4.5 stars rounded up.

This was such a good book. It was easy to drink up like a sweet tea. But there was a little umph that was missing for me personally to make it a true 5 star

Ever so often, you just need a good new adult sports romance, and Grace Reilly delivers every time. Wicked Serve is book 4 in her Beyond the Play series, and it's a brother's rival hockey romance. Izzy and Nikolai connected while she was in New York for a summer internship, but that's all it was--a summer fling. He is, after all, her brother's biggest rival on the ice. But then he shows up on McKee's campus as the newest addition to their hockey team. Izzy literally can't avoid him, even though she's sworn nothing will distract her from her volleyball goals. Their proximity reignites the fire that was never really extinguished, and it's only a matter of time before they give in.

This book is swoony and steamy, and I love that he is so gone for her. He even flies her to Australia to hang out with koalas. I mean, that's adorable. Because of the age of the characters, there are a few things that had me shaking my head, frustrated by their choices--but they don't have the benefit of a 37 year old's hindsight, so I can forgive them for being young and a little bit dumb in love.

The audiobook was wonderfully narrated by Faith Clark and Oscar Reyes. Reyes delivered a believable Russian accent, which was fun to listen to. I enjoyed the audiobook, even though at almost 13 hours, it's a longer romance audiobook than some.

While I don't think this title was for me, I do think Wicked Serve has a great audience in people who enjoy sports romances. I had a hard time with the audiobook narration as the male narrator's accent was distracting when juxtaposed with the female narrator's. This isn't to say he didn't do a great job, because I think he did. It was just such a jarring switch between them that I couldn't get over throughout the book. I found the "steam" level of this book to be a bit over-the-top, however, again--this is definitely for others, and I can see objectively where it will be a favorite for many. The story itself is very sweet and heartwarming, and the chemistry between the two MC's is fantastic.

Title: Wicked Serve
Author: Grace Reilly
Rating: 3.5/5


"Wicked Serve" by Grace Reilly is a sizzling and emotional new adult sports romance that scores high on both intensity and charm. Set against the backdrop of college athletics, this story weaves together passion, competition, and the complexities of navigating love in a high-stakes environment.

Nikolai Abney-Volkov is a hockey player with everything to prove in his final college season. Forced to transfer to McKee University, he faces the dual challenge of fitting in with a new team and confronting the one woman who’s been haunting his thoughts—Isabelle Callahan. Izzy, a volleyball player determined to reclaim her position on the team, is equally resolved to forget the summer fling she had with Nik. But when their paths inevitably cross again, the spark between them reignites, threatening to consume them both.

Reilly excels at creating palpable chemistry between Nik and Izzy. Their relationship is fraught with tension, from the steamy hookups to the deeper, more vulnerable moments that reveal the true depth of their connection. Nik is a classic brooding hero with a troubled past, and his struggle to reconcile his feelings for Izzy with his own fears of inadequacy is both compelling and heartbreaking. Izzy, on the other hand, is a strong and determined heroine, balancing her own ambitions with the complicated emotions that Nik stirs within her.

The sports setting adds an extra layer of excitement to the narrative. Reilly captures the thrill of competition and the camaraderie of team dynamics, making the reader feel like they’re right in the middle of the action. The stakes are high, both on and off the field, as Nik and Izzy must navigate not only their burgeoning relationship but also the expectations and pressures that come with being elite athletes.

One of the standout aspects of "Wicked Serve" is the way it handles the complexities of young love. Reilly doesn’t shy away from exploring the messy, sometimes painful realities of falling for someone when you’re still figuring out who you are and what you want from life. The push-and-pull between Nik and Izzy is realistic and relatable, and their journey toward finding a way to be together is as satisfying as it is emotionally charged.

The inclusion of lighter, more playful moments—like the reference to koalas—adds a nice balance to the intensity of the story, giving the reader a chance to breathe and smile amid the drama.

Overall, "Wicked Serve" is a must-read for fans of sports romance. Grace Reilly has crafted a story that is equal parts spicy and sweet, with well-drawn characters, a gripping plot, and a love story that will leave you rooting for Nik and Izzy until the final buzzer. If you’re looking for a book that delivers on both heat and heart, this one is a definite win.

