3.5 rounded down to 3

Melody returns to her hometown after breaking up with her toxic ex, only to be exiled on a camping trip with a friend group that includes the boy she wanted to kiss her but never did. Then when the trip goes wrong, the two are stranded together in the woods. Will the finally deal with their past?

Read if you like:
-He Falls First
-Second Chance Romance
-Childhood Friends to Lovers
-Forced Proximity
-Off Limits
-Found Family

I liked Only in Your Dreams. It was fun and clever and fresh. I loved the camping trip gone wrong angle and how after they couldn't sleep without the other. But the solution to the off-limits problem was a little clunky and polluted the plot. Still a really fun read though!

This was such a cute novel. I loved the connection between the main characters and the buildup to their HEA. The side characters were also a lot of fun. My only qualm with the book is the fact that the MMC was pining for the FMC for a decade before he confessed his feelings. That just seems unreasonable to me. Why go so long without saying anything?! But I loved how the story ended up in the end. Great read! I hope this book becomes a series with the other side characters as the focus.

Thanks to my friends at Atria for sending me a free e-arc of this book! All thoughts are my own!

3.75 stars rounded to four for NetGalley’s rating system!

Uh, the first 25% was a ROLLERCOASTER!! We went from her taking her brother’s place on a camping trip to them getting stranded and hunted by wild animals. Then somehow they HAD to sleep together every night to get sleep due to trauma from said animal hunting them. I guess??

After they were rescued from the camping trip, the rest of the book was honestly kinda slow. We didn’t really do much in the way of plot. it was just following them as they went about their lives and got closer, which I didn’t mind. It just left me kinda wanting more in terms of plot.

Their relationship development was…interesting. I didn’t dislike it, but it was kinda wild. I know they had unresolved feelings from high school, but people can change a lot in ten years, especially when you go through a traumatic relationship/breakup like Melody did. Yet, we were constantly reminded of how they were basically the same people they were in high school. I don’t know about you, but I’m not the same person I was in high school and it’s only been four years for me, not ten.

I did love them together, though. I still feel like the reason he left her that night ten years ago was a bad reason, and I hate that that is what kept them apart all this time. I wished it had more to it than that, because it felt easily solvable through some basic communication. But MAN DOES ZAC LOVE TO EAT 🥵

So, it all felt both too fast and too slow. I loved how Melody’s feelings grew and changed, but Zac kinda had no development or growth as a character. He stayed the same the whole way through. Melody, however, grew exponentially as a character. I really enjoyed her growth, and I’m so pleased she found herself again after her toxic relationship.

I wished we got more of the side characters too. Summer sorta disappeared for large chunks of the book, considering she was supposed to be Melody’s best friend. We didn’t really see Parker and Zac interact much, when they’re also supposed to be close. Brooks is just there sometimes? He worked with Zac, so he was around, but I feel like we didn’t really get to see them as a group, or even individually that much. They had a group chat that was used maybe twice?

I think there will be more books in this series, and I will probably read those, as this book definitely entertained me!

Cute book but I felt like the characters were a bit immature for their age and the storyline didn't feel realistic.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

This book hit some real checkmarks for me, I gotta say I was pleasantly surprised.

We had grumpy/sunshine, but those roles flip flop a few times throughout. I was super fun. Our FMC is kinda known for being "moody", which really just means she doesn't don the feminine mask of 'let me smile all the time so that I'm not perceived as a bitch' type of deal and honestly good for her. She goes through a manipulative relationship prior to the start of the book and like, been there girl. So she's doing a lot of healing throughout and I just really enjoyed it even when I wanted to smack her.

We also had fake dating, snarky dialogue and a Friends moment near the end. All in all, very cute. Very fun.

I absolutely loved this book! It’s the ultimate brothers best friend, small town romance where she has always loved him and he’s always loved her but it never eorked. Zac puts in so much effort to get melody to trust him. I had a relationship much like melody and Connor and it absolutely resonated with me, even him tracking her down. I adore how long Zac waited for her and all the tiny details he remembers about her and her likes and dreams. I absolutely would recommend this book when it comes out in January! Thank you to the author, Ellie Wilde and the publisher for allowing me to review this ahead of time!

I liked this book. We have a story of melody who, after breaking up with her long-term boyfriend. Moose, by back home with her brother and runs into her childhood crush sack, who was also still living in their hometown. He's a college football coach. After being The Star football player growing up. She's trying to find her way trying to get back to the city. Doesn't wanna be stuck in her hometown. She is still mad at Zack for doing her dirty. Many years ago, does she want to forgive him? Does she still want him? Does she want to move on? Does she just want to get back to the city? There's AA group of interesting characters within the book. Also, melody's brother Zach's co-worker, that was a fun read. Definitely recommend

Ok… this book shocked me. I don’t think I’ve felt this much tension in a book in a long time. I loved the main male character and both of the characters stuggles and growth. The way this man acts towards her is INSANE. I think my realistic view of men has been completley destroyed. I need to read more from this author.

This book……confused me? It has some very strong moments and some super strange and off putting ones. I really did like the second chance element of this romance and Zac was definitely pining for Melody which was cute. What was not cute was the random moments of unnecessary and uncalled for jealousy from the hero which was just kinda unsettling. Strangely, the first big chunk of the book is a camping trip which felt like a pretty different story from the rest set in the heroines home town. Overall, I think this book had some nice relationship development but I had problems with the main characters, the plotting, and the pacing of the story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review :)

"Only in Your Dreams" is such a fun best friend's brother, enemies-to-lovers romance that had me hooked right away. I loved Zac's male yearning, and the chemistry between him and Melody was amazing. My only gripe was how often Melody’s ex was brought up... I was like okay we get it, he sucks lol, now let's get back to Melody and Zac. But overall, I really enjoyed this one. Definitely a solid 4 stars!

