I was so excited to read this because I have really enjoyed this series but unfortunately I feel a tad let down by this one. First off, I couldn't understand what the intended age audience or genre was supposed to be. These were teenagers, I believe, 19, so sometimes it felt like I was reading YA and sometimes it felt like they were trying to act like they were much older. I also struggled with the FMC really pushing the MMC to open up when he wasn't ready. There were definitely some cute moments throughout and the spice was spicin' but in the end I think I was hoping for a bit more as a final installment.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC!

Wicked Serve
AVAILABLE AUGUST 13

This is a beautiful romance with characters who support each other and plenty of spice. I did feel that Wicked Serve was a bit heavier than the others in the series and I loved it even more for that. This book tackles anxiety, panic attacks and physical abuse trauma.
My favorite moments were when Nikolai spoke Russian to Isabelle. He was definitely swoon worthy!

TROPES:
☀️ Hockey and Volleyball
🩷 Mental Health Rep
☀️ College Romance
🩷 Secret relationship
☀️ Brother's Rival/teammate
🩷 Found Family
☀️ Dual POV

Wicked serve is the fourth and final book in the Beyond the Play Series and it was absolutely cute!

Izzy and Nikolai’s story was adorable! I laughed, teared up a bit and even felt flushed with the spicy scenes. I enjoyed the angst between Izzy and Nik and the way Nik made Izzy feel, ugh so good!

If you loved the first three books in the series and enjoy sports romance then this one is a must read!

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for a chance to read this!

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This is a college hockey romance between Nikolai, a Russian hockey player who ends up on the hockey team of a rival university. Isabelle Callahan and Nikolai Abney-Volkov had a summer fling before he arrived at McKee to play hockey. I truly love how the plot develops in this book as Izzy & Nik’s relationship evolves and more insecurities and emotions come into play. The relationship is lovely.

Here’s what I love about this hockey romance:

1. Nikolai and Isabelle’s relationship is quite tender & loving. He supports her when she feels she’s not as put together as her brothers and sister.

2. When Nikolai joins the hockey team at McKee, he has a mature discussion with Isabelle’s brother Cooper who is the team captain.

3. Nikolai has some demons from his childhood that he tries to hide from everyone until he shares his past with Isabelle who is there to support and care for him.

4. The relationships between Nikolai and Isabelle’s family members have a unique dynamic that is sometimes great and sometimes painful.

SPICE: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

TROPES:
- Former hockey rivals turned teammates
- Summer fling to true love

TRIGGERS:
- manipulative & verbally abusive father (present)
- domestic violence (past)
- childhood trauma
- panic attacks

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It was one of those books that when I wake up in the middle of the night I found myself reading some more rather than falling back to sleep. However, but the second half of the book had weird pacing and it didn't keep my attention as much as the first. For that reason I'm rating it 3 stars. I enjoyed the characters and the serious topics and felt they were handled with care. I will be reading more by this author asap.

This book was delightful!!! I have loved meeting each Callahan, and for a while there Cooper was my favorite until Isabelle ❤️

I really loved the development of Nikolai and Isabelle’s relationship. The give and take and their willingness to support each other, especially because Nik’s parents’ relationship was strained. He knew what he didn’t want to turn out like and worked to be better.

The way he called her solnishko 🥹☀️
MY FREAKIN HEART!!!

I’m still swooning over this entire book!! It just made me happy.

ALSO, getting to see the rest of the Callahan’s and how their HEA’s are still thriving — gahhhh 🥹🥹🥹

Wicked Serve is the fourth book in the Beyond The Play series by Grace Reilly. It's a new adult (college) brother's rival sports romance (both main characters are athletes, which I love!). This is the first book I've read by this author, and I am in love with her writing! I will definitely be reading the first three books in this series.

Nikolai (Nik) and Isabelle (Izzy) were scorching hot together! Their chemistry was undeniable every time they were near each other, but Izzy's brother was completely against it, because he didn't want Izzy to end up getting hurt, so there's a lot of sneaking around and stolen kisses. After some twists and turns, I was so happy to see them get their HEA. Highly recommended with more than five stars!

Unfortunately, I will have to give this book somewhere between a 2.75 and 3.25. For now, I will just say 3 stars!

While the premise was cute and there was a plot that had the potential to be better presented, the flow was too disconnected for me. I enjoy romances with spice 🌶️, but it's more important to me that the plot and pace are solid. This book had far too many scenes that were entirely unnecessary for pushing the story forward. Also, towards the end it felt like we were just getting more and more and more information and moments just to drag the story out.

