This is my first time reading anything by Grace and now I can’t wait to read books 1-3 😊
I thought the heavier topics of childhood trauma and abuse were handled so incredibly well, Nik’s panic attacks were heartbreaking but really pulled the story together.
Don’t let the cover fool you, this is a spicy read 🌶️. Izzy and Nik share a steamy fun summer fling, he’s her brothers rival teammate and off limits. Nik is forced into o transfer to Izzy’s University, playing Hockey for her brothers team.
They quickly find themselves secretly hooking up but things progress to a point where their secret is revealed. I loved Izzy’s family, their love and bonds were clear. Nik has to battle his demons, it felt raw, honest and believable.
Izzy is also navigating her own life, juggling classes, volleyball, arranging her brothers wedding. She desperately wants to please her family, with Nik’s help and support she really comes into her own.
I really enjoyed Grace’s writing style and looking forward to reading the previous Callahan stories.
Thank you NetGalley, Grace Reilly and Headline for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

Izzy’s book 🥹
I’m so sad this series is over, but I’m so glad we got to catch up with everyone else too!

📖 Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly
🏐🏒 college sports romance
📱🎧 read on kindle + audio (arc/alc)

⭐️ rating: 5/5
🌶️ rating: 3.5/5

📚 book 4 • Beyond the Play series
While this can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend the whole series. We see quite a bit of the previous characters (Izzy’s brothers + their girlfriends). That was a part of what I loved about it too.

💭 overall thoughts:
After a summer fling where they don’t expect to see one another again, Izzy & Nik find themselves studying at the same college. Nik was previously her brother’s rival, and now his teammate.

Their undeniable chemistry makes it impossible for them to stay apart, even though Izzy’s intention was to focus on volleyball, and Nik is terrified of having a relationship.

I loved that both Izzy & Nik were athletes, I think it gave them a better understanding of each other. I think Izzy’s brothers were the perfect level of protective over her 🙃 I’m kind of biased since I already love them from the previous books 😅

There were some heavy topics in this one (related to Nik’s childhood), and I think Grace handled them really well. I liked to see how Izzy handled everything, and how she grew as the story went on.

🎙️ audiobook thoughts:
(narrated by Faith Clark & Oscar Reyes)
I don’t think I’ve heard either narrator before, but I think they both did a great job at capturing the characters & telling their story. I was impressed by Oscar Reyes’ switching between Russian and American accents.

read if you love:
☀️ summer fling turned to secret relationship
🏒 brother’s rival to college hockey teammate
(after being expelled by his previous college)
🏐 volleyball player girly girl (pink is her fav color 🎀)
👰‍♀️ wedding planner aspirations
🫶🏻 family (Izzy is the youngest sibling) + found family
❤️‍🩹 broken boy and sunshine girl
🧠 mental health rep (panic attacks)
💞 dual 1st person pov 

*please make sure to check triggers, Nik’s backstory is heavy

Thank you to Grace Reilly, Valentine PR, Avon Books, Headline Eternal, & Spotify Audiobooks for advanced copies. All opinions are my own.

Earlier this year I’ve discovered my love for sports romances. Especially when they involve figure skating or ice hockey, because I’m currently taking figure skating lessons. That’s how I discovered the Beyond the play series. A couple of my friends couldn’t stop talking about the Callahan brothers, so I decided to give this series a try. As expected, I ended up liking this series too, so I couldn’t wait for Izzy’s story to come out.

In Wicked Serve, we finally get to know Izzy better. Not only her love for playing volleyball, we also discover that there is a lot more to her than the young party girl that’s been introduced in the previous books. In addition, Nikolai, who we know from Cooper’s book (but not in a positive way), finally gets to tell his side of the story, which is also really interesting.

Now let me start by telling you this story doesn’t disappoint. If you liked the other books, you’ll like this one too. We get to see all the Callahan siblings (and their partners) again, plus there are some tropes thrown into the mix that we haven’t read in the other books. And of course there are also the friendships, the love, the humour, the competitiveness, the supportiveness, … (and no third act break up!). It also deals with family trauma and self-doubt, portrayed in a realistic way. On top of all that, the writing style is very pleasant and fluent, making this an easy read. Both volleyball and ice hockey also get regular attention in this book, which I really like.

