It really had its moments, but mostly it felt too fictional, which I mean this is literal fiction but the Male MC was giving “written by a fangirl to appear to be the absolute top of the male species” and ir was not appealing, it was off putting. And the Female MC started off so grumpy that I really didn’t connect with her except I did like her ex boyfriend storyline. Oh and this book felt like it was 80% sex too, not really my cup of tea.

It was cute, but I had such a hard time getting into this. This book honestly just fell flat for me, but I would recommend to someone just looking for quick cute read!

Only In Your Dreams by Ellie K Wilde is a fun and heartwarming romance with humor, charm, and a touch of magic. The characters are lovable, the banter is witty, and the story is both sweet and engaging. A perfect feel-good read for romance fans!

Obsessed! I haven't read a romance that hit so well in awhile. I loved all the tropes and the chemistry was great! I loved the characters and how the book was paced. I can't wait for the next one!

I loved this one so much! I loved both Melody and Zac and loved their backstory. I enjoyed getting to see them interact after years apart- even if it was a rocky start. I laughed and I swooned throughout reading this story and cannot wait to read more from this author!

✔️ Brother's Best Friend
✔️ Second Chance
✔️ Forced Proximity
✔️ Small Town
✔️ Fake Dating Uno Reverse
✔️ I Only Sleep Well With You

Only in Your Dreams is about Melody, back in her small town after a bad breakup. Zac is her older brother's best friend and they nearly had a moment before she left town but he messed up. Now she's back and all he can think of is winning her back.

The tropes and plot are fun and well-executed, particularly the "hey, I only sleep well with you in my bed". That trope is not used enough and it is amazing here!

Other standout moments were of Melody figuring out how toxic her ex was and how she'd shrunk herself to make him happy; then making changes and becoming herself again. She was easy to root for.

I also loved seeing them share space in his home, cooking for each other and caring for each other. Small romantic moments were lovely here.

Btw, don't be fooled by this cutesy cover; the spice is excellent.

I def recommend this one!

Steam 🔥🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕

All in all, this was a cute story and had a lot of my favorite tropes! I enjoyed the story itself, but didn’t love the characters, they sometimes felt immature and made it hard to connect with them.

This started off strong but somehow towards the end it wasn't giving what it’s supposed to be. I love a brother’s best friend trope especially for the tension and this definitely had that! I just felt like it was a little too long for my liking.

4.5 stars

Only In Your Dreams is the first book in the Oakwood Bay series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Second chance romance is always a hit or miss for me, but I loved this one.

Melody went back home after ten years, and Zac, her childhood/teenage crush and brother’s best friend, was there too. As soon as Zac found out, he was determined to get the chance he never took all those years ago.

Ooh, Zac. The way this man was so in love 🥹. Melody was hesitant to trust him, and she had her walls up after what happened before. But Zac was persistent. And even though she was all he wanted, he wouldn’t just sleep with her until he knew she was all in.

The angst and tension, the chemistry between them? So dang good.

I will say the whole reason for the fumbled first chance did make sense, but the time after didn’t. I mean…Zac just gave up.

But I still loved this. I swooned, I was *kicking my feet and giggling*, it was cute, heartwarming, and full of that second chance, it’s always been you angst.

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

3.5 ⭐! Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! Overall, I liked the whole story with the different tropes (small town, brother's best friend, second chance), but I at times found it a bit long. It was an enjoyable read and made me laugh.

Only in Your Dreams was incredibly underwhelming. The characters were one-dimensional at best, and issues that were brought up were later ignored. The whole reason for this book being a second chance was stupid and unrealistic. This book dragged on and was frankly uncomfortable to read during intimate scenes. It was a struggle not to DNF this read or fall asleep from boredom.

Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ellie K. Wilde delivers a swoon-worthy, emotional romance in Only in Your Dreams, blending heartfelt longing with an irresistible connection. With beautifully crafted tension, deep emotional beats, and just the right amount of spice, this book is perfect for fans of angsty, slow-burn romance. Wilde’s writing is captivating, making this a story that lingers in your mind long after you turn the last page.

Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

This was a fun second chance, fake dating, brother's best friend romance about a woman who returns to her hometown from an emotionally abusive relationship and discovers that what she wanted was hers all along. Zac and Melody are pretty adorable and I really loved how she came to realize that her previous relationship was abusive but also that jumping into another relationship, while comforting, was probably not a great idea. Zac is naturally so patient while being completely obsessed with her, but he knows that slow and steady is what she needs, so that's what she gets. The fake dating part was obviously dumb as all fake dating tropes are in the end, but it had some comic value and it was nice to see the other characters in the series get set up. The "I can't sleep unless I'm with you" plot point felt a little forced, but hey, it got them to where they needed to be so I guess that's fine.

This was cute and I'll definitely tune in for the rest of the series.

Zac is sweet, but at times, he felt too passive for a hero trying to win back the love of his life. And Melody… I understood her hesitation, but her denial game was next level. The miscommunication and emotional push-and-pull were drawn out so much that at times, it felt like the book was stuck in a cycle of wanting each other but refusing to admit it. Add in some unnecessary conflicts that seemed to drag rather than build tension, and the pacing started to feel long—which is tough for a romance that should be delivering swoony, heart-wrenching moments.

That said, when the romance works, it works. The chemistry is undeniable, and there’s something so satisfying about Zac’s devotion to Melody, even when she refuses to see it. The lack of a third-act breakup was a nice change of pace, and the ending was genuinely sweet. I just wish the emotional beats had hit sooner rather than circling for so long.

If you love second-chance romance and don’t mind a lot of push-and-pull, this might be a great fit for you. But if you prefer a more balanced emotional arc, you might find yourself wishing for a bit more movement in the story.

Thank you netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

To be quiet honest, I DNFed this about 20% of the way in. I just could not get into it. This was not the book for me. I went in not knowing it was going to be second chance, and that coupled with the other tropes just didn't do it for me.

This book was good but it took me a while to get through, I liked the overall storyline but I did feel like something was missing.

This was such a cute romance! This book had everything: brothers best friend, childhood friends to lovers, fake dating, grumpy x sunshine. The characters were all very loveable and enjoyable. I am also looking forward to reading future books in this series based on the side characters!

I stopped reading after the terrible prologue. Goodness, this book was a soap opera before it even started. I did not like the direction it was going in and the characters, while realistic, were immature. Melody is a hot mess.

I almost DNF’d multiple times. This was a struggle. It’s written very YA, but with 28 year olds and lots of sexy spicy scenes so it just felt weird. I loved how it started off and the banter between Zac & Melody. Then it just started going downhill with trope after trope for 400+ pages.

It’s not really a second chance if there was never a first. All because her 18 year old twin brother had a rule of nobody dates my sister? And ten years later it’s still a thing? 28 year olds sneaking around scared of the brother. He was just as bad as the ex imo. The brother can kick rocks.

Her ex of 6 years was talked about sooooo much it was exhausting. It was a good representation of mental abuse and the toll that takes in a person. It was nice seeing the fmc get her moxie and grow up and be independent.

Many thanks to author, publisher, and netgalley for the advanced opportunity to read and review early.

I unfortunately had to DNF this book at 17%. The handling of sensitive topics such as weight and abusive behavior was particularly troubling. The MMC's comment, "I could fit you in my pocket," struck me as inappropriate, especially given the context surrounding the abuse and fat-shaming experienced by the FMC. This comment felt tone-deaf and poorly timed. Additionally, the repeated emphasis on the physical size difference between the main characters became increasingly annoying. While I understand that this may be a trope, it detracted from the narrative rather than adding depth.