A spicy sports romance seems to be my read of the summer and I'm happy to add 'Wicked Serve' to the list of books I've really enjoyed. This is the first book in the Beyond the Play series I've picked up and Nikolai and Izzy's story was a lovely place to start.

One thing I particularly enjoyed about the story of Nikolai and Izzy's romance is we join it after the meet-cute, when they've already fallen in love but aren't admitting it to themselves yet. When your relationship starts to get more serious and the cracks can show. It made for a book that I kept wanting to turn the pages and wishing for a happy ending for both of the main characters.

I will definitely be picking up the other books in this series because all the characters captured my interest.

I love this series, so I was so excited to get to read wicked serve. Grace Reilly has become an automatic buy author for me. Nik and Isabelle’s story was cute and funny. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and this series as a whole. Definitely recommended all Grace Reilly’s books!!

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series focused on each of the Callahan siblings and Izzy's story did not disappoint! The spice was top notch and the development of her and Nik's relationship felt natural to read. I am very much looking forward to reading whatever GR decides to publish next :)

OK, this was good. Really good!

I've not read any previous books from this series but it worked just fine as a standalone. I LOVED isabelle and Nik, their obvious attraction and deep relationship was everything. And the spice.....so much spice!!
I'll definitely be reading the other books in this series. Sports romances are one of my favourite tropes at the moment and this one definitely hit the mark!

2.5 ⭐️

This book follows hockey player Nikolai who transfers to a rival school while dealing with his feelings for Isabelle, his teammate's sister. Isabelle, is a volleyball player who struggles to resist rekindling her romance with Nikolai as their connection grows stronger.

This was my first time reading anything by Grace Reilly and I feel like I should have read the previous books in the series before getting into this one because of how many characters were introduced all at once and that made a lot of things hard to understand. Not gonna lie, it took me ages to finish this book— it’s just another hockey romance book, I don’t think it has anything to stand out from the story. This book has no business in being this long… it really feels like the author filled it with chapters with unnecessary scenes unmethodically. The main characters were already together by the 20% mark of the book —from my stand point, that killed the tension— hence to why this book wasn’t for me.

Read if you like:
🏒 college romance.
🏒 bother’s rival.
🏒 found family.
🏒 secret relationship.

Thank you to Headline and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly will be coming out on August 13th.

Keeping this short because there's not much to critisize: it's an emotional and heartwarming read that was able to steal a laugh or sob from me every now and then. Nik and Izzy are amazing characters and it's just a great way to end this series.

Beyond the Play has become a favourite sports romance series of mine! Although they can all be read as standalones, I loved getting to know the characters throughout the series and was already so excited for Wicked Serve before reading it as we had hints of Nik and Izzy's story coming in previous books. I loved getting to know them both in WS, especially Nik who we'd seen very little of. In this brother's rival-turned-teammate forbidden romance, we get all the spice and tension we're used to seeing in Grace Reilly's series.
I thoroughly enjoyed their book - Izzy is so fun and bubbly but it was nice to see her developing to have more depth and seriousness in Wicked Serve. I loved seeing her career become clear and how much she loved wedding planning. I also really loved getting to know Nik - he's so precious! It was heartbreaking to see what he'd gone through but I really appreciated how his trauma was approached and dealt with. Some of the decisions he made towards the end made me really feel for him and appreciate him as a strong male character, without spoiling anything!
Personally for me, I'd have liked to have seen them get together - this was similar to Stealing Home in that the main couple had already been hooking up when we see them at the start of the book, so it's a bit Second Chancey but it was still an enjoyable read. Spice wise, it's similar to Stealing Home - I think Breakaway was by far the spiciest of the series!
I also did find things a bit slow around half way - everything was good with the two of them so I felt like there was a good 10-20% that felt very mundane/waiting for things to fall apart. So for me, it was slightly longer than it needed to be and bits were a bit fillery but it was nice to see Nik and Izzy happy together. It does make me appreciate them as a solid couple and understand their love for each other.
I absolutely loved the epilogue and was close to tears with it - it was the perfect goodbye to the Callahan's!
Would definitely recommend this series if you enjoy a sports romance or want to give them a go!

Is this how parents feel when they see all their children happy and settled down? Because it was great to see Issy get her HEA.

