Ooook you all! This was my very first Grace Reilly book and I am kicking myself for that!

Wicked Serve completes The Beyond the Play series and let me just say I WILL be going to read the rest of this series asap!

Thankfully these are all stand alones so I never felt lost even though characters from the rest of the series popped in and out!

Now onto Nikolai & Izzy!

“𝘔𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭."

Let me just say I could not get enough of them! Nikolai being a Russian hockey playing God was so unexpected! He was so caring and so delicious despite all of the secrets he kept!

Izzy was so relatable in everything she did. All of us are just trying to make someone proud in this world and she was no different! I loved her character and how resilient she was through all of the drama that was her life!

"𝘐𝘧 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘦𝘴, 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦."

These two together were perfection! The beginning of the story, the summer romance, gave me major Sandy & Danny from “Grease” vibes! The love these two shared was amazing! I mean a so many swoon worthy moments! Oh and the spice! Let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised by it! Definitely not what I expected in this book, but wow was it chefs freaking kiss!!

All in all this book was fantastic! If you enjoy brothers rival, forbidden, swoon worthy, second chance romance please add this one to your tbr! You will not regret it!

A delightful sports romance with heartfelt emotion and sizzling chemistry. Two athletes navigate the complexities of love, family,and ambition. There are moments that tugged on my heart.
Many thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

*Wicked Serve* by Grace Reilly is a steamy sports romance with major tension and tons of chemistry. Izzy and Nik’s secret fling turns complicated when they end up at the same college—her brother’s rival and now his teammate. It’s hot, fun, and full of that perfect forbidden romance vibe. A must-read if you love secret relationships and swoon-worthy moments!

This book was right down the middle for me. I loved parts and really pushed back against others.

I loved that this is a second chance romance. They had a perfect summer together and now find themselves at the same college but they canNOT be together. They probably could, but then where would the tension be?

What frustrated me about this book was Izzy’s volleyball coach who basically told her that if volleyball isn’t going to be her main and entire focus, she can’t earn back her spot on the team. I hate that. She can love her team and be great at the sport and as long as she’s not actively hurting anyone, let her stay on the team. Telling her that she needs to eliminate any distraction is furthering this pretty pernicious idea to athletes that their sport is their life.

A nice read, but I don’t think this is a series for me moving forward.

This is the 4th book in the Beyond Play series but can easily be read as as standalone.

Isabelle and Nicolai had a magical summer fling while Izzy worked as a Wedding Planner Intern for Nikolai's mother. They agree end their romance at the end of summer because they will need to go their separate ways. While Izzy told her friends about their fling, she kept this secret from her family, because Nicolai happens to be the Hockey Captain at his school and he may have had some words with Izzy's brother on the Ice during a match. Izzy's brother happens to be McKee's Hockey Captain. Nikki gets expelled from his school and winds up at Mckee University where Izzy is and the two can barely keep their hands off of each other. Is this going to work out for them or end in heartbreak?

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC.

3.5 stars

I didn’t know what to expect going into this book when I haven’t read any of the others in this series. It is possible to read this one alone, but I think I would have a better grasp on Isabelle’s brothers and their separate personalities had I read the others, especially Cooper’s that’s being said, I don’t think the brother’s rival trope really mattered that much in this book. The main couple got together at about at the 50% mark and the conflict with Isabelle’s brother Cooper didn’t hold as much weight as Isabelle’s insecurities and Nikolai’s childhood trauma.
I think there were several scenes (fluffy and spicy) that could have been cut down or cut out. There were a few points where I wasn’t sure where the story was going because the scene didn’t further the plot. The last 20% of the story really found it’s meat and potatoes and finished off really strong.

Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly is a lighthearted University Hockey Romance that hits just right. Wicked Serve tells the story of Nikolai and Isabelle (Izzy) who has a summer fling and have now come across one another on campus after Nikolai transfers to the same university. And Izzy is the Hockey team captains younger sister and obviously should be off limits.

Ms. Reilly has written a wonderful story with solid characters that fits into the friends to lovers trope. The writing style fits nicely with the storyline and college romance theme.

The relationship between both main characters was nice. I liked that the MMC had someone standing up for him. Usually it’s the other way around so that was a nice refreshing breath of air. I did feel like this book was a bit too long. Otherwise college sports romance and hockey were great.

This book had so much potential but unfortunately it did not work for me. The thing that bothered me the most about this book was that there was way too much spice. Don’t get me wrong I love me some spice but not when it’s the entire plot I feel like anytime the fmc and mmc were together it was a spice scene. The insta love/lust is also something I just couldn’t vibe with. I also felt like this book was wayyyy too long and there was so much filler but somehow the important points were rushed. I want to read more books in this series but this one just wasn’t it for me.

Thank you netgalley for that arc!!

Summer fling and brothers rival!?! Say less. I live a sports romance and add in some forbidden romance and you have my attention. This is the first books I’ve read in the series and want to go back and read book 1

“If she’s sunshine, I’m the guy who hopes it never rains”.

I’m not crying you are - what a bitter sweet goodbye to the Callahan siblings…

Wicked Serve is book 4 in the Beyond the Play series. My anticipation for this story was high but Wicked Serve did not disappoint. What a great ending to this family’s story.

Wicked Serve follows Izzy and Nikolai as they rekindle their summer fling while keeping it a secret from Izzy’s brother who happens to be the captain of Nikolai’s new hockey team.

Firstly it was a treat to see snippets of all the siblings and where there are now. Secondly, Izzy may be the youngest and last sibling but she packed just as much punch as her brothers. I loved seeing her come into her own, find her passions and fight for what she loves.

