Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
3.5 stars rounded up for this surprisingly good sports romance, which was a lot more complex than I would have expected. Actually quite good sex scenes, especially early on in the book, and I thought the difficult topics of abuse, trauma, anxiety, and divorce were handled relatively well by the author and felt pretty realistic. All in all, this is a better than decent romance with the hockey/volleyball sports backdrop (along with a lot of college/career and family themes) that’s going to grab me. Bonus of some minor queer side characters, too!

Nik and Izzy meet during summer while she is doing an internahip with his mom planning weddings. Nik plays on an opposing hockey team from Izzy's brother so when sparks fly over summer they know once they both return to college in fall that the romance will be over. Until Nik is forced to attend Izzy's college in order to remain playing hockey. Without a word from Nik after summer ended Izzy is less than excited to see him on her campus, but her heart still yearns to be with him.

3.5 ⭐

Wicked Serve is a pretty standard brother's rival hockey romance, that was sweet with a little steam, and just all around a good time but didn't blow me away

This book took me a minute to warm up to it but I'm so glad I finished it. The beginning is a bit confusing and I wish we had more of how their relationship started (a summer fling) but then it delved into deeper topics like domestic violence and trauma and it definitely got better. The level of maturity Nikolai showed towards the end of the story was admirable, and the way Isabelle reacted to his decision making was brave and strong. They definitely showed growth.

I never really got into the characters. While I liked Nik better than Izzy, I never warmed to Izzy. As the series progressed, the writing has developed. However, because I had no buy-in to the main character, it was hard to be invested in the story.

Synopsis:
Nikolai needs to have a stellar Senior season, so imagine his dismay when he's forced to transfer to his rival University and play with his biggest rival...and the older brother of his summer fling. He'd love to reignite their spark, but can risk alienating himself more from his Captain? And can he get past his scarred past? Izzy has two goals for the school year: win back her place on the volleyball team and forget all about Nikolai. Too bad she just can't seem to stay from his broody charm. Between the furtive hookups and the heartfelt conversations, the lines between friends-with-benefits and more begin to blur.

My thoughts:
It's your standard college sports romance. If you like a friends with benefits, brother's rival to lovers storyline this the a book for you. I liked the characters. The spice is there but not overpowering. I love me some hockey on the page. I don't know that I think it is anything ground breaking. But it is an enjoyable story. I like the emotional maturity and the conversations about mental health and getting help to overcome our past. I would recommend if these are things you enjoy in your story.

Pretty cute young adult novel. I liked the back stories to the characters and how the author addressed mental health. It read a little young at points, and I think could have been shorter. Overall not a bad read, and great spice level!

I'm a sucker for hockey romance, and this one had me grinning like a lovesick fool the entire time. I adored Nikolai, who was the epitome of "he falls first." Literally, from page one, you can tell that he was head over heels for Izzy. And while their relationship was meant to be a secret summer fling (especially since Nikolai and Izzy's brother are rivals on the rink), it's clear that fate has other plans for them.

There is lots of spice in this book, but it is all really well done and doesn't feel repetitive. I like that the plot and characters aren't overwhelmed by the spice, which is a trap that some authors can easily fall into. There's depth in the character's stories, including past trauma and insecurities, but there is also lots of healing and mental health awareness. The pair grow together as a couple and as individuals, supporting one another in a very healthy way that many real-life couples could probably learn from.

While I was definitely intimidated when I saw how massive this book was (74 chapters!) I was pleasantly surprised to find that it kept a steady and engaging pace throughout the entire story. Could it have been shorter? Sure. But I have read shorter books that have felt much, much longer than this one.

This is my first book by Grace Reilly, and I will definitely return to read the stories of the other three Callahan siblings.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books, and Harper Voyager for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for a advanced reader copy.
I read this as a stand alone being that it was book 4.
I would definitely consider going back and reading the remaining books in the series.

This follows Isabelle (the last Callahan sibling) and Nikolai (her brothers rival's) relationship go from summer fling to much more.
I felt like this was a bit longer than was needed, but i really liked the fact that the book focused a lot on healing from past trauma and actively seeking self improvement.

I really wished this was tennis ;) It was fun and I love a good hockey romance, but wanted it to be a little spicier and kinkier, given the other hockey romances I've read. (Pucking around series, etc)

Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

***TRIGGER Warnings: domestic abuse and child abuse***

I thought this was the best book in the series. It was your typical hockey romance. But I am a sucker for a hockey romance. I think this series is good and I would suggest it.

I DNF’d @ 50%. I believe this is a new adult or college adult romance , but they felt too immature for me. The chemistry and connection was believable, but I really had a hard time connecting to the story and the characters individually.

A hockey romance about Nikolai and Isabelle. It all started a summer fling that didn't end on the best terms, but when Nikolai gets kicked out of college, he is given the opportunity to play hockey with his rivals and at Isabelle's college.

There were some flaws or parts that seemed cheesy, but it was a fun storyline and a good fluffy read. At times I thought Isabelle was a bit too pushy especially surrounding Nikolai's past.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book! Wicked Serve is the strongest book in this series. I feel like the writing is stronger (and clearer) than the first book by far! I loved the characters and the story. The spice was pretty good too! I would read this book all over again!

Would recommend!

About what to expect cute and somewhat lengthy. Nik And Izzy have to overcome quite a few obstacles and traumas. There are plenty of spicy scenes with more than expected detail.

For someone that hates sports in real life. I love a good sports romance book, and this one was great. The characters were well rounded and relatable. The story flowed well and I thoroughly enjoyed every word.

So I came into this book not realizing it was the 4th in the series (picking up the first 3 ASAP) and I loved it! As is typical with a romance series it can absolutely stand on its own and wow did it ever.

The story follows Izzy and Nik. Nik is a hockey player expelled from his college his senior year and has to go finish out his career at McKee. Izzy is a volleyball player at McKee. Also they hooked up the entire summer while Izzy interned for Nik’s mom (oops?). The book follows them reconnects after Nik ghosted her. This book also tackled some serious issues regarding domestic abuse and mental health issues and they were handled really well. I loved seeing how Izzy supported Nik through his panic attacks and his trauma. I also loved seeing Nik support Izzy and help her realize that she is not a failure just because she’s not perfect. Their romance was sweet and felt very real to me. Overall, I’d highly recommend this book and the ending even had my crying a bit.

If he wanted to, he would ladies! This was such a sweet book with actual darker problems going on somewhat talked about. Isabelle and Nik go through a lot and I enjoyed being able to see a lot of the downs that were actual problems that could be related to, and not just an overreaction to something silly. A fun romance that really loops the Callahans all together.

Thank you NetGalley, Grace Reilly, and Avon and Harper Voyager for a copy of this Arc.

Cute, fluffy read !!! Always a joy to read a hockey romance. This book is a spice heavy, hockey romance and the last in a series of standalones.

Things I loved:
- their healthy relationship
- sweet romance
- discussion of deeper topics
- the strength of the FMC

Pick up this read if you like:
- secret relationship
- a LOT of spice
- Friend & Family bonds
- Mental Health rep
- Grumpy x Sunshine

There were things with the writing style that got on my nerves (hence 4 stars) such as repeating words and too many chapters, but I did have fun with this low stakes read!

This is book 4 in the Beyond the Play Series. Nikolai and Izzy have a summer fling that no one knows about. They think it's over when the summer is over, but Nikolai has to change schools and come crashing back into Izzy's life. They each need to succeed that year in their respective sports. When their worlds collide, can they succeed or will they go up in flames?