I got the opportunity to read this book as an ARC through NetGalley.
For the most part, I enjoyed this book. It made me feel plenty of emotions from start to finish. I enjoyed the growth for both main characters. And there was plenty of spice throughout the entirety of it.
On the other hand, there are some things I didn't enjoy due to personal preference. For starters the book felt too long. It was harder for me to read after the main plot for the couple being resolved halfway through. I wouldn't say the whole plot was resolved by this point as well but, I also do not think it needed to take 200 more pages to get there. The only other thing I saw as a con was, even though I enjoy a spicy book, at some points it felt inappropriate.
All together i think it is a great read! When it comes out August 13th, I will be buying a physical copy for my bookshelf.

I was honored to be able to get an ARC of this book. I absolutely loved it! Izzy is the youngest of the Callahans with three older brothers. This past summer she interned with a wedding planner whose son happens to be her brother’s biggest rival, Nikolai. Izzy and Nikolai had a summer fling that both swore would stay in the summer. Nikolai is a hockey player who unexpectedly transfers to the same school where Izzy and her brother attend. What will happen to the chemistry between them now that they’re on the same campus? This story is so well done with more twists and turns than I was expecting but they made the story that much more interesting, the spice in the book is also more than I expected but I loved every second of it!

Possible Trigger Warnings:
- Discussions of an abusive spouse/parent
- Feeling of inadequacy
- Aggressive sex

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

4th novel in Grace Reilly’s Beyond the Play series, this story focuses on Isabelle Callahan, sister of the multi-sports-talented Callahans family. Izzy is a volleyball player at McKee University when hockey player Nikolai transfers from a rival school. Not only is he a rival player from another school on the same team as Izzy’s brother Cooper, but he is also her former secret summer fling. Drama, steamy scenes, and complicated family dynamics ensue.

I enjoyed this book. It was spicy but heartfelt. The two characters both have their own issues to iron out before landing together, and the baggage he carries around about his abusive father is dark but lends itself to good character growth. I also liked seeing volleyball in the mix in a sports-romance. I think that this book was a step above most steamy sports books - it had a lot of heart.

Thank you Grace Reilly & her publisher for letting me be an ARC reader for this book! I didn’t realize this book was apart of a series but it can definitely be read as a standalone.

Nik & Izzy have a sweet love story, full of so much love and chemistry. I loved both main characters and enjoyed their growth too. I loved getting to read about the side characters too. Since it’s part of series, but can be read as a standalone, I felt like this book had just enough information about the other siblings (main characters in previous books). I still felt connected to them without reading the other books.

This book is spicy, 🌶️ 🌶️🌶️/5 with a few triggers, such as DV.

I give this book a 4 out of 5. I loved the story but I felt in some parts it did drag which made the book a little long unnecessarily. However I did enjoy the book and would recommend to others 🩵

I loved this book! I hadn’t read the other books in the series but this could be read as a standalone and still be enjoyed! I enjoyed the fact that this story deviated from the typical third act breakup as well as the usual plot lines in hockey romance books. Overall I rated this 4/5 stars just because there was a slower beginning and the story did not pick up for a good chunk of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and HarperVoyager for the eARC of Wicked Serve!

Once I started this book.. I COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN. This is my first time reading a book from Grace Reilly and I can assure you it won’t be my last. Nik & Izzy... the emotions.. the sexual parts…Wow lol I can’t wait to read it again! This is a couple I’ll continuously root for! And that epilogue was such a delight to read! :’)

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for early access to Wicked Serve.
The utter excitement I had when I was approved for this read was through the rough. I enjoyed all thr books in the Beyond The Play series but this was by far my favorite one. The chemistry was & The spice? The depth in the story line... it was emotional and real. It was fun to see some pop ups from chracters from the other books too. This will be a definite reread for me!

I love me a good sports romance! I also love when it’s easy to follow. I haven’t read the other books in this series but you can definitely read as a standalone.

