This was cute! My first work by this author and it was light and fun.

It’s definitely a little cliché at times and pretty heavy on the tropes, but overall it was fun.

I liked Melody, and I liked that she was kind of a grumpy, snarky character. She’s also like recalibrating her life after a long term relationship and evaluating where she is in the world and where she is personally, in relation to her original dreams. And I think that makes her incredibly relatable to any woman. She’s also freaking oblivious to the fact Zac’s been in love with her since they met, which is something that just drives me crazy!

Obviously I love a dual POV, I think it adds a lot to the story to get both character’s perspectives. And both these characters were kind of dumb, but in a sweet way.

I have to say, there were a few times it was just kind of cringe. Like I love an MMC who’s obsessed, but Zac was a little over the top. And for a guy who literally didn’t talk to her for 10 years, he kind of planned his life around her.

And Zac was so sweet, but he is so clearly a man written by a woman. He felt very 2-dimensional to me. Beyond his love for Melody, I feel like I know nothing about him.

Oakwood as a town felt so bizarre to me? Like it’s a small, coastal town but also has a huge college with a stellar football team. But it’s small enough that everyone knows everyone? Idk, it was maybe just a pet peeve of mine.

Connor the ex felt a bit like a caricature of a gas-lighter, and I knew as soon as the breakup scene flashback happened that we would be seeing him again.

Overall, it didn’t feel entirely new but it was a cute, lovey-dovey, quick read!


Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this one! I think that while I loved it, they also annoyed me. Like what do you mean it's been a decade and now you're still not telling each other everything?! Like don't waste anymore time!! I really loved their chemistry and I loved how obsessed Zac was with Melody. I really did enjoy this one, but something was missing for me. I don't know if I just didn't love the slow burn part of them admitting their feelings or what. Either way, it was a fun book and I ate up their romance and spice.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance reader copy of Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde. This story has a way of making you laugh out loud one moment and swoon the next with characters who feel like friends and a love story that will make your heart flutter.

I loved the banter and the charming twists that kept me hooked from start to finish. The chemistry between the leads was electric, and I couldn’t help but cheer for their happily ever after.

While a few parts felt slightly predictable, it didn’t take away from the overall charm of the book.

🏈Review🏈
4🌟
📖Book: 8/78
📚 Title:
Only in Your Dreams
✍️Author: Ellie K. Wilde
📄Pages: 431
💫Genre:
🏈Fiction•Romance
🟤Pub. Date: Today
••••••••••••••••••••••••
📝Synopsis 📝
Melody, aka Clover, is back home after living 6 years in a manipulative relationship. Zac, her brother’s best friend has held a torch for her for 14 years is happy she’s back. The problem is he left her hanging one night, and she’s never forgiven him for it. How will he ever win her back???

💭My Thoughts 💭
This was such a cute sports romance that I didn’t know I needed. Melody and Zac’s tension was spot on, and I’m not a big fan of slow burns but the plot and fluff in between had me all in. This was such a fun read, and I enjoyed his journey to conquer the girl so much.

🏈Sports Romance
🏈Brother’s Best Friend
🏈2nd Chance
🏈HEA

✨QOTD✨
What football books do you recommend?
•••••••••••••••••••••••
Thank you so much @netgalley
and @atriabooks for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for an honest review.
•••••••••••••••••••••••
#bookstagrammer #sportsromance #bookstacommunity
#bookreview #romancebooks #netgalleyreview #bookrecommendations #netgalleyreviewer #bookworms #bibliophile

The perfect blend of sweet and spicy! You will love this story if you are a fan of sports/football romance, brother's best friend, secret romance, second chance romance, forced proximity, and small town romance. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

I absolutely love a good sports romance and Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wild is no exception. When Melody's abusive (ie mental abuse) boyfriend breaks up with her, she must leave the city to move back with her twin brother until she can afford a place of her own. That also means she will most likely see Zac again, her brother’s best friend and the boy she’s been in love with since high school…who also left her the night she finally broke down and asked for a kiss.

