This was a fun new adult sports romance! Nikolai drew me in right from the start. While it's not my type irl, I'm a sucker for a sweet wounded boy who just needs to learn to stand up for himself in fiction. I wasn't as big a fan of Izzy, she def felt more young than Nik. I wish the book had been about 100 pages shorter, but I think most contemporary romance these days needs to be less than 400 pages so thats definitely a me thing.

Love the relationship between Nikolai and Isabelle. Starts off strong with their history from the summer. I liked the depictions of sibling relationship and anxiety/panic attacks and positive portrayal of going to therapy. I didn't love the mini conflict when Isabelle leaves Nikolai in the midst of what he calls a panic attack nor did I love the ending where Nik leaves for the NHL and him and Isabelle don't talk for weeks but also aren't broken up. After all they had been through, it didn't feel like that would be how they handled that situation. However overall, I did enjoy the story and will purchase for my store!

I absolutely adore Grace Reilly's writing! She is the perfect combination of spicy and sweet and I just cannot get enough of this series! This may be my favorite so far, and it's not just because I've been waiting for this story for so long! I loved every single second of it.

How this was my first Grace Reilly book, I'm not sure. I loved this book and reading Nikolai and Isabelle's story. I was cheering for them the entire time. The character growth was there and great. The story was entertaining and I never found myself wishing for it to be over. I never felt like the story was dragging at all.

How I wish I could just give Nikolai a hug. His character growth especially was great to read. And the way he loved Izzy, and vice versa, was so heartwarming. So glad I read this book. Now I need to read the rest of the books in this series!

3.5 ⭐️

The final Callahan. Izzy.
I was maybe expecting a more bubbly person after meeting her in the previous books.
Volleyball
Wedding planner

Nikolai. Loved the Russian nicknames/speaking.
Hockey

College sports
Brothers rival/teammate
Sneaking around
Childhood trauma
Not a lot of tension/angst
There was a lot spice tho
Long.

•sports romance
•brother’s rival turned teammate
•secret relationship
•found family
•mental health rep
•dual pov

I absolutely loved this book! Even though this is a series, this was my first book that I read by Grace. After reading Wicked Serve, though, I will definitely go back and read every single book in this series! I really fell in love with all of the characters. Nik and Izzy have my heart!! I love their relationship, and how they became a safe space for each other. And I loved Izzy’s brothers!! I’m glad they were in this book quite a bit because it made me want to read their books even more.

There were some heavier topics in this book, but Grace wrote them so well! I was rooting for Izzy and Nik the entire time.

I loved having not one, but two sports in this book! Volleyball and hockey! Woohoo! I feel so special getting to read about two of my favorite sports in one book!

I will point out that this book is more than 400 pages long. While I loved every second of it, it didn’t NEED to be that long. There were a lot of filler moments that weren’t necessary, although still enjoyable.

I definitely recommend this one! It’s super spicy, yet sweet. I can’t wait to go back and read the rest of the books. Thank you so much to the author for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Grace Reilly’s Wicked Serve earns a solid four stars for its engaging romance and well-crafted characters. The story revolves around Nikolai “Nik” and Isabelle “Izzy,” whose intense relationship is both thrilling and heartfelt. Nik’s obsession with Izzy adds depth to his character, and the evolution of their relationship is beautifully portrayed, with Izzy’s unwavering support helping Nik confront his troubled past.

The romance is undeniably steamy, and the chemistry between Nik and Izzy keeps the reader hooked. The book also excels with the scarred hero trope, blending emotional depth with engaging storytelling. Nik’s bond with Izzy and her brother, Cooper, adds richness to the narrative and showcases the book’s strength in exploring complex relationships.

However, the book’s pacing affects its impact, as the relationship between Nik and Izzy progresses quickly, with their initial meetings and hookups happening before the narrative begins. This makes it challenging to connect with their relationship early on. Despite this, Wicked Serve quickly becomes engrossing, and the balance of heavy themes with humor makes it an enjoyable and well-rounded read.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Isa and Nik. I enjoyed their sweet and spicy moments! I love how the series intertwines all the siblings without being overbearing and giving the main characters a chance to develop.

