Thanks for letting me try this. I requested without looking at co tent warnings because I enjoyed other books in the series. However, some of the content is not for me.

I have had this whole series on my TBR for a long time, so I jumped at the chance for an early copy of the last one… now I have to go back and pick up the rest of them. I enjoyed the story and her writing, and absolutely the character development, family dynamics and just the whole overall story arc.

The family series tend to be my fave in general, and I really liked that Izzy lived with two of her brothers (the third already living with his fiancée and newborn), while they attend college and play their various sports. She plays college volleyball and over the summer met the son of her internship boss, Nikolai, who happens to be the captain of her brother’s biggest rival college hockey team. After a summer fling, a big scandal broke and he winds up transferring schools and shows up on her campus…

I really enjoyed the storyline in general, how Nikolai’s family background really affected his life and he struggled but eventually got assistance. Izzy was from a huge and supportive family and she never gave up on him, and still tried to follow her own path and dreams, even if it meant they might not lead in the same direction. It’s steamy and sometimes dark and moody, but overall just a great story.

I do recommend this book to all lovers of romance, especially sports romance, but the audio version was not my favorite ever. While I really liked the performance by Faith Clark as Izzy (a new voice to me - great job, you kept me going!), the extremely fake and terrible attempt at a Russian accent by Oscar Reyes was difficult to listen to. I’ve heard other books done by him that were fine, and some parts here are in his normal voice, but this is one of the worst fake accent attempts I’ve come across. I’m sorry, but it’s the truth! While I give the storyline and the author and the female narrator all 4.5-stars, he gets significantly less and brings my entire rating down… so, get the ebook for this one! I also am confused by this advance copy being 13 hours but all of the retailers have it listed as only 8.5? The book is 450 pages, so…. ?

I received an early listen copy from NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks, and this is my honest opinion.

I'm sorry I was unable to finish this book due to the male narrator. I would read it physically but u can not finish this audio.

📚Spicy with a bit of depth📚

I requested the audio for this book on NetGalley completely blind, and totally because of the cover. I didn’t really know anything about the author, or the characters (it’s the 5th book in a series of romcoms about siblings).

So I’m not a spice reader, I skip it in every book that has it, and there was a LOT to skip. If a spice scene started it went to the end of the chapter, and it was often. Not a critique. Just information. But if you want to avoid spice, know that there is a lot of innuendo as well, outside of the open door scenes.

All that to say, when a book has this much spice I have found that it carries the story, and there’s not a lot of depth, BUT NOT WITH THIS STORY. Instead the story was character driven, the difficulties the MCs were going through were realistic and I really enjoyed that the characters felt like real people. Also, though the tropes were there (brother’s rival, Star crossed lovers, etc) they weren’t what the core of the story revolved around, which was a welcome change. There was a lot more story after they were past those difficulties.

The family drama and the mystery of what happened in the past and how it would be addressed kept me totally bought in to the end.

I liked the female narrator a lot, but the male narrator really stood out to me. He did a fantastic Russian and Australian accent, and did well differentiating characters. Give the audiobook a listen if this sounds like your cup of tea!


CW/TW: domestic violence (in the past, described); confrontations with abuser; sex on page; cheating (ex boyfriend, NOT current);

4.5 rounded up!!! i absolutely loved nikolai and izzy’s story. i thought it was a hell of a way to finish out this series. they were so freaking adorable. and the narrators did a beautiful job bringing these two to life 🩷

Oof this was cringe to me! I haven’t read the other books in the series and I think that’s really important. But judging it based on just having read this, I’m not interested in the others

This was everything I was hoping it would be. After reading the first three books, I couldn't wait to dive into Izzy's story. I loved how Grace Reilly was able to tackle hard topics like childhood trauma without leaving me with a bad book hangover. If anything, I am smiling and giggling more after finishing this book. If you enjoyed the first three books, this one won't disappoint. 4/5 spice

Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Wicked Serve" serves up a mix of hockey action and romantic escapades. The story follows the fiery relationship between its protagonists, Nikolai and Isabelle, as they navigate the challenges of their careers and their budding relationship.

I thoroughly enjoyed the majority of this audiobook. The narrators, Faith Clark and Oscar Reyes, did an excellent job of portraying the characters’ emotions and personalities. Their performances added depth to the story, making the protagonists’ interactions feel authentic and engaging. Overall, Wicked Serve is a must-listen for fans of steamy sports romances!

This is the final book in the Beyond the Play series which follows the Callaghan siblings in college. I will say this must have been 70% smut, but when there was plot development, I really enjoyed those parts. The story was lighthearted and perfect for those who love the sports world. On audio, I didn't love when the FMC was speaking the male parts because of the Russian accent. I also found the MMC to speak at a faster rate, so I was constantly switching between 2 and 2.5 speed depending on the chapter.

Thank you Avon and Spotify Audio for the ARC/ ALC for an honest review

great book to end the series! felt a little immature at times but overall it was a great read! I liked the mixture of the sports and izzy was just the girl i thought she would be!

This was a satisfying and SUPER spicy conclusion to the Beyond the Play college sports romance series featuring the Callaghan siblings - each of whom specializes in a different sport. I really liked that this book focused on Isabel who plays college Volleyball and her forbidden romance with her brother's Russian hockey star rival, Nik.

Full of emotional depth, great mental health rep (Nik has a physically abusive father and suffers from panic attacks) and, again a TON of open door heat, this book was great on audio (I must applaud narrator Oscar Reyes and his excellent Russian accent!). Nik might have been the product of a troubled childhood and had a toxic relationship with his father, but he sure knew how to treat a lady right!!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review. This book is PERFECT for fans of authors like Elle Kennedy and HIGHLY recommended for those who love spicy sports romance, the likes of which only Tessa Bailey can compare.

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!

This was my first in the series - I was unaware it was a series - but that definitely did not impact the overall vibe of the book. I picked up easily and look forward to going back and reading the first three in the series.

I loved the push and pull and depth that this book offered.