A delight for my ears, and my hockey romance reading heart fan
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This is the first book I read in the series and I felt very nice things while listening to the characters within this world of the college and teams of athletes from different disciplines competing and supporting each other.
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It reminded me of The Deal, one of my favorite books, but without a great drama or conflictive relationships on the page.
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Isabel and Nick have a brief romance during the summer while she works as an intern for his mother's office and they agree that it is only for the summer, since not only do they live in different states and go to schools that are rivals, Nick is also the number one nemesis of his brother
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But when at the beginning of the year something goes wrong at Nick's school and he ends up being expelled, his grandfather offers him a deal, in exchange for getting him into another elite school, this is has to be his last year of playing Hockey. Nick agrees and everything seems dark and somber until he sees which school his grandfather decides to send him to.
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Seeing Nick again is a relief but also a problem with her decision to fight for the position she wants within her Voley ball team, Isabel has to decide what is important to her
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I really enjoyed this book, especially the excellent narration by Oscar Reyes, his russian accent is excellent and listening to Nick's voice with his intonation was perfect as well as the descriptions and emotions in Isabel's voice by Faith Clark. A really delight to hear
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Thanks to Grace Reilly and her team for give me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion

⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

🏐 🏒 College Sports Romance
🤫 Secret Summer Fling
💕 Brothers Rival Turned Teammate
🔗 Book 4 in an Interconnected Series

🎧 Audiobook:
Narrators: Faith Clark and Oscar Reyes
DUAL Narration
While I loved that the book was dual narration, listening to Nikolai's Russian accent was at times tough. It took me a while to really get into it and be able to comprehend what the character was saying.

📚 Description:
Nikolai and Isabelle have a scorching hot Summer fling. What they thought was "just for the summer" turns into more when Nikolai transfers to McKee University, where Isabelle is a Sophomore. While Isabelle tries really hard to resist Nik, it is futile because he is a boy obsessed. He wants here and makes it very well known.

✨ Thoughts:
I enjoyed this book; the narrators did a really great job bringing the characters to life. It was spicier than I originally thought it would be, which was a welcome surprise to me. I think it was a strong finish to the Callahan sibling's series.

Another sweet and sexy entry into Grace Reilly's Beyond the Play series! Wicked Serve delivers a wicked helping of heart and heart. With a little bit of angst, a lot of emotions, and a really charming love story in the center, it was a great journey back into the Beyond the Play World.

Never let Grace's covers fool you- they are always full of deep topics and also are ultra spicy- and this one certainly touches on heavier things- like the impact of trauma on a persons mental and emotional well being, and also how those kinds of challenges can impact personal relationships. I really appreciated the mental health representation - and while I might not have catalyzing incidents like represented here or the depth of challenges faced, I think we all can relate to a certain extent to what it feels like to have anxiety, to feel overwhelmed and over committed. And while I'm not a mental health expert, to me at least it seems liked Grace handled this topics with realism, sensitivity, and care.

I really adored Nikolai- he made the whole book for me. He's a beautiful soul trapped in a big hockey players terrifying frame. The Russians swooner- I mean a man who whispers sweet nothings in his native tongue?! Microtrope I never fail to melt for. And I loved seeing a the focus of the mental health of the hero for a change- so much of their story is about his journey, and I appreciated how it was prioritized. Isabelle I didn't quite love at first- in part because of the ways in which she pushed Nikolai early on. It felt a bit immature- but as things moved along, I grew to like her and found her to be quite patient and sweet. The angst was pretty low between them, which I appreciated - it's refreshing to have a low drama dynamic.

Their summer romance (which is a great way to finish my summer!) was a whirlwind that evolves into more thanks to fate. I really liked them together and their chemistry, and overall enjoyed the story, but I do feel like the pacing dragged a bit in places. The HEA felt to happen about halfway, which honestly I liked getting to see so much of them in their happy couple place, but the backhalf did feel a bit long for how it progressed the story.

I did really enjoy the audio narration- I'm not super familiar with either narrator, but Faith Clark brought a lot of charm to Isabelle and Oscar Reyes as just the right dash of grit to a very emotive performance- and I thought the accent was great and ultra delicious.

*Established/pre-existing relationship
*Found family
*Hockey x Volleyball MMCs
*Spice
*Brothers rival turned teammate
*secret romance
*Mental health rep
*boy obsessed
*found family
*Russian MMC

Thank you to NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks

I have to admit I wasn't too fond of the book in the beginning, but by the halfway mark I really started to enjoy it. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the book tackled more series topics like partner abuse and anxiety. This is the fourth book in a series, but you can read it as a stand alone. You don't have all the background information about our FMC's brothers, but it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book.

