Book Smart Kate

Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Audiobook: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

by Grace Reilly (August 13, 2024) – Many thanks to Spotify Audiobooks, @netgalley and the author for an advanced listening copy of the final book of the Beyond the Play series! Below is my honest review.

Back at McKee University for her sophomore year, Izzy is focused on her volleyball team and putting her summer fling with Nikolai behind her. It could never be more because Nikolai happens to be her brother’s hockey rival. But things change, and Nikolai joins Cooper & Izzy at McKee University. Their connection is undeniable, and Izzy & Nikolai continue their no-strings-attached fling but keep it a secret from her brothers and his teammates. As their relationship grows more serious, Izzy shares her insecurities, and Nik reveals past traumas that still haunt him. But can they grow enough to be together for real?

The Callahan family has been such a fun series with relationships that have evolved over the course of the books. Both throughout the story and in the epilogue, we get to check in on everyone from the previous books. This book is long, with Izzy and Nik having much to unpack. I loved how Nik found his family in the Callahans, how Izzy found her voice, and how Reilly highlighted the importance of therapy and honesty. As I’ve thought throughout the series, these are the most sophisticated college students ever. They read more like late 20s-early 30s, but I’m going to chalk it up to the lifestyle they’ve lived. If my dad were a famous NFL player and I grew up with all the privileges that holds, maybe I’d also have craved a crisp white wine after a long day when I was nineteen. Who cares – the series is fun. Two important notes – (1) I don’t think this is a stand-alone; you need to read the other books first, and (2) If you enjoy books on the lower side of the spice spectrum, this is not the book or series for you. The previous books were VERY spicy, and this one is EVEN more so.

Faith Clark (Breakaway) and Oscar Reyes (Change of Hart) narrate the audiobook duet. Reyes deserves extra accolades for his outstanding Russian accent throughout the book.