🏐 college volleyball player fmc
🏒 college hockey player mmc
🏐 forced proximity
🏒 forbidden love
🏐 friends with benefits to lovers
🏒 dual pov
🏐 broody x sunshine
🏒 mental health rep
🏐 no third act breakup

🌶️🌶️🌶️

I devoured this fun, swoony college sports romance! It’s got all the best qualities of the genre without feeling like an Off-Campus/Icebreaker doppelgänger. I laughed, I teared up, I squealed at the mmc’s dirty mouth, and I swooned over the romance.

Isabelle is cheerful, kind, and so stressed about living up to the athletic standard set by her father and older brothers. She’s almost too sweet for her own good—she loves easily and gets her heart trampled on. I found her a little bit immature at times but weren’t we all in college. Her growth, both personally and in her relationship with Nik, was nice to see.

Sweet, broody Nik has demons upon demons but still finds a way to be a top-tier book boyfriend. He’s not without his flaws, but he’s able to apologize like he means it and knows how to care of his girl. Nik’s troubled background also gives this book a lot more depth than I’m used to seeing in college sports romances.

This was my first Grace Reilly book, so I read this as a standalone despite it being #4 in the series. At first, I was a little lost, but the next few chapters quickly catch readers up on the pair’s history and feelings for each other along with a lot of intriguing family drama. I was hooked and couldn’t put the book down.

The pair start out hiding their relationship from Isabelle’s brother, who hates Nik, and the sneaking around aspect made things super fun! I also appreciated that both Nik and Isabelle show up for one another and respect each other. There was nothing petty or needlessly dramatic between them.

I felt the book could have been a little shorter, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment. Over all, this is a fun read that plays like a movie because the writing is smooth and evocative, the banter is sassy, and the mmc is HOT.

I’m looking forward to going back and reading the rest of the series! Thank you to Valentine PR and NetGalley for the arc 🫶🏼

tw: DV, alcoholism, mental health

I just finished Wicked Serve and can't stop smiling at how cute this book was. I experienced a rollercoaster of emotions with this book. I swooned, laughed, teared up, and felt angry and annoyed by a certain character in this book.

When I first started Wicked Serve, I was unsure if this book would suit me. The beginning seemed a little disjointed, but I quickly became hooked within a few pages.

Nik and Isabelle may have had a summer fling, but they both had feelings for one another. When Nik gets kicked out of his college and goes to Isabelle's college, the stars align and they can no longer deny their feelings and attraction for one another.

Both Nik and Isabelle have anxieties that they help each other through. Isabelle cannot stop comparing herself to her athletic family and thinks she is not good enough. Nik is afraid he will end up like his abusive father. But, both Nik and Isabelle bring out the best in one another and allow each other to see their lives and future from different perspectives.

I didn't just love the romance aspect of this book, but I also loved the friendship and family dynamic it brought. Nik worries that Isabelle's brother, Cooper, will hate him for sneaking around with Isabelle because of something he said in a previous game before they became teammates. However, as Cooper and the other Callahan siblings get to know Nik and Nik gets to know them, the bonds grow into a beautiful friendship and found family.

I have to say, Nik is the epitome of a book boyfriend. He made sure to take care of Isabelle and found ways to make her happy. I adored that he surprised her with a trip to Australia to snuggle some koalas.

The last quarter of the book had me swooning and tearing up a lot, but this book was perfect and just what I needed.

If you are a fan of Elle Kennedy, Icebreaker, rom coms, or want a new book boyfriend to swoon over, then look no further than Wicked Serve.

⭐️4.75

This was my first Grace Reilly book I’ve read and honestly I read it like it was my lifeline lol
This book served all the right things to me on a silver platter:

- a dirty mouthed MMC
- hockey x volleyball
- strong fmc

This book has a really good representation of mental health caused by childhood trauma. There are triggers for DV and alcoholism.

Thank you so much Valentine PR and NetGalley for the ARC ❤️

A possessive book boyfriend who loves to praise and gives you a nickname in another language? Immediately yes. The caretaking scenes in this book left me swooning so hard and were everything I love about a broken boy story. Nikolai has never let anyone all the way in the way he does with Izzy, and she receives it with such tenderness. I loved both of these characters and their emotions felt real and raw, and I felt them as if they were my own. Will absolutely be reading the rest of this series!

You’ll Find —
Sneaking Around
Brother’s Rival - Turned Teammate
Mental Health Rep
Broody x Bubbly
Possessive Book Boyfriend

Thankful for the opportunity to read early!

ARC Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️

I have been waiting for Izzy's story ever since she first came out in this series and it did not disappoint! From the moment we are introduced to her and Nikolai you could feel the love between them.

