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

5/5⭐️
I genuinely can’t tell you how much I adored everything about this book! I’ve loved this whole series, and this was just the perfect conclusion to a perfect series. Perfect for those who love:
✔️ Brother’s Rival (Turned Teammate)
✔️ College Sports Romance (Hockey x Volleyball)
✔️ Grumpy/Sunshine
✔️ Secret Relationship
✔️ Found Family

I’ve been dying to read this book since I read the rest of the Beyond the Play series back in February, and it was absolutely worth the wait! This series is what made me realize I could actually like sports romances, I seriously can not hype this series enough. Every single book in the series was a 5⭐️ read, and this was the perfect conclusion! I could seriously yap about this book forever, I absolutely adored everything about it!

Premise: Wicked Serve is the fourth and final book in the interconnected standalone series, Beyond the Play. It follows Isabelle Callahan, the youngest Callahan with 3 older brothers, and Nikolai Abney-Volkov, her brother Cooper’s biggest hockey rival and the guy she’s trying desperately to get over now that their summer fling’s ended. But when he’s forced to transfer to her college for his senior year, they just can’t manage to stay away from each other. Nik’s trying to make the most of his last hockey season and Isabelle’s trying to win her old volleyball position, but their secret rendezvous that are bordering on more are putting it all at risk.

Tropes: College Sports Romance, Hockey x Volleyball Players, Brother’s Rival (Turned Teammate), Grumpy/Sunshine, FWB to Lovers, Secret Relationship, Found Family, He Falls First, Mental Health Rep (Panic Disorder), Tortured Hero
CW: domestic abuse (past reference), alcoholism, disordered eating, panic disorder, cheating (past reference)

I thought it would be impossible for Grace to ever write a guy I’d like more than Sebastian Callahan from the book before (Stealing Home), but Nik is everything to me and is officially one of my new favorite book boyfriends. First off, he’s Russian?! Like lived there for 10 years, speaks it fluently, and has a slight accent kind of Russian. Now that’s not something I thought I’d like, but when he’s calling her a nickname and whispering sweet nothings to her in his language, so swoony! And the mental health rep with his with his panic disorder from his childhood trauma? I loved the way she would help him with it as best she could, but I loved even more him seeking actual professional help and this book showing the importance of that and that your partner can and should only do so much.

And a moment of appreciation for the Callahan family! I’ve loved seeing in every book the way that family completely takes in the sibling’s partner, but seeing them with Nik was just too precious and heartwarming. The friendship that develops between Nik and Cooper and the interactions he has with Izzy’s other brothers and with her dad! It’s just too cute, favorite found family ever.

As far as the spice, I would say it’s slightly less spicy than the last one, but it’s still definitely plentiful with the open door scenes. Not only are there like 6-8 scenes (depending on how far they have to get for you to consider it a spicy scene), but they are not vanilla. Which shouldn’t be a big surprise if you’ve read the rest of the series, it’s a similar level of kink to the rest. There’s definitely a light D/s dynamic going on and *all* the praise.

Rating: 5/5⭐️
Spice: 4/5🔥

I loved this so much, and I think is was the perfect ending to the Beyond the Play series. Nikolai and Izzy were perfect together and I really enjoyed reading their story so much. I do think this could have been shorter, but other than that is was perfect!

wicked serve 🌸🩷🌺

love this series & love this family !
so grateful to have received this arc 🌟

“my sunshine girl” 🥹🥹

ice hockey mmc x volleyball ball fmc
brothers rival
sneaking around
mental health rep - panic attacks

this was so cute !!! i loved them both so much, just such an enjoyable read with the perfect mix of vulnerable moments. so sweet how Nik shows Izzy how important her own happiness is. i loved how supportive they were of each other, no miscommunication & no third act breakup!

"If I'm sunshine to him, then he's the earth beneath my feet, the grass between my toes, grounding me like nothing else."

Wicked Serve is the fourth book in Grace Reilly's Beyond the play series. The book focuses on the sports of hockey and volleyball. I love long romance books so the length was perfect for me.

This is the fourth book in a series and I haven’t read any of the others, that being said I had no trouble knowing what was going on. The characters are written so well , that this can even be read as a stand alone, and I think that is a true testament to how good this book is.

I knew 20% in that this book was going to be a high star rating book for me.

The writing is smooth and the perfect amount of description is given. Never was I left wondering why something was happening, this author does a fantastic job of filling us in on the why’s, which I think is something other authors tend to overlook. As authors they obviously know their characters and stories inside out, and sometimes forget that we are reading it for the first time, so I so appreciate a good back story, reiteration and detailed character breakdowns.

