This was my first read by Ellie K Wilde and I loved it! I'm a sucker for a brother's best friend trope as well as a sports romance so I had a feeling this was gonna be a win for me. Zac is such a fun hunky male hero. In real life, some of his actions may seem weird or creepy but on paper, he is so swoony. He has that mess with her and I'll kill you vibes. He's been in love with Melody since high school but her brother put a stop to it and he never recovered. The chemistry and emotional intelligence in this book are wonderful. The spice is SPICY and there is plenty of it. I also loved the secondary characters and would love to see them come around in another book. Maybe a series is coming?

This book does feature a previous toxic relationship, including love bombing and gaslighting. So be warned! Also, I did find it a little repetitive in some places, especially when she is coming to terms with the way her ex-boyfriend treated her. It seemed like she had the same 3 revelations every time.

Read if you like a spicy brother’s best friend, second chance sports romance. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book publishes 1/21!

Only in your Dreams is a small town, brothers best friend, sports romance. For characters that are supposedly near thirty, it read much younger. Throughout the story, the reason this couple couldn't commit also felt a bit childish. The book was too long and dragged in parts.

I appreciate how the author weaved into the story a previous relationship that was emotionally abusive.

Thank you, Atria

3.5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A spicy sports romance with a few tropes: best friends twin sister, second chance romance, friends to enemies to lovers, small-town romance, grumpy/sunshine, and the misunderstanding trope (which is not my favorite but hey, I still liked the book anyway). And yes, there's a happy ending.
Zac and Melody have lots of banter and we start off with a prologue chapter when they were 17. 10 years later, Melody is reeling from a breakup from her 6-year relationship with a not-so-great and gaslighting and manipulative ex-boyfriend who subtly controlled her life without her knowing. So she moves back in with her twin brother, who forces her to go on a camping trip in his place without telling her that her crush from high school will be there.
The whole camping scene was intriguing, and it took up the first 20% of the book. But it created this weird plot direction that didn’t quite fit with the rest of the book. We’re introduced to some side characters and the banter between Zac and Melody. But it still felt weird after you read the rest of the book.
I can relate to Melody with her obsessive chapstick addiction. Because I also freak out when I can’t find it, and have a car chapstick, purse chapstick, nightstand chapstick, and a bookbag chapstick.
While the ex-boyfriend and breakup is kind of dragged on rather unnecessarily, I can relate to it. And I think anyone who has been with a gaslighter can. Melody overthinks everything and it starts to affect how she sees Zac, but it resolves itself. I feel some readers may feel that it’s overplayed in the book and brought up way too many times.
And the intimate scenes. Oh my goodness. The rest of the book is pretty calm and tame and reads like your typical contemporary romance, but the bedroom scenes are fire. Very spicy IMO. Lots of spicy slow burn leading to the main moment near the end of the novel. No more spoilers, that's all I’m saying. Just know that there is spice in there.

3.75 stars!

I loooved the premise and the first 35% of this book. I thought the stakes were so high given their rift, and being stranded while camping. Once they got back home the stakes sort of disappeared and the story fell a bit flat for me. There were some great moments within this, and I will definitely be reading more from Ellie K. Wilde, I think I just wanted a bit more from this one, personally.

Zac is absolute book boyfriend perfection. Period. “Only in Your Dreams” is a second chance, brothers best friend, fun, sports romance. Mel is back in her small town after a nasty breakup with a controlling, gaslighting narcissist. She comes home to stay with her twin brother for a bit and get back on her feet. Cue- Zac, the boy she had a crush on in high school who left her high and dry after she asked him to kiss her. What Mel doesn’t know is that Zac has spent the last 10 years pining after her and intends to make things right.

This book is sweet and spicy and has a few laugh out loud moments. Honestly it’s exactly what you want from a rom com and I adored it. Couldn’t put it down. You’ll fall in love with the whole cast and the town of Oakwood.

Thank you Atria publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

Only in Your Dreams is a front runner for favorite second chance books of all time for me.

Our MCs Melody and Zac engaged in some brother's best friend/friend's twin sister mutual pining in high school and on the night that Melody decides to make a move Zac ghosts her.

