I’m not normally a huge fan of second chance romances but I loved how this was done! I adored Melody’s character growth throughout the book and seeing her recovery from a toxic ex-relationship. Overall, I really enjoyed all of the characters and Zac and Melody’s relationship!

I’ve been LOVING second chance romances lately. And this one being brother’s best friends just puts icing on the cake!

There is perfect balance between spice and plot.

Melody and Zac are childhood friends who have one kiss and then Zac ghosts her with no explanation.

Years later Melody is on a camping trip after a tough breakup. You guessed it, Zac is there and she comes face to face with what she’s avoided for years.

The fake dating (someone else) so her brother didn’t find out and how it all played out was chefs kiss. But Zac refuses to let her be claimed by someone else.


- Small town
- second chance romance
- brothers best friend
- fake dating
- it’s always been you

I have never read a Ellie Wilde novel and I'm glad I read this one! Such a cute sweet second chance romance with plenty of spicy and heartfelt moments too. Great for fans of.......
Brothers best friend
Sports Romance
He Falls First

ellie k. wilde was a new to me author and i can’t wait to read more from her! this book was JAM PACKED with content.

after a rough breakup with a narcissistic ex, melody found herself back in her home town living with her twin brother parker. she wanted to get back on her feet, make some money and then head back to city where she would live on her own. mel’s twin had other plans though. he wanted her to take his spot in a camping trip with none other than the man that stole her heart 10 years ago, zac porter.

zac still held a burning torch for melody and now was his time to prove it. the camping trip was going off without a hitch until mel and zac found themselves stranded — their friends accidentally left without them.

fast forward a bit and we get into the sports side of the plot and mel was an absolute bad-ass! she was helping zac make up plays for the college football team he coached. i love when we have a female character that can do just as cool things as the males can!

things i loved:
the shoe lace bracelets
the clover tattoos
the missing chapsticks
the camping trip
mel’s knowledge about sports
noah
mel’s rotten ex (the author portrayed him SO WELL)

4.25 stars

This was SO full of yearning on both sides for 14 years and you could FEEL it. I found the whole "sleeping together but only sleeping" thing pretty funny...like OBVS y'all are going to fall in love. I also really enjoyed seeing Melody come back to herself after a bad relationship and wade through that knowledge. It felt real without being too triggering imo. But the SPICE? Baby the spice was spicin'. But they were fooling NOBODY and that was pretty funny to me.

Only a couple tiny qualms, it was longer than maybe necessary (not the slow burn, that felt right, but the book itself) and some of the conversations early in the reunion between the MCs were too sexual for that point in their relationship/friendship. Otherwise, great time and very hot!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Hello hot football coach! This is a fun read with a high level of spicy! Melody took her shot ten years earlier with Zac Porter (her brother’s best friend) A shocked Zac fumbled that pass. Fast forward to current day. Melody is recovering from a very manipulative relationship and moves home to live with her brother, Parker. Of course, Melody is still holding a grudge against Zac and Zac wants to make things right between them. Also add in, Zac is the head coach for the local college football team that is in a slump with his job on the line. Things are quite interesting in Oakwood Bay. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advance read

Ten years after the most humiliating night of her life Melody is back in Oakwood to start over. Zac fumbled the ball but now’s his chance to prove they were always meant to be. It wont be easy considering their history, Melody’s career plan and her twin brother who used to be his best friend. Hopefully his dream will finally become reality.

I’ve been in a reading slump for a while and this book was just what I needed. An incredible cast of characters with a long history together and a couple with a deep connection. Who doesn’t love a second chance romance.

The book starts off with a campaign trip, which a genius idea by the author. Bringing Melody and Zac together without a way out except working together. It sets the tone and immediately hooks the reader’s interest. And from there it just keeps getting better.

This is an incredible love story with a lot of depth. Melodys self-discovery journey, she managed to get out and break the circle. That will resonate with lots of readers. TW toxic relationships.

I have no complaints. Safe to say I’m out of my reading slump and the sequel is at the top of my tbr for upcoming 2025 releases.

Read this if you like
🩵Brothers best friend
🫶🏼He falls first
🏈Sports romance
💫Secret relationship

Thank you to Netgalley and the Atria Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a great read! The characters and plot were so good, mixed with lots of growth and a found family, I enjoyed this so much!

