Member Reviews
Such a cute and fun read!! I loved the dynamic between these two and their secret-ish romance. I didnt want to put this book down ever I just wanted to keep reading!!
This book was cuteeeee. I was looking forward to this book because I also was very into volleyball, and I felt like the author did the sport justice. I wish there were more books that have this in it!
I’m such a hockey romance girlie, so the fact that we get more hockey and more cooper made me happy. Nik was such a sweetheart. You have to love a guy with a broken past but shows you all the love you deserve.
Not going to lie, their relationship was very quick for me. Even though it was more of a hook up situation, you could tell they felt more from the beginning.
Their relationship was healthy. It was refreshing. They were there for each other, gave each other tough love when needed, and the way the family opens their arms for Nik was so sweet.
I think Nik’s past was heavy…and there were a few moments where my eyes watered reading about it. I think it made him a perfect character for Izzy to be with. She’s sensitive as well. Always feeling like she doesn’t quite add up to what her family wants from her.
It’s nice to see them come into their own as a couple. I enjoyed the book. It was cute. A little long, but still felt like a quick read!
Thank you to valentine PR and NetGalley for early access!! I’m always appreciative
A really nice conclusion to the series. Izzy and Nikolai are a couple I never thought to root for, but they make so much sense together! The spice is hot AF, so prepare thyself. And the epilogue gives a quick glance into the Callaghans’ future.
Wicked Serve is a book about finding love, growing as a person, family and of course hockey/volleyball.
This was the first book in the series that I have read from this author. I was excited to read this.
The dual POV of this book was interesting, being able to see things from both sides, and to experience each of the characters family lives from each of their own perspective.
The love that Nikolai has for Izzy is heartwarming and it felt like proper true love, although I did feel their romance was 'older' than the age they really were.
Although I did love the storyline around Nik and his family life, I did find the middle of this book to drag a little. The start and the ending were both really good.
If you love a good heartwarming sports romance this book is for you!
This is the fourth book I read in this series and they are really fast reads.
This book has a good story line, a no one can know romance. Izzy is the youngest sibling from a super athletic family and she struggles with the idea that she is not good enough or as good as her older brothers. Then enters Nikolai, the captain of the rival hockey team her brother plays on. They secretly start a friends with benefit kinda think for the summer or so they thought. Nikolai is also struggling with his family drama so they end up finding comfort in each other.
The story is good but it also has a lot and I mean a lot of spicy scenes … so if you want that then you should give this book a read.
Thank you to Grace Reilly, Avon, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I didn't read any of the other books in this series, and I went in completely blind. But I have to say, I did enjoy this one.
I loved the relationship Isabelle and Nik had. They supported and encouraged each other and that's something that I love to see.
I loved the short chapters, but I honestly think the book could have been shorter.
Hockey romance.
Enough said.
I devoured this book.
Any and all hockey romances are just utter perfection.
~Isabelle Callahan & Nikolai Abney
~Brother's Rival
~Hockey Romance
~Grumpy/Sunshine
Thank you to Grace & Valentine PR for the chance to read this ARC.
This series has been just amazing to read and I was so excited to finally read about Izzy. I will start out by saying this book made me cry. No sad tears but damn this book pulled at my heartstrings. Nik talks to his mom towards the end of the book and oh my god, it was so sweet.
I feel like this was a perfect to wrap up the series. We got a good final look at all the characters and where they ended up with the epilogue. Cooper was a big part of this book since Nik was his teammate. I am absolutely obsessed with Cooper so I loved it. I love a good sibling heart to heart as well and this story really hit on that.
Also I played volleyball in high school so I was brought right back to all my old memories of playing. It really helped me connect with Izzy since I understood her frustrations.
I highly recommend this book!!! You won't regret it.
After reading Blitz by Devney Perry I needed more sports romances in my life and I loved that the female main character, Izzy is also a volleyball player like Jensynn. I love a good secret romance trope and the tension between Izzy and Nik is so hot!
I was so excited to finally get to read the final book in this series. I read the first 3 last year and could not wait to get my hands on the final book. Very happy to say that Wicked Serve did not disappoint! It was just as entertaining, loving and spicy as the other 3 books. I am so sad that this is the end of the series but excited to see what else Grace has up her sleeve in the future!
3.5⭐️ rounded up!
Thank you to the publisher and author for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
This was my first book by this author and a solid romance! I really loved the first 20 and the last 30% the most. The middle section dragged a bit for me, which made it hard to feel fully engrossed in the story. I enjoyed the themes of family and friendship in this book. I liked both Isabella and Nick as characters and enjoyed their relationship. I honestly enjoyed the parts about Nik and his healing the most. Overall a solid romance.
Reading the next book in this series felt like coming home. The Callahan family is so wholesome and I loved that we got to see them more in this book. An aspect I really liked, was how Izzy and Nick were already (kinda) together before the story started. That way we got to see how their relationship developed and how they learned to work through their past and insecurities. The middle part might have been a little bit long but I did not mind at all because it felt so cosy and wholesome. It gave me more time with Nik, Izzy and the rest of the Callahans. I'm sad to see this series come to an end and I can't wait to read more of Grace's work in the future.
After a summer fling Izzy doesn't expect to ever see Nikolai again. When Nikolai finds himself suddenly expelled from his university, his grandfather makes him a deal to get him enrolled at his rival's university. Running into Nikolai on campus was the last thing Izzy expected, and they soon rekindle their relationship. As their feelings for each other grow it soon becomes difficult to keep their relationship a secret, but is telling the truth worth the risk of losing it all?
