This was such a cute hockey romance! The banter in this book was impeccable! The characters were so relatable!

The characters were pretty enjoyable. The spicy scenes were very well done and I loved that there was a lot of it.
Overall though, I just felt like the book was too long for a romance !

Sweet yet just the right amount of spice. I don’t know how this is my first Grace Reilly read, and it won’t be my last!! If you love a good hockey romance the. This one is for you. I love Izzy and Nikolai’s chemistry.

Nik and Izzy are absolute perfection! This book had me in all the swoons and I literally could not put it down! One of the best hockey romances I’ve read this year!!!!

How am I gonna keep on going without more books on this series?
I’ve been reading this series and waiting for each book to come out since the very first one, obsessed is an understatement AND NOW THERE’S NO MORE? 😭😭😭
But seriously, this was so extremely sweet and perfect.
Nik and Izzy already had my heart without much effort but reading their love story and how they overcome all the bad things that come their way. I love how they help and support each other. I adore how Chelsea can make her characters and stories be extremely wholesome but the she hits you with a level of spice that leaves you breathless like you were the one engaging with n the “activities”
I really thought the story was going to have Cooper being an annoying older brother but it surprised me in an amazing way. Loved all the friendships and the Callahan’s HAVE MY HEART ❤️ I’m really gonna miss all this people.

ARC Review
4:75⭐️

Tropes~ brothers rival, he falls first, sports romance, panic disorder rep

✨I have not been good at reading lately but I was dying to pick up this book and it did not disappoint. I love the way Grace writes about certain topics and the story just sucks you in from the beginning. I wish this wasn’t the end but this was the perfect book for the end of this series!!

✨ I have loved Izzy from the start and she was everything I expected her to be in this book. I loved her personality and understood her insecurities, it was so sweet to finally see her being treated the way she deserved. I didn’t know what to expect from Nikolai but he was incredible and there were so many moments I just wanted to give him a hug. They were the perfect couple to balance each other out and I loved seeing them get their happy ending.

✨ We got to see all of the family again and I loved the epilogue showing where everyone was , I have adored this series and I can’t wait to see what Grace does next!!

**If I’m sunshine to him, then he’s the earth beneath my feet, the grass between my toes, grounding me like nothing else.**

I was kind of 'meh' on this book. It's a cute story and definitely has cute parts, but the strong feelings just weren't there for me. I honestly don't think I've ever read a romance that starts with the people already in a relationship, so part of the appeal was lost to me. I like seeing the back and forth and how they get together. The drama of this story just didn't feel very dramatic.

This was a cute fluffy read. I really enjoyed the angst given the MMC is the rival of the FMC's brother. Brother's rival is up there with brother's best friend for favorite trope for me. Since this is book 4, I'm not sure if I will go back and read the first 3 in the series. My only complaint about this book was it started to feel a tad long. But other than that, this was an enjoyable read!

This was a cute and fun romance with some excellent spice. However I did think that it didn't flow well and I had a hard time connecting with the characters. It was also a bit longer than I thought it needed to be.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I love a broody MMC and Nik delivered. The focus on his mental health played a big role in this story and so did the FMC’s patience. There isn’t a lot of angst in this couple and that’s so refreshing to see, as the misunderstanding trope drives me crazy.

however, this book felt a little longer than it should have. i feel like our couple really wrapped up their conflicts nicely which left a lot of the book left to focus on other things.

I just love when a book surprises me with how much I like it. I’d been really eagerly anticipating this release for some time and my expectations for the depth in this book were really blown away.

Nikolai and Izzy were like two perfect little broken halves of a full whole and I could not get enough of them. I loved the family cameos, I loved them working through trauma. Honestly no notes, all vibes this was chef kiss.

I also am just such a friggen sucker for a Russian nickname. Like are you serious????

Thank you Grace + Valentine PR for the opportunity to read this book!

This was a fun new adult sports romance! Nikolai drew me in right from the start. While it's not my type irl, I'm a sucker for a sweet wounded boy who just needs to learn to stand up for himself in fiction. I wasn't as big a fan of Izzy, she def felt more young than Nik. I wish the book had been about 100 pages shorter, but I think most contemporary romance these days needs to be less than 400 pages so thats definitely a me thing.

Love the relationship between Nikolai and Isabelle. Starts off strong with their history from the summer. I liked the depictions of sibling relationship and anxiety/panic attacks and positive portrayal of going to therapy. I didn't love the mini conflict when Isabelle leaves Nikolai in the midst of what he calls a panic attack nor did I love the ending where Nik leaves for the NHL and him and Isabelle don't talk for weeks but also aren't broken up. After all they had been through, it didn't feel like that would be how they handled that situation. However overall, I did enjoy the story and will purchase for my store!