This was an insanely cute football romance that was the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. You can instantly feel the emotion between the two MCs. Banter is funny and refreshing and makes you laugh out loud. The angst and yearning are top tier and one of my favorite things about dual POV books.

I especially loved Melody’s journey and the self healing she is able to accomplish with the full support of her friends and family…something she never had with her ex. This book is full of VIBES and I ate every single one of them up.

Check this book out if you love
🏈Second chance romance
🏈Brother’s best friend
🏈Forced proximity
🏈Small town romance
🏈Secret Relationship
🏈He fell first/He fell harder
🏈Sports Romance

A very special thank you to NetGalley, Atria books, and the author for this e-ARC!

Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde is the first book in the Oakwood Bay Series. This is Melody and Zac’s story.
 
This story is a brother‘s best friend second chance romance and Melody and Zac always liked each other and there was a moment that could have been more but never came off it. I felt their sparks from the beginning but there was a lot of back and forth.
 
Melody had a good life looking at it from the outside but in reality, her relationship was horrible, and her ex kept her controlled and small. I liked how this book brought such a toxic relationship to life and how Melody grows from it and looks for her own happiness again. She does her brother a favor and takes over his place in a camping trip and that’s when she meets Zac again.
 
Zac is a college football coach and he always regretted not making a move on Melody and he unexpectedly gets a second chance. He is enamored with Melody and does everything to win her over which was sweet but at times he seemed rather desperate.
 
Melody and Zac have so much chemistry and the tension between them is unreal and that also led to some very nice spicy scenes. Both characters denied each other's love and I loved seeing how they shattered their walls to finally be together. The book is a rollercoaster of emotions and that kept me invested the whole time.
 
If you also like the brother‘s best friend trope, you need to check out this book. 4 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

If you’re looking for a book with pining and the characters have history, pick this one up. The banter? The pining? The it’s-always-been-you? I’ll always be a sucker for these.
I adored that Melody was the grumpy one, and so did Zac. These two have been in each other’s lives since they were fourteen and now at twenty-eight it looks like they might have a chance at getting things right. I’ll definitely be picking up the next book for Brooks story.

I enjoyed reading Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

3.75/5 stars
I needed a fluffy sports romance book to help chase away the winter blues, and this one fit perfectly! It was sweet, charming, and had amazing banter. I love a brother's best friend trope and Zac was the perfect candidate. Zac and Melody had tensions, steam, and amazing support through their friend groups to help them navigate some emotionally difficult situations.

✨ARC Review✨

I was provided with a copy by Artia and Netgalley.

Zac is an obsessed, caring, and patient man. He gives Melody her space and time to heal from her awful 6-year relationship. Their banter is cute and fun and once I got past the fast pace-start I really enjoyed their chemistry and the sneaking around.

My only problem with this book is that it just jumped right into the forced proximity, it would have been nice to get a feel of the two main characters' interactions before they were thrust into a forced proximity. We only got a few snippets of their past and within 24 hours of getting back in each other's lives, Zac starts flirting, and Meldoy immediately trusts him with the trauma of her recent breakup. This might have been fine if there was more of a foundation for their relationship for her to immediately open up beyond the surface level "I just got dumped by a jerk", besides an almost kiss ten years ago.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️.5

Zac Porter is officially my all time fav simp of a man and I lived for every second of it.

This book reads just like a college sports romance everyone love to read about would except make it a second chance romance with two 28 year olds that never stopped loving one another. Melody had so much growth throughout this book and her character as a whole was one I could relate to in some aspects, but I mainly just really enjoyed her story as a whole.
Zac? Now that man is everything and then some like, he has known what he's wanted since he was 14 and was gonna have it one day or another.

Now lemme tell yall about THE SPICE???? This was such a nice slow burn that keeps you fed throughout until the socks get rocked off ya know? I absolutely devoured & loved every second I opened this book.

Thank you so much to Atria Books for an early copy of this book!💖
Only in Your Dreams is a brother's best friend + friends to lovers + kinda second chanceish + sports romance + she's his good luck charm + he nicknamed her Clover + so much more! There are some books like this were they have second chance vibes from when the main characters were teens to when their adults but idk the fact that this book focused more on the main characters when their adults made me like it so much more! And I was worried the book was going to drag on but lemme tell you, that was SO not the case! This was so good (and spicy 👀) that it felt like it flew by and I was so happy to see their personal and relationship growth! ALSO I think this romcom is one of the first ones to give me goosebumps (I can't say why because I want everyone to feel the same way when it's revealed😭)!!!! I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read book 2 in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the arc copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Zachary Porter and twins Parker and Melody Woods were best friends in high school, practically attached at the hip. Zac and Parker played on the same high school football team in Oakwood, and Melody tagged along for all of their shenanigans. Unbeknownst to the trio, Zac and Melody harbor secret feelings for each other. When Melody makes a move on Zac after a party during senior year, he leaves her with a promise he will return that night. Except, he never does. He ignores her text the next day and they never speak or see each other again.

Ten years later, Melody moves back to Oakwood into Parker's apartment after her boyfriend Connor unexpectedly ends their six year relationship to be single on his upcoming "guys" trip. Filled with self doubt and six years worth of confusing feelings, Melody is left to pick up the pieces as she tries to find herself again. The absolute last thing she wants to do is go camping, but Parker convinces her to take his place on a camping trip with friends. Melody arrives at the campsite and discovers the one and only Zac Porter, who just happens to be sharing her tent.

The reunion is tense and dramatic, and soon Melody and Zac accidentally find themselves stranded at the campsite alone after a storm causes everyone else to flee. Melody cannot deny the attraction they still have for each other, but she still carries her heartbreak from ten years prior, along with revelations that her ex was emotionally abusive to her. Days go by and when they finally give in to temptation, they are rescued by Parker.

Over the next few months, Melody and Zac rebuild their friendship, hiding it from everyone in town. They can no longer deny the feelings growing, and devise a plan to keep seeing each other behind Parker's back. But secrets like this cannot be kept for long.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and found it easy to read. Zac's vulnerability very endearing and his love for Melody is goals. Melody has great character development and is relatable. There is a good amount of spicy scenes, just a warning for those who shy away from that content.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC copy of the first instalment of the Oakwood Bay series, Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde.🍀

Rating: 3.5 / 5 ⭐️

Spice: 4/5 🌶️
Please note, I’m not a spice reader so this rating may be different for others! It’s very possible to skip these excerpts and without them, the story is not diminished in any way.

I was instantly hooked by Only in Your Dreams with an especially angsty first impression of Zac and Melody in the prologue. A missed opportunity and a secret tear them apart, leaving only a red shoelace and a collection of four-leaf clovers to bind them through a decade-long silence.

Only in Your Dreams is a small town second chance romance with the brother’s best friend and plenty of spice. After spending years in the city and now going through a painful breakup, Mel returns to her hometown in search of a new direction, while Zac, having never left, is now fighting to restore honour to their town’s football team as coach.

One thing I really appreciated was how the book has a strong focus on Mel’s personal growth. She learns to redefine herself after coming out of an emotionally manipulative relationship and strives towards finding a career she can truly be passionate about. When it comes to reigniting her connection with Zac, he's not written as a man with a saviour complex, but rather as a supportive partner, ready to stand by her side wherever her journey takes her—no matter the cost to him or their relationship. It’s a solid representation of their maturity: the ability to stand independently while still coming together as equals. Also, Mel is able to see Zac with fresh eyes, despite all the unresolved history between them. Their relationship builds organically, clearly supported by their lingering feelings as they make up for lost time.

I found myself loving the supporting characters as well, especially Noah and Brooks, who offer comedic relief and a comforting presence throughout the book. I enjoyed exploring this small town through the author’s writing.

Aside from a few qualms with pacing and one of the plot points surrounding the “brother’s best friend trope” not quite landing for me, by the epilogue, all problems are resolved and the story wraps up nicely to lead into the second instalment, featuring Brooks as the main male character. overall, it’s a very sweet read for fans of angst, fluff and second chance romance with plenty of emotional growth, witty dialogue, and characters you’ll come to love.

