Nikolai and Izzy had a summer love that I wish we could've gotten to read more about. Nikolai now has to transfer schools and ends up at McKee with Izzy and playing hockey with her brother Cooper. He wants to immediately get together with her, but it turns serious quickly. Nikolai is beyond swoony and fell hard for Izzy. Their story is real and just a good one to read! Highly recommend.

We get to catch up with little sister Izzy and her summer fling with her brother’s rival Nikolai. He somehow gets expelled from his own school and transfers to Izzy’s. Nik’s got his own tragic backstory with an abusive father, overbearing grandfather, and an emotionally detached mother, but he’s a very charming flirt who is very good at pleasing our girl Izzy. While they rekindle their relationship, they’ve got to keep it a secret from Izzy’s brother (and now Nik’s teammate), Cooper. And really, they’re just friends with benefits anyway. (Sure, they are.) Izzy has her own feelings of inadequacy of being the youngest sibling in a group of pro athletes, but she’s working through it. I liked the writing style of this book and how Nik and Izzy each independently deal with their own insecurities. High on the steam!

Nik and Izzy were like magnets to one another. Their chemistry/attraction to one another was unavoidable. I loved how possessive/protective and supportive they were for one another. They were willing to stand up for one another under any situation. I really enjoyed the sweet, fluffy moments and Grace didn’t disappoint in the passionate/steamy scenes!

This book wouldn’t let me put it down.

It’s exactly the type of romance I absolutely love. The writing style captivated me so much that I now want to read all of Grace's other books. Besides Nikolay and Izzy, who completely stole my heart, the side characters were also perfectly written. I’m definitely diving into the rest of this series.

As for Nikolay, it wasn’t just his personality and his challenging backstory that drew me in—his Russian heritage definitely added to his charm. I’m obsessed with all things Russian—the language, the culture—so every time he spoke Russian, I melted a little more.

This is one of those books where I just have to highlight a favorite scene, and for me, that was the one in Australia. I adore koalas and consider them some of the cutest animals in the world, so seeing Izzy experience my biggest wish was pure joy.

I also appreciated the depth in the story; that always adds to my enjoyment.

Overall, I highly recommend this book!

I mean do I even need to write a review for this??!! Grace Reilly ALWAYS delivers!!! She did not fail us with Izzy and Nik!!! I am SO sad to say goodbye to the Callahan family. While you can read this book as a standalone, I would highly encourage you to read the others to help understand the full storyline.
Here are just some of the tropes you can expect:
✨ Brothers Rival/Forbidden Romance
✨ Dual POV
✨ Hockey MMC/Volleyball FMC
✨ Mental Health Rep
✨ Found Family
✨ Summer Fling turn FWB (The summer fling starts before the book...I know that irks some people.)

Yes, there are some cringe moments in the book but I just laugh them off and keep reading. Please know this book covers many heavy topics, so please read the trigger warnings!

Thank you so much to Grace Reilly & Valentine PR for an ARC of this book!

I love a secret romance book! Izzy and Nikolai are prefect and this was a great addition to the Callahan Series! Mental Health representation was so well done. And spice was handed out in spades!

The story was good I felt it drag a little bit overall a good read. The relationship between Nikolai and Isabelle was very positive, they had great communication and cared for one another. A healthy story between two who cared for one another. They story could have been shorter and it would still give us the same impact. It was nice to see a healthy relations between two people who wanted the best for one another.

This was my first read by Grace, but it won’t be my last. Normally I like more grit and darkness to my reads, but I’m always one for a palate cleanser and that was what this was to me. This book had a smattering of angst and a decent amount of chemistry. I loved that Grace showed how Nik was dealing with his mental health and not shying away from it or using it in passing and never addressing it again, that always frustrates me when authors do that.

I respected the way Izzy and Nik were always there supporting each other and fortifying the bond between them more and more each page turned. You could tell that they belonged together from the start and watching their relationship organically grow and mature was really sweet to see. All in all, I will definitely be picking up more from this author.

