Was looking forward to this one because I love hockey romance, but unfortunately I’ve had to DNF at 23%. I’m surprised this book has a decently high goodreads rating… maybe it’s just not for me?? I’m basically a quarter of the way through the book and where’s the plot??? Literally all that’s happening is they go to their respective sports practices, just *happen* to run into one another and then go at it in one way or another. The moment that made me DNF was when our FMC started opening up about how the MMC hurt her feelings in the past, and she basically only made it one sentence before he was shoving his tongue down her throat????? There is no reason for there to be 3-4 spicy scenes within the first 20% of a book. I know NOTHING about these characters beyond the basics, nothing about the plot, basically nothing at all. I don’t see myself reading more from this author unfortunately.

Izzy & Nikolai spent an unforgettable summer together. But that was all it was meant to be: just the summer. However when Nikolai is forced to transfer colleges his Senior Year, it gives him a reason to see Izzy and not make his new team captain – who happens to be her older brother – suspicious that they are, or ever have been, more than friends.
Can their summer fling translate across all seasons?

I was so excited to read about Nikolai & Izzy after seeing teasers of them each sprinkled throughout the previous books in the series. However, I think the potential was wasted for me.

This book felt off pacing-wise and I guess where the author decided to place the story in the timeline. I got about halfway through and was like yes, we like where this is at, the book can wrap up now. But no, it had another 200 pages to go. An unnecessary 200 pages. Like yes, okay, I will admit that there were some unresolved things by the halfway mark which I wanted resolved, however, they could have been resolved earlier and doesn’t make me think this book needed to be as long as it was. That being said, it could’ve been as long as it was happily if it had included the summer fling. I really felt like I was missing a big chunk of Izzy and Nikolai’s story with them already having chemistry and not really experiencing any firsts with each other. I felt the same way about the last book with Seb and Mia. Like I’d come in halfway through their story and missed the best parts and was playing catch up the whole time. I guess that’s one of my cons about this book: where the book was set in the characters’ timeline.

Pros: The laser tag game was super cute! Izzy and Nikolai also had insane chemistry. I appreciate that they went to Brisbane when they visited Australia instead of Sydney or Melbourne.

Cons: How much the timeline jumped around (there were random skips between chapters and even scenes). The sex scenes got a little repetitive (mhmm not sure about all her ‘ruined panties’) and I kinda felt like it was more smut-heavy than the previous books.

Overall, this book was disappointing and I think it was a bit of a mistake having Izzy and Nikolai meet and fall in love off-page :(( It was the book/couple I was looking forward to the most and it just didn’t quite hit the mark. The cameos of all the previous couples and seeing where they’d gotten to after their respective books was cool though, and I think Wicked Serve was a good addition to the series as a whole, but ultimately was a let down as the series finale.

Also I feel so old – Legally Blonde being older than the main characters? Excuse me. Goodness.

Thankyou to the publisher & NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m obsessed with sports romance so you know I 100% had to read this one and it was so good. Really loved this couple.

This book was a delightful continuation of the Beyond the Play series. It was emotional, swoonworthy, and compelling. Nik and Izzy were such well developed and realistic characters, and I fell in love with them as I watched them fall for one another. I loved Nikolai's personal journey to overcome the ghosts of his past, and I think the heavier elements of the story were really delicately and carefully handled. As ever, Grace Reilly has delivered a steamy, romantic, easy to read sports romance that I enjoyed thoroughly!

Loved this book so much! Such a great sports romance with so much chemistry between the characters!!

It is no secret how much I enjoy a good sports romance and I loved this book!
This wasn't my first book my Grace Reilly and it will definitely not be the last!!

Although I found it a little on the long side, there were so many moments within this secret relationship of brothers rival/teammate that kept me entertained and turning those pages. This book had the perfect amount of spice that kept a smile on my face without overshadowing the romance building between our main characters.
I definitely recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! I loved it!!

Not going to lie, this book took me WAY too long to read (unfortunately life and work just got in the way of my August reading) but gosh it was a goodie!

I actually loved Isabelle and Niks story so much.
It had the perfect cutesy HEA but also touched on loads of extremely important topics.
Niks story contained a lot of Mental health, abuse, trust issues. It was great to read those points from the MMC and watch him grow through his problems with lots of support while reminding us that sometimes males struggle with opening up about their emotions and it’s okay to seek help from others.

Isabelle’s character also showed lots of development and determination through her sports and feeling like she always needed to be ‘more’ for her family.
I truly loved their growth and the fun relationship they shared from their first summer together.

The spice was also spicin’! 🌶️🌶️🌶️


Big thank you to Hachette and NetGally for the ARC.

Read Time ⏱️ 4.5 hours

*****

“You’re a beam of light in a person, Isabelle. So fucking beautiful.”

“Usually when I play, the audience is a blur, but Isabelle stayed crystal clear. Laughing. Talking with her family. Jumping out of her seat to cheer on her brother, her smile so breathtaking that I wanted nothing more than for it to be directed at me.”

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

4.5 stars

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

After a summer fling in NY, Nik and Izzy thought that was it for their romance. Until Nik is expelled from his college and his grandfather enrols him in McKee University -the same college Izzy is attending and playing on a team with his rival Cooper Callahan, Izzy's brother.

