Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde is the pinnacle of second-chance romance, brother's best friend spice. For Melody Woods, she has always been in love with her twin brother's best friend, Zac, but things go awry on the night before she goes off to college, leaving her to believe that her love is one-sided. She is heartbroken, but promises herself to never let herself step foot into Oakwood Bay again at the fear of seeing the boy who broke her heart.

Fast forward 1o years later, and Melody's life is in shambles, leading her to return to her hometown to bunk with her brother while she gets back on her feet. Seeing old friends, annual camping trips gone south, and realizing truths that she never imagined make her realize that she is going to redirect her life, her way. But with Zac back in her life and in forced proximity due to unseen events, he is determined to set their relationship right and prove to her that it's always been his dream to give her the world. The only way to make them both happy, is that she does it on her terms.

My love for this book was very back and forth in certain moments. For the first 40%, I thought the book felt like a trope salad and I wasn't meshing well with the messiness of the events of this book because sometimes it felt like I was missing out on their history and lore, and if both characters had just gotten out of their own way and talked it out, it would have been different.

HOWEVER, I will say that this book is fast, fun and edible, and the spice is to die for. (The amount of Kindle highlights saying, "I need a Zac Porter" need to be studied...) and I will say that the more I suspended my disbelief and enjoyed the vibes, I ended up really enjoying this one. I think that I will go forward in the series because I fell in love with these characters and their found family, and I feel like Wilde can only go up from here.

Solid, solid 3.5 ⭐️ and I look forward to more!

This is a NetGalley ARC Review 💖💖

I am a sucker for brothers best friend romance especially when he falls first!!

Melody has just gotten out of a long toxic relationship and she’s looking to start a new when she runs into her past. Her past being her brother’s best friend Zac, who she always had feelings for growing up, that is until he stood her up…

The tension is palpable and I ate this book up!! I just wanted to shake the main characters because they just needed to tell each other how they felt years ago. The only reason this book isn’t a 5 star is because it is a little long and the chapters when they’re apart are a little slower but I still liked it a lot.

I will be adding all of Ellie K. Wilde’s books to the tbr in the future 🫶🏼🫶🏼

Holy spice gods! When I received this advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for a review, I wasn’t sure if this book would be my thing - but it turned out it more than was.

The first few chapters were immediately gripping - it wasn’t a slow build, we go straight into forced proximity and intensity ( sexual and romantic). I found that super refreshing. The book boyfriend is super dreamy, and purposeful in his pursuit of the main character which made him instantly appealing to me. I also appreciated that we knew where the characters stood from the beginning - and the hidden secret was handled well too.

The spicy scenes are peppered throughout - this is not a 2/3rds of the book one spicy type of deal. Lots of good spice and everything nice. Perfect lighthearted read for the holidays.

If you like these tropes - read this asap!
second chance romance
brother’s best friend
hidden tattoo
witty banter
no third act breakup

Okay this is my first read from Ellie K Wilde and boy oh boy do I need more!! This book is like the notebook but spicy sports romance. It’s truly impossible not to love all of the characters and root for them! The chemistry, laughs, swoony moments, the list goes on - I just loved this one so much!!

This was a fun, light romance and I’d definitely read more by the author! That said, I wished there was more depth and a longer built up between Melody and Zac. I love second chance romance but even with their shared history it felt kind of rushed. Still would recommend though!

10 years ago, Melody and Zac had a night that changed everything... just not the way they wanted.

Now, Melody has moved back to her hometown after an intense breakup, and Zac is determined to never lose her again.

If you like second chance romance, brother’s best friend, hidden tattoo, witty banter, great side characters, and NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP... then read this.

4 🌶️

***

I really enjoyed this book! I would have loved to see a little more depth with both main characters… but I get there are only so many pages to tell the story, and it is a rom-com after all. I’m hoping Melody and Zac remain side characters in the next book and that we get to see some their relationship progress. I also cannot express how happy I was to not see a third act breakup!!! We need more of this in romance!

The side characters were a delight! I can’t wait to read Brooks’ book which is the next book in the Oakwood Bay series!

Thanks NetGalley and Ellie for the ARC!

.5⭐️
This was fun and light romance with a unique premise. Melody was a great fmc, and it was hard not to want the best for her after everything she had been through. I found the story entertaining, but it did feel a bit predictable. It is an easy and enjoyable read with some spice 🌶️

This was amazing! I loved the friends to enemies back to friends to lovers trope so much! The spice was plenty spicy and did not detract from the plot at all.

