3.75⭐️

Melody has just returned to her hometown after her 6 year relationship ended. She has no money, only a part-time job and no where to live, so she has to move in with her twin brother. And now, she is back in the orbit of the one man she has avoided for the last 10 years, her brother’s best friend Zac.

Zac thought he ruined his chance with Melody 10 years ago, now that she’s back he is going to do everything he can to prove to her he’s sorry and that he wants her, while also trying to keep his football coaching job!

So when I say that Zac is down bad I mean he is Down Bad for Melody. He has spent 10 years in love with her and he has done things over those 10 years to prove it if he ever got the chance.

Melody is hard to trust, separation from her ex has proven that her relationship was toxic and controlling. She doesn’t trust herself and she is still heartbroken over Zac.

I loved Melody’s journey in this book, she had to slowly gain back her confidence and learn to trust herself to make her own decisions. Zac was so incredibly supportive and their communication was so great through this book.

I also loved the side characters in this story, their friend group was so much fun. The relationship Zac has with his players was really sweet as well.

If you like books where he is obsessed with her, there are secret tattoos, and great character development then you should definitely read this book!

I absolutely LOVED this book! The relationship between the main characters, the side characters, the elements that were a surprise and the ones that I sort of saw coming! This was so much fun - and with great tension. The MMC in this book reminded me of the MMC from “The Wall of Winnipeg and Me” but if The Wall of Winnipeg was a golden retriever!

This is probably one of the sweetest second-chance romances I've read in a long time. I loved everything about it. The small-town vs. big city vibe, the football talk, and all of Zac Porter's swoonworthy moments - like the dream house he built?! SWOON. The way he never stopped loving Melody and yearning for her was so well written. Can't wait to read more of this series.

♾️/⭐️; 3🌶️
I am in love with this book. This story follows Melody and Zac in a small town, brother’s best friend, second chance romance. I was instantly sucked in to the storyline of these two. The author made them very relatable and I caught myself laughing out loud so many times as well as gushing during some scenes. I really connected with Mel, her backstory and how she worked through some past experiences to come out the other side. Zac fell first and never stopped. He is everything you want in a romance book boyfriend. The author had the main characters actually talk to each other, which is always refreshing. There was no third act break up and a Great HEA. I can’t wait to read about Brooks’ story in book two!

I love you, I'm sorry...
This book was a roller coaster. I had signed up to be on Ellie's arc team because I loved her last book, but this one was rough for me to get through. I skipped the sex scenes because they were cringing me out, which made the book significantly shorter. The love story was there, but it felt like the characters fell in love off-page, and we only saw the aftermath. I want to feel empowered after I finish a book, and this book left me feeling unsatisfied. The characters were cute but lowkey undeveloped. (Also the fact that they used the title as the last line?) I'm really bummed about this one because I wanted to like it so much!

This is the perfect rom-com. I absolutely ATE THIS BOOK UP! Devoured it. Melody is such a relatable character and I loved her. This follows her story, and in a way is a second chance romance. Melody was 18, getting ready to leave for college, when she admitted she had a crush on her brothers best friend. Only it didn't go the way she thought it would. She left and never looked back. That is until her abusive 6 year relationship ended and she found herself back in her hometown shacking up with her brother until she could get back on her feet. Will all her feelings for her brothers best friend resurface? Will she finally get her one true love? Seriously go get you this book and read it! You will not be disappointed!

Only in Your Dreams checked a lot of the boxes of what I am looking for in a romance novel. There was balance between the spice, plot, and character development as Wilde tackled emotional growth and difficult perspective shifts.

Melody Woods left town after high school graduation (and one of the most heartbreak nights of her life) and didn't really look back. BUT after an unexpected break up she moves in with her twin brother Parker. Parker pushes Melody to take his place on an annual camping trip, the one catch is its with the one guys she's been avoiding. Zac Porter fumbled the night of graduation and it's been his biggest regret, faced with a second chance Zac is on a mission to prove to Melody that they are in fact end game.

I absolutely loved the forced proximity camping trip scenes and the unique take on fake dating. I loved the banter between Zac and Melody and the tender moments that they shared. Wilde found a wonderful balance in depicting the development of Zac and Melody's relationship. Zac's full support of Melody and the reminders like "Just so you're aware, it's not required that you preface your feelings by calling yourself names. It's not your job to keep my ego intact, least of all, by minimizing the way you feel" made him a new favorite MMC.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book!

