retired footballer making a comeback
Forced proximity
Fake dating
He falls first
Banter
Chemistry

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Now can we get a summer x Parker book???

LOVED this one! Going to have to go back and read the first book. It was refreshing to see such an emotionally intelligent MMC. While sliiiiiightly unbelievable, Siena's background was fleshed out, and the warmth of her relationship with her mother was lovely to see.

I received this book from Atria and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is a standalone but is connected to Only in Your Dreams. I really enjoyed seeing Brooks again and getting his backstory and then watching him chase his dreams. He was such a sweet, earnest MMC. Siena had some serious trauma from childhood that she was working through and he was so patient with her. I found myself skipping over intimate parts because they became too much for me.

This is book #2 in a set of interconnected stand-alones. I have not read the first book but after reading this one will totally go back and read it. I loved seeing a rom-com with characters that are over 25 lol. Plus fake dating? He falls first? Football romance? Dog dad? I mean allllllll of those are yeses on their own and then put them all into a book? YUP. I read it in 2 days. I also loved the attitude of the FMC and her quick witty comebacks. The banter was 🤌🏻The spice 🌶️? That was great too. 💯recommend.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

A solid 4 ⭐️!

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to arc read this book. It sounded so good when I read about it and I’m leaving an honest review by my own free will.

This book has the normal fake dating and sports romance book tropes but these guys are ones that keep a smile on my face. The characters have great banter and chemistry. They are passionate and dedicated. They both have horrible ex’s who made them not want to trust easy or open their hearts. The journey they both go on is something relatable and heart warming.

There is spice and some triggers but nothing too heavy.

I definitely enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more!

I LOVED this! I literally never wanted it to end. Soo much spice, and I was really rooting for the couple.

Fans of a great sports romance, buckle up - book two in Ellie K. Wilde's Oakwood Bay series is here! Only Between Us is the steamy love story between pro footballer Brooks Attwood and a sassy Siena Pippen who is much more than she appears.

I feel like Ellie K. Wilde understands what people want out of a sports romance novel. There is lots of personal conflict, coming of age themes, lots and lots of spice, and a protectiveness that comes with someone conditioned to be on a team. Once the girl is on yours, that's it.

All of those boxes were ticked in this book, and well. Bad boy Brooks is grappling with the wind down of his career. He's got his eyes set on his old team and will do anything to score a contract with them. What they want is for him to show he's settled down in his personal life, because the press he's gotten from prior escapades is a big distraction. When he literally runs into Siena on the practice field and a photo of them goes viral, he proposes a mutual deal: pretend to be in a serious, stable relationship and he gets what he needs, and she gets the attention she needs to keep her business afloat awhile longer.

Siena's had a hard life. The parents that raised her are not her real parents, and when her dad leaves her his bait shop, she'll do anything she can to keep it open. But she's been burned by a football star before, and she is not interested in getting involved with another one.

They both have trust issues, and healing those together is one of my favorite things to find in a sports romance. It just hits in all the feels.

If sports romance is your thing, hey, you're going to love this. And if you haven't really delved into any yet...try it! I was so pleasantly surprised. They're immersive and indulgent and a great little escape. If you like spice, you're going to love these!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Characters, plot line, feelings... I loved everything about this book! Bring in meet-cute turned enemies to lovers and here we are!
The story is fun and has the feelings.

Siena and Brooks were really made for each other! Slow burn through their fake dating was delicious! Once the lines began to shift and blur... The deeper feelings begin to unravel.

What to expect:
- fake dating
- NFL player
- he falls first (and hard)
- the spice
- cute dog

If Ellie K Wilde writes it, you can bet I will read it! After Melody and Zac in Only In Your Dreams I was so looking forward to returning to Oakwood Bay! I knew from the first book that Brooks was going to be such a fun MMC and I was so right and Siena is probably one of the most fun FMC’s I’ve ever read! She is wild and unapologetically herself and it was so refreshing! Siena literally came crashing into Brooks’ life and the fake dating ensued! To try to get back on his previous football team Brooks needs to clean up his playboy image and Siena is a media darling who has sworn off football players since her and her ex boyfriend, another pro football player, broke up. But Siena needs to keep her dad’s bait shop afloat and being his fake girlfriend is lucrative on social media. But of course it’s not long before that fake dating starts feeling very very real! As usual it’s sweet and spicy and so so swoony! Brooks and Siena were such a joy to read about! Thank you for this ARC, I’ll always love visiting Oakwood Bay and these sweets characters and families! Please never stop writing this world!