What did bother me a bit, was that there is a lot of repetition in this book. It could have easily been 100p shorter, without dishonouring the rest of the narrative. In addition, I have felt the need to put Nik in his place on several occasions. Because, even taking into account his background, he has really reacted in an inappropriate way on a couple of occasions.

All things together, I really enjoyed this book and would have read it in one sitting if I’d had the time. So I’ve you’ve enjoyed the other books of Beyond the play, just pick this one up already.
3,75/5 ⭐

★★★☆☆

*Wicked Served* surprised me with much more depth to the characters and story than I initially anticipated. The plot had layers and the characters were well-developed, which kept me intrigued from the start.

However, the pacing became an issue about a third of the way in. The story slowed down considerably and only picked up again halfway through when the spice factor intensified. While the latter part was certainly engaging, it felt like a long wait to get there.

One aspect that left me a bit conflicted was the younger characters having such a developed, darker side when it came to the spice. It wasn’t necessarily unenjoyable, but knowing the age of the characters made it feel somewhat off, adding a layer of discomfort to what was otherwise an intriguing narrative.

Overall, *Wicked Served* has its moments and is worth a read, the spice is great and the topics well handled but it might leave readers over 30 feeling a little uncomfortable.

Overall thoughts:
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/ 4
🌶️🌶️🌶️


‘You say you want to be nothing like him? Prove it. Choose a different path.’

‘Brightness like hers can’t linger with my darkness forever.’

Tropes: Sports Romance, Brothers Rival, Hockey/ Volleyball Romance, Dual POV, Second Chance Romance, Queer Rep (Side Character), Nickname, Grumpy/ Sunshine, Found Family, Secret Relationship, He Falls First, Protective MMC, Anxiety/ PTSD rep

Book four in the Beyond The Play series by Grace Reilly. In this book you follow the story of Nik & Izzy as their secret summer fling becomes something very different.

*I want to make note that I haven’t read any of the other books in this series or any Grace Reilly novels before*

That said this didn’t stop me growing to love some of these characters throughout the book, in fact I’ll probably check out the other books in the series now.

If you like a sports romance with a lot of sport & spice, you’ll love this one. Let’s just say it’s definitely not a slow burn 😂

I did have some issues with the book though, I felt like the pacing was very odd & it felt a little long. The second half of the book was much better than the first though. I really did like the ending.

Only other note: the word moan gets used A LOT (and I don’t mean complaining 😂).

Thank you to Net Galley & Grace Reilly for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I recently discovered the Beyond the Play series and loved these characters and stories so much that in the last month, I devoured the first three books, so when I saw the last book in the series was available to request it was a no-brainer.

As the first three books covered the Callahan boys, I was interested to see how the only Callahan girl’s story would play out, and how her relationship with her family would differ to her brothers.

Family is a big part of this story for both Isabelle and Nikolai. Whereas Isabelle has a big, loving family, she feels like she’s never quite enough, like she never measures up to her amazing brothers. It’s great to see how this develops and changes over the course of the story. Nikolai on the other hand has a very small family but they are anything but close. Since the trauma of his childhood, things have never been quite the same and Nik’s biggest fear is becoming like his father. It was heartbreaking to see how he was so hard on himself for things outside his control but I loved that slowly but surely he was able to trust himself and those that love him to get the support he needed.

Whilst Cooper and Penny are still my favourite couple from the series, Izzy and Nik were great together. Their chemistry was wonderful and the spice was hot!

I also loved the epilogue, as although we’ve seen snippets of the other couples throughout the series, we haven’t really seen what their futures look like. This was a fantastic view into what the Callahans have been up to but it did make me sad that this is the last book.

I loved this series and all of the characters, plus the writing for me was just right and I’ll never not love a sport romance when it’s done right.

Wicked Serve is perfect for fans of sport romances that are full of spice, laughs and found families. There’s also an element of a second chance romance and a forbidden romance thrown into the trope mix.

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 rounded up.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher, Headline Books, for my early copy.

He’s her brother's biggest rival but they connect over the summer break….

He falls first
Secret relationship
Sports romance ( He plays hockey, She plays Volleyball)
Found Family
Broody x Bubbly
Brothers Enemy
Spicy


If you have any triggers please read the warnings before starting this book as there are mentions and descriptions of domestic violence, among others.


