Great steamy story. I loved Isabel and Nikolai together. I also loved reuniting with all of the characters from the previous books. The book had some emotional subjects.

I really wanted to love this one! But for some reason I couldn't connect. I tired to push through but I think I need to pick it back up at a later time!

I love hockey romances and have read many in the past year. For many of these books the love interest in usually the brothers best friends or the best friends brother so having the MMC be the rival was an interesting change that I really enjoyed. This was the first book I read for this author and I it really kept me captivated so I can’t wait to read more books by this author.

My rating: 4/5
Spice: 3.5/5, Maybe a 4 if you are not used to spicey scenes

I thought I loved Cooper and Penny. WRONG. I liked Cooper and Penny in comparison to Izzy and Nik. I love Izzy and Nik. Their relationship reminds me alot of Summer and Fitzy from The Chase. The only thing that really has me in a whiplash are the amount of troipes happening all at once. You've got Brother's Teammate/ex-rival, secret relationship, FWB to lovers, Grumpy x Sunshine, and sports for both MCs. After I absorbed it all, I loved how well it melds together in the terms of the separate views of Nik and Izzy.

One of the best things about Grace Reilly's writing is that even by showcasing so much slice of life in her chapters, I never have to expect for a last minute reveal or quick acceptance of circumstances. Her writing gets straight to the point when it comes to revealing her character's relationships. It makes me so freaking happy. The anticipation being drawn out is always what has me bored at about 50% but this has NEVER been the case with Reilly.

Besides the nickname of Sunshine, I love Izzy. She is a bright little twinkly light that knows how to have fun and is still somehow putting herself in the shadows of her brothers. I am glad we get to see what Nik sees in her and it makes her a very fun character. Nik, is brooding and complicated like most of our beloved MMCs. I Think it took me alot longer to warm up to his points of view. Even in his own mind he is so closed off from his past trauma. But that is so fun to see how our author shows us that he breaks free from his own mental confinement and wants to try harder because he sees how great a happy life can be.

Overall, I loved seeing Izzy and Nik progress in their own realizations of their self-worth and in their relationship together. I love them together and I love that Grace Reilly's sports romances actually have a decent amount of time covering the sports mentioned. I have never read a volleyball romance. The hockey side of the book was nothing new to me, but I feel like I learned things about a sport I knew nothing in.

this was such a cute hockey romance!! the forbidden aspect was perfectly executed, and all the sneaking around was so thrilling. the fact that they so CLEARLY had feelings for each other but called their arrangment «mutual stress relief» was so funny, i can’t 😂😂 like who are you kidding??

this story was also deeply emotional, which you don’t necessarily expect from just looking at the cover, and the balance between the emotional moments and the fun and lighthearted ones was perfect. the couple communicated in a healthy way and they were so supportive and understanding of each other. also, the spice was phenomenal.

this could probably have been slightly shorter, but it was overall a fantastic hockey romance!

- college romance
- brother’s rival
- hockey player x volleyball player
- friends with benefits
- forbidden
- anxiety rep

4.25 ⭐️
2.5 🌶️

Currently I am out of the country so I have not had a chance to write a full review of Wicked Serve but I will go ahead and say that I did enjoy the read. It felt a bit long but it was still very enjoyable!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

Isabelle and Nikolai are Grace Reilly’s best couple yet. I enjoyed reading the first four books in this series, but I loved reading Wicked Serve. It was refreshing to see the FMC be an athlete too and fully understand the love of sport. The dedication it took to excel and the hard work that went into staying the best you can be.
Isa and Nik fell hard for each other over one summer. Their relationship is beyond sweet and healthy from the get go. No toxic traits here! Nik is very aware of Isa’s needs, but tends to put everyone before himself. Isa is strong and stands up not only for herself, but family and friends as well.
I want to record the saying that Nik whispered into Isa’s ears and play them back to myself! He whispered sweet nothings, but in Russian! Swoon!!!! And that is just the start of the perfection that is the spice in this book. I can’t say enough how much I loved these two together and the relationship they cultivated between the two of them.
The vulnerability each of them displayed as they grew closer was amazing! It takes a lot of trust to open up about some of the things in their past and you could feel the trust between these two pouring off the pages. Especially Nik and his past. There are some heavy topics discussed in the book, but Grace writes them with finesse.
I loved, loved, loved Grace putting emphasis on mental health. It isn’t talked about enough in the sports world. The pressure that athletes feel is real and no one takes the time to look at how it is tearing them apart. There is a fine line between determination and hard work to obsessive and unhealthy. The fact that she doesn’t gloss over this topic was appreciated by this reader.