Amazing! I absolutely loved this book. I loved the story line and the characters. I loved everything about this book.

Formerly published independently, Canadian author Ellie K. Wilde's first in the Oakwood Bay is now rereleased through Simon Schuster and I enjoyed it SOO much!!

This was a second chance, forced proximity, twin brother's best friend, second chance romance where football coach, Zac has regretted his decision to walk away from Melody ten years ago and has been pining for her ever since. Fresh off a breakup where her ex was a master manipulator and emotionally abusive, Melody is trying to start over back in her hometown. She unexpectedly strikes up a friendship with Zac and the two bond, slowly finding their way back together.

A SPICY slow burn with fake dating, found family, a smart, bad ass FMC and a dirty talking cinnamon roll former Football player, this book delivered on all the things. If you liked Friday night lights and are a fan of authors like Tessa Bailey or Meghan Quinn you won't want to miss this one!!

I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. It was also excellent on audio narrated by two favs, Teddy Hamilton and Carly Robins.

4/5 stars

Thank you Atria Books for the advanced reading copy!

TW: abusive rx/gaslighting/emotional manipulation

Overall I really loved this book!! Spice, romance, character growth & development, conflict, and resolution all A+!!

What I loved about this one —
🤍 so many fun tropes!!! Brother’s best friend, second chance, one bed, etc. woven together very nicely
🤍 instant chemistry between Melody & Zac — and it was believable too!
🤍 steamy moments were very well done imo - this is definitely open door romance!!!!
🤍 Zac’s character was so sweet one second and then had such an unexpectedly dirty mouth — that juxtaposition is so fun
🤍 I’ve never read a brother’s best friend before and thought that added sm to this story. Will be seeking that out again!!
🤍 miscommunications were not annoying and the conflict was typically quick
🤍 both MC’s were so lovable

What I didn’t love —
🤔 really my only complaint is I hate when there’s secret characters won’t talk about, like “I can’t tell you yet” or “we can’t have that conversation yet” like as the reader I want to be put out of my misery on that one lol

Ahhh I absolutely loved this book. I was in the mood for an easy comfort read but this turned out to be so much more🩵

Zac & Melody are everything. They are so perfect for each other. I loved this friends to lovers second chance romance. The perfect combination of banter with swoon worthy moments. They are honestly the exact definition of down bad for each other- yes I googled down bad 🤣

I loved this one from the beginning. The tension is palpable between these two. From the flashback to high school Zac & Mel to them in the woods all these years later I was hooked from the first few chapters 🤭🔥

I loved the way the author was able to convey the FMC journey recognizing the healing from past toxic relationships. The honest and open communication was so refreshing & when they weren’t there were good reasons and I didn’t find myself frustrated with either character during this slow burn - it just felt real. I loved how they created a safe space for one another.

Add in a side of duel POV, brothers best friend, one bed (tent hehe), fake dating, football and found family - This had all the tropes and feels you want and more.

I also CANNOT wait for the next book in series. Give me some comeback Brooks baby 🏈

You know, this was a sneaky book. When I started it, I almost DNFed during the first few chapters because I wasn’t vibing with the writing style. But I’m glad I powered through because it ended up being a fun read!

I liked the dual POVs. I found the chemistry and sweet moments between the two MCs to be very cute. I liked the backstory added and the real world issues addressed that gave the story depth. And, by my admittedly low standards, it was VERY steamy.

I thought things were worked out a bit too easily however. I guess it’s a romance and there’s a happily ever after so things have to be resolved and yadda yadda. But some struggles should have been delved into and dealt with more in my opinion. Overall though, I thought this was adorable and I liked it!

Thank you to Atria and Netgalley for the ARC. Only in Your Dreams is out today!

Ok I’m making it my mission to own every single book written by Wilde!
Only in Your Dreams is book one in the new series Oakwood Bay.
And I’m obsessed!
I can’t wait to get my hands on book two Only Between Us!

Childhood Crushes, Second-Chance Romance, and Brother's Best Friend? This is SUCH a cute, easy read. Oh and Zac Porter is an A+ book boyfriend.