When I applied for this ARC I didn’t realise that this was a part of a series and which series it was a part of. I already had the previous 3 books from this series on my TBR, so naturally I had to read through them before starting this book. It may be a standalone and an interconnecting series but I have to always read in order.

This book was my favourite out of the 4 in the series and I loved Izzy & Nik, you could really feel the connection & chemistry between them. They had great character development and the whole story wasn’t far-fetched.
The spice in this book was just *Chef’s Kiss*. You can really feel the tension when they are around Cooper.

Just a warning, I’m pretty sure I cried for the last 8-10% of this book, it was a whirlwind of emotions. I had sad tears & happy tears.

I loved the Callaghans as a family unit and everything they stood for, how well they not only accepted Sebatian in the past but also Nik now and how close they all are. The author did a really great job at giving all of the siblings a great personality and made them all individual. They all had their unique sports which I really enjoyed, I hadn’t read anything including volleyball until this book.

I quite like the beginning of this novel and then more and more elements were added and it started to get a bit confusing with all the challenges and obstacles and the fast resolutions of the issues.
Something I found a bit odd was the YA themes and the immature characters matched with some quite hard core sex. Also, I would expect the target audience for this novel to be NA and 20s something (so Gen z) but then the TV programme mentioned are quite old Millennials vibes. The dialogues were also a bit of a hit and miss. At times I found myself skipping through the mundane routine as it was dragging a bit.
Thanks for the ARC, sorry this wasn't for me, however, I'd read more from this author.

Wicked Serve was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024 and it did not disappoint. It was the perfect conclusion to the Beyond the Play series. Coming back to these characters felt like coming home 🥰

- college sports romance 🏐🏒
- brother's rival (now teammate)
- secret relationship
- grumpy x sunshine ☀️
- mental health rep
- found family
- spiiiice 🌶 🌶 🌶

Grace Reilly's writing and characterization keep getting better and better...she manages to draw you in the story from page one and makes you fall in love with the characters, each with their own specifically tailored personality, set of struggles, fears and flaws.
The story is fun and light, but also deeply emotional, due to Nikolai's childhood trauma and present mental health struggles. Isabelle was the light to the darkness of Nikolai's childhood...I mean, he literally calls here SUNSHINE, guys 😭💛
Isabelle and Nikolai complemented each other perfectly: their chemistry was off the charts and the spice was *chef's kiss*, but what I loved most of all is when they finally got vulnerable with each other, letting their guards down and showing their scars and struggles.
As much as I'm sad that it's over, I couldn't have asked for a better conclusion to the Callahan series. Pick this series up and become obsessed with me 😂😍

TW: panic attacks (on page), domestic violence/abuse (on page through flashbacks)

This book was cute and I liked Nikolai & Isabelle together. She was so supportive of him and I liked the way she was with her family. I also liked how Nikolai was so caring, protective and understanding towards her. He was kind and a good man. But I didn't like how he didn't stand up for himself at times. And Izzy was also kind of pushy and immature. Their relationship was great and the communication was good but as individual characters, they still had room to grow. And some parts just felt long and dragged tbh. Overall, this was an easy read, the relationship was adorable. It's just that the story could've been shorter.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review

Wicked Serve is the fourth (and last?) in the 'Beyond the Play' series with the focus of this book being on Izzy, sister of James, Sebastian and Cooper and her love interest Nikolai, one time rival and teammate of Cooper.

This is a spicy fast paced sports romance that packs a punch. Nikolai has demons to battle and he has been forbidden to go near Cooper's sister but that doesn't stop the two of them getting together behind the back of her brothers.

If you liked Icebreaker by Hannah Grace, this book will be right up your street and is most definitely worth reading! I can highly recommend it.

Wicked Serve, by Grace Reilly, is a steamy hockey romance. Lots of spice in this one.
Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

*** DNF at 37%

I am so disappointed, I wanted to love this so much but it just didn’t hit for me. I was forcing myself to read it and I just could not go on. I found both Nik and Isabelle unloveable. I didn’t feel any chemistry and considering they were in the library closet within 50 pages (🌶️🌶️) there was NO angst. I found some parts of it very YA, and then all of a sudden sex scene, it just didn’t fit.