As always review trigger warnings before reading.

Tropes:
☀️Sports Romance
☀️Hockey MMC x Volleyball FMC
☀️College Romance
☀️Secret relationship
☀️Brother's Rival
☀️Found Family
☀️Mental Health Rep (childhood trauma, panic attacks, "am i enough")
☀️Dual POV

3⭐️

"If she's sunshine, I'm the guy who hope it never stops raining. But deep down, I worry that I'm the typhoon."

TROPES
🏒 sports romance
🏐 college romance
🏒 he falls first
🏐 secret relationship
🏒 dual POV

Things I loved:
- coming back to the Callahan family once more
- summer fling doesn't get to last only for the summer
- very cool supportive family
- very determined FMC and MMC (constant go-getters, dedicated, etc. I appreciate that quality)
- healthy relationship between Nik and Isabelle


Things I could have gone without:
- the length. 400 pages just felt like too much for this particular storyline.
- the big reveal of their relationship was at the midway point and it felt like that could have been the ending rather than how it continued to play out.
- this sounds like it contradicts my healthy relationship comment previously but Isabelle pestering Nikolai for his family background was uncomfy.

Overall, this was an enjoyable summer read! I think I'd still go back and read the books from this series I haven't read yet!

I’ve really enjoyed Grace Reilly’s previous stories in this series. I found Wicked Serve to be difficult to become invested in, making reading feel more like a chore. The dynamic and attitudes of the characters often felt shallow and I struggled to emotionally connect. Not my favorite.

From a summer fling...

What's a little summer fling between athletes?
That's the premise of Nikolai and Izzy.
He's a college senior with a foot in the door at the NHL.
She's a college sophomore trying to improve her volleyball game.
There's a lot of tropes crammed into this NA, college read.
Recommend.

Our final instalment of the Beyond the Play series but what a great way to end.

This can however totally be read as a standalone so don't let tha stop you from reading Nikolai and Izzy's story.

After finishing a summer internship and romance Izzy is returning for her sophomore year of college and to the volleyball team she feels she has yet to make an impact on.

After signing with an NHL team for after graduation and a summer romance, Nikolai finds himself kicked out of college his senior year and finding himself at Izzy's school. Also the college his rival (Izzy's) brother attends.

It was supposed to be just for the summer but now Nikolai and Izzy can't seem to stay away from each other.

There relationship was so well developed and overcoming self doubt, past trauma and supporting each other. I was rooting for them the whole way.

The nicknames for each other, swoon ❤️
The Spice was just right 👨‍🍳💋

I even appreciated how well they wrapped up the Callahan families story. I will miss them all.

I’ve been wanting to read a book by Grace Reilly for quite some time and I finally picked Wicked Serve to be the one. 😂 I love me some sports romance especially when both characters are athletes. The book starts off with Isabelle and Nikolai having a summer fling. They thought it would never last after that but things changed..

Nikolai is on a rival team but soon he ends up at the same college that Isabelle is at. The feelings never went away for them both and they then agree to be together again in secret.

✨“You’re everything to me, Isabelle. You’re stubborn warmth and wild summertime. You’re sunshine.”✨

I was not expecting this book to be so spicy! 🔥 Nik was so hot and the things he’d say to Isabelle got me blushing. 🤭

✨“Look at you,”
“My perfect girl, so messy already.”✨

I did think this book was a tad to long and dragged but it was still an enjoyable read for the most part. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Tropes:
•Sports Romance
•College Romance
•Secret Relationship
•Volleyball Player x Hockey Player

Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly

Thank you @authorgracereilly, @valentine.pr and @avonbooks for the #gifted ebook. All opinions expressed are my own and given freely.

Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly is Game, Set and Match! The fourth book in the Beyond the Play series, this standalone novel is packed with all the drama, passion, and humor that fans have come to love. From the fiery interactions between Nick and Izzy to the heartwarming moments shared between them, this book had me hooked from start to finish.

