Melody stayed away from her hometown after leaving heartbroken ten years ago. However, she’s back home with her brother after her boyfriend breaks up with her. Zac knew he messed up when he walked away from Melody ten years prior. However, now that she’s back, he’s determined to make it up to her.

Melody was a great FMC. Not long into her stay, she begins to realize that the relationship she was in was not healthy. So, she decides to work on herself, all while being around the boy who broke her heart at eighteen. I loved that she set goals and knew what she wanted for her future. Zac was just the biggest sweetheart with Melody. I loved that he didn’t give up on her, even though he knew she was mad at him. He encouraged her to follow her dreams and truly wanted her to be happy. He would do anything for her and those he cared about.

These two were just the cutest. It was clear in the beginning that Melody did hate him. However, I loved the fact that while she kept her guard up around him, we slowly get to see those walls she built come down. She didn’t let their past stop her from becoming friends with him again.

The side characters is the book were awesome and I just loved that they welcomed Melody into their group with open arms. They were great friends to both, her and Zac.

I absolutely loved this book. I was hooked from the very beginning and could not put it down. It’ll definitely be a favorite of the year, no doubt. If you love a spicy, small town, brother’s best friend, second chance, football romance, then you 100% need to check this book out! I cannot wait to read Only Between Us!

Thank you to Ellie K. Wilde, Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

Such a swoony second-chance romance! Zac and Melody had an almost kiss when they were teenagers and a decade later Melody is back in town fresh off a breakup. Zac is clearly pining and smitten with her---through a camping mishap, insomnia, and Melody's realizations and healing from her past relationship, they relearn each other. There are lots of trials and tribulations in this book, so it's a journey for the two to work through their feelings. I really enjoyed reading lovestruck Zac's POV, he makes a point to show how different he is from Melody's ex. I'm a fan of stories that illustrate (mostly off-page) what abuse can look like, since it's not all overt and physical, but sometimes achieved through manipulation.

The chemistry and spice are fantastic and I enjoyed all of the reveals from Zac.

Special thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the eARC.

Only in Your Dreams
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🏈brother’s best friend
🏈sports romance
🏈second chance romance
🏈protective MMC
🏈slow burn
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This was a cute second chance romance. Zac is pining and has been pining for Melody for YEARS. After a breakup, Melody moved home to figure out what her future will hold.
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I loved the side characters and think their stories will be a fun addition to this series. The banter was great and it definitely had some spicy scenes. 🌶️ I’ve read mixed reviews on Zac, but I’m a fan. 😘
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I felt that Mel and her horrible ex (he’s the worst) had too much spotlight in the book, but I loved the banter and the funny moments and Mel’s road to healing her heartbreak.
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Overall, 3.5 stars


Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book!

The prologue sucked me in. I was completely hooked before Chapter 1 and I didn’t lose steam during the entire camping scene. I. Loved it.

Melody quickly became a favorite. I love me a good grumpy heroine!

The forced proximity was almost so unbelievable it was silly, but isn’t that life? “can’t make this up” stories?

This eARC was such a treat and cannot wait for more Ellie K. Wilde. This did not disappoint.

I absolutely loved this book! It kept me wanting to read more. Melody reminds me so much of myself. I can't wait for her next book because I will be first in line for that one, for sure.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting access to this book

Unfortunately this book didn't work for me. I found it quite cringey and repetitive. I am dissapointed because this book was one I was looking forward to reading.

I absolutely loved the start of this story! I’m a huge fan of the camping plotline in books, and I was so excited to see Zac and Melody navigate seeing each other for the first time in literal YEARS through a tent. I thought that the first 30% or so was well-paced, and I found myself very engaged in both Melody’s new era/self-growth arc and Zac’s perpetual fumbling/pining for a girl that he’s loved for a whole decade. The latter half of the book did feel a tad bit long, but nothing to the extent of ruining the overall story.

