I can’t believe this series is coming to an end! I’m so beyond thankful for this series + grace. She reached out to me about two years ago and asked if I would like to read an arc about her debut novel. & y’all I was freaking out because I had never read an arc before!! it was my first one, & it truly was the start of something amazing!!

Seeing the end of the Beyond the Play series out in the world & how it’s now trad published warms my heart. I love Grace, & I loved Nik + Izzy! I love a secret relationship trope & it had brothers rival turned teammate? sign me up!! the tension was there, as was the emotional piece I’ve been craving in romance books. They truly took care of one another, & I loved that about them!

I do wish that we got to see a little bit more about the summer fling before we jumped right into the story, like how they initially met and how it really started. Overall, I think this was a fabulous ending to the Callahan siblings’ stories! the cameos were everything, & I loved being able to see more about their lives!

thank you valentine pr, grace, & avon for letting me read an arc of this book! I’ve loved having the opportunity to be on Grace’s ARC team, & I can’t wait to see what else is in store for her 🤩

can’t wait to see Grace at beachside in May!! 🏖️

What an ending to a phenomenal series! I’ve been dying to read Izzy’s book and I loved every second of it.

I loved Izzy and Nik so much. The chemistry and banter between them just oozed off the page. The forbidden aspect of their relationship at the start of the book was so much fun to read. Izzy was just an easy character to relate too. She doubted how good she was but still pushed to be the best she could be. I loved how caring and passionate Nik was with her. He wanted to show her that she was the sunshine in his life and it was so cute.

There is some deeper trauma throughout this book that adds the best element of tension and drama to the plot. There is some massive growth from Nik and I enjoyed his character arc so much. He became exactly who he needed to be for himself and for Izzy.

Grace always writes the most perfect spice that will leave you blushing and wanting more! I can’t recommend this book and series enough and I’m so sad that it’s over!

Wicked Serve
Genre: sports romance
Rating: 4.25⭐️/loved

Thanks @avonbooks for the advanced digital copy - happy pub week!🥳

This is the 4th and final book in the Beyond the Play series following the sporty Callahan family, but could also work just fine as a standalone - plenty of character intros given. After getting to know Izzy more in the first three books, it was clear she'd make a great main character in her own story, and this did not disappoint! While this included troupes I don't usually lean into, this worked so well - the relationship was realistic, along with the struggles the couple faced and how they choose to overcome them. Steam lovers rejoice - you won't be letdown with this one!

Troupes:
2️⃣2nd chance romance
🤫Secret relationship
🏒Brother's rival

What's your favorite series?

#wickedserve #GraceReilly #SportsRomance #AvonBooks

I loved this book however I thought it was just too long by a couple hundred pages. It was fabulous how she incorporated volleyball and hockey together! It was a new kind of experience! I truly enjoyed it!! I love how the characters fell head over heels for each other and how they just fit into each other’s lives like they were meant to be. It was so sweet. I loved that this had the least toxicity in all the sports romance books Iv read even when it came to the brother/teammate! It was a breath of fresh air.

ARC Review:

This is book 4 in the Callahan siblings and can be read as a stand alone.

Nik is such a love suck puppy and I adored every minute of it. The way he loved Isabelle and she loved him is so beautiful. I love a good summer fling romance. Nik’s family/childhood life was just so sad and is packed with some heavy topics, but I think overall it brought a great amount of awareness to it. Izzy really grew in this story and I loved how the author portrayed her character development. I also loved that they were both athletes. I think they understand each other more when it came to the struggles they were having with their sports because of their separate struggles. Last but not least absolutely love a good forbidden romance and this hit the spot for me. 😮‍💨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

🩷siblings rival
🩷 summer fling
🩷 forbidden romance
🩷volleyball/hockey

Wicked Serve is book 4 in the series. I loved book 1 and 2 so much - literally 2 of my favorite reads! However, book 4 fell flat for me. I think others will love this book and it had great tropes, it just was not executed enough for me.

