✨ Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly ✨

This book grabbed me from the second I started it! I loved the whole summer romance that ends up being back in your life. And I always love a brother's best friend and rival romance.

✨ Sports Romance (Hockey + Volleyball)
✨ College Romance
✨ Brother's Teammate and Rival
✨ Secret Relationship
✨ Found Family

📚 Book: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥Spice Rating: ❤️

Thank you so much to Grace Reilly and Valentine PR for this gifted ARC.

Spice Rating
🤍 clean romance
💗 closed door/ fade to black
❤️ sexual content (a few detailed scenes)
❤️‍🔥 explicit, play-by-play (major part of the plot)
🖤 graphic, more than vanilla

Thank you valentine pr for sending me an arc of this book.

I’ve read the rest of the beyond the play series so was super excited to receive this arc. It did feel a bit longer than it needed to be and probably would have been more enjoyable if it was slightly condensed. It was great to see the final instalment of the Callahan siblings come together and I enjoyed getting to see more of the family dynamic. The brothers rival trope is always a winner for me so I knew I’d be a fan of Nik, but some of Izzy’s characterisation felt repetitive at times.

Wicked Serve is a super easy read for any sports romance fans who love some spice in their books,

Overall i would rate 3.5 stars.

As you know, my heart beats hardest for Cooper, but Nik... Nikolai stole my heart just as hard. With every little gesture (THE KOALA THING!). Every tender word he said to Izzy. Every moment he suffered - I suffered with him. Wicked serve is a painful story, even despite the fact that most are light, funny and sexy. Underneath this lightness lies a boy with a painful past, a past that doesn't want to leave him alone. I'm damn glad that apart from his sunshine, his Izzy, he found a friend in Cooper and a family in the rest of the Callahans. This series would not be complete without Nikolai. And Izzy was exactly the same as in the previous books - crazy, full of passion and energy. And full of love.

Wicked serve has everything I hoped it would have. It is the perfect ending to the series (epilogue made me ugly cry) and at the same time a really good story as a standalone.

I absolutely love the relationship that developed between Nik and Cooper - it's definitely more than rivals to friends (but sorry, Cooper stole every scene he appeared in).

I love the way Izzy and Nik's relationship developed. On the one hand it's a slow burn, on the other hand, it burned and sparks flew.

I love the scenes with James and Bex, with Sebastian and Mia, and even (shock!) I fell in love with Richard Callahan in this book, who, after all, had previously irritated me (especially with Cooper book).

And I really like the fact that there is more hockey here than volleyball.

You absolutely have to read Wicked serve! You will love Izzy and Nik as much as I do. Promise.

Received as an ARC.

☀️ Sports romance
☀️ Close proximity
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine
☀️ He falls first
☀️ Secret romance
☀️ Former summer fling
☀️ Teammate’s sister

And we’re back in the Beyond The Play world to finally get the chance to devour Izzy’s story….and devour it I did. If there’s one thing Grace knows how to do well, it’s to write a college age sports romance without making you feel icky about the characters being younger. The plot is always so well thought out with great characters that progress from start to finish. Indy this case Izzy and Nikolai were the embodiment of that, they were absolutely perfect for one another and the definition of end game.

The fact that this is a hockey x volleyball players romance is mindblown, all because I'm addicted to these two sports atm lol!

It's about Izzy, the youngest sibling of Callahan's family. She met Nikolai during her internship at his mother's wedding planning business. They had a fling during the whole summer but decided not to pursue it since they would part ways. Plus Nik is Izzy's brother's hockey rival. But things happened that led to Nik transferring to Izzy's college.

I love them! They heels over head for each other but keep sneaking around. Izzy is adorable and Nik is that broody hockey player but soft toward Izzy.

Both have their problems. Izzy wants proof that she's good at volleyball, especially living with three talented older brothers and a sports superstar father. Nik has bigger family issues and a hard childhood. But together they understand and support each other.

Check this if you wanna read:
🏒 Hockey x volleyball romance
🏐 Secret relationship
🏒 Brother's teammate
🏐 Broody x bubbly
🏒 Found family
🏐 He falls first

This is such a great read right from the start. Nikolai and Isabelle had an amazing summer together and now we get to dig in to where this second chance takes them. They are both very strong characters and easy to love. You could feel the connection between them. Nikolai has a history that fights him on a deep level. I felt that these things were handled well, the growth, and change over time. These two also have great spice, a lot of heart, and so much more! I loved Isabelle's family and will be digging in to the other books in this series!

