I was so excited for Izzy’s book – I’m obsessed with this series! I love a brother’s rival almost as much as a brother’s bff storyline. Izzy and Nik have a secret summer romance that they are mainly hiding because it will soon end when they each head to their different colleges, and because he’s her brother’s biggest hockey rival. However, when events lead to Nik changing schools and coming to play hockey for McKee, with Izzy and Izzy’s brother – can they ignore the feelings from the summer?

Both characters had some insecurities and issues with their families, and I loved the way that they helped each other and supported each other throughout. The sneaking around and tension between the characters was on point, and the spice was spicing! Extra bonus, getting to see the rest of the Callahan family again and hearing the updates on their relationships and family – I’m sad this series is over, but it was a good end!

Highly recommend this book if you like:
- Forbidden romance
- Secret relationship
- Brother’s rival
- Hockey/Volleyball romance
- Found family

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

Wickedly sweet and spicy! Grace Reilly knows how to deliver a steamy college romance!

Wicked Serve is book four in Grace Reilly’s popular Beyond the Play series which features a bunch of college sports romance books.

Though this is the final book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. It does include couples from the previous books but you don’t have to have read their stories first to enjoy this one though I did read Breakaway (book two) and felt like that was a good intro to this world, Izzy and her brother.

I eagerly dived into it because Grace made the heroine a college volleyball player and you rarely, if ever, see this sport mentioned in a romance book. I’m a bit partial because I played volleyball in college so it was really fun to commiserate with Izzy and follow her in this sport.

But I’m also a HUGE hockey romance fan and Nickolai did not disappoint as a college hockey hottie who could bring it on the ice but who also had a very soft heart when it came to his little sunshine.

Grace gave both of these characters great backstories with a connection and chemistry that was undeniable.

Izzy is the youngest in a family of amazing athletes so she’s feeling the pressure to excel in a sport too despite hitting some road bumps in her career due to paryting in the past. She’s been a bit impulsive but really tried to make something of herself in this story.

Nickolai is a star hockey player that gets kicked out of his school and has to transfer to a rival’s school for his final year. I was intrigued by his upbringing in Russia and the traumatic past with his father which plays out in the later part of the book.

Overall I liked the character focus of this new adult romance. How Izzy and Nickolai connected over a summer and continued their fling once he transferred schools. Though more obvious to the reader than the characters that they were more than a fling, I enjoyed the progression of their relationship until they finally figured it out for themselves and could admit it!

Grace does not shy away from the steam in her books and I love it. So if you’re looking for a book with a good amount of steam this has it.

I will say that this book is pretty long coming in at over 400 pages. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as it just gives you more of Izzy and Nickolai working through their issues but I did find myself skimming the last few chapters to pick up the plot highlights.

It must also be nice for these two to come from families with money. I’m not sure that athletes could just up and fly across the world to Australia for a few days during the school year and their season but I guess I’ll go with it!

I’d recommend this book to readers who love college romance books with spice and characters who are athletes but who also have compelling aspects to their lives outside of their sport.

Be sure to also check out my interview with Grace Reilly on the She Reads Romance Books Podcast where we talk about Wicked Serve and our love of sports romance books: https://www.shereadsromancebooks.com/grace-reilly-interview-wicked-serve/

*Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

This was my first book by Grace Reilly, and I really enjoyed her writing style. I loved how domestic and healthy the relationship felt, even when the characters weren't technically together.

The mental health representation with our MMC, Nikolai, was also a standout for me. It was heartbreaking to read about his childhood, and I found myself really rooting for him to pull through.

That being said, I had to lower my rating because the book felt a bit too long. In my opinion, it could've easily been 100 pages shorter. The pacing was a little off, with a lot of mini time jumps that disrupted the natural flow of the story.

Even so, I'm definitely interested in going back and reading the rest of the series, especially since this is the fourth and final book. This was an enjoyable read, and I'm curious to see how the other stories unfold.

Thank you to Valentine PR and the author for letting me read this arc through NetGalley.

Another wonderfully written book by Grace Reilly. I loved Nikolai and Izzy's relationship, not only with each other, but also with the other characters. Nikolai's rivalry turned into blossoming friendship with Cooper (Izzy's brother) was one of my favorite parts of the book. I also loved seeing how unbelievably supportive our two main characters were of each other. No matter what was going on, personal, relationship, or otherwise, they were there for each other. I think the chapters could've been a little longer as to not leave out important details and in saying that, some of the chapters could've been cut so the book would be a little more concise. I still think this was a great end to a great series and I'm looking forward to seeing what Grace Reilly writes next!