What I liked:
The Callahan family is the best! I love their dynamic. I loved seeing the family’s life updates. The epilogue was EVERYTHING!
I love Tangerine.
And I did like Nikolai.
I liked that Izzy wasn’t the best player ever- made her seem real.
The spice was hot too!

Tropes:
Brother's hockey rival turned teammate
Summer fling
College romance
Sports romance - hockey player and volleyball player
Family dynamics

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of Wicked Serve in exchange for a review! When I requested this arc, I was not aware that the book was part of a series and I was worried I wouldn't get the full picture, but I absolutely loved it! The spice was perfect in my opinion and I look forward to going back and reading the rest of the series. I would recommend this book to fans of Elle Kennedy, as I feel their writing is similar in the best ways. I look forward to seeing more from this author!

Overall, this book was super cute and I loved it! The character dynamics and relationships were so fun to watch evolve and grow throughout the book and they all came to a super satisfying conclusion. I loved how realistic the overall story was and how well real, difficult issues were dealt with throughout the book. I did feel like the book was longer than it really needed to be, but it was still fun and enjoyable to read! The ending was especially adorable and I felt it was a satisfying conclusion both for the book and the series as a whole!

Thank you Netgalley, Avon, and Grace Reilly for this arc <3

Are you looking for a sports romance that's also brother's rival? This one features volleyball as well, which was new for me! If you're a fan of Hannah Grace (Icebreaker), Liz Tomforde (Mile High), and Elsie Silver (Flawless), then this is the series for you. Yes, I said series!🤭
This one is now completed with the release of this one!

Filled with swoons, spice, sports, and koalas, Wicked Serve is a don't-miss new adult college sports romance.

Wicked Serve is newest release in an interconnected college romance series following the Callahan siblings.

What to expect:
- college sports romance
- He’s her brother’s rival
- Secret relationship
- Found family
- Dual POV

Things I loved:
- character growth
- well paced plot
- No miscommunication trope
- No third act breakup

I absolutely loved Izzy in this book! I was a bit nervous if I’m honest because I wasn’t sure if her fun loving side would have more underneath but Izzy is so darn lovable. She is a dedicated athlete but also a great sister and a little wild. The author perfectly captured how fun it can be to have siblings and brothers and a family that supports you. But she also shared what it’s like to strive for their approval and compare yourself to the success of siblings.

Don’t even get me started on Nik. He’s a got a tough guy exterior but he’s a softie for Izzy only. And so protective in the best way. He’s selfless with everyone he holds close to him. Nik says all the right things. And it doesn’t hurt that one of his love languages must be gift giving 🥰

The romance and the spice in this book were perfect compliments to the storyline. I enjoyed that the focus was how Izzy and Nik were maturing and figuring out their lives and it wasn’t just about their relationship.

Absolutely recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

It is so nice to enjoy a fun rom-com/BRAD (iykyk) with communication, depth and very little toxic masculinity. I had a great time reading this book. It was light and romantic with depth and people that can be mature in a relationship! Definitely a bit more steamy than I anticipated. But all in all a decent palate cleanser of a book!

Side note: Going into this book I hadn’t read any of the previous titles in the series but I found it to be mostly read-alone. However I can say my interest in definitely piqued & will look into the other books!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone!

This was almost like 2 books in one. Nik and Izzy get a second chance after a summer fling. The first half of their story is their sneaking around to continue their relationship. The second half of their relationship is dealing with Nik’s personal issues.
I loved every minute of it! Nik and Izzy are so cute. I never wanted it to end.
5 stars!!

I love this story so much!

Nik and Izzy go from fling to thing in this multi-sports, brothers enemy to lovers.

Nik has a lot to work to do on his self as their love evolves… and he does the work!

Such a sweet sports romance.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
🥊 Brother’s Rival
🤫 Secret Relationship
🏐 Hockey x Volleyball
🫶🏻 Found Family

Although Wicked Serve is advertised as an interconnected standalone, I really think to fully understand Izzy and the Callahan family, you should read the other books in the series before diving into this one.

