Tropes:
Sports romance (hockey/volleyball)
Brothers rival/younger sister
Secret dating
College romance

What I’ve enjoyed most is the process of Grace’s writing through her Beyond the Play Series. The fourth and final book in this series delivers. For fans of The Bergman Brothers series by Chloe Liese (and Ziggy and Sev’s story!), you’ll love this series and the final book.

I love this jumping right into Izzy asking for what she wants and using the power of the pause/leaving into the silence. A favorite sales tactic of mine, and I don’t use it enough outside of a negotiation with a client. Thanks for the reminder, Izzy (and Grace!).

Nik asking Izzy “Do you want advice, or do you just want me to listen?” was the moment I finally gave in and crushed on him. Love a good comfort or solutions approach when tackling a problem someone brings forward. Green flags all around.

GRACE! How could you not give us the after party following the laser tag hockey formal?! How did they sneak around the house with her brothers there?! WE NEED TO KNOW.

Hairbrush emoji. We need a hairbrush emoji.

This got me in the feels in the end. There is not a third act breakup, but a bit of a pause so that a character can focus on their mental health/being the best version of themselves without losing everything. A very mature decision to make and an emotional one at that.

Obviously, everyone gets a nice little HEA and that epilogue. Goodness.

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for this eARC!

This is the first book I read from the Beyond the Play series and I will definitely be going back to read all the other books that came before.
I loved everything about this book. The family dynamics, the secret romance, the chemistry, brother’s rival trope, the effect childhood trauma has on people as adults.
The Callahans boys seem to be know what they want and they go for it. They make success seem easy and it intimidates Izzy to no end.
Things I loved about Izzy:
Her kindness, her love for her family, her willingness to go after what she wants when it comes to volleyball, her fear that she won’t meet her parent’s expectations, the care, patience, and sparks between her and Nikolai.
What I loved about Nickolai:
His ability to realize he needs help with his panic attacks, his love for Izzy that knows no bounds, putting Izzy before his fear of what Cooper will do to him if he finds out they are more than friends.
There is a prologue and an epilogue which was nice for anyone who hasn’t read the series. With that said, this is wonderful as a standalone, you can always go back to read the first part of the series like I plan to do.
If you like love against all odds you will devour this book, I did!

Thank you to HarperCollins and netgalley, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I seriously loved this book. It was a bit slow in the beginning but quickly picked up pace.
One of my favorite parts of the book was that Nik needed to work through some trauma and actually did get the help he needed. The stigma about mental health and men not needing to seek help definitely could use more attention.

I found the characters all very fun and enjoyable to read about.

5 Stars Wicked Serve is the fourth and final book in Grace Reilly's Beyond the Play series and Izzy's story surpassed all my expectations.

After a secret summer fling with her brother Cooper's biggest hockey rival, Nikolai Abney-Volkov, Isabelle "Izzy" Callahan is shocked to see Nik on her college campus. Forced to McKee University, Nik can't resist the urge to rekindle his fling with Izzy, though the last thing he should be doing is messing around with the little sister of his former rival and new teammate. The two cannot deny the spark that kept their fling going all last summer and sneak around campus behind her brother's back. But there's more than just a secret relationship weighing down Izzy and Nik. The youngest and only daughter in the famous Callahan family of athletes, Izzy cannot fail or let down her family. She already knows that they don't hold her to as high a standard and have low expectations for her compared to her older brothers, so she has to win back her old volleyball position on the team to impress her family. Nik is harboring another secret--that this will be his last season of hockey before he forgoes his offer from the NHL to work for his grandfather to prove that he's not like his abusive, hockey-playing father.

When the author introduced Nik, I really thought that this tough Russian hockey player would be much more grumpy, but Nik is absolutely a cinnamon roll, especially for Izzy. Izzy and Nik were a wonderful representation of a relationship where the two are true partners, working to be the best versions of themselves, challenging and supporting one another, and loving each other unconditionally. At 448 pages, this book has so much plot and yet I still didn't want it to end! I'm seriously obsessed with Isabelle and Nikolai. They fought for their well-earned HEA and I loved it so much!

5 Stars Wicked Serve is the fourth and final book in Grace Reilly's Beyond the Play series and Izzy's story surpassed all my expectations.

After a secret summer fling with her brother Cooper's biggest hockey rival, Nikolai Abney-Volkov, Isabelle "Izzy" Callahan is shocked to see Nik on her college campus. Forced to McKee University, Nik can't resist the urge to rekindle his fling with Izzy, though the last thing he should be doing is messing around with the little sister of his former rival and new teammate. The two cannot deny the spark that kept their fling going all last summer and sneak around campus behind her brother's back. But there's more than just a secret relationship weighing down Izzy and Nik. The youngest and only daughter in the famous Callahan family of athletes, Izzy cannot fail or let down her family. She already knows that they don't hold her to as high a standard and have low expectations for her compared to her older brothers, so she has to win back her old volleyball position on the team to impress her family. Nik is harboring another secret--that this will be his last season of hockey before he forgoes his offer from the NHL to work for his grandfather to prove that he's not like his abusive, hockey-playing father.

