I really enjoyed this one. It had the sports, the emotional turmoil, and all the character development you could want. Each character had nice depth and humanity, and there was never one time that I didn't root for the relationship. Nikolai brought a cultural element to the series that I loved to see, and Isabelle was extremely relatable and kind. This was a nice ending to a really good series, and I can't wait to recommend it!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan for my Advanced Reader's Copy.

Thanks for letting me try this. I requested without looking at co tent warnings because I enjoyed other books in the series. However, some of the content is not for me.

Isabelle and Nik have this summer fling that extends into the semester as Nik transfer to McKee. Their relationship is doomed from the start since Nik is Isabelle’s brother’s hockey rival. I love a good found family and the Callahan’s show that well even if most of them are blood related. The plot drove itself along as Nik’s childhood is shown through. There was a decent about of spice throughout the book; some I thought weren’t really necessary to the plot and could be skipped without missing any plot points. This book is in a series but can be read as a stand alone, though reading the previous books will help with recognizing some of the side characters from the previous books. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend. Thanks to Valentine PR, publisher, and author for this free eARC.

Wicked Serve is a sizzling, heart-thumping rollercoaster of a sports romance that you won't be able to put down! Nikolai, the brooding hockey star, and Isabelle, the determined volleyball player, share a chemistry that's hotter than a power play in overtime. Their secret summer fling reignites with fiery intensity, making every stolen moment and furtive hookup deliciously irresistible.
The author masterfully blends sports rivalry, heartfelt moments, and scorching romance, all wrapped up in the chaos of college life. Isabelle's fierce drive and Nikolai's tortured past add depth to their whirlwind relationship, making you root for them at every turn. And let's not forget the koalas—just the quirky touch to keep you grinning.
Wicked Serve serves up all the swoons, spice, and sports drama you crave in a new adult romance. Grab this book and get ready for a wild ride with Nik and Izzy!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

“Isabelle.”
“My sunshine girl.”

“A girl like her needs it dirty, no matter how sweet she seems.”

“You’ve always had a wicked serve.”


Let me start by saying I thought the book had a really good foundation. Brothers rival and sneaking around?? Oh yes. However, the book just came up flat for me. I think the beginning is good, it had me giggling and blushing. As I was working my way throughout, I became bored and the book just seemed to drag for me. Sticking it out to the end though it was cute. Nikolai held the book for me though. Izzy drove me nuts, respectfully. I thought she was kinda of bratty and childish. The talks of panic attacks and therapy that was represented through the story was amazing, especially with it being focused on a guy! So so important.

Overall I would recommend it, it was just wasn’t the book for me!

I loved this book! I am a hockey romance girl for sure and I loved the added element of Volleyball in this one. Both the main characters were so likable and they obviously cared deeply for each other. I loved seeing each of their POVs because you get to truly see how they see each other.

𝑰𝒇 𝒔𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆, 𝑰'𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒖𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈.


This was longer than it probably needed to be, but it was still worth it. I liked that both characters were athletes. I also liked the suspense and drama with Nikolai's family. I absolutely loved his nickname and when he tells her what it is and why I melted. 🫶 I'm a little bummed the series is over, but I think this ended well.

🏒 He Falls First
🏐 Secret Summer Romance
🏒 Brothers Rival Turned Teammate
🏐 Grumpy x Sunshine
🏒 Hockey Player x Volleyball Player
🏐 Close Proximity
🏒 Forbidden Romance
🏐 Dual POV
🏒 Mental Health Rep

Book Review - Wicked Serve

Wicked Serve -Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) REVIEW


I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book, this is my personal and truthful review.

I absolutely loved this book, truthfully I was worried that I wouldn’t like this book as much as the first two but I definitely found that this book was the best out of the series. The backstory of these characters was deep and provided a great foundation to their storyline.
I really liked that the characters from the previous books were included in this book but they didn’t take over the story, they were definitely in the background but they absolutely were beneficial to the storyline.

Tropes:
•hockey romance
•college
•secret romance
•close proximity
•brothers teammate

Quick Review:
It was suppose to be a summer romance. They went to different colleges however he was kicked out of his college but now he has a spot on the college hockey team (her brothers team) and now goes to the same college. However they can’t seem to stay away from each other, but her brother and him are rivals. Can the pressures from his family and the past change what he has been working towards and will it keep them together or push them apart?


