they find it hard to stay away from each other.

Nikolai plays hockey and Isabelle is a volleyball player so if sports romance is your favorite, definitely pick this one up. It is open door and I suggest you check triggers before diving in. I think this would be a great book for you if you enjoyed Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series.
Thank you to @avonbooks and @netgalley for a review copy.

Well done writing, and developed amazingly complex characters. Nik and Izzy were so well written, and I loved getting to know their story.
Great story, and continuation of this series, but can stand alone (I love those types of series).

When you have a summer fling with your brother’s rival but he ends up transferring to your college and becomes your brother’s teammate . . . buuuuuuuuut you can’t stay away from each other so you end up in a secret relationship 😏

Nik and Izzy’s story is the perfect balance of emotional and hot 🔥 the chemistry between these two is off. the. charts.

College romance isn’t always my fav but this was so well written and surprisingly mature given the MCs ages. We saw real growth in both MCs — and I love to see therapy and trauma healing in stories, especially when they’re written realistically (which Grace nailed in Nik’s story arc).

Highly recommend if you like:
🏐secret/forbidden relationship
🏒grumpy sunshine
🏐he falls first
🏒brother’s rival/brother’s teammate
🏐sneaking around
🏒college romance
🏐sports romance
🏒hockey/volleyball romance
🏐mental health rep

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½
🌶️🌶️🌶️

This is my second book by this author and she is definitely one of my new go-tos for sports romance. I loved this story, loved that both characters were athletes and we got a great mix of forbidden romance, brother’s rival and lots of spice! Would definitely recommend Grace’s books for a fun read!

Thank you to @NetGalley and @Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. Grace Reilly has become one of my favorite authors. Wicked Serve was such a fun romance and a family becoming whole. There's talks of domestic abuse, so check trigger warnings, but this book shows the healing process after the fact. This series is a must read.

Grace does it again!!

Nikolai is such a great character with a complex backstory and at some points I just wanted to give him a good hug! Isabelle handled the things she had to deal with with such grace and alot better then I would’ve dealt with things!

I feel like I could go on and on about this book and never run out of good things to say!

Wicked Serve is part of a series and it can be read as a standalone, but i think it probably misses out on a lot of charm and nostalgia by not reading within the context. I did not enjoy this. I love a sports romance but this one just did not hit for me. The characters for over 50% of the story seem to only rely on their chemistry and physical relationship but nothing deeper than that. I was very bored and just ended up skipping to the end to see how it comes together. I am sorry, it just was not for me.

If you’ve liked Grace Reiley’s other books, you’ll like Wicked Serve. While I really enjoyed the rest of the Callahan’s books, there was something more vulnerable about Izzy (and Nik) that made this one stand out. There’s a lot more depth to them than I expected, especially with his past. While I enjoyed it, I was a bit surprised by how long it was. At 400ish pages, I do feel that there were some things that could have been cut for the sake of pacing and just general length.

This book started out really strong but slowed down and then felt really long and I started to get bored at some spots. It picked back up at the end so I am glad I finished it!

The connection of the characters felt a little forced so maybe that was part of it for me. Overall, I’ve enjoyed her books so I’ll continue reading this author!

Izzy and Nikolai have been hiding their summer fling from their family, as Nikolai is a big hockey rival of Izzy's brother. When he finds himself transferring to her college they have to decide whether to continue their fun or to try to stay away from each other.

This was a fun romance read, especially for anyone who enjoys hockey or other sports! It didn't contain any of the tropes that annoy me (like miscommunication!), but instead featured a pretty healthy relationship where the characters were really understanding of each other and supportive. Writing about mental health and undoing childhood trauma was done very well. This paired with a lot of open door scenes and a plot that was interesting enough to keep me invested. This is the fourth book in the series, so sometimes it was hard to keep up with all of the side characters who had been featured in earlier books. But it was still easy to read this without having read the others. I really enjoyed the Russian language included and thought the characters were well written! Seeing such a close-knit and supportive family was great as well. Plus there are koalas, and who doesn't enjoy a book with those?

I recommend this to anyone who likes sports romance books. It's a bit of a brooding/sunshine mix in a great way. I would definitely read more by Grace Reilly and may go back and read the prior books in the series. There are a few Trigger Warnings for domestic abuse (not between the two MCs) and trauma. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for my opinions!

3.5 stars rounded up

Wicked Serve serves up (ba dum hiss) a spicy new adult romance that has healthy relationships with a focus on clear consent and mental health rep.

The plot is quite good. I found it interesting and it flows well. The pacing is good as well, a nice medium. It leans more on characters than plot, I think.

Dialogue is great. It felt natural and I laughed a few times. The characters are strong, well developed and fully fleshed out.

I loved that the author makes the characters verbally consent to anything spicy, to ensure they're truly consenting. On top of that, the MMC tells the FMC on more than 1 occasion that she can change her mind at any time and it's 100% OK, won't change his feelings at all.

I feel like the book was a little longer than it needed to be, and the FMC's love of pink got a bit repetitive. I didn't love the way the FMC pushed the MMC to talk about his past. Other than that, the relationships in this book are good to great examples of healthy relationships with appropriate boundaries - I love that about this book.

It had more spice than I expected, but I felt like those scenes were well written and realistic. There's one scene (ch 49) in particular that was especially 🥵. The amount of spice doesn't impact my rating.

While the characters are college aged, I feel like they're more responsible than is typical for the majority of people that age. Not a positive or negative, just something I noticed.

This is the 4th (and final) book in the Beyond The Play series, but can be read as a standalone. I haven't read any of the previous books and don't feel like anything was missing.

Overall, it's a great, fun, spicy read and I really enjoyed it.

