“Break my heart. Love it back. Rip it right out of my chest. It’s yours, anyway. Do whatever you want with it.”

Honestly, this is everything you could want in a fake dating sports romance. He’s obsessed? Check! Off the charts chemistry? Check! Emotionally drained main characters that heal throughout the story? Check! I absolutely ate this book up!
—

this and that:
♡ cribbage
♡ dog daddy
♡ dual pov
♡ fake dating
♡ found family
♡ he falls first
♡ loathe-to-love
♡ open door spice
♡ skinny dipping
♡ small town
♡ sports (american football)

triggers:
☞ abandonment (past)
☞ child neglect (past)
☞ death of a loved one (past)
☞ grief
☞ infidelity (not between mcd)
☞ predatory behavior of landlord
☞ sports injury

I didn’t love this one as much as the first, which was a bit of a bummer! There were definitely some moments I really enjoyed, but a lot of it just didn’t click for me. The first few chapters were tough to get into. and Eve though I usually love the tropes in this book (second-chance and fake dating), something about the way they were done here felt a little off. Additionally, Brooks seemed different in this book, than he did in the first book. As I read the book eventually I did and up liking Siena and Brooks. I was rooting for them. Overall, I think if you liked Only in Your Dreams you will also enjoy Only Between us. I hope Parker eventually gets his own book. Thank you Atria and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

I am honestly so impressed with this book! I read Only in Your Dreams last year, and definitely enjoyed it, but Only Between Us I think is head and shoulders above. I really loved Siena and Brooks dynamic, and how much both of them grew in this story. Their emotional arcs felt both honest and authentic. Moreover, I think the banter between the two of them and the development of their relationship was very natural and believable.

I am so excited to read whatever Ellie Wilde writes next! (Hopefully about Summer and Parker!)

Wilde has done it again by creating such a heartwarming sweet romance. A fake dating sports romance between two people having to prove themselves and their worth in life. And inevitably finding a place in each full of warm, love and acceptance no matter what. Learning what it means to find your home and how you can blossom from being loved correctly. It had moments of undeniable tension and longing. Adding in the fake aspect it had your grabbing your seat until they moment they finally admit it was real.

Wilde has a way of creating such real and raw characters you can see yourself in them, you can root for them to get the best things in life. Adding in dashes of spice that romance readers will eat up and enjoy every minute. But also balancing it was such an aching tenderness you can’t help put swoon within these pages.

I enjoy a well rounded story with getting deep inside both characters heads and really getting to know who they are to the core.

Holy 💩. This book made me weep while turning me on…at the same time in one case. I am absolutely feral for Brooks and Siena. Ellie K. Wilde may be one of my new top sports romance authors.

Thanks to Atria through NetGalley for the ARC.

I went into this book with high expectations and they were reached. I absolutely loved this book. It was the perfect blend of spice and emotional depth. I fell in love with both of the main characters. I even fell in love with so many side characters. I want to stay in this series forever!!

Brooks is trying to make an NFL return two years after retiring due to major injuries. Physically, he's back in shape but apparently that doesn't matter because the teams are holding the admittedly poor decisions he made after his life fell apart against him. Solution? Fake date NFL fan princess Siena after pictures of the two of them go viral to show he's capable of settling down. For Siena, the endorsement offers would help her financial troubles. But pretending to be a couple is harder than she expects, and pretending to have feelings while not actually catching feelings is a huge challenge.

I loved everything about this book. Their very memorable meet cute had me in stitches. The t-shirts were adorable. Parker...just Parker😂 I can't say my heart didn't break a couple of times but Ellie made sure to put it back together before the end.

*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

If there’s one trope that’ll have me kicking my feet and grinning like a fool, it’s fake dating. The will-they-won’t-they tension? I’m living for it. And this book delivers. Hard.

It’s laugh-out-loud hilarious, packed with characters you’ll want to wrap in a blanket and protect at all costs. And just when you think everything’s sunshine and slow-burn kisses—boom. That third-act breakup? It hurts. Like, stare-at-the-ceiling-and-rethink-your-life kind of hurt.

If you’re into fierce, take-no-crap heroines and cinnamon roll men who would move mountains (or at least cancel plans) for their girl, this one’s got your name written all over it.

This book has my heart! Absolutely obsessed. The relationship between Brooks and Sienna.. chef’s kiss. So sweet and pure, yet spicy! The future outlook 🥰

Listen, I love a low-stakes sports romance as much as the next guy, but this book has NO BUSINESS GOING THIS HARD.

Our MC’s were immediately likeable. Siena was fun and so much bolder and flirtier than so many FMCs in romance books- there was nothing shy about her. Despite this, her backstory makes her such a relatable and well-rounded character. Her motivations, fears, and way of thinking make so much sense given her past, and definitely make her feel like a real person, not just a one-dimensional caricature.

Brooks was an incredibly sweet and emotionally intelligent male lead, and you couldn’t help but fall in love with him, right alongside Siena. As soon as he recognized the flaws in his perception of Siena, he was apologetic, attentive, and an absolute model partner. 🥵

While the reasoning for Siena’s resistance to truly dating Brooks could have felt a little weak (a past failed long-distance relationship and a job she already hates) the author’s thorough groundwork in explaining Siena’s deep fear of loss and her commitment to her family made the conflict feel real and believable, and made the reader truly sympathetic to her struggle.

This book was decently long for a contemporary romance, but definitely didn’t feel like it!