Nik was an extremely complex character, dealing with a lot of childhood trauma that weighed very heavily on his day to day life. I think Grace wrote him so well. He was troubled but also so full of love for one particular girl ❤️ the amount of self work he was willing to put in for their relationship is truly boyfriend goals x1000.

Izzy also deals with her own challenges, but most of all she handles Nik with such care and compassion and I think thats what I liked most about her.

These two are honestly book couple royalty to me and they will officially go down in my top 10!

The spicy scenes in this book are delicious 🤤 and written so well, like the level of yummy detail is truly phenomenal.

At about the 60% mark I felt that the book could have been wrapped up then, but reading the full book, I now do not agree with my previous thoughts and the remaining 40% was definitely necessary 😂

It wrapped everything up beautifully and I can now leave this book knowing that everyone lived HEA!!

I enjoyed each book in this series, but Nik and Izzy have blown it out the park.

I fell in love with them from the beginning, how no matter what, neither could stay away from the other. The support and encouragement they gave each other just made them stronger from the first page and watching Nik own his feelings and his anxieties was beautiful to read and experience through this book.

They both had their own problems while trying to navigate their busy schedules and hiding their relationship from everyone (mainly cooper). But you could see how much they grounded each other and how their problems would dissolve slightly when they were together.

Izzy was such a strong character, she loved so hard and so much about her friends, her family, her degree and volleyball, you could tell that she was exactly what Nik needed and they couldn’t be better matched. She is forever wanting people to follow their dreams, including Nik playing hockey professionally and owning his panic attacks.

Nik has been my favourite MMC throughout this series, the male mental health representation was so powerful and well written. He didn’t always have it easy, he has trauma from his childhood that he has never addressed, but watching him slowly open up and trust Izzy the further into the book we get was so sweet and had me swooning. I had endless respect for him taking a step away to work on his mental health and his anxiety, so he could be his best self going forward and into his future that he wants to share with Izzy.

In my opinion, some of the chapters in this book were unnecessarily long, causing parts of the book to drag. But despite this, it didn’t make it any less enjoyable to read and was definitely my favourite in the series.

The found family this series has was fully present in this book and how despite past issues, Cooper and Nik shared when playing for separate teams, they were able to put it behind them. All of the relationships and friendships shown were the perfect conclusion to this series.

This is the 4th book in the series and is about the youngest Callahan child: Izzy. Over her summer internship she has a fling with Nik. Nik is het brother’s rival on the ice so it has to be kept a secret. When Nik gets transferred to her school and is placed in her brother’s hockey team, they start seeing each other again in secret. It quickly seems te get more serious but there are obstacles they have to face together and by themselves.

Izzy is a very relatable character. She is the youngest of four and the only girl which makes her want to prove herself. Especially when her brothers excel at their sports and she has a lot of doubts about who she is and wants to be.
Nik is a complex character with a massive childhood trauma that needs to be sorted out but it gives a clear reason why he does what he does. The romance between these two is adorable and they balance each other out so well!

This is my first read of the series. They are interconnected and can be read separately. I enjoyed the read but for me, there was too much smut to start with. I like te get eased into it a bit more. I felt as if the first 3/4th was a lot of smut with not much going on and then the character growth (which was an amazing aspect and I would’ve loved the writer had slowed it down a little) happens in the last 1/4th. It felt a little of balance but I think it depends on with which intention/mood you start the book.

It’s an easy summer read kind of book and you’ll fly through the pages. I would totally recommend this read when you have a soft spot for spicy sports romances.

Last but not least, I want to thank the author Grace Reilly, the publisher Headline Eternal and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book.

Nik was top tier tortured, brooding book boyfriend material, and it was refreshing to have an MMC with such a prominent focus on their mental health. Isobel was sweet too, very patient and understanding meaning there wasn't much relationship angst throughout.

In Wicked Serve we follow Isobel and Nikolai after a whirlwind summer romance. The pair think they won't see each other again, but can't stop thinking about the summer they spent together. Nik quickly realises that a) he will be seeing Izzy a lot sooner than expected due to a school transfer, and b) there is no way he's going to be able to keep the distance he promised himself he would keep.

I do feel as though the pacing of the book could have been better, and the book itself could have been much shorter. By about 50%, it seemed as though our couple were happy and, while there were other aspects of the story that needed to be wrapped up, I don't feel as though it warranted half the book.

I did enjoy this though, and lovers of sports romance will enjoy this book.

