Nikolai, a committed hockey player, is determined to create an unforgettable final season. However, his transfer to McKee University for his senior year puts his team position at risk, especially with Isabelle's older brother as the team captain – the same girl he spent the summer with discreetly. Rekindling their bond could jeopardize his team standing and bring to light his troubled history, complicating any possibility of a genuine relationship. Despite the obstacles, meeting Isabelle again rekindles his intense feelings. On the other hand, Izzy's sophomore year ambitions include reclaiming her former volleyball role and moving on from Nikolai. Nevertheless, his reappearance in her life makes it challenging for her to maintain her distance. This novel weaves together a mix of anguish and heartfelt emotions, capturing a genuine and beautiful love story.

4.25⭐️

🏒Sportsmance (Volleyball and Hockey)
🏐Brother’s Rival turned Teammate
🏒Summer Fling to Secret Relationship
🏐Boy Obsessed
🏒Found Family
🏐Mental Health and Panic Attacks Rep

It’s been a while since I’ve read the first 2 books in this series (last year) and I DNFd book 3 in June, so I might not be remembering this author’s writing style accurately. But this book felt sweeter, more…sugary sweet. At first it was hard to connect with because of that and I have been in a more intense and darker reading mood. I also would have preferred this book’s prologue start at the game Nik and Cooper have their fight in book 2 from Nik’s POV, then begin at Isabelle and Nik’s first summer meeting. I would have loved to see their relationship progress from there to including where the book ended up. I feel it would have been a better use of the book length. BUT…with all that, I ended loving this book!

Nik has a playboy-bad boy reputation…but he admits it’s a little blown out of proportion. And seeing him with Isabelle and at his new school makes me swoon for him. He is a caretaker and protector! But he also breaks my heart with what he actually hides. He feels he is darkness and unworthy of Isabelle’s sunshine. I love Izzy’s bubbly personality and I hate how she feels lacking compared to her brothers. Isabelle and Nik are so sweet together, they accept and encourage and stand up for each other, and take care of the other. This book had A LOT of spice! Not quite as heated as books 1 and 2 but still hot! I love the found family Nik finds! Isabelle and Nik really come into their own by the end of the book, and I am happy how it all played out. I couldn’t get enough of the previous books’ couples either, this book really wraps up this family’s story. 😊

"Wicked Serve" by Grace Reilly is a thrilling blend of sports, romance, and emotional depth that kept me hooked from start to finish. With a perfect mix of hockey and volleyball action, a swoon-worthy romance, and powerful depictions of mental health, this book delivers a satisfying and engaging read.

The chemistry between Nik and Izzy was electric, with Nik's Russian-speaking skills being a definite bonus. The sensitive and authentic portrayal of mental health struggles, particularly Nik’s journey to cope with his past trauma, was beautifully done and added depth to his character. Watching Izzy come into her own and find her passion and career was both inspiring and heartwarming.

What I loved:
1. Hockey + Volleyball 🏐 (I played volleyball in high school so this was nostalgic for me)
2. Nik's Russian ❤️‍🔥
3. Mental Health Rep ❤️‍🩹

However, I did feel that the book was a bit long, and some moments could have been trimmed down to keep the pace tighter. But even with that, I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience and found myself invested in Nik and Izzy's journey.

"Wicked Serve" is a must-read for fans of new adult sports romance, offering a perfect mix of swoons, spice, and emotional moments. If you love sports, heartfelt romance, and characters who fight through their struggles, this book is for you!

**Thank you Valentine PR and Grace Reilly for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

I'm DNFing this one at about 25%. I didn't realize this was part of a series when I signed up to receive an ARC, and though it could probably be read as a standalone, I think reading the previous books would have made me like the FMC more. She came off as whiney to me, and it was really just grating on my nerves. Now if I would have seen her struggles with the abandonment from her ex and living up to her parents expectations throughout the first three books in the series, I think I might have stuck this book out. Or if there would have been more background on those issues for her in this book. I didn't hate the writing, and the spice was already spicing, so there's a good chance I'll be going back and reading the other books in the series and will eventually come back around to this one.

Please ignore the 1 star rating below. I don't think this is a 1 star book. I don't feel justified giving it any rating based on my review, but I have to choose a star rating before this review and be submitted.