3.5 ⭐️

A hot summer fling that they thought would go no where but was destined to be forever.

Isabelle comes from a family of athletes and all she wants to do is prove to them that she belongs at the top too.

Nikolai is determined not to let his past control him even if that means giving up the one thing that’s only ever brought him happiness, hockey.

After a hot summer fling the two will never see each other again, to Isabelle’s dismay. Until Nik of course does something to jeopardize his future and the two of them get thrust together at the same school. But can they pick up where they left off when Nik used to be Isabelle’s brother’s biggest rival?

This book was good. My favorite part was the FMC. She was strong, smart, and not incredibly annoying like most are. My biggest problem was with Nik. He was all over the map. It felt as though the author couldn’t decide what kind of “book boyfriend” she wanted to write so he got a little bit of everything.

I will say the spicy scenes were immaculate, 5 stars alone for that. Outside of the bedroom, Nik just became a mess which was sad because he had a lot of opportunity to explore anxiety in men. It was like he was half way developed.

Besides that. For the most part the rest of the book was entertaining! There were a lot of great parts and a lot of bits that could definitely be reworked. Very solid foundation though.

So good! Loved these characters and everything about this book! Gave me butterflies and I didn’t want it to stop!

This is book 4 in the Beyond the Play Book Series by this author, and can be read as a standalone. It is an off limits romance between Isabelle and her brother's teammate, Nikolai. These two flawed but likeable souls and the unique plot make for an enjoyable read. What starts out as a secret summer fling turns into something more. It is a sweet love story with drama and steam, sexual tension and chemistry, humor and charm, family dynamic, and twists and turns, plus appealing secondary characters to keep the reader interested. An emotional ride.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Valentine PR and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t connect with the characters of this one!!! I felt like the book was dragging and it was so hard for me to pick it up. This would be the perfect book for someone who truly connects with these characters!

✨ARC Review - 4.5 stars 📚✨

The last book in the series and it didn't disappoint💗

I absolutely loved this series and the bond between all the Callahan siblings.

Nik & Izzy's story started off with us finding out they had a summer fling which they thought would end there. But Nik has to transfer to her school because of something that happened with his hockey time. Izzy tries to ignore Nik once she realizes he is now attending her school but it doesn't work out that way as they start seeing each other secretly again. Mainly because Nik is Cooper, Izzy's brothers rival turned teammate. There is some heavier topics in this book mostly Nik's childhood. The spice in this book was spicing 🔥 I also love how both Nik and Izzy are both athletes and are navigating there struggles with their teams. 🏐🏒

Thanks to Author Grace Reilly and Valentine PR for the opportunity to ARC read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This is my first time reading anything by Grace Reilly and I enjoyed this one very much. I have heard so much about the other books in the series and I definitely will go back and read the others. I appreciated the plot so much. It was very fulfilling and I enjoyed following Izzy and Nik throughout their story.
I appreciate so much how deep the character's struggles were and how much I could relate to them.
The conclusion to the story was great as well and I overall thought I was able to fall in love with the characters and their journey.

This is on the longer side of a book, but honestly I couldn't tell most of the time and it picks up very quickly!

First and foremost a huge thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books, Harper Voyager and Grace Reilly for the opportunity to read Wicked Serve!
This is my first Grave Reilly read and unfortunately it wasn’t my favorite. I was really close to DNF’ing but I pushed through because I liked the idea of the storyline but personally to me it fell a bit short. I think what put me off was their age. They were trying to act way older than their age and that’s what was throwing me off.
I loved both the characters Izzy and Nikolai. Izzy is confident in who she is and supports everyone in her life. Nik is very loving and protective despite how hard his childhood was, but he didn’t know how to put himself first. He seemed like a pushover half the time 😩
The one thing that made me super upset is when Izzy kept pushing Nik to tell her about his past! I get it you want to understand him better but there’s some thing’s that you have to let go and let him say it when he feels comfortable! Also, why was it always mentioned practically in every chapter that she liked pink? I felt like pink was becoming her personality! I think the book could’ve been a bit shorter and some of the smut scenes could’ve been taken out (the crawling scene still haunts me, & not in a good way 😣).
Despite all these things I had issues with, it was a quick read and kept me entertained for the most part. I will be reading the other books in the series!

