The prologue was so intriguing, but the rest of the book fell flat. I wasn’t interested in the back and forth “i know and you don’t” but also “let’s not talk about it”? and the “I’ve always loved you” but “let’s just be casual and keep it a secret so no one knows”? Make up your mind. The entire book could have condensed into more showing and less telling. The pacing is slow, the repetitive conversations feel mostly unnecessary and the spice scenes felt more cringy than Id prefer. I want characters I can’t help but root for and this was not that.

I received an advance review copy for free from the publisher via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I’m going to be honest, nothing in the first few chapters really pulled me into this book. I just wasn’t invested and am choosing not to finish it for now. I think there’s potential but I needed something to get me excited early on.

**Only in Your Dreams** by Ellie K. Wilde is the perfect blend of sweet, spicy, and surprisingly emotional storytelling—it’s everything I’ve been looking for in a romance novel. Honestly, this book deserves the hype. With real depth, lovable characters, and a love story that feels authentic and earned, it’s hard not to get swept away.

On the spice scale, I’d give it a solid **3.5/5**

The story alternates between the POVs of Melody and Zac, our two main characters, and it’s *chef’s kiss*. Melody used to be close with her twin brother, Parker, and secretly crushed on his best friend, Zac, since she was 14. After high school graduation, she finally made her move—and Zac completely ghosted her for 10 years. *POOF*

In the 10 years since Grad night, Melody thought she built a life for herself. She finished college, moved to the city, and spent the last six years in a relationship that seemed fine on the surface...until her controlling ex dumped her and left her with nothing. Now, feeling stuck and lost, she reluctantly agrees to move back to her hometown and crash with her twin brother while rebuilding her life.

Cue the drama: her brother bails on an annual camping trip and sends Melody in his place, where she ends up tent-sharing with none other than Zac—her ex-crush and current mortal enemy. Let the awkward (and electric) tension begin!

What could have been a predictable, fluffy rom-com turned out to be so much more. Yes, there’s humor and heartwarming moments, but there’s also genuine emotion and character growth. I cried a few times.

Ellie K. Wilde deserves all the flowers for crafting a romance that balances sweet and smutty with actual depth.

the pining in this book is actual insane. he is so down bad for her and i absolutely love it. there is so much tension in the beginning, which makes the banter throughout the book sooooo good. it's some top tier banter. and I will always love a childhood friends to enemies to lovers plotline. and a betrayal where he was just protecting her?! 10/10

This book had me swooooooning! Second chance romance and forced proximity?! My favorite! I loved Mel & Zac’s banter I just wish there was slightly more character development. It was a cute and spicy read!

Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde is a delightful and engaging YA contemporary romance that offers a fun and emotional rollercoaster ride for its readers. Centered around the protagonist, Lila, a teenager with a complicated relationship with both her family and her aspirations, the novel takes readers through the ups and downs of high school life, friendship, and the messiness of growing up.

The story is deeply rooted in themes of self-discovery and personal growth. Lila’s journey of learning to balance her dreams with reality, while managing her relationships with friends, family, and a potential romance, feels authentic and relatable. Wilde’s writing shines in capturing the emotions and struggles that many young readers will connect with—whether it’s the pressures of academic success, navigating complex friendships, or confronting the uncertainties of love.

The romance element in Only in Your Dreams is sweet and swoon-worthy, but it doesn’t overshadow the protagonist's personal journey. The relationship develops in a way that feels organic and realistic, providing both moments of joy and tension. Wilde’s ability to create a believable romance while still focusing on Lila's emotional growth adds depth to the book and avoids the typical pitfalls of genre clichés.

While the pacing of the book is generally smooth, some readers may find certain plot developments predictable. However, the emotional payoff and character-driven moments more than make up for any predictability. Wilde’s writing captures the complexities of teenage life with a refreshing, lighthearted tone that balances humor with more serious themes.

In conclusion, Only in Your Dreams is a charming, heartfelt novel that will appeal to fans of contemporary YA fiction. Ellie K. Wilde delivers a story full of relatable moments, lovable characters, and a journey toward self-acceptance. It's a sweet reminder that sometimes the best dreams are the ones we create for ourselves, rather than the ones we think we’re supposed to follow.

THIS WAS SO CUTE. And spicy.

After totally screwing things up at 18, Zac Porter gets a second chance at the girl of his dreams, his friend's sister Melody. Melody was messed up over Zac and a lot of her high school experiences for a long time, and it led her into a relationship she couldn't see was toxic until she was outside of it. Melody comes home to Oakwood Bay to tend her wounds and rebuild everything. She's avoided Zac for TEN YEARS and now they are thrown together immediately. And then tension, both the angry and the sexy, is high.

This book so perfectly captured the horror of a controlling relationship, and how it feels when you realize how subtly someone could be the source of all your decisions. Melody reels as she sees so much of her "choices" were commands from her ex - what she wore, what she ate and drank, who she interacted with, and her job. At 28, she's got to find herself in a way she was never given before. As everyone around her is also finally privy to how she was controlled, it makes all of them extra careful about giving her choices.

It does make it hard for Zac though, who wants to show Melody his feelings and give her the world, but doesn't want either of those things to look like lovebombing or manipulations. The conversations the two of them have while rebuilding trust - for Melody it's about Zac specifically as well as people generally - it's so cute. It's so reassuring and swoony. It's such good communication.

This is a second chance romance that has real subplots for both leads, issues they genuinely need to work through that aren't fixed by oooh love like some books. They can help and support each other but there's actual things at stake here.

I will definitely be reading the rest of the Oakwood Bay series. It felt so good to sit down with a book and devour it in a day.

This book is so swoonworthy!

Mel and Zac's banter was truly laughable- definitely the part with the shaving of Mel's head and wanting to wear her hair as a wig. That is my type of humor.

This book was an easy 4 stars for me. It had everything. It made me laugh and most importantly it made me want someone like Zac on my team. He was so sweet and caring and I COULD NOT get enough.

"I've never been single. I've been yours." ENOUGH SAID. I'm gagged. If I don't find a love like this I don't want one at all!

Thank you Netgalley and Ellie Wilde for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review :).

I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic between Zac and Melody in this second-chance sports romance. The tension and playful banter between them really stood out, creating a compelling and emotionally charged story. Melody is still reeling from the heartbreak of a toxic, manipulative relationship, and Zac, ever the supportive friend, stands by her side as she works through her feelings. Both characters are also navigating their own personal and career challenges, making for a rich, layered narrative.
One of the most refreshing aspects of the book is Melody’s emotional healing journey. Watching her take the time to process her past heartbreak, grow, and ultimately regain her sense of self was incredibly fulfilling. Because who doesn’t want to ditch all your ex’s gifts and start to feel like you again ?!? It felt both realistic and inspiring, providing a wonderful contrast to the romance and adding depth to the overall story.
Zac, too, was the perfect protective male lead. His unwavering support for Melody—without rushing or pushing her—was exactly what she needed. He exudes that perfect balance of strength and tenderness, making him a swoon-worthy character and a true anchor for Melody’s healing. I wasn’t entirely sold on the reason for their 10-year disconnect, while Zac had been pining for Melody all that time. That said, the palpable "it's always been you" energy between them still made for an emotionally satisfying payoff.
What really worked for me, was the delicious tension and spice in their evolving relationship. The element of sneaking around—especially hiding their connection from Melody’s brother—adds an exciting, forbidden “who knows” vibe, especially with their friends in on the secret. It’s that perfect mix of playful and thrilling.
Overall, it’s an engaging read with great chemistry, and a wonderful mix of tension, romance, and personal growth. Read this spicy flirty story that will keep you on track for your yearly reading goals. I bet this will be one we will look back on at the end of the year.


Thanks to @NetGalley and @AtriaBooks for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an amazing read! I loved all the characters and the last like 20% of this book really hit it out of the park for me! I love that there was no third act breakup and these ADULTS communicated like ADULTS and actually listened to each other!! I also really love how Melody didn't leave the life she wanted and adjust to life her man has!! Him adjusting his plan for her really made this even better in my mind. We love to see it!!

This was a great book, and I loved Zac and Melody, as well as their friends/Mel's brother. There weren't too many characters to keep straight which is always nice.

Melody shows growth throughout the book healing from a very toxic relationship, while slowly coming to terms with her love for Zac 10 years after he hurt her. I was glad to see that the reason for what he did that night was a pretty good one.

I love football, so I enjoyed that side aspect of it. I wish we had a final detail with where Noah ended up. There was also a character they nicknamed Baby Clark Kent who just disappeared from the story with no details on if he got better with his team.

I liked the spice (several scenes🌶🌶🌶), that it's 1st person POV, and there is no third act breakup. I also really liked the way the relationship reveal to her brother went. Overall it was a good book, but nothing super memorable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC 🤍

✨ARC Review✨

Now *this* is fun. A brother’s best friend to lovers romance. A childhood friends to lovers romance. An “it was always you” romance.

Melody spent her teen years quietly loving Zac, her twin brother’s best friend. On the eve of her departure to college, she asks him to kiss her. He says he’ll be right back, but he doesn’t come back. She goes to college heartbroken and spends ten years resenting him for leaving her hanging.

Now she’s back in their hometown after a breakup with her longtime boyfriend which left her basically homeless. When she’s coerced into a friend group camping trip, she’s spending an exorbitant amount of time with a fully-grown and insanely attractive Zac.

Their chemistry is off the charts and the push and pull is glorious. I love Melody and Zac. I love how he wants her exactly as she is naturally- kind of a grump, to be honest. And the way Melody strives to get his biggest grin. And y’all. Their spicy times be spicin’ hard.