🏐 Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.25 stars

General Thoughts:
Okay, new favorite book in this series! Izzy and Nik's chemistry was off the charts and I loved their dynamic! The secret relationship aspect was done perfectly! I also adored seeing the characters from other books in the series.

Tropes:
❤️ Brother's rival
🏒 Found family
❤️ Secret relationship
🏒 Banter!!
❤️ College sports
🏒 He falls first and harder

What I loved:
❤️ Them not having a toxic relationship!! Thank you Grace Reilly!!!
🏒 The lightheartedness and cuteness and spiciness all in one!
❤️ seeing Bex and James with a baby (my heart is so full.)

Spice: 🌶🌶🌶 2.5

Thank you so much to Grace Reilly and VPR for this ARC in exchange for an honest review <3

First off, Happy Pub Day to Grace Reilly and Wicked Serve!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grace Reilly for the opportunity to read the e-book of Wicked Serve in exchange for an honest review!

This is the first book that I read of Grace Reillys and I must say, what an introduction! I should also admit that I do wish I had read the other books in this series to really immerse myself in the world but I digress, I still really enjoyed it. I was engaged right from the beginning until it ended and although - for other reasons - it took me a couple days to actually sit down and read it, I am glad that I didnt binge read it because it felt like a TV show that you just cant wait to get home and watch.

Mostly, I LOVED the banter in this book. That is an automatic booster for me in any book I read and this didnt disappoint!

(4.5 stars)

This was a lovely read. The book wrapped up the series in such a great way. The family was so deeply present in this book in a way that felt natural and not just like fan service. Meanwhile, Isabelle and Nik were such wonderful characters to read about. I loved learning about them and seeing them fall for each other. A great read!!

This is my introduction to Grace Reilly and although this is a stand-alone, I think I would have benefited from reading the previous books in the series to get a full sense of Izzy and her family, and the epilogue would have been more meaningful to me.
However, Izzy and Nik are easy to like, they’re relatable, cute (Izzy) and their story is engaging.
I enjoyed the relationship between them; their secret summer fling, their unexpected second chance and the way they both grew and supported each other. Both had some issues to overcome which they helped each other with.
This is quite a long book. It is emotional, romantic, sporty (hockey and volleyball), steamy, angsty, swoony and fun, with secrets, great family and friends, communication, support and witty banter. It is wrapped up beautifully with a wonderful HEA and an epilogue that ties up the whole series.
I recommend you check the TWs as there are some elements that may be difficult for sensitive readers.

🏐🏒 Happy Release Day to Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly!!! 🏐🏒

I CAN’T BELIEVE THE BEYOND THE PLAY SERIES IS OVER 😭 Thank you to Grace Reilly & Avon books for the physical and eARC of Wicked Serve 💕

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (3/5)

✨ “Even behind the sunglasses, the endless blue of her eyes leaves me breathless.“ ✨

Grace Reilly really saved the best for last in Wicked Serve!! Izzy and Nik’s story made me so giddy—I fell in love with them from the first page. I didn’t think that Grace could possibly make a spicier novel but she DID (🥵🥵🥵). Izzy and Nik’s secret friends-with-benefits was my favorite premise of all the Beyond the Play books. The fact that Izzy’s love interest also happens to be her older brother Cooper’s hockey rival/enemy? I.AM.SOLD!!!

I wasn’t sure if I’d love Nik after seeing him in Breakaway but he became my favorite MMC of the Beyond the Play series. I don’t usually like cocky men however I am making an exception because PHEW. The way he’s equal parts broody, considerate, and protective of Izzy made for so many delicious moments throughout the story. He does some of the most romantic things I’ve ever seen an MMC do, and that alone needs to convince you to read Wicked Serve. Also, I appreciated that Grace flushed out Nik’s backstory and shows not only his love for Izzy but his desire to heal from his family trauma.

✨ “You have a big heart, Izzy. That’s rarer than you’d think it would be.” ✨

Even though I loved Nik, I ADORED Izzy. The youngest Callahan was always a highlight for me in the other Beyond the Play books and seeing her as the main character was so much fun! She’s a sunny, sassy, and sweet character. I felt for her as she tried to show who she is outside of her family’s legacy and her brothers’ shadow. Nik shows her how she deserves to be treated and seeing her embrace that confidence and be empowered too was lovely to see.

I genuinely cannot say enough about how much I loved Wicked Serve 🥺 This story seriously has it all—It was a perfect end to the Callahan sibling’s story & I’ll be thinking about the epilogue for the foreseeable future 😭

Thanks so much to Grace Reilly, Valentine PR, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of Wicked Serve. I am so very sad to see this series come to an end, but I’ve been looking forward to Isabelle Callahan’s book for seemingly forever so quite a few mixed emotions going on!
 
