3.5 ⭐️
This was cute and cheesy. Zac was down so bad for Melody the whole book. He was so sweet and such a green flag book boyfriend. I loved watching Melody’s development post breakup and seeing her grow throughout the book. These two were cute together but I did feel like the chemistry was lacking. Also learning the reason he ghosted her for 10 years made me so mad. I expected something more juicy. But we got no third act breakup so i’ll take it. Overall it was a good book just way too long. It felt dragged out in parts and feels like it could have been shorter and still get the point across.
Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for letting me read this arc 🫶🏻

Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K Wilde is a contemporary romance that I loved! It follows Melody and Zac who were friends in high school but left things on bad terms before they left for college. Zac is also Melody's brother's best friend. Ten years later Melody is fresh from a breakup and is dreading returning to her small town and risking running into Zac. However, when she is forced on a camping trip with him, they are forced to confront the feelings they had in school. I was hooked on this story by the first chapter. I instantly related to Melody and her grumpy demeanor. I found it interesting to read her thoughts post-breakup when she started realizing her ex was a pretty bad guy and taking control of her life again but this time for herself. I loved Melody and Zac's dynamic and how he understands what she needs and always does the right thing for her. Another highlight of this book were all the side characters who I am obsessed with. I'll definitely be needing future books for all of them! I also found this book to be so funny to the point that I was laughing out loud. I plan to look out for future books by this author because I loved this one!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for a review!

“You’re a real catch, Zachary Porter.”
“So, catch me.”

I loved every second of this! Only In Your Dreams took me through the full range of emotions from heartbreak to indignation to absolute joy.

A perfect small town, second chance romance that will have you crying one chapter and kicking your feet the next!

I didn’t necessarily dislike this, but it was a bit too long for me. The story just felt like it drug out in the middle for no reason. The idea was cute, but the execution wasn’t there for me.

My first infinity-out-of-five star read of the year!
This second chance romance had absolutely everything I could want, and even what I didn't know I needed! Right away, I loved the longing I felt from Zac. I love an explosive Prologue like that where you're already left heartbroken and must keep reading to see what happens!
It was such an unassuming romance novel going into it, too. I kind of loved that I didn't know just how hot these two were going to be! We had a tension filled campout, sneaking around, public bathroom, brother's apartment, in the elevator, in the shower. So so steamy, but still a strong plot and development.
Only In Your Dreams was a delicious slow burn and truly the second chance romance of my dreams!



Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC and physical galley!

I know there will be plenty of people that love this book. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. It started out great! I loved them getting stuck at the campground. But then most of the rest of the book I couldn’t wrap my head around. I found myself cringing a lot. There was just so much thrown into this book that seemed unnecessary. We all love a one bed trope, but not being able to sleep on your own because of one encounter with a wolf was ridiculous and completely unbelievable to me. Also, I felt that after being in an abusive relationship, there should be more growth or maybe some therapy before jumping into another relationship. Honestly, I felt Zac had some red flags that she should watch out for. Buying her clothes because he knew it would make her happy is exactly the same as her ex, just presented in a nice way. It was a spicy read which is fine, but I also felt it was added too early considering her healing from an abusive relationship. Anyway, I know people will love this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

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

I can't believe the type of rollercoaster my heart had throughout this book! 🎢 I suffered, laughed, gasped, and ached with Melody Woods & Zac Porter 💖

Melody Woods goes back home because she got dumped and after 10 years reunites with her childhood crush Zac Porter aka brother's best friend aka bring on the TENSION! 😏🔥 I loved how they reunited (from an awful "goodbye" between them) and the way they had to share a tent and, even worse, get stranded together (WORSE FOR THEM, AMAZING FOR THE READER 🏕️ heheheh)

This book had it all! The way Zac was obviously still into her and Melody tried so hard to deny herself... let me just say, it didn't last very long. 😂 It was a medium slow burn, and I loved how the author sprinkled in tiny details that screamed how obsessed this MAN was with the "one that got away" vibe. 😍

𝒔𝒉𝒆’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒖𝒏𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂 𝒃𝒂𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒎. 𝑷𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅𝒔.

𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚, 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚, 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍-𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈-𝒖𝒏𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔-𝒔𝒉𝒆’𝒔-𝒊𝒏-𝒕𝒉𝒆-𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑴𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝑾𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔.

The progression from friends to lovers, followed by Zac giving Melody the space she needed to grow and love herself again after her last relationship, was so beautifully written 💖 I definitely recommend it and can’t wait for the rest of the series! Even though I adored them, I felt the book was a bit long... but hey, it entertained me nevertheless! ❤️✨

Tropes
💙 brother's best friend
💙 sports romance (football coach x she's a fan)
💙 forced proximity AND SO GOOD
💙 he falls first
💙 second chance
💙 small town romance
💙 secret relationship/hookup

Thank you Netgalley & Atria Books for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest review

I enjoyed Zac and Melody! I finished this book in one day, I could not put it down. It was adorable and just what I wanted after reading the description! Enjoy!

This was such a fun and easy read! Had read this when it was indie published and don’t think there was any major changes (that I caught at least) in this version. The chemistry between the characters, the fun banter are the main highlights. Definitely a perfect read for those who love brother’s best friend, childhood friends to lovers, second chance romance tropes.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

I was not expecting to love this book so much, but I really did! The cover implies a lighthearted romance, but this one had so much heart and soul. I absolutely loved the characters, and there's nothing more adorable than a man pining for a woman he's loved forever. I just adored the romance, but I also loved that the main character was working on developing herself as a person outside of a relationship.

Thank you again for the ARC!

I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did. The mutual pining, the spice, how sweet the MMC was, the dirty talk: it was all amazing!! Excited for the next book in the series :) I’m usually not super into second chance romance but this one sold me. It was a sweet and simple read that brought me joy.

This is really sweet, romantic romcom. While the story touches on some heavy topics of emotional and pyschological abuse, the book is balanced with cute, funny, heartfelt moments that provide much needed levity. Zac is obsessed (truly) with Melody in a way that may be a but much for some, but my sappy heart loved it. The chemistry between Melody and Zac is fantastic.

I typically *HAAAATE* a miscommunication trope and I found the reason for the literal decade of not speaking to be flimsy, but I was able to get past that because I remember the idiotic decisions I made when I was 18.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

Okay this might just be one of my new favorite romance books, the ARCS are coming through lately!
This releases on January 21st, 2025, so make sure to go pick up your copy!

This story was so emotionally charged. I don’t know what I was expecting from this book but I didn’t expect it to make me SOB MY EYES OUT! I seriously can’t recommend this book enough if you love childhood friends to lovers, touch her and you die, or forced proximity. Melody and Zac have the perfect set up for a second chance and I loved them getting to know each other again. He literally waited 10 years for her to come back so he could confess his feelings, wore the red shoelace everyday, BUILT HER DREAM HOME 😭 Where do I find a man like this. God this was actually just such a good romance book and I really loved the characters so much. Also, I will always eat up that fake dating to cover up the real relationship. I was so scared these two were going to have a major conflict towards the end but I loved what happened instead (yes Zac beat up Connor’s stupid controlling butt!)

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for this E-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I devoured this book in one sitting - I loved the writing and the chemistry between Melody and Zac and i was dying to see how they were going to make things work as she healed from her toxic relationship and came clean to her brother. I loved seeing her community rally and empower Melody to live the life she wanted; what a beautiful, healing journey for her. And Zac was down so catastrophically - it was so so sweet. If you love an it's always been you kind of love story with a little bit of football and a lot of heart, this could definitely be a perfect pre-superbowl read!

Loved it!!! Loved the characters, hoping for some more stories to come with the others?? zac was 🥵, just perfect!

I loved this! So much so that I preordered the physical copy when I was only half way through the arc.

Zac is quite literally the embodiment of "boy obsessed" and I loved that. All the small things he did to help Melody regain her independence and to show her he loved her were so sweet. I mean, the lip balms, come on! Such a small thing, but meaningful.

Their chemistry was great right from the get-go and the build up was oh-so-sweet! This book had me grinning the entire time. If you love second chance, brother's best friend and "it's always been you" then definitely give this a try.

I will absolutely be reading all of the author's other books! Super excited for Brooks' book!


Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Only In Your Dreams is the first book I’ve ever read by Ellie Wilde, and let me tell you - it definitely won’t be my last. I am insanely excited that this book is kicking off a series, and I can't wait to follow Brooks on his journey - but I’m getting ahead of myself. Ellie’s writing is like a bag of trail mix with personality: salty and sweet, zesty, and blended with the perfect mix of everything you’d want to satisfy your rom-com cravings. Despite touching on some heavy issues, she effortlessly uses wit and banter to keep things light between her characters, conveying her message without losing the book’s uplifting tone. At over 400 pages, you’ll breeze through it at the speed of a novella because, yes - it’s just that good!

Melody Woods will never forget that fateful night - the night that was supposed to mark the beginning of everything she’d ever dreamed of, including a chance with the man she’d loved for as long as she could remember. A night that started so full of promise, only to end in utter devastation, heartbreak, and rejection. Funny how, ten years later, she finds herself back in the same small town of Oakwood, feeling the exact same way after her boyfriend of six years suddenly broke up with her. Broke, essentially homeless, and scorned yet again by trusting her traitorous heart, Melody is determined to simply hide and let the world pass her by while she regroups. Her brother, however, seems dead set on pouring salt into her open wounds by forcing her to go camping in his place. And not just any camping trip - the one being led by the very man who shattered her soul almost a decade ago.

What should have been the best night of Zac Parsons' life has haunted him as a living nightmare for the past ten years. The moment he had dreamed of since he was fourteen had finally arrived - Melody Woods wanted him to kiss her. But instead of seizing the chance to make every wish he'd ever had come true, he walked away - a decision he has regretted with every waking breath since. A decade later, his self-loathing runs deep, and his already strained relationship with Melody’s twin brother, Parker, is hanging by a thread. The last thing Zac wants is to be stuck on a camping trip, sharing a tent with Parker for three days. What he didn’t expect, however, was for the love of his life to show up in Parker’s place. Zac has been praying, hoping, dreaming for this moment - the chance to right his ultimate wrong - but now that it’s here, he is in for the battle of his life.

As Melody begins to uncover the truth about her relationship, she becomes determined to stay in town long enough to rebuild her life and prove she can achieve her dreams on her own terms. With a deadline looming, time is running out, and Zac must figure out how to not only save his job but also win back the heart of the only woman he’s ever loved - all while ensuring that the person who destroyed everything the first time doesn’t find out and derail it all over again.

While there were countless things I truly enjoyed about this book, the ever-present humor was what stood out. Ellie’s writing is nothing short of incredible, seamlessly blending moments of sadness, joy, and heartfelt emotion to keep a smile on the reader’s face while simultaneously pulling on their heartstrings. The topic of narcissistic partners seems to be a recurring theme in many 2025 releases, and while I’ve read several other ARCs tackling this subject, Ellie’s approach resonated with me the most.

I also loved that Ellie didn’t go for the traditional third-act breakup. Honestly, I feel like it would have dragged the book down. Instead, she leaned into a slow-burn approach packed with both spice and heart. What made this even more brilliant was that the slow burn didn’t focus on the usual “will they or won’t they” tension between the protagonists. Instead, it zeroed in on the one thing they both desperately wanted - something that would define everything about who they were. It was the catalyst that had torn them apart in the first place (not by their own doing, but because of what Parker believed Zac’s intentions were with his sister), so making it the ultimate barrier to overcome was absolutely perfect.