I absolutely adore Grace Reilly's writing! She is the perfect combination of spicy and sweet and I just cannot get enough of this series! This may be my favorite so far, and it's not just because I've been waiting for this story for so long! I loved every single second of it.

How this was my first Grace Reilly book, I'm not sure. I loved this book and reading Nikolai and Isabelle's story. I was cheering for them the entire time. The character growth was there and great. The story was entertaining and I never found myself wishing for it to be over. I never felt like the story was dragging at all.

How I wish I could just give Nikolai a hug. His character growth especially was great to read. And the way he loved Izzy, and vice versa, was so heartwarming. So glad I read this book. Now I need to read the rest of the books in this series!

3.5 ⭐️

The final Callahan. Izzy.
I was maybe expecting a more bubbly person after meeting her in the previous books.
Volleyball
Wedding planner

Nikolai. Loved the Russian nicknames/speaking.
Hockey

College sports
Brothers rival/teammate
Sneaking around
Childhood trauma
Not a lot of tension/angst
There was a lot spice tho
Long.

•sports romance
•brother’s rival turned teammate
•secret relationship
•found family
•mental health rep
•dual pov

I absolutely loved this book! Even though this is a series, this was my first book that I read by Grace. After reading Wicked Serve, though, I will definitely go back and read every single book in this series! I really fell in love with all of the characters. Nik and Izzy have my heart!! I love their relationship, and how they became a safe space for each other. And I loved Izzy’s brothers!! I’m glad they were in this book quite a bit because it made me want to read their books even more.

There were some heavier topics in this book, but Grace wrote them so well! I was rooting for Izzy and Nik the entire time.

I loved having not one, but two sports in this book! Volleyball and hockey! Woohoo! I feel so special getting to read about two of my favorite sports in one book!

I will point out that this book is more than 400 pages long. While I loved every second of it, it didn’t NEED to be that long. There were a lot of filler moments that weren’t necessary, although still enjoyable.

I definitely recommend this one! It’s super spicy, yet sweet. I can’t wait to go back and read the rest of the books. Thank you so much to the author for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Grace Reilly’s Wicked Serve earns a solid four stars for its engaging romance and well-crafted characters. The story revolves around Nikolai “Nik” and Isabelle “Izzy,” whose intense relationship is both thrilling and heartfelt. Nik’s obsession with Izzy adds depth to his character, and the evolution of their relationship is beautifully portrayed, with Izzy’s unwavering support helping Nik confront his troubled past.

The romance is undeniably steamy, and the chemistry between Nik and Izzy keeps the reader hooked. The book also excels with the scarred hero trope, blending emotional depth with engaging storytelling. Nik’s bond with Izzy and her brother, Cooper, adds richness to the narrative and showcases the book’s strength in exploring complex relationships.

However, the book’s pacing affects its impact, as the relationship between Nik and Izzy progresses quickly, with their initial meetings and hookups happening before the narrative begins. This makes it challenging to connect with their relationship early on. Despite this, Wicked Serve quickly becomes engrossing, and the balance of heavy themes with humor makes it an enjoyable and well-rounded read.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Isa and Nik. I enjoyed their sweet and spicy moments! I love how the series intertwines all the siblings without being overbearing and giving the main characters a chance to develop.

I’ve been anticipating this book for the longest time, and it didn’t disappoint! 💗

Grace really did her thing with this series, and I couldn’t express my love for the Callahan siblings enough. Their bond is everything to me, and I adore each and every one of their love stories so much!

Izzy & Nikolai had such a spicy and sweet connection. Their shared summer history helped me jump right into the story, and I was hooked! I loved the tension of how much they couldn’t stay away from each other and how they slowly became more of an integral part of the other’s lives. I really felt for them through their struggles, and the way they deeply cared for each other was everything to me 🥹 I also just loveddd the way that BOTH of them were athletes — it’s one of my favorite things to see in books!

Anyways, I adored Izzy & Nikolai’s story so much! It’s a bittersweet feeling to see one of my favorite sports romance series come to an end, but it was closed out in the best way so I can’t even complain 🤧 I love Grace and her writing so much, so I can’t wait for whatever else she comes up with next! 🫶

Thank you so much to Grace Reilly & NetGalley for an ARC of this book 💌