I usually do not DNF a book until 50% but I just couldn’t. This wouldn’t put me off reading another Grace Riley book but I wouldn’t lift one the same length. I hope this finds some readers who will love it and I’m sad I’m not one of them.

The book is all about Nik and Izzy's journey as they support their potential, and communicate. 🤍
I was especially impressed with Nik’s personal growth. At first, he was very closed off, but throughout the book, he learns what it takes to build a healthy relationship. Isabelle was the bright spot in the story; I loved how she encouraged Nik to open up, while she struggled with meeting everyone's expectations, including her own.

The story was so engaging that I couldn’t put it down until the very end. 🥰

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Izzy and Nik's story finishes off the Beyond the Play series and it's a delight. If you've read the other three it's a great way to finish - but this also stands alone.

Izzy and Nik are college kids with plenty of baggage. They end up at the same uni when Nik transfers into McKee where Izzy is already studying. They've already had a no-strings summer together so there’s plenty of history. They have a strong connection and it's tender and steamy 🌶️🌶️ 🌶️but unfortunately there's a lot going on in their lives. Nik has complicated (and toxic) family issues and there's plenty of fallout for him to deal with. He’s a gifted hockey player, but also a pawn in his family’s games. Izzy is a committed volleyball player and struggles with finding her place is the sporty Callaghan family.

It’s quite long, so there’s plenty of time to be immersed in their universe. Author Grace explores Nik’s mental health issues as well as the challenges and expectations around professional and college level sports.

Thank you NetGalley, Grace Reilly and Headline for the ARC.

"Wicked Serve" by Grace Reilly is a fun and engaging romance that perfectly mixes the excitement of professional hockey with a sweet love story. The characters are really well done, and the chemistry between the main couple is electric. Reilly does a great job capturing the fast pace of hockey, making you feel like you're right there in the rink. The story is easy to get into and hard to put down, even if some twists are a bit predictable. Overall, it's a great read for anyone who loves romance and sports.

Tropes:
🏒Brothers rival/ Teammate
🎀Secret relationship
🏒College Sports
🎀He falls first and harder
🏒Childhood trauma
🎀Healing

My thoughts:
This book was good at portraying a toxic free relationship where both characters fought to put the other first. I aalso loved the family and friendship bonds that appeared in the book.

I did like both Nik and Izzy's characters but I didnt fall in love with them or their connection. I did think it was cute how much Nikolai was with her, there was some very sweet romantic scenes form him. His past and family history were told well and added an interesting subplot to the book.

I thought Isabelle was a strong, yet sometimes insecure character, who knew how to stand up for herself and others. Although, I did find her frustrating at times and a bit immature.

Similar to some of the other books in this series, I feel like a lot of the conclusion of some key plotlines were very anticlimactic. Especially so when their relationship was revealed and the showdown with his dad. The book felt very long for what actually happened in it, with a lot happening, but not really adding much to the plot or story in my opinion. I also wasn't the biggest fan if the spicy scenes in this book, the further into the book I got, the more out of place they felt. The dirty talk felt forced and not true to the character's voices and it did put me off.

This was a pretty sweet book, with good side characters and a wholesome family dynamics. Although it easy quote long and low on plot.

Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC of this book, this is my honest review.

Reading the next book in this series felt like coming home. The Callahan family is so wholesome and I loved that we got to see them more in this book. An aspect I really liked, was how Izzy and Nick were already (kinda) together before the story started. That way we got to see how their relationship developed and how they learned to work through their past and insecurities. The middle part might have been a little bit long but I did not mind at all because it felt so cosy and wholesome. It gave me more time with Nik, Izzy and the rest of the Callahans. I'm sad to see this series come to an end and I can't wait to read more of Grace's work in the future.

Thank you so much to the author and netgalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

— 2.5 stars
⭐️⭐️💫

"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, cataloguing the raindrops on her face."

📖 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 448 pages
👤 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Grace Reilly
🏢 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: Headline Eternal
📅 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 13 August 2024

What you can expect:
— New Adult College Sports Romance
— Interconnected Standalone Series
— First Person X Dual POV
— Brother's-Rival-Turned-Teammate
— Grumpy X Sunshine
— Secret Relationship
— Second Chance Romance
— He Falls First
— Hockey X Volleyball
— Found Family
— Panic Disorder Rep
— Nicknames

𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: domestic abuse (past/mentioned), alcoholism, disordered eating (past/mentioned), panic disorder & panic attacks (on page), minor violence & injury, cheating (past/mentioned), and sexually explicit content.