I couldn't get enough of the sizzling chemistry between Nick and Izzy, and their journey from a secret fling to a full-blown romance had me on the edge of my seat. The side stories of both characters added even more depth to the plot, making for a truly engaging read.

If you're a fan of sports romance, you won't want to miss out on "Wicked Serve." Grace Reilly has served up an ace with this one, delivering a story that will have you cheering for more. I'm already counting down the days until her next book hits the shelves!

Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly
4.5⭐
2.5🌶️

I often struggle to find the right words when reviewing books that truly captivate me. This particular book was incredibly moving, with a mix of passion and deep emotions. It felt incredibly authentic and portrayed a beautiful love story.

The story delves into themes such as childhood trauma, child abuse, and their lasting impact on mental health and future relationships. It also explores anxiety, panic attacks, and the burden of maintaining good mental health.

Despite the heavy themes, the book beautifully captures a romance that resonates deeply. The plot is compelling, and the characters are exceptionally well-written. I particularly enjoyed that both characters excelled in their respective sports and had to navigate through their journey of self-worth together.

Nikolai, the Russian hockey player, has certainly left a lasting impression. His sweet and sexy Russian whispers make him an irresistible book boyfriend. The poetic quote, "Our love has felt like springtime..." truly showcases the profound nature of the love story. Overall, it's an incredible journey of love and self-discovery that I wish I could experience for the first time all over again. 🖤

*Thank you to @authorgracereilly & @valentine_pr_ for this opportunity*

🩵 sports romance
🩵 secret relationship
🩵 sibling rival

Isabelle + Nikolai

This book was super cute & so fluffy! I truly had such a fun time reading this. It was so entertaining and just well written.

I appreciated how much of an angel Isabelle was, plus also being a baddie. (Confident, caring, and just supportive)
I also loved how even though Nikolai struggled with his mental health he still worked on himself to give Isabelle the best version of himself. 🥹

Wicked Serve is the fourth and final book in the Beyond the Play series, a series made up of interconnected stand-alones. This was my first Grace Reilly book, despite her being on my TBR for quite some time. While I thought the book was fine overall. one of the conflicts is Izzy's complicated relationship with her family's personal successes, and I think that part would've had a bigger emotional impact on the reader if they had read the previous books and got to know her family on a more personal level.

My favorite part of this story by far was Nik. I love a guarded MMC with a complicated backstory. And Nik fits that to a tee. Watching him learn to recognize where he struggles with his mental health and then navigate his healing process was very compelling. It added another layer of depth to the story that really helped in areas that were unfortunately lacking substance.

Despite both Izzy and Nik being in their 20s, they displayed a solid sense of maturity in their relationship that was refreshing to see. Even though it takes Nik a while to fully open up to Izzy, they both were still good at communicating their needs and boundaries with each other. Both are able to grow together and push one another toward healing in a way that is very heartwarming to read.

Now, my biggest criticism with this book is that it is way too long. And unfortunately, that did negatively effect my reading experience. The length also throws off the pacing of some of the plot lines, acting almost like a domino effect for others. The book is marketed to have this big element of forbidden romance. When in reality, that plot line is resolved less than halfway into the book.

Izzy's character also felt underdeveloped in comparison to Nik's multi-layered story. Her conflict with volleyball has the potential to exploit her own struggles with mental health. But instead, that plot line fell flat and doesn't hold much stake or importance in relation to the overall story. I think it would've been really interesting to parallel Nik and Izzy's mental health journeys with their individual sports together, rather then writing the other off so quickly.

✨ARC REVIEW✨
Wicked Serve - Grace Reilly

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

🏐hockey x volleyball
🏐brother’s rival turned teammate
🏐secret relationship
🏐found family
🏐college romance

Rekindling our fling could risk her brother icing me off the team—not to mention the fact that my scarred past makes having a real relationship impossible—and yet the moment I see Isabelle again, all my wild, burning feelings come rushing back.

