This is book #2 in the Oakwood Bay series. I haven't read book one and this a total standalone.

Brooks Attwood is attempting a return to NFL after an injury made him retire two years earlier. The only team he wants to return to is the Rebels, but they aren't happy with his playboy, womanizing ways.

Enter Sienna Pippen. A picture of Brooks and Sienna is misinterpreted in the media and because she is the ex-girlfriend of another popular player, the picture goes viral. They hatch a plan to fake date until he is signed by the Rebels, and, in turn, this will help her family business out.

I really enjoyed this book and both Brooks and Sienna. They have great banter, chemistry and many, many steamy times.

I could have done without the end of chapter 17 and chapter 18, though. It made Sienna seem stupid. It was unrealistic that she couldn't find a bathroom to take care of her problem.

Thank you to Atria Books for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC to Ellie K. Wilde’s Only Between Us, the second book in her Oakwood Bay Series. I was lucky enough to also receive an ARC of the first book in the series before it came out and enjoyed it so I was thrilled to get to review this book as well.

Just like the first book, Only Between Us jumped right into the story and sucked me right in. To me, that is so important in a book. Sienna, a woman with a tragic childhood story who has trust issues and feelings of obligation to her adopted family is a recognizable and well-loved face of the football world after as she is the ex of one of the most famous players. After dealing with all of the hoopla of dating a player, she is done with all of that and is enjoying the nice quiet life in her hometown.

In walks Brooks, a professional football player who is looking to come out of retirement after a horrible accident on the field forced a premature retirement 2 years prior. The problem is, the team he wants to return to has a problem with his partying image as they are a family-friendly organization. He literally runs into Siena, they hatch up a plan, and the fake dating begins. As we all know these stories go, through fake dating, and real feelings become involved but the future of Brooks possibly moving across the country might ruin them.

I absolutely loved the banter between Brooks and Siena. Good banter in a book automatically is a win in my opinion. The crap they give each other was the best. I also love how they both realized what the other needed and immediately adjusted.

I felt the author did a good job explaining how each of their feelings affected them and how they handled it and the other was able to recognize and anticipate the other’s concerns. I definitely thought this was a cute book.

#EllieKWilde #OnlyBetweenUs #OakwoodBaySeries #NetGalley #AtriaBooks #ARC #Romance #ContemporaryFiction #Fiction #ChickLit #SportsFiction #Abandonment #Sports #FakeDating #HeFallsFirst #Football #Dreams #DifferentWorlds #July #2025

This is the sports rom-com you are looking for. This is a small town romance with 🌶️🌶️🌶️.

Brooks definitely falls for Siena first while they are fake dating. I wasn't sure what they were going to do as a couple almost the entire book which keep me up last night because I had to finish the book. I really loved the dynamics between Brooks and Siena, they were fun and they just fit together so nicely even though it did seem they were fighting the connection at times, mainly it was Siena. Brooks would literally do anything for her. Siena spent most of the time focused on her life plan and where she wanted to go in life to the point it almost made the possibility of a real relationship seem impossible.

I enjoy a dual POV books because then it's not always in one person's perspective. Please check your triggers. I enjoyed the book and will be ready to see where is goes next!

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

Ellie K Wilde, where have you been all my life??!! I can't believe this is the first book of hers I've read.
 
This book was perfect. Absolutely perfect. I read a lot of romance novels, and a lot of sports romance novels, and this one is right up there as one of the best. It's really hard to write something in a really popular genre and make it stand out, but I'm going to be thinking about this one for a long time.

First off, Siena and Brooks... Where do I even start? Individually, their characters are wonderful. Really fleshed out and relatable, and Siena's backstory was handled in such a way that really really resonated with me. Brooks- talk about the perfect boyfriend. He's actually perfect. No notes. And together? They were absolute magic. The chemistry came off the page in such a way that's really rare imo (like I said, I read A LOT of these) and it was really cute and sweet but also really spicy in the best way. 

All of the friend side characters are absolutely great too. I know there's a first installment (need to go back and read that asap) and the setup for the next one with Summer and Parker is really obvious, but in a way that just teases what's to come without taking away from the main story at all.

It's dual POV, and it's a bit on the long side but you don't even really notice with how you're pulled into the story. It's also VERY steamy, so if you're looking for a clean romance, this definitely isn't for you.

All in all, this is the perfect summer beach read you're looking for. You won't regret it!

This was a perfect edition to the series! AHHHH!!!! It was absolutely precious. Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for the ARC! I absolutely adored the first novel of this series, so to see it continue is absolutely thrilling! Thank you again for giving me the chance to read this book!

Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review. I ended up not finishing this book. It was entertaining at first but lost my interest by the end.

Thank you Atria for an early copy through NetGalley! All opinions are my own ♡

BROOKS ATTWOOD 😮‍💨😛😍🥵🤭

Yall know how much I adored Only in Your Dreams. I didn’t know how Brooks could possibly measure up to Zac. ELLIE K WILDE I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH YOUR GAME

I absolutely adored this book!!!! Brooks and Siena are both so wonderful and I can’t be asked to choose who I have a bigger crush on!!!!!

I loved Siena’s story. I loved her confidence and her kindness and her humor. She was strong and independent while also being so kind and gentle. I really loved how she displayed the parts of love that say “I naturally want to do xyz but I see how happy it makes me partner to do abc and I want them to be happy” in a way that didn’t rob either of them of their identity or autonomy.

Brooks is a dirty mouthed sweetheart and what else could we ask for?!!! He is SO sweet and genuine. He’s not afraid to be vulnerable and have hard conversations and he saw Siena for who she is and wanted to do anything to uplift her and make sure she could have anything she could want.

They are the definition of a power couple!!!!!!

I also loveddddddd the morsels of Parker and Summer we got and can’t WAIT for their story!!!

✨ ARC Review ✨

I absolutely adored Only In Your Dreams, so I wasn’t surprised to discover I also adore Only Between Us.

Brooks Atwood is a book boyfriend made of tattoos, abs, and “if he wanted to he would.” And let’s not forget that great ass Siena can’t keep her eyes off of. We start the book with him having an image problem preventing his dream NFL team from bringing him back on two years after an almost career-ending injury. When he was on injured, he also found out his girlfriend of eight years had been cheating on him with a teammate. He went on a major downward spiral and had numerous drunken l sex sessions in back alleys of clubs. Some caught on video. The family friendly NFL team doesn’t want that nonsense even if it was almost two years ago.

And then gorgeous spitfire Siena Pippen lands in his arms and a photo has the world thinking they’re a couple. This could be the answer to Brooks’ dilemma.

Except Siena would rather eat glass than fake date Brooks after he insulted her integrity. Let’s just say they both have some issues that need overcoming.

This book is so sweet and spicy. It’s a perfect blend of all the things I love in romance novels.

(And, @elliekwildeauthor, I know it takes time and energy and loads more f brain power to write, but I want you to know I am *dying* for Parker’s book. I’m so serious. And I *will* devour it in a day or less. 😈)

Highly recommended for lovers of sexy athletes who can toss you around, guys with praise kinks, and supportive families and friends!

I received an eARC via #netgalley and @atriabooks. Allison thoughts are mine alone.

#romancebooks #contemporaryromance #sportsromance #spicyromance #footballromance #onlybetweenus #elliekwilde #bookrecs #bookreview #bookstagram

I enjoyed this book SO MUCH!! Fake dating that turns into blurred lines, found family, HE TAKES CARE OF HER. UGH THE BANTER. Siena and Brooks just had me giggling like a schoolgirl over here.

While this has every bit the romcom vibes, it dealt with Siena having neglectful parents and dealing with the trauma that brought upon her. I loved seeing her be able to start processing that and dealing with her abandonment issues. And the fact Brooks is so patient with her?! PERFECT BOOK BOYFRIEND.

I love their relationship so much. From the minute they meet, they’re in for a whirlwind as they start off fake dating and having the worst opinions of each other. Seeing them find out who the other person really was, was probably my favorite part of their romance. They were so funny too and loved how playful they were with one another. And boy did it get SPICY. I give it 5 🌶️ out of 5.

Some favorite moments: their time in LA, Siena spending time with the girls, Brooks interactions with the kids.

Overall a great sports romance that I’ll be rereading in the future. Thank you NetGalley, Atria and Ellie K Wilde for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This book is a sizzling sports romance that blends fake dating with real emotional stakes. Brooks Attwood, a fallen football star, and Siena Pippen, the ex of the league’s golden boy, strike a deal to fake a relationship, but sparks fly faster than a touchdown pass. With sharp banter and slow-burn chemistry, the delivers a story that’s both heart-thumping and heartwarming. Perfect for fans of second chances and steamy, smart love stories.

I loved this book. I’m a huge fan of sports romance and this book was perfect. It had a somewhat third act breakup and fake dating to lovers is a favourite of mine. He’s such a cinnamon roll MC and she’s not a black cat per se but has her moments. The love she shares with her family and the guilt that keeps her from pursuing love is strong and loyal. It’s a beautiful story and I loved it

Only Between Us is a fake dating, football romance where the golden retriever boyfriend gets the girl! When Brooks literally crashes into Siena, he realizes that she may be the answer to all of his problems. In order to come out of retirement, Brooks needs to clean up his reputation to get resigned to his hometown team. But, the two get off on the wrong foot when Brooks makes a wrong assumption about Siena. However, Siena realizes that this agreement could help boost her social media and she could use the extra money to save her family’s struggling business so she agrees. As these two struggle to make their relationship seem real, they also start to struggle with their growing feelings for each other.

This was so cute!! This was my first ever Ellie K. Wilde book and I am obsessed! This was such a fun read and I was so eager to continue the story! Their banter was top-tier and they had me giggling and kicking my feet so often! I am such a sucker for a golden retriever MMC and Brooks was the perfect book boyfriend! He falls first and is not afraid to be vulnerable with Siena. Watching Brooks work through his insecurities caused by his ex-girlfriend and overcoming them was so heartwarming. Siena really helped pull him out of his shell and helped him learn to trust again. Overall this was such a cute read and I will be going back to read the first in the series!

📖: Only Between Us Oakwood Bay Book #2

✍🏾 Author: Ellie Wilde-I've read Only in Your Dreams gave it 4 ⭐

📅Publication date: 7-8-25 | Read 7-4-25

📃 # of pages: 416 eBook

Genre:
*Rom-Com/Contemporary Romance
*Adult Fic

Tropes:
*enemies to lovers
*he falls first
* small town
*fake dating
*sports romance
*celebrity romance

👆🏾POV: 1st person, dual

⚠️TW: nude photo leaks, aggressive paparazzi, traumatic past-h, H cheated on, death of a parent, grief, foster care

🌎 Setting: Oakwood Bay and LA

Summary: After suffering a bad concussion two years ago NFL player Brooks is ready to make his comeback. When photos of him and his sexy times with multiple women are leaked it hurts his chances of getting back to his old team the Los Angeles Rebels. Also, his selfie with a fan goes viral because "the fan" is Siena-ex-girlfriend of NFL's "golden boy" Thomas Ivers. In order to help Brooks get back on a NFL team and boost Siena's father's struggling business-they pretend to be madly in love with each other. They put aside their animosities and they fall for each other.

👩🏾 Heroine: Siena Pippen- adopted at 13, inherited her father's bait and tackle shop Ship Happens.

👨🏾 Hero: Brooks Attwood-29, wants to come out of retirement to the NFL, after a 9-year career. Moved from LA to Oakwood and became a football coach.

🎭 Other Characters:
* Parker Woods-Brooks' BFF and PT/trainer
* Summer Prescott-Brooks' BFF and PT/trainer
*Josh-Brooks' agent
*Naomi-Brooks' ex-girlfriend he caught cheating w/ a teammate
*Melody-Brooks' friend/fake dated
*Zac-Melody's fiancée/ Brooks' friend
*Shyla-Siena's BFF, has a 2-yr old daughter Rosie
*Thomas Ivers-Siena's ex-boyfriend/QB for the LA Ravens

🤔 My Thoughts: This was a great addition to the sports romance series. Brooks fought his way back from injury and got back on his NFL team. Siena vowed never to date another athlete, but she couldn't resist Brooks. I loved how supportive their friends were and how Siena's parents saved her. A great HEA and fingers crossed for Parker and Summer.