#bookreview #arc #romance #book #romancebooks #mustread #hockeyromance #arcreader #books

I was so excited to read this because I have really enjoyed this series but unfortunately I feel a tad let down by this one. First off, I couldn't understand what the intended age audience or genre was supposed to be. These were teenagers, I believe, 19, so sometimes it felt like I was reading YA and sometimes it felt like they were trying to act like they were much older. I also struggled with the FMC really pushing the MMC to open up when he wasn't ready. There were definitely some cute moments throughout and the spice was spicin' but in the end I think I was hoping for a bit more as a final installment.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC!

Wicked Serve
AVAILABLE AUGUST 13

This is a beautiful romance with characters who support each other and plenty of spice. I did feel that Wicked Serve was a bit heavier than the others in the series and I loved it even more for that. This book tackles anxiety, panic attacks and physical abuse trauma.
My favorite moments were when Nikolai spoke Russian to Isabelle. He was definitely swoon worthy!

TROPES:
☀️ Hockey and Volleyball
🩷 Mental Health Rep
☀️ College Romance
🩷 Secret relationship
☀️ Brother's Rival/teammate
🩷 Found Family
☀️ Dual POV

Wicked serve is the fourth and final book in the Beyond the Play Series and it was absolutely cute!

Izzy and Nikolai’s story was adorable! I laughed, teared up a bit and even felt flushed with the spicy scenes. I enjoyed the angst between Izzy and Nik and the way Nik made Izzy feel, ugh so good!

If you loved the first three books in the series and enjoy sports romance then this one is a must read!

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for a chance to read this!

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This is a college hockey romance between Nikolai, a Russian hockey player who ends up on the hockey team of a rival university. Isabelle Callahan and Nikolai Abney-Volkov had a summer fling before he arrived at McKee to play hockey. I truly love how the plot develops in this book as Izzy & Nik’s relationship evolves and more insecurities and emotions come into play. The relationship is lovely.

Here’s what I love about this hockey romance:

1. Nikolai and Isabelle’s relationship is quite tender & loving. He supports her when she feels she’s not as put together as her brothers and sister.

2. When Nikolai joins the hockey team at McKee, he has a mature discussion with Isabelle’s brother Cooper who is the team captain.

3. Nikolai has some demons from his childhood that he tries to hide from everyone until he shares his past with Isabelle who is there to support and care for him.

4. The relationships between Nikolai and Isabelle’s family members have a unique dynamic that is sometimes great and sometimes painful.

SPICE: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

TROPES:
- Former hockey rivals turned teammates
- Summer fling to true love

TRIGGERS:
- manipulative & verbally abusive father (present)
- domestic violence (past)
- childhood trauma
- panic attacks

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It was one of those books that when I wake up in the middle of the night I found myself reading some more rather than falling back to sleep. However, but the second half of the book had weird pacing and it didn't keep my attention as much as the first. For that reason I'm rating it 3 stars. I enjoyed the characters and the serious topics and felt they were handled with care. I will be reading more by this author asap.

This book was delightful!!! I have loved meeting each Callahan, and for a while there Cooper was my favorite until Isabelle ❤️

I really loved the development of Nikolai and Isabelle’s relationship. The give and take and their willingness to support each other, especially because Nik’s parents’ relationship was strained. He knew what he didn’t want to turn out like and worked to be better.

The way he called her solnishko 🥹☀️
MY FREAKIN HEART!!!

I’m still swooning over this entire book!! It just made me happy.

ALSO, getting to see the rest of the Callahan’s and how their HEA’s are still thriving — gahhhh 🥹🥹🥹

Wicked Serve is the fourth book in the Beyond The Play series by Grace Reilly. It's a new adult (college) brother's rival sports romance (both main characters are athletes, which I love!). This is the first book I've read by this author, and I am in love with her writing! I will definitely be reading the first three books in this series.

Nikolai (Nik) and Isabelle (Izzy) were scorching hot together! Their chemistry was undeniable every time they were near each other, but Izzy's brother was completely against it, because he didn't want Izzy to end up getting hurt, so there's a lot of sneaking around and stolen kisses. After some twists and turns, I was so happy to see them get their HEA. Highly recommended with more than five stars!

Unfortunately, I will have to give this book somewhere between a 2.75 and 3.25. For now, I will just say 3 stars!

While the premise was cute and there was a plot that had the potential to be better presented, the flow was too disconnected for me. I enjoy romances with spice 🌶️, but it's more important to me that the plot and pace are solid. This book had far too many scenes that were entirely unnecessary for pushing the story forward. Also, towards the end it felt like we were just getting more and more and more information and moments just to drag the story out.

