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.

Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly is a college sports romance that will keep readers hooked from start to finish. The story follows Nikolai and Isabelle, whose budding relationship is complicated by their ties to rival sports teams. Despite the obstacles in their way, their chemistry is undeniable, and readers will find themselves rooting for their love to prevail. The writing is engaging and filled with emotion, making it easy to become invested in the characters' journey along with its blend of sports, romance, and drama.

This college romance between a Russian American hockey player and American Volleyball player is the perfect mix of sweet and spicy, with a dash of serious sprinkled for good measure.

Our main characters get together fairly quickly in this book, and the getting together is not meant for those who only watch Hallmark romances. The problems start small, like hiding their hookups from friends and family, and then move on the the larger but still realistic ones.

Trigger warnings are needed, especially for DV, abuse, and mental illness. There is still a HEA at the end of it.

The only reason I did not like this book as much was because the pace was far too slow for me to enjoy. Others may still enjoy it though.

I thought this book was really sweet. I enjoyed the characters and how fleshed out they were. I thought their chemistry was fantastic and so believable. I loved the way they treated each other and cared for each other. I thought the outside conflicts were just as interesting and affected their relationship in a realistic way. The pacing was also pretty effective. Even though these characters already know each other when the story begins, I was just as attached and invested in their story together.

When I started reading, this felt like a sequel with info dumps about past characters. I looked up the book, and sure enough, it’s book 4 of a related series of standalones. I thought if I powered through the first bit, it would feel more like a standalone—or I’d at least be caught up. Unfortunately, after finishing chapter 12 (19%), I still feel like I am missing a ton of backstory to be able to invest and things that happened in the past that seem like they need more context just keep coming up and being mentioned like we are supposed to know what’s up. I’ve decided to stop for this reason. I feel this will be best enjoyed by those following the series as a whole. For those who have read prior books, I’m sure this will feel like a warm hug coming back to these characters. They’re an easy three to four stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

Forever in love with anything Grace writes but this is absolutely my top favorite from her so far! I LOVE LOVE LOVED everything about this.

Was so excited for Izzy's and Nik's story and it didn't disappoint. Loved having the other Callahan siblings and significant others involved too. This storyline had all the motions from anger, hate, disappointment and of course love. So happy I didn't have to wait for the official release. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy. #NetGalley #WickedServe