This book was so much fun! I know that’s incredibly subjective, but have you ever read a book that you just genuinely enjoyed from start to finish? The characters were wonderful, the small-town setting was picturesque, and the supporting cast struck the perfect balance - playing their parts to move the story forward without stealing the spotlight. The pacing was spot-on - not so fast that it felt unrealistic, but never so slow that it dragged. The overall energy is filling, not depleting - it makes you want to keep reading because it fuels your mood, leaving you feeling light, happy, and just completely satisfied. That’s exactly how this book was for me.

As for Zac, have you ever come across a line in a book that is so scorchingly hot it echoes in your mind long after you’ve finished reading? That’s exactly what happened to me with this book. The chemistry between Melody and Zac was already off-the-charts, but there’s a particular scene where Zac says one line that had me almost dropping my Kindle! What made it even better was that Melody had the exact same reaction in the moment! I know I have a tendency to put in spoilers, but that one? You will need to discover that little gift that keeps on giving on your own!

While I absolutely can’t wait to dive into Brooks’ book, I’m really hoping we get a chance to check in with Nick somewhere down the line - even if he doesn’t get his own story. But what I really want (and I’m not above begging) is to see Parker and Summer together. I’d settle for their own individual stories, but I can only imagine how much fun it would be to see those two paired up - and the epic payback Melody could dish out!

This book was ADORABLE. I can’t remember the last time I laughed like I did with this book. I love all the characters so so much! Zac was a dream boat of course. But Mel was the most amazing character. She was smart, and witty, and funny. You could see the struggles she went through and how she overcame them a grew as a person. I always love a good second chance romance. And this one was absolute perfection! I seriously can’t thank netgalley enough for this arc. And I can’t wait to have a copy on my shelves so I can read it again!

This was such a great read. It had the tropes I love (he falls first, pining, brother's best friend), but written in an original heartfelt way. I enjoyed how the FMC worked on herself throughout the book, as well. I read it on kindle when it was indie published and have been anxiously awaiting the sequel ever since.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me the traditional publication via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

🔎 ARC Review

Only in Your Dreams

@elliekwildeauthor
@atriabooks
@netgalley

Publication Date: January 21st, 2025

My Rating:
🌟 5/5

👀Read if you like
Second Chance
Brother's Best Friend 😉
Football Romance

Ten years after one of the most heartbreaking nights of her life, Melody Woods is back in her small hometown of Oakwood Bay, broke, jaded, and unceremoniously dumped by her big-city boyfriend. To top it all off, her twin brother, Parker, is pushing her to take his spot on a camping trip with the one guy she’s spent a decade avoiding.

For college football coach Zac Porter, his best friend’s twin sister, Melody, has always been off-limits. And after fumbling his chance ten years ago, a devastated Zac was sure he’d lost Melody for good. So, when Melody shows up at the campsite instead of Parker, Zac realizes that now is the time to prove to her that they were always meant to be, no matter how long it takes to make up for his teenage self’s mistake.

Reeling from the truth of her last relationship, Melody plans to stay in town just long enough to get back on her feet. Then, she’s gone again. Meanwhile, Zac is facing an uphill battle to coach his team to its first winning game in years, to show Melody how she deserves to be loved, and to keep Parker from ever finding out. Maybe then, being with her will be more than just a dream.

🔎 My review
This was my first book by Ellie and it did not disappoint.😉. It has all the good tropes, I mean who doesn't want a book about a girl from a small town who is in love with her brother's best friend (football star turned coach) and is forced to share a tent after not speaking for 10 years! I absolutely love Mel and Zac 🥺. Zac is what every man should be ❤️. Don't worry! There are some good spicy scenes as well🌶 👩‍🍳 💋

Thank you @elliekwildeauthor, @atriabooks, @netgalley for the ARC!

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