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:
Wicked Serve is the final instalment in the Beyond the Play series by author Grace Reilly. Hockey is Nikolai Abney's life, and he needs to make this last season count. But when he's forced to transfer to rival school McKee University for his senior year, Nikolai risks pissing off the captain, who happens to be the older brother of Isabelle Callahan: the gorgeous beam of sunshine he messed around with in secret this summer. Rekindling their fling could risk her brother icing Nikolai off the team—not to mention the fact that his scarred past makes having a real relationship impossible—and yet the moment Nikolai sees Isabelle again, all of his wild, burning feelings come rushing back. Isabelle Callahan have two goals for sophomore year: win back her old volleyball position, and forget she 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 Izzy's life, she can’t stay away from his broody charm. Isabelle is determined to guard her heart this time, but between the furtive hook-ups and the heartfelt conversations, the lines between friends-with-benefits and more begin to blur. As Isabelle and Nikolai fall deeper into a place they can’t come back from unscathed, they'll have to make a choice: fight for a future together, or watch it go up in flames.

𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:
As somebody that has only read Breakaway from this series and rated it five stars, I was beyond excited to read about Isabelle and Nikolai's story in Wicked Serve. Unfortunately this book has not worked for me at all and I feel really gutted and disappointed. Reilly's writing is an ease to read and follow along with as we are swept into a whirlwind romance whilst addressing difficult real life topics, but unfortunately in this case the book itself felt entirely too long which had a negative impact on my overall reading experience. I found the conflict and other moments to feel repetitive and too slow to be resolved, and I really believe making the book 50-100 pages shorter would've helped pull the book together and feel more concise. The pacing was too slow and I struggled to feel engaged with the story and the development of the characters. This story and its format just wasn't a hit for me, unfortunately.

𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭:
I'm not sure if it's just me but I really struggled to actually grasp what the point of this story was? I understand that we follow two young people in their early-20s on their journey to love as they set out to accomplish their dreams and discover themselves in the process. But it all felt a touch one-dimensional and overall lacked any real depth which could help me feel engaged and eager to read more. Wicked Serve was filled with many smut scenes which, as a romance reader, is a non-issue from me as long as it isn't used as a crutch to overshadow the main plot. Unfortunately in my experience, this was the exact issue with this story. Just when I thought I was going to see some story progression, it would immediately come to a halt and feel overshadowed by intimate scenes between our main characters. The plot is essentially two just young people trying to figure out what direction they want their lives to go in whilst denying the possible future they could share together. It's nothing notable or unique, so I struggled with feeling any sense of excitement or anticipation when it came to the overall plot. Nothing really starts to move and progress until the 80% mark of the story, and yet outside of a few scenes we're not really granted a frontal view to the growth and development.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
Nikolai Abney-Volkov is a broken and confused young man that is desperately trying to do right by the people in his life, and as a result often places the priorities of others before his own. I really enjoyed Nik as a romantic partner for Isabelle as he was her perfect opposite. The calm to her storm. He was patient and unwaveringly loyal, and at no point in the story did he allow Izzy to doubt his commitment to her. His trauma and struggles with anxiety and PTSD broke my heart, and I really wish we'd gotten more time with his path towards healing and learning how to put his own needs first. I personally found Nik to be the most mature within the relationship dynamic, but there were still moments that it was clear just how young he is. He reacts immaturely during certain altercations and struggles with standing up for himself, and doesn't always thinks his words through before he says them. I honestly wish that Nikolai was written more accurately for his age, as instead it seemed as if he was trying to behave like a man in their late-20s as opposed to his very early-20s. However whilst the journey getting there was long, I was proud of Nik for finally putting his own needs first and wanting better for himself. His friendship with Cooper and his team were an added addition that was greatly needed and appreciated. I'm so glad that Nik found a chosen family that loved and accepted him fully within limitations, and I believe these relationships played a pivotal role in his character development.

