I enjoyed this story for its lightheartedness and feel-good feelings. I loved how the main character rose up from her bad relationship and was able to learn from it, realize what she needed in a relationship and move forward into a healthy relationship. It was nice to see Zac and Parker be able to move on and mend their friendship so easily. Good lesson learned - don't hold grudges. Always communicate with one another and don't let misunderstandings get in the way of one's happiness. I could have done without such detailed sex scenes....

Absolutely adored this book! My first and definitely won’t be the last book that I read by Ellie K Wilde. I was captivated from the first page to the last!

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

Thank you Ellie K Wilde and NetGalley for the ARC!

The beginning got me good! I HAD to know why Zac left Melody hanging! And OMG the reason was just too much and how he made up for it 🔥! Also I absolutely loved the nickname Clover! 🍀 Melody’s snark was too good! So many parts had me kicking my feet! Zac was just the absolute sweetest book boyfriend! this was a great, brothers best friend, second chance romance book! And the spice is 4/5!

Title:  Only in Your Dreams  
Author:  Ellie K Wilde       
Genre:  Romance       
Rating:  4 out of 5

If he can prove he loved her then, and he loves her still, this time might be different.

Ten years after one of the most heartbreaking nights of her life, Melody Woods is back in her small hometown of Oakwood Bay, broke, jaded, and unceremoniously dumped by her big-city boyfriend. To top it all off, her twin brother, Parker, is pushing her to take his spot on a camping trip with the one guy she’s spent a decade avoiding.

For college football coach Zac Porter, his best friend’s twin sister, Melody, has always been off-limits. And after fumbling his chance ten years ago, a devastated Zac was sure he’d lost Melody for good. So, when Melody shows up at the campsite instead of Parker, Zac realizes that now is the time to prove to her that they were always meant to be, no matter how long it takes to make up for his teenage self’s mistake.

Reeling from the truth of her last relationship, Melody plans to stay in town just long enough to get back on her feet. Then, she’s gone again. Meanwhile, Zac is facing an uphill battle to coach his team to its first winning game in years, to show Melody how she deserves to be loved, and to keep Parker from ever finding out. Maybe then, being with her will be more than just a dream.

I like second chance romances, and this was a fun read. Melody and her antics kept me entertained, and Zac seemed too good to be true—while Melody’s ex was no good at all. This was pretty steamy—very steamy, actually. This would make a perfect weekend binge-read.

Ellie K Wilde is from Canada. Only in Your Dreams is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 1/24).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was a perfect pallet cleanser book to get me out of my post-holiday reading slump. The chemistry was great and the pining was top notch.

I will always have a bit of an issue with a brother’s best friend where the brother is the reason their not together, and this one is no exception, especially considering how long it kept them apart and him allowing that to happen, but the payoff was worth it.

Thank you for the ARC! This was my first book from this author and I really enjoyed it. It was quite spicy which I did not expect, but it was also very easy to skip the spice if I was not interested. The story flowed well and I appreciate how everything was resolved in the end.

4.5 stars!!

this is so fun & HOT!!!! a second chance & brother's best friend romance that's both hilarious and romantic. i loved watching zac & melody's relationship develop and how much they lean on one another. also the way they kept trying to convince people they weren't madly in love with each other... LOL! maybe don't stare lovingly into each other's eyes then??? zac is setting standards for men that truly are unattainable... this MAN truly would do anything for melody!!!!

i also loved how melody's eyes were opened to the absolute terribleness of her ex and how she works to find herself again, going for what SHE wants!! & the side characters introduced in the book are so fun and quirky and i cannot wait for more books with them in it !!!

thank you Atria Books & Netgalley for the eARC! this is my honest review.

I really liked this......the trope of a lost love/missed chance is a good one, set in the world of football. What could go wrong? I love the remaking of Melody as well! Nice one!

4.5 stars!! I really enjoyed this book! It’s got a little of everything: cinnamon roll mmc, fake dating, good spice, solid story etc.
I’m really glad I read this and absolutely recommend others doing the same!

I absolutely could not put this book down. It was everything I wanted in a romance book.

Zac Porter is the absolute most swoon worthy MMC. Every girl dreams of a man to love us that much.

Melody and Zac’s banter was amazing. You could feel the chemistry.

I found myself blushing and kicking my feet multiple times throughout the book. So many butterflies too.