I also enjoyed Ellie K. Wilde’s writing style—I found it smooth, with no abrupt transitions/cuts. It was light-hearted but had depth when it came to some of the heavier elements of the character’s stories. Melody & Zac’s chemistry really felt alive through their dialogue and ongoing banter.

I think where I struggled was really more so about Zac. I think it might just be my own personal preference, but the 10+ year wait for a girl you had little contact with during that time just felt very insta-lovey. Which, honestly, there’s nothing wrong with, but it just didn’t resonate with me. 

Overall, I think this was a fun read and would be perfect for fans of angst, second chances, and a sports romance setting. I'm excited to see where Wilde takes the Oakwood Bay universe! 

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

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you Netgalley and Atria for the ARC! This was a super cute romance, I enjoyed it and will definitely be reading the sequel (more Brooks, yes please). If you love a slow burn romance full of pining, this is the book for you. The forced proximity right of the bat reeled me in. I also liked seeing Melody’s growth after getting out of her shitty relationship, and the found family with Noah. Overall this was cute and I laughed and gasped at least a few times, and the spice was spicin. Can’t wait to read more from Ellie Wilde!

This was definitely the kind of book I needed this weekend. So this was my first read by Ellie K. Wilde, and I have to say, it definitely won't be the last. I mean, this book was just such a fun read, with a really cute romance and some spice. I honestly just ended up reading it in an afternoon, because I couldn't put it down.

It is a second chance romance, mixed in with brother's best friends and sport romance. I was a little scared at first, because the second chance comes ten years later, and Zac is still head over heels for her even after all this time, but I think it was well done. The chemistry between Zac and Melody was just addicting, and it was so much fun to see them find their way towards each other. I mean, Zac didn't really have far to go, but Melody had a little more work to do, from moving on from 'rejected' ten years before, to moving on from a toxic relationship. And it was so much fun to see them both work through their feelings and fears, and still have great banters and sexy moments.

Honestly, it was just a fun read, and I think if you are in the mood for a second chance romance with a sports side, and a main male character who is completely in love with our main character from the get go, then this is definitely worth picking up. I'm adding her other books to my TBR, that for sure!

This book has everything that I could want in a friends then strangers to lovers romance novel! The pining, the sweet words, the words of affirmation, all from Zac was so well written!
Melody and Zac were great together, and they each had their independence and were very strong characters. It didn’t feel forced at all!

I really enjoyed Melody’s character. She was very headstrong, and even when she didn’t know if she wanted, it still felt like she did know what she wanted in her heart.

The plot was great, and there were no plot holes. I love that this doesn’t have a third act breakup! I loved the communication and the ability to listen to each other.

The side characters were amazing and I love Parker. He is such a good brother! And Zac was such a good big brother figure to Noah!

I just really really enjoyed this book and I would read it again!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc! All opinions are my own!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book and its cavity-causing sweetness. Melody fresh out of a relationship with an emotionally abusive ex ends up back in her hometown with Zac, the boy that crushed her heart ten years prior. Little did Mel know that Zac has been harboring a deep, unrequited love for Mel and there were circumstances with her brother preventing him from ever acting on it before. They dance around each other, starting at a deep level of acceptance and love.

There were a lot of things that I loved about this book: Mel and Zac's overall relationship, the way he situated her into his life, despite the fact that she had left and was with someone else, the way that he cares for people deeply. When Wilde wrote them, it was amazing. The prose was sweet and tender and evocative. It was hard to put down during those parts.

The rest of the story was a bit of a chaotic mess. The pacing was off a lot in places and it felt like things were either happening at light speed or at a glacial pace. It was hard to keep track of how anyone was supposed to feel. And some of the plot points seemed excessively childish, to the point where I sometimes forgot that these characters were close to their 30s.

Overall, I thought the story was emotionally sweet and it was engaging enough that I wanted to see how everything turned out in the end, despite its shortcomings.