There is a plot point that doesn’t quite work for me, but it was easy for me to disregard. Everything else is so good.

QOTD: Are you still friends with school pals? One of my besties and I have been friends since freshman home room. And that’s a looong time.

I received this eARC via #netgalley and @atriabooks. All thoughts are mine alone.

#romance! #romancebooks #contemporaryromance #spicybooks #spicyromance #onlyinyourdreams #elliekwilde #bookrecs #bookreview #bookstagram

I’ve heard great things about this book and author when it was originally self published. I am so excited to be able to dive into it now that it is getting traditionally released. The romance was so sweet and the writing was top-notch. Cannot wait for more!

Heartbroken 10yrs ago and now forced to go back to your hometown with the person who broke your heart sucks. Then being forced to share a tent with him in a storm is even worse. I understand Melody’s heartbreak as it was warranted but her attitude starting mid book was just unwarranted I feel. She did finally get better in the end. It was a really cute story and I loved Zac.

This was a cute story. It look me a little longer to read this story then I usually take. I think some parts I didn't like so then I would stop for the day and come back. A brothers best friend/off limits younger sister is always a fun trope. This one had some sports in as well. I think each character could have been developed a little more. Maybe some more sweet moments instead of just all sex. I would definitely read more from this author and hope some of the characters will get stories as well.

Thank you so much to Atria books for my ARC and physical copy!

I am a huge fan of sports romance and while second chances can be a miss or hit sometimes, I do enjoy a good brother's best friend trope.However, sadly I had to DNF this one half way..I really wanted to love this book but I couldn't continue little past 50% . It actually started off great, the prologue had me so intrigued and there were some good scenes but the characters weren't working for me. The conversations doesn't seem organic and the way they act or react come off as a bit juvenile for being an adult romance.

There were quite a lot of cliched scenes and for me the chemistry between the MC's was lacking and it felt dragged for what ever has transpired until 50% felt so very little and the whole concept of getting left behind in the forest during a camping trip by their own friends for three whole days felt a bit unbelievable to me personally. The romance wasn't working for me either with how they wanted different things and yet act so out of character which left me confused

📚ARC Review 📚

Only In Your Dreams ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

After being dumped by her boyfriend of six years, Melody Woods moves from the city back to her small town. Now she’s sharing an apartment with her twin brother while trying to figure out how to get back on her feet. She needs to figure out what she wants to do with her life now that she has a say. Unfortunately, she runs into her high school crush and her brother’s best friend, Zac Porter.

Zac hasn’t forgotten 10 years ago when he walked away from Melody. It was the biggest mistake of his life. Now that she’s back in town, he will do anything to win her back.

This book had all the tropes I love! I loved the small town feel and the forced proximity. Melody has been through a lot with her past boyfriend and how he treated her. She’s learning to find who she is and do things on her own terms. Zac is the perfect partner for her and helps her overcome her fears. The way he shows her just how much she means to him and he would do anything to make up for what he did years ago. I also loved the friend group and their dynamic. However, I wasn’t a huge fan of of all the spice in this one. I felt like there were some cringe moments but honestly this book would have been just as good without it, but that’s just my personal opinion. I did love Noah and how Zac was not only his coach but a father figure/friend to him. His character made for some funny moments throughout the book. Overall, this was a good read.

This book will publish on January 21, 2025. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for my advanced readers copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

Even though the book did take me longer then most I did enjoy the story & found it to be a cute read. I found myself struggling at times to move past Melody’s behavior as well as her brothers. Zac tried his best & was really a redeeming aspect of the book over-all. As someone who is not a huge fan of the brothers best friend trope, I found this was written well which is mostly what kept me reading.

I love a good contemporary romance, and this book absolutely delivered! It gave us everything: banter, drama, a second-chance romance, brother’s best friend, a stranded-in-the-woods moment, and an obsessed MMC. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in a single day.

The only trope I wasn’t a fan of was the fake dating—especially when it wasn’t between the MMC and FMC. At first, I was a bit irritated that Melody wouldn’t hear Zac out (girl, give him a chance!), but her resistance didn’t last long, and his charm won her over quickly.

Highly recommend this one to all my contemporary romance girlies—it’s worth the read!

This was a swoony, angsty delight that perfectly captures the magic of second chances and undeniable chemistry. This small-town romance brims with sizzling tension, heartfelt moments, and just the right amount of spice to keep you hooked from start to finish.

The story beautifully weaves together themes of love, redemption, and personal growth, all set against the cozy charm of Oakwood Bay. The characters are richly developed, with a connection that practically leaps off the page. Their journey is filled with snappy dialogue, emotional depth, and plenty of moments that’ll make your heart flutter.

Whether you’re here for the small-town vibes, the emotional stakes, or the undeniable romance, this book delivers it all. It’s the perfect read for anyone who loves a heartfelt, unputdownable story with just the right blend of heat and heart. ✨💕