🔎 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!

#books #bookreviews #bookstagrammer #bookworm #bookstagram #bookobsessed #romance #elliekwilde #atria #NetGalley #OnlyinYourDreams #brothersbestfriend #smalltownromance #footballromance

4 stars. It was so sweet and romantic. There were parts of the beginning that felt very heavy and could be triggering for readers who’ve experienced controlling relationships, but it lightens up around the 35% mark. The romance was great and Zac was a dream, but what caught me by surprise was how much I enjoyed reading the dynamic within the friend group. It left me excited to read the rest of the series. I highly recommend reading this book if you want an HEA, no third act breakup, and a cinnamon roll of an MMC.

“Only in Your Dreams” by Ellie K. Wilde is a good enjoyable book to read. Set in the cozy little town of Oakwood Bay, it’s all about Melody Woods coming back home after ten years and running into Zac Porter—her brother’s best friend and her old crush.

The story is packed with laugh-out-loud moments, tear-jerking feels, and seriously hot romance. You can’t help but root for them to work through their issues and finally get their happily ever after.

If you’re into second-chance romance, the brother’s best friend trope, or just love a good sports romance, you’re gonna enjoy this one. Zac is one of those it’s always been her / obsessed kinda boyfriend and I was here for it! Overall, I’d give this a 3.5 star.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange of my honest review.

This was such a feel good, cozy read! I was obsessed with Zac from the beginning, and connected to Melody on a level I didn't think I would with having someone close to me go through the same type of relationship. It made me want to root for her from the beginning. They are the definition of golden retriever man and black cat woman. The chemistry and banter was perfection. I was laughing one minute and blushing the next. I melted for the relationship Zac and Noah built and when it expanded to include Melody. Makes my heart feel mushy!

The only thing that didn't work for me was the weak excuse for the 10-year silence, but that didn't really take away from the story too much. Also lowkey still pissed at Parker for his part in all of it. This is perfect for anyone who loves second chance (adjacent) romance, sneaking around with the brother's best friend, and undeniable chemistry.

This kind of book is total brain candy. Will it have life changing effects? No. Will you have to suspend disbelief for lots of romance reasons? Yes. Will you have a good time and fly through it? Absolutely.

Melody has recently returned to her hometown after her longterm boyfriend broke up with her. She moves in with her twin brother and after some evaluation quickly realizes that she was in an abusive relationship for years without knowing it. Who better to build her self-confidence back up than Zac Porter, her childhood crush, who she never quite got over. Can they overcome the obstacles to make a relationship work?

This book has so many great tropes: brother's best friend, second chance, he falls first, years-long pining, only one tent, fake dating, sports romance, etc... I could go on. At moments it felt like a little much, but I had a good time reading it. It also got super spicy early, but then managed to build some longing/tension in the slow-burn middle. I liked both main characters, but the friend group is what really made this book shine. I can't wait to read more from the Oakwood Bay crew.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

Meghan Quinn + Hannah Grace lovers you will be a fan of Ellie K.! Sports romance with your brothers best friend! I can't say more except that its SPICY! Thank you to NetGalley, Ellie K. and My favorite Atria Publishing team for the eARC!

What To Expect:
⭐ Second chance
⭐ Brother’s best friend
⭐ Forced proximity
⭐ Small-town romance
⭐ Protective Main Character
⭐ Sports Romance - Football!
⭐ There is discussion of breaking up due to gaslighting and control. In the event you have PTSD from a past relationship like this <3


My Thoughts:
Give me a football sports romance ANY DAY! There are not enough!!! While this spice level was a little bit higher then what I usually like the story of itself kept me interested! Well done Ellie! I love a good romance but there needs to plot, a story, more than just some sex. In this case you get to see A LOT of the main characters (Melody + Zac) growing and healing in this book. It's not a deep plot like a Emily Henry or Carly Fortune BUT you will easily fall in love with them as you read on.

I have to say I can't STAND the ex-boyfriend Conner, good riddance. It's such a toxic relationship and I hate that we find out as she finds out what it was like without the rosy glasses on. I've been there it's both overwhelming and maddening. It happens to the smartest women and it is one of the hardest relationships to get out of. Thank goodness Melody does becuase everything she had been waiting for and looking for was there waiting in a way. She finds herself, she heals from the heartbreak, and the lack of trust. Not just trust in the people she is surrounded with but also herself! Which is the hardest part to rebuild.

This story will have you wondering how it ends. There is NO Third break-up act which I am SOOOO grateful for. You will fall in love with the well defined main characters and all the sub characters too! And this is BOOK #1! Which is always exciting!!!

Synopsis:
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.

This book was the perfect mix of so many tropes. Brother's best friend, enemies to lovers, second chance, fake dating, he falls first, "Who did this to you?" (but she says it?!). And it is done so well.

It is the sweetest story but with the perfect amount of spice! The. Entire. Book. I was so sad for Zac and had a hunch it had to do with the brother but goodness. Communication. I mean I get there would be no story but the YEARS of heart ache would not have happened with a few words.

THE TATTOO. swoon.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book.

This book was perhaps the best balance of plot while still having a lot of spice that I have ever read. It all starts with the camping trip and the forced proximity of that, and honestly, I would not have complained if the whole book had been about the camping trip. However, I was definitely not disappointed with the rest of the book, with some of the classic tropes like “who did this to you” but switched of the norm (amazing work), brother’s best friend, and of course, childhood friends to lovers. The side characters in this book also felt very strong and I liked all of them (especially Noah). It will definitely take me awhile to get over this book.

I enjoyed a couple things about this book. The way the author created the forced proximity, and the reignition of the spark between the two main characters. But I felt a lot like I was rereading the same couple pages with how repetitive some of the introspection was. I feel that a lot of the same thoughts at the beginnings of chapters could be trimmed to help it flow a lot cleaner and smoother.

A smart, fun, and sexy contemporary romance. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced read!

I absolutely loved this book. I love that Mel was able to grow and have space to do so while also slowly and realistically fall back in love with Zac.

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for this ARC!

Tropes: brother’s best friend, forced proximity, small town, sports romance

I really enjoyed reading Zac & Melody’s story. The love & support Zac shows Melody is so sweet.😩❤️ In my opinion it had the perfect amount of spice 🔥 This was my first book by Ellie K. Wilde and I’m looking forward to reading anything else she writes!

I loved this book so much! Mel and Zac’s story is so sweet. You can really feel the heartache they both experience, and watching Zac work as hard as he does is so rewarding. I felt super connected to both characters throughout the whole book and was rooting for them! Some of the pacing felt a little off- slow in some parts and fast in others- but the story itself and the ending are amazing!

“Maybe we weren’t meant to be back then. Maybe we were supposed to wait for these very raindrops in this very parking lot, to finally come together” -very much Cinderella story vibes!

I have mixed feelings about this book. There were parts that I loved and parts that I hated. I feel like the pacing was off but I’m glad the there was a HEA. I also feel like both main characters had identity crisis. Zac was cinnamon roll until he got mad and Melody was honestly all over the place. The ending made up for the whole book.

Tropes:
🏈Sports Romance
🏈Second Chance
🏈Brother’s Best Friend
🏈Forced Proximity

This book was such a fun and cute romcom! The story was great from the start and had it all! There was so many favorite tropes of mine I knew I would fly through reading it! Also, I was so pleasantly shocked by the amount of spice in this book! I love the dynamics between Zac and Melody while they each try to figure out being suddenly back in contact after years of silence! The character growth for Melody in particular was perfect! I hope to see more books on the side characters, specifically Brooks! I’m begging you! But for now I love love love how perfectly everything came together in the end for this story!! It’s a great romcom if you in the mood for something light and fun with a good dose of spice!

Thank you to Atria books and Simon and Schuster for my ARC that was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley & Atria Books for this eARC.

Melody Woods is unexpectedly dumped by her boyfriend of six years. With no where to go she decides it’s time to go back to her hometown and stay with her twin brother until things get better. It’s the last place she wants to be because ten years ago Melody got her heartbroken by her twin’s best friend Zac Porter and has avoided him ever since. Zac knows he messed everything up with Melody, but he’s determined to right those wrongs. Can people move on from the past or will grudges be the end to a relationship that never really existed?

I love when a book has a cute cover, yet inside the story has some really spicy moments! Only in Your Dreams is a novel about second chances and going after one’s dreams. It’s refreshing to see a main character in her late twenties that’s still trying to figure her life out. Melody and Zac have a lot to work through and I wish it didn’t take them 10 years to finally talk about the past. This is a heartfelt novel where football is an important aspect. I know the sports romance lovers will enjoy it.

This was not my favorite sports romance, but it was cute! The characters had good chemistry and it was apparent throughout the whole book. I really liked the dialogue and thought it was fairly well written, however story wise it wasn’t my favorite! The bar is fairly high though from what I have read this year.

Thank you NetGalley and the Atria team for providing me with an E-ARC.
3/5 starts

I enjoyed reading this story - it had just the right amount of sports references, angst, humor and sexual tension. The FMC and MMC in the story have been pining over each other for over a decade and haven't seen each other in ten years. If you love brother's best friend and second chance romance (well sort of - they were never officially together), I think you'll love this story. I did find the beginning to be a bit unrealistic with the flow of the rest of the story, however I loved getting to know Melody more and seeing her grow and thrive after coming out of an emotionally abusive relationship. I will say, I think the overall flow of the relationship between the two characters is a little all over the place, making it a bit frustrating at time for the reader. Overall, I think it was a sweet story and I'm excited to see what she does next and I would love to know what happens with the side characters, except Parker ... he infuriated me.

I adored this sports romance! The yearning and pining of 14 years was so good. The tension, the drama! I loved how supportive our MMC was to our FMC who was just getting out of a toxic, abusive relationship. And there is nothing quite like an unrequited love from both sides for 14 years and on top of that have it be brothers best friend?! It’s almost perfect. I truly loved this book and cannot wait to share it with others!

Thanks to Atria Books for sending me a copy of this one!

This was the perfect quick read to get me through the week. I think you would enjoy it if you like sports romance and authors like Elle Kennedy. It was an easy one to get through and I enjoyed the story overall. The second chance and friends to lovers tropes were well done. I would consider others by this author in the future.