Only in Your Dreams is a spicy, friends-to-lovers romance set in the world of college football (though the main characters are slighly older than the typical college students). I enjoyed it!

The story begins with Melody and Zac at a high school graduation party. Melody asks Zac for a kiss, and he leaves with a promise to return—but they don’t speak again for 10 years. After a tough breakup and (content warning) realizing the extent of emotional abuse in her last relationship, Melody moves back home to live with her twin brother Parker, who is Zac’s childhood best friend.

As the story develops, we learn why they lost touch and see how they help each other grow while falling in love. Multiple explicit scenes throughout the book!

If you're looking for a spicy football romance, I recommend this one!

Some pros:
1. I'm really done with the hockey romances. I don't watch hockey, no one plays hockey in the South, and there's just a lot put right now. I liked the football storyline, and it wasn't a typical high school, nerd and QB storyline.
2. The supporting cast was great. I loved the dynamic with the brother. The friends were hilarious...
3. The relationship with Noah was A+. Very few things are sexier than guys acting as a father figure, and I loved Melody's ready acceptance of Zac's role in Noah's life.
4. The guys' protectiveness
5. I liked the epilogue. It's kind of formulaic, but also kind of not.
6. The dedication was perfect

Cons:
1. This book could not make up its mind what it wanted to be. There's the abusive ex, the fake dating trope (kind of), friends to lovers, second chance, small town, and kind of a dark romance, too. It also wanted to be a slow burn, but it wasn't (see below).
2. The sex was... weird. Within the first 10 chapters, they're hooking up, and they hadn't had a romantic relationship before. It wasn't even forbidden attraction. Melody didn't know Zac liked her in college. The first scene was very disorienting. Also, it was rough sex, which is not my vibe and seemed out of left field for the story. I kind of wanted it to be sweet. The story wanted to be a slow burn, but again, they hooked up very early on.
3. The incident at the campsite at the beginning was not nearly as bad as they made it out to be. All of a sudden, a thunderstorm is the scariest thing ever, and they can't fall asleep without each other? They are not Katniss and Peeta surviving the Hunger Games. Also, Zac says, "Do you think we can only fall asleep together?" when they're discussing their mutual insomnia. The line is CRINGEY to the extreme. Y'all are dramatic and need to get it together.
4. This is silly, but at one point, Zac is telling Melody about the food he has in the house, and he says, "There's a little bit of everything." I don't know if I've ever heard a guy use that phrase. Bit, I get the ick when guys say "outfit" when describing clothing, so it's a personal preference too.
5. Noah tells Melody that Zac doesn't let him have girls spend the night when he's there, and on weekdays, Zac makes him study for a few hours before he can do anything else. I'm sorry, the man is a grown adult. He's 20, not 16. He's not an addict or parolee or in high school. I get the no girls thing, fine whatever. But is Noah some sort of irresponsible sort?
6. The PINING. It's not cute. It's just sad and weird. You're telling me that you rejected a bunch of girls bc they weren't your high school crush? That's pathetic. Get over it.
7. I was SO CONFUSED as to the timeline of everything. It could very well be a me problem, but I wasn't sure when anything happened when it was talking about the ages when everyone was friends.

Overall, this was a cute football love story. I wouldn't read it again, but if you need some bubblegum for your brain for the weekend, this isn't a bad way to spend the time.

Rating: 4.5 ⭐

This was my first book by Ellie and I enjoyed it! It was such a fun combo of small town and sports romance.

I love a good slow burn romance, and when you add in second chance, it’s even better because you know that the characters are working for their second chance. Melody and Zac were estranged for 10 years before Melody returned to their small town after a breakup. Soon, they’re forced together during a camping trip that goes sideways, and they’re stuck together alone for days. During this time, Melody realizes the toxicity that her previous relationship contained, and she was determined to get her life back on track for her afterwards. That was one thing I admired about Melody in this story; after she saw how toxic her ex was, she wanted to improve her life and live it for herself after 6 years living it for someone else. Melody was determined to find her way back to who she was before her bad relationship, and it was great watching her come back to herself.

