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?

“She loves me. We’re the us I’ve always wanted, and I don’t know how I got this lucky.”

CLOVERZAC MY LOVES MY EVERYTHING!!!



ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW

I'm absolutely grateful that I got to read them, it's the best way to close the year. The story is much more than what you can imagine from the blurb.

cloverzac are a beautiful couple, so full of love and longing and angst and growth and laughter. I'm in love.

Melody aka clover (but only to Zac) is such a storing resilient woman, she had to face some hard stuff and her life felt like a tornado. But she push through it all and came out to her happy ending, to her dream life but better. With the help of her twin, her best friend, a new friend and our lover boy.

Zac, the man that you are, the standard that you set now. Seriously this man is a dream, surreal, like I need him to be real. His love for Mel is one of the most beautiful stories I've read. And his love for his friends and his team. For Noah my beloved (that's their son for real)

Everyone deserves a Zac!!!

cloverzac's moments with Noah were the cherry on top to this beautiful book. I swear their dynamic is absolutely fantastic, had me smiling so hard and almost crying.

Pretty please give Noah a book with lots of cloverzac's cameos!!!!

And I wouldn't say no to more Parker and Summer (individually or together who knows)

Im super excited for Brooks book, he's a gem. And I'll get to see all my people back.

I have to read all of Ellie's books asap!!!


Now I'll leave some of my favorite quotes from the book below (omg I highlighted soooo much) so please beware of spoilers




“When you’ve been desperately in love with someone for fourteen years, a fling isn’t good enough. I want to be her last, and I need her to be mine.”


“I don’t understand how you’re single.”“I’ve never been single. I’ve been yours.”


“What if my life doesn’t have to be perfectly squared away with frilly pink bows and sprinkles on top before thinking about forever? Maybe a little mess is okay, as long as I can trust myself to have my own back if my world goes to crap again. As long as I can trust Zac to be my second line of defense , in the event I stumble too hard. My body is buzzing, a steady vibration through each of my extremities, and it takes me a second to realize what it is. I’m excited about the future. I’m happy. To hell with waiting for things to fall into place.”


““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.”It comes out like a challenge. Daring her to take a chance on me. Because if it’s not her catching me, it won’t ever be anyone.”


“I haven’t been single since the day I met her.”

Loved it. Ten out of ten. Stayed up till 2 am reading this beauty. I’ll always go for a brother’s best friend/second chance love story. Add in some football, a total cinnamon roll MMC and a tough, smart, strong female lead and I was hooked from the start. It was a perfect light romance with enough depth to keep me dying for every page. Definitely steamy but with plenty of relationship development, quality time and communication. No third act break up. Just an all in all wonderful time.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

A spicy, touch her, and you die, cinnamon roll romance. I liked the characters and love story told in this book, I definitely see future books with other characters!
This was advertised as a sports romance. The mmc is a football coach, not a player, so I wouldn't consider it a sports romance, but maybe I'm in the minority.
A good read for romance/smut readers.

Zac and Melody have known each other since they were 14. The Prologue was the perfect introduction to kick off this story. After he leaves her room, he has been pining over her for 10 years. Their first encounter, she is angry and coming off a bad relationship (I think we can collectively say that we hate Connor. He was written as the perfect gaslighting and narcissistic ex). They end up stranded in the woods before being rescued. It becomes Zac’s mission to win her back.

This book was so well written. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. I already know that when I buy the physical copy it is going to be front to back covered in my tabs. I was continuously highlighting parts in the Kindle edition. I can’t wait to continue reading this series.

The shoelaces ❤️ The playbook❤️ The lip balms❤️ the clovers❤️ the tattoos❤️

Tropes:
🍀 Reverse Grumpy Sunshine
🍀 Second Chance Romance
🍀Secret Relationship

4.5 ⭐️ This book took me a while to finish but it was definitely a good read. The character development from the beginning to the ending was written so well. Watching Melody grow into herself and Zac supporting her is EVERYTHING. Everything that Zac did for Mel was so sweet or how defensiveMel would get for Zac. This book is a great spicy slow burn that’ll keep you on edge. Everything came together super well and lined up, wasn’t confusing at all. One critique i do have is that the book did drag out a little in the middle. Other than that the book was super well written and the characters were very enjoyable.! Thank you to the Author, Atria Books, and NetGalley for letting me read such an amazing story to finish off my year🩷

While the premise of this one promised a mix of tension, heat, and swoon-worthy moments, I found the execution a bit underwhelming.