After what was meant to be a summer fling ended up being a continued fling thanks to our MMC transferring to our FMCs college, we follow the story of Nikolai and Issy as they fall in love with each other and learn to open up and let others in.

I really enjoyed the relationship between the two of them - plus there were some very steamy scenes going on. However I agree with some other reviews where it would’ve been nice to have a bit more insight into when they first started seeing each other.

I thought the handling of some of the more sensitive subjects in the book was handled very well from all characters and it was great to see how the characters grew toward the end.

Overall it was a fun book and nice end to the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Headline for the ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

I really wanted to love this book but it fell a little bit flat to me. I normally love college, hockey romances and the off-campus series is one of my absolute favourites. I really enjoyed the first 3 books from this series but I just couldn't get into this one. I'm not quite sure what didn't click for my but I didn't buy Nik and Izzy's relationship and struggled to finish this

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me and I DNF'd at 34%. I wish we'd got to see their relationship blooming from their summer instead of jumping in half way through. I know it's a college romance but both characters felt really immature. I preferred Nik to Isabelle but they aren't my favourite couple. It's a long book and it was dragging Apart from a few sex scenes nothing had really happened. I wasn't excited to pick it up.

Won't review anywhere else as I didn't finish

It’s a really cute book, really funny and entertaining, is a really easy book to have a great time.
I love Nikolai and Izzy, the love for their sports, the support that give to each other but something just doesn’t click at all for me.
I enjoyed the book a ton, I really had a good time with it but something missing for me.
I

3⭐️ I think I need to give up on this series...

I loved Breakaway, but after that one, this series seems to have taken a turn, and I can't get behind it. The romance is already halfway there when the story begins. We miss the meet-cute (or not-so-meet-cute), the will-they/won't-they, the first touch, the first kiss, the first everything... We're thrown into what in other's books is the third act break up. And I'm sure that's fun for someone, but that someone isn't me. The same happened in the last book of the series.

Also, the FMC in this book didn't really click for me. The MMC's family issues/abuse were a problem for me right til the end, and I understand that this in particular is a personal thing, and might not be a problem for others, but yeah. It was incredibly frustrating.

So, overall, this book really did not work for me, but it might work for you? Idk.

🌶🌶.5 / 5 - There's a handful of scenes and they're ok, but nothing too notable tbh.

This review has already been uploaded to Goodreads :)

Having never read any of the other books from the ‘beyond the play series’ I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to engage with the characters and the storyline. It took me a while to get started and once I did I read it extremely quickly.
It’s going to be a hit with the booktok community when released! I feel privileged that I got to read this early.

OMG, this is straight up going to the list of my favorite books ever! I can't even explain how much I loved this; there aren't enough words in English, or any other language for that matter, for me to do that! I was pretty confident no one could knock Cooper out of the first place, but boy was I wrong. While I love Cooper even more after this book, NIKOLAI!!! This man was perfect from start to finish!

I'm so sad to say goodbye to these characters because I really do love all of them and hope to see them again at some point. This is the end of an era, okay? But this book was such a wonderful closure to it that I can't even complain!!

I love how this wasn't the typical forbidden romance. While they did sneak around, I loved how they never said, "OMG, this was a mistake, we can't do this, what about this, what about that." Not once did they think it was a mistake, and I love that. I love that their story wasn’t filled with clichés just for the sake of it. The way their relationship evolved from a casual fling to friendship and then to full commitment felt so natural and wonderful.

I also really appreciate how carefully Grace preserves the characterization of her previous main characters. It's frustrating when reading a series and a beloved character suddenly becomes a villain or unlikeable. For instance, I was really worried Cooper would turn into an overprotective alpha older brother, which would ruin the affection I had for him in Breakaway. But, nope!!! Grace portrayed him in a perfectly balanced way that was believable and reminded me why he was such a great book boyfriend in his own story! The same goes for James and Sebastian! I was swooning over Nikolai AND the Callahan boys in this one!!! It simply was not fair!!!!!

I loved that the book focused on putting in the effort to overcome their insecurities and issues, rather than having an external 'big bad' threaten the relationship (like a protective older brother). I loved watching Nik gradually being welcomed into the Callahan family, finding the kind of support he lacked growing up. His developing friendship with Cooper was almost as heartwarming as the main romance! And I got to mention Cooper baiting Nik to take the toy soldier piece during their game of Monopoly – if you know, you know!