Loved this couple 🥰 Nikolai was so supportive and encouraging when it came to Izzy. And the spice was so good. 🔥

My sunshine girl.

Reading this story about Izzy and Nikolai was equivalent to being on a plane knowing it's going to eventually crash. Deep down they know it. Both are battling inner demons that eventually catch up to them. The two of them definitely belong together and his nickname for her was so cute. The side characters were great, especially Izzy's friends.

I didn't say goodbye because I didn't want to. I didn't want to shut the door on us."

It's also worth to note that these two are already together when the book starts. Most romance books start at the beginning of the relationship, so I liked having that different perspective.

If she’s sunshine, I’m the guy who hopes it never starts raining. But deep down, I worry that I’m the typhoon.

Grace did not come to play with the ending of this series!!

Holy Hot!! 🥵
I am absolutely in love with Nik and Isabelle 🫶🏼🫶🏼.
The entire series was amazing but this was by far my favorite.

I love a good brother’s rival book and this one did not disappoint.
The chemistry between these two was so electric!
I loved how they understood one another and gave each other so much support and encouragement 🥹.

Also, Nik is THAT man because he listens to everything Isabelle says. Like, take me to Australia to see the koalas 🐨😫.

Nik deals with some heavy trauma but reading about his growth had me crying. He deserves the world 🫶🏼.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon books for the eARC!

I know people say "all the feels" - I've said it myself - but this has so many ranges of emotions. Secret relationship, brother's teammate (& former rival), childhood trauma, family dynamics, college sports pressure. On top of that, Izzy & Nik have sizzling intense chemistry, so much steam. They can hardly be around each without tearing each other's clothes off. There's so much to go through, it's truly a journey. A love story that tests trust, friendships, family and found family.

It was a great path to follow with a multilevel happily ever after. Great read!

Hockey romance with chemistry and mutual healing and growth …yes please!! Really enjoyed this ARC. I’m a sucker for a hockey romance, and this one was that and so much more. I loved the instant chemistry between Isabelle and Nikolai, but I think my favorite part of the book was how they grew, not only in their personal lives but also together, as a couple, for their future. Really great book, will def be reading the whole series next!!

The perfect ending to this series. Nik and Izzy’s love story was exactly what I needed, they fought to be together through everything and they came back stronger

Izzy & Nik are the long awaited couple in the Callahan family, and they are soooo worth the wait! Fair warning, his nickname for her makes me swoon! Sunshine is one of my all time favorite book boyfriend nicknames, & how Nik uses it for Izzy is definitely swoon worthy!

There are some top tier tropes like brother's rival and secret relationship in this one, and they are delish! The sneaking around & pretending not to know one another when Nik has to transfer to Izzy's university & play on the team with her brother is steamy & fun! While they "know" they should leave each other alone, they just can't and I love it! Their chemistry is *chefs kiss*!

The different family dynamics in this one also give this one so much depth! Izzy and her relationship/feelings around her place in her family, & Nik's super complicated feelings about his different family members & past trauma are done so well in my opinion! I think they faced them well together, & brought out the best in each other. Even when Nik wanted to work on himself alone, he & Izzy never gave up on each other.

All this to say, loved it! They were beyond worth the wait and absolutely re-read material!

PS: This audio is fantastic! Oscar Reyes with a Russian accent was so good, & Faith Clark was exactly how I imagined Izzy in my head! They really complimented each other well & made the story that much better!

I felt like this book started out awkwardly, we know that Nik and Izzy had a previous relationship, but I wish we saw more of that- it didn’t feel super real or meaningful. I didn’t love the beginning, but as I read more, the characters began to grow on my and their personalities became more fleshed out and believable. I do feel like this book didn’t have a whole lot of plot, I was missing the little things that happen in their lives, it felt like it kinda dragged on a bit. I did really enjoy the ending of this book and I thought it was a nice end to the story.