This is the fourth and final book in the Beyond the Play series. What I liked is that we started with an established relationship, a secret fling between Nikolai and Isabelle. So when he shows up at her school it’s super obvious where things will lead. My dislike is how long the story is. Less than halfway through the book she’s already deciding their relationship can’t remain a secret anymore and sets boundaries. So for a remaining 60% we have ALOT of story left. Did we get tension, drama, spice and love? Oh absolutely. Isabelle works through figuring out what she wants to do outside of school and volleyball and if volleyball is even right for her. Nik works on opening up and sharing his past trauma with his family to people he can trust and figuring out if hockey is his thing or his connection to his dad. Wicked Serve is loaded with heavy topics and really tugs at your heart strings for a good portion of the book. I think it was a perfect end to the series.

Thank you Grace for the ARC opportunity.

Rating: 4.5/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

This was my first Hockey Romance, and now that I have dipped my toes into this world…I don’t think I will ever be going back. This book is about Nikolai and Izzy and how their romance story started off. I found it to be cute, great plot, there are some heavier topics, but the author handled them so well that you will see the beauty in the story with them there, you will find family tropes, brothers' rival turned teammate, and great spicy scenes. Don’t let that cover fool you like it did me and think that there won’t be spice because there is, and it was well done.

This book does talk about heavy topics like childhood trauma, child abuse, anxiety, panic attacks and learning to handle overworked mental health. However, it does have romance, banter, supporting each other, the spicy scenes are great and the found family. Even though this is book four in the series you can read it as a standalone, like I did, but I will be adding her books to my TBR. I also liked that in this book you will get hit with all the feels, the happy to the sad, to the heartbreaking moments and the AWW moments. This author knows how to write a book that will have you finishing it in one day just to find out what is going to happen and to see the ending through. I loved the characters in this book though, they are opposites but in a good way that compliment each other very well. They have a give and take throughout the book that I loved and so much more.

I found Nikolai to be complicated but at the same time he has this other side of him that is so sweet and loving. He has come a long way from the way that he was raised and has changed but he is still holding onto a lot of his childhood traumas and understandable too. You will see him work for what he wants, and I like the fact that when he is all in, he goes all in. I found him to be the right amount of pushy towards Izzy when she needed and didn’t know but the way he does it is sweet, and you can see that he really does care so much. I liked that when he was in the wrong, he admitted it and explained the situation to her family about what happened, he could have run or not done that, but you really see that he is trying. You will see the most growth from Nikolai in this book and I think the author handled the growth in the book well, you will see that it doesn't happen overnight but it's something you work through. With Izzy, every girl should have a friend like her, someone that makes you feel like family and someone that makes you feel safe. I liked that you see her insecurities, her flaws and you get to watch her grow from them with the help of Nikolai, but you see her putting the effort in. I loved that Izzy never judged Nikolai for the life that he had before or for any of his mental health issues but was there for him and supported him and vice-versa. You will get to see how Izzy handles her own struggles with her family and the lives that they’re living and trying to “good enough” for them. She is Bubbly, loves pink and everyone that is around her is surrounded by sunshine when she is around. I loved that she understood that she had to let Nikolai go, so he could work on himself, and she didn’t throw it in his face but understood. Their relationship is one for the keeping, and you can see that throughout the book.

This is a series that I will recommend to any romance lovers that like sports in their books.

I want to thank NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to review this book.

This book gave strong Icebreaker vibes - but maybe even a little spicier. It’s a new adult, college sports romance. It’s also book four in the Beyond the Play series. I read it first, and it can be read as a standalone - but it probably works better if you’ve already read the brothers’ stories.

I struggled to get into this one. The writing felt very young, and the sheer length of the book was intimidating to me - it’s over 400 pages. I still think this book should have been closer to 300 pages than 450, but it did grow on me by the end. I liked the main characters by the end, when they were both very sweet, but I wasn’t invested in either of them until the end.

I did really enjoy the dynamics with Isabelle’s brothers and parents - they all seemed sweet and had healthy relationships.

I realized pretty early on that I don’t love this kind of book, which is reflected in my rating. If you are a fan of new adult, sports romance, or Icebreaker, you will definitely enjoy this one!

This is a hockey romance with forbidden romance due to rivalry with her brother. It does have a good amount of spice but is not too heavy. The book has some mental health representation around anxiety and panic attacks.

I think it could have been a little shorter, but there is a lot of character development for the characters and a found family aspect that fills out the world.

Sometimes the FMC felt a bit immature, but I think it made a little sense when navigating the situation they were in.

This is part of a series (the 4th book) but I was able to jump in and not have any confusion without reading the preceding books.