Wicked Serve follows the youngest Callahan, Isabelle, and her love interest, Nikolai (her brother Cooper’s rival). After a whirlwind summer fling that ends suddenly, Isabelle is ready for the school year to begin at McKee University where she hopes to forget all about Nik and go after her desired position on the volleyball court, setter. However, after getting kicked out of his old school (for taking the fall for another player’s mistake), Nik has now transferred to McKee and he has no desire to let their summer fling stay in the summer. I loved how the two of them had a backstory coming into this book and that we got little glimpses into that time. The way the two of them learn to open up to each other as they get closer, Isabelle with her fears about volleyball and not living up to expectations and Nik with the truth about his father (TW: domestic abuse), was beautiful to read and I loved getting their story so much.
 
Wicked Serve was a strong finish to Grace Reilly’s Beyond the Play series and I am so excited to see what’s coming up next from her!

Happy release day to Wicked serve by Grace Reilly!! Thank you @netgallery and @authorgracereilly for the ARC!

You’ll love this book if you love these tropes:
🏒 College sports romance (Hockey player x Volleyball player)
🏐 Brother’s rival
💕 Insta-love
✌🏼 Dual POV
🥰 Second chance
🏡 Secret relationship
🧠 Mental health rep

Isabelle is striving to for the setter position in volleyball and needs to gain her coach’s trust. Nikolai, a hockey player who is forced to transfer schools, end up at McKee University where Isabelle’s brother is the team captain.

This book had me hook from the start!! The insta-love trope made this read feel fast paced and I absolutely ate it up! Both characters were so supportive of each other as they work towards their own goals and dreams. ☁️ Those bedroom scenes thoooo 🥵🌶️

Wicked serve is Book 4 in the Beyond the Play series. I read this book as a standalone and I didn’t feel lost in the storyplot. Some characters from the previous books appeared but it didn’t take away from the story! 4⭐️s for me!

I absolutely loved Nik. I loved his past and the pain and growth he went through. I loved that no matter what he did everything to be different from his past.
Isabelle was exactly what I pictured her as in the other books! I loved that they started love over the summer and all came full circle.
I think the growth and love we got to see build was perfect ! 🤗

I loved this series and loved this book ! Could t put this down!!

If you need a slow paced romance where the couples are obsessed with each other, but they are trying to keep it casual and a SECRET, this is it. Add to it, a flirty male interest with a smart mouth, Russian accent and traumatic past.
* Sports romance
* Brother's friend
* Summer fling turned to more
* Supportive caring, relationship
* Secret relation & sneaking around
* Good family and friends circle
* Really spicy - 4.5/5
* TW: DV, panic attacks
I really enjoyed the romantic moments, the friendship/ family circle. It has so many moments with the couples from previous books in the series, so those who love them will get it as the cherry on top.
Overall it was okay. I found the pacing slow for my liking. There could have been more tension or sneaking around to keep the intrigue. I liked Nikolai, even though Izzy was caring and supportive, I also found her little pushy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for this advanced copy. You can pick up Wicked Serve on August 13, 2024.

This was one of the spiciest hockey romances I've read yet, and if you're a fan of lots of sexy scenes and fun banter, then this is definitely your book! I'll admit I found it a bit unnecessary and repetitive at times, especially when we could've seen more emotional character development instead. But it mainly comes down to personal preference.


I loved the sibling interactions and ways that family played into this story, though! It made the character arcs feel more satisfying by the end, and lead to a happy conclusion for the series as a whole.

While I likely won't pick this one up again, I can definitely see how other hockey romance stans will love it -- especially if they enjoy forbidden romance, brother's rival, forced proximity, and he falls first.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

“You’re everything to me, Isabelle. You’re stubborn warmth and wild summertime.”

✨Wicked Serve is a new adult college sports romance that is full of swoony moments, heat, sports, and secret dating. I loved Nik and Izzy’s story. They’re two characters who have inner insecurities that they have to work on, but still support each other anyway they can. This book felt like it was healing me with their character development. Nik has a traumatic past, but he didn’t let that get in the way. He did anything he could to make Izzy happy. Izzy felt as if she were in the shadows for a long time but found her own strength and worth. Ugh I truly adore them 🥹

“мой любимый“

✨Wicked Serve has:
🖤 Sports romance
❄️ Secret dating
🏒 Hockey / volleyball
🩷 Cute nickname
🐈 Trauma
💎 Forbidden romance
🖤 Brother’s rival

✨Blurb: 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.