Fast forward ten years, both our MCs have gone through it. Melody is getting out of a bad relationship, Zac is struggling in his career, they've both lost people close to them.

This book has some extremely steamy double POV pining, my fav. An FMC who's reluctant to put herself back out there again and an MMC who always hoped some day his unrequited love would pan out. The focus on communication, character development, and relationships in this story had me unable to put it down

There is nothing more unsatisfying than a second chance story where the break up didn't or the characters coming back together doesn't make sense, and I think Wilde really nails it with this one.

First ARC of the year and it was soooo cute!
Definitely caught myself grinning like a maniac during parts of- especially Zac’s sappy moments… and there were A LOT of them.

I think my favorite part of the whole book was the camping scenes and they started and ended so quick! I needed moreeeee!!

All in all a super sweet romance novel with great characters, amazing tension and a whole lotta 🌶️ gotta love it!

I am so glad this series got picked up by a trad publisher. I was so happy to have read it as an ARC when it was released as an indie and just as excited to land an ARC for its trad debut!

Ellie K. Wilde saw your love of "Who did this to you?," romance readers and uno reversed it. Yeah, that's right. This book contains the FMC asking the MMC "Who did this to you?" and she's 100% ready to throw hands.

This is a great second-chance romance, with definite black cat-golden retriever vibes. Zac has loved Melody (nickname Clover) since he met her at 14. The night before she's set to leave for college, she asks him to kiss her, and he...disappears. This kicks off 10 years of unrequited pining on Zac's part and unchecked anger on Melody's.

But the two are thrown back together when Melody is unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend (I refuse to remember his name, he's the worst) and heads back home to live with her brother. After a nightmare of a camping trip, the two find their way back to being friends and sleeping buddies (like they sleep together not *sleep* together). Losing Melody 10 years ago was the worst thing that ever happened to Zac and he is *definitely* not going to let it happen again, even if he has to wait for her forever.

This recap probably doesn't do this book justice at all.

All you really need to know is that there is SO MUCH PINING on the part of Zac and a really sweet path to loving him from Melody. Also, there's a lot of very hot spice, even though they don't fully hook up until very late in the book. I read the indie version of this book straight-faced on an airplane and I had to take a few breaks to cool off.

This is set up to be a part of a series and we are also introduced to the rest of the friend group, all of whom are going to be fun to see fall in love!

* Thank you to the author for giving me the chance to read this in exchange for a review. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for revisiting this in anticipation of its new release! *

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It seems the new trend for romance books involves sports, just as this one does. Ehile I am not big into many sports, the plot of this was great and I enjoyed it!

This book gives to me the same vibes as the off-campus series by Elle Kennedy but later in life version. Melody is back in her hometown after a series of unfortunate events and is forced to take a camping trip with the last person she wants to see fresh upon her return, Zac. This had everything from sizzling tension, sweet moments, and swoon worthy gestures. Zac has been pining for Melody for a whole decade and is so down bad. I admire that he never gave up on her. The combination of all the tropes was just right for me! Thank you to other author and publisher for the free ARC. All opinions in this review are my own.

Instagram review will be live on 17Jan25.

“You’re a real catch, Zachary Porter.” Her eyes shine as she looks up at me, and I sweep her cheek with my thumb. “So, catch me.”

We absolutely love a comeback queen… and king. This story delivers in EVERY way. From start to finish, it’s a phenomenal second-chance football romance that stands out from the crowd. The pacing is on point—right from the get-go, it hooks you, and trust me, at over 400 pages, I was worried it might drag. But nope—this book kept the energy high and the pages turning without ever slowing down.

The chemistry between the characters is off the charts, and they’re so relatable that you can’t help but root for their love story. It’s the perfect blend of passion, vulnerability, and pure connection. If you're a fan of second chances and intense romance, this one is an absolute must-read!


*ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and truthful review.

