Only In Your Dreams was one of my favorites of the year. This brother’s best friend, grumpy x sunshine/golden retriever, sports adjacent romance has everything I hoped for.
Zac was the ultimate swoon-worthy cinnamon roll, and Melody’s humour and growth made her a fantastic heroine. Their romance was so easy to root for, with great side characters adding charm and comedy to the story. No third-act breakup, HOT spice (and a dirty mouthed MMC), and top-tier tension made it even better. My only complaint? I wished it was a little longer so I could bask in their love story!

2.75 stars - This was unfortunately a bit of a let down. I don't know if it's because I wasn't prepared for the gaslighting, love-bombing abusive ex-boyfriend to be featured quite so heavily or if it was just a bit more predictable than I was hoping. I think the overall story could have been cute and some of the scenes were very heartwarming but overall I just didn't connect to the characters/story as much as I was hoping.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC - all opinions are my own.

Wow, Wow, WOW. This book was so good, it drove me crazy in all the right ways. The spice was just right, the plot was perfect. This book took me through basically all the emotions from happy to mad. There was a point in reading this book that I was shaking with anger! When you take a golden retriever MMC and a hard headed MFC it's a recipe for nothing but outstanding chemistry. this book kept me on my toes, it kept me reading even though I never wanted it to end. good lord I hope this becomes a series there were so many characters thought this book that would make amazing books as well. Ellie Wilde writes so clear I felt like I was almost swimming through the story. I may have to reread this book when I'm having a bad day. Love. Love.Love

Football and love- what more could you want.

I am not an avid romance reader, but seeing that the plot including "brother's best friend" and football, I was in.

I will say the use of nicknames KILLS ME. We do NOT need to be reminded that he calls her Clover on every single page. If I put that aside, I loved the banter and his protective masculine energy. I also didn't love her avoidance of dating the entire book. She seems immature for the majority of the book.

I want to thank Netgalley and Atria Books for letting me read this second chance sport romance early! I loved Only in your dreams by Ellie Wilde, it was a great second chance romance that had me giggling and kicking my feet at 2 in the morning. I loved Zac and Melody's relationship, the tension and the banter between the two was AMAZING. I love his nickname for her and I just love them. This book is such a cute second chance sport romance and you all need to read it! It comes our Jan. 21 so go ahead and pre-order it now!!

The steam was steaming
The banter was bantering
The snark was snarking
This book had it all!

Melody has just moved back home to her small college hometown with her brother after her boyfriend of 6 years broke up with her. You quickly realize she just got out of an emotionally abusive relationship with a controlling person who dictated her life and all her decisions. She goes back to try and pick up her life and regain control. She also must confront her past, that past being Zac, the head football coach at the college and also the guy who she never got over when 10 years ago left her hanging after she declared her feelings for him.

Zac has never forgiven himself for letting Melody go and regrets it every day. Now that she’s back in town, he's determined to get back in her good graces not only because he has never forgotten about her but he's been in love with her since he was a teenager. Cue the swooning, a crazy camping trip, sneaky sleepovers, confronting feelings, a fake relationship, steamy encounters, and trust building. What a ride!

This book has it all and I really enjoyed it. I loved how Zac put his heart out there and was very brazen with his feelings. He doesn’t hide the fact that he screwed up and has always wanted Melody. He didn’t smother her but allowed her to grow and reconnect with her former self to find her character again after she lost it in her past relationship. I enjoyed all the little things Zac would do for her: The chapstick! The new wardrobe! The house! He was so sweet and caring and I swooned over him.

The supporting characters were great additions to the story and really helped the story flow effortlessly. I was invested in them enough but it didn’t take away from the main characters. Set up nicely for additional books if she wanted to make a series.

It was fun to see a sports romance from the coaching side and not the players side. Overall a very well written, fun and heartfelt second chance romance!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Atria for sharing this book’s digital advanced review copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book through a digital ARC from NetGalley
Author: Ellie K Wilde
Genre: Romance
Troupe: Second Chance Romance, Best Friend's Brother

What a delightfully steamy rom com! This was a perfect second chance romance with plenty of layers of other tropes and drama. I loved the ending. I really loved the FMC and her sarcasm and sass. Very enjoyable and heartfelt in moments. Thank you!

5⭐️!!!

This book was so good. It had a little bit of everything..cute, sexy, swoon worthy, heartbreaking and laughter. The main characters were both lovable but Zac?! Omgosh I love him so much. He’s the perfect male main character. Sweet, patient, thoughtful, strong, sexy, funny, protective but not controlling. He is *chefs kiss*. The female main character gets out of a bad relationship where she finally sees the light about her ex and rekindles the spark with Zac. He is patient through it all. The side characters were also very lovable and I hope they ge their own books in the future! Would def recommend this book to everyone!

