ARC review!!

4.25✨

Grace Reilly you did it once again and produce an amazing book to end off the Beyond the Play series. This book contains second chance, grumpy sunshine, dual college sports romance, forbidden love, and family rooted tropes. So basically everything you could ask! Trigger Warnings: Abuse and toxic relationships. This book follows Izzy (youngest Callahan sibling and volleyball player) and Nik (brother’s biggest hockey enemy and a bit of a bad boy) as they navigate from being summer fling to the actual true lovers. If you are a younger sibling you will relate to Izzy is so many ways of having to live up to the Callahan name and being the go getter girl who always wears pink! While Nik made a deal with his grandpa that leaves his dreams end sooner than he wanted while also holding on to trama from his past. Both of these characters go through so much development with each other and also lift each other up during those vulnerable conversations. This book has a good mix of smut, humor, rawness and family bonding that reminds me a lot of early Abby Jimenez and Elise Silver. And by the end you will be a Nik stan, I promise!

This was a fun, quick read with a unique sports romance twist. I liked the chemistry between the leads and the banter kept things moving, but the story felt a little predictable and some of the drama dragged out longer than it needed to. The concept had a lot of potential, and there were definitely moments I enjoyed, but overall it didn’t fully hook me the way I hoped. A decent, entertaining read, just not a new favorite.

This was the first book I have read by this author This book was the last in a series but I didn’t feel that I needed to read the others first It kept me interested in the storyline and invested in the characters I did like the book Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the advance copy in return for my honest review

Sweet and spicy.

Nikolai was so sweet...and so spicy. He and Izzy weren't supposed to be together but with chemistry like theirs, who could stop it?

I’ve loved all the books in this series, and this one was no different. Reilly knows how to make a romance really hit, and she takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions along the way. I’m not even a sports fan in any capacity but I will be rereading!

Thank you Netgalley for the E-Arc exchange for an honest review.

I love love the relationship between Izzy and Nik from summer fling into something more. They couldn't be without each other. Took a bit for Nik to open up his past to Izzy and his childhood to bettering himself to a better future.

Getting this ARC was such a full circle moment for me. I started this series last year just after Stealing Home came out and when I first got into reading. Now I’ve read the last book of the series before release, it is a very bittersweet moment.
I’m so sad for this series to end, but what a sweet ending we are getting. I fall in love with all of the books and this one was really no different. I loved all the family moments, Nik and Izzy’s moments together and their moments alone. I loved how they found each other and how they stuck together through all the good and the bad. There really isn’t anything I didn’t love. This is a book you will just eat up.
I can’t wait to see everyone’s thoughts on this because I just know it’ll be a hit. If you’re looking for a secret relationship, brother’s rival, sports romance this one is for you.

DNF @ 10%

I know that’s kinda early for a book, but I’m already bored and there’s a lot of filler information. Izzy is kinda whiny and based on the total page count, this book is way longer than probably needed.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

😭 the way Nik’s anxiety was depicted was so real. This book had SO much heart. And him going to therapy?? YES. I loved this entire series so much.

I absolutely love this author's stories. They are filled to the brim with emotion and sassy. I absolutely loved the connection between the hero and heroine and the sports academia setting. I would highly recommend.

Grace Reilly is back with her 4th installment of Beyond the Play, Wicked Serve. In this book, Izzy comes from a family of athletes and her brother is captain of the hockey team. Over the summer she has the opportunity to meet Nikolai while doing an internship and the two have a Stevie funnel summer, but decide to break it off when they go back to college at differing schools Unfortunately an incident involving Nicola hockey team will cause one of the players to draw someone off campus for some hazing like behaviors in an attempt to still play hockey he’s transferred to the rival college, where Isabelle and her brother go to school and the two continued a relationship, even though her brother would not approve. This book is perfect for fans of:
💖Forbidden Romance
💖Rival’s Little Sister
💖Sports Romance- Hockey & Volleyball
💖Second Chance Romance
💖College Romance

Thank you Netgally for the ARK!

I’ve never read a Grace Reilly book I haven’t liked. Such a fun time throughout this book. I love both main characters and I’m such a sucker for a well written hockey romance.

Thank you Netgalley for the E-Arc exchange for an honest review.

I tried reading this one but only made it to about the 15% mark before realizing it just wasn’t for me. While the premise started off promising, I couldn’t connect with the characters or the plot. Nothing really held my interest, and I found myself quickly losing motivation to keep going. This one just wasn’t the right fit for me.

What a welcome back to the Callaghan family!

This felt like a story with 2 parts, just when you think the main issue is forbidden relationship, BOOM along comes the most toxic father on the planet.

The way Nikolai handled his childhood trauma was more mature than what I was expecting from a college student, even though he has his regrets and he had panic attacks he removed himself from situations where he can hurt others and its refreshing to read.

Izzy was a complex character, at times she felt young but then others she was wise beyond her years. Her constant need to be like her brothers and not feel like a failure really added pressure but her and Nik helped give each other the strength they needed to improve.

The supporting cast was back in full force and really built upon their own books, you really feel like part of the family and every character was brilliant.

It was an easy read but with very heavy topics of abuse but beautifully written.

Wow, I enjoyed this SO, SO much! From the sweet nicknames from Nic *squeals into pillow* and in another language, to their relationship being a summer fling to something more, the bromance and honestly so many other things. But I also appreciated that Nic realized that in order for him to be a better partner he needed to go to therapy and take some space to recalibrate. I loved the slowburn of it and that moment they couldn't be without each other and the lightbulb moment *chef's kiss*

I am a sucker for a hockey romance and this delivers on all levels. Good spice, the plot was plotting!

I like that this book touches on heavier topics such as mental health and other things. I think this brings more to the characters.

The romance behind this story is stunning and will keep you captured until the last moment

This was definitely a fav hockey romance!!!! Definitely a must read if you’re trying or already a sports romance reader! I loved the tension, the drama, and the romance!!!

I love reading books with friends and I was so glad when Christine and I realized we both had an ARC of Wicked Serve and could buddy read on our trip! This book was so much fun and I was so glad to have someone to squeal with over the swoony, spicy, fun that is Wicked Serve. I have loved the whole Callahan family and I highly recommend reading the rest of the books in this series first so you can get to know this fam. I am so sad to be leaving behind the Callahan but I can’t wait to see what Grace Reilly has in store for us next!

Did not love this one. Maybe because it's part of a series which I hadn't read, but I highly doubt it. Just wasn't for me.

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 !


thank you to net galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review *