They were so incredibly supportive of one another and encouraged each other to go after the things they didn't even realize they wanted at first. You could tell Izzy was such a kind and generous person who just wanted to give her all to everyone else even if it meant her not having what she needed. Nikolai was quiet with everyone else except her. He showed Izzy what it was like to have someone by your side on not only the best days but the rough ones as well.

*Also shout out to that amazing spontaneous trip Nik planned for Izzy when she was beyond stressed😍

Both Nik and Izzy delt with their own issues in the book. Nik struggled severely with mental health problems due to the traumas he experienced during his upbringing. Izzy tended to let herself feel dragged down by the pressure to live up to her famous family members. They both worked throughout the book to overcome these issues and become better for one another.

While I loved the overall book, there were moments that felt like this book dragged on for me. I am typically someone who loves a 400 page book but it felt like there were times were things were a little repetitive and could be sped up.

The fourth and last book in Grace Reilly’s Beyond the Play series is Izzy’s story - the youngest of the Callahan siblings.

I enjoyed this friends-with-benefits to lovers story. It was honestly a bit slow for me, but I believe it was due to the fact that this was my first Grace Reilly and even though it can be read as a standalone, at moments I felt like I was completely out of the loop with what was being said between characters from previous stories. Like when you’re surrounded by a group of people and some of them have inside jokes and you have no clue what’s going on… yeah, that was me at times.

Inside jokes aside, I did enjoy this story. I loved how vulnerable Nik was (when he finally opened up). There were some heavy themes in this story and I felt that the author dealt with them pretty well. Personal growth is always a fave for me - when characters are able to be their best selves. I felt this happened with both Izzy and Nik. They made each other better.

All in all this book wrapped up the series nicely. Giving readers glances at previous couples and their happy endings. Or should I say *extended* happy endings because now I have to start from book one to see the ones I missed!


*A huge thanks to Grace Reilly and Valentine PR for providing me with an eARC for review. All thoughts are my own.*

This was a cute read! Izzy and Nikolai were really cute! They’re both supportive and patient with one another. I really loved the Russian side of things and the friendship that developed between Cooper and Nikolai. All in all this was fun read! I’ll definitely be checking out the rest of the series

I’ve been a fan of Grace Reilly and her works since First Down, so when I was approved for this ARC, I was so incredibly excited. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think it’s a great stand alone book but ties in really nicely with the other books and characters. I loved that Nik was such a flawed charactered, diving him so much depth. Struggling with childhood trauma, struggling to share that with your loved ones and then being strong enough to admit that you need help is such a great character and often isn’t depicted in these college sports romances. The one critique I would give it though, is that it’s not really a ‘brother’s rival’ troupe. Sure, Cooper and Nik had beef but they moved on from it VERY quickly to be considered brother’s rival. Regardless, this is still a fantastic book and I am so sad that the series is over.

𝘐𝘴𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐’𝘮 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦. 𝘞𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭, 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦.

I loved Izzy and Nikolai’s story! It was everything and more I could’ve wanted for Izzy! Izzy is the youngest callahan but that doesn’t make her any less special than her older siblings and I love that Nikolai proved that multiple times throughout this book!

Izzy and Nikolai meet when she works for his mum one summer which resulted in them sneaking around! Things were hot and heavy until Nik just stopped replying! Izzy was trying to move on until Nik ends up at her school playing on the hockey team her brother is the captain of. They at first done see eye to eye but I love their friendship in the end!

Izzy and Nik go through a lot in this book both emotionally and physically! I love that even through everything they came out stronger in the end and got their happy ever after!

𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. 𝘚𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦. 𝘔𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳. 𝘔𝘺 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦. 𝘔𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦.

My first time reading a book from this author and I love hockey romance, so I was happy to get a review copy from Netgalley.

I should probably say I've been in a book slump when it comes to romance reads and I'm finding I need more plot than steam. I think that was what I was missing from this book.

I would probably come back to this book in a few months and reread in a new frame of mind. I enjoyed the hockey romance trope.

4.5 -⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

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

Wicked Serve is the fourth instalment in the new adult college sports romances series, Beyond the Play. They are interconnected standalone so while they are set in the same universe and characters will return, the main story follows separate couples. In this story we follow Nikolai and Izzy.

Nikolai and Izzy had a secret summer fling that they couldn't quite forget but with both being in separate schools and Nikolai being on a rival hockey team to Izzy's brother meant they knew things needed to end. Except when Nikolai is expelled from his college he finds himself not only at the same school as Izzy but also joining her brother's hockey team. Izzy, who aims to regain her old volleyball position, is looking to forget Nikolai...but when chemistry strikes can these two continue a no strings attached relationship hidden from the people they love or family conflicts and secrets strike them both out?