Ellie K. Wilde's Only in Your Dreams is a nice spin on the sports romance. I love any romance that makes me feel like I'm reading about actual adults. Highly enjoyed.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

I enjoyed reading Only in Your Dreams! It is the first book I read from the author and now I am a fan.

The story was well-written with well-developed characters. It was easy to get lost in the book. Zac and Melody are both amazing characters. I loved them both. They had such an amazing connection together that it had me rooting for them the entire time!


I highly recommend giving this book a read!








Thank you Atria Books and Ellie K. Wilde for the copy of this book!

3.5 ⭐️

I was really engaged by the voice of both characters throughout this multi-POV book. I thought both of them were developed really well, and really liked that the characters communicated like adults and there wasn't 400+ pages of a huge misunderstanding like I was kind of expecting from this plot.

But that brings me to the part that I didn't love- that the MMC (who I really liked!) was holding a torch for a decade from… high school. And that WAS over a misunderstanding that could've been worked through. I'll give that part a pass because it was from when they were kids, but if that had been dragged out a bit more, this would've dropped down to a solid 3.

I also thought this book was really well-developed and there wasn't any abrupt endings like many romance books tend to have, but that also meant it was a tad long for my liking in this genre.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book! Just a couple of nitpicky things from my end that took it down from a 4.

Ohhhhh romance is SO BACK! This book was everything I love in a romance novel and more. The tension was through the roof, the characters had an interesting backstory, and the connection felt so genuine. Ellie Wilde’s writing just absolutely jumped of the pages and flowed so seamlessly. She had me gasping and laughing out loud and tearing up at every turn!

Forever in love with Zac and Melody and this story, I really love how it was told. It had such a great balance of slow burn with moments of quickness just when you would need it. I loved watching these two grow as individuals as well as with each other!

The romantic gestures in this were just chefs kiss, I am obsessed! The perfect amount of swoon without being too corny and raising all of our standards for a man without being too unrealistic. Really hoping this is a series because I absolutely adored the side characters as well and found they brought such a nice depth to this story!

Thank you so so much for this advanced copy I truly enjoyed it so so much!!

[4 Stars😊] Only In Your Dreams was my first book by Ellie K. Wilde and I enjoyed it so much! I thought this sweet but spicy second-chance, brother's best friend romance between Zac and Melody was so well done, and I couldn't put the book down! Zac's and Melody's characters were dynamic and likable, and I liked how they worked through their shared past and the fateful night gone wrong before being separated for 10 years. I loved Melody's character growth from the realization of her controlling/abusive relationship to finding herself and standing up for what (and who) she wanted out of life. Zac, of course, was a great counterpoint to Melody by displaying patience and understanding of her needing time to figure things out for herself, and I lovedddddddd the torch he carried for her.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised and entertained by Only In Your Dreams and I have high hopes for Brooks's book in 2025!

+A huge thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books, and Ellie K. Wilde for the ARC of Only In Your Dreams! All thoughts in this review are my own.
____________________________________
Details:
💘Contemporary romance
⚾Sports romance
>>>🏈Football romance
👀Dual, first-person POV
🏡Small town romance
🌹No third act breakup
👩‍🔬Women in STEM
🙌Would re-read

Characters and tropes:
🐈‍⬛Black cat FMC
🪢Family ties (brother's best friend)
🧩Found family
📍Forced proximity
🛏️Only one bed (tent)
🪃Return to hometown
💞Second-chance romance
🤐Secrets

Spice:
🧨Slow burn
🥵Explicit content and language (extreme)
____________________________________
Emoji Ranking System:
🤩Excellent to Fantastic (4.75-5.00)
😍Very Good to Great (4.25-4.50)
😊Good to Really Good (3.50-4.00)
😒Just OK to Decent (2.75-3.25)
😑It's A No (1.00-2.50)
🚫DNF

THIS BOOK IS HOT AS F....

"Only In Your Dreams" follows Melody, a woman who returns to her small hometown of Oakwood Bay after a devastating breakup. Things take an unexpected turn when she's forced to go on a camping trip with her twin brother and his best friend, Zac, the man who broke her heart ten years ago.

Rekindling their past connection proves to be more challenging than Melody anticipated, especially as old wounds and lingering feelings resurface. As they navigate the complexities of their past and the undeniable chemistry that still sparks between them, Melody must decide if she's willing to risk her heart again or if she'll finally move on from the pain of the past.

The sexual tension between the two main characters had my body on ABSOLUTE FIRE. I stayed awake until 1:30am reading and, in that time, I think there were about three scenes in the first half of the book where I was almost SWEATING waiting to see if they would... get physical lol.

I am SUPER into this book and I cannot wait for everyone else to read it when it comes out. I am ALSO excited for the sequel later in 2025!

Recommended for: Readers who enjoy predictable romances, fans of the second-chance romance trope, and those looking for a light and easy read.

Possible improvements:

Deeper character development
More unique and imaginative plot twists
I apologize for the previous inaccurate descriptions and for the confusion I caused. I am still under development and learning to be more accurate and informative.