This is the perfect combination of enemies to lovers and fake dating! Brooks is trying to make his football comeback after a bad concussion sent him into an early retirement. The good news? He’s got a chance. The bad news? A few too many wild adventures post concussion have the team he wants to be on skeptical of him.

Enter Siena, the strong-willed, confident, and passionate ex of another NFL star. While trespassing during a football practice, Siena is literally crashed into by Brooks. The two initially hit it off but quickly find that they clash.

But when they realize that their problems could be solved if they were dating, a fake relationship is born. Through lots of fake dates, shared moments, meddling friends, and surprisingly deep conversations, they become so much more.

Follow along with these two as they venture through their own challenges and find their way to each other.

Rating Breakdown:
Characters - 3
Plot - 3
Setting - 3
Writing - 3
Enjoyment - 3
Total Rating - 3

Review:
This was a cute contemporary romance. The main characters were very likeable and easy to root for. I also really enjoyed the side characters and what they added to the story. The plot was pretty predictable, which isn't necessarily bad in a romance, but I was thrown off by some of the main characters' actions. I feel like the author was trying to throw a twist in the relationship, but the way the characters reacted to some things really pulled me out of the story and seemed extreme.

I feel like this next one might just be a "me" thing, but I found some of the sex scenes to be excessive. Towards the end of the book, I was kinda just bored with them and wanted more of the plot instead.

Bottom Line:
This was a super cute, spicy, contemporary romance. I would recommend this one to most romance readers, if even just for the adorable golden retriever of a man that is Brooks Atwood!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC to review.

I adored this book so much that I immediately started reading the previous one as soon as I finished. It was so lovely to read a book in the rom/com category that didn't take the easy way out and tackled more sensitive and troubling real-life issues. The idea that a child could first experience family love as a teenager sets the precedent for the entire book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced reader copy of this book!

4.5 stars - Glad to be back in the Oakland Bay world! Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and Ellie absolutely does it justice. Siena and Brooks were so easy to love, not just together but as individuals too. A football player scorned by his ex and trying to make a comeback after a near career ending injury. A woman who never asks for help and carries the world on her shoulders.

The two of them meet by complete accident and accidentally spark relationship rumors. But the fake relationship is exactly what both of them need to get their lives on track. He needs a wholesome image if he ever wants a chance at re-signing with his dream team. She needs the money to keep herself afloat and get control of her life back. As it turns out, they might need each other too and be the missing pieces they didn’t even know they were missing.

I loved watching their connection grow and the lines blur over the course of the book! I swear fake dating does it for me every single time. Apart from physical attraction, their small more emotional moments were my favorite parts. Loved these two, loved this book, highly recommend!

“Only Between Us” is the second in a series from Ellie K Wilde but it can be read as a standalone. I read the first book last year and loved it, and this one is a winner as well!

Brooks and Siena begin fake dating in an attempt to improve Brooks’ reputation and get him signed with his dream football team. Of course, as in any good fake dating romance, it’s not long before the feelings start becoming real.

This book pretty much hit on all cylinders. The romance is adorable and the spice is abundant. Some parts involving Siena and her parents are so emotional and well-written they made me cry.

I do think the plot itself was a little lean, with not too much happening especially in the second half of the book. But overall I love the romance and definitely will continue to read and recommend this author’s work!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

A fun, feel-good football rom-com packed with fake dating, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and swoony moments. Perfect for anyone looking for an easy, heartwarming read!

After a career-ending injury in the NFL, college football coach Brooks is determined to make a comeback and rejoin his former team. But when his playboy reputation threatens to hold him back, he agrees to fake date Siena to prove he’s changed and ready for a serious relationship. Siena, an influencer, accepts the offer to help keep her late father’s family business afloat.