That being said, I was interested in learning more about the MMC's family dynamic, his past experiences, and the complications he was going through in life. The FMC's storyline was wonky and bit less interesting to me as a reader. However, together, the FMC and MMC had very cute moments together.

Albeit, mostly lustful moments - but cute.

Thank you NetGalley, Valentine PR, Avon Books, and Grace Reilly for allowing me to review this ARC.

3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4⭐️

Wow I did not expect to be sent on that emotional Rollercoaster

Wicked serve follows Nikolai and Isabelle; after ending their summer fling to head back to college, these two are drawn back together when Nikolai is expelled from the rival college he attended and transfers to McKee, where of course, Isabelle attends.

What I loved about this book; I absolutely loved how Nik and Izzy weren't afraid of admitting their attraction and feelings to each other. And that they were both willing to discuss the hard topics and have an actual conversation so there was little to no miscommunication.

I absolutely loved seeing James and Bex again and honestly the whole family. ❤️

What I didn't love was how long this book felt. There were a few things that I just knew were going to happen and I had to be anxious for half the book because of the pacing and that just made it a little hard for me.

Overall, this was a very good read, especially if you read the first 3 of the beyond the play series!

There were a couple harder topics talked about in the book such as child abuse & domestic abuse. So I would check tws before reading once it comes out!

A big thank you to Avon books/ Harper publishing and Netgalley for gifting this eARC in exchange for an honest review! ❤️

Izzy Callahan has been struggling. She isn’t sure where she fits in with her volleyball team or with her family, and she isn’t sure what she wants out of her life. Then she meets Nik, and things seem like they’re coming up Izzy. Too bad they’re casual and only for the summer. When classes begin, they will be separated by several hours and state lines. Not to mention the complexity that is Nik’s rivalry with Izzy’s older brother. So imagine her surprise when she runs into Nik at a back to school party at McKee University.

Nikolai Abney-Volkov has a plan: finish college, sign with a team in the NHL, and play hockey professionally. But when life gets complicated and Nikolai finds himself kicked off his team and out of his college, he has to transfer for his senior year. Thankfully, his grandfather has connections and finds Nik a spot at McKee on their hockey team. It comes with a price, though: give up his dream of playing professional hockey and instead shift his focus to the family business after graduation. The only bright part of his situation is found in his new captain’s little sister — one Izzy Callahan.

What starts as sneaking around and insisting things are casual becomes more than either bargained for. But will Izzy’s family or Nikolai’s past come between them?

~~~

“I can burn brighter. That’s my specialty. I burn and I burn until I’m nothing, until I’m alone again.”

I am OBSESSED with Izzy Callahan!! A feisty, competitive athlete who loves all things pink and girly? My kinda girl. As Izzy struggles to find out where she fits into her family and her team, she is constantly uplifted by Nik and discovers passions she never knew she had. She is by far my favorite Callahan sibling, and I don’t think it’s even close!

“If she’s sunshine, I’m the guy who hopes it never stops raining. But deep down, I worry that I’m the typhoon.”

And Nikolai?? What a man! He is struggling with his past, his mental health, and what is coming in the future—the one he never planned for. Despite his struggles, deep down he’s just a teddy bear who wants to be loved for who he is, not what he brings to the ice.

Nik and Izzy together are electric, and I couldn’t get enough! Add in the cameos from the other Callahans, and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect end to the Callahan siblings series!

Wicked Serve

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶

"You’re mine, solnishko. Every part of you.”

Nik just became my favorite 'Callahan' 😉

After getting expelled from his university Nikolai makes a deal with his grandfather - finish college and continue playing hockey his senior year and forego his contract with the NHL... but when his grandfather says that he will be completing his senior year at McKee, he knows that he's not going to be able to stay away from his summee Sunshine Girl and she's not going to let him give up hockey

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
Brothers Rival/Teammate
Forbidden
Hockey & Volleyball
Summer Romance
Found Family

Okay first things first, I can't believe I got picked for an ARC of this and thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for picking me🥹💜

Now to the good stuff!

I have loved each Callahan sibling so much and I'm sad to see this series come to an end, BUT Nikolai stole my whole heart! I absolutely love him and Isabelle as a couple; the way they understand and support each other is beautifully touching. Their romance, even though it started hidden, was always cared for by both of them and it was their priority to be open and talk to each other. My favorite part, however, was watching Nikolai deal with his past and how it impacted his future. I looked forward to and anticipated his chapters more than anything else in this whole story.

Can't wait to read more from Grace Reilly in the future!