Tropes:

-Established Relationship
-Brothers Rival
-Non-toxic relationship
-Open Door
-Secret Relationship
-He falls harder
-Tortured soul MMC
-Family bonds

Thankyou to netgalley, Grace Reilly and Headline for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Please check the tws before reading.

Phwoar, Wicked Serve really brings the heat. From reading the blurb, this book really has everything you’d expect from a sporty romance: competition and two characters completely magnetised together in a hidden romance, but Grace Reilly really gives it her all with the tension between Izzy and Nik. Yes, this means 5/5 on the spicy scale (and we aren’t complaining!)! 🌶️

But the story between Izzy and Nik in Wicked Serve is beautiful. Izzy, the Elle Woods/Blair Waldorf, sunshiny girly-girl and Nikolai the hot, sporty “alphahole” type. Yes they are insanely attracted to each other, but they also have their own their own personal stories that develop their character. Nik has abuse trauma, suffering from panic attacks, while Izzy is consumed by comparing herself to her talented siblings.

Both of the main characters come from wealthy backgrounds so there are cute moments of glamour and extravagance mixed in too. I love how close Izzy is to her family, offering positive moments of love and support. All her siblings seem to be paired up so it makes for a really cosy family, but this story also contains rough family expectations getting in the way. Together Nik and Izzy offer each other support and build each other up, fighting each others corners against others trying to dictate their future.

*arc: wicked serve (beyond the play book 4) by grace reilly

🌟 4.5/5
🌶️ 4/5

genre: new adult romance
POV: dual
TWs: domestic abuse, abusive parent, childhood trauma, panic attacks

Tropes:
✨ sports romance (college - hockey and volleyball)
✨ secret hookups/relationship
✨ summer fling
✨ brother’s teammate/rival
✨ second chance
✨ grumpy x sunshine

The final book in the beyond the play series! I was so excited to get Izzy’s story as the only girl in the Callahan clan.

Oh boy was this book full of emotions and heavy topics. Nikolai had a tough childhood, leaving him with a scar down the side of his face as a constant reminder of his father. He battles throughout the book with not wanting to turn out like his hockey playing father with a short fuse.

Izzy is from a loving family, but never feels like she’s enough compared to her brothers. With volleyball not really having potential as a career option, she spends her summer interning for Nikolai’s mum as a wedding planner.

The summer fling must end but when Nik is expelled and transfers to Izzy’s college, it turns into a secret relationship as her brother is his teammate.

What I loved about this book is a lot of it was filled with them being together and working through tough conversations. They pushed each other to face things and have the hard conversations. The last 20% of the book was so emotional, my tears were blurring the page 🥲

But it wouldn’t be a Grace Reilly story without a nice sprinkling of spice 😮‍💨 some very hot scenes in this! “Crawl to me” 🥵

The epilogue was a beautiful send off to this found family 🥰

Thank you to netgalley and Headline Eternal for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wicked Serve started strong for me. I loved that it got straight into the story and the connection was already developed. But then, that is all we got. A whole lot of sneaking around and this was the only part of the plot.

The book was way too long as it felt like a whole lot of dialogue and not enough of a plot going on. I think looking back now, we would have been better off reading about their meet cute as it would have developed the plot further.

I DNF’d at 44% as I felt like I was just reading the same thing over and over again. I didn’t find myself reaching for it.

Another fabulous instalment from Grace Reilly.

These books are such easy comforting reads and the characters are always so well rounded.

I really enjoyed seeing a less commonly represented sport and the timing was perfect with the Olympics showing during my read!

Thank you so much for the chance to read this ARC

Am I the only one who never starts a series from the beginning? Or is that just me? I always spot these cute covers and then realize they’re part of a series. But even though I didn’t read the first books, I didn’t feel like I missed anything. It actually made me curious about the other books!

This was a cute and funny story following Isabelle and Nikolai. I enjoyed how they were introduced and how the story picked up from where the prologue left off.

I had a great time reading this book. Isabelle is very determined and wants to excel in everything she does, while Nikolai has a lot of problems and trauma to work through.

I loved how there was minimal miscommunication between them. They talked about everything and tried their best to respect each other’s decisions. However, I felt that sometimes Isabelle was a bit pushy with Nikolai, always urging him to share things he clearly wasn’t ready to discuss. If the roles were reversed, she would probably have been upset.

I also think the book could have been a little shorter. Since they were together for most of the story, we mainly saw them being a cute couple, which was nice, but I needed a bit more drama.

Overall, this was a fluffy read. I enjoyed the family moments and how Nikolai and Cooper went from enemies to besties, giving Nikolai someone other than Isabelle who had his back.

Thank you, Valentine PR and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

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.