“Maybe we weren’t meant to be back then. Maybe we were supposed to wait for these very raindrops in this very parking lot, to finally come together.”

What I liked:

Zac - Our guy is down bad: getting meaningful tattoos and building Chloe’s dream home type of down bad, and I loved every second of it.

Chloe - I really enjoyed Chloe. She came back to herself throughout the book, and I love how she learned to stand back up for herself and those she loves.

The second-chance - Zac was never overly pushy to Chloe, and I freaking loved that. Nothing will ruin a second chance for me more than an overly pushy partner, bulldozing their way to forgiveness.

What didn’t work for me:

I didn’t love some of the things with Chloe’s brother.

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

10 years ago, Zac left Melody after she confessed she had feelings for him. 10 years later, she’s back in town after a bad break up. Zac was Melody’s brother’s best friend and didn’t want to lose the friendship. But he wants to try to win Melody back.

After years of pining for her, they’re reunited on a camping trip. When he makes his intentions clear, Melody is against it due to how much pain he caused. They began to hook up though. I felt it took Melody too long to forgive Zac. It was clear he was obsessed with her. I think if Melody would’ve been more receptive to Zac, I would’ve rated it higher.

I was graciously sent this book by Atria Books. And all I can say is thank you! This is the new cover for Only In Your Dreams. This book had me swooning over Zac. He is everything and more. The moment he saw Melody he was done for. And I honestly loved how Melody held that grudge. She had a right to be angry and hurt and I am glad she didn't just cave. The tension and love grew and it was beautiful to read. The writing was beautiful and I think the chemistry was built up perfectly. And this cover is gorgeous. The shoe lace is my favorite thing about it!

Mel is reeling from a breakup with a gaslighting, controlling man and heads home for comfort. Her twin brother sends her on a camping trip in his place with his best friend, Zac. The problem is that Mel and Zac don’t exactly get along after high school heartbreak, and there’s only one tent. When they return to town, they realize they can provide a lot of comfort to each other and maybe those feelings never left.

This was a fun read with lots of spice and loaded with romance tropes. Readers can expect to find brother’s best friend, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, only one bed, and fake dating in this book. It’s a longer read for a rom com, coming in over four hundred pages, but flies by in a blink. It’s a sports romance because Zac coaches football, though the sports focus is pretty small. I anticipate follow up books with some of the other characters! My only (minor) critique is that the conflict between Zac and Mel’s brother seemed a bit overblown given how close they were and that the conflict lasted for a decade. However, the overall feel of the book isn’t impacted by this and is still an entertaining, feel-good read!

Thank you to Ellie K. Wilde and Atria books for arc and the chance to be an early reader and reviewer.

Loved this brother’s best friend second-chance! Felt there was appropriate groveling, so happy to see Melody regain her confidence after an abusive relationship, and always loveeee a hidden tattoo. This was such a sweet, fun story with great spice. Can’t wait for Brooks!

This book almost lost me in the first quarter of the book because I really was not into the “lost in the woods” plot line, but it reeled me back in once they got rescued. it almost feels like it was two separate books, and I don’t really think there was anything from the camping storyline that affected the second half of the book besides them seeing each other again and the excuse of them needing each other to be able to sleep.

The characters also took a while for me to actually relate to or like, but I saw the potential in them and the side characters if she ever wants to tell their stories.

I always love a good second chance romance, especially if it’s he falls first/he falls harder, but there was just something about the way his Zac‘s love for Melody was just so unwavering. That’s what really sold it for me, them getting to dive deeper into the love that was there for them 10 years ago and build upon that.

Overall, it turned out to be a solid romance and I’d want to see what else she comes up with for these characters.

“Only in your dreams” by Ellie K. Wilde is really great story. Mel and Zac were so sweet together. The couple is easy to love and had many funny moments. It had the perfect balance of character development and spice, keeping you on the edge of your seat! I’m definitely adding more books by this author to my reading list and can’t wait to dive into the rest of the Oakwood Bay series!

Definitely miscommunication so cute how he waited for her reminded me of the Notebook. Ellie K. Wilde your novel is amazing I very much enjoyed it definitely would love to read more novels from you in the future.

Rate: 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Favorite Quote ✍🏻📝

“Why he built himself a beautiful home and left it almost completely blank on the inside, like it wasn’t his to finish.” “Mom,” Zac says softly. It sounds like he wants to warn her to stop speaking, but doesn’t have the heart to do it. I stare up at the house. It’s the first time I’m really looking at it from a distance. The stone façade, the wraparound porch. The porch swing facing the bay. The patch of daisies we’re sitting by.

He didn’t speak to me for a decade after. Men don’t go and build the dream home of a childhood friend they no longer speak to.