Wicked Serve is the 4th and final book in Grace’s Beyond the Play series and follows Isabelle and Nikolai.

This book touches on some heavy topics, so please check the content warnings before reading. Grace handles these topics with care, grade, kindness, and compassion.

The story and character development in this book is top notch. Watching Izzy and Nik’s journey was a master class in showing rather than telling. When a book plays like a movie in my mind, I’m a happy reader.

This book has the perfect balance of a well-developed plot and spice. Watching these characters navigate through childhood trauma and feeling like they’re not enough was special, and the mental health rep was so well done. I can’t wait to see what Grace gives us next.

Oof this was a spicy one! If you love spicy, hockey romances then look no further because this is the book for you! The chemistry between the two characters was incredibly strong and I liked the progression of the romance. I also loved the way the secret romance was handled in this story and the mental health representation.

Both main characters are dealing with there own issues when it comes to their families and self-worth, and it was incredible to see the two of them overcome these challenges with one another.

The main reason this book was five stars for me was that it kind of dragged on a bit at the end. This book is over 400 pages and I definitely think a good chunk at the end could've been condensed without jeopardizing the storyline.

Read if you like:
- Hockey romances
- Secret Relationships
- Brother's Rival
- Mental Health Rep
- All the spice!!

Truly, this was such a beautifully written book. Nik and Izzy had such a strong development throughout the book. They went from secret friends with benefits to a strong beautiful couple. Nik’s childhood trauma and relationship with his parents had a great ARC. I kept waiting for that show to drop. I loved that Nik took the time to work on himself before he could give his all to Izzy. They both deserved that.

Wicked Serve is the final book in the Beyond the Play series which makes this a bit bittersweet. I have been with this series from the beginning and loved each story. I am so happy we got Izzy's book and that it was not just a fantastic story itself but a nice conclusion to the series.

I have been looking forward to Izzy's book since we really saw her in Breakaway. She seemed like a wild child and I anticipated seeing who Reilly would match her with. I was pleasantly surprised that her match was Nikolai. Her brother's rival? I knew this was gonna be filled with drama and spice.

I was blown away by how heartfelt this was. It has the romcom aspects and spicy parts, but the heartfelt moments are what truly got me. Nikolai is so much more than he initially seems. His backstory is heartbreaking. I thought Reilly did a wonderful job representing the effects of child abuse and mental health. Nikolai was such a marshmallow. I really loved his character. Izzy was great too. I loved her spunk and heart of gold.

Nikolai and Izzy were a incredible couple. Not only did they have high heat chemistry between them but they also connected on an emotional level which got me invested in their relationship. They were a perfect pairing.

This book has the classic Reilly spice! Phew!! Don't let the cover fool you otherwise.

Would recommend this awesome book to everyone who loves sports romance, spicy romance, and romcoms with heart.

Thank you grace for the e-arc
4.8 stars

Another dazzling hit by one of my fave authors.
Telling the story between a volleyball player and a
hockey player.
The author fully showcasted the emotions and attractions between the two. It was a fun read in conclusion. It's so easy to connect with the characters and put myself in their shoes.
Izzy, the FMC, is the most loveable character I've ever met. Her love for vibrate colours and koalas make it impossible not to fall in love with her.
As for Niki, the author correctly protrayed the aftermath of domestic violence though in my opinion, the path to healing can be eleborated to give us a better understanding of the character.

I've loved every Beyond the Play book I've read and I'm in love with the characters, but Isabelle & Nikolai stole my heart in a special way, and I think Grace Reilly gave this series the ending it deserved. Also, Wicked Serve has a really good plot, heartbreaking, funny and very sweet, I LOVED Izzy & Nik as individual characters, as a couple and the way Cooper & Sebastian are present and important to both main characters.

Isabelle is the youngest Callahan, a sweet & kind girl who loves pink, plays volleyball and had the best summer with her brother's rival: Nikolai. I loved Isabelle, I think she's my favorite girl in this series and, although that broke my heart, I liked that she's much more complex than she seemed in the previous books: constantly comparing her achievements and sports talent with the ones of her brothers, believing that she's not enough in various aspects of her life and trying to convince herself that she's not in love with Nik, but despite her insecurities and doubts, Izzy is a girl who knows what she wants and who fights to get it. I loved that Isabelle showed her abilities & talent over and over again, especially to her coach, a character that I didn't like at all, I was also very happy reading Sebastian supporting her unconditionally and being the voice of reason alongside Penny when necessary, also, all those moments with the Callahan family melted my heart.

Nikolai is a hockey player who seems to suddenly lose everything, he's misunderstood by his family, carries a lot of guilt due to his past and is being stripped, little by little, of his identity and roots. His life has not been easy and it seems that everything gets worse as the book progresses, but, despite the fact that I suffered a lot by his side, I think that Grace developed his story, traumas and process very well, that is why I managed to empathize a lot with him, get angry with the people around him, including his mother, and enjoy a lot more of his moments in McKee. Something I did not expect was that Cooper would be so present in Nikolai's personal plot, perhaps because these two belonged to rival teams and now they are teammates, but what the author did with them was unexpectedly perfect.

Isabelle & Nikolai shared a summer together in New York while she was interning for his mom, and even though they both agreed that their romance would end when they both returned to their respective universities, life put Nikolai in McKee for his senior year and this pair falls back into one of the most tender and fun secret relationships I've ever read. I think their story was beautiful, even though we only have mentions of their summer together, the story works very well because Nik & Izzy are very easy characters to love, to empathize with, and who have a very strong connection that made me fall in love a little more with each of their interactions.

🏐Isabelle: 5/5
🏒Nikolai: 5/5
🏐Plot: 5/5
🏒Love story: 5/5
🏐Secondary characters: 4.5/5
🏒Universe: 5/5
🌶️: 2/5

He amado todos los libros de Beyond the Play que he leído y estoy enamorada de los personajes, pero Isabelle & Nikolai me robaron el corazón de una manera especial, y creo que Grace Reilly le dio a esta serie el final que merecía. Además, Wicked Serve tiene una trama muy buena, desgarradora, divertida y muy tierna, AMÉ a Izzy & Nik como personajes individuales, como pareja y manera en la que Cooper & Sebastian están presentes y son importantes para ambos personajes principales.

Isabelle es la menor de los Callahan, una chica dulce & amable que ama el color rosa, juega voleibol y pasó el mejor verano junto al rival de su hermano: Nikolai. Isabelle me encantó, creo que es mi chica favorita en esta serie y, aunque me rompió el corazón, me gustó que sea mucho más compleja de lo que parecía en los libros anteriores: comparando constantemente sus logros y talento deportivo con el de sus hermanos, creyendo que no es suficiente en diversos aspectos de su vida y tratando de convencerse de que no esta enamorada de Nik, pero a pesar de sus inseguridades y dudas, Izzy es una chica que sabe lo que quiere y que lucha para conseguirlo. Me encantó que Isabelle demostrara una y otra vez sus capacidades & talento, especialmente a su entrenadora, un personaje que no me gustó nada, también fui muy feliz leyendo a Sebastian apoyándola incondicionalmente y siendo la voz de la razón junto a Penny cuando fue necesario, además, todos esos momentos con la familia Callahan me derritieron el corazón.

Nikolai es un jugador de hockey que parece perderlo todo de repente, es incomprendido por su familia, carga con una gran culpa debido a su pasado y está siendo despojado, poco a poco, de su identidad y sus raíces, su vida no ha sido fácil y pareciera que todo se pone peor mientras avanza el libro, pero, a pesar de que sufrí mucho a su lado, creo que Grace desarrolló la historia, traumas y proceso de este personaje muy bien, por eso es que logré empatizar mucho con él, enojarme con las personas a su alrededor, incluida su mamá, y disfrutar muchísimo más de sus momentos en McKee. Algo que no esperaba fue que Cooper estuviera tan presente en la trama personal de Nikolai, tal vez porque estos dos pertenecían a equipos rivales y ahora son compañeros, pero lo que la autora hizo con ellos fue inesperadamente perfecto.

Isabelle & Nikolai compartieron un verano juntos en Nueva York mientras ella hacía una pasantía para su mamá, y a pesar de que ambos habían acordado que su romance terminaría cuando ambos volvieran a sus respectivas universidades, la vida puso a Nikolai en McKee para su último año y este par cae de nuevo en una de las relaciones secretas más tiernas y divertidas que he leído. Creo que su historia fue hermosa, aún cuando solo tenemos menciones a su verano juntos, la historia funciona muy bien porque Nik & Izzy son personajes muy fáciles de querer, de empatizar con ellos y que tienen una conexión muy fuerte que me hizo enamorarme un poco más con cada una de sus interacciones.

🏐Isabelle: 5/5
🏒Nikolai: 5/5
🏐Trama: 5/5
🏒Historia de amor: 5/5
🏐Personajes secundarios: 4.5/5
🏒Universo: 5/5
🌶️: 2/5

Isabelle is the youngest Callahan sibling, and the only girl to boot. If that's not enough, her dad used to play in the NFL, her oldest brother currently does, Cooper is destined for the NFL, and Sebastian is on the road to being a top notch chef. Striving for perfection on her volleyball team, she is stressed. Enter, Nikolai - her hockey playing hook up from over the summer. And surprise! He now attends her university, playing on her brother's team. The sneaking around is fun, and they're both just trying to blow off steam... Right? But as they start to become friends, and trust each other more, feelings develop. Nik has a secret, and serious issues with his dad to work past. Isabelle needs to prove to herself that she's worth knowing and loving amongst her family of "greats." Can they be who they need to be for each other, too?

💭 This is the fourth in the Beyond the Play series, and is an interconnected stand alone. I easily dove into the story without having read the others! But now I want to go back 🥰. It was fun to see the already developed relationships there. Nik and Isabelle started as a fling, but when situations pushed them back together they couldn't stay away. The sneaking around was fun, and made for a spiiiiicy beginning to this book! I was a little skeptical at first that it would outshine the plot, but it started to even out as they developed their relationship. I liked both character's ambitions and drive; they had individual goals they were aiming for and that took center stage at times. Nik had trauma to work through, and I thought it was realistic the way he was hesitant to get help at first. Isabelle did seem immature at times (but I had to remind myself they're college students). Definitely recommend this to anyone who likes a steamy sports romance!

This book was only okay for me! I had a difficult time getting into it and that’s why it took so long for the review to come. It was okay!

From what I read so far, I’m liking it. I need to be in my hockey era (so another month and a half lol) to fully appreciate the book

“It’s impossible for me not to notice you,” he says. “You walk into a room and I know it’s you, instantly, solnishko. You couldn’t hide from me if you tried.”
—
Rating: 5 ✨
Smut: 🌶️🌶️
—
Am i surprised that Grace Reilly wrote another masterpiece? Absolutely not.

I was really out here thinking no one would beat Cooper as my ultimate bookish boyfriend. But then.. in walks Nikolai😩

The way I adored this character.. I can’t even begin to describe it
He was so soft for Isabelle and he fell first & hard for her so you know I was already in love within the first 20% of this read.
But then his character had so much depth and so many layers to him that I couldn’t help but fall hard for him too, just like Isabelle did😩♥️

The reason for this easy 5 star rating? Grace Reilly writes sports romances that are centred around so much more than “just” sports.
Wicked Serve centres around a summer fling turned forever relationship and the road to getting that forever together 🥹
We got male mental health rep which I’m a sucker for & which was SO well done, sneaking around, boy obsessed, a russian pet name, wholesome character cameos and the perfect epilogue.

I loved seeing where the other couples from previous books wound up and how they all accepted Nikolai into the fold. The bromance between Nikolai & Cooper was also something that I didn’t know I so desperately needed? I loved it.

I also loved how the “flashbacks” of Nik and Izzy’s summer fling were handled. I typically like when we have a long build up of past events but the description of their summer together was so well done that I was instantly rooting for them to wind up together.

I’m so sad to be saying goodbye to these characters, especially Nik & Cooper because this series really has a special place in my heart.
If you haven’t read the Beyond the Play series yet, this is your sign that it’s time, ESPECIALLY so you can read Wicked Serve.

If you love:
🏐 Volleyball playing FMC x Hockey playing MMC
🏐 He falls first and harder
🏐 Traumatic past
🏐 Dual POV
🏐 They push each other to reach their goals

Then this one is PERFECT for you🫶

Thank you x 1 million to Grace Reilly & Valentine PR for trusting me with this arc, definitely one of the best things to happen to me this year

This book is easily my favorite book of this series, which is saying something because each book was so good! I loved the tropes in each book, but brother’s rival turned teammate and I wanted it immediately. Unlike most other rivals to lovers, this book turned out so differently because everyone stepped up and took Nik in like their own family, and with his history that was everything.

Nik and Izzy have such good chemistry, the spice is good in this book, especially as it ranges as these two get comfortable with each other. But also I love how they push each other, they make sure the other feels supported and helps them make all the best decisions even if it isn’t the best for their relationship in the short term.

This book is the perfect balance of emotional, hot, funny, and heartwarming that will have you hooked from start to finish. I was constantly wanting to read the next chapter and couldn’t stop until I was finished!

I had a really hard time getting into and finishing this story.

Overall, I felt like this book was too long and struggled with pacing. There were lots of points in the story that seemed to drag, didn't drive the plot forward, and left the book feeling very repetitive. In addition to this, the book would wrap up problems the characters were facing super quickly. This felt really abrupt and jarring since I didn't have time to connect with the character or see them work through something. I would have appreciated more focus on these tension points and moments of growth over the many filler pages.

I also wish we could have either read about Nik/Izzy's summer fling more or have them get together later on in the book. They started seeing each other (however casually) very early on in the book and I would have appreciated more time where they started to grow a bit more independently since we didn't have a ton of insight into what was driving them together.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC ◡̈

I had moderately high expectations for this book, and for the most part, it delivered! Wicked Serve was a fun, brother's teammate/rival college romance with heart, heat and depth. It was the first book in a while that drew me in and I haven't been o invested in a couple for a long time. I really appreciated the male vulnerability shown by Nik (without spoilers, do look at the TWs at the beginning) and how his vulnerability was written. I also liked the various friendships. I think it could've been cut a bit shorter and some spicy scenes weren't as necessary. Overall, though, this book was highly engaging, and I recommend it to all fans of sports romance.

Thank you to Valetnine's PR and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by the author, and it won’t be my last. I felt the book was very fast paced and kept me engaged the whole time. I do wish that I had read the prior books but feel like it didn’t take away from the story not reading the prior 3. This book kept me very engaged, however I did feel like it was a tad long and could have been a bit shorter.

I loved the continuation of ‘just for the summer’ the second chance if you will. I love how ultimately Nik and Cooper did become besties instead of rivals. The close knit family vibes were very well done. I was really excited about the volleyball aspect as a volleyball girlie myself but also kind of expected more of it? I did have a smidge of a hard time connecting with Isabelle but she did grow on me with how she was there for Nik. Nicks character growth throughout this book was really well done!

Wicked Serve is the fourth college romance book in the Beyond the Play series. Izzy has spent the summer interning with a wedding planner and loved every minute of it, especially her free time when she was hooking up with her boss’ son. Even though it was good while it lasted, nothing with Nikolai was meant to last for the summer, but when Nikolai gets kicked off his hockey team for taking the blame for a friend their paths cross again. With both Nikolai and Izzy at the same school there is no way to avoid the attraction between them. Will they be able to keep a relationship going or will their baggage get in the way?

I haven’t read any of the other books in this series, but do think this can be read as a standalone. I had really high hopes for this book but something fell a little flat for me. I did really enjoyed Nicolai and Izzy together and thought their story was a good read. I am a fan of sports romances and this hit me from both sides with Izzy’s volleyball and Nicolai’s hockey. It was an enjoyable romance, but something was missing for me. The writing and storyline were good too, I just couldn’t get pulled into this book in the same way that I expected to. I am intrigued by this series and could definitely see my self checking out the rest of it. This was a good sports romance read that’s worth picking up.

This was my first read from this author, and I kinda wish I had read the prior 3. The plot of this one was a second chance story, with very little relationship drama.

Nikolai and Isabelle connect again, after their summer fling, but Nik is struggling mentally. Understandable, based on his Grandfather's directive. Isabelle is supportive (but also a bit pushy, in her need to figure him out). Their relationship is definitely steamy, but the D/s scenes didn’t really feel like they fit this couple. My read of this seemed to take longer than my normal speed, and I felt like I needed something to make the pages flip quicker. It was an okay read, and I feel like reading this book and series in order would have given me the best experience.

I received my complimentary ARC from Netgalley, and I voluntarily leave my review.