For Zac, Melody Woods has always been the one who got away. When she returns to their small town ten years later after ending a toxic six-year relationship, Zac is determined to show her she deserves love and help her chase her dreams—even if those dreams don’t include him. In this spicy small-town, sports romance, Zac juggles proving his love, reviving his struggling college coaching career, and dealing with Melody’s protective brother. Meanwhile, Melody must decide if she’s ready to trust Zac—and her heart—again.

Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Ellie K. Wilde for granting me access to this book. All opinions are my own.

Only in Your Dreams is the rom-com you didn’t know you needed! Ellie K. Wilde serves up dreamy characters, laugh-out-loud moments, and a love story so sweet it’s practically dessert. It’s like a cozy blanket, and your favorite sitcom had a book, baby. Warning: May cause spontaneous giggles and an uncontrollable urge to root for happily ever afters!

Melody Woods is back in her hometown after 10 years. She just suffered a bad breakup which leaves her with many questions. Living with her brother, he convinces her to take his spot on an annual camping trip with the one guy she has spent the last decade avoiding. Zac Porter has loved Melody since they were 14 but he mucked it up badly 10 years ago. When Melody shows up to camp, he realizes he needs to seize the opportunity to show her how he feels.

Only In Your Dreams. Wow! I wasn't really sure what to expect but this went beyond my expectations. Sizzling tension and lots of spice. The connection between Melody and Zac was something else. They both have growth in this book and there is a very happy ending.

TW: Melody was gaslit by her ex and it comes to light in the book.


Thank you to Atria Books, Ellie K Wilde, and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book. This review is my own opinion.

Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

🏈Sports Romance
🏈Brother’s Best Friend
🏈Forced Proximity
🏈Second Chance

I enjoyed this book, I do feel like it dragged a little at times and could have been shorter because it lost my interest occasionally. That being said I did enjoy the overall story. I loved how Zac always pined over Melody and for him its always been her. His whole world revolves around her and I loved watching him become overprotective and all “you’re mine” at times. The spicy scenes were great and I loved the camping portion 😏. I feel like the reason they stopped talking and didn’t end up together in the first place was weak but overall it was an enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Ellie K Wilde for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Melody is back in Oakwood Bay after swearing to never return to her hometown. But after an unexpected breakup with her emotionally abusive boyfriend, she has nowhere else to turn but her brother Parker. When he tricks her into taking his place on the group camping trip, she gets stranded with the guy she's been trying to avoid for ten years.
Zac made the worst mistake of his life walking away from Melody ten years ago. Now that she's back in town, even temporarily, he's determined not to make the same mistake again. He's been secretly in love with her this whole time, unable to let go. He has to find a way to make her give him another chance, but she keeps trying to shove him back into the friend zone.
This book is full of secret longings, angst, and lots of spice. Melody is the grump trying to be the supportive and sunny one while Zac has turned from sunshine to moodiness over the years. It was fun to watch his happy personality come back throughout the book. He's such a cinnamon roll character showing his love in small ways that are so sweet without trying to freak her out. The red shoestring <sigh> just wow!.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

While not my favorite sports romance I’ve read, I felt it was a quick and lighthearted read to start the year off. I think this is a good book for someone who is trying to get back into reading and is starting to get into sports romances. Thank you Atria for inviting me to read!

Happy Pub Day to Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde

“It’s always been you.”

After a messy break-up from a bad relationship, Melody finds herself back in her small hometown, trying to rebuild her life and reclaim her confidence.  The only problem, after 10 years of not seeing or speaking to Zac, now there is no way to avoid her brother’s best friend and her first crush.  Especially when her brother Parker forces her to go on the friends camping trip.  To make matters worse a storm strands the two together and the tension builds.

I liked watching Melody find herself and learn to trust herself and others again.  I loved that Zac is protective, but not in a controlling way like her ex and found loving ways to help her with no agenda like all the lip balm.  I enjoyed their banter and the spice.  And I loved the addition Noah brought, showing even more of Zac’s caring side and what could be their future.

I just didn’t really understand the fake dating Brooks part as much.  I mean, y’all are adults, so just have the conversations that need to be had, especially when they are so easy as we eventually see.  Though I did like that there was no third act break-up and found the twist in secrets at the end kind of funny.

“Get her happy. Keep her happy.”

If you are a fan of sports romance, then I recommend this one…and lucky you, it is out today!

Thank you to Ellie K. Wilde, NetGalley, and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. 

Excited to read the rest of this series and see characters like Brooks, Parker, and Summer hopefully get their HEAs as well!