Our MMC is DOWN BAD!!! Such a cinnamon roll 😍 Our FMC is so sassy and grumpy. I loved their banter and their journey back to each other. I loved how Zac supported Melody and the growth and healing that she went through in this book

🩵football romance
🩵brother’s best friend
🩵second chance
🩵it’s always been you
🩵one bed AND one tent


I’m not sure if the final copy will have any content warnings but be mindful going into this that the FMC is coping with a controlling ex that may be triggering for some

3.8 ⭐
Melody breaks up with her boyfriend and returns to her hometown to live with brother. Soon, she meets Zac, her high school crush.
Zac is now a football coach, though things aren’t going well with his team. He’s caring, sweet, loyal, and still loves Melody.
Melody had been in a toxic relationship for six years without even realizing it at the time, and I loved how good this theme was explored.
I really enjoyed their clover tradition and Melody’s nickname—Clover—and I was absolutely delighted by the red shoelaces storyline.
It was touching to see how the characters supported one another, how Zac respected Melody, and how careful he was not to cross her boundaries.
The book immediately captivated me, and it was fun to follow the characters during the camping trip (that muddy scene was so hot!). However, I felt like the situation with her brother dragged on a little, although Parker pleasantly surprised me in the end!
I can’t help but mention Noah—he’s my favorite side character! I felt so sorry for him, but it was heartwarming to see Zac always ready to lend him a hand.
It’s already been announced that the second book will be about Brooks, and I can’t wait to read it!

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
☘︎ small town
☘︎ football romance
☘︎ brother`s best friend
☘︎ second chance
☘︎ it`s always been you

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

This book was a lovely mix of tender and spicy moments. The balance between emotional depth and passionate scenes made it an enjoyable read. The characters felt real, and their journeys were engaging without being overly dramatic.

The writing was smooth and kept my attention throughout. The tender moments were heartwarming, and the spicy parts added just the right amount of excitement.

I appreciated the balance and found the story both touching and entertaining. It’s a book I would recommend to anyone looking for something heartfelt with a bit of spice.

Kind of a second chance romance, friends to lovers, brother’s best friend trope. This was cute and a little spicy. I loved the first part of the book while they were on the camping trip, it got me engaged right away. I still enjoyed the rest but it did seem to go on too long for me. I feel like it was dragged out and got a little repetitive. Also the fake dating trope thrown in mid-way was unnecessary. Too much all for one book. But overall I did enjoy the book and was rooting for Melody and Zac. A good amount of spice too. I give it a 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for an ARC of this story in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked hearing from both Zac & Melody. Enjoyed the cast of characters and the setting. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Because who doesn't love a sports romance?! I ate this book up and I highly recommend!! This is a great book for when you're in a slump

This story caught me from the moment that I started it! I love the enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and family love in it! I like that it had a plot but also had some spicy! I did struggle with the MMC with his “you are going to love me” attitude but was overall super cute!

I have mixed feelings about this story. It wasn’t bad and I liked the MMC. I also didn’t mind the FMC, but I just felt like this book was so long for no reason. Like the reason they weren’t together was silly and the fact that it took 10 years to figure it out, also crazy. There were a couple of pointless tropes in the story too and towards the end the spice overpowered the plot. I did read it fast and stay engaged and I didn’t dislike the book hence the 3 star rating. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Read if you like:
- Enemies to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Slow burn romance
- Secret identities

Only in Your Dreams is an enchanting romance with a unique twist: dream-sharing between the characters. This inventive premise sets the stage for a compelling enemies-to-lovers journey that’s as emotional as it is magical.

The story follows two fiercely independent characters who discover that their dreams inexplicably intertwine. Despite their mutual disdain in waking life, their shared dreams force them into a close, vulnerable proximity they’d never allow otherwise. The slow-burn romance that develops is layered with tension, misunderstandings, and heartfelt moments that will keep readers captivated.

Adding intrigue is the trope of secret identities, as both protagonists wrestle with revealing their true selves in both the dream world and reality. Wilde masterfully balances humor, passion, and a touch of fantasy to create a narrative that feels fresh and exciting.

The chemistry between the characters leaps off the page, and the emotional payoff is immensely satisfying. Only in Your Dreams is a must-read for fans of slow-burn, character-driven romances with a hint of the extraordinary.

Thank you so much to Atria for my gifted copy!