I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have yet to read a Grace Reilly book I don’t like.
Nik and Izzy were delightfully swoony and their story progressed well. Sadly this book just wasn’t “it” for me. But honestly, nothing holds up to Sebs book so it’s not really a comparison.
The romance was good, the sports were good, the spice was good, the characters were good. To be honest, this book was perfectly good.

Well…

I do like hockey romances but this one missed the mark with me.
Too much spice and some of the spice was just uncomfortable. Overall it was repetitive with characters at times acting immature and then at other times too mature for their ages. It became unrealistic.

I think a lot of people will like this one if you love new adult. It just wasn’t my cup of tea

Some of the themes were really heavy so check the trigger warnings for sure.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.

I really love the way Grace Reilly writes - I’ve read 3/4 of this series now and I can’t wait to complete it.

This story about Izzy and Nik is literally so sweet no one could convince me otherwise. It was the exact kind of palate cleanser I needed in between high fantasy novels.

I loved how wholesome and sweet this book turned out to be. Nik really went above and beyond my expectations for Izzy - it’s even better that he was her brother’s rival. I was nervous about his relationship with his father and how that might affect Izzy, but I think it was well played out between the two of them. However, I was devastated by the choices near the end! I needed more!

Onto the third book now - a little out of order never hurt anyone, right?? 😉

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Izzy Callahan is a star volleyball player, but after spending the summer in New York, working for a prestigious wedding planner, she wants more than just the game. However, she also wants the only boy she shouldn't have - though she did this summer - Nikolai Abney-Volkov. Nik is her brother Cooper's arch nemesis, and the two have come to blows more than once on the ice. But Nik is sweet, and the time they spent together this summer proves how made for each other they are. It was just a fling though, and they're off to different colleges, where they'll be enemies again, right? Wrong, as Nik takes the fall for a younger team mate, and the only hope he has to finish his degree, and play hockey, is by transferring to McKee, and joining Cooper's team. Seeing Izzy again is one of the hardest things he's ever done, but he's damaged, and he legacy his father left him haunts his every move.

I've found my favourite book in this series! Nik and Izzy were the couple, and it was both heart wrenching, and heartwarming to read their romance. They were so right for each other, and they fought to be together so much! I'm in awe with how utterly made for each other they were, and the moments when it was just them, being vulnerable and opening up about their pasts, were perfect. I was worried how Coop and Nik's animosity would play out, especially given their past, and Coop now being Nik's captain, but Grace wrote their development from enemies to best friends so well. The epilogue was the piece de resistance, and really tied the whole series together! I need Grace to write some more books, and stat!

Another great read by Grace Reilly! Nik and Izzy were so perfect and just really completed each other, their chemistry was definitely 🔥. Both characters have flaws and have obstacles to overcome, so either of them were perfect but they were perfect for each other. I loved how the book addressed mental health and dealing with panic attacks and anxiety and the emotions were so raw and intense. Overall Wicked Serve is very well written, making this a cute and a quick read! If you love a good sports romance, add this to your TBR, you wont be disappointed!

Grace Reilly can do no wrong and this book was just absolute romantic perfection. I love the mixed sports aspect it just adds to the fun of the characters and their dynamic. I just fell in love with the story from the first chapter and everything I love about Graces writing was in this book from beginning to end.

Nikolai and Isabelle’s story was the perfect summer romance read! There was great spice, but the author also addresses some heavy themes in an impactful manner. This college hockey romance had a very relatable FMC, and the relationship between the main characters was so entertaining! I really loved this sports romance, and I’ll definitely be reading more from this author now.

Wicked Serve is a swoony sweet romance and the last of the Callahan siblings. Izzy Callahan and Nicolai Volkov had a summer fling while she worked as an intern for his mother. The two agree to call it off at the end of summer to go their separate ways. It just so happens Nicolai is her brother's rival, so she keeps the fling a secret from her family. When Nicolai ends up coming to the same school, the romance is back on, but they agree to keep it a secret and focus on their respective sports, her volleyball, him trying to blend into the new hockey team. I am a sucker for the secret romance trope! Their story didn't feel like it needed to be kept a secret, though. I would have preferred a little more sexy times with all the deep emotions the two characters had to go through between his anxiety and her imposter syndrome, just more of them enjoying each other to break up some of the heaviness. The book was much too long than what it needed to be, but it ended well .

This book had my heart in the palm of its hand in the best way possible. Such a fun read that will have you falling in love with its characters the whole time.

This book had me BLUSHING. Nik had me blushing. I was so deeply invested in their story and it really felt like the perfect ending to this series. The epilogue made me want to sob. I loved seeing Nik find happiness because its what he deserve and izzy find her voice and her passion. it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside

This book exceeds my expectations, that's for sure.
I love how Nik's story unfolds one at a time, and Isabelle's way to cope with his problem. I also like Nik's decision in the end and how Isabelle stays busy while loyal to him.
This book has it all: it's spicy, romantic, it gets me to tears and ended up feeling happy.
I'd love to read more story on the Callahans and how Izzy's relationship with her brothers develops after she's with Nik.

Overall, I give 4 stars for this book. Recommended for those who need a cozy read and feeling emotional at the same time.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the eARC!!

If you’re looking for a fun, fluffy romance then check out Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly! It’s got it all… sports romance, brother’s enemy , second chance romance after a summer fling.
This book was a bit dragged out at parts, but overall the couple was enjoyable and taking their ages into consideration they didn’t really bother me with their lack of communication. I didn’t realize this was a series when I requested the ARC but I am curious to read the other siblings’ stories.

Cute book and great end to the Callahan siblings! It was so nice to have the cameos from the characters that we know and love. I do think there were parts that were a bit cheesy and I felt the book was slightly too long. It felt like the author tried to fit too much in. Overall I would recommend for fans of the series! A cute, fun sports romance.

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a hoe for a hockey romance. But a hockey romance, brothers rival and she’s an athlete too. 🥵

Wicked serve was such a quick and fun read. The way Nikolai is so reserved and kind of a jerk but not with Izzy. 🥹 The way Izzy just wants to be seen not in her siblings/families shadow! I loved their dynamic so much.

I absolutely would throw some hands if my family manipulated me with power/money to get what they wanted.

This is the fourth in a series but I think reading as a standalone was perfectly fine! You get glimpses/updates form the couples of the other books but that’s typical in romance series!

Thank you to @NetGalley for letting me read the advanced ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This was alright. I feel like the book was way too long and the FMC had the personality of a wet bag. I loved the spicy scenes and the MMC. Their relationship had some cute parts too. Overall if youve read the first 3 in the series, you probably want to finish it so you would like them altogether again.

Brother's rival is about to be the next big thing and Grace Reilly is ahead of the curve with it! Wicked Serve was a great romance novel about two characters who see each other in a way no one else has before and pushes the other to open up to the love they deserve. The rival-turned-teammate is becoming a new fave of mine and I thoroughly enjoyed the sweet cameos of the post-HEA life for the previous Callahan couples! Excited to see what Reilly spins up next but this was a great send-off to her debut series! Recommend for fans of The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy!

A spicy brother's rival hockey romance? Umm, yes please!

I have not read the other books in this series but that did not matter one bit as I was immediately transported into this steamy college setting.

I am sometimes creeped out by new adult spicy romances but this one did not focus on age and youth, making that just a fact instead of the center of the book.

Thank you to Net Galley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC!

I want to like this series more than I do. They’re fine spicy sport romance books but they’re just kind of meh.

This book just really missed some depth for me. They’re rich college kids who all have some aggressive kinks (good for you, no judgement) and that’s just kind of it. Sure there the story of them figuring themselves out as they grow through college, but it’s always problem, solution and not a lot in between.

Thank you so much for Avon for allowing me to read this!

When I grabbed this book as a Read Now, all I saw was two athletes on the cover and was sold from there. Turns out this was a 4th book in a series and I had not read any of the other books in the series. I will say I don't think it was necessary to have read the prior 3 books in the series to follow along with this book.

I am unsure how I feel about this book because there were elements that I really enjoyed but I also was meh for other parts of it. The book was very long and I'm not sure if it was necessary for it to be over 400 pages. If you are looking for a book that does have a plot but has a LOT of spice, this could be for you. I didn't know much about how Grace's writing or her books but I was so surprised at how much spice was in this book. The chemistry between Izzy and Nikolai is very apparent early on and carries throughout the book. Nikolai is SO head over heels for Izzy.

One thing I appreciated is that feeling in your early 20s when you are unsure about how you want to proceed with your future. You don't want to disappoint your family and friends but you also need to feel fulfilled in someway as well. Both characters had these conflicts on different scales. I felt bad for Izzy as she was constantly comparing herself to her brothers and their careers whereas Nikolai tried so hard to separate himself from his father and feeling like a let down to his mom & grandfather.

Overall I really loved the relationship between Izzy and Nik and just how in love they both were with each other.

3.75

Nikolai and Izzy are adorable characters with an incredible connection that melted my heart 💕 Nikolai is the quintessential broody, complicated hockey player with a past that’s far from simple, while Izzy is a determined, fiery athlete trying to carve out her own path under the shadow of her family’s legacy. After a top secret summer fling with her brother’s biggest hockey rival, things get very interesting when Nikolai and Izzy are forced back together. I loved watching their “one-time thing” evolve into something real and meaningful. I usually crave a bit more drama in forbidden romances, but the way these characters navigate their relationship—complete with green flags—was refreshing. Their journey from sneaky hookups to deep emotional connection felt authentic, making the romance both swoon-worthy and heartfelt.

I found this book to be a great blend of plot and spice, earning it a solid 3/5 for steaminess. Grace Reilly did a great job balancing the romance with themes like family pressure and self-discovery, which added some unexpected depth.

While there were a few slower moments, the chemistry, sports drama, and emotional growth made it a fantastic read overall. If you’re into new adult, sports romances with a perfect blend of heart and heat, this book is for you!