This was a little too New Adulty for my taste and I did not root for either lead. It felt juvenile and a weird contrast with the smexy times. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for my ho b estcreview.

I'm beyond thrilled, and thankful, to have gotten the opportunity to read this book as an ARC from NetGalley and let me tell you, I really enjoyed this book!! From Nik and Izzy's initial fling to their joyous ending, the pure amount of growth, support, and love (plus some good little smut scenes) written on these pages is amazing. I got about halfway and was so surprised to see where the story went, but never felt like it got boring or dragged on! I laughed, screamed, and cried at times, but that's how you know it was a great book! The character development was top tier! I loved how all the Callahan brothers were intertwined throughout the book. I will HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone and everyone I see!

3.5 ⭐️ 3🌶️ this is the only book that I have read from this series, it can be read as a standalone without you feeling like you are missing something.

Izzy and Nik met that summer while she was interning for his mother as a wedding planner, it was just supposed to be a summer fling. They went their separate ways at the end of the summer, he didn’t even say goodbye…Nik ended up getting expelled from his college, but wanted to get is degree and finish his hockey season, so is wealthy grandfather for him into McKee, that same college Izzy and he brothers attend.

Cooper, Izzy’s brother and the captain of the hockey team makes it very clear that Nik is to stay away from his sister, but he can’t do that, he’s obsessed with her! They eventually start sneaking around behind everyone’s back, but they both swear is “just casual” and they are “just friends.” But eventually Izzy realizes she can’t keep doing that. But Nik doesn’t give her an answer until she ends up in trouble. He finally stands up to her brother and tells him they have been together since summer.

Now Nik and Izzy work to fix the friendship between Cooper and Nik and work with Nik’s mental health and his childhood trauma.

This was a good read. Both main characters were supportive of each other. In the in Nik wanted to get better for her and their future. Super cute book, I want to go back and read the rest of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books & Harper Voyager for letting me read an ARC copy for my honest opinion!

4.5 stars :) Nik and Isabelle’s story was so cute! It was exciting to see the Isabelle’s perspective on the Callahan family, since they all have very different relationships with their family and parents.

Loves -
Cooper and Nik’s friendship arc - I think this showed Coop’s true colors, and him embracing Nik pretty quickly after they settled their differences was nice, since that didn’t need to be an issue as much as it is in other books with the “brother’s rival” trope.

Izzy having a separate relationship with Nik’s mom, and how Nik’s mom (and all the parents, aside from Nik’s dad) got to have life details fleshed out, similar to other books in the series.

How much Nik loves Izzy, and how we got to see how pure that love was from the very beginning. There wasn’t any beating around the bush there, no “does he love her? Does he not? Situation, just clear that they loved each other, even if they weren’t ready to see it.

Dislikes -
I wish we got to have more flashback scenes. I feel like there was a lot of references to their lives in Russia, their lives when they came to the US finally, and also Izzy’s perspective on events in the first 3 books. I wish there was a way to have more flashbacks to show those moments.

I also wish that we got more details on what the Abney family does. I think the part about Nik going to work for his grandfather, then Cricket taking his place (or so it seemed) could have been more clear if we understood what they actually did, and if he was truly a “bad guy” in the business or just good at his job. Or both.

More inclusion on Izzy hanging out with the girls! I would love a book on Victoria’s relationship and other girlfriends within that universe, even if it’s their lives being WAGS in the NHL.

Again, amazing book and I am so glad I got an early preview! Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins and Grace Reilly for this early preview in exchange for an honest review!!

I binged the first three books in the series a few months ago and they were so so good. When I received the ARC for this book that I had been looking forward to, I was so excited.

I was not disappointed.

Through the first 1/3 of the book, I was a little confused because I had been a while and I didn't remember Izzy and Nikolai having any sort of connection in previous books. We're just sort of thrown into the middle of the summer fling.

But as the story goes on and you learn about Nik's background, his fear and aspirations, your heart breaks for him. And you feel the need for Izzy to live up to her family's legacy. Their journeys are very similar in that way. The support that they have for one another is really touching.

Because this isn't a finished product, some of the chapters ended a little abruptly but that can be forgiven. This was a perfect addition to the BTP series!

this is book 4 in a series, but can be read as a standalone, It is about a college hockey romance. I will go back and read the other three books in the series.

A classic college hockey romance! I loved the brother’s enemy twist, rather than the brother’s friend. Like many in the hockey romance genre, there are [spoilers ahead!] complex relationships with a father, feelings of inadequacy, and lots of intimate moments with increasing amounts of emotions tied into them.

I had the opportunity to review this book as an ARC via NetGalley. Loved it, loved it, loved it!! Wicked Serve is the fourth book in the Beyond the Play series by Grace Reilly. Steamy, sexy, and so sweet - this was perfection. Nikolai and Isabelle had an amazing summer together, but now it is back to reality. A reality in which Nikolai is Isabelle's brother's worst hockey enemy. The relationship between Izzy and Nik was super heartfelt, he falls fast and harder. I love the hockey team as supporting cast - they're just so funny.
Kudos for a huge mental health rep - Nik works on himself so that he can be a better partner for Izzy.
There was A LOT of spice - don't let that cute cover fool you!! "Crawl to me..." whew!

I was beyond excited to receive an ARC of this book. One of my favorite sports romance series. I loved this as the finale for this series. Grace Reilly does a fantastic job of developing personalities for each of her characters and I loved the MMC in this book!
Such a satisfying ending, can't wait to see what she writes next.