I’ve been anticipating this book for the longest time, and it didn’t disappoint! 💗

Grace really did her thing with this series, and I couldn’t express my love for the Callahan siblings enough. Their bond is everything to me, and I adore each and every one of their love stories so much!

Izzy & Nikolai had such a spicy and sweet connection. Their shared summer history helped me jump right into the story, and I was hooked! I loved the tension of how much they couldn’t stay away from each other and how they slowly became more of an integral part of the other’s lives. I really felt for them through their struggles, and the way they deeply cared for each other was everything to me 🥹 I also just loveddd the way that BOTH of them were athletes — it’s one of my favorite things to see in books!

Anyways, I adored Izzy & Nikolai’s story so much! It’s a bittersweet feeling to see one of my favorite sports romance series come to an end, but it was closed out in the best way so I can’t even complain 🤧 I love Grace and her writing so much, so I can’t wait for whatever else she comes up with next! 🫶

Thank you so much to Grace Reilly & NetGalley for an ARC of this book 💌

I loved this book so much!! Definitely my second favorite from the whole series!! I loved Nikolai so much, he was so pure and he deserved the whole world and more 🫶🏻 I love all the aspects of this book (especially the volleyball). This was such a down to earth and loving romance 🫶🏻🫶🏻

I absolutely loved “Wicked Serve” by Grace Reilly! This book is a fantastic blend of sports, romance, and heartfelt moments. Nikolai, the intense hockey defenseman, and Isabelle, the determined volleyball player, have such incredible chemistry. Their journey from a secret summer fling to a deeper, more complex relationship kept me hooked from start to finish.

The characters felt so real and relatable. I found myself rooting for them through every challenge and cheering for their victories. Grace Reilly’s writing is engaging and fast-paced, making it impossible to put the book down. The mix of sports action and romance is perfectly balanced, and the emotional depth of the story really resonated with me.

If you enjoy stories about love, family, and overcoming personal challenges, you’ll adore “Wicked Serve.” It’s a must-read for anyone who loves a good sports romance with well-developed characters and a compelling plot.

🏐 2 POV
🏒 Hockey
🏐 Volleyball
🏒 New Adult Sports Romance
🏐 Found Family
💋 Nickname
💙 He Falls First
☕🔥🔥🔥🔥 This Scorchin Hot with light kink and dirty talk

What would you do if your hot summer fling suddenly transfered to your college and was now playing hockey with his former rival who also happens to be your brother?

If Nikolai can find a way to open up and work through is past he might discover he has everything to live for.

Izzy is determined and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Will she find a way to pave a path that isn't in the shadow of her siblings?

Sometimes no matter what you do you can't out run those who seek to tear you down. If you are lucky you can find someone to help keep you afloat, stand with you, and face your struggles without fear.

This on and off the ice and court sports romance read has plenty of shenanigans, banter, and road blocks as two college kids find a way to demand the life they deserve on their own terms.

When I started reading this I didn't realize that this was the last book in a series but can be enjoyed as a standalone.

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*sigh* Another immature rom-com that I try to give a chance and leave feeling like it’s way too young for me. When will I learn my lesson?

This book started out cute, but would. Not. End. It was unnecessarily long. There were so many side characters that I never quite remembered (or cared to remember) who exactly they were and what the relationships were. It got to the point where I didn’t care how the main characters ended up, I just wanted to be done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

I loved seeing Nik and Izzy get themselves together, with a little bit of sneaking around and secrecy. Sweet story, following all the good tropes, with a happy ending!

🏒🏐 REVIEW 🏐🏒

The story of Izzy and Nikolai has been so good from start to finish.