Melody Woods returns to her hometown heartbroken and broke. She moves in with her brother while she plans her next steps. Whole Melody may be unhappy with her situation, Zac Porter is delighted to find he has a second chance to win Melody over after dropping the ball 10 years earlier. I really wanted to like this but did not feel like there was enough tension between the characters. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC.

This was surprisingly more enjoyable than i thought it would be. I enjoyed the romance that had been built on their friendship. I feel like a bit more communication would have resolved so many issues.

This sizzling romance did not disappoint! When our main character, Melody Woods, finally escapes what she doesn't see as a horrible relationship we get to know our MC and the life she led at home. She bunks with her brother (for the time being) and is thrust right into the social circle he's created. When she's reunited with an old flame, sparks fly, and the pages of this book sizzle.
I love how Ellie Wilde made the main character more than our typical "airhead" protagonists, and the story pieces just fit. I loved this one!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read an advance e-copy of Only in Your Dreams by Ellie Wilde! I’m so grateful because this book was an absolute delight and one of those rare reads that I just didn’t want to put down. From the first page, it felt like an escape—the perfect mix of humor, heat, and heart that kept me hooked until the very end.

First off, let’s talk about the banter. Wilde absolutely nailed it here. The dialogue between Melody and Zac sparkled with wit, and their back-and-forth was so sharp and entertaining that I found myself grinning like an idiot more times than I can count. If you love banter that’s playful, a little snarky, and full of chemistry, this book delivers in spades.

And speaking of chemistry, the steam level? Boiling hot. Wilde doesn’t hold back, and the romantic tension between the leads crackled with intensity. But it wasn’t just about the heat—the romance had so much depth because of the well-drawn characters.

Melody, the FMC, stole my heart with her journey of self-discovery and growth. Watching her find her voice and step into her own power was so endearing and inspiring. Zac, on the other hand, is the ultimate cinnamon roll MMC. Sweet, supportive, and utterly swoon-worthy, he’s the kind of character you can’t help but fall for.

Ellie Wilde has a gift for creating a world so vivid and immersive that I felt like I was right there in the pages. Only in Your Dreams is more than just a romance; it’s a reminder of the joy and magic that comes from connecting with someone who truly sees and values you. If you’re looking for a book that will make you laugh, blush, and maybe even tear up a little, this one’s for you.

This was literally a perfect romance book with everything I could want! The pining, the reunion after so long and the way this man did so much for her- it was perfection:) Also always nice to see the snarky and not always smiley girl get the perfect man who takes her as is and loves it!

Honestly, I really struggled with the first 25% ish of the book. I just couldn’t get behind the camping part. I wanted to get to the whole football thing a lot sooner, and when we did it got soooo much better. I liked reading about a struggling team, that our male main character Zac had to try to fix.

Zac truly is a book boyfriend, but I didn’t love the spice(but that’s not really my thing to begin with so that’s on me). Being in love with your high school crush ten years later? That’s Hallmark level romance, and he showed up when it was important. I love when a male main character is a soft guy at heart and isn’t ashamed about it one bit. He was easily my favorite character of the book.

With that all being said I wouldn’t hate to see a book of certain football player mentioned (iykyk). I’d love to see the potential of that and maybe a slow burn???

Only In Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Selfie! We’ve been soaking up the Christmas spirit with our new baby sister but finding time to read when we can! First off, thank you @Netgalley and @Atriabooks for the ARC of Only In Your Dreams! This was exactly the right book for us in the throws of PP nightly wake ups. It kept us distracted and entertained so we didn’t fall asleep on our feeding baby.

This Dual POV follows Melody and Zac as they get their second chance ten years in the making! We can say it isn’t our favorite second-chance romance, but it did entertain! It felt about 100 pages too long honestly. Less would have been more. The story also felt as if it was trying to fit in every trope possible. Some tropes you can expect to see are:
-second chance
-fake dating
-brother’s best friend
-one bed
-forced proximity


There were parts of this story that just felt so unrealistic to us. The camping storyline and sleeping arrangements were cheesy and just didn’t make sense. Zac was so loving and adorable, but again, did not feel like any real life male to the point that he was a cheese ball.

One thing we did love was the story surrounding Melody’s ex, her breakup and the gaslighting she endures. This should be considered a trigger warning. We could see this as healing and relatable to anyone who had experienced a controlling relationship with a narcissist. And while her brother wanted what was best for her, he also was weirdly controlling (though we do not think that was the intention of the author….). Overall, we are glad we read this but would recommend with caution.

All the delicious tension, banter, and emotions I love in a second chance romance came together in this book to make such a fun read! The humor often times didn't land with me, but I still enjoyed Melody and Zac's dynamic. As a hopeless romantic who struggles to get over the past, I really connected to Zac's character and how deeply he still feels for Melody when the book begins.

I binged this book in a day and just fell in love with Zac so many times it’s unbelievable. What a gem of a book, and honestly a fantastic way to be kind and caring when writing about emotionally abusive and narcissistic relationships and the healing that’s got to come after. Thank you so much to the author and Atria books for my copy of this e-ARC!

Dang. I think I might be pregnant after reading this book. This is a fantastic and super spicy friends to enemies to lovers romance. Zac is so swoony and I love this group of friends. And the relationship with Noah. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC