It took me way too long to start this book, but once I did I was hooked. WOW! I loved the tension, the love, the rekindling, the growth and the friendships of this book! Melody and Zac had such a great re start to a long waited relationship. I loved watching Mel’s growth to find herself again after a terrible relationship. I loved Zac and his patience, his encouragement and everything he did for Mel. I was such a beautiful love story with real life in between! I truly enjoyed all the other characters as well. Summer, Brooks and Parker all need their own stories and I’m hoping for them in the future. Also NOAH! Please I meee his story too!

*4,5

I loved this book! A great childhood best friends to lovers story, with many sweet (and spicy) moments. The only reason why this doesn't get five stars from me is the fact that the previous relationship subplot was a bit too fast for me, from her figuring out what happened to her, accepting it, and then her being ok and back to normal, with little to none lingering effects, less than a month after it.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this in exchange of an honest review.

The initial flashback chapter was a great set up to know where the book was going. Although for me the beginning was really clunky in the first couple chapters with the FMC and MMC (spoiler) get stuck in the ones and the actions that unfold IN THE DIRT, this was something sweet with a slow burn in the making. But it was also a slow burn in the sense they weren't denying the attraction just getting there and space needed to learn and grow from the trauma of a toxic and emotionally abusive relationship the FMC was recovering from. The MMC gave the right space and was always thinking of FMC in mind and even when it came to decision-making, the author shows that the FMC was making choices for herself and not with a love-interest in mind. Really appreciated that. It was important for the FMC's journey as well as MMC for understanding. It really made me love the MMC a lot. It's been a minute since I really enjoyed a book boyfriend outside of fantasy. Zac Porter may be my new one.

From the sports romance side of things, I usually stick with hockey romance. I've tried football in the past but came across one that turned me off from the football romance genre. Which is a shame because I genuinely love watching the sport.

This book sets up the story for other characters too so it will be fun to see how this universe evolves. Will definitely be keeping an eye out for them!

I was ready to reread this just to have a hug from the MMC all over again and stay here. Would recommend if you like romance, like sports romance, and/or trying a new subgenre in sports romance.

4 stars ⭐️ I love a good brother's best friend trope and this one did not disappoint!! ZAC!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eArc of this book for my honest review.

I really liked Only in Your Dreams. Melody has recently dumped by her boyfriend of 6 years and moves back to her small town from Manhattan. She moves in with her brother Parker, who very immediately in the book has Melody go on a friends camping trip in his place. Melody reconnects with her first love Zac who also happens to be Parkers best friend throughout high school.

I cheered on Melody and Zac every step of the way.

A cute way to kick off the new year of reading. The beginning was a bit slow with the pacing and being stuck together in the woods but picked up towards the end.

I love a brother's best friend and zac just embodied the perfect book boyfriend! this book was the perfect ratio of plot and spice and it was such a cute read!!

Melody ends her relationship with her boyfriend and returns to her hometown to live with her brother. Shortly thereafter, she reconnects with Zac, her high school crush. Zac is now a football coach, though he is facing challenges with his team. Despite this, he remains caring, loyal, and deeply in love with Melody. The exploration of Melody's past toxic relationship, which lasted six years without her realizing its detrimental impact, is a compelling theme throughout the narrative. I particularly enjoyed the endearing clover tradition and Melody's nickname, "Clover," as well as the charming storyline involving the red shoelaces. Witnessing the characters' mutual support was heartwarming, particularly Zac's respect for Melody and his careful approach to her boundaries. The book captivated me from the outset, and I found great enjoyment in following the characters during their camping trip, especially the memorable muddy scene. However, I felt that the subplot involving her brother lingered a bit too long, although Parker ultimately surprised me in a positive way. I must also highlight Noah, my favorite side character; I empathized with him greatly, yet it was uplifting to see Zac consistently offer his assistance. This book is the perfect escape and rom-com. I can’t wait to read Brook’s book!

“Only in Your Dreams” by Ellie K. Wilde is a second chance romance between Melody Woods and her childhood crush, Zac Porter- who also happens to be her twin brother’s best friend. After he rejected her years ago without explanation, Zac wants to give things another go. However, Melody is on the fence. She’s home after a rough breakup and isn’t sure if she can trust someone who is trying so hard.
Melody was a fun main character. I liked her drive and determination to find herself after a relationship where she was slowly molded into who HE wanted her to be. I wish we could have had a little more of that storyline as the main plot.
I love the idea of second chance romance books, but for me, this book felt like more spice than substance. I guess I should have guessed walking into it, but I didn’t.
In the end, I gave this book 3 stars. There were things I liked, but the spicy portions overwhelmed the plot and made the read less enjoyable for me.
Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC! This book publishes January 21st.

Overall a good romance, but at times felt a little disjointed. I really loved Zac, he was the perfect leading man. He was so supportive, kind and thoughtful. Mel took awhile for me to like, but in the end, I came around. She seemed to be a little immature for her age. There was a little bit of a slow burn, as it took the characters a bit before they truly came together, which I really enjoyed.

5 🌟
Thank you to Atria for the e-ARC 🫶🏼!

Zac Porter is THE book boyfriend 🤭. This man YEARNED for Melody and let me tell you that the words that come out of this mans mouth 😮‍💨🫠.

The second chance was everything.
This book was like a really good movie that ended but you weren’t done. I NEED and WANT more.

I mean this man has been in love for 14 years 😫.

I enjoyed this book - a quick sports romance read with no shortage of spice. Melody and Zac are reunited unexpectedly on a camping trip, ten years after an awkward misunderstanding ended their friendship and it's been radio silence ever since. Both seem to be at a fork in the road in their lives, with Melody getting back on her feet after a bad break-up, and Zac taking on a high-stakes job as head football coach at the local college, when they are thrown together again all of a sudden. It's hard to ignore that they are drawn to each other even with everything else going on in their lives. The question is, will they be able to move past old wounds to find their way back to each other.

This book had so many elements of things I enjoy--brother's best friend; forbidden love; sports romance. Sadly, it missed the mark for me. Well, in all areas except areas of SPICE. WOW. Spice is four stars. We really are out here writing the spiciest smut then putting cartoon characters on the cover. I am here for it! I was grateful to receive this as an ARC.

It was beyond sweet on as many fronts as I can think of.

Melody had a genuine, understandable healing process and it wasn't pushed to the side in the slightest. Her reactions to things felt fair for the situations she was put in and she was enjoyable to read and better understand.

Zac Porter gets an A+ in book boyfriend-ing. Protective and sweet and yummy, honestly, I want one. Where do I find one like that?

The plot had a great flow and it was a sensible timeline for all the events to occur and for the falling in love to happen. It didn't feel rushed and it didn't feel like the issues brought up were unimportant at the time they were happening. It was just a sweet book, even if I grew frustrated with certain things, it was because they were MEANT to be frustrating, not because of plot holes or anything unintentional.
Very yummy book, 11/10.

📚 Second Chance Romance
📚 Fake Dating
📚 Brothers best friend
📚 Grumpy Sunshine
📚 Touch her and die (without the pew pews)
📚 Sports romance

I LOVED this one! There's romance, banter, spice, clovers, red shoe laces, and football! It's a delightful HEA wrapped up into one super cute book you won't want to put down. I devoured this one in a few hours, laughed out loud multiple time (hello saying your inside thoughts out loud!) and I want to know about the brother and her friends and WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?! I don't think this was set up for a series, but if it turned into one, I wanna know more about Parker. Anyway, if you're looking for a super cute rom-com, with spice, grab this one on January 21st when it's released!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for letting me read this one early in exchange for my review!

"Only in Your Dreams" by Ellie K. Wilde is a heartfelt blend of small-town charm, second chances, and the classic brother's best friend romance trope. The book shines with its relatable characters, witty banter, and tender exploration of personal growth, though some reviews note a disjointed plot and pacing issues. While Zac and Melody's chemistry is electric, some readers felt the story relied too heavily on familiar tropes and could have benefited from deeper character development, especially among the supporting cast. Overall, it's a cozy, trope-filled read perfect for rom-com lovers seeking a mix of spice, swoon, and a happy-ever-after.

This book was your typical second chance romance with an added "my brother's best friend", small town romance. I felt like there were a lot of things going on without a good flow of the plot. It felt a bit disjointed. I think the author was so focused on getting both points of view across that we missed out on the substance of this book. And had to follow too many cliched plot points

This was SO good!! I absolutely loved Mel and Zac and I loved their relationship. I liked the reason that they were kept apart. It made sense and it didn’t ruin all this love we were building in the present tense. Zac was such a silent sweetie. I loved the hidden gestures of his love every day. I also loved that Mel was able to recognize her past relationship issues within the book and grow and move on! That will be so relatable for so many readers! I can’t wait for Brooks’ book!!!

📖 Book Review 📖 Do you have a certain someone who broke your heart? While Melody is nursing a heartache from a recent breakup, the man who taught her all about a broken heart was her brother’s best friend and the third wheel in their twin shenanigans. Returning home to Oakwood Bay to room with her twin was not on her Bingo card but the breakup left her no choice. All bets are off when she is forced to take her brother’s spot on the annual camping trip and comes face to face with the man who nearly destroyed her, Zac. Nothing brings up the wounds from the past like some fresh air and forced proximity. Their memorable camping trip launches a delightfully adorable, clandestine journey that might just repair their relationship and bring them together once and for all. Ellie K. Wilde knocked it out of the park with Only in Your Dreams!

Only in Your Dreams by Ellie Wilde is releasing 1/21 and is a sports romance and a second chance romance (sort of). The book starts out with us meeting Melody and Zac 10 years prior when they are in high school. Melody is confessing her feelings to Zac and he promises to return that night to talk about it but doesn’t. Cut to now, and the two haven’t seen each other since that night. They are going on a camping trip with friends and get stuck sharing the same tent, however a huge storm hits in the night and has them stranded in the woods for three days with no cell service. That’s the first 25% of the book and would have been a super cute novella had it stopped there. However, the story continues post rescue and becomes this sort of confusing growth story for Melody who has just escaped a mental and emotionally abusive relationship. Zac is on the verge of losing his coaching job. The rest of the story is clunky and doesn’t even feel the same. It’s less enjoyable, but by the end you do end up rooting for the couple to get together and be successful in their careers, but it was a long road to get there.