Their fake relationship starts off rough — mostly because Brooks carries baggage from his past relationship and projects it onto Siena — but it quickly becomes clear that neither of them can fake their growing chemistry and feelings.

This was such a fun romance read! It had all the makings of a great love story and delivered on so many favorite tropes: fake dating, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, banter, a protective MMC, and even sweet moments like Brooks baking for Siena and buying every type of coffee drink because he doesn’t know what she likes. Brooks is seriously so hot and also genuinely kind — I loved his character.

Overall, both characters were really likable, and nothing felt overly corny or cringy, which can sometimes happen with contemporary romances.

I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a fake dating romance or needs an easy, feel-good palate cleanser!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! I loved this book!

Only Between Us is sweet, emotional, and very steamy. This is an amazing second book for the Oakwood Bay series. It’s hard for a book two to outshine the first but I think this one does. The characters are lovable, the love story is heart warming, and the spice is HOT.

Brooks, the football star trying to make a comeback, wears his heart on his sleeve and just wants to be loved back. Siena is the girl who lets her obligations keep her from following her dreams. Together they have all the banter and tension that keeps you from putting this book down.

I hope Ellie K. Wilde keeps this series going. I can’t wait to read whatever she has in store for us.

This was such a fun and enjoyable romance! I loved watching Brooks and Siena fall in love and deal with their own battles, the character development was great. This is what romance books are about and I cannot wait for the next release Ellie K Wilde puts out!

🌟Fake Dating
🌟Sports Romance
🌟He Falls First

This was my first book from this author, and I read it as a standalone.
There was a few moments when I got confused as to the side characters, and who was who, other than that, I think it works as a standalone.

If somebody showed me the cover and told me I’d be crying for 20 minutes straight during a spicy scene, I would’ve laughed in their faces, but here we are!!!

I really enjoyed the depth of these characters, their emotions, their backstory. Even though the romance was a bit of a slow burn in my opinion, it had far more depth than most sports romances I’ve read recently. The characters fight to build a strong relationship despite everything. Their fighting/bickering isn’t fighting each other but fighting to understand each other.

I’ll definitely be reading the first book !

The connection between the protagonists is intense—raw, complicated, and undeniably magnetic. The male lead is the embodiment of a morally grey character: possessive, flawed, yet fiercely devoted. Their relationship unfolds with a tension that is both deeply romantic and psychologically complex, keeping readers on edge and emotionally invested.

Wilde’s writing is evocative and immersive, striking a careful balance between darkness and intimacy. The emotional stakes feel real, and the characters’ inner struggles are portrayed with depth and nuance.

Only Between Us is not just a romance—it’s a study in emotional intensity, and what happens when two people see the darkest parts of each other and still choose to stay

*Only Between Us* is a beautifully tender story that explores the messy, complicated, and ultimately rewarding journey of building trust and opening your heart again. Ellie K. Wilde has crafted a slow-burn romance that feels incredibly personal, grounding the characters in realistic emotions and life circumstances that make their story resonate beyond the page.

The two leads are thoughtfully developed, with layered backstories that unfold naturally over time. I loved the quiet intimacy between them — the way their connection grew not from grand gestures, but from small moments of understanding and vulnerability. It's a love story built on trust, patience, and mutual respect, which gave it a refreshing authenticity.

That said, the pacing occasionally felt uneven. There were stretches where the emotional weight was heavy but the plot movement was slow, which made the story feel slightly longer than it needed to be. A few secondary storylines could have used more attention or resolution to fully round out the narrative.

Even with those minor drawbacks, the overall tone of the novel is tender and hopeful. Wilde's writing captures the little things — a lingering glance, an unspoken word, a quiet act of kindness — that make falling in love feel both fragile and inevitable. It's a story for readers who appreciate romance that simmers rather than explodes, and who enjoy character-driven journeys filled with heart.

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**Final Thought:**
*Only Between Us* is the kind of story that sneaks up on you—quiet, patient, and full of warmth. While it isn’t without a few bumps along the way, its honest portrayal of love and healing is sure to leave a lasting pawprint on the hearts of readers who believe the best relationships are built one small moment at a time.