I would've liked to see them start their relationship and not jump straight into a friends-with-benefits arrangement, but liked to see their relationship evolve to something more and something real. Since it's a brother's best friends book there's bound to be some tension. It's spicy, but not too spicy. The main focus is on the relationship and the well-fleshed out characters.

It's a hockey-romance, but don't worry, if you aren't into the sport you'll enjoy the book nonetheless.

I wish I liked this book more, but sadly just couldn't connect with the characters. One of the reasons could be that it's a fourth installment in the series, there are many characters I'd recognize from previous books, if I read them. Since I hadn't, it was a bit of a mess: too many names, too many relations. And since it's a kind of a second chance story, I wished more of MC's past to feel the connection between them, alas, I didn't get it.

So, it took ages for me to get into the story, and when you annoyed, you know how it is - you start picking at every little or not so little detail. As in, how many times the word "slick" is used, gah. Or the Russian accent, which I know from experience was done perfectly, yet seemed a bit too thick and therefore too distracting. Or these sweet, shy 20-year-old kids experienced enough in playing bdsm games with spanking (hairbrush, srsl?), choking and a bit of degradation. And why is it so long, couldn't it be shorter? Since it's a me problem, I'm certain there will be many readers who will enjoy this book. 2.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

He’s the bad boy Russian hockey rival and she’s the all American sweetheart from a sport obsessed family. The youngest sibling isn’t living up to the pressure she puts on herself while he battles his own familial demons. It was sweet and funny with lots of deep and meaningful moments where we were all just trying to grow up through our trauma.

I was lucky enough to get access to both a digital copy and an audio copy. The narrators did a good job, especially with all the different accents. There was one point where there was an Australian character and fuuuuuuuuck I laughed so hard. For ages. I’m still giggling about it, days later. I don’t blame you, it’s a hard one to get right. We’re a strange people.

Thanks to #NetGallery and publisher for a copy of this book.

CN for mentions of past, off page, DV between parents.

Genre: Romance MF
Format: Audio
POV: Dual
Tropes: Brothers rival, hockey & volleyball, secret relationship, lots of accents, childhood trauma, rich people doing rich people stuff, koalas aren’t bears they’re marsupials 🐨
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Age suggestion: 18+

I can definitely see how this series will appeal to some folks - especially those who really loved Icebreaker by Hannah Grace or the Vancouver Viper series by Becka Mack, but unfortunately, this was a miss for me. It all felt too slow-paced and too drawn out and the stakes weren't high enough for me to want to root for them or see how they would overcome the issue of Nikolai being Izzy's "rival". Their rivalry seemed not super structured & was resolved rather quickly, making the "forbidden-ness" of Izzy & Nikolai's relationship almost moot.

I also struggled a bit with the narrators for this one, especially for Nikolai. The accent the voice actor gave him was honestly distracting. Like I said, this series will definitely be for some people! I just don't think its for me.

Wicked Serve is the ultimate sports romance with all the feels! Nikolai and Izzy's sizzling chemistry jumps off the page as they navigate forbidden love, fierce rivalries, and just the right amount of angst. Nik is the brooding hockey star with a past, and Izzy is the determined volleyball player with her guard up—together, they’re a match made in sports romance heaven.
The secret hookups, the banter, the emotional depth—it all blends perfectly to create a story that's as hot as a slapshot and as sweet as a game-winning goal. Plus, did I mention koalas? This book is a total score. If you’re into swoony athletes and steamy tension, Wicked Serve is a must-read!
I've loved this series and the Callahan siblings so much, I'm so sad this is the last book!
The narrators did such a great job and added a lot to the story. The listening experience was great and I really enjoyed the audio version of this book!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really need to think of what to rate this book... there were times I loved it and times I felt it was dragging. I think it was a perfectly medium book. 3 stars for me!

Characters: I loved ALL of them, even Nicks dad. They all were perfectly written and described and had great characteristics and dialogue.

Writing: I listened to the audio book version, so I cannot say much about the writing. It was easy to follow and entertaining, however I felt that some parts were un needed / did not add to the plot. I believe it's a 400 ish page book and that seems so unnecessary. There were a lot of times I felt myself listening to it as background noise instead of really paying attention to the story.

Plot: I wouldn't consider this a fluffy read by any means. I think the spice, discussion of panic attacks, and family drama made it deeper than I imagined it would be. I loved the mature relationship between Nick and Izzy and their communication.
One of my favorite bits is Izzy working for his mom, then her parents and Catherine/James(?) all knowing eachother. It felt kind of small town how they were connected even though it's NYC. there were SO many times I thought this book was over and I looked down and there were still hours left... not that it was a bad thing, I just think the plot could have been equally as good in 250-300 pages.