Omg I could not love Wicked Serve any more than I did. This was truly the BEST book in their series and I loved the connection between Izzy and Nikolai. We live for character growth like we see in this book!! Amazing work, Grace Reilly!!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was super excited to read this book and it did not disappoint! The plot was interesting, unique, and kept me engaged. The writing of Izzy and Nik was also very good, and I was able to connect with and empathize with the characters. I was always looking forward to reading more, and once I finished this book I immediately felt the need to re-read it to revisit the characters and their stories. Wicked Serve is the perfect send-off for the Callahan family, and, in my opinion, is my favorite book in the series. I highly recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC!

3.5/5 stars!! I really liked reading these characters, as well as the ensemble too. My one problem with this story is that the middle felt like it dragged on for far too long, but the romance was amazing and I enjoyed it!!

This is 🌶🌶🌶🌶 very spicy so like rest of the books, but it was so good and I loved niks story and getting into his story was so good to read and izzy I loved her this book was well worth the read and I'm so excited to get to read this book

Grace Reilly never fails to amaze. Wicked Serve was the best ending to an ever better series. Izzy and Nik were a match made in heaven. Nik would move heaven and earth if it meant seeing Izzy happy. The sneaking around, grumpy sunshine trope is always a good read. This book touched on deeper subjects which only added to the character development and plot line. Add in the spice and you have a 5 star read. Spicy scenes so good it left me blushing. Definitely worth the read!!

I really loved Wicked Serve! I haven't read the rest of the series, but this one grabbed my attention. I liked that the secret relationship started before the book began. Instead of being about first meeting each other, and all the build up that needs, these characters already know and care about each other. It's about adjusting expectations and making things work in a new situation. Even though I haven't read the previous books, I still had a good sense of the characters and their relationships. It also does a good job of selling those previous books so new readers will want to go back and check them out. Wicked Serve also did a good job of balancing the truly delightful (banter, sexy times) with some heavier content (parental abuse and PTSD mainly). With the love of hockey romance right now, I think this will be a hit!

I've had so much fun following the Callahan siblings through their many, many adventures. Isabelle's story did not disappoint. Reilly builds her characters with so many layers and those layers help the reader be part of the story too. Many times, life isn't always so glamourous. Nikolai and Isabelle's relationship was a hit from the start, but they grew together so much more than they ever would have alone. I would recommend the entire Beyond the Play to anyone who loves a sports romance with a little heat and a whole lot of love.

Wicked Serve was the perfect way to round out Grace Reilly’s Beyond the Play series.
While this book may have touched on some darker themes than earlier books in the series, the emotional journey and growth of both main characters was so heartwarming.
Izzy and Nik’s romance was like the first sunny, warm day after a too long winter. It was love, comfort, connection and healing.

I admit that I am new to this series but was so excited to receive this ARC, that I dove right in and it sure did not disappoint! After a secret summer fling, Nik and Izzy return to their own colleges. However, a mishap at Nik’s school leaves him scrambling to finish out college playing hockey. Where else would he end up but at the same college as Izzy…playing hockey with her overprotective brother. Nik and Izzy’s chemistry is 🌶️🌶️🌶️ as they continue their secret tryst. Through competitive sports and family drama, their devotion to one another is solid and endearing that grows into so much more. Wicked Serve is a delightfully wicked addictive read.

4/5 ⭐️
A hockey romance without the grumpy sunshine trope! This story revolves around a volleyball player and a hockey player. I thought the characters were all adorable, with enough backstory to keep you interested in both the sports aspect and the character growth. The pacing of the book flowed very well, and it did not have the same storyline that a lot of these sports romances do. This did not read like all of the other sports romances; I very much enjoyed this fresh take on an otherwise pretty common story.

I did not realize when I received this book that it was part of a series. However, I will now go read all of the other books in the series because of how heartwarming this story was. I did not think that you had to read the first three books to completely understand the story; it worked just as well as a standalone.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Why are hockey romances the spiciest books around?! I honestly adored the love story here, and can't wait to go back and read the previous books in the series. This was so so good.

Wicked serve in itself was a serve with the adorable set of main characters and heartwarming romance. Also, I really enjoyed the cameos of other characters from the previous book in the series. I would highly be recommending this one to any sports romance fan or anyone who just wants to escape into an adorable and endearing story for a couple of hours.