Melody and Zac were such amazing characters and I can’t get over the fact the he built her a house that he knew she would love 🥰. Their banter was impeccable and the way they were able to just fit so well together after spending such a long time apart was truly remarkable.

Ellie did such an amazing job shedding light on the different ways someone is affected by emotional and mental abuse in a relationship. It was extremely thoughtful to have Melody work through her trauma at he own pace, but to make sure she know that everyone around her supported her and was willing to do whatever she needed to heal.

Let’s not forget about the sibling / guardian relationship that Zac and Noah had that had me tearing up at moments because it was so sweet!

The whole fake dating Brooks subplot was a little unnecessary tbh, but I can kind of understand why. I feel like just being secretly dating would have worked just as well. It was a good way to get more insight into who he is and prepare for his story. That’s the only aspect that didn’t hit the mark for me. But definitely a 4.5 star read and I will be recommending this to anyone and everyone!

This was the Notebook meets spicy football romance and I ate it up I don't care how cheesy it was. On to more from this author, I love her like I love Tessa Bailey! Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for the offer of an ARC of this book

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨(4.5/5)/
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (4/5)

“I’ve been hitting on you all weekend, thanks for finally noticing.”

“It means you get anywhere near me, I get hard.”

“I’ve never been single, I’ve been yours”

Thanks to Atria / Simon & Schuster Audio for my #gifted copy of this audiobook. I loved it!

Don’t let the cutesy cover fool you, this book definitely has a healthy heap of spice inside.

Zac’s panic when Mel pops up at the camping site was priceless. I loved it so much. He’s so unapologetic about his feelings for her.

However, Mel’s ex boyfriend was seriously a control freak, body shaming as$ho!e. Ick. Love bombing / gaslighting extraordinaire. What a scumbag.

I loved the hypothetical conversation about the shopping spree. It was super cute.

The implosion of fake dating and an as$hole getting his due.

I’m here for all of this.

This was such a fun read! I love nothing more than a brother's best friend trope with a little bit of sports romance. The two main characters were so endearing and I was rooting for them this whole book. I couldn't fly through these pages fast enough and thought this book was a perfect mix of romance and spice. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K Wilde

4 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Ellie K. Wilde for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This book made me experience every emotion possible throughout the time I was reading it but I adored it! I enjoyed all the emotional moments between the characters and how they were not afraid of showing their feelings. Zac knew from a young age that it would be Melody. This was the first book I have read from Ellie K Wilde but it most certainly will not be my last.


Tropes:
- Brother’s Best Friend
- Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine
- Forced Proximity
- Small Town

Thank you Netgalley and Atria for the Arc!

I didn’t know what to expect with this one, but I had such a blast with it. Pretty much from the beginning I was invested in these characters. And these characters have been through IT. The camping scene was my absolute favorite and I wish we got to see more in this area because I think it was foundational to the storyline.

Melody… has been through two much with her ex that finally she has freedom and she uses every moment to be her best self. To learn to get back to who she truly is and to know how she needs to be love. The audacity of C to still be manipulative after everything got on my ever nerve. I wished some bad things on him.

Zac… what a soft boy. Man was obsessed long before and we love that for him. He was soft when he needed to be and tough when he needed to be which was perfect for Melody. I shipped these two from the beginning like Parker and Summer! This man stepping up for his players too was everything. Man got punched to protect his football player, he immediately had my love after that. Because he protected Melody the same way.

I’m so happy with these characters and how their story ended. They deserve each other and I’m so glad to have read this!

4/5⭐️

Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde is the first book I’ve read, but this will not be my last! Melody and Zac were everything. Their chemistry was palpable throughout the book, even if it was a slow-burn second-chance romance. I recommend the audiobook because Teddy Hamilton and Carly Robins do a fantastic job, as always! I will listen to anything Teddy narrates!

Read this book if you love:
-Sports romance/coach
-Brother’s best friend
-Second chance
-Small town
-Faking dating
=Secret relationship
-Toxic ex
-Spicy romance
-It’s always been you

this book unfortunately fell very flat because it read like a bunch of tropes merged together and dragged out way to long for the sake of making a book. i enjoyed the writing for the first few chapters but i quickly started feeling like there was no point to the story. the plot is essentially a giant miscommunication from 10+ years prior and then the cover up plot point doesn’t even make sense (especially with the reveal at the end). there was more smut then plot (which there’s nothing wrong with smut but i the book lacked depth because of it) and i physically had to force myself to finish this despite wanting to stop reading literally sense 40% in.