That being said, I was interested in learning more about the MMC's family dynamic, his past experiences, and the complications he was going through in life. The FMC's storyline was wonky and bit less interesting to me as a reader. However, together, the FMC and MMC had very cute moments together.

Albeit, mostly lustful moments - but cute.

Thank you NetGalley, Valentine PR, Avon Books, and Grace Reilly for allowing me to review this ARC.

3.5⭐️ rounded up to 4⭐️

Wow I did not expect to be sent on that emotional Rollercoaster

Wicked serve follows Nikolai and Isabelle; after ending their summer fling to head back to college, these two are drawn back together when Nikolai is expelled from the rival college he attended and transfers to McKee, where of course, Isabelle attends.

What I loved about this book; I absolutely loved how Nik and Izzy weren't afraid of admitting their attraction and feelings to each other. And that they were both willing to discuss the hard topics and have an actual conversation so there was little to no miscommunication.

I absolutely loved seeing James and Bex again and honestly the whole family. ❤️

What I didn't love was how long this book felt. There were a few things that I just knew were going to happen and I had to be anxious for half the book because of the pacing and that just made it a little hard for me.

Overall, this was a very good read, especially if you read the first 3 of the beyond the play series!

There were a couple harder topics talked about in the book such as child abuse & domestic abuse. So I would check tws before reading once it comes out!

A big thank you to Avon books/ Harper publishing and Netgalley for gifting this eARC in exchange for an honest review! ❤️

Izzy Callahan has been struggling. She isn’t sure where she fits in with her volleyball team or with her family, and she isn’t sure what she wants out of her life. Then she meets Nik, and things seem like they’re coming up Izzy. Too bad they’re casual and only for the summer. When classes begin, they will be separated by several hours and state lines. Not to mention the complexity that is Nik’s rivalry with Izzy’s older brother. So imagine her surprise when she runs into Nik at a back to school party at McKee University.

Nikolai Abney-Volkov has a plan: finish college, sign with a team in the NHL, and play hockey professionally. But when life gets complicated and Nikolai finds himself kicked off his team and out of his college, he has to transfer for his senior year. Thankfully, his grandfather has connections and finds Nik a spot at McKee on their hockey team. It comes with a price, though: give up his dream of playing professional hockey and instead shift his focus to the family business after graduation. The only bright part of his situation is found in his new captain’s little sister — one Izzy Callahan.