When the author introduced Nik, I really thought that this tough Russian hockey player would be much more grumpy, but Nik is absolutely a cinnamon roll, especially for Izzy. Izzy and Nik were a wonderful representation of a relationship where the two are true partners, working to be the best versions of themselves, challenging and supporting one another, and loving each other unconditionally. At 448 pages, this book has so much plot and yet I still didn't want it to end! I'm seriously obsessed with Isabelle and Nikolai. They fought for their well-earned HEA and I loved it so much!

5/5 Stars 3/5 Spice

Tropes:
Hockey Romance
Secret Relationship
Brother’s Rival
Grumpy x Sunshine
He Falls First
Broken Boy

this book. honestly this whole series, but this book in particular is absolute gold. ✨ nikolai was so freaking good. i loved the depth of his character. i really felt like he had so much story & so much dimension in this book. i love a broken boy/tortured hero moment & nik was definitely giving this vibe + the can’t stay away vibes & that is just a recipe for a five star book to me. 😍 i adored finally getting izzy’s pov. i loved her as a side character for all our callahan boys but god she was just such an amazing main character. 🤩 i loved the way we got to see her struggle with having successful brothers & where she wanted to go with her life. she had such a wonderful coming of age story line to match the romance that i just loved. she truly is the sunshine ☀️ that nik calls her. 😍 i loved this book. it was so bittersweet to wrap up this series but this story was the perfect ending. i’m already ready for a series reread.

Stop everything! Izzy’s story is my favorite Beyond the Play book. No Question. Wicked Serve is everything you want from a college sports romance. We’ve got an expirationship turned secret relationship with a seriously hot hockey player. Then there’s the whole broody brother’s rival turned his teammate thing. And a whole lot of family drama-but not with the Callahans, because they’re basically perfect.

Pre reading Wicked Serve I was hesitant about Izzy’s book. Sometimes the final book in a series can feel like an obligation and with books 1-3 being so great, it was a lot for Wicked Serve to live up to. I love how each of these siblings are their own person going through their own struggles. On the outside, Izzy appears to be a spoiled college student. With a retired NFL dad, doting mother, one brother in the NFL, one pivoting from sports to cooking because he’s got too many talents, and another headed to the NHL post college, it would appear that Izzy’s life is easy. But don’t think this is your typical poor little rich girl story. Izzy’s got some serious grit. Her volleyball coach is really hard on her. And not in the way that coaches can be tough, but in the “what is your deal?” kind of way. It just seems like some people are determined to “teach her a lesson.” But what is there to teach a girl who works hard, loves her family, shows up for the team, and brings the sunshine with her wherever she goes? But being removed from her setter position doesn’t make Izzy quit. It makes her work harder. Adding in extra workouts, staying in rather than partying with the other girls on the team, etc. If Izzy wants something, she’s going to find a way to make it happen.

This book travels through every emotion. Izzy and Nick hooking up in the library? Hot. Nick’s dad? Made me cry. Cute moments in between? Kick your feet good. The epilogue? Also made me cry, but like, in a good way. These two are so freaking cute, I’d take a dozen more epilogues.

If you’ve made it this far in my review, I know you’re already planning on reading this book. How could you not? Go ahead, click download and don't just leave it on your TBR. To reward your good behavior here’s a list of my favorite micro tropes:
-He calls her a cute Russian nickname but doesn’t tell her what it means
-He has a mysterious face scar
-He holds onto a photo after he promised to delete it
-He took a deal that crushed his dreams but brought him closer to his dream girl
-He remembers little details and surprises Izzy with the most meaningful moments
-He stands up to her brothers and tells them they’re hurting her feelings
-No third act break up, but like an important pause
-He takes her seriously when it seems like no one else does
-They crash a wedding

₊ ⊹<i>”you’re everything to me, isabelle. you’re stubborn warmth and wild summertime. you’re sunshine.”</i>₊ ⊹

<b>*:･ﾟmy thoughts┊</b> thank the lord i finally finished this 🤧 i didn’t hate it by any means, but this story dragged on for literally ever and i was really struggling to make myself finish it lmao.

i did enjoy this book, but in terms of the series, it’s probably my third favorite. isabella and nikolai had so much potential, but i felt that their romantic execution fell flat. i wish this had been set during the summer they first met and moved on from there, rather than introducing it in the middle of the journey. i also felt that their initial meetings in the beginning were a little off; they were both telling themselves that they couldn’t be with the other person and yet every time they bumped into each other they were so touchy-feely with one another. idk, it was a little awkward for me lmao

besides that though, i did like this one. it was really interesting learning more about nikolai, who was introduced a feel books back. i ended up really falling for his character and empathizing with him and his story. his development arc was spot on! and i loved how he loved isabelle. she was always the bright spot in his light, and she took care of him in ways no one else ever had. they really did have a sweet and genuine connection and i loved reading about it!

i think my only other complaint is that it felt waay too long. i was really struggling to get through it, even though i was mostly enjoying it. there’s no reason a book needs to have almost 75 chapters, even if they’re shorter than average. most of the chapters felt like filler ones that weren’t totally necessary to the story. i felt like this book was packed to the brim with things occurring, which made it difficult for me to really fall into the story like i prefer doing.