This was a cute college sports romance. Nik and Izzy were such a cute couple and I enjoyed seeing how their relationship developed throughout the story. For a sports romance, this book is quite long and could probably have been shortened a bit but it's still a good read.

since reading “First Down” back in March 2023, I have absolutely loved the Beyond The Play series. Grace Reilly has a genuine talent for writing, and her books have continued to captivate me every. single. time. so it’s very bittersweet that the series has now come to an end 😭

“Wicked Serve” follows the youngest of the Callahan siblings, Izzy and her brother’s biggest hockey rival, Nik. after a summer of secret hookups and hangouts, they both believed their time together had come to an end once the school year started; however, when their paths cross again, it seems as though even fate doesn’t want to tear them apart.

⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️

I don’t think it’s possible to love a book couple as much as I love Izzy and Nik!! while Izzy constantly seeks perfection so that she can live up to the Callahan family’s name, Nik fights to make his own name and prove himself different from the Abney-Volkov line – especially his former hockey pro father. seeing the growth in both Izzy and Nik from the start of the book to end was INCREDIBLE. I loved reading how confident Izzy grew in herself while figuring out what she wanted for her life, and Nik’s continued healing from an abusive childhood led to an impactful storyline/arc. from the constant comparison to family members to growth from a difficult past, these two found a sense of safety with one another and are just absolute perfection together 💛 not to mention that their chemistry is next-level spicyyy (but you’re going to have to read it yourself for that hehe!!) 😉

I loved this book! Izzy and Nik have had a summer fling going, and she figured it would end once school started since tbey go to different colleges in different cities. But to her surprise, Nik ends up transferring to her school after he gets into some trouble. I think this book might be the favorite of the series and loved seeing the characters from the other books in the series too!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Obsessed! This was such a great read and I can’t wait to read the rest in the series!

Izzy and Nikolai have amazing chemistry from the moment they meet. Even though they shouldn’t be together, they have too strong of an attraction to each other and can’t stay away.

🔥🔥🔥🔥 This book really had it all! Brothers rival turned teammate, secret summer romance, and spice oh the spice. Don’t let the cover fool you! I loved that they were both athletes, something you don’t see a lot of. I really enjoyed reading this book and couldn’t put it down! Loved it!

📘: Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly
🗓️: August 13, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley, Grace Reilly , and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Reviewed on NetGalley, Amazon, and Goodreads.

I’ve been wanting to read this series. When I read this synopsis and saw this cover, I had to read it. Little did I know I was reading the last book in the series. A little detail I missed. But good news, it didn’t matter. I was able to read this book and not feel like I was missing anything. It did make me want to go back and read the other book in the series to get to know these characters more. I’m looking forward to doing soon.

This book is Izzy, the youngest Callahan’s story. Nikolai is her older brother’s nemesis on the ice. She meets him while doing an internship at his mother wedding planning business. Their light flirting turned into a summer fling that ended when they both had to return to their perspective colleges. Nikolai to Boston to play hockey and Izzy to McKee University to play volleyball. An unfortunate event leads to an expulsion from his college and his grandfather manages to get him a spot on the rival school’s team, McKee University. Not only is he playing for the rival team, he is also playing with his nemesis, Cooper Callahan, the Captain of the team and Izzy’s older brother. It’s so messy but it’s what kept me reading.

Nikolai and Izzy’s relationship had me swooning. The lengths that Nikolai would go to show he cares for Izzy had me weak in the knees. Izzy in turn did not let Nikolai get away with anything. She showed him that he was cared for that he mattered. Yes, their chemistry burned up the pages but what I loved about their relationship the most is their ability to communicate. They never backed down from one another and they were each other’s biggest champion. I loved their story and watching them work through their personal issues. Especially Nikolai. He had a lot to work through.

I couldn’t get enough of this world and their story. If you like books with at will take escape, this one is it. I can’t wait to read the other books in the series.

4.25 🌟
2.5 🌶️
You guys, this book. Phew! It is hard to start with book 4 in an interconnected series, but with this book it was not AT ALL. I immediately want to read the other 3 books with Isabelle's brothers stories, and I also don't feel like I missed out too much on the other stories. There was the perfect amount of backstory and the actual main storyline was excellent. Nikolai is what dreams are made of, and all of her brothers were so sweet and supportive. I cannot wait to read more by this author. I needed this book in my life. Thank you Valentine PR!!