thank you to atria books, the author and netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was so adorable!! I loved how down bad Zac was for Melody. There was pining for days in this story 😍. I also really loved how the story dealt with narcissistic abuse. As someone who recently cut contact with someone with narcissistic tendencies I really felt for Melody as she was untangling everything she thought she knew about her ex. Watching her find someone who was so thoughtful and supportive without holding that over her head or keeping score was so healing for me to read about. I did struggle with the second chance aspect because I wanted a stronger motivation for them to be kept apart for as long as they were (and a sibling's discomfort as the main obstacle rarely works for me). However, I loved the humor and heart of this story so much that I still had a great time. I'm so excited for book 2!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the chance to read this charming, funny, and romantic book!
The story is a second chance romance set in a small town. There is a duel-perspective between the main two characters, Melody and Zac.
After being dumped, Melody moves back to her hometown with hopes of starting over. Zac is Melody's twin brother's best friend and has always loved Melody, and after screwing up his chance when they were younger, he is determined to finally win her heart. The book does a good job of having both humorous and serious moments. It does touch on Melody discovering her previous relationship was toxic, and she was constantly manipulated. There is no physical abuse, but it does show light on relationships where someone is controlling their partner.
The book is filled with many lighter and heartwarming moments as well. Zac is patient, thoughtful, and encouraging of Melody. Melody is funny, firey, and brave. I like how she is determined to take back her live and live it for herself and not just revolving around a man, but still have a loving partnership.
I highly recommend this romantic and very spicy book! It was entertaining and gave all the adorable feels. I can't wait to read more by this author!

"Ready for a touchdown of emotions? 🏈❤️

This book has it all!
Brother's best friend ✅
Friends to lovers ✅
Enemies to lovers ✅
Forced proximity ✅
Touch her and die ✅

If you’re a fan of sports romance, and the slowest of slow burns, this is the book for you!

Let me know your thoughts if you’ve read it or if it’s going on your TBR! 🏟️📚"

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I really, really enjoyed this romance book! I love that it had dual POV, an actual plot to it that it’s stuck to throughout the book, and was easy to get into and follow. The side characters in this book were really fun and I enjoyed the parts that had them in it. I really feel like we got to know each of the MC’s (Melody and Zac) individually as well as together as their friendship regrew. I loved the whole camping trip parts in the start and how it was a humorous and yet emotional rollercoaster for the two of them as it’s the first time they’ve been around each other since that fateful night occurred.

I did really appreciate that we got a prologue chapter of what happened initially to separate Zac and Melody instead of it being dragged out and us having to figure out what happened piece by piece. Also, Noah! I literally love that kid in the relationship he has with Parker and then how Melody gets added into that little family aspect. The fake dating part with Brooks was a little dumb to me at times but I understand why they felt it needed to happen and the point it made dealing with Zac and her twin brother Parker. Zac’s chapters were always so sweet and I loved how dedicated he was to making Melody happy and doing all these things for her behind the scenes. The whole thing with the clovers and the red shoelaces were adorable! I really liked the banter they had and how Melody wasn’t afraid to be snarky with him after how her ex treated her. I will definitely be reading future books in this series about the side characters because I love them (especially interested in Brooks story)!

Tropes:
- Brother’s best friend
- Childhood friends to lovers
- Second chance
- In secret
- Sports (coach)
- Protective MMC

I received a digital copy from NetGalley & the author of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Ellie K. Wilde for this novel!

Ellie Wilde is now a must read author for me because I absolutely love this book 🥹 How it is possible for a book to be this achingly sweet AND sexy, I’ll never know. Only in Your Dreams is a childhood best friends to strangers to lovers and it’s one of the best “guy falls first” stories I’ve read in a while. Zac is the epitome of thoughtful men; the lengths this guy goes to in order to make Melody happy! The way that Ellie wrote his character is so perfect because with every action and conversation, his adoration for Melody feels so…sincere. Their story is the perfect example of building a healthy relationship where you can be head over heels for someone, but not obligated to answer to or explain yourself to them. Not only was I completely engrossed in Melody and Zac’s love story, I also found myself laughing and smiling because of all of the shenanigans and side characters in this book. I really hope we get more books in the series! All of that said, my very favorite thing about this book is the range of human emotion experienced- lust, heartbreak, nostalgia, regret, mourning, elation, love. I was so invested in this book because these people felt real and raw. They were experiencing so many things that I could relate to and it makes this book truly special. ❤️

Thanks to Atria Books for the gifted book in exchange for my honest review.