This book was really cute and I enjoyed both Izzy and Nikolai. I loved that they are both athletes, and how being on sports teams impacted them both in different ways. I did feel that keeping their relationship a secret was a bit unnecessary, and I was glad when they did finally come clean! I really enjoyed the ending of this book, and I highly recommend this one if you're in the mood for a cute college sports romance.
WOW! This is my first Grace Reilly book and it will not be my last. Wicked serve was so bloody well written that i savoured every single moment of Nik and Izzy’s story. I don’t usually love every single character in books i read but all of the characters bought something to this story that just wouldn’t have been there without them. It takes an incredibly talented author to make you not just fall in love with the main characters but the secondary and even cameo appearances. The steam, love and absolute trust and devotion between Nik and Izzy was beautiful to witness. There is no other word for this story but bloody brilliant. I fell in love with Nik, his personality was so endearing and he’d been through so much pain but still came out swinging for those he loved and went all in with Izzy. His love, trust and absolute respect for Izzy was such a thing of beauty. He always took her into consideration even with the little things- he was amazing at his sport but even better he was a stand up man. Izzy was just as amazing as a heroine, she loved with her whole heart and always tried to see on the bright side of things even when she was hurting. You could tell she adored Nik and would’ve done anything for him and went to great lengths to protect him. She was so invested in his happiness and it was so good to see someone go all out for him after what he’d been through. Even better he 100% reciprocated those feelings and did whatever he could to protect Izzy. I just absolutely adored these two characters and this story as a whole. I can’t wait to dive in to more reads by Grace Reilly.
Well, the time is has come... the last couple...the only female Callahan sibling, the end of a college romance series that truly encapsulates the troubles of that age group: figuring out your priorities as an adult and keeping your heart young enough to keep believing in yourself and chasing your dreams.
Nik and Izzy's story is incredibly special. The summer fling and brother's rival tropes had me immediately sold, but the hearts of these two characters are what truly sucked me in. It also helps that this is the spiciest of the series ("crawl to me" scene, anyone?). I loved this story and especially as an ending to a great series.
I wanted to like this book, but it was entirely too long. It felt like the author was adding a lot of filler just to make it longer, and it was absolutely not needed. It was an easy, light read, but I just ended up finding myself skimming a lot of scenes.
Rating; ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶
Synopsis:
Nikolai Abney-Volkov’s final hockey season hangs in the balance as he transfers to McKee University, where he clashes with the team captain—who also happens to be Isabelle Callahan's brother. Isabelle, focused on winning back her volleyball position and moving on from Nikolai, finds herself irresistibly drawn back to him. As their secret romance reignites, they must confront their conflicting ambitions and troubled pasts, deciding whether to fight for their future together or watch it unravel.
Thoughts:
This is the fourth book in the Beyond the Play series, but it stands well on its own. It offers a charming mix of sweetness and spice. I found Nik and Izzy's journey truly engaging as they both, together and apart, addressed their insecurities and past traumas. Nik's charm and his efforts to make Izzy feel appreciated are standout elements for me. While the story is endearing, it also addresses some heavier topics such as abuse and anxiety. But, if you’re a fan of forbidden or sports romance, this is a must-add to your TBR—you won’t be disappointed!
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
A great last book in a great series. Grace Reilly created each Callahan child and their eventual partner to explore family, relationships, and mental health but wrapped in a nice love story with some really good spice.
Izzy and Nik are lovable, passionate, and complex characters that you can’t help but root for even with some obstacles in front of them. It was great to get to know Izzy through the other books and her story did not disappoint. I appreciate that the author wrote both MCs as athletes and not just the MMC. Their chemistry is evident and it’s clear that Izzy and the Callahans are exactly what Nik needs to find happiness and move forward from his past.
Great series for anyone who loves sports romance and interconnected storytelling - Grace Reilly knows how to hook readers in and keep them happy!
Thanks to NetGalley, Valentine PR, Avon Books, and Grace Reilly for the eARC to share my honest review.
Thank you to Grace, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.
I have been ANTICIPATING this book since the peek we got of Nik in Cooper’s book, Breakaway. Grace ATE it up, and left no crumbs. I don’t think I’d change a single thing about this book.
I felt so emotionally connected to Izzy by the end of the book, and let me tell you, my heart was RIPPED out, but like in the best way possible.
From the moment I read First Down, I knew Grace would be an auto-buy author and this book just adds to the many reasons I stand by this.
Th Callahans are so special, and Izzy was no different. I loved the Volleyball x Hockey aspects, and the Brothers Rival. Nothing was drug too far out, it was like all perfectly paced and I highly recommend this (book and series) to any romance, especially sports romance, enjoyers.
The first thing I need to say is that I was very excited to read a romance that involved volleyball… I feel like I never see that. After saying that I have to say that this book is VERY spicy. It starts off that way and is consistent throughout the book. In the beginning I had a hard time enjoying the book because I thought it leaned too hard into that and there wasn’t enough of a plot to keep me interested. At about 30% I think is where the plot really picked up for me and I really began to enjoy the book and story. By 50% I was absolutely invested. The story does involve some triggering things such as domestic violence and panic attacks- be warned. I’d say that it’s moderately graphic. Overall, I enjoyed the story and will probably read more books written by Grace Reilly in the future. #NetGalley #ARC #NetGalleyARC