Rating: 4/5⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice level 4/5🔥 🔥🔥🔥

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Ellie Wilde for this ARC 🏈! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

I loved the first book in this series and thought that there was no way this one would measure up. But it really did. The comeback of Brooks was amazing, and who doesn’t love an emotionally intelligent man?? I think I enjoyed this story so much because it wasn’t based on the classic miscommunication trope, and the big break up fight wasn’t actually a break up fight, but a pause to figure out how to life together without either giving up their dreams. I loved watching Siena be honest about her abandonment issues and work through them together.

Also, loved the cameos from Zac and Mel, Parker and Summer. Still wish he had signed with the Tigers so that the gang would all still be together, but loved the ending anyway. Not sure what would change, so 5⭐️

Brooks Atwood has made an amazing recovery from what should've been a career ending injury two years ago. Now, he is ready to make a comeback to the football team he left better than he was before. There's just one issue. The Rebels are a family friendly team and some not so family friendly pictures of Brooks are all over the internet, so the Rebels are not fully committed to taking him back. Enter Siena Pippen, a social media darling from when she dated a former NFL player. Brooks and Siena run into each other on the training field when she sneaks in on the anniversary of her father's death. A photo of them together goes viral, and Brooks sees an opportunity to show the Rebels that he has changed and is the best player to sign onto their team. The only issue? He needs to convince Siena to pretend to be in a relationship with him until the Rebels sign him, but she's not as easily persuaded to help him when their meet cute turns into a meet sour.

It took me a little bit of time to get into this one, and it may have been because the initial meeting isn't so much of a miscommunication but more of Brooks assuming what Siena's character is in a negative way. It made me want to root for her to not help him out. However, he does grovel a bit to get her to agree and realizes how wrong he was about her. The romance also felt a little too fast for me, but I know that may have just been me. I really loved Siena's character and wanted her to get her happy ending after all that she had been through. Overall, I enjoyed this one and will more than likely be reading the next one in this series.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pro-footballer Brooks Attwood is trying to make a comeback after a devastating injury has left him sidelined for two seasons. Unfortunately, his public indiscretions are hindering his ability to sign with his preferred team. When he is caught in a photo op with the ex of the biggest star in the league, he realizes he can use the opportunity to sign a new deal if can can convince Sienna to make nice. Sienna realizes that pretending to be Brooks' girlfriend can be mutually beneficial. So they cut a deal with each other in order to chase their dreams but soon Brooks realizes that Sie na is the one for him.

Wow! This was such a great book. The banter, the spice, the swoon. Gosh, I just adored Brooks and Siena SO much.

Siena, with her independence, and Brooks, which is driven attitude. The two of them were just perfect together. They complimented each other SO well and just brought this story to life.

These characters were written so well, with so much depth, I felt like I was there living it all with them.

Wow! This was such a great book. The banter, the spice, the swoon. Gosh, I just adored Brooks and Siena SO much.

Siena, with her independence, and Brooks, which is driven attitude. The two of them were just perfect together. They complimented each other SO well and just brought this story to life.

These characters were written so well, with so much depth, I felt like I was there living it all with them.

Wow! This was such a great book. The banter, the spice, the swoon. Gosh, I just adored Brooks and Siena SO much.

Siena, with her independence, and Brooks, which is driven attitude. The two of them were just perfect together. They complimented each other SO well and just brought this story to life.

These characters were written so well, with so much depth, I felt like I was there living it all with them.

Brooks wants to return to professional football after a death-defying injury. But he needs to improve his image, as he spent some time living a wild lifestyle after breaking up with his ex. One day, he happens to meet a fan on the football field, and after a spontaneous photo goes viral, everyone believes they’re dating. It’s the perfect solution for Brooks—to fake a relationship. The problem is, Siena wants nothing to do with athletes.

This is a sweet sports romance full of banter, chemistry, and sexual tension between the main characters. Even though it’s the second book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

I really liked Brooks — he’s generous, kind, and sweet. He fell for Siena right away and was willing to do anything for her. Siena is very devoted to her family, and her childhood story truly touched me. I understood why she held herself back from happiness, but I was also frustrated with her in the final chapters.

I didn’t give it a higher rating because the characters clicked and fell for each other very quickly. Everything went smoothly between them for most of the story, so at times I found it a bit boring.

But if you’re looking for a light, feel-good romance to read in one sitting—one that will make you laugh and blush—this book is for you!

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
✓fake dating
✓he falls first
✓football romance
✓dislike to love
✓banter

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.