The story follows Melody Woods, who returns to her hometown after a series of life setbacks, and Zac Porter, her brother’s best friend and a college football coach determined to win her back. Their second-chance romance is filled with emotional moments, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

The side characters added a fun dynamic to the story and brought Oakwood Bay to life. The overall premise was sweet, and there were some genuinely heartfelt moments between Melody and Zac. However, the chemistry between the main characters ultimately fell a little flat. I didn’t feel the spark or connection that makes a romance memorable. The plot felt a bit muddled and dragged in places, making it hard to stay fully engaged. At times, it felt overly drawn out and could have benefited from tighter pacing. Some parts of the story felt repetitive and didn’t hold my interest.

While Only In Your Dreams has its sweet and swoony moments, I didn’t feel fully invested in Melody and Zac’s journey. That said, if you’re a fan of small-town romance with a second-chance twist, it might still be worth a read.

I flew through this. This book had my attention from the first to last page. Not gonna lie—I was caught off guard by how quickly the spice kicked in but it was well 👏 written👏 Loved the way in which the MMC was down bad for the FMC. We need more men being humbled by love tbh.

There is a LOT that happens in this book. Like…they get stranded in the woods for three days and then it becomes a sports romance. Those two plots felt incongruent. Also, I don’t love the ending. The brother being in on it the whole time and lowkey orchestrating the whole thing?? Idk. Didn’t seem super plausible.

Did I understand any of the football lingo? Absolutely not. Does our MMC know how to use a phone? Apparently not. Did I eat up every moment of this book? YES.

I had so much fun reading this and truly didn’t want to put it down. I found Melody, our FMC, to be extremely relatable and UGH don’t get me started on Zac, the MMC. We love a down bad man that continues to show up after realizing what an idiot he was.

This book was filled with moments that had me giggling and kicking my feet. The brother’s best friend trope can be a little annoying (because come on dude, she’s a grown woman and can make her own choices) but for the most part it was done very well. I can’t wait for the next book to come out—Brooks deserves his moment!

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

Thanks Atria Books, NetGalley, and Only in Your Dreams. It was an okay book, second chance lovers adjacent. But I wanted more, more character development, more details, more plot. Overall, cute story, and good contemporary romance!

This was a solid middle-of-the-road sports romance for me. The way that Zac was so stuck on Parker's opinion from over a decade ago just wasn't believable. Even with that suspension of disbelief, the happy ending was a bit anticlimactic. The chemistry was good, and while a LOTTTTTT of problems were glossed over, I did believe in their love, and that was nice! And I loved the way he stepped out of the way and let her take the lead in asserting herself against her jackass of an ex.

this was a very hard title for me to get through, i really wanted to enjoy and i love a sports background for a romance novel but i felt these characters so hard to connect with

thank you netgalley for an arc of this title in exchange for my honest feedback

Only In Your Dreams

A sweet and spicy romance with my two favorite tropes - second chance and brother's best friend. I don't think there's a girl out there who wouldn't love Zac. I was a bit frustrated that he didn't try harder in all the years that they were apart. I'd definitely be interested in the stories of the others in their friend circle!

Overall great read and some minor typos in this draft.

Thank you for the advance copy to enjoy!

I went into this thinking it would be super predictable, and in some ways I was right. What I didn’t expect was to enjoy it as much as I did! Usually when I anticipate what’s coming it feels “blah” to me but Ellie killed it with this one. Extremely well written, an easy to follow storyline, likeable characters and a decent amount of comedy and spice. It’s exactly what I needed when I was reading, and the side story of Noah made it extra special for me. Would absolutely recommend!

I was thrilled to get an ARC for Ellie K Wilde’s “Only in Your Dreams” via Net Galley and Atria Books. Thanks for the early edition.

Initially, I thought this book checked all my boxes. Second chance lovers? Check. Sports romance? Check. Brother’s best friend? Check.

While there were aspects I enjoyed, the book also had some ehhh moments for me, too. Spoilers below!

Pros:
-I loved the secondary characters. Really hoping for a Summer/Parker book, and I’m excited for Brooks’ story to unfold.
-I love the “it was always you” plot line.
-no 3rd act breakup
-HEA
-Zac was swoon worthy

Cons:
-the whole abusive Connor part. Melody was supposed to be this feisty, independent, sarcastic woman but she spent six YEARS with this manipulative jerk?
-the reason Zac and Melody stopped their friendship at graduation. Come. On. Pick up the phone, send a text or slide into a DM. The reason was a little weak. If he was THAT into her it seems weird he just gave up contact but was still so set on her (the house, the tattoos, etc.)
-I think it would’ve worked better if the reunion was 5-6 years after graduation, not an entire decade.
-the speed at which the relationship moved physically but not emotionally. It seemed off to me considering their history.
-the fake dating Brooks part was not necessary in my opinion.

While I did enjoy it, I didn’t feel as connected with Melody and/or Zac as individuals or as a couple. I’m hoping the Brooks book will, though! I like Ellie K Wilde’s writing style and humor.