Mini Summary :
- Sports romance
- Small town romance
- Forced proximity
- Brothers best friend
- He fell first
- Secret relationship
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

First a thank you to NetGalley for an advanced e-book copy of Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K Wilde.

Only in Your Dreams follows Melody and Zac from an ill fated last encounter the night before Melody leaves for college until ten years later when they are thrown together again under crappy circumstances thanks to Melody’s boyfriend of six years dumping her to go on a guys trip (so he can be single) and her twin brother pushing her to take his place on an annual camping excursion. There she meets up with her long time friend Summer, the new guy Brooks and Zac who she hasn’t had contact with since the night he broke her heart. After a big storm, being abandoned in the woods, shenanigans with a chipmunk and only one air mattress, can Melody come to terms with the realization that her ‘perfect’ relationship may not have been all that perfect? And can Zac finally win the heart of the love he’s never truly let go of?

Overall impressions of this romance was positive. It was cute, humorous and touched on deeper emotional and relational issues that helped flesh out both the plot and characters which adds to the readers experience. The pacing, for the most part, was well done and the writing was engaging and interesting as well. Some of the biggest positives were the unexpected turn of tropes and the feeling that the reader couldn’t fully predict the outcome of the story, which is hard to do with romance especially since most novels follow a very cut and dry plot development line.

Some negatives, the conflict that carries throughout the entire plot and is the axis to all the angst and tension was not in any way believable. Somehow the reader is supposed to agree with the MC that one small incident that happened before college would somehow tear a rift into a very deeply connected, basically found family, friendship to the point where all involved lose contact for ten years. A person who is considered a brother suddenly is not present at all? She doesn’t even see him during huge family events, such as deaths of loved ones, holidays etc. That’s silly and very unbelievable.

The antagonist ex-boyfriend was also an issue. There is something to be said about the subject of manipulation and emotional abuse that was touched upon but it was so nuanced and underdeveloped that it made our MC seem extremely naive and immature in many aspects. She is supposed to be 28 with 6 years of a very close (if abusive) relationship under her belt. Yet, the very sparse interactions we see with her ex seem superficial and legit ridiculous without a real understanding of how they interacted, outside of the explanation that he controlled everything and she just followed along. I am all for depicting emotionally deep topics in romance because that builds depth of character and tension but you got to flesh it out a bit more.

Negatives aside, I loved Melody and Zac’s relationship. I enjoyed Zac’s assurance in his love for her from the get go and that he spent his time and efforts being the best for her. Super romantic and very fun to read despite my critiques of the overall conflict. Great read and very entertaining. I will definitely recommend this book to others.

Tropes you can find in Only in Your Dreams
*Brothers best friend
*Slow burn
*Spicy
*Only one bed
*best friends to enemies to lovers
*fake dating (but not what you think)
*sports (but he’s the coach)
*cinnamon roll MMC

4.5⭐️. This was absolutely everything. I just want to thank NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was filled with angst and tension in the best possible way. Wilde perfectly executed a second chance romance in the best possible way. This has absolutely everything you could want out of a romance. Forced proximity, brothers best friend, sports romance; golden retriever MMC and semi black cat FMC. I adored this and can’t wait for more from Wilde in the future.

Zac is so swoon worthy I can’t even. Melody recounting her relationship to her friends after the fact was pretty rough. I loved how Zac was sensitive to her healing journey but also showed her stability.

Zac and Mel are cute and all but Zac and Noah is amazing. I enjoyed their relationship and Noah in general. He was so funny.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was genuinely a fun read. I was pleasantly surprised that although the second chance romance isn’t my usual favorite trope, and it was pretty insta-lovey, the author did a good job keeping it entertaining throughout this book. I did have trouble understanding the 10-year gap (it felt like the reasoning was a little weak on Zac’s end), but it was a fun, small town sports romance to read!

Sports romance
Brothers best friend
He fell first
Small town romance
Forced proximity

Honestly what more could you ask for? I loved the book, I loved the couple and honestly I loved the friendship as well. I feel like this book could’ve gone on forever and I would never get tired of it. The characters, the character growth, it was all done so well. I can’t wait to read the next book.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc!

Parker Woods has a twin sister named Melody and a best friend named Zac. Melody and Zac had very sweet and wholesome crushes on each other but Parker didn’t want any of his friends to date his sister. When Melody makes a move on him, Zac leaves her standing in her childhood bedroom promising to return later that night, but he never shows.

Ten years later, Melody returns to her hometown distraught from the breakup of a long relationship. Her brother, Parker, invites her camping with their childhood friends to help distract her from her emotions. While camping, Melody is forced to face Zac again. When a freak camping incident goes wrong, Zac and Melody find themselves stranded in the woods alone… for days.

This is a story told from dual perspectives: Melody and Zac. Zac has been in love with Melody since he was a teenager, but Melody still hasn’t forgiven him for walking away from her the last time they saw each other as teenagers.