Zac Porter has been pining for Melody Woods for years, and when he gets stuck with her on the ill-fated camping trip, he becomes determined to win back Melody’s trust after he lost it 10 years ago. Zac knew he made mistakes 10 years ago, but he learned from them and knew that he had to have Melody back. It was amazing watching Zac win Melody’s trust back throughout the story because he wanted to earn her trust and eventually her love! He did everything he could to show Melody that he learned from his mistake all those years ago, but also that he was nothing like her ex and that he was worthy of her trust and love. It was great watching Zac earn Melody’s trust, but it was also great watching Melody learn to open up to Zac again and learn to trust someone again.

One thing I enjoyed a lot about this book was the banter! And it wasn’t just banter between Zac and Melody, though that was hilarious and they were so well-suited that way; there was also great banter between Zac and Melody with the side characters like their friends and family. I always appreciate good banter in a story, and this banter was top-tier. I would read another Ellie book just for the promise of hilarious banter alone! It kept me laughing throughout because I’m definitely sarcastic like Melody, so it was nice to see her have someone like Zac come into her life and accept her and her sarcasm in stride.

This was such a great story and I’m glad this was my first Ellie book because it was such a great introduction to her writing. I loved Melody and Zac so much and their story was so fun and heartwarming.


Thank you, Ellie and Atria Books, for providing me with an ARC!

Zach and Melody were fun to read. This book is the first one I read from this author and I liked the story. I definitely will be reading more.

This was the perfect blend of sweet and spicy! I am obsessed with the main characters Zac and Melody. The way he pined and grovelled was just too good. This book had so many of my favourite tropes and they were done perfectly. While this was my first book by Ellie, it definitely will not be my last. I cannot wait to continue the Oakwood Bay series and I recommend it if you enjoy small town sports romances.

What to expect:
🩵 Sports Romance
🩵 Football Coach
🩵 Brother’s Best Friend
🩵 Cinnamon Roll MMC
🩵 Second Chance
🩵 Small Town

Thank you to Ellie K. Wilde, Atria Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ugh. Zach sucks. Connor sucks more. But Zach is controlling and keeps calling her a brat and somehow that is supposed to be endearing. DNF at 75% because I just can't with these characters. Even the whole premise if having to hide because her brother Parker wouldn't approve is so poorly done.

I love a small town romance and this one did not disappoint, This was an emotionally charged romance that manages to capture your attention right from the first page. with the chemistry between Melody and Zac. The charm of second chances and undeniable chemistry. Set in Oakwood Bay, a charming small town, this story is packed with heartfelt moments and just the right dash of spice to keep you hooked from page one. I could not put this one down. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy. Ellie Wilde is a new author for me and I look forward to devouring her back list.
This book is a great choice for anyone who enjoys a heartwarming, addictive story with the perfect mix of passion.

3.5 stars! This book was so cute! I especially loved all the ways that Zac shows his love throughout the book! From the way that he accommodates his love languages to Melody’s needs in the present to how we learn that he has loved her throughout their time apart. I did feel like some of the reasoning for spending 10 years apart was a little lacking, obviously this adds to them being young and dumb though. I really liked the side characters in the story and would definitely be open to reading more about them in their own books, especially Noah and Brooks. It would be fun to see beyond the glimpses we get in this book and see how they grow through their own struggles. It looks like Brooks might have his own book coming out later this year, which is exciting! Overall, this was definitely a fun read!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this book! The chemistry between Melody and Zac was fantastic—so much banter, playfulness, and undeniable tension. The plot had great twists, and the overall storyline was solid. 🌟That said, parts of it felt a little slow, especially the texting scenes. It sometimes dragged on a bit too much for my taste. 😬 But overall, I highly recommend this book and will definitely be continuing the series! Can’t wait to see what happens next! 💕