Thank you for this ARC 🫶🏼

Being able to read all about the Callahan siblings from beginning to end was such a journey and it ended perfect with Izzy and her man Nikolai. Their love story is fun and bubbly from being friends with benefits to them getting a second chance. Both dealing with their own struggles 🥲

•Ice Hockey / Volleyball
•Found Family
•Child Trauma
•Mental Health rep
•Secret Romance

Nikolai ends up going to McKee university to play alongside Cooper (still my favourite from the series, sowwie) and he meets Izzy again, still smitten with her from the summer prior. Moments had me laughing and swooning! 🤍

I loveeeeeeed the other siblings being part of the book, it was so enjoyable to read. Everyone is just hard to dislike imo. It was such an adorable read🥲

Full of cute moments and spicy ones too 😏 I was pleasantly surprised how naughty Nik was! 🥵

So sad to see this series end! It will always be one of my favourites 🥹 can’t wait to see what more comes from Grace in the future 🤍🤍

4.5/5 stars
2.5/5 spice

hockey player x volleyball player, college, secret relationship, he falls first (and hard), grumpy sunshine, brother's rival

Oh how I adore this series from Grace! I've loved every book and I'm SO SAD to see the series ending. Nikolai and Izzy met over the summer (before the books starts) and fell hard until he disappeared on her. Flash forward a few weeks to the start of school and suddenly guess who has showed up on her campus? That's right, Nikolai is back and they just can't stay away from each other. These two were magnets, it's like no matter how hard they tried they couldn't help but be together. Throw in a rivalry between Nikolai and Izzy's brother Cooper along with some sneaking around and we're in for a good time.

On a more serious note, Grace never shies away from deeper issues. Watching Nikolai deal with his past/parental issues while also seeing Izzy come of age and into her own all made my heart happy.

Thank you Grace, VPR and Net Galley for an ARC of this story!

DNF....

I so wanted this to be my book as I played club and school volleyball but immediately when I got a whiff of toxic coach ESPECIALLY from a woman coach to a girl athlete..This just brought painful memories that I just dont wanna live through so I dont think this is the book for me....

Okay first things first Grace always knows how to give us everything we crave, and we have been building for Izzy's book for years now...and it was worth the wait.

side note - I love when you get a sports romance that is different and not talked about all that much, here we get hockey and volleyball! Which I love. Watching Izzy on her volleyball team and going through the motions and her drive is epic!

Okay now back to the review.

Nik and Izzy have a summer romance that burns hot, but it ends before it could really start...until trouble strikes and Nik is no longer at his old college but checking in to Mckee. The college where Izzy is studying, as well as her brother and his biggest rival in hockey. It is all the ingredients for a perfect storm and that is exactly what Grace delivered.

🏐 Sports Romance (hockey mmc & volleyball fmc)
🏐 Brothers Rival turned Teammate
🏐 Secret Relationship / Forbidden
🏐 Panic Disorder Rep
🏐 Found Family

I will say that at times I feel like we were getting a lot of side story drama, which I loved the snippets from the other couples in this series, but if you haven't read books 1, 2 & 3 it might feel like a lot of extraness. So my recommendation is to read the other books in the series. Yes this can be read alone, but we see so much of them (specifically Cooper & Pen which is breakaway book 2) that it helps tie the story together and you get a feel of Izzy along the way.

Also I understand why Nik is who he is and I love that he doesn't try to put up a front of anything with Izzy. When he can't talk he can't talk and he communicates that. She knows he's not telling her things, but he doesn't come off as the type to make her worry about what he could be insinuating.

I received a copy of Wicked Serve as an ARC from Net Galley and the author and I'm giving my honest review.

All in all it was a great read for me. I 10/10 recommend to everyone, especially as we're ending summer and going into the school season. We get to spend holidays with the Callahan fam in this book, I mean does it get any better than that?!?!?!

Wicked Serve is college hockey/volleyball romance with a sprinkle of millionaire boyfriend vibes. The fourth in the series, it does feature previous main characters in the series and mentions events that occurred previously, but as someone who has only read one other I do think you can read it as a standalone.

This book is light on plot and heavy on smut, which is a problem given how long the novel is. Sometimes the characters read thirty and sometimes they felt sixteen. Overall I had a fine time, but I got very frustrated that the characters had the exact same fight with the exact same response multiple times. No growth or no acknowledgment which left it feeling stagnant.

Do I believe they care about each other? Absolutely. Was I rooting for them? Sadly, no.

CW: child abuse, domestic violence (not between the main characters), panic attacks.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an Arc in exchange for an honest review!