I adored Nikolai and Izzy's dynamic. Izzy is a fierce and determined character who yearns to prove herself just as good as her athletically skilled family and the legacy puts so much pressure on her. She is open and I felt this dynamic complimented Nikolai so well. Nikolai is a brooding man with a whole lot of trauma and family dysfunction but he cares so much. When he lets go, though, he can be incredibly romantic and kind and I just loved how much of himself he put himself into a relationship that was undefined.

I also found the side characters, especially Izzy's brothers, to be extremely helpful in building and strengthening the characters and their relationship. I loved the ease they had in lifting Izzy and the support they provided as Nikolai became involved.

This book does contain spice. I would say 3 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. We start seeing spice around the 20% mark and it happens consistently throughout. I felt their relationship made sense based on their history and it was well introduced for why they engage in spice so soon. The spice in many ways punctuates moments when their relationship changes and I felt it was well written. It is explicit and detailed. There is also beautiful intimacy between the characters which highlights the spice is part of the romance and not the sole propelling of it.

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

The story itself is engaging and I devoured this. There is the main romance of Izzy and Nikolai navigating their relationship and connection which was absolutely adorable and tugged on my heart strings again and again. They claim to be casual but they are anything but with so many slices of life to prove this. At the same time we also have the additional plots of Nikolai's struggle between his love of hockey, his need to not be his father, and his deal with his grandfather forcing him to give up what he loves. I felt his story was strong and moving as it highlights a struggle of loving the person that hurt you. Izzy also had an additional storyline around proving her coach she is worthy for a volleyball position. I felt her story was much lighter and not very deep but I did enjoy the healthy relationship with her family to balance and support Nikolai. Now this book took about 10-15% to get going but when it did I was HOOKED and could not put this down. The ending was everything I needed.

Overall, if you want a beautiful college romance with two characters who fall so effortlessly in love and work together this book will give you all you need.

Thank you Avon so much for this arc!

I am a sucker to secret romances. Their dynamic knowing that they have obstacles and say F@(k it! I want who I want and I will love fiercely. That is what we get in this romance. Nikolai and Isabella, both have emotional baggage, that they have to overcome for themselves to be able to give their hearts fully to the other. Their journey is what makes this book amazing. Having one another’s backs showing each other what having a true partner is and both of them learning that they are worth the love they so desperately crave…. Yeah swoon worth all the way! Add in the battles on the ice for Nikolai? And yeah this is one hell of a hockey read for me.
This is a first read for this author for me, and I am hooked. I am not gonna lie, I need more Callahans to read so I am off to get the rest of the books in the series! I have a feeling though that Nikolai will always hold a special spot in my heart. A man that will take time to sort his emotions to ensure that he can take care of the woman of his dreams? Yeah that is what makes this book a special read for me and Nikolai an amazing Hockey god!

Star Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐
Heat Rating: 3/5 🌶️
Audiobook: 4/5 🎧

What to Expect:
- Sports Romance
- Hockey Player MMC
- Volleyball Player FMC
- Brother's Rival turned Teammate
- Secret Relationship
- Grumpy/Sunshine
- He Falls First
- Found Family
- Dual POV

Wicked Serve is the fourth and final book in the Beyond the Play series. It tells the story of Nik and Izzy. Izzy is the only daughter and youngest sibling in the Callahan family. Nik plays hockey for Izzy's brother's rival team.

Let's get into it.

Full disclosure: I have not read the other books in this series. However, I do feel this can be read as a standalone. I didn't feel I missed anything while reading/listening to this story. Nik and Izzy fit well together. I loved the evolution of their relationship as they both worked through their own issues. They stood by each other even when it was difficult to do so. This story has deeper topics and is more emotional than I expected. It is not a surface-level romance story, which I enjoyed. I was invested in their journey and rooted for them.

Nik. He absolutely made the story for me. I couldn't get enough of him. He fell hard for Izzy and was super supportive of her. Nik had a difficult past and lots of trauma from his childhood. I loved his mental health journey. He didn't shy away from confronting his issues and prioritized getting the help he needed. Of course, you can't go wrong with a dirty-talking hockey player.

Izzy. She is fighting for a starting setter spot on the volleyball team. Izzy struggles with confidence and compares herself to her siblings. She is also a very talented event planner. Izzy is very kind and loyal. I loved how she stood up for Nik. Although there was some growth, I wish she had that same energy when standing up for herself. I wanted her character to have more depth.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. As a former athlete and sports romance fanatic, I loved reading a story where both the MMC and FMC are athletes. I loved the forbidden nature of Nik and Izzy's relationship, and there is some really good spice. I loved how Nik treated Izzy like a queen and wanted to give her the world. I also loved how he gave Izzy the space to be herself. I stan a swoony MMC that puts in the work. There was healthy communication, and I loved the family element. I feel the story is a bit long, but everything was wrapped up satisfactorily.