After a bad breakup, Melody is back in her small town to rebuild her life. She’s also taking a hard look at her ex and realizing the relationship wasn’t as healthy as she thought. Meanwhile, she keeps running into her long-time crush and twin brother’s best friend, Zac, who broke her heart the night before she left for college.

This was a dual POV with a nice blend of plot and romance. I loved the journey Melody goes on finding herself again after a controlling relationship. Zac helps her along the way, being extremely encouraging, while also keeping his feelings to himself. This man was so obsessed and I appreciated all the small ways he showed he cared. He is also the head coach of the college football team, which is a passion they both share. I really enjoyed the scenes of them talking strategy and connecting over their love of the game. Zac was so angsty and the mutual pining was done so well it made my heart ache! The slow burn was a good pace, and they really got to know each other again and be friends again before it got physical. The spicy scenes were filled with 10 years of pent up lust and passion, and Zac has such a dirty mouth!

Aside from the relationship, I really enjoyed all the side characters and the friend group they have. They’re all really supportive of each other, but also joke around a lot. I think Noah was my favorite side character though, and I loved the banter he had with Zac. The little found family they made was so cute and really added to the story.

This was just so good, and all the tropes were executed really well. I also really liked the ending and I’m excited to read more in the series!

Oh My God.

Such an incredible read!! The plot, the characters, the football...

The found family in this book was so special, and watching Melody recover from her past relationship, while building a new one with Zac was addictive. Once I picked up this book, I couldn't put it down. I was desperate to find out what would happen next between them.

I was so glad there was the addition of Noah. I think his character added so much to the story and the development of Melody and Zac.

The last half of this book had me squealing and constantly having to put the book down to process what was happening. Such a great sports romance that deals with some very real topics, but still keeps it fun and flirty.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book!

I giggled, I kicked my feet, I (internally) screamed. Give me a man like Zac Porter, please and thank you. The adoration you can see this man has for Melody is obvious to anyone within miles, and I love them as the intro to our Oakwood Bay folks.

4.5 rounded to 5.

It was really clear pretty early into this book that it was going to be a good one. The characters - even the side characters - sort of grow on you instantly and there's this witty sense of humor that makes you laugh out loud. It had a real comedy-of-errors feel to it at times that was thisshy of being too corny but never really crossed that line into eyeroll worthy.

We have Melody, who is fresh off a break up & returning to her small hometown to move in with her bachelor-esque twin brother after living in a busy city for ten years, being in a relationship for 6 of those years and having a real Big Girl job/apartment/wardrobe. She comes off as super relatable because I think we've all had a point in our lives where we felt like we were going backwards, or even at a standstill and everything felt sort of embarrassing and hopeless. Add to that she's desperately trying to avoid her ex-almost, Zac - her brother's best friend from high school who rejected her ten years prior.

Zac is a perpetual grump who's nothing like the fun-loving guy he was ten years prior. He's coaching a losing football team, the town who used to worship him for being a star football player is now hating him for being a "bad coach" and the girl of his dreams hates his guts. This especially sucks (or... the opposite?) when they wind up stranded at a campground during a storm of epic proportions.

Throughout the story, we get to see a lot of really amazing things happen - Melody's perspective of her six year relationship with her ex shifts now that she's allowed to talk to her friends and brother again (did I mention her ex was a controlling jerk?); Zac and Melody stumble (blindly, through a really dark and stormy forest with lots of things to trip over) back into one another's lives; dreams are discovered and "What's Really Important" becomes apparent - for side characters as well, not just our main two. However, all of that to say this is a SLOWWWWWWW BURNNNNNNNNN.

The spice was also really.... spicy! I don't know why I went into this thinking it would have one or two decently written smut scenes, but no. Our girl Melody is a little brat and Zac has ZERO issues handling that. (Also.... he's a munch.)

My only frustration with the book is that sometimes it felt TOO drawn out. By 45% in, I was starting to get a bit bored and ready for the story to get a move on. It pulled me back in, of course, but that's not to say there weren't bumps in the road.

All in all, I really enjoyed this one and it's my first five star read since November 2024.

Instagram review to be linked tomorrow 1/18/25

This was cheesy- but I absolutely enjoyed it! The plot line was predictable, but still fun! TW for abusive relationships and an abusive ex though. I wasn’t a huge fan of the lack of communication and then how quickly everything resolved after how long it was drawn out, so that’s what made this more of a 3.5-4 star read for me!

