Wicked Serve is the fourth and final book about the Callahan family - 4 siblings who have attended the same college and have fallen in love while there. Wicked Serve focuses on Izzy, the youngest child and only sister of the Callahan clan. She is a volleyball player who had a summer fling with her boss's son, who just so happens to be her brother Cooper's biggest nemesis on the ice. However, when Nikolai transfers schools in the fall and becomes Cooper's teammate, he and Izzy have to determine if their fling is more, and how to share that news with their families.

I enjoyed the integration of characters from the prior books, as well as seeing Nik and Izzy work through their struggles while leaning on one another. They were not perfect but their love for each other made the hard days easier to navigate. Spicy, funny, and emotional, all wrapped in a fun little package!

Thank you to Avon, Grace Reilly, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i>

What a cute and fun sports romance!! This was my first book by Grace Reilly, so at times, I did feel a little out of the loop with the characters and the found family. I think if I were to have read all 3 prior books, I would have felt more of a connection, but I still really enjoyed the book nonetheless! This gave me similar vibes to Off Campus with the college sports romance.

I really loved the characters dynamic and their growing love for each other. Nik was down bad the wholeeee time and the love he showed Izzy was absolutely to die for. AKA Koalas. IYKYK. He was such a sweet, wholesome character who had a lot of trauma that he unforunately wasn't given an opportunity to previously understand or work through. I really liked the anxiety representation and the way Grace handled the panic attacks and the need to seek help and go to therapy. Izzy was really a character who represented the younger sibling who is always trying to ensure her successful family is proud of her. I loved how she started doing what she wanted to make herself happy, rather than anyone else.

The found family was cute without even having all of the backstories. I loved the couples from the previous books having moments in this book and the epilogue was so cute! I want to go back and read from the beginning to see the other characters loves stories from their povs.

I really liked this book. I loved Nikolai and Izzy's relationship and how Nikolai was drawn to Izzy from the very first moment he saw her. I loved the dual pov, secret relationship, he falls first and harder, and sports romance. I also liked how it wasn't just about them but connected the rest of the Callahan family into their story as well. Their relationship really was healthy without any toxicity, including a lot of support and encouragement from each other.

Thank you to NetGallery for the arc.

Wicked Serve by Grace Riley

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶️

Volleyball
Hockey
Brothers rival

Wicked Serve is the fourth book in the Beyond the Play series.

I enjoyed the chemistry these two characters had immediately. How they were able to build a relationship of sorts prior to any conflicting issues.

Nikolai and Isabelle had so many barriers to overcome. Loved their caring dynamics for each other. But this story seemed to lack any significant amount of volleyball and at times felt like there was a lot of pages for the amount of progress occurring through the story.

It was an overall enjoyable story and it was nice to see the positive interactions.

I received an ARC of this book and am leaving an honest review.

This is such a delightful read! It beautifully blends engaging romance with well-rounded characters full of depth. One of the best parts of the book, to me, is how it highlights the importance of open communication between the main characters. Their conversations feel authentic and relatable, making the romance unfold in a manner that feels both natural and believable.

I was also pleasantly surprised, and liked, the ending. Unfortunately, it's all too common for a romance story to have a rushed or forced ending, but "Wicked Serve" wrapped up in a manner that didn't feel rushed or out of place. It was a satisfying resolution that left me feeling content and connected to the characters' journey.

Overall, "Wicked Serve" is a charming, witty, and well-crafted romance that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone looking for a heartfelt story with strong character dynamics and lots of sporty aspects!

This was my first Grace Reilly book, but I plan to read the rest of the series. I loved Nik and Izzy's relationship. It was wonderful to see how they managed their relationship while remaining open and honest with each other. Nikolai and Isabelle had a summer fling, but they couldn't go any further because he was her brother's rival. When he transfers to her school, they can't ignore each other and become inseparable. I'm not going to lie: their relationship happened extremely quickly for me. Even though it was more of a hook-up situation, you could tell they were feeling something from the start. I enjoyed the Callahan siblings' close connections with their significant others, but I wish I had read the prior volumes to gain a better grasp of them and how they fit together. Together, Izzy and Nik were amazing. They complemented one another, each encouraging the other to be and achieve better. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to @valentine_pr_ & @netgalley for the e-ARC.

The final installment of the Callahan siblings series! When I started this book, I was a bit apprehensive because I had loved the previous book (Stealing Home) and I didn’t want this one to disappoint, and it didn’t! I was a little confused when it first started, but once I got into the storyline it just melted together. I knew I was in for a treat when I was 64 percent of the way through and all of the problems were solved 🥲. I enjoyed Izzy’s pov because it was fascinating to know how she sees her brothers and her life. Honestly, I feel like me and Izzy would be friends. I also enjoyed how there was NO MISCOMMUNICATION TROPE OR THIRD ACT BREAKUP. It is so so frustrating when I’m reading a book and they’re all cute and happy, but then, BAM! They break up over a stupid misunderstanding. No hate to anyone who likes (or writes) that though. Grace’s books never fail to make me cry and this one was no exception. I was 70 percent of the way through and I said “huzzah, I didn’t cry” and then I basically cried for the next ten pages.

DNF @75 %.
I felt like through the end the book got more and more boring. It included moments that were not necessary for the story and that's why the book dragged. I just lost interest at that point.