The story is a really good slow burn that builds anticipation as the plot developed and Melody and Zac try to navigate the complexity of their relationship. Their connection felt real and I enjoyed being a part of their journey. It was a satisfying and entertaining story with some spicy scenes! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book. This review is my honest opinion.

there was something really special about this book to me, it completely took me by surprise

“i have been desperately, pathetically, feel-nothing-unless-she’s-in-the-room in love with Melody Woods for fourteen years”

Zac is going down as one of my perfect mmc’s, i was so pleasantly surprised by this sappy man. There is something so sweet about a man dedicating his entire heart to a woman who doesn’t even know he’s loved her since the moment he met her

although the mistakes made to keep them apart when they were young were so dumb, they also tracked- a kid trying to figure out how to love his best friends sister and not lose everything in the meantime.

and my favorite part, they talking about it like adult human beings!!! 🎉

“He did a stupid thing years ago, took accountability, and has shown me the kind of man he’s grown to be. He’s quietly proven his love for me every day since he crawled out of that tent in the woods.”

Oh Melody my sweet grumpy lady how i love you. her uncovering the truth of her past relationship is so heartbreaking and watching her find her own strength and make a life she’s proud of (outside of a relationship) was EVERYTHING

also the spice was *chefs kiss*, the pining just made it even better

I have just gotten so lucky with ARCs!!!

I had high hopes for Ellie K. Wilde's Only In Your Dreams, but it unfortunately didn’t live up to the hype. As a small town, brother’s best friend, sports romance with a second chance twist, it had all the right ingredients for an irresistible read—but it missed the mark for me.

Let’s talk about the positives: the chemistry between Melody and Zac should have been a knockout. The setup of their past heartbreak and rekindled connection had potential. And I’ll admit, there were a few swoony, heartfelt moments that tugged at my emotions.

But the execution? Predictable. The twists were more like gentle bends you could see from a mile away, and the story felt stretched—almost 500 pages was just too long. I caught myself skimming through repetitive dialogue and unnecessary filler.

Then there’s the believability factor. Some of Zac’s attempts to win Melody back felt more forced than genuine, and their decade long separation didn’t add the emotional weight it needed to. Also, the football subplot? Definitely could’ve been better and more impactful.

If you’re a die hard fan of small town romances and don’t mind a predictable storyline, you might still enjoy this one. But for me, I wanted more sparks and a story that felt fresh, not just recycled tropes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Ellie K. Wilde, and Atria Books for the eARC of this book.

Thank you to the publisher and the author for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had high expectations for this and it fell short. Brother’s best friends is one of my favorite tropes but this one just came off a little weird to me. The brother was a little too involved and that was weird to me but who knows I don’t have siblings so I don’t know if that is how they would normally react. I wish we got a little more in depth from before because I feel like a lot of their relationship gets left out in second chance romance books. I do think this book could’ve been significantly shorter because the story felt a little dragged out. I’ve heard good things about this author so I may try some of her other books but I don’t think I’ll be getting another copy of this book.

A garbage ex, a fiery FMC, and an MMC who’s got it BAD. What more could you want?

I love a good small town romance, add in a second chance and a found family aspect and I’m hooked. Zac is everything you could ever want in an MMC, and Connor gives creepy stalker. Melody is the most amazing FMC and the combination makes this book un- put down able. I read the entire thing in 24 hours and can’t wait for football season to read it all over again.

2.75 ⭐️
This started really well, however it felt as if it went on for about 30% too long and leaned a bit too far into smut over good plot for me by the end. i spent a solid 45% of the book just wishing they’d tell her brother already. I feel pretty confident that the smut to plot ratio issue could have been fixed simply by making the book a bit shorter.
I liked the concept, the dynamics of some of the characters (especially with the football player they've taken in), and thought the main characters had some good moments with each other but overall found this book to be more frustrating than endearing.

Thank you Atria Books + Netgalley for the ARC. 💛

This was my first Ellie K. Wilde book and I love a second chance romance so I was excited to get an advanced copy. I was pleasantly surprised by this one and immediately put her other books on my TBR. The writing was well done, the humor and banter great, and there was a lot of sweet, romantic moments throughout. The spice was excellent as well. I rated it 4 stars because it felt too long, and when I looked I saw it was nearly 500 pages. I would have liked it to be a little faster paced than that. I also felt like the MMC, Zac, was just too good to be true. I was conflicted about that because on the one hand, this is fiction and sometimes it’s nice to suspend disbelief and just enjoy the perfect man who would never really exist in real life. On the other hand, I like it when characters have flaws and depth because it makes them feel more real and helps you relate to them. Let’s just say, this book almost needs to be in the fantasy genre because Zac was clearly a unicorn! Despite those things, I still really enjoyed this one and am excited to read the rest in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!