I adored early series cameos with Isabelle Callahan as she came across as a spitfire and feisty character that would go after what she wanted without apology. Unfortunately this was not the character that I followed in Wicked Serve, so perhaps it was me that got it wrong in previous books. Whilst I wanted to root for Isabelle and I sympathised with her struggles and insecurities... I can't help but feel like was an inherently selfish character throughout the majority of the book. She never seemed able to make a definitive decision and stick with it as one moment she's convincing herself that her relationship with Nikolai cannot happen, before quickly jumping into his arms and being intimate with him, just to then swiftly feel upset act out towards him. Isabelle displayed a complete lack of maturity that is necessary for a lasting adult relationship, and I really wish we had been given time with her as a single character who prioritised herself before jumping into a relationship. On multiple occasions she completely disregarded Nikolai's clear emotional boundaries when he explicitly stated not being ready to discuss something, and then she in turn would become upset when he would snap back. Isabelle and Nik clearly struggled with healthy communication and understanding when to pull back in respect to boundaries, and as a result I often felt frustrated as a reader. Also, in case you've read the book and aren't yet aware... Isabelle loves pink. So much so that it's mentioned on (too) many occasions throughout the book. I overall felt Isabelle's character to come across as juvenile which was a shame, as despite all this I understand that none of it is due to ill-intent. When Isabelle loves, she loves fiercely and without abandon. She wants the best for the people in her life and unfortunately tries to take matters in her own hands with good intention and poor execution. Izzy displays some growth nearing the end of the story, but I wish this is something that had been further explored and expanded upon within a book that had the space for it.

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:
The relationship between Isabelle and Nikolai should have been the saving grace of this story had I actually felt the development and chemistry between the pair. Unfortunately the beginning of their relationship is established off-page prior to the beginning of the book, so I felt like I was missing a fundamental aspect of their relationship to better connect with the believability of their love story. I wouldn't even describe the relationship between both characters as 'insta-love' because they clearly had spent time together and had the opportunity to get to know one another... we as the reader just weren't able to see it. I struggled to connect with Isabelle and Nikolai's relationship due to the frustrating amount of miscommunication and overall immaturity displayed between the pair. I cautiously accept miscommunication between characters such as Izzy and Nik as they're young and therefore still learning and developing. There was a lot of "we shouldn't be doing this but I can't stay away" moments which in my opinion was dragged on for too long. And in complete honestly I forgot the reason why their relationship was considered forbidden? Was it just because Nik was Cooper's ex-rival-turned-teammate? If so then that just adds to my frustration with the miscommunication. All Izzy would've had to have done was sit her older brother down and explain that she is a growing young woman who is capable of making her own decisions, and she hopes that he will support her and her relationship. Cooper isn't unreasonable, nor is he the cliched protective older brother who tries to fully dictate how his sister lives her life. He's a concerned older brother who wants the best for Isabelle, but ultimately he would've been supportive and understanding. I also would have been more accepting of the the miscommunication had it not been for the context within their intimate scenes. I admit that it made me feel a bit uncomfortable to read as Isabelle and Nik seemed to settle into a kind-of sub/dom dynamic? Which don't get me wrong, I do believe these scenes were well written with clear and enthusiastic consent every time, however due to the immature nature of both characters it just didn't blend well within the overall story? I would've found it much more believable had our main characters been five years older and a more mature approach to romantic relationships. I was just left with the constant reminder of just how young these characters are, so I wish they had either been aged up or the approach to their intimacy was handled with more maturity.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
I'm truly gutted that in the end I haven't been able to enjoy Wicked Serve. There was simply too many issues and factors that I couldn't overlook which impacted my reading experience as a result. As I read and adored the second book within the series, I'm still going to go back and read books one and three in the hopes that it was just this book alone that didn't work for me.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰.

5⭐️
I was so excited about this book after reading the others in the series and oh this did not disappoint. Izzy and Nik were perfect. This was just a heartwarming, funny read with a little bit of angst. I just could not put this down. The plot was brilliant. I just fell in love with Izzy and Nik and there relationship. Nik maybe one of my favourite book boyfriends now. I just loved him so much. This book while being heartwarming isn’t afraid to touch on the harder topics and was done in such a well done and respectful way. Kudos to Grace Reilly for that especially. Thank you for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.