What starts as sneaking around and insisting things are casual becomes more than either bargained for. But will Izzy’s family or Nikolai’s past come between them?

~~~

“I can burn brighter. That’s my specialty. I burn and I burn until I’m nothing, until I’m alone again.”

I am OBSESSED with Izzy Callahan!! A feisty, competitive athlete who loves all things pink and girly? My kinda girl. As Izzy struggles to find out where she fits into her family and her team, she is constantly uplifted by Nik and discovers passions she never knew she had. She is by far my favorite Callahan sibling, and I don’t think it’s even close!

“If she’s sunshine, I’m the guy who hopes it never stops raining. But deep down, I worry that I’m the typhoon.”

And Nikolai?? What a man! He is struggling with his past, his mental health, and what is coming in the future—the one he never planned for. Despite his struggles, deep down he’s just a teddy bear who wants to be loved for who he is, not what he brings to the ice.

Nik and Izzy together are electric, and I couldn’t get enough! Add in the cameos from the other Callahans, and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect end to the Callahan siblings series!

Wicked Serve

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶

"You’re mine, solnishko. Every part of you.”

Nik just became my favorite 'Callahan' 😉

After getting expelled from his university Nikolai makes a deal with his grandfather - finish college and continue playing hockey his senior year and forego his contract with the NHL... but when his grandfather says that he will be completing his senior year at McKee, he knows that he's not going to be able to stay away from his summee Sunshine Girl and she's not going to let him give up hockey

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
Brothers Rival/Teammate
Forbidden
Hockey & Volleyball
Summer Romance
Found Family

Okay first things first, I can't believe I got picked for an ARC of this and thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for picking me🥹💜

Now to the good stuff!

I have loved each Callahan sibling so much and I'm sad to see this series come to an end, BUT Nikolai stole my whole heart! I absolutely love him and Isabelle as a couple; the way they understand and support each other is beautifully touching. Their romance, even though it started hidden, was always cared for by both of them and it was their priority to be open and talk to each other. My favorite part, however, was watching Nikolai deal with his past and how it impacted his future. I looked forward to and anticipated his chapters more than anything else in this whole story.

Can't wait to read more from Grace Reilly in the future!

2.5 stars, I’ll round it to 3 for the spice

For context, I have not read the other books in the series from Grace Reilly. So this review pertains to this book only!

I wanted to love this book because I did hear really good things about the series.
Don’t get me wrong, the spice was spicing. I loved that & the tension. Nikolai’s hard exterior softening for Isabel, and the whole ‘touch her and die’ had me swooning. A hockey player with a dark past, a scar on his face, who slips in some russian for some extra smolder-y effect? Hot hot hot.

Unfortunately I just felt like the story line dragged on in between. For the most part, it’s a typical college-problems type book, turning some not so serious things into serious but while the actual serious issues don’t get a lot of attention or story line. I loved that we got a lot of Nikolai, I hate when we ignore the MMC because I feel like they offer good perspective. I didn’t love Isabelle’s perspective in the book. A little unnecessary dramatics, but absolutely loved the Callahan family dynamics.

With that being said - I would definitely go back and still read the other books the author wrote for this series. You get a little glimpse of these couples in the book, I assume (again, haven’t read the other books at the time of this review) and I feel like they may offer a romantic story as well.

Thank you to the author, publisher, & Valentine PR for allowing me to read this ARC! I will review on goodreads & Amazon when the book is released

ARC REVIEW
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

Nikolai and Isabelle were the perfect ending to the beyond the play series. This book was fun, spicy and the chemistry between these two from the start made it such an easy read.

They had me feeling all the emotions throughout the book but i couldn’t have had a better ending.

Wicked Serve is out August 13th
If you like:
🏐 volleyball x hockey player
🏒 brother’s rival turned teammate
🏐 broody x bubbly
🏒 he has a nickname for her in russian
Then this book is for you ❤️‍🔥

Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly (Beyond the Play, Book 4)

"If she's Sunshine, I'm the guy who hopes it never rains." - Nikolai

Synopsis: Izzy’s secret summer fling with her brother’s biggest hockey rival gets complicated when he transfers to their school and her brother’s hockey team. What should have been a distant memory is now right in front of her face, asking if she missed him with a cocky smirk. Izzy and Nikolai simply cannot be near each other without fear of giving in to temptation. They can’t fight each other’s pull, but it could never turn into anything real… could it? Will they fight for a future together or watch it go up in flames?
Plot: 4 ⭐

Tropes: College hockey & volleyball. Forbidden romance/secret rendezvous. Brother’s rival/Turned teammate. Second chance. Found family.

Characters: 4.5⭐
Izzy Callahan: Youngest Callahan sibling and only daughter. Izzy’s sport is Volleyball, and she has a passion for event planning. We know her on a surface level from previous books in the series, but we get to know her on a deeper level in her book.
Nikolai Abney-Volkov: Captain of the rival hockey team, and Izzy’s Summer fling. He had briefly appeared in a hockey game in a previous book, but here we meet him and learn all about him and his past.
We get updates on the rest of the Callahan family as they appear throughout the book.
Nik’s mom, Grandfather, and estranged Russian father are important characters as well.

Chemistry: 5⭐
Listen. Chemistry was definitely not a problem with these two! 🔥In fact, the spice was spicing. It’s the emotional stuff they need to work on!

Readability/Vibes: 4⭐