all in all, this was a pretty solid ending to this series! it made me remember how much i enjoyed the previous two books (i wan’t really a big fan of the first though lmao). i’d definitely be interested in picking up future novels by this author! <3

<i>huge thank you to netgalley and avon and harper voyager for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!</i>

I loved this book! I started reading it and simply could not put it down. I think something I loved about this book was you never doubted their love for each other. It was pure and I loved how this book not only gave me fun, lovey dovey vibes. But it was also to teach me real things about emotions and bring genuine tears to my eyes. Domestic violence is such a hard topic to touch upon and being able to see the SONS point of view on domestic violence really beautifully brought out the vulnerability in this novel. Thank you, Grace Reilly for this wonderful book that I won't stop speaking about.

Nikolai Abney-Volkov you wonderful, precious, dirty talking, broken man!! Y’all this book is amazing. I’m a huge fan of Grace Reilly’s and I loved all the books in Callahan series but this one is my favorite. It’s ridiculously spicy in ALL THE BEST WAYS. There’s a realness to this the love between all the couples in the book but especially between Nik and Isabelle I always love when an author can weave some mental health awareness into an already fantastic story and make it actually seem realistic. The way that Nik and Isabelle love, trust and communicate with each other is serious relationship goals. I can’t wait until everyone else is able to get their hands on this one. I’m sad it’s the last book in the series but Grace is sending it out with bang!!!

This book was excellent! I loved the character development, plot development, the pacing was great and the spice was spicing. I have nothing negative to say about this book. I just wish there was more of it!

This book was so adorable and fun to read. This books takes you through a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish. The banter and spice between Nikolai and Isabelle was just perfect! This is my first Grace Reilly but I will be giving her other books a read. I really enjoyed this and hope others do as well!!!

Incredible. Stunning. Perfection. No notes.

An easy five star sports romance. The Beyond the Play series holds a special place in my heart (Cooper Callahan, looking at you), and Wicked Serve lives up to my high expectations. Izzy and Nikolai felt real and believable, and I love that their story wasn’t riddled with tropes for the sake of tropes. The progression of their relationship from fling/hookup, to friends, to completely committed to each other felt so natural and wonderful.

I also really love the care and diligence that Grace Reilly puts into maintaining the characterization of her previous MCs. I hate when I’m reading an interconnected-standalone series and a previous MC turns into an antagonist, or just becomes generally unlikeable. For example, I was really worried Cooper was going to go all alpha-protective-older-brother in such a way that it would taint the love I felt for him in Breakaway. But, nope!!! Reilly wrote him in this perfectly balanced way that felt believable, but also reminded me WHY he was book boyfriend material in his own book! Same goes for James and Sebastian! I was swooning over Nikolai AND the Callahan boys in this one!!! It simply was not fair!!!!!

I just want to live in this series; it gives me all the warm fuzzies, and the men are simply unmatched.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This series 😩😩 Give me a college sports romance and I will drop everything to read it immediately.

The Callahan siblings have my heart, and I've loved reading each of these books to see them find their person.

Nik and Izzy have all the chemistry and spice while truly connecting with and caring for one another. They both grow together through so much and I love a book where the MCs are mature enough to support each other in an actual realistic way. I felt all the emotions reading this!

This may be my favorite of the series, but definitely going back to re-read Cooper, James and Seb's stories again! 🥰

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for this Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to get back to McKee University and check in with the youngest Callahan sibling, Izzy. This book is all the wonderful things that Grace Reilly puts in her stories, you will laugh, you will cry, and you will fall in love. What I thought was interesting, and I thought I would find it annoying but I didn't, was the fact that both Izzy and Nik felt so strongly about the potential for each other's talent but had a hard time hearing and believing those words for themselves. And honestly, I think is so accurate to real life. How often are you the biggest cheerleader for a friend or loved one but you are also the first one to tear yourself down? Both characters had a lot of growth in this department which was really great to see. The love story between the two was so much fun to watch play out as well.
Basically, I loved this book. That is all.

I love sports romance books and was excited to read this one and it's cute... but a little too spicy for me (or maybe too descriptive?). However, if you have a higher threshold than I do, I highly recommend this book as a cute, romantic and fun read! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was definitely my favorite in this series but it felt like two separate books. I did really like the main characters and thought Nick was so sweet and had that best nicknames. You could definitely feel his love for Izzy. Overall, it did its job in entertaining me but would have preferred if it was a bit shorter..

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

This book hooked me in from the first chapter. I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

This is my first book by Grace Reilly and I loved it! It is honestly so cute! I love the dynamic between Nik and Izzy, they have it all! It gave me Icebreaker vibes.

The book has some spice and it was such an easy read. It had a playful vibe which I enjoyed.

TW: to alcoholism and domestic abuse

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

I absolutely adore Grace's ability to pull me into her stories and the way I root for each of her characters. It is truly beautiful. This love story had me laughing, crying, kicking my feet. My sweet Nikolai with his heartbreaking back story and sweet Isabelle feeling like she'll never live up to her siblings. I loved every second of their story