Nikolai was complicated but oh so captivating. I was sold at hockey player but he really over sold himself with his growth.

This is the perfect combo of sweet but spicy with emotional depth that made it both heartbreaking and beautiful.

Thank you to Valentine PR and Grace Reilly for an ARC copy!

I really enjoyed this. It was a quick read for me. I liked the characters and the story flowed well. Hockey romance is one of my favorite genres and this one didn’t disappoint. I’ll read more from her.

So, I really liked the first half. But it felt like the story was done and I looked and had over 40% to go. I liked the characters and it was a great steamy romance, but needed to be shorter for me

For an honest (although) late review, I received an ARC of this book.

This is my first book of this author. It is the fourth in the family saga (my understanding). I didn't feel I needed the other previous stories until the beginning.

A fun, easy read rom-com book centered around the sports genre of hockey. However, the main character is a volleyball player yet in love with a hockey player.

The trials and tribulations of a summer fling turned to current challenge.....the storyline not unique but of course the author created a story.

This was just an ok for me. I didn't feel much connection to the characters and it is do was it was supposed to do - allow some time to escape!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book! The title and this beautiful cover drew me in and i was excited to read this book! I will be recommending this book to others for readers advisory.

4.5 ⭐️

OK - WHY did I wait so long to pick this up? I absolutely ate this up.
Was this a literary masterpiece? No. BUT the vibes are immaculate and I really enjoyed the entire book! I really loved our FMC & MMC, Nikolai and Izzy. I was rooting for them from the very beginning and I really just enjoyed their story to find each other.

Nikolai's character growth was outstanding. I love seeing the MMC's growth be so strong because we love an emotionally aware and working on himself king. Nikolai was ALL of that.

While I did have the best time, and the vibes were immaculate. I do not believe it needed to be as long as it was. I had a good time and didn't mind the length, but there was definitely some fluff that could have been removed. I think there was a lot of smut scenes that could have been cut from the beginning of the book to make the reader feel more tension and angst build between them. I didn't HATE it for the length, but I can see some people not picking this up because of the length.

This is book 4 in the series, but I read it as a standalone (first book by this author I've read) and I still really enjoyed it and will probably go back and read the first 3.

If you're looking for:
-Best Friend's Sister
-Hockey / Volleyball Romance
-College Romance
-Secret Relationship / 'forbidden romance'

Overall, I had a really good time with this story and it's characters! I would def recommend it to those who like bingable sports romances!

Wicked Serve by Grace Reily is a perfect conclusion to her sibling sports romance series, and it certainly doesn’t disappoint.

As the final book in the series, it brings a fresh twist by featuring both the female and male leads as athletes, which sets it apart from the others. The dynamic between the two characters is electric, with the added layers of secret friends with benefits and brother’s rival turned teammate tropes that made the romance even more engaging. The chemistry is undeniable, and the transition from casual to something deeper felt so natural. The story left my heart full, and I loved every page of this heartwarming, sports-filled journey. Highly recommend it to fans of the series and anyone who loves a feel-good romance with a sporty edge!

I absolutely loved every moment of this sports sibling romance series! The chemistry between the characters is electrifying, and the plot keeps you hooked from start to finish. The blend of sports action and heartfelt sibling dynamics adds so much depth to the story, making it impossible to put down. If you’re a fan of emotional and heartwarming tales, I highly recommend diving into this series. It’s a perfect mix of romance, sports, and family drama that will leave you craving more with every page!

Five stars for the feels ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received this book as an advanced review copy and offer my honest opinion voluntarily.

Oh, Grace, you have done it again! 𝑾𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆⁠ was the perfect ending to a fantastic and romantic series. It is bittersweet to say goodbye to the Callahan family and my friends at McKee University. I cannot express how much I enjoyed every single page of each of these books! This final book was everything I hoped for. Not only was it a beautifully deep romance, but it was also a coming-of-age journey of self-discovery and trauma healing. As with all of Grace's books, the topics are authentic and realistic. She writes in a true-to-life way that hits you in the heart. 𝑾𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆⁠ delves into the childhood trauma of abuse and its long-lasting effects on mental health. It also deals with anxiety, panic attacks, and feelings of self-doubt and self-worth. I loved following Nik and Izzy on their journey to acknowledge their love for each other and how they learned to work through their pasts and insecurities. The icing on the cake was their explosive and sizzling-hot connection and all the delicious spice!! Boy, was it freaking good! I want a man who whispers sweet and sexy words to me in Russian. Swoon!

𝑾𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆⁠ was another phenomenal book by Grace, and I'm delighted with how this series ended. The epilogue was freaking fabulous!!! The Callahan family and the 𝘽𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮 series will always be dear to my heart!

I love hockey romance and will read any I can get my hands on. They’re all usually very similar and I dont care they have hockey players so its a win,

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

This actually wasn't a favorite for me. I kind of struggled to get thru some parts of the book. There were parts that I did enjoy, some more than others. I actually really enjoyed the ending. It was probably my favorite part of the book.

I felt like the book was a bit too long and drawn out. There were many times it just felt repeating or like there was things that just weren't needed.

I also felt like the spice in this book was over done. It felt like more spice and less plot. I enjoy spice but I like it better when it fits in with the plot rather than it just being there for the whole book.

There were also a few ick moments for me, mostly during the spice scenes. Some of those felt off, and also not really on point with the age level of the main characters.

I really wish I would have enjoyed this book more, and it wasn't that I disliked the whole book, I enjoyed the ending and everything that they did for one another and how they matured and especially how the MMC really grew in knowing what he wanted especially when it came to his grandfather and father.

I have another book from this author on my TBR and I will probably still give it a read with an open mind!