What was a secret summer love affair for both of them, turns into something more that neither of them is willing to accept, when they both end this relationship the least they expected was to meet again a few months later, when he is transferred from his previous university to Izzy's.

They just need to meet again to fall for each other again, but now they will have to be much more careful that no one sees them, especially Izzy's brother who is now the captain of Nik's new Hockey team.

I'm going to start by saying how much I liked the development of both characters, how they both supported each other, the tension between them and honestly all the cute moments.

I really liked the representation of mental health and how it plays an important role in the personal and interpersonal development of our main characters.

It was a quick and entertaining read, there aren't many dramas and those that are there, are easily resolved.

The Epilogue was all I needed to give closure to this magnificent series. You don't know how hard it feels to say goodbye to another one of my favorite romance series.

If you haven't had the chance to read this series, I highly recommend it.

Thank Valentine PR & Grace Reilly for this ARC in exchanged of an honest review.

Thank you @authorgracereilly @netgalley @avonbooks @harpervoyagerus for the E-ARC.

- Sports Romance
- Hockey Player x Volleyball Player
- College Romance
- Brother’s Rival
- Secret Relationship

This has been such a fun series. I'm sad it's all wrapped up now. The Callahan siblings have been so amazing to connect with and see how they all develop together throughout the entire series. Watching their bond is pure sweetness and their love stories are the cutest.

This book focuses on Izzy and Nicolai. I loved the double dose of athletes for the main characters. Each having this strong passion. Nicolai's trauma was heartbreaking but seeing the caring side of Izzy come out and the way they meshed together was perfect. It's spicy and sweet with some sad moments mixed in. A great balance of the perfect love story for sure.

I was really looking forward to this book as I loved all the others in the series. This one just felt different. The writing seemed a bit forced and I couldn't connect with the characters as much. I really wanted to love it, but I kept picking it up and putting it down.

Loved this book so much! Such a great sports romance with so much chemistry between the characters!!

5 ✨

The end of an era for Beyond The Play series and what an amazing book and couple to finish off with. I have always been obsessed with Izzy in all of her brothers’ books so to finally get to read all about her and Nikolai was just such a treat. Their story was definitely filled with so many ups and downs and different turns I had to take a second coming over but gosh it turned out so beautifully and told one of my favorite love stories ever.

Nikolai Abney-Volkov, my new favorite book boyfriend. He has a very tough interior but is really such a marshmallow inside especially for his girl. He’s had a really tough and unspeakable childhood that no child should have and that has definitely been a big part of what defines him today. He’s very determined about not turning into his dad and having as little contact as possible with him. He truly loves hockey but is afraid of the possibility that it will make him look too much like his father. I do think personally that is not the case and him becoming a professional hockey player would more be like a win for him than a defeat. Isabelle Callahan is the girl you would love to have by your side as your best friend. She’s so loyal, sweet and always helpful. She has the biggest heart of them all and is a great sounding board for Nik in this book. The lengths she goes to is so inspiring and I just wanna be more like her in my life to be honest.

Their relationship is one of my favorites because it’s not only the good times that gets highlighted but also the hardships which is a reality in so many relationships, so it makes it a realistic reading experience. The love they share is true to see for anyone and the use of Russian in this book is both heartwarming and HOT. I’m obsessed with this series and also the fact that we got so many glimpses of the past couples and how their lives were going. Also the epilogue I’m crying, it was so wholesome and a great way to wrap up not only Izzy and Nik’s story but also the rest of the couples. I’m gonna miss these people SO much.

💕 What to expect:
— sports romance (hockey & volley)
— summer fling
— college romance
— brother’s teammate/riv
— second chance at love
— both of them are athletes
— grumpy/sunshine
— friends with beneffits
— spice talking in russian

Not my favorite of the series but definitely a good one! I love that we finally got the sister’s story!! Yay! I love that Nick is her brother’s hockey rival and enemy so of course, they have to end up together! All in all a good book but book #2 (the one with the hockey brother) is hands down my absolute favorite!!