Holy Moly!

I knew I was in for a good romance book with this one, but I didn't except it to be as good as spicy as this one.

The tension between Melody and Zak is to die for.

This is THE second chance romance book. The best I've ever read so far.
Zac really loves this girl. He's been pining for her for fourteen years. They way they struggled while being apart for ten years after what happened before she left for college, and they way they fell in love all over again once she came back, heartbroken, was a masterpiece.

Zac really is a fantastic MMC, the way he gives Melody space, room to breathe and make her realise how a woman really should be treated in a relationship should really be anybody's goal.
How he put himself and his feelings aside to help her, to have her flourish, to free herself of everything she's left behind, a terrible job, a manipulative ex-boyfriend, and a life where she felt something big was missing. The something that big was in the shape of a big, kind university football coach, that she has known - and loved- for half her life.

The rest of the gang is hilarious as well, and the revelation at the end, with the bet Summer and Parker had going on was fantastic and I really did not see it coming, which made it a lot more funnier.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: January 21, 2025

Chemistry is dripping off the pages in this steamy second chance, open door sports romance. This read was a breath of fresh air after a few duds to start off the year, and had me hooked from the prologue! I was really rooting for our MCs, the football aspects were well done, and there was a great cast of supporting characters. Anyone who reads this won’t be surprised to learn there will be a second book featuring Brooks as the MMC!

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the ARC of Only In Your Dreams!

I thought this was very sweet, and I really liked Zac’s character. However at times the pacing was a bit confusing, especially in the beginning. The characters reconnected after 10 years and she’s just a jerk to him, and he is acting completely normal?

However I did like how they helped each other heal; he taught her that not all guys are manipulative, love bombing a—holes. And she taught him how to be vulnerable and more open. I thought this was cute, spicy and a very fun read. 3.5

This started out so cute! It was funny, the characters were nice to each other, etc., etc., and then we got to the ~big reveal~ as to why our two main characters haven't spoken for ten years, and it was the silliest thing on the planet.
There was absolutely no reason for that to happen. At all. Ten years? For that? Good God. Please communicate.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!

Thanks NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital advanced copy of this book!

4⭐️
Only in Your Dreams was the perfect culmination of like 4 different tropes. Forbidden best friend’s sister, only one bed (tent?), fake dating, and second chance romance (and also a lot of miscommunication so warning if that bothers you). I truly was rooting for the main characters to get past all their issues and just get to be happy together. On the other hand, a lot of the trouble they were running into felt authentic and organic to the story and not forced. I enjoyed their chemistry and thought there was a good balance of spicy to non-spicy scenes.

Also, I loved these cast of characters we were given and can’t wait to see them more flushed out in future books in the series. I do think Parker could’ve been a little more explored since he was supposed to be Melody’s twin and they didn’t really interact much in the book.

Overall, I had a really fun time reading this book and finished it in a day. I definitely recommend!

I am OBSESSED with Zac Porter. Like, seriously. Ellie K. Wilde is singlehandedly reviving the art of male yearning, and I could not be more here for it. When I say I want to read about male yearning, I mean I need a man so head-over-heels in love that it’s painfully obvious from page one. Groveling? Check. Begging? Check. A laundry list of all the ways he adores her? Zac Porter said, “Hold my hammer,” and nailed every single one.

Zac was everything Melody needed and more. After she got out of such a controlling, love-bombing relationship, Zac gave her the space to heal, process, and move forward on her terms. He didn’t rush her or try to fix her—he just supported her and made sure she knew how badass and amazing she was every step of the way. It was so refreshing to see a love interest who not only respected boundaries but celebrated them.

The way Wilde handled Melody’s healing journey was chef’s kiss. It felt so real and honest. Watching Melody rediscover herself and realize she never stopped loving Zac was beautiful. Their communication and her ability to set healthy boundaries made their relationship feel so much stronger.

And don’t even get me started on the house Zac built her. HER DREAM HOUSE from her freaking vision board?! Leaving everything blank so she could fill it with what she loved? Like, come on! How could anyone not swoon? That level of thoughtfulness is what romance dreams are made of.

This book was everything I wanted and more. I cannot recommend Only In Your Dreams enough. If you’re craving a story with healing, love, and a man who will do absolutely anything for the woman he loves, this is it.

Thank you to Atria books and NetGalley for reaching out with the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love a good sports romance and Only in Your Dreams did not let me down. A brothers best friend, forced proximity, second chance, friend to lovers book. The tropes were troping 👏🏽
I felt like this was a fun read, with spice. 🌶️ However, if you’re not a fan of spice, you could easily skim chapters and still not lose out on the core of the story.
I enjoyed Melody’s character progression of finding herself again after her previous relationship, and felt like it was well written.
I’m looking forward to future books within the series!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
3.75 stars
I love a little second chance romance, sports romance, brother’s BFF trope! This was a fun read with great characters. It was a little too long for me, but I did enjoy it. I would read the rest of the series!

4.5⭐️ this was so so adorable and i ate it up. every single bit.

i was a bit wary going in because i saw the words "second chance" throw around but it didnt feel like second chance to me. the characters never actually date and only have a misunderstanding as teens which leads to them not speaking... typical miscommunication things. but i absolutely devoured this. from the brother's best friend to the childhood crush to the boy obsessed, i loved these tropes and how they worked with each other. oh and when i say boy obsessed? i mean OBSESSED 🤌🤌🩷🩷

i loved melody so so so so much. her development from leaving her emotionally abusive relationship and growing into her own person and learning to take control of her own life was so amazing to read and i thought i was done so well. she was the perfect mix of sweet and so stubborn and she made their banter so so hilarious. i loved how she learned that she needed to put herself first and figured herself out before her and zac started anything and he respected that. SELF LOVE QUEEN👏👏👏

zac porter. this man. is so boyfriend. he is literally obsessed with her from page 1 and continues throughout the whole story. where he really got me was THE FLIPPING HOUSE?? LIKE OH MY GOD THIS MAN😭😭 and their little traditional and his "clover" nickname like end me now. i need what they have. he was so understanding of her need to find herself and not have assistance while also be so supportive and always there for her and UGH. hey siri where can i find zac porter?

this book just gave me countless spouts of butterflies and was so so so adorable and so sickly sweet i loved them so much. thank you netgalley for this ARC!!

Thak you NetGalley and Atria Books for this eARC.
This was a very sweet sports romance story. Sudenly it felt like a YA novel, because, I think the autor was focused on the personal growth of the characters (particulary Melody), but it worked out very nicely.
I love second chance romances because there´s always so much tensión between the FMC and the MMC, this was not the exception, I always enjoy when the MMC is still in love with her. Ithis was a very enjoyable story with a nice open door spice.

The description of this book is so good! Definitely great to the point that it would hook any reader! It gives the reader enough information as to what to expect, but also leaves enough room for the reader to imagine what they want to imagine. Literal perfection!

Also, can we talk about the cover for a moment? It is literally gorgeous!

And then not having a third-act breakup is a huge win in my book!

I think I had a little problem with it being a little slow at the beginning, but at the same time, it may just be because the story needed time to pick up.

Honestly, I would say that it is a solid read!

Thank you to Ellie K. Wilde, Atria Books and NetGalley for this arc! 💕

Only In Your Dreams is a second chance romance done right! It is the perfect mix of plot, banter, angst and spice. Zac and Melody’s story spans over 14 years but more so the last decade they have spent apart. During that define apart one has spent the time and done the work in hopes the other will return home & a second chance will happen. The other took what happened one night, turned a friend into an enemy and never planned to look back. You know what they say about the best laid plans…

Melody’s world seems to be crashing down when she is forced back home to live with her brother after a breakup. Coming home means facing her past, something she never hoped to do. When Melody and Zac are forced together in ways outside their control, Zac sees this as his opportunity for a do over and decides he will find any way to spend time with Melody! As time goes on you see Zac show his cards- the house, the daisies, his words and actions! This man is a simp and he wants everyone to know in.

Melody and Zac are the definition of opposites attract- he’s the sunshine to her grumpy. He embraces her sass & brat attitude, in fact he encourages it knowing that when those features come out Melody is herself! Zac’s words were utter perfection, the way he just lays it all out there for her and shows her how a healthy relationship works! I will never be over “I’ve never been single. I’ve been yours.”

This is absolutely one of the best second chance romances I have ever read and that says a lot because so many are not done right. That is not the case here- this is absolutely a must read if you love a good second chance! I’m so looking forward to seeing more of these two in Brooks’ story and I have my fingers crossed we see Parker & Summer here together soon..

Only In Tour Dreams is for you if you love:
- second chance romance
- brother’s best friend
- friends to enemies to lovers
- forced proximity
- sports romance
- “it’s always been you”

Thank you NetGalley & Atria for the early read!

Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde

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

Thank you Atria Books for the free advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This was such an adorably sweet and spicy sports romance. If you are a fan of brother's best friend or second chance then I definitely think that you should give this one a try!

Melody finds herself back in her hometown of Oakwood Bay after she is dumped by her big-city, love bombing boyfriend. As she begins to pick up the pieces, she finds herself on a problematic camping trip with the one person that she has spent a decade trying to avoid, her twin brother’s best friend. For Zach, Melody has always been off-limits but she is also the only person who has ever captured his heart.

Only in Your Dreams was definitely a fun read! Lots of spice but it was mixed with a very sweet and loveable MMC. The love and care that the characters felt for each other was a strong and consistent theme, which I absolutely loved. The writing was also very well done and I enjoyed the side characters immensely. Definitely hoping for a Noah story in the near future!

If you are in the mood for a charming rom-com, then you should check this one out!

I don’t know where to begin but I will start with this I LOVE Zac Porter!! What a character! He was very much giving Noah from the notebook in how thoughtful and sentimental he was. My heart swooned more than a few times at how much he cared for Melody. Although as someone who lives in a small town the odds that the hottest man ever somehow remained single in a small town is very unlikely, I loved that he stayed just to wait for her. Melody as a character was very likable, her realization that her ex boyfriend was gaslighting her and controlling every aspect of her life in the guise that he was just supporting her felt real. And I loved that although Zac hated her ex boyfriend he let her talk through her realizations and emotions about it without being jealous. This book had its fun moments (camping trip), great spice, prime yearning and a lovable couple. In general I did love that these two didn’t have some 3rd act breakup, the miscommunication holding them back was predictable but I liked how they worked through it. Devoured this book in less than 24hrs, staying up till 2am cause I couldn’t put it down. Looking forward to reading the next book!!

Sorry. This book was not it. Both of the main character were annoying and insufferable. The spice was just cringey and forced. DNF at 40%

Only In Your Dreams is a spicy read featuring a broken hearted Melody coming back home to Oakwood Bay after she fleed a decade earlier from an awkward encounter with her brother's best friend, Zac, who is now the local football coach. I enjoyed this book, I haven't read a ton of football themed romance novels, but I may now try to read some more! Both main characters are very likable, and you can't help falling for Zac's enthusiasm for Melody. Lots of spice, and the plot is pretty good too (always a win).

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for the ARC.

DNFing this one at a little over 30%. Unfortunately, I found the execution on the main plot points to be unrealistic. I am not a fan of miscommunication trope and it became obvious that's what this book would revolve around. I'm sure others would enjoy this one but it was not for me.

Thank you to Atria for this gifted ARC.

Thank you so much Ellie K. Wilde and NetGalley for this ARC!

5⭐️//3🌶️

This book has become an absolute favourite of mine and I will be forever recommending this book, as it contains some of my favourite things:
✅ Hilariously fabulous banter
✅ Yearning & groveling
✅ Boy obsessed
✅ Sassy FMC

Zac has been "desperately, pathetically, feel-nothing-unless-she's-in-the-room in love with Melody Woods for fourteen years". When Melody returns to her hometown after being broken up with by her boyfriend of 6 years, Zac takes it as a sign that their timing is finally aligning. Getting stuck in a rain storm, while camping, with no way of getting back home was not the plan Zac had in mind on trying to prove Melody that he didn't mean to break her heart 10 years prior.

Melody is freshly single, trying to make sense of a relationship that was controlling, and that stripped away any of her individuality, agency, and choices. Taking some time to evaluate where it all went wrong, Melody moves in with her twin brother, Parker (Zac's former best friend), to try to get her life back on track. Fate brings Melody and Zac in close proximity to each other, so Melody's hatred towards Zac starts to ebb, when she notices all the ways he has changed in the years she has not seen him.

I love how supportive they are of each other, in various aspects of their lives. How Melody encourages Zac with his football coaching career, and how Zac supports Melody in finding herself and learning what she wants to do with her life. I love how Zac let's Melody grow on her own, while being patient, and caring. These two just work so well together, and it's so heartwarming to see their second chance at a happily ever after.

Favourite scene: Phone call with Zac's mom 🥺
Favourite 🌶️ scene: The walls really are thin 🤭

Thank you to Atria Books for this ARC! Only in your dreams was such a good book, I truly devoured it. Watching Melody find herself again after a break up with her abusive ex boyfriend, while also rediscovering her chemistry with Zac kept me wanting more. I loved so many of the characters in this book, especially Melody’s friend group standing by her at every turn. And the chemistry with Zac was full of so many perfect squeal worthy moments. I’m highly recommend this book and am excited to see more from this world!