”If she’s sunshine, i’m the guy who hopes it never starts raining”☀️

I was lucky enough to get an ARC from @valentine_pr_ and I am super grateful. I really enjoyed this one and will 100% be going back and reading the other books in the series.

I loved the chemistry between Izzy and Nik 🔥. This was a super quick and super spicy read. If you know me you know I love a sports romance. Especially hockey and this did not disappoint. Our main characters, Nik and Izzy, also face some pretty big issues in this book and I loved reading about the way that this was resolved as it was done so well. 🏒

A big thank you to the author, the publishers and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this to read and review. ✨

oh goodness okay this one was fire and so interestingly done. thanks so much for the arc this one was cool

The writing style was immediately not for me when I started this book, it seemed like there wasn't a huge difference between our two main character's voices. After starting the novel, I got sick for two weeks and struggled to do much other than rest. When I eventually came back to this story, I felt disconjointed and didn't feel invested in our characters. Once I figured out this was a new book in a series, I believe my lack of invest made more sense.

I won't be rating this due to the fact that I ended up reading it in odd chucks and didn't realize it was a part of a series. (I had to rate to submit my thoughts, but I wouldn't have otherwise)

I very much appreciate having the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for me honest review!

This made me feel like your one big true love.

Isabelle and Nikolai had a fling over the summer and supposed they would go back to normal when school started back up.

Nikolai gets into a scandal and has to transfer to McKee.

The attraction and chemistry stay between them, they can't fight it.

But the odds are against them, Nikolai is Isabelles brother's rival, the grandfather of Nikolai has lots of stipulations and Izzy's position on the volleyball.

There are some harder topics but they are so well written, you just feel for the characters.

I could not put the book down.

I wanted to love this more but the pure mention of the San Jose Sharks took off a star.

Kidding. 🤣 That’s not the reason for my rating. I really went in hoping to enjoy it more but I felt like I wanted to see them really hit it off. We come in with Nikolai and Isabelle being together for awhile and then they just kind of pick back up where they left off? Don’t get me wrong. Their relationship is adorable but I just wanted more depth to their interactions.

Which brings me to the writing. This book could have benefitted from a more cohesive timeline. One minute you’re in one scene and the beginning of the next chapter is weeks down the road.

The spice was mildish. I give it a 3 🌶️ out of 5.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The ending to the series and it was amazing. Both of these characters have their flaws and struggles. From anxiety to panic attacks. I loved how they were approached. This is sort of enemies to lovers as the MMC, Nikolai is the enemy of the brother of the Izzy. They had an amazing relationship. If you’re into the below then this is a great book for you. This is the last book of the series and you do not need to read them in order, but it does help.

⚫️sports romance
⚫️he falls first
⚫️Secret family

I received this ARC through the publisher and I am voluntarily reviewing this book, opinions are my own.

Isabelle and Nikolai's story just tugged on my heartstrings from the beginning - a summer forbidden fling but due to unforeseen circumstances he ends up at her college on the hockey team with his rival, her brother. Neither can hide their attraction or their feelings for each other but both are struggling with so much that they haven't let their families know about. Both characters (and really all of the characters) feel so real that it's hard to not read the whole book in one sitting.

There’s something about forbidden love and protective brothers that gets me every time. I appreciated having the chance to read this early. I’m always a fan of hockey romances and this one did not disappoint. The chemistry between Nikolai and Isabelle was fantastic and their banter was even better.

The way I devoured this book should be unhealthy.
Summer flings are always supposed to be just that a fling. That was supposed to be the case when it came to Isabelle and Nikolai until he suddenly showed up at her school. Which wouldn't be such a problem if he wasn't her brother's enemy on the ice.
The chemistry between these two was off the charts. The connection was so easy to see and the way they were with each other was just something else.
It was great to catch up with the rest of the family throughout the book and just see how everything has progressed.

I love hockey romance and this one was no different. I have not read this author before but was pleasantly surprised. This one was spicy and I was here for it.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Avon and Harper Voyager for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I for sure went to the wrong college. Where were all the hot, rich, super athletic hockey players at when I went to school? I mean...I did go to school in California and we didn't have a hockey team, but that's besides the point.

Wicked Serve is the fourth in an interconnected series but Grace Reilly does such a great job writing the book that you don't feel like you've missed anything if you didn't read the first three. I didn't. Although I will be picking up the others now.

I love that the FMC, Izzy, was a volleyball player! There isn't enough representation for that sport in romance books. She had such a fun storyline and background and I really enjoyed reading from her perspective during the dual POV. I appreciated that she wasn't automatically the best at her chosen sport or with her career. It's refreshing to see the MCs struggle. Although, MMC, Nikolai's struggles were heartbreaking at times. I loved the mental health representation. Especially having the MMC experience it. He went through so much growth as a character. The family and friendships were fantastic.

There were some things that I had to not dwell on - if Izzy's parents bought her a place on the team she would simply be riding the bench; a setter and an outside hitter and not necessarily interchangeable and an outside hitter is still a very impressive position! Also, naturally everyone else in the book being a professional athlete. Or that the MMC whisks the FMC away when she has a bad week and takes her to Australia! Not super realistic, but still swoon-worthy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grace Reilly for the opportunity to read this book.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were fun and I loved their interactions. I haven't read this author before but I will definitely be looking for more of her books.