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.

I would like to thank Valentine PR, Harper Collins Publisher, and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5⭐️ rounded to 5⭐️ on Goodreads and retail sites. Wicked Serve is the fourth and final book in the Beyond the Play series by Grace Reilly. This book is about Nikolai, a talented hockey player who has already been drafted to the NHL, and Izzy, a collegiate volleyball player and sister of his biggest rival. The two met over the summer, had a fling, and never expected to meet again, but unforseen circumstances had Nikolai transferring to the university where Izzy attended with her brothers. Read above for the blurb about the book. This was actually my first book by this author and I am in love. The story touched on difficult subjects in a sensitive and accurate way while still telling a story full of fun and humor. Both Nik and Izzy truly evolved during the story, both benefitting from their loving relationship. Nikolai is a protective alpha-hero and Izzy is just as fierce in protecting her man. I loved that both of them were college athletes. This new adult college sports romance is full of spice, all the feels, and found family and I was obsessed with every well written, well paced word. The author touched on so many issues that new adults face and on numerous relationships. If you are a reader who enjoys new adult contemporary sport romance, this is a can’t miss book. I cannot wait to go back and read the previous three books in this series and add Grace Reilly to the growing list of authors I cannot live without!

“𝒀𝒐𝒖´𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏, 𝑰𝒔𝒂𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆“

This is the first book I have read by Grace and I must say that I really liked it, I mean… A story about a girl playing volleyball and a hockey player (something that I personally love to read)? I absolutely on it!!

I must say that I connected quite a bit with our mcs, not as a couple, but individually, they both have their own weight on their backs due to their family, something that I personally felt quite identified with, so reading how they had to deal with following their Dreams, despite everything, I absolutely love that!

They as a couple seem the most adorable to me, even though they were both stubborn thinking that it was just something temporary, they ended up creating something very cute!!!

I also felt identified with 𝖨sa's thought about how she's not girlfriend material, but girl, with the right person those thoughts never appear and I love that she was able to discover it.

I loved him calling her Sunshine, how I love that nickname

I liked this book but something didn't convince me, I still don't know what, but I'm going to reread it to find out, of course after I read the rest of the series 🙌🏻

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Valentine PR and the author for the arc

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6456870074

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/410114e3-db02-4876-a247-395d166e35cf

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RI5FUJM7P1WCL?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp

https://www.instagram.com/p/C-nDP_JANIQ/

It's so bittersweet to be writing my review for the final Beyond the Play book! I've enjoyed this series so much and this last book was so worth the wait.

Nik and Izzy hit it off over the summer when she interns for his mom in NYC. It was just supposed to be a fun fling until they went their separate ways for school in the fall. But when some unfortunate stuff goes down that forces Nik to transfer schools to McKee, these two are suddenly thrust back into each other's lives.

With Nik playing on her brother's team and Izzy trying to focus on Volleyball, the best plan is to stay away from each other. But we all know hard that is, especially for two people with the kind of chemistry they have!!! Nik and Izzy are also both battling some of their own demons and they are exactly what each other needs.

Seeing the whole gang again was so wonderful! And getting to see the Callahan boys be protective of Izzy was so heartwarming. I loved this family and especially the way they've so easily accepted friends and significant others along the way, bringing them into the Callahan fold.

Thank you to Grace and her team for this ARC!

Wicked Serve is the final book in the Beyond the Play series by Grace Reilly. The series consists of interconnected stand alone college sports romances. The first three books are the stories of the Callahan brothers, and this one centers around their little sister, Isabelle Callahan, and her situationship turned HEA with Nikolai Abney-Volkov. They are all interconnected standalones with recurring characters. I don't think you need to have read them all to enjoy this story, but it would deepen your appreciation of the relationships and side characters.
During her internship in NYC with a well known event planner, Izzy discovers the #1 perk of her new job is that her boss happens to have a super hot, distractingly sweet son who is more than willing to give her a "hot girl summer" fling.
This book is an emotional read. I love when a story has both emotional impact and piping hot spice. Both Nik and Izzy are dealing with the weight of familial expectations. She feels like the black sheep of an exceptionally gifted family of athletes who can't measure up, and he's not dealing well with his own past family trauma. The subject matter can feel heavy at times, but it's handled well in my opinion. I loved that the answers are to "do the work" for both of them. No shortcuts on this path. We really get to see these characters mature and grow into themselves. When they come together, it's sweet and spicy in all the best ways. I will certainly be adding more Grace Reilly to my TBR.
Thanks to Valentine PR, Avon Books, Netgalley, and Grace Reilly for the ARC opportunity.

Wicked Serve was so much more than your average hockey romance. It was a perfect representation of overcoming past trauma, and destructive mind sets with healthy and loving relationships. A real testament to finding your family and surrounding yourself with people who will not only make you a better person, but stand by you when life isn’t perfect.

I loved Nik and Izzy, together they were amazing, and the spice was spicing but even without all of that they were layered, thoughtful, and purposeful in their actions. I thought that Reilly gave a great representation of facing your past trauma and coping with aftermath of escaping situations that leave scars deeper than what’s just on the surface can look like. I also appreciated that both characters had flaws and even though they had vastly different childhoods they both had their own hurdles to get over as they entered into adulthood, neither of them were perfect but they were perfect for each other. 🩷

It was only supposed to last the summer. No feelings and no expectations. Isabelle Callahan has a secret, one that nobody was supposed to find out, especially her older brother. You see Isabelle spent her summer not only interning for his mother but also having a summer fling with no other than Nikolai Adreny Volkov, her brother’s biggest hockey rival from an opposing school. When they go their separate ways at the end of the summer Izzy never expected to see Nik again, especially not on her college campus when he is supposed to be hours away at his own.