If you enjoy new adult, spicy, and/or sports romance, give this one a try. If you like Wildfire, Pucking Around, or The Dixon Rule - you would probably enjoy Wicked Serve.

Please check the author's site for CWs/TWs.

I really enjoyed this book ! Author delivered amazing storytelling that was filled with emotions and great action. I’’ve read it in one sitting, Must read alert for author’s fans.

Thank you to the author, publisher and @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

As a former volleyball player, I was so looking forward to reading this! I love it when something I love is in one of my books and fairly accurately represented to boot!

Yes, this has its flaws, but it flew by and I was entertained. Could it have been shorter? Absolutely. But it was still a fun read.

Wicked Serve is the fourth and final book about the Callahan family - 4 siblings who have attended the same college and have fallen in love while there. Wicked Serve focuses on Izzy, the youngest child and only sister of the Callahan clan. She is a volleyball player who had a summer fling with her boss's son, who just so happens to be her brother Cooper's biggest nemesis on the ice. However, when Nikolai transfers schools in the fall and becomes Cooper's teammate, he and Izzy have to determine if their fling is more, and how to share that news with their families.

I enjoyed the integration of characters from the prior books, as well as seeing Nik and Izzy work through their struggles while leaning on one another. They were not perfect but their love for each other made the hard days easier to navigate. Spicy, funny, and emotional, all wrapped in a fun little package!

Thank you to Avon, Grace Reilly, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i>

What a cute and fun sports romance!! This was my first book by Grace Reilly, so at times, I did feel a little out of the loop with the characters and the found family. I think if I were to have read all 3 prior books, I would have felt more of a connection, but I still really enjoyed the book nonetheless! This gave me similar vibes to Off Campus with the college sports romance.

I really loved the characters dynamic and their growing love for each other. Nik was down bad the wholeeee time and the love he showed Izzy was absolutely to die for. AKA Koalas. IYKYK. He was such a sweet, wholesome character who had a lot of trauma that he unforunately wasn't given an opportunity to previously understand or work through. I really liked the anxiety representation and the way Grace handled the panic attacks and the need to seek help and go to therapy. Izzy was really a character who represented the younger sibling who is always trying to ensure her successful family is proud of her. I loved how she started doing what she wanted to make herself happy, rather than anyone else.

The found family was cute without even having all of the backstories. I loved the couples from the previous books having moments in this book and the epilogue was so cute! I want to go back and read from the beginning to see the other characters loves stories from their povs.

I really liked this book. I loved Nikolai and Izzy's relationship and how Nikolai was drawn to Izzy from the very first moment he saw her. I loved the dual pov, secret relationship, he falls first and harder, and sports romance. I also liked how it wasn't just about them but connected the rest of the Callahan family into their story as well. Their relationship really was healthy without any toxicity, including a lot of support and encouragement from each other.

Thank you to NetGallery for the arc.

Wicked Serve by Grace Riley

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶️

Volleyball
Hockey
Brothers rival

Wicked Serve is the fourth book in the Beyond the Play series.

I enjoyed the chemistry these two characters had immediately. How they were able to build a relationship of sorts prior to any conflicting issues.

Nikolai and Isabelle had so many barriers to overcome. Loved their caring dynamics for each other. But this story seemed to lack any significant amount of volleyball and at times felt like there was a lot of pages for the amount of progress occurring through the story.

It was an overall enjoyable story and it was nice to see the positive interactions.

I received an ARC of this book and am leaving an honest review.

This is such a delightful read! It beautifully blends engaging romance with well-rounded characters full of depth. One of the best parts of the book, to me, is how it highlights the importance of open communication between the main characters. Their conversations feel authentic and relatable, making the romance unfold in a manner that feels both natural and believable.

I was also pleasantly surprised, and liked, the ending. Unfortunately, it's all too common for a romance story to have a rushed or forced ending, but "Wicked Serve" wrapped up in a manner that didn't feel rushed or out of place. It was a satisfying resolution that left me feeling content and connected to the characters' journey.

Overall, "Wicked Serve" is a charming, witty, and well-crafted romance that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone looking for a heartfelt story with strong character dynamics and lots of sporty aspects!

This was my first Grace Reilly book, but I plan to read the rest of the series. I loved Nik and Izzy's relationship. It was wonderful to see how they managed their relationship while remaining open and honest with each other. Nikolai and Isabelle had a summer fling, but they couldn't go any further because he was her brother's rival. When he transfers to her school, they can't ignore each other and become inseparable. I'm not going to lie: their relationship happened extremely quickly for me. Even though it was more of a hook-up situation, you could tell they were feeling something from the start. I enjoyed the Callahan siblings' close connections with their significant others, but I wish I had read the prior volumes to gain a better grasp of them and how they fit together. Together, Izzy and Nik were amazing. They complemented one another, each encouraging the other to be and achieve better. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to @valentine_pr_ & @netgalley for the e-ARC.

The final installment of the Callahan siblings series! When I started this book, I was a bit apprehensive because I had loved the previous book (Stealing Home) and I didn’t want this one to disappoint, and it didn’t! I was a little confused when it first started, but once I got into the storyline it just melted together. I knew I was in for a treat when I was 64 percent of the way through and all of the problems were solved 🥲. I enjoyed Izzy’s pov because it was fascinating to know how she sees her brothers and her life. Honestly, I feel like me and Izzy would be friends. I also enjoyed how there was NO MISCOMMUNICATION TROPE OR THIRD ACT BREAKUP. It is so so frustrating when I’m reading a book and they’re all cute and happy, but then, BAM! They break up over a stupid misunderstanding. No hate to anyone who likes (or writes) that though. Grace’s books never fail to make me cry and this one was no exception. I was 70 percent of the way through and I said “huzzah, I didn’t cry” and then I basically cried for the next ten pages.