Beyond the Play book #4, Wicked Serve, is a sweet secret lovers story. Izzy and Nik find themselves at the same college and continuing a fun summer hookup, keeping it a secret from family and friends for several reasons. Nik is a transfer and just joined a new hockey team. Izzy is Nik's mom's summer intern. As things between them heat up, they both develop unexpected feelings. Divorce, childhood trauma, and obligations to family make Nik believe he's not good for Izzy and her All-American family. Eventually these two work out their issues and become an official couple. They work together to overcome past mistakes and trauma.
I enjoyed this spicy, sweet couple. They were kind and patient with each other. The HEA ending was a good one with enough details for the reader to feel like the story came full circle.

I'll be honest - the characters were annoying as hell. Spoiled, rich college kids who have that kind of a sex life? Not remotely realistic. A bit deeper than your typical rom-com and definitely on the left wing/liberal side of the camp.

You’ll love this book if you like sports romance, sunshine heroines, realistic depictions of PTSD/panic attacks, spice with tons of praise, found family, and almost no third act break up. I give the author a lot of credit for making me love Russian diminutives and sweet nothings in a way I never expected to.

This is my first read from Grace Reilly but I hope it isn't my last. I gather this may be a family series and will have to check the rest out (though it does stand well on its own).
Love me a dual POV, spicy, secre relationship, hockey romance.
Can Isabelle and Nik's secret summer fling become the real thing when he ends up at her college? What about with him playing on the team captained by her brother, his formal rival? Family complications, his future in the NHL, and ooh spice :)
Thanks to the publisher and Netgally for the eARC.

After a secret summer together, Isabelle and Nik find themselves attending the same college with even more reasons to keep their mutual attraction under wraps. Their blossoming relationship forces them to challenge their own past traumas and decide whether to trust each other or move on.

Isabelle and Nik are perfectly matched and it's rewarding to watch the two of them mature into themselves and their relationship.

It's easy to tell that this is an entry in an ongoing family series, yet it totally works as a standalone. Good solid read and has me wanting to check out the earlier books in the series.

There is such a beautiful romance in this story. The plot was just beautiful. 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. Nikolai honestly is going to live rent free in my head for a long time. He is an absolute gem of a book boyfriend. A Russian hockey player that whispers, sweet and sexy Russian words in your ear. He was absolutely swoon worthy. I recommend this to anyone who loves a balanced sports romance book—a balance between spicy scenes, mental health awareness, and relationship development.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.



First off, thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was my first time reading a book by Grace Reilly. This is the fourth book on a hockey family romance series, but it’s a standalone, and I don’t feel like I missed much by not reading the first 3, so you can definitely jump right into this one.

For starters, don’t let the cartoon cover fool you—this book is SPICY. This isn’t my personal preference, but the story itself was still good.

The story follows Isabelle and Nikolai, two college students who end up at the same college after having a summer fling. The book follows their love story, but also the personal growth of each character, which I loved. Isabelle comes from an all-American athlete family and feels a lot of pressure to be as good as everyone else, even though her passions lie elsewhere. Nikolai has a traumatic past that has led to some mental health struggles that he realizes he needs to deal with in order to be a good partner and a healthy person.

I enjoyed seeing each MC come into their own person and follow their own paths instead of the ones laid out by their families. I did find them to be quite immature at times (but they are 19 and 21), but they definitely matured as the book went on.

Overall, I think college romance books aren’t my favorite now that I’m in my 30s, but I still enjoyed the story.

Such a good ending for the Callahan siblings. I was hooked straight from the first chapter. I loved seeing how Niks and Izzy’s relationship progressed through out the book. This book had a lot of deeper topics brought up yet there was absolutely nothing toxic about their relationship. This shows you what a healthy relationship should look like. They were the cutest couple ever and I was kicking my feet throughout the whole book. This book has a lot of spice so if that is your thing definitely check this out. I do love the short chapters but I will say it was quite long for a sports romance book. I still enjoyed it tho.

Read if you like:
- sports romance
- Brothers teammate
- Secret relationship
- No third act break up

I really enjoyed reading The Wicked Serve. I liked the pairs and the friendships and the plot was good. It was a while since I read this but I was super happy when I received it and it did live up to my expectations. It was a five star rating.

This was a good conclusion to one of my favorite series, Breakaway is still my favorite in my series but I loved all the Cooper moments we got in Wicked Serve. I thought the pacing of their relationship in the book was done really well. In some secret relationship romances, it seems like the first portion before the reveal goes on too long and the conclusion is rushed. With how intense Nik and Izzy’s dynamic is, I felt like their relationship getting revealed to Cooper came at a good place in the story and there was enough time left to see how they navigate their relationship out in the open.

This book is one for those with daddy issues since Nikolai and Isabella’s are both pretty relevant to the plot of the book, and at some points I think they clash against each other. Nikolai agrees to his grandfather that he’ll stop playing hockey after college and forget about his NHL contract. All of this is being done as some sort of penance for being the son of his abusive and alcoholic father and fears that if he plays hockey he’ll end up like him. Izzy has grown up always feeling lesser than her retired NHL player father and three older brothers. When Nokilai finally seeks help to work through his trauma, she takes it as almost a rejection since he does it in a way she doesn’t agree with which I did not love.

Like all the books in the Beyond the Play series, their romance is filled with alot of spicy and dirty talk. This series is perfect for fans of Elle Kennedy and I’m always shocked with how under hyped it is. Thank you Avon, William Morrow, and NetGalley for an arc of Wicked Serve!

It was cute. I didn't realize this was a part of a serious when requesting it, but I think it can be read as stand alone easily.