Nik has only ever wanted to play hockey, and he will agree to anything to keep that dream alive as long as possible. When circumstances lead to him having to change schools in order to continue playing he jumps on it…. Added benefit? He will be attending McKee University and while their fling was only supposed to be for the summer, he can’t quite get Isabelle Callahan out of his head.

truly shocked by how much I enjoyed this considering it had some of my least fave tropes. truly shows you that it’s about the writer, not the tropes. but also second chance is my fave trope and it always wins out. I really enjoyed the romantic dynamic and overarching storyline. the book dragged on for me, there was absolutely no need to be almost 500 pages (350 max).

Format: 📱 eBook 📱
Check TWs before reading.

This book had me from the beginning - second chance romance for a summer fling? Throw in collegiate hockey, drama (gotta love those teammates sister romances), fantastic depth of emotion and a great found family, and I really enjoyed reading it. I also really loved that Reilly had Isabelle as a sporty girl, too.

This was my first read in this series by Reilly, but it didn't hamper my knowledge of previous events. She writes well enough that you seamlessly slide into the wider narrative, and it's made me keen to go back and read those previous books (despite knowing how parts of them turn out).

My only real comment is that this book was long. I honestly think it could have been reduced by 100-ish pages, BUT in saying that, it helped Reilly hone in on the emotions and the reactions of Isabelle and Nikolai, and helped show us not only the growth of their relationship, but the growth of them individually.

There is so much more to both Isabelle and Nikolai, and I was glad to be able to read their story. My heart broke for Nik as we learned more about him, and I was so glad that these two got their happily ever after in the end.

This book genuinely has it all, from romance and banter, to drama, emotions and some pretty swoon-worthy spice (that's a little bit extra, iykwim). A good read and looking forward to reading more of Reilly's books.

Thank you to the author, Valentine PR and Netgalley for the eARC opportunity. These are my honest thoughts that I have provided voluntarily.

✨ arc review!! ✨

"if she’s sunshine, i’m the guy who hopes it never starts raining."

read if you like:
• friends with benefits turned secret relationship
• older brother’s rival
• sports romance (volleyball & hockey)
• anxiety & trauma representation
• found family

this series has my heart. i feel like i am a part of the callahan family after reading about james, cooper, and sebastian. i was so eager for izzy's book, and it did NOT disappoint!

isabelle, aka izzy, is confident, determined, generous, supportive, and the ultimate girly girl. she was selfless and cared so much for her family. she is my absolute favorite!! then there's sweet, misunderstood nikolai- izzy's older brother cooper's hockey rival. he is obsessed with izzy from the moment he meets her in the summer. he struggles with mental health from his past, but he is so kind, supportive, gentle, caring and protective. he made my heart absolutely melt, especially when he called izzy little sun in russian🥹

this book was enjoyable from the very beginning. i loved seeing izzy and nik fall for each other. i love that they had the opportunity to take their relationship to the next level when nik had to transfer to izzy's school. i love that they supported each other and that nik finally let his guard down from his past and let izzy in.

i just wish that the ending didn't feel so rushed! i would have loved to see more of izzy and nik and not feel like it was rushed so far into the future. overall, a cute, sweet, and quite frankly spicy 4.5⭐️ read!!

thank you Grace Reilly, NetGalley, Avon Books, and Harper Voyager for this arc copy!🩷

Wicked Serve is the 4th (and final) book in the Beyond the Play series by Grace Reilly. It can be read as part of the series or as a standalone. Typically I would recommend reading the book as part of the series to get the full picture of who the characters were leading up to their story, but in this particular case I would actually recommend reading Wicked Serve truly as a standalone OR just read the second book in the series, Breakaway, first. That's the only book Nikolai appears in previously and it's also the only one that Izzy really gets much "screen time" in as well. I don't recommend reading Stealing Home, the third book in the series, right before reading Wicked Serve, as the plots are repetitively similar when you read them back to back.

Overall, Wicked Serve was a fun read and Grace Reilly always turns up the heat with her books, BUT there was also a few things I found to drag down my enjoyment of this one.

What Worked:
Nikolai. He was my favorite part of the book, so much so that I wished there were more of his chapters. His story was interesting and I was rooting for him while he figured out how to address his mental health struggles, all while still trying to be supportive of Izzy and building friendships with his new hockey team.

Forbidden romance + second chance = an interesting combo that I don't think I've read before. I liked it! It was a little bumpy in the beginning because there was a prologue teaser about their summer fling and then we skip right into the start of their new school year. After that initial bumpiness though, I liked the way their relationship played out after that. And I appreciated there weren't any major miscommunication moments that could have been solved if the characters just talked to each other. Even though these two are relatively young, they weren't overly immature.

What Didn't Work:
This was way too long. I typically don't mind a longer romance BUT it has to have a purpose in being that long. Unfortunately this one didn't. It dragged on without a strong plot to give it a purpose. And the plot elements that were there either wrapped up too quickly (well before the end of the book), or they were brought up and barely mentioned again. Overall it left me feeling a bit bored at times and confused at others.

Izzy's storyline (and even her characterization) had zero substance to it. She plays volleyball, she likes pink, she's good at event planning... I feel like that's all I can really tell you about her. It's unfortunate because I think she could have been more interesting if some of her plot points were developed more, especially surrounding her sport. We could have explored more how playing a spot of a collegiate level was putting so much pressure and stress on her, along with trying to focus on her event planning projects that could be a potential career for her, and how that all affected her mental health. The whispers of that storyline were already there, but it felt like it was abandoned quickly.