The mutual pining and build up to the big I love you moment was written so beautifully and believably.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC of Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde! ☘️ This book holds a special place in my heart—it was one of my absolute favorite reads last year when it was independently published on Kindle Unlimited. I was shocked it wasn’t more well-known because it’s truly one of my favorite love stories of all time. Seeing Ellie K. Wilde secure a traditional publishing deal and knowing this book will now reach a wider audience makes me so incredibly proud. 💘

On my second read, this book was just as magical as the first. The banter is exactly my brand—fun, funny, and effortlessly engaging. 🤌🏼 But beyond the humor, there’s so much emotional sweetness, tenderness, and thoughtfulness between Zac and Melody. 🥹 These characters have incredible depth, and watching them reconnect and grow together is something special. They truly understand and love each other in a way that feels rare and genuine. Melody, with her grumpy personality, is unapologetically herself, and Zac, the golden retriever golden boy, loves and appreciates her for exactly who she is. Meanwhile, Melody sees through Zac’s sunny exterior to the insecurities beneath, making their connection even richer.

And if you’re a sucker for groveling like I am, Zac’s thoughtful, love-filled gestures will win you over. From the secret tattoo he’s had of her to building her dream house during their time apart (Notebook vibes!!), his devotion is everything. 🥹 Add in small, thoughtful details like planting lip balms everywhere for her—it’s the kind of care that melts your heart. Melody’s journey of healing and rediscovering her sense of self after a toxic relationship is equally rewarding to witness.

This book delivers all my favorite tropes with so much heart, humor, and swoony goodness. I could gush forever, but I’ll just say this: Only in Your Dreams is one of my all-time favorite love stories, and I hope everyone gets a chance to experience its magic. Don’t walk—run to grab a copy and fall in love with Zac and Melody like I did! 💘

I’m on a quest to find a sports romance book that I absolutely love! After reading a handful, I unfortunately haven’t had much luck. Did I find it in Only in Your Dreams? Not exactly, however I can see why this book will appeal to sports romance readers!

Only in Your Dreams has a few elements that I absolutely adore in a romance book. If you are a fan of the “it’s always been you” trope, this book definitely hits the mark in that category and does it very well. Another aspect about this book that I enjoyed was watching Melody, our female lead, on her journey of self-reinvention. I was drawn to her growth toward understanding her own worth and goals after getting out of a toxic relationship. Another highlight would have to be our leading romantic interest, Zac. He is emotionally mature, incredibly supportive of Melody and her dreams, and just downright swoonworthy. The side characters also deserve some praise, specifically Brooks and Summer. With the way this is written, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see their stories in the future. I also felt like this book had just enough sports elements to it. With the sports romance books I’ve read in the past, I find that there is either too little of the sports elements, or too much so that it detracts from the romance. Only in Your Dreams struck the right note with me on the sporting elements front.

Despite the positives, there were some drawbacks. The biggest issue I had with this book was that the actions of the characters didn’t make sense and there were moments when plot points felt out of place. Without spoiling the story, I’ll just say the abandonment at the campground (how it happened) and the fake dating (for what reason?) parts of the book as two examples. While the story does deliver plenty of swoon-worthy moments, some parts did veer into the cliche zone for me. Also, the initial conflict between Melody and Zac could have been easily overcome, which was a bit frustrating.

Overall, I’m sure this one will do well in the romance world because of the positives I listed above. If you are a sports romance fan that is drawn to the “it’s always been you” trope, give this one a try!

Thank you to the publisher who provided an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

this was so cute omg I'm not usually a second chance romance girl bc normally there's this big dramatic incident that sparked the reason that it's second chance in the first place but this was so cute.

I need someone like Zac in my life pls how do I get someone who's like that. HE'D DO ANYTHING FOR HER 😭😭😭

ARC Review provided by Net Galley and Simon and Schuster

Only In Your Dreams was a wild ride!!! I was not expecting all of the emotions it brought, as you can see by the emoji feelings as I was reading. This story follows Melody and Zac from high school to 10 years after. Melody gets broken up with by her boyfriend of 6 years and moves back to her home town to live with her twin brother. Guess who is still living in her hometown 🤭 Zac is so down bad for Mel and it’s so heartwarming to read what he is thinking throughout the story. A lot is revealed of course, with what went down while they were in highschool. Everything comes full story in the end but the path to get there will tear at your heart 😭 I highly recommend this book as it was 4.5 stars for me and I had 197 highlights! 🍀

Absolutely loved this book! The pace was perfect, the story was perfect. That's Netahlley and to the publisher for the ARC.

Only in Your Dreams is a slow-burn, emotional, small town/football contemporary romance, and Wilde draws the reader in to Zac and Melody's world from the first page. Ellie K Wilde is a fairly new author, but she is very skilled in creating a plot line with great characters, steam and emotional intensity. Zac and Melody are both each other's "one that got away". They reunite when Melody returns to her hometown after a breakup. Melody is soul searching and reconnects with her high school friends. Zac, now a head coach for the local university's football team, has been pining for Melody for years. Melody is healing from an abusive relationship, which Wilde describes and develops in a sensitive yet authentic way. Zac and Melody reconnect at a camping trip that goes awry with serious storms, leaving the two alone to confront each other and the demons of their past. When they get back home, things build up between them and Zac patiently bides his time for Melody to (re)discover her feelings for him. The two spend a lot of time together, and Zac provides Melody gentle support while she recovers from her past relationship, and tries to figure out a new path. The couple has incredible chemistry, and Wilde skillfully builds and creates their steamy scenes. This book is quite long and dragged a bit for me, but overall I really enjoyed it. I can't wait to read the next installment in the Oakwood Bay series. I have followed Ellie K Wilde on book sites, and will read all of her new books as they come out. Wilde is a talented author, and Only in Your Dreams is a beautiful love story of redemption and slow-burn romance.
Thanks to Ellie K Wilde, Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me an advance reader's copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

Only in Your Dreams is a romance with a little bit of football sprinkled in. The story follows two childhood friends whom have since grown apart, but still harbor romantic feelings 10 years later. I honestly loved this story and enjoyed the character's banter wholeheartedly! The FMC lost her confidence and self in her last relationship, but begins to find herself again with the help of the MMC. This sort of falls under enemies to lovers, with a bit of fake dating thrown in. The plot entertained me and I found myself laughing out loud, but I also was invested in the ending of each characters' story. As an added plus, there are quite a few steamy moments that I thoroughly enjoyed!!!

If you're looking for a sports romance with some steam, this book is for you!

YALL, I did not expect to like a contemporary romance this much but here we are! I had such a good time with this ARC but here we are! (thanks to Netgalley, Atria, and Ellie K. Wilde for letting me read it. All opinions are my own).

Tropes:
- Brother's best friend
- Second chance romance
- Fake dating
- Protective but respectful MMC
- Small town romance
- Forced proximity upon forced proximity
- And... NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP.

Pros:
- Loved the football aspect
- Zac was great!
- Big fan of Parker as well
- It was cheesy but the cheese scratched an itch of mine so I died for it
- Brooks, Brooks, Brooks, Brooks, BROOKS. I need his book like right now
- He is like desperately in love with her and that really worked for me
- The FMC is SASSY. I love her spunk. It was pretty refreshing.
- The spice was good, especially considering the contemporary romance genre

Cons:
- A little weak reasoning for ten years no contact. I had to almost forget that
- At times, it was a little slow. I could have used a little shorter book
- Sometimes, there was a bit too much spice. I could have done with some scenes just being recapped. I think that would help with the pacing too. I wanted it to just get on a few points, especially towards the end. Like we get it, next scene.

Overall, I’m really looking forward to the rest of the series, especially Brooks and Noah (if he gets one). Those darling boys will be the book boyfriends I need, I fear.

Okay I binge read this book in a DAY! This was so sweet and the TENSION! Seriously so good. I couldn’t stop reading. It also had my cracking up at times. I did think pacing was a little off for me but definitely 4/5 stars for this book. I would highly recommend!

An unexpected breakup sends Melody reeling and back to her small hometown to live with her twin brother Parker. Melody is determined to recover from the ex and rebound financially with her life. Naturally she reconnects with her BFF, Summer and Parker’s high school bestie, Zac.

Zac, now the football coach at the local college, had an unrequited crush on Melody in high school. Some describe this as a second chance, but since Melody and Zac were not together in high school it’s really more of a deferred romance in my opinion.

This was my first read by Ellie Wilde and not my last. I definitely enjoyed the combination of sports, fake dating, flirtation and spice and I think you will too!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Marketing for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.