I struggled to get into this one and opted to DNF at about a third of the way through when I found myself skimming. I love a good sports romance but I couldn't pick up on any chemistry between these two (and her hatred for him was just so strong it was a bit off-putting). I'm sure it will hit right for some but just didn't for me.

I really wanted to like this one, but the writing style wasn’t for me. It took me out of the story and made it a difficult read, unfortunately.

The characters were super cute though!

I love this author and a great college sports romance! It flowed perfectly and was fun! Thank you for the ARC! It's always appreciated

Thank you Atria books for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.


I was excited to read this one. It was a quick read and a much slower burn compared to the first book in the series but still had a lot of tension and build up. This had a good backstory for both main characters and made it more heartfelt.

Read this if you enjoy:
Fake dating
Sports romance
Enemies to lovers
Dual POV
🔥🔥🔥

this was cute! i really liked the flow of the story and that it didn’t seem insanely rushed with their relationship. a quick and easy read, hopefully the next book is summer and parker because i’ll be seated.

(1.75 ⭐️) The way it’s written helps it move forward, but overall I found it MEDIOCRE. I didn’t feel any chemistry between the protagonists, and their relationship was mostly sexual attraction. It’s not that it’s a bad book, just that if you’re looking for something romantic, THIS AIN’T IT.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Only Between Us by Ellie Wilde is the first book I read by this author, and it definitely will not be my last!

The main characters, Brooks and Sienna, were both so interesting, and I loved them, and the whole fake-dating aspect of their relationship was perfect! I love a good fake dating trope! I loved how strong Sienna was and how she cared about everything. Brooks was also an amazing character who loves hard and just truly cares about everyone!

We love it when the guy falls first, and he does, and it’s so cute!

The chemistry between the two of them was so hot, and it was so fun to watch them finally give in to their feelings after putting it off. Not to mention, their banter was through the roof, and they definitely kept things interesting throughout, which I loved. Overall, I loved this book and I can’t wait to read the next one. All the characters were fun, and I enjoyed reading about everyone, especially Brooks and Sienna; they were meant for each other!

Having been a new reader to Ellie Wilde, I didn’t know what to truly expect, but after diving right into this book, I instantly fell in love with her characters and how she was able to bring these characters to life through the pages. I highly recommend Only Between Us because it’s such a fun read with a perfect storyline and plot to keep you guessing what was going to happen next.

A retired profootball player is trying to make a comeback 2 years later but his past is haunting him and causing his former team to not want anything to do with him. To prove he has settled down and to make him more marketable his agent has him fake date a woman he just met. Sparks fly and the two can't help actually falling in love. Good story with good characters. Fast read.

Ellie K. Wilde has brought us back to Oakwood Bay and has hit it out of the park! I absolutely fell in love with Brooks and Sienna. This story had it all a little fake dating, he falls first, a sassy and strong FMC, and a MMC who shows her it’s ok to be strong and vulnerable at the same time. I devoured this story and can’t wait to see what comes next (maybe a Parker/Summer story?!!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

Thank you to Atria for an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

I LOVED the dynamic of these main characters so much. I did love melody and Zac in the first in this series but Siena and Brooks truly have knocked them out. I really appreciated how independent and strong Siena was throughout her POV and Brooks POV. We love a down bad man who cannot keep it together with his fake girlfriend.

The way Ella K Wilde writes sports without it being ‘too sporty’ has been incredible, especially since football is not my fave to see IRL lol. Her books are tender and sweet all balanced with some amazing spice and incredible banter. Truly cannot wait for the next in the series 👀 and honestly I might need a surfing book about Aiden.

After reading Only in Your Dreams, which is book one in this series, I was so excited to see that Brooks was getting his own story in Only Between Us. You don't have to have read book one to enjoy book two but there are connected characters. If you like NFL romances and fake dating, you are going to love Brooks and Siena's story. Fans of Tessa Bailey's sports romances will enjoy this book.

Thank you NetGalley for a free eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first one, unfortunately. The writing was a bit slow and I felt like I had to push myself to continue. I found myself not really caring about the couple (I loved Brooks in book one). Second chance romances aren’t my favorite, so maybe that affected my interest.

Brett Attwoods is on his way back to the NFL, except the team he wants to play for may not take him after a stint of questionable choices. Siena Pippen, fresh of the break up of her NFL boyfriend, isn't looking for a relationship, much less with someone so drawn in the spotlight. But when a social media post makes it seem like the two are dating, they decide to lean into the image to help both of their lives.

First and foremost, this book was so fun. I really like Only in Your Dreams, but I may like this one just a bit better. Brett and Siena were hot from the get go and I loved that. You can feel the attraction without it feeling forced and I couldn't wait to see how they fell for each other.

Both Siena and Brett have gone through tough periods that make them second guess their worth. Seeing both of them care for one another and see each other is charming to read. The way Brett showed Siena love and reassurance, even when she was willing to continue to "play pretend," ugh I love. He was a man OBSESSED with his girl and I wouldn't want it any other way. Also these two were so hot? I was unprepared for how spicy these two were, but it did A LOT for their dynamic and how much you wanted to root for them to be in a real relationship.