I’ve enjoyed all the books in the Beyond the Play series and Wicked Serve was the perfect ending for the Callahan family.

I’ve patiently been waiting for Izzy’s story and was so happy when I realized her story was going to be with her brother’s rival, Nikolai. 😈

What made me even happier was that these two are basically together the entire book! There was no dreaded ‘will they or won’t they’. Instead we get to follow their relationship through the year and experience many fun, spicy and endearing scenes.

The balance between Izzy and Nikolai’s relationship and their own personal/athletic journey’s was done impeccably. You get to see a lot of the internal struggle for both which makes their ending even that much better.

While I am sad that this series is over, I couldn’t wish for a better ending and look forward to future releases by Grace Reilly

This was such a cute story. The last one to cap off The Beyond The Play series. I haven’t read the others, so it does work as a standalone but I can see how the other three books would have built up to this great finale. I will go back and read the others!

It’s a dual POV spicy college volleyball (FMC) / ice hockey (MMC) brother’s rival romance. I enjoyed seeing the different family dynamics, strong female relationships, characters working through their (and supporting each other’s) trauma. Do check out the CWs at the front of the book - it is a cute romance at heart but there are some dark moments, including mentions / memories of domestic abuse and realistic descriptions of panic attacks.

I really enjoyed Nik and Izzy’s story. They were such a great couple together. Nik was supportive and loved Izzy so much. Izzy was able to help Nik with his past traumas. She was patient and cared so deeply.

I love seeing all of the Callahan family. The found family is one of my favorite aspects about this series. This book was a great ending to their stories.

Thank you Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Grace Reilly for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

this book was such a cute, fluffy read. was it perfect? no. was it enjoyable? yes very much.

Nikolai is Isabelle’s brother’s rival, but after a short summer fling, they can’t seem to stop thinking about each other.

Guys this man took her to Australia to see koalas because she told him they were her favourite animal 😩 like it does not get cuter than that!! It was very fast paced though and a bit 'insta-lovey'. Also, the main part of them sneaking around and having a 'forbidden romance' ended before 50% of the book so...

Nevertheless, it was a nice read. I would definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a quick, cute, feel good romance!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5

“If I’m sunshine to him, then he’s the earth beneath my feet, the grass between my toes, grounding me like nothing else.”

Tropes
🏐 Hockey x Volleyball
🏒 Broody x Bubbly
🏐 Brothers Rival
🏒 Family Drama
🏐 Mental Health Rep

💭 Nikolai may just be my new favorite MMC. This guy.. he has been through it and is still going through it, but the way he is with Isabella has me swooning. Izzy is for sure a girly girl but don’t be mistaken, she’s a badass. This was my first book by Grace and I plan to immediately go back and read the rest of the books in this series.

This book was so good. I loved the premise of the story. This is one of my favorite authors so I was super excited to get to read this early.

Sport romance has always been a favourite of mine, so when Grace Reilly brings out a fourth book I jumped at the chance to read it.
Nikolai
Hockey is my life, and I need to make this last season count. But when I'm forced to transfer to rival school McKee University for my senior year, I risk pissing off the captain, who happens to be the older brother of Isabelle Callahan: the gorgeous beam of sunshine I messed around with in secret this summer.

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 . . .

Izzy
I have two goals for sophomore year: win back my old volleyball position, and forget I ever knew devilishly handsome hockey defenseman Nikolai Abney-Volkov. As the youngest and only daughter in a family full of athletes, failure isn't an option.

But when Nik crashes back into my life, I can't stay away from his broody charm. I'm determined to guard my heart this time, but between the furtive hookups and the heartfelt conversations, the lines between friends-with-benefits and more begin to blur.

This is the fourth book in the series and can be read as a stand alone. There is definitely a trigger warning so make sure you read these before jumping in.

But I loved it, I love how both of them had their struggles but both wanted the best for each other even. The family moments were really great. There was definitely some spice 🌶️

A another great read from @authorgracereilly
Thank you @valentine_pr_ for the opportunity to review this book.