The cast of side characters were instantly likeable, and absolutely left me wanting more. I will absolutely be going back to read book 1, and you will see me first in line for the next instalment! Ellie definitely has a new fan in me!

3.75 stars!

I enjoyed this / just not as much as the first book. Did I still have a great time? Yes! Sienna and Brook’s made sense as a couple, meshed well, and I eat up a fake dating book every time.

In the end - it was loosely forgettable but still a fun read.

I have never read anything by this author, but I will be looking out for other books they write in the future. I really enjoyed the story as well as the pacing of the story.

I sped through this book! I love a good fake dating story, and this one really drew me in!
The main characters (and their friends) have great banter that actual makes you laugh, while the spice is the perfect amount at exactly the right time! This is everything I look for in a romance, highly recommend.

The way I DEVOURED this book 😭 I loved Brooks & Siena so much. I'm never gonna get tired of the fake dating where the lines blur and the fake relationship isn't so fake anymore. I had such a fun time reading this book. The chemistry, the sparks, the tension, the push and pull, the banter; loved every part of it. I was a bit annoyed with the whole separation and the reasons behind it, this could have been avoided in my opinion; But I still enjoyed the hell out of that book. And BROOKS 😮‍💨 the man that you are 😮‍💨 A cocky, golden retriever with a filthy mouth, always a great combo 🫣

OMG. This book is everything. I was skeptical about starting another sports romance, but this right here? DEVOURED IT. I loved every second of it. Ellie really knows how to write a GOOD fake-dating, he falls first trope. Brooks Attwood just moved his way into book boyfriend #1, and Siena??? HANDS DOWN one of my favorite FMCs i’ve ever read. The last 20% of this book I was CRYING because of how much I loved the both of them. Their love story is going to forever be one of my favorites.
I will be posting a review on tiktok at a later date as well!

I wasn’t sure I was going to like this one at first. It felt really lust driven & that’s just not something that I personally enjoy reading. The banter between the MCs really saved this one for me though! They had really great chemistry & I loved their teasing & banter.

The side characters were also great & I liked that they were involved throughout the story.

As the book progress we do get to a bit more depth, which I was thankful for, but this one was just a tad too spicy for me.

That being said, I thought this one was still cute & I can see most people really liking it!

𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚚𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:

💕“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩. 𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙪𝙥 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”

🥰“𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄’𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙪𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙤 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙. 𝘾𝙪𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚 𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥.”

🫠“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛***𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙧.”

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁:
🏈enemies to lovers
🏈sports romance
🏈fake dating
🏈possessive, protective MMC
🏈confident FMC
🏈he falls first and HARD
🏈banter

Thank you to Atria for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I didn't enjoy "Only Between Us" as much as I did the first in the series.

I usually love the second-chance and fake dating tropes, as they're both adorable, but something about their execution here didn't resonate with me. I can't quite pinpoint why, but it just felt off.

The banter and the spicy scenes were the saving grace of this book

I’m really enjoying this series. Plenty of chemistry and I liked how Sienna and Brooks challenged and supported each other. The spice was very spicy but the banter could have been better. I’m excited to read the next book in this series. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

In the second book of a loosely connected rom com series, football star Brooks is fighting his way to a comeback after a bad injury. He meets Siena, who is an ex of another football star. Together they concoct a mutually beneficial fake dating scheme. Brooks quickly realized Siena is special, but she might not be ready for a serious relationship.

This sports romance has all the makings for a good time- fake dating, extra spicy, he falls first (and hard), and they both have past trauma to work through. It is both sweet and spicy with several open door scenes, and packed with funny moments. It could be read as a stand-alone without reading the first book easily. I love banter and a cute dog too! There’s definitely some unrealistic parts with drama toward the end that kept me from loving it as a five star read, but overall it is still a great escape and an entertaining sports rom com.

Thank you to Ellie K Wilde and Atria books for the arc and opportunity to be an early reader and reviewer.

Actual Rating: 4.5

Eeeeekkk this is another amazing book by Ellie K. Wilde! I seriously love her writing and the way she plots out her books. This is so realistic to a real life couple with an actual third act problem that is understandable and is handled in a mature way (as adults should in books!). The romance, humor, dialogue, and overall storyline of the book was so interesting and kept me wanting to read it. Getting dual POV is one of my favorite part in a romance books if it’s present and I loved getting to see the inner dialogue of both Siena and Brooks. I think the way our main characters are described on their own makes them fascinating to get to know.

Siena had a rough childhood before she was adopted by her parents and then had an ex NFL player who only seemed to care for her when they were physically in the same state. Brooks is a retired NFL player trying to get back into the league after his ex cheated on him and left him for his own teammate. They decide to fake date to clear up Brooks image and so Siena has monetary perks that come with the image of them together. But they immediately have real chemistry that develops steadily and into something neither is wanting to give up, however there are some serious things keeping them from potentially getting a happily ever after. Brooks wants to sign with his old team the Rebels (across the country) and Siena is determined to continue running her late father’s fish business and stay close to her aging mother. I love how we pieced together the plot of this book and got to see their feelings grow romantically and how they matured thanks to one another.

This is an author I think will be an auto read and buy for me because there’s never anything I don’t like about her books. I cannot WAIT for the next book in this series (I’m guessing Parker & Summer because we got so many good hints and moments between them that I’m dying to read)!

I received a digital copy from NetGalley & the author of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Ellie K. Wilde for this novel!