The way the main characters and their relationship were portrayed was really well done. Without giving too much away, their connection could have easily turned toxic, but the story kept things realistic and avoided unnecessary drama. Both Isabelle and Nik acted authentically, which I appreciated. It's refreshing to see young people portrayed as mature and thoughtful, instead of always being dramatic.

Nik's personal growth was particularly impressive; he went from being closed-off to being open and learning what it takes to have a healthy relationship. Isabelle was relatable with her lively personality, trying to balance her responsibilities and meet everyone's expectations, including her own, which were sometimes impossible.

Also, for the people who need to know…. The smut smutted. I need Nik in a biblical sense. You will too, I promise. I’ll just leave you with "good girl" and "crawl to me"... take that as you will! Seriously, you might want to keep a fan handy.

If you need any more reasons to dive into this perfection (and really, why would you?), here are some microtropes that make "Wicked Serve" absolutely irresistible: He calls her an adorable Russian nickname but doesn't reveal its meaning, he has a mysterious scar on his face, he keeps a photo he promised to delete, he made a deal that shattered his dreams but brought him closer to his dream girl, he remembers little details and surprises Izzy with the most heartfelt moments, he stands up to her brothers and tells them they’re hurting her feelings, there's no third act breakup, just an important pause, he takes her seriously when no one else does, and they even crash a wedding.

Nik and Izzy have my whole heart. There were definitely some emotional moments in this story; poor Nik had me in tears more than once. However, they both truly deserved their happy ending. My biggest gripe is that there are no more Callahans left for me to read about. I didn't want this book to end, but Grace wrote the best final chapter and epilogue ever. She wrapped up the Callahans' story perfectly, so even though it's finished, I feel really happy with how everything turned out. I'm thrilled to have had the chance to read it ahead of time, and I'm eagerly anticipating Grace's next work.

The final book for the Callaghan family siblings is one I’ve been looking forward to for a while!

Nik gets transferred to McKee University to play on their hockey team after a summer fling with Izzy (whose brother is captain of the hockey team and a big rival of Nik’s)
What was supposed to just be a summer fling soon turns to more, and neither can then deny their feelings from the summer.

We saw some hints about Izzy and Nik and I wasn’t sure I’d like Nik but he totally changed my opinion. Him and Izzy were perfect for each other. I loved their love and support- they were always in each other’s corners.

If you’ve read the previous books in this series, you get to see lots of the other Callaghan siblings and their partners which I really enjoyed- I always love getting to see past couples again in books.

Overall I felt the book was a little too long- the first half felt a bit drawn out and as though things could have progressed quicker. But I loved the ending and especially the epilogue where we got to see the whole Callaghan family!

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I read this book in one sitting because I could not put it down. The way the Grace constructed the plot and developed the characters was captivating. I am so thankful to Headline and Grace Reilly for sending this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I am so proud to say I discovered Grace as an indie author before she was signed. I will continue to say that to everyone, because it's not often that happens with an indie author you love. Although I have never met her in person, it makes me so proud to be part of her journey to getting signed.

The anticipation for this book was real ever since Grace shared the blurb on her socials months ago. I was drawn in by the promise of a simple brother's rivalry and a summer fling, and I can confidently say that the book delivered on all fronts.

I loved how the story talks about family dynamics in the sense that even the perfect family has problems, but also deals with domestic abuse, so be sure to check your trigger warnings before reading this book.

Although I loved how Nik and Isabella started their relationship and little by little shredded those layers and started to open up to each other, broken pieces and all, the book for me felt too long. I felt that some scenes could have been condensed to maintain the pace of the story. I wished it was a little more concise like the other books in the series.

I really liked this book, but I am not sorry to say Breakaway is still my favorite. Thank you, Headline and Grace Reilly, again for sending it my way.

This is the final book in the Callahan family sports series from Grace Reilly and she really said goodbye with a BANG! This book was pure joy- healthy romance, character depth, and fan-favorite tropes! Nikolai is under pressure from being a hockey prodigy and reconciling his father's abuse while Isabelle is caving under familial pressure while trying to reconnect with volleyball! They bond over their shared life struggles but also over their mutual relationship to Izzy's brother and Nik's new teammate! This adds the perfect dimension of tension and chemistry to a bubbly love story. The relationships were written with care and the romance was developed with support but the pacing did drag in some parts which ultimately hurt the emotional impact of the third act. With that said, this was a blend of chemistry, depth, and tenderness that will serve fans of Grace Reilly right! Recommended for fans of Hannah Grace and Liz Tomforde!

Wicked Serve - Grace Reilly

Finally, a hockey/sport romance without the toxicity!

This book was all about realising potential and supporting each other. Nikolai and Isabelle’s story had an element of ‘will they, won’t they?’ to it, whilst they both juggle their own family expectations.

Nikolai is dealing with being the prodigy of an abusive father and former hockey star whilst Isabelle is trying to continue with her passion for Volleyball whilst trying to keep the famous Callahan family proud.

Their story was wholesome. It showed the importance of supporting and encouraging each other’s dreams, whilst taking care of your mental health.

The storyline of Nik and Izzy’s brother becoming teammates as the two of them simultaneously keeping their ‘fling’ secret ended differently to how I expected. However, I was living for the supportive nature of Cooper and the love he has for his little sister.

Regardless of the odd dysfunctional family, this book was filled with healthy relationships, communication and friendship.
A ‘he falls first’ trope within college sports is usually overdone, but I really enjoyed the way it was written, resulting in Nikolai having his very own found family and prioritising dealing with his trauma.

However, I feel that the book was longer than necessary. There were a lot of unnecessary sport-focused chapters when sport was already the focus of the story. And it frustrated me to no end that Nik didn’t even put up a fight at his Grandfather’s requests!!

Overall though, it was such an easy read, more smut than plot but sometimes that ratio can make for the best books! I loved that the Russian language was included throughout, it really helped with the character building of Nikolai and the cultural divide between him and Isabelle.

Grace Reilly does it again!

Thank you NetGalley and Headline for the ARC in return for an honest review!

Wicked Serve by Grace Reilly
Rating: 4/5
Release Date: 13 August 2024

In "Wicked Serve," hockey sensation Nikolai Abney-Volkov confronts the ultimate test when he joins rival McKee University for his senior year. His predicament? Reviving a clandestine summer romance with Isabelle Callahan, sister to his new team's captain.

Amid escalating tensions on and off the ice, Nikolai and Isabelle must navigate their intense chemistry, braving all odds for a shot at love.

The narrative of this book exuded charm and endearment, qualities that resonated deeply with me. What I cherished most was the sweetness of the romance intertwined with the gradual development of the characters, which kept me thoroughly engaged from start to finish. The genuine emotions and personal growth portrayed throughout added layers of depth to the storyline.

Nikolai emerges as a standout figure among book boyfriends, leaving a lasting impression with his magnetic charisma and the allure of his Russian heritage.

Beyond its compelling romance, “Wicked Serve” fearlessly delves into profound and sensitive themes, including the long-lasting effects of childhood trauma and child abuse on mental health and relationships. It intricately explores the struggles of anxiety, panic attacks, and the heavy emotional burdens that weigh on the characters.

Despite grappling with these challenges, the story unfolds with a compelling blend of beauty and depth. Readers are immersed in a narrative that garners praise for its intricate plot and finely crafted characters. Both protagonists undergo significant personal growth as they confront their past traumas and navigate the complexities of their evolving relationship. Their journey is marked by moments of resilience, self-discovery, and mutual support.

I did however find moments where the story seemed to linger longer than necessary, which affected its pacing. A more concise approach could have enhanced the overall flow and tightened the narrative structure. Despite this minor issue, the book's adorable moments and unexpected twists contributed significantly to its appeal. These elements not only added excitement but also underscored the enduring impact of the story.

Overall, while the pacing could have been more streamlined, the book's heartfelt romance, character growth, and surprising turns made it a memorable and worthwhile read. It left an indelible impression, leaving me reflecting on its themes and characters long after I turned the final page.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Headline | Headline Eternal, and the author, Grace Reilly, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review

Steamy and captivating! This sports romance had me hooked from page one. The chemistry between the characters is electric, and the story had me enthralled.