How do you show the one who got away that it’s always been them?

✨ Book Review: ONLY IN YOUR DREAMS by Ellie K. Wilde

🏆 He’s a town golden boy and she’s the one that got away. Zac let her go their senior year, but now that Melody is back in town, even if it is after a horrible breakup, he’ll do anything to win her over.

🤓 Both spicy and sweet, this book had me reading “just one more chapter“ way past my bedtime. The pining here is top notch and makes this such a fun read. Plus, there’s spice! The spice level is up there along the lines of books by Tessa Bailey or Elle Kennedy, which is honestly at the top of my comfort level, but all that spice is paired with strong character depth and a really sweet male lead. I could not put this down! Also, Zac and Melody’s friend group is pretty great, so I’m excited to see that a second book is already slated for July 2025.

Read ONLY IN YOUR DREAMS for
🏈 Football sports romance
🏡 Small town atmosphere
✌️ Dual POV
💞 Second chance friends to lovers
🪢 It’s always been you
💘 Brother’s best friend
🥵 Slow burn, plus lots of chemistry

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5/5 stars)

😘 Thanks to @AtriaBooks for the gifted eARC of this romance! All opinions my own.

This book had me alternating between joy and tears. Zac's devotion to Melody was incredibly touching; he believed in her strength and helped her recognize her worth, always by her side during her struggles. My heart could barely take it, especially with the sweet moments like the clovers and shoelaces!

The only reason I didn't give it a full 5 stars was the explanation for their missed opportunities and long wait for reunion, which felt a bit lacking.

Still, I'm eagerly counting down to the next installment and can't wait to see Brooks find his happy ending too!

I read this book in 2023, and it was a top fave of the year. Rereading it on audio was SO good, it is still one of my favorite books. Teddy Hamilton and Carly Robins are so perfect as Zac and Melody. 

Melody moves back to her hometown, fresh out of an emotionally abusive relationship. She goes on a camping trip with friends, and unexpectedly has to share a tent with the man who broke her heart years ago, Zac Porter. 

Zac sees Melody and realizes now is the time for him to show Melody how good they could be together. And to explain what happened all those years ago. 

I forgot how much of an obsessed simp Zac Porter was. He cared about her so much, even in the years they were apart. He showed her how much he cared, without being overbearing while she healed from her last relationship. This man is fictional perfection. 

This whole book is perfection, no notes. Plot, spice, banter, friendship, healing were all balanced perfectly. I can’t wait for Brooks to get his HEA this summer!

Dual POV, Spicy, Brother's Best Friend, Second Chance, It Was Always You, Mental Health Rep, Toxic Ex, Found Family, Football Coach MMC, Care Taking, Protective MMC, Jealous MMC

The cute cover caught my eye and everything about the book drew me in, I literally read this in one sitting. The way Zac is desperate to make amends and help Melody get her life back on track after her disastrous relationship with her ex left her life in shambles paired with their banter, chemistry, and sneaking around made this an equally emotional and hilarious read. This is a compelling second chance romance done exactly right: angsty, plenty of call out from their childhood, growth, and insane bed chemistry. And don't get me started on the way they all but adopt Noah, the QB of the team Zac coaches.

Only In Your Dreams reads like your favorite romcom from the early 2000's and packs an emotional punch that is equal parts swoony and tear worthy. Newly single after leaving a toxic relationship Melody moves in with her brother and sets her sights on rebuilding her life. The one thing she didn't count on is Zach Woods her first love who is willing to do anything to get back in her good graces. Zach Woods may very well be the ultimate book boyfriend. Not only does he profusely grovel, he builds her dream home, gets tattoos in honor of her, builds up her confidence, and helps her reach her dreams even when it means sacrificing his happiness. 'Get her happy. Keep her happy.'

I adored this book. One of my favorite tropes is he falls first and harder and this book did it beautifully. I especially loved how healthy Zac and Mel were in healing from her previous abusive relationship