Thanks to Grace Reilly, Avon Books, Harper Voyager, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the eARC. Opinions expressed are my own.

Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly
💖genre: contemporary romance
📏length: 467 pages (ebook)
📚series: Book 4 in Beyond the Play series
🔥spice: open door
📱On KU? Yes
🗓️Available Now
🚫triggers: this book features family trauma, abuse, ptsd, and panic attacks.

Thank you to Grace Reilly & Valentine PR for my copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Read if you enjoy:
🏐Sports romance
🤫Forbidden romance
❤️‍🩹Trauma/healing
🫂Family dynamics

Nikolai and Izzy have a hot and steamy summer fling, there’s only one problem…Nikolai is her brother’s biggest rival. But it’s okay because soon they will be miles and miles apart from each other. Until unexpected circumstances suddenly bring these two back together.

my thoughts
A VOLLEYBALL ROMANCE BOOK? SIGN MEEEEEE UP. I swear I never seen volleyball in sports romances. I used to play in middle school and high school so it honestly feels so nostalgic to be back in that world. I loved Izzy’s dedication to the sport but I would have loved to see even more volleyball throughout the book, that’s probably just a me thing though.

I loved the therapy representation, I stan characters healing and growing as individuals! Although they aren’t perfect, I really loved Izzy’s family (which makes me excited to go back and read the books from earlier in the series). I felt like Nikolai and Izzy had organic and undeniable chemistry. DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THAT SHOWER SCENE OMG. I may never recover.

My only complaint is that the book felt too long and dragged in some areas. But overall, I had a great time with this book.

Wicked Serve is the first book I have read by Grace Reilly. I'm a sucker for sports romances, and my friends have been recommending this author to me for a while. The premise of this book intrigued me, so I wanted to read it. I enjoyed the audiobook narration, especially with the male character having a Russian accent. It gave Nik a better voice than my brain did reading the book. Nik and Izzy have some serious chemistry in this book. There are a lot of steamy scenes in this book. I know this is a standalone book, but I would have loved all these characters more if I had read the other books in this series leading up to Wicked Serve.

This book has it all—spice, humor, and romance that keeps you glued to every page! Without spilling the beans, let me just say that the relationship between the main characters is absolutely adorable. The story delves into their pasts, insecurities, and traumas, making you feel like you’re right there with them, cheering them on as a true friend would. I love when an author can tug at your heartstrings and make the characters feel so real!

The mix of tropes is irresistible, and the spice is perfectly balanced with the sports theme. Grace Reilly shines in her positive portrayal of mental health awareness, adding a thoughtful touch to the narrative.

Though this book is part of a series (and I haven’t read the others yet), it stands strong on its own. I was hooked from the first page and couldn’t put it down! I’m definitely diving into her backlist next.

I’m thrilled to have read this and bring you this spoiler-free review! On release day, grab this book—and don’t stop there. Get the entire series and enjoy every moment!

thank you to NetGalley and ValentinePR for the opportunity to read this as an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!! i truly appreciate it :)

izzy and nikolai relationship is filled with so much love, support, and encouragement of each other’s dreams and goals. i especially loved that as a FMC, izzy knew how to stand up for herself. also, seeing nikolai, as a MMC, really face his past trauma and abuse was important, and grace handled those conversations beautifully. the relationship between these two was also magnetic, and i loved how much they couldn’t stay away from each other!

i absolutely adore this series (and am seriously so sad it’s ending), & as my most anticipated read this year, hannah once again did not disappoint! 💛💛

I really enjoyed this book, I liked the lack of toxicity in their relationship. They both fell so hard after a summer fling, and even though it was hard for them to be together, they were so cute with each other. They only thing I did not like was the length of the book. I felt like it did not need to be that long.

This was a really cute sports romance! It is both heart-warming and heart-wrenching at times.

Lots of cute banter, swoons and spice and a very satisfying ending. I loved having dual POVs! And I really liked all the characters- main characters and secondary ones.

I loved that the chapters were short! Although I do think the overall book could’ve been just a tad bit shorter.

This is part of an interconnected series, but can be read as a standalone. Now I want to go back and read the others! Recommend checking this one out!🩷

I really enjoyed the trust and healing this book offered along with the romance of course! I haven't read the middle books in this series, but I'm sure I will here soon! The book did feel a touch long, but it had a great story and I'm so glad they got to have their happy ending after going through extremely tough life events. I enjoy books that are part of a series, but you can also read standalone. The callbacks to the previous characters were a great touch!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC!