“If she’s sunshine, I’m the guy who hopes it never starts raining”

This book was a very cute college sports romance, that showed a relationship without any toxicity, and a lot of support and encouragement from each other and very little miscommunication. It was honestly a breath of fresh air for this genre. I enjoyed most of it!

Isabelle and Nickolai started their relationship as a summer romance, thinking it couldn’t last more than that as Nickolai was Izzy’s brothers biggest hockey rival. Little did they both know they would end up at the same college and the sparks were still there.

Izzy is a confident and extroverted volleyball player. She is very selfless and sometimes struggled with the pressure she felt to fit in with her family. Nickolai is a hockey player struggling with his mental health from a long and complicated history. Together they push and encourage each other in the best ways.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I did feel like it was a bit too long and was pretty slow and lacking plot in some areas. Despite that it was entertaining with plenty of cute moments, as well as smutty moments!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booklover #romancebooks #newrelease #ARC #sportsromance #brothersrival #HockeyRomance #BeyondthePlaySeries #GraceReilly #WickedServe

This was such a swoony read. I have not read the rest of this series and still really enjoyed this as a standalone without feeling lost or confused. I enjoyed the banter and found family aspect of the story. Nik and Isabella are so sweet. I loved that she stood up for herself and fought for those she loved. I loved how head over heels Nik is and the ways he shows it. I loved their relationship and that they talked through disagreements. No misunderstanding in this one 
There were a few parts of this story that felt repetitive and the story just felt way longer than it needed to be. Even with it being as long as it was the ending felt rushed for the sake of wrapping everything up. I struggled with the pacing overall in this story. 
Overall, I enjoyed this read and will likely go back and read the rest of the series. I loved that the characters from the previous books in the series were included in this book and can't wait to read their stories too. 
If you enjoy swoony romance, a dirty-talking MMC who falls hard, and cute, cuddly koala bears you will want to check out this book. 

Thank you so much to Grace and Valentine PR for the ARC copy of Wicked Serve. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

omg omg omg i loved this book! i could not put it down. I have been waiting for izzy story and it did not disappoint. i loved how this book was filled with love and encouragement and support. it was very entertaining and i loved it.

izzy was a beautiful character. she is full of energy, confidence, support, love and selflessness. she stood up for herself and knew what was right for her and for her people around her. i loved nikolai, i think he was the perfect man for izzy. he was so kind, gentle, caring and protective of izzy. i gained a lot of respect for him for putting his mental health first and gained more respect for izzy when was respectable of what he needed to be better for not just himself but for her.

like i said i could not put this book down, i was so excited for izzy story. i loved how much her brothers and the whole family was apart of the book, it made it even more better. this is one of my fav sports series and every single book did not disappoint!

thank you to netgalley and grace reilly for this arc!

I wish I had loved the whole book as much as I did the first half. Up until 55%, I was ready to give more than 4 stars. It was cute, hot, I liked the fact that we started the book with the main characters already having history, which gave it a refreshing feel and allowed the author to move to spicy scenes a lot faster. While not everyone will like the fact that it had so many sex scenes, this is exactly what I was in the mood to read, so I was thoroughly invested and had trouble putting it down.

But from the 55% mark, and more especially from the point when the characters became an official couple, I started to feel like this was very repetitive and all the angst did me in because that was not what I had signed up for. The book could have been much shorter without all that unnecessary drama about Nik’s family.

I’m honestly becoming so tired of the tragic backstories turning into excessive angst and the “I don’t deserve her” trope. Especially when it’s paired with a “I’m responsible for everyone and need to take care of everyone” mindset (and it specifically annoys me because it’s ALWAYS a way to give flaws to the love interest while not giving him real flaws), or a scene threatening the evil ex-boyfriend whose sole purpose is to be evil.
Once I get annoyed by these things, I find myself being irked by a lot of things that I would have forgiven otherwise.

On a positive note, I hadn’t read the previous books in the series but I didn’t feel like I had missed a lot because the author did a good job of catching us up without it being too much.
Rating this book is not easy because I would have given 4 stars or more to the first half, and honestly less than 2 stars to the second half, in which I skimmed a lot of the angsty parts. 3 stars it is, then.

The most beautiful end to Grace Reilly's debut series! I loved each book but 'Wicked Serve' was without a doubt my favourite!

Nik and Izzy are so freaking sweet. I loved the secret parts of their relationship as well as the adorable way he swept her off her feet. Great HEA too!

First, I have to thank ValentinePR and Grace Reilly for gifting me an ARC of this book!

My first Grace Reilly book and it just so happens to be the last in the Beyond the Play series, which is amazing but also sad for me. Izzy and Nick had my heart from the absolute beginning and I absolutely loved how we got them throughout basically the entire book. The chemistry between these two is so obvious and sparking, it was actually laughable how they tried to say they were a fling. Their scenes had me blushing and swooning, I seriously could not get enough.

And this book surprisingly goes deeper than I ever thought it would. There are a lot of real world topics discussed and written so well, I really appreciated all of that. Nik’s panic hit surprisingly close to home and seeing the representation just made the book that much better. And the found family aspect in this book had my heart feeling 10 times bigger by the end, seriously so freaking sweet.

Wicked Serve will take you on a rollercoaster ride of all the emotions, but it is so worth it. I will always be thinking about this broody x bubbly, secret dating, he falls first hockey romance and I hiiiighly recommend reading it!!🩷

(Excuse me while I go binge the series)

Its cute but angsty and emotional romance with Wicked Serve, the fourth and final book in the Beyond the Play series as Isabelle Callaghan and ice hockey Nikolai Abney have a summer fling that had ends abruptly when he leaves without saying goodbye. They return to their respective colleges and that should’ve been an end to things until Nikolai reluctantly finds himself at McKee University where Izzy is a student and where her brother is the captain of his new hockey team but even that isn’t enough to deter him from rekindling the spark with Izzy again.

What I enjoyed most about this book was that it wasn’t the usual 95% sneaking around and hiding the relationship from the brother which can get a bit tiresome. Nikolai and Izzy are revealed as a couple probably around halfway through with the rest of the story concentrating on Nikolai’s mental health and the effect it has on their relationship. He’s been left scarred mentally and physically and suffers from extreme anxiety due to his abusive father. He’s terrified he’ll become like him and eventually hurt Izzy, so he keeps her at arms length, but she’s the only person who realises what he’s going through and tries to help him, encouraging him to talk to someone, but every time his father contacts him, he regresses. Izzy meanwhile has her own issues. The only girl in a family of high achievers, she’s always felt she wasn’t good enough even though its more than obvious her family loves her and struggles with low self esteem.

There was a steady flow to the writing in Wicked Serve with the chapters being short and sharp, something that could be good or bad - good if you’re the kind of reader who likes to stop reading at the end of a chapter like me but bad because you then think ‘I’ve got time to squeeze another chapter in before I have to put the book down’ – again like me! The only thing that could’ve made me enjoy this book more was I would’ve liked if there had been more of what happened during their summer fling instead of the fleeting mentions interspersed throughout.

Izzy & Nikolai
Sport romance
Volleyball player x Hockey player
Brothers teammate
Hidden relationship

Another great book by this author.

I love the way Nikolai falls for her hard!

The book did feel a little repetitive of the others in the series, with the ongoing theme of "my family isn't proud of me". But I did enjoy reading it!

I forgot how much I enjoy college/sports romances. This book was so fun, endearing, and spicy.
I loved Nic and Izzy’s relationship growth. The way he speak and expresses how highly he regards her is just swoon worthy!!! I absolutely ate it up!!!
I am going back to read the rest of this series because I loved this authors writing style!! This book was easily read as a stand alone. I love that aspect of it!

I loved Nik and Izzy in this book! Thanks to the author for the opportunity to read this one early! Wicked Serve was a great read with angsty romance, great spice, and great friendship banter, which is always an excellent add in my opinion. If a book can me wish I was friends with all the characters too it’s a guaranteed add to my list of books I’d recommend to a friend. It may have taken both Nik and Izzy awhile to experience their individual growth arcs but they got there in the end, and they supported each other in doing so, which was an emotional journey that I really appreciated. The way they both supported each other and pushed each other to continue on when things were hard and felt impossible made me fall more in love with them both even more.

A very well written book with good characters. I loved the dynamic between the main characters - they were relatable and people I would hang around with.

Nik and Izzy started things under wraps and super casual... but of course things don't stay that way. I'm a sucker for a hockey player lead, and really enjoyed the complexities of Nikolai and his family. Izzy's volleyball ambitions were fun to read too - and I liked how the two athletes supported each other's different goals.

Brothers Rival/ hockey romance and my first read from this author. Isabelle and Nicolai had a fling in the summer but once summer ends they both go their separate ways. Things happen and Nicolai ends up on the same campus and same team as his rival who just happens to be the brother of his summer fling. They both have feelings for each other but how can they make it work with the rivalry?! I liked the book and there was very low angst. You have hockey and the rivalry between him and now a team that he has always gone against is interesting. Brother Callahan definitely was a plus in this story. I am now going to read the others in the series because very interested in her brother read.
3.5 stars

I enjoyed reading Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

✨ARC review✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Trigger warnings- domestic violence, childhood trauma, panic disorder

Who knew Russian could be so swoon worthy. This hockey romance has the perfect combination of spice, light hearted flirting, and dives into the side of mental health. Nik is the swoon worthy, handsome hockey player who falls for his was rival now current teammates little sister. Izzy is just trying to find her way in the world of a famous sports family where everyone seems to be outstanding at their respective talent where she feels she’s always having to prove she can fit into the family. Nik and Izzy’s relationship is one for the sports romance history books. 🖤

“You’re everything to me, Isabelle. You’re stubborn warmth and wild summertime. You’re sunshine.” I put her hand against my heart so she can feel its staccato beating. “I feel your light here, always.” “I love you.” She cups my jaw, stroking over my beard, and repeats the phrase in Russian, her voice strong and steady. “You’re my favorite, Kolya.”

MOVE OVER JAMES CALLAHAN, NIKOLI CAME IN AND WON ME OVER WITHIN MINUTES OF STARTING THE BOOK!!! THE MOUTH ON THIS MAN!!! 🥵🥵🫠🫠 Grace really upped the spice level with this one!!! I spent the first 25% of the book worried cause it felt like I was 75% done! This book doesn’t follow ANY of the “typical” romance book outlines and I loved it!! When he spoke Russian to her 🫠🥵 DECEASED GRACE, DECEASED!!! While I do wish we would have gotten a little of their backstory through some flashbacks, I couldn’t put this book down and loved every second of it!!! I’m not ready to say goodbye to the Callahan 😭😭 ⭐️: 5/5 🌶️: 4.5/5

I love her. I love her. I’ve never loved someone like this, but I recognize the truth of it instinctively. I don’t just care for Isabelle. I don’t just want the best for her. I love her.

Honestly this book was entertaining for the most part. I enjoyed it mostly because of how sweet of a romance it is and the family bonds that Isabelle has.
Nik really kind of irked me throughout the book because he would stand up for everyone except for himself and it was just a bit confusing really.
Also the short chapters were killing me. Usually short chapters are fun and great but I feel like this whole book was filled with short chapters that really could’ve been longer if you just merged them together.
Isabelle definitely does not know boundaries when it comes to asking Nik about his past and that honestly annoyed me because I found it really rude of her to not respect that. And the overuse of the color pink was slowly suffocating me.
The romance was cute but I feel like it was mostly smut and a sprinkle of plot.

3.5 Solnishko Stars ⭐️
Spicy level 🌶️🌶️.5/5

I am struggling to figure out how I feel about Wicked Serve.
Was it good? Yes.
Is it going to be the first hockey romance that I'd recommend if someone asks me for a Hockey Romance recommendation? No.
BUT that is because of a very specific nuance as it didn't necessarily contain my happy tropes but that might not be the same for other people.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
So Isabelle Callahan and Nicolai Volkov had a magical summer fling while Izzy worked as a Wedding Planner Intern for Nikolai's mother. The two "agree" to call it off at the end of summer because they go their separate ways—her back to Mckee University and Nikolai back to his university. While Izzy told her friends about their fling, she kept this secret from her family, because Nicolai happens to be the Hockey Captain at his school and he may have said some antagonising smack talk to Izzy's brother on the Ice during a match... you see Izzy's brother happens to be McKee's Hockey Captain. Lo and behold, Nikki boy gets expelled protecting somebody else and winds up at Mckee University. And soon all those feelings of coulda, woulda, shoulda bubble to the surface as the two can barely keep their hands off of each other. But they still need to keep it secret because she's supposed to be focusing on her volleyball career and he should not be making things hard on the Hockey Team.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
The first thing that put me off right from the start is that there is already an established relationship between the two. They already have very strong feelings for each other and the attraction doesn't have to form Now I am typically more of a person who likes it when there is more of a fight or delay in the romance "payoff". I like it when there is a bit of fight, angst and tension. They have spent an entire summer together learning who the other person is (off-page as a prequel to the story) and since the start of school are now coming to terms with the fact that they have been miserable without each other.

The second thing that kind of missed was the micro conflicts of the story didn't seem to be that big of a deal or could have too easily been solved by having an open honest conversation. The "hockey rivals" big climactic fight it was teasing didn't play out massively, her volleyball thing followed a predictable path. It just felt like there wasn't any BIG conflict that needed to be solved until the VERY END.

The third - And I am not going to "beat around the bush"... I like fluffy and smutty romances and this whilst having some elements of smutty, this had more emotional elements than fluff. I have realised that unless I am in the right headspace for emotional (as I do enjoy some of them) I am not going to enjoy it and it's almost a disservice to the book. This book deals heavily with the effects of trauma and PTSD and what unrepressed issues can trigger later on in life. Nikolai has never really dealt with his past and has almost "swept his issues under the rug". But now he cannot push his abusive father away and has panic attacks every time he talks to him. Izzy has serious imposter syndrome in her family and feels inferior to all her superstar brothers and everything they have accomplished. She cannot be a disappointment. Overall this was just a little HEAVY... But if you are the type that loves emotionally driven stories around trauma this WILL BE GREAT for you!

Lastly is their relationship (while already established) seemed to lack a little chemistry. I felt like they were always fighting, or walking on eggshells around each other or one of them (mostly Nicolai) was pushing the other away because they didn't want to deal with the emotional vulnerability wall they had erected. There were a lot of times when conflict avoidance and running away from issues was the "best" approach and there would be silence and "I haven't heard from them in days". Due to this, it was like we not only got a 1st act breakup but also a 3rd act break... (they weren't broken up but some soul was searching and "finding myself"). A lot of the book they are not together and dealing with the consequences of being miserable apart...but elements of taking so long to open just felt unhealthy... BUT I MEAN - PEOPLE CAN DEAL WITH TRAUMA HOW THEY WANT!

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Summer Fling Second Chance
▶ Dual POV
▶ Hockey Romance
▶ Trauma Bonding
▶ Found Family
▶ Univerity/College Romance

𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Good Girl
▷ Dirty Talk
▷ Spicy/Steamy Water Scene
▷ "Out of our Systems"
▷ Hockey Jersey "Heat" - he goes feral seeing her in his jersey

Overall, I can see why this would appeal to some people. I would recommend it if you were looking for a sweet emotionally driven hockey romance that gives you vibes of a "friends to lovers" slightly forbidden romance... Overall I had a good time, I didn't have a great time. Wicked stuff!

Do you love when the MMC gives off bad boy vibes but is soft for our FMC? Love when the FMC is the protective one? I’ve got news for you, you’re gonna fall in love with our couple so fast. But don’t you worry, you don’t miss out any on the spice…if you’re a crawl to me kinda person you’re gonna enjoy this ride-did I mention hand necklaces too? It’s spicy, it’s heart wrenching, it’s about healing. You get to watch our couple overcome so much together and find their healing journey. No third act break up, but some time apart whilst they work on themselves. Don’t sleep on the final Callahan sibling story.