I had a really good time with this, I have definitely become more of a hockey romance girl, but I started out as a football romance sports girly and this book has only helped me rediscover why. I had such a good time with this and I look forward to reading more from the author.

This book has so many great tropes: brother’s best friend, second chance, and sports romance.

Ten years after one of the worst nights of her life, Melody Woods is back in her hometown of Oakwood Bay. She’s broke, fresh out of a breakup, and just trying to get her life back together.

Zac, a college football coach and Parker’s best friend, has always had a soft spot for Melody. She was off-limits then, but he hasn’t stopped thinking about her since.

Zac and Melody’s story hooked me from the start—it’s emotional, messy, and so real.

Zac’s love for Melody is so strong. Melody’s struggle to trust again feels so relatable, and I loved watching her slowly let Zac in

If you love a romance with depth, drama, and a hero who’s all in, this one’s a must-read.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the gifted copy!

Only In Your Dreams by Ellie K Wilde
Standalone Romance Novel
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 Stars

This a brother's best friend, second chance, sports romance. Ten years ago, Melody tried to tell her crush how she felt but he ghosted her. Both moved on with their lives and now when Melody is down on her luck and back in their hometown, they may get another chance. Zac was Melody's brother's best friend and didn't want to cross a line and lose his best friend but he had always crushed on Melody, especially when she gave him a four-leaf clover before his first football game as the quarterback in this new town back in high school. Then she kept this tradition throughout all their school years. Then Melody got into a bad relationship after he ghosted her and stayed away for many years. Now that she is back he is determined not to make the same mistake twice. He is working to repair the hurt he caused her in the past while also trying to help her heal from her past relationship. This is a sweet and heartwarming romance. This book has great banter, is quick-paced, funny, has good spice, and has fun characters! Thank you Netgalley for giving me early access to the book! I really enjoyed this book! I would definitely recommend it to romance readers.

Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde is a captivating romance novel that delivers on all fronts. The story follows Melody, a woman returning to her hometown after a devastating breakup, and Zac, her childhood friend turned football star. With simmering tension and a heartwarming plot, this book is a must-read for fans of contemporary romance.

Wilde's writing is both engaging and evocative, creating a vivid picture of the small town of Oakwood Bay and its charming residents. The characters are complex and well-developed, each with their own unique strengths and flaws. Melody is a strong and independent woman, while Zac is a charming and protective hero. Their chemistry is undeniable, and their interactions spark with both humor and passion.

The story is paced perfectly, with a balance of romance, drama, and humor. The emotional depth of the characters' journey is truly moving, and readers will find themselves rooting for Melody and Zac throughout.

Overall, Only in Your Dreams is a delightful and entertaining romance novel that is sure to please fans of the genre. It is a heartwarming story about love, loss, and redemption that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

Zac freakin Porter. This book was the perfect mix of obsessed boy, grumpy/jaded girl, childhood friends to lovers, and brothers best friend. Literally all my favorite tropes all balled into one great story. The level at which Zac was obsessed with Melody was insane, but I absolutely loved it.

Melody Woods is moving home to her hometown after an awful breakup with her abusive ex of 6 years. After 10 years away, there’s only one person she wants to avoid….Zac Porter. Her brothers best friend, and her first crush who broke her heart the night before she left for college. Fast forward she is put in a position where she is feeling stuck in life, and needs to lay low and earn some money so she can take back her life and live the life she always wanted. Zac has never given up his unwavering obsession with Melody, and when she shows up for a camping trip instead of her twin brother, he knows this is his last shot at righting that awful night from 10 years ago. As the head coach of the college football team Zac is faced with a lot of doubt seeing as the team hasn’t won a game in 2 years. They find comfort in each others company and become friends, but is that all they can be?


I loved this book so much, and their love felt so real, even if Zac was a little unhinged with his obsession with her.

⭐⭐⭐⭐/🌶️🌶️🌶️ Only In Your Dreams by Ellie K Wilde is book 1 in the Oakwood Bay series. Melody and Zack had their moment in high school... and Zack blew it. So, naturally, Mel goes on to live her life and forget all about Zack Porter. The problem comes when, ten years later, Melody finds herself dumped by her boyfriend of several years, homeless, and having to move in with her twin brother, Parker, back in their home town. Parker somehow convinces Mel to go on a camping trip in his place, despite the fact that Zack will be there. So that weekend, here they are, reunited in the woods, in the middle of a thunderstorm, abandoned by the other campers.. what could go wrong with that?

This book is funny and spicy and an all-around good time. It's out now and available on KindleUnlimited.

🏈Brother's best friend
🩷Second chance
🏈Forced proximity
🩷Sports romance
🏈Childhood friends-to-enemies-to-lovers
🩷Black cat x cinnamon roll
🏈SPICE
🩷 Possessive MMC
🏈SHE is the one to say WHO DID THIS?