I liked the story and enjoyed reading it. However the back half of this book seemed to drag on due to pacing, story diversions, and what seems like repeated conversations. Some of it was due to multiple spicy scenes, which were🔥, but did add to the length of the book. It just felt about 10-15% too long, unnecessarily.

Spice: 5⭐ / 3.5 🌶️

Overall Rating: 4.25⭐ rounded to 4

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. Thank you to NetGalley, Valentine PR and Grace Reilly.

#WickedServe #WickedServeBook #NetGalley #ValentinePR #AvonBooks #authorgracereilly #wickedservegracereilly #ARCReview #ARCReader #SportsRomance #AvonBooks #bookstagram #romancebookstagram #jaimison1221_reads

4.5 Stars Rounded Up

What an end to an era of reading! This series has been a freaking delight from start to finish. Adding in these two hot tamales into the mix was pure perfection and just so much fun to read.

I loved the Russian elements Reilly brought into this book. I think that was one of the things that made this one stand out among her other titles. I also really liked how into each other Nico and Izzy were. Even through the 'brother's best friend' and 'works for his mom' moments, their relationship was fueled by chemistry and lust and they didn't spend chapters whining about how wrong things were or why they shouldn't be hooking up.

This progressed from a summer fling, to secret hook ups, to full on dating. I liked the way things moved and the drama that ensued at each milestone for the couple. I thought some of the annoying decision making was age appropriate for them and also tracked with each of their trauma. I did find the book a bit long, some plot lines lingered and there were a full dull spots, but I still really, really loved this book.

This whole series captured me from the beginning! I read First Down and Breakaway a few months after they came out, and read Stealing Home on release day. I was so excited to finally get to read Izzy's happy ending as the youngest and only girl. The Callahan family brought me so much joy and I've loved reading their stories.

4.5 rounded up!!! i absolutely loved nikolai and izzy’s story. i thought it was a hell of a way to finish out this series. they were so freaking adorable. and the narrators did a beautiful job bringing these two to life 🩷

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Nikolai and Isabelle had a whirlwind summer romance, one that seemingly had to end once college started again. Izzy was all set to try to forget about Nik… until he shows up at McKee University, claiming that he transferred and will be joining the hockey team with Izzy’s brother.

After getting kicked out of his previous school for an incident for which he was not at fault, Nik transfers to McKee to join his formal rival on the hockey team. This also just so happens to bring him back together with Izzy, his sunshine girl and the one who he didn’t want to let get away.

Though they initially know they shouldn’t be seen together, Izzy and Nik’s relationship quickly fires up again, proving that they can’t stay away from each other. They need to sneak around lest Izzy’s brother and Nik’s now teammate catch wind of what they’re up to, but they both quickly learn that avoiding notice is way harder than it initially seemed. Will Nik and Izzy be able to keep it casual, or will their explosive chemistry catch someone’s notice?

I’ve been looking forward to reading this book for some time now, and was absolutely honored to receive an ARC! I LOVE the rest of the Beyond the Play series from Reilly, and was super stoked that they were playing volleyball in this one, since it’s my favorite sport to play! Nik & Izzy’s relationship was super adorable… I’m OBSESSED with Nik! I love a man who wants to better himself for his friends, family and his partner. I also loved Izzy’s bubbly nature and found her struggles with finding how she fit in with her family relatable and real. She’s so incredibly sweet! This was another amazing book by Grace, and I’m so happy with how this series has wrapped. The Beyond the Play series will always have a very special place in my heart!

I recommend this book for readers who love volleyball, vulnerable MMCs and zesty spice!

Tropes in this story:
✨Summer love affair / temporary love turned friends-with-benefits
✨Sports (volleyball & hockey) romance
✨Brother’s rival turned teammate turned best friend
✨Mental health / anxiety rep
✨Broody MMC & bubbly FMC

I received an Advanced Reading Copy of this book via NetGalley, but my review is all my own.

It’s been a long wait for Nik and Izzy, but it was WORTH IT!!!

Nik and Izzy had some serious chemistry, with all their sneaking around, I’m so surprised that it took everyone so long to catch on! They were a smoking hot furnace in an uncontrollable blaze.

I didn’t expect *that* level of spice… holy HELL! It was so damn spicy! Grace really stepped it up! Honestly, how do publishers allow this level of spice to be trad pub-d! ;)

I loved the third act drama, it was sad, but it showed their inner strength and love for each other.

That epilogue, it was so lovely to see a little snippet of how the whole Callahan family is happy and in love! It made all the angst (and long waiting) worth it!

❝ If she's sunshine, i'm the guy who hopes it never rains. ❞

This book follows hockey defenseman Nikolai Abney and volleyball setter Isabelle Callahan. The way the book started isn’t ideal for romance books, but I loved it because it brought something different to the table that isn’t normally done. They had so many adorable and wholesome moments together, and I devoured each scene. Him giving Izzy the nickname ‘My Little Sunshine’ made me cry for no reason. Nikolai would flip the entire world on its axis if it meant Izzy being happy with the life she deserves.

Isabelle Callahan—oh my god, she had the biggest heart. How she wanted to prove herself to everyone around her hurt my heart. I adored her character; I related to her in so many ways, and I knew from the first time she was mentioned in the series that I would fall in love with her! She deserves the entire world, and I am so happy she got that chance with Nikolai.

Nikolai Abney deserves the entire world and more. His story broke me, and throughout the book I found myself always wanting to give him the biggest hug. He always managed to put a smile on Izzy's face. Everything he does for those he loves made me melt because he has the biggest heart. I'm so happy he got the ending he deserves and the family he dreamed of!

*Thank you to vpr, netgalley, and the author, Grace Reilly, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*