Such a strong second book, I can't wait to read more if she continues this series!

Thank you Atria Books, Netgalley and Ellie K Wilde for an eARC. All thoughts are honest and my own.

The chemistry? Off the charts.
The banter? Chef’s kiss.
The slow burn tension that explodes into full-on spice? So worth the wait.

What starts as a transaction turns into late-night confessions, real feelings, and a realization that maybe their “fake” relationship feels a little too real. Brooks is the perfect blend of cocky and soft once his walls start to crumble, and Siena is a firecracker of a heroine you can’t help but root for.

I loved how the story balances swoony romance with high-stakes drama, but also dives into themes of redemption, family loyalty, and learning to trust again without ever losing its fun, flirty edge.

If you’re into sports romance with heart, heat, and a whole lot of tension, this one’s a touchdown. 🏈🔥

✔️ Fake Dating
✔️ Football Romance
✔️ Small Town
✔️ Opposites Attract
✔️ One Bed

Brooks has one goal - to get back into the NFL team he left when he was injured. Siena has one goal: to make enough money to continue to run her dad's bait shop. Wouldn't you know it - to meet their goals, they need each other's help. However falling in love complicates everything.

Siena and Brooks had a fascinating dynamic. She is definitely a black cat but he is no golden retriever. He's not optimistic enough for that; he's emotionally brittle too, which made their coming together so sweet.

There was also a very clever plot twist that happened during an emotionally vulnerable moment that made me gasp and whisper oh noooooo!

Highly recommend this one and I cannot wait to see what Ellie comes up with next. 5⭐️

Steam 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕💕

I enjoyed this book! Some of my favorite tropes include fake dating, so this was right up my alley. The banter and tension were too good. The characters had great chemistry. I loved all of the side characters as well.

Thank you for this arc Netgalley!

A spicy sports enemies to lovers with emotion and depth!

I genuinely liked both MCs. I just felt like the book was slightly too long and too focused on the spice. The character development and plot were lovely, and I think the spicy scene took away from the plot vs adding to it.

My Ratings:
🧍🏽‍♀️ 4/5 Characters
🌶️ 4/5 Spice
🎬 4/5 Ending
🧩 4/5 Plot
💫 3.5/5 Overall

Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

Adored it! So cute! This book is a touchdown of a romance, pun intended.

Brooks Attwood, a former NFL star with a comeback on the line, and Siena Pippen, the fiery ex of a league darling, are forced into a fake dating scheme that’s as combustible as it is charming. What starts as a media-savvy ruse to salvage reputations soon spirals into a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers perfection.

The banter was bantering, the tension palpable, and the spice left me blushing and cheering for more. If you’re a fan of fake dating, football, and a romance that tackles both humor and heat, this book is your MVP.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc!

This book was so freaking cute! I knew I would adore Brooks because of his name alone. It had been a long time since I read the first book in this series. And all I could remember was that I adored the characters. And the author didn’t disappoint with making me adore these two. It was so witty and banter filled. It made you laugh and feel like you could relate to the characters overthinking and fight at the same time. The loyalty in this book was so prevalent. Such a solid read to get you out of a slump!

Only Between Us is the second book in the Oakwood Bay series from Ellie K. Wilde. The first in the series, Only in Your Dreams was one of my favorite books in 2024, and I was so excited to get the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the continuation of the series. Note: you don’t have to have read Only In Your Dreams to enjoy Only Between Us - it totally can stand in it’s own.

Two years after retiring from the NFL, Brooks Attwood is trying to make a comeback. After some NSFW photos of him leak, he finds himself needing to scrub his image to appeal to the team of his dreams, the Rebels. To do that, Brooks enlists the help of the former girlfriend of the face of the league and internet influencer, Siena Pippen. Siena agrees to fake date Brooks to increase her status so she can garner more brand deals and make more money - Money she needs because her rent just increased, her car broke down, and she is trying to keep the fishing shop she inherited from her father alive.

Siena assumes Brooks is an egotistical player like her ex. Brooks assumes Siena is an air headed gold digger like his ex. In order to sell the fake dating, they need to get past their dislike for one another and fake (date) it till they make it.

The banter between these two was everything. Brooks has such a mouth on him, and Siena matches his freak at every step. I loved the push and pull of their relationship as they learned more about each other. Going from interest to dislike to friends to more. It was a scorching will they/won’t they/why won’t they just kiss already?!??!! And then when they finally do - the chemistry is off the charts.

When the fake dating lines start to blur, the complexity and vulnerability Brooks and Siena show for each other, letting their walls down was so emotionally charged. It had me tearing up!

The pacing did get a little slow in the middle, and I kept waiting for something more to happen. Like a little more conflict or something. The ending wrapped up a little too neatly and quickly to feel real and didn’t feel like it matched the rest of the story.

The side characters in the friend group were amazing, as usual. If the next book isn’t about Summer and Parker I will riot!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.