THEMES
Secret relationship
Brother's rival turned teammate
Ice hockey x volleyball
TW for childhood DV, anxiety disorders/panic attacks
"Good girl" vibes
Definitely smut with a plot (just the way I like it)

What a beautiful conclusion to the Beyond the Play series. We're briefly introduced to Nikolai earlier in the series in Breakaway, and of course Izzy has featured throughout as the younger sister to James, Cooper and Sebastian. I loved the way the author continued to develop the Callahan family unit throughout this book and wrapped it all up beautifully in the epilogue.
Lastly, this is a spicy series. Grace writes some *good* AF smut and while I get that isn't everyone's cup of tea, I personally loved it and I'm damn happy I bought these in paperback because they deserve the spot on my trophy shelf.

Absolutely adored this book! Grave Reilly knocked it out of the park with this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ character development was on point and I loved the dynamic between the MMCs

Imagine being able to write romances that feature so many different sports and nailing it every time? How does it feel Grace?

This book got me out of my slump (praise the lords!). I thought the pacing was really good, and I just loved Izzy and Nik's characters. Nik really delivered with the brooding, Russian hockey player vibes, and I love that despite all his grumpiness, this truly was a he falls first and harder romance.

Also I feel like we should talk more about Nik's relationship with Cooper? I want to hug those two so tight.

I do think the book could've been slightly shorter, but overall it was a super sweet sports romance book and I can't wait to see what comes next from Grace Reilly!

If Grace Reilly writes it, you can bet i’ll be reading it!
A fast pace read, with an enjoyable plot and likeable characters.
The spice in this one is top tier.
I vibed with this whole book.

I am so beyond grateful for this ARC opportunity given for Wicked Serve, thank you!

I hate to say this but this is the truth and the truth is what I'm here for - this book is so much better than the previous book by Grace Rielly that I have read. I really enjoyed this book. There was so much that I loved. There was emotion, communication challenges, past history issues as well as all the tropes I need in my life. Also- two sports for the price of one! A great story about 2 people fighting to love.

- Brother's enemy
- Secret relationship
- Found family
- He falls first
- Wasn't allowed to eat dessert??
- 4th in a series but can be read as a standalone
-TW - childhood abuse

Big thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Australia & New Zealand and Grace Rielly for an early release copy of this book. This is my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me to opportunity to read this ARC.

I found the first half of the book incredibly drawn out and boring (sorry). There were a few times I struggled to pick it up to read it. I'm all for a slow burn, but it was incredibly too slow.

However the second half of the book was magnificent and I really really enjoyed it. It was a breeze to finish off. I wish that the story picked up earlier in the book.

My star rating for this book is 3.5 stars.

He’s the bad boy Russian hockey rival and she’s the all American sweetheart from a sport obsessed family. The youngest sibling isn’t living up to the pressure she puts on herself while he battles his own familial demons. It was sweet and funny with lots of deep and meaningful moments where we were all just trying to grow up through our trauma.

Thanks to #NetGallery and publisher for a copy of this book.

CN for mentions of past, off page, DV between parents.

Genre: Romance MF
Format: Digital
POV: Dual
Tropes: Brothers rival, hockey & volleyball, secret relationship, lots of accents, childhood trauma, rich people doing rich people stuff, koalas aren’t bears they’re marsupials 🐨
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Age suggestion: 18+

This was a really sweet and easy read and I loved it.

Nikolai and Isabelle’s love story is definitely sweeter than I’m used to but I genuinely enjoyed it. It was nice to read a story with zero toxic behaviour and an overall happy vibe.

I kind of struggled to get into this one. One of the main reasons being that in all three of the other books, her brothers books, they were all doing great but she is failing, that just made me mad. I also kind of found her irritating, like she was clearly in love but kept denying it.

*Brothers rival turned teammate
*secret summer romance
*hockey and volleyball
*found family
*he’s Russian!
*and spicy! Don’t let that cute cover fool you!

I was so looking forward to this book, I am sad that this is the last of the Callahan Siblings, but I feel it was a wonderful way to end the series.

Izzy and Nikolai hook up during summer and go their separate ways, but they are thrown back together when Nikolai joins her brother's hockey team.
They try to keep their distance but the feelings that grew over the summer haven't disappeared and make things harder to ignore the more time they spend together. The further along they go, the harder they fall.

This book also touches on a bit heavier, topics like childhood trauma, child abuse, and the effects that it can take on your mental health as well as future relationships.
This book takes a journey on anxiety, panic attacks, and an overworked mental health load,

But there is such a beautiful romance in this story. The plot was just gorgeous. The characters are fantastic. I loved that both characters had their sport that they excelled in and had to find their self-worth once and together. Nikolai will live rent-free in my head for a long time. He is an absolute gem of a book boyfriend. A Russian hockey player that whispers, sweet and sexy Russian words in your ear. He was swoon-worthy.

I never thought I’d become a fan of sports romance or books set in college but Wicked Serve has me questioning what I thought were solid tastes in reading.
When I go to pick up a romance book, I mostly reach for something historical. These settings make forbidden romance so easy but I loved Wicked Serve’s modern spin on a favourite trope. And sneaking around has never been so sexy. And overprotective older brothers who change and learn to support their little sister are *chef’s kiss*.
As a Brisbane local, it was so surreal reading about their adventure to the koala sanctuary.
While a super-hot and steamy romance, the MCs of Wicked Serve are new adults and the book also explores themes of familial expectations, abuse, and childhood trauma.
A new fav sports romance, I am definitely adding books 1-3 of the Beyond the Play series to my TBR.

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.