I really enjoyed Only in Your Dreams and highly recommend it to adult romance readers. I can't wait to read more from Ellie K Wilde including the sequel to Only in Your Dreams. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

I had a fun time reading this book. Did the arrangement seem far fetched? Yep, but I was here for it. They had amazing chemistry and I loved how she grew and realized her previous relationship was so toxic.

Only in your dreams is a heartfelt, second chance romance that blends past regrets with present hopes artistically but in a new way for the theme. Though there were times when it felt like I could get lost, the book brought me back to the main themes. I loved how them getting lost together in the woods helped bring them together. Loved how each character was well rounded and were able to stand out on their own. Zac is hilarious at trying to hide his crush on Melody and was able to hide it well enough that she didn't realize.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC copy of this new contemporary romance! This book was good! I loved Zac, the down-bad MMC and his point of view. Our plot moved rather slowly and I think could have been a bit shorter in length overall. I look forward to reading more from this author though as I enjoyed her writing very much! Giving this book a high 3 star rating. Would recommend this book to fans of contemporary/sports romance.

Super cute little romance. Love a good spicy small town romance and this hits. Okay first of all love the name melody and its fits her so well because she is like a sweet melody in personality and I am absolutely obsessed with her brother. Parker, the ultimate matchmaker of the century and he does it so effortlessly. Also absolutely feral for a second chance romance, I love when characters get a second chance and Melody and Zac totally deserved it. I liked the banter between the two it seemed very genuine and loved the "I'm not afraid to stand my ground. I did find it a little cringe that Zac still harbor such intense feelings for someone he essentially had no contact with for over a decade, but the relationship seems natural enough and the spice makes up for it. But the whole thing felt a little cliche and cringe for my taste. A cute read but not my favorite.

Only in Your Dreams is the spicy brother's best friend romance that you NEED in your life! Zac and Melody have a past, but when they reunite 10 years later, their love story is written in the raindrops.

Zac is a college football coach who has never been the same after he broke the heart of the girl he loved most, Melody (his best friend's twin sister). He hasn't seen Melody in years and is surprised when he faces her at a camping trip. Melody was dumped by her obnoxious ex and isn't ready for love, but when she sees Zac, she can't help but get butterflies. The camping trip was supposed to help clear her mind, but it only made things a bit more complicated. Now, she has to decide if giving Zac another chance is in her playbook?

I loved this book from start to finish. It featured so many of my favorite tropes: brother's best friend, small-town romance, second-chance, fake dating, and it had the perfect amount of spice! I think readers will enjoy the soft and sweet side of Zac. He is giving book boyfriend of the year. The way he would do anything for Melody and not use it against her like her dumb ex Connor is applaud worthy. Melody struggled with her failed relationship and finding herself again at the beginning and it was good to see her get her confidence back. I loved the added found family aspect with Noah. He is such a sweet young man who acted as the perfect buffer to get Zac and Melody to figure things out. There are so many moments that I adored and those moments made this book unputdownable. Only in Your Dreams gets all the four leaf clover and red shoelace stars!!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This book had so many of my favorite tropes all rolled into one - small-town romance, brother's best friend, sports romance, and forced proximity. After a 10-year absence, Melody Woods returns home after being unexpectedly dumped and moves in with her twin brother. In the spirit of cheering her up, her brother convinces her to take his place on an annual Labor Day camping trip with their friends, one of which is his best friend Zac Porter (the boy she crushed on as a teenager ten years ago, but when a pivotal moment was about to happen between them, it did not go as expected). When a storm at the campsite throws Melody and Zac together, what could go wrong? A lot. On the other hand, a lot could also go right. This story was an ideal blend of charming characters, humor, romantic tension, spice and swoon-worthy sweetness for me. Zac has definitely earned a spot on my favorite book boyfriends list! :)

I loved this book as an indie book, and I love it still now.

It’s a really beautiful story of pining and love enduring through time and circumstance.

IT’s also a way I see how love grows and changes as people get older.

When the man is SO OBSSED that it makes me squeal while reading because he was so down bad, and their little make shift family?!?! PACK ME UP AND SEND ME HOME WITH TISSUES