My first book by Grace Reilly. This is the 4th book in the series, but can be read as a stand alone. I obviously haven’t read the rest of them lol, but I enjoyed this. It was emotional and romantic. I look forward to reading the others

I was absolutely sobbing by the end of this one.

I have a huge soft spot for this series. It was one of my first spicy reads and Breakaway has been a top 10 book for me since I read it. I was so excited to get Izzy’s book and it exceeded expectations.

I was reminded time and time again as I read why Grace Reilly is one of my all time favorite authors. Her stories have so much heart and humanity in them! I absolutely love the mental health rep she weaves into her books and how she portrays healthy relationships.

One of my favorite parts of this series is the entirety of the Callahan family. I absolutely adored how huge of a role the entire clan played in Wicked Serve. Not only were they all there, but they all stayed true to the characters we fell in love with during each of their books.

Nik and Izzy were everything. Their story was everything. There couldn’t have been a better conclusion to my favorite sports series.

Amazing spice as always! But, the plot is what really shines here.

Grace Reilly, simply, knocked it out of the park.

This was definitely a highly anticipated read for me, so I was very excited when I received the e-mail informing me I had been approved to read the ARC. It may be that I had hyped the book up so much in my head, but it just didn't live up to my expectations. I still enjoyed the book, and I'm glad I read it, but it wasn't my favorite.

Overall, my biggest issue with the book was the length - there is no reason this book needed to be as long as it was. I'm definitely not opposed to reading a book that is on the longer side - if the storyline requires it...which this one didn't. It felt like I was, at one point, reading more about their sexual escapades than I was their relationship outside the bedroom. I also wasn't the biggest fan of Isabelle; the way she got bent out of twist and just decided to quit volleyball altogether because SHE messed up and missed the team bus annoyed me. Her coach definitely wasn't her biggest fan, but in this situation, it was Isabelle's mistake, not the coach's.

I don't know...I enjoyed the book for the most part, but it just fell short of my expectations.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Grace Reilly for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a fun, fluffy sports romance. Nikolai and Isabelle had a summer fling and Nikolai is her brother’s rival. Can we say forbidden romance? One of my favorite tropes.

I love the relationship between the two characters. Especially their support of eachother and the fact that there was no miscommunication was a huge plus for me.

I did feel it was a little long for what it was. Definitely less plot, more smut.

Overall it was a fun, easy read. I think I would’ve liked it more if it was a tad shorter.

Thank you VPR for this eARC!

We have arrived at the last standalone volume of this sports romance saga born from the pen of Grace Reilly ✨

«“𝑆𝑢𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑒” 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑒𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝐸𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑅𝑢𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝑐олнышко, 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑛𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑘𝑜, 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝑜 “𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑛” 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑜𝑓 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝐼 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑟.»

In this volume we find the story of Nikolai and Isabelle. Two young guys who intended to keep their little story as a summer thing, without taking into account that the future could take them down the same path again.

A boy who is afraid of himself, not for what he is, but for what he does not want to become. When the past brings you pain from those you love, you fear that your blood may be just as contaminated. For this reason he submits to the decisions that others make for him, even when they are in clear contrast with his desires.

An intelligent girl from a good family, but who constantly feels under pressure and in constant comparison with her older brothers. Her value is not inferior to theirs but, even without wanting it, she has lived up to that moment as if she were different and less capable. For this reason she spends her life trying to exceed and respect her parents' expectations.

The magic happens when both of them encourage each other, knowing how to appreciate the person in front of them for who they really are, and not for what others would like. A healthy relationship, where both support and encourage each other, not to do better, but to see each other as people of value and to learn to assert themselves in their decisions.

In short? A sweet, light but deep romance, peppered with positive messages and representing what love should really be. A worthy volume to be the conclusion of many valid stories.