Thanks to Grace, the publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

We get to catch up with little sister Izzy and her summer fling with her brother’s rival Nikolai. He somehow gets expelled from his own school and transfers to Izzy’s. Nik’s got his own tragic backstory with an abusive father, overbearing grandfather, and an emotionally detached mother, but he’s a very charming flirt who is very good at pleasing our girl Izzy. While they rekindle their relationship, they’ve got to keep it a secret from Izzy’s brother (and now Nik’s teammate), Cooper. And really, they’re just friends with benefits anyway. (Sure, they are.) Izzy has her own feelings of inadequacy of being the youngest sibling in a group of pro athletes, but she’s working through it. I liked the writing style of this book and how Nik and Izzy each independently deal with their own insecurities. High on the steam!

Isabelle and Nikolai have a whirlwind summer romance in NYC - she's there for an internship and he's her boss's son. He is also her brother's rival on the ice. When they parted, they weren't expecting to miss each other so much, but that's life. Until Fate intervenes: Nikolai gets expelled from his university, his mega-rich grandfather pulls some strings and he gets transferred to McKee, Isabelle's campus and her brother's hockey team. They thought they would never meet again and now staying away from each other is out of the question. 

I loved this one! Though 4th in the series, it can be enjoyed as a standalone. Isabelle is a ray of sunshine and we fall for her along with Nikolai. Nikolai is your tortured hero with a tragic past that keeps intruding in his present and you want to give him a hug. I loved their relationship and how supportive they are of each other. I also adored the Callahans. Though it was my first time meeting them I loved "catching up" with all of them. A wonderful story of growth, found family (like TRULY, you'll see) and hockey!

Narrated dual style by Faith Clark and Oscar Reyes. Faith is new narrator to me and I really enjoyed her performance. Oscar Reyes shines in this one as he performs the whole book in a Russian accent (and an occasional Australian one). As I like to joke, he's cornered the market of #sadtorturedboys and he is amazing here. As always.  I totally recommend the audio!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the audiobook. 

Rep: queer secondary characters 

Content notes: domestic abuse, alcoholism, disordered eating, anxiety and panic attacks, toxic relationship with a parent

This book was so good, the audio had me like wanting more or nik and izzy. They are for real great narrators and the story was just to good to not read more than once. If you get the chance to read this book I would highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a great book. Such a quick and easy read. I enjoyed this book. All of the characters are great. Also great story and awesome writing style.

I never thought I’d become a fan of sports romance or books set in college but Wicked Serve has me questioning what I thought were solid tastes in reading.
When I go to pick up a romance book, I mostly reach for something historical. These settings make forbidden romance so easy but I loved Wicked Serve’s modern spin on a favourite trope. And sneaking around has never been so sexy. And overprotective older brothers who change and learn to support their little sister are *chef’s kiss*.
As a Brisbane local, it was so surreal reading about their adventure to the koala sanctuary.
While a super-hot and steamy romance, the MCs of Wicked Serve are new adults and the book also explores themes of familial expectations, abuse, and childhood trauma.
A new fav sports romance, I am definitely adding books 1-3 of the Beyond the Play series to my TBR.
The narration from Faith Clark was exceptional and while Oscar Reyes’s Russian accent had me weak at the knees his attempt at an Australian accent had me rolling on the floor laughing.

3.5 ⭐ 2 🌶 4 🎧

While this was one of my favorite couples of the series, I just didn't love this book... It was soooo long. I'm not entirely sure I would have finished it had I not had the audio. Not a ton happened for how long it was...

I did love Nikolai, he was a really strong MMC with a sad past and a broken self worth. I really felt for him in so many moments and while I thought Izzy pushed him to open up too hard and too soon, I overall thought she was a wonderful fit for him.

I thought the ending was very sweet, especially the actual epilogue. While this wasn't my favorite series, I really did enjoy these characters and getting to see all the Callahans together and happy was wonderful.

The audio was fantastic, I thought Faith Clark did a phenomenonal job narrating both Izzy and Nik. Oscar Reyes did a wonderful job as well and made this a great listen along with a wonderful production from Spotify.

I absolutely loveddddd everything about this book! First off the audio narrators were amazing! The duo pov was executed beautiful. They both used a lot of passion into their characters and it showed!!!! Secondly, this book!!!! I ate it up!!!! Loved everything about Nikolai and Izzy! The spice was spicy of course and the mental health rep was top tier!!!