Only Between Us by Ellie K. Wilde was a swoony, heartfelt romance that had me smiling from page one. As a long-time fan of the fake dating trope, this book delivered everything I hoped for and more.

The chemistry between Siena and Brooks was effortless from the start. Their banter was sharp, playful, and full of warmth, making it easy to fall for them as a couple even before they knew it themselves. I especially loved how quickly they became comfortable around each other; it felt natural and refreshing.

Siena’s journey was beautifully written. Having grown up fiercely independent, she struggles with letting people in or asking for help, something that made her incredibly relatable. Brooks, on the other hand, is the kind of cinnamon roll hero I wish we saw more of. A "words of affirmation" kind of guy who’s emotionally attuned and unafraid to express how he feels? Yes, please! I loved how Siena not only noticed that about him but actively tried to give him the love and reassurance he needed in return. Their emotional dynamic felt mature, genuine, and deeply satisfying.

The humor sprinkled throughout kept things light without undercutting the emotional beats, and the pacing made this such an easy, engaging read. Wilde’s writing flows effortlessly, making this a perfect weekend binge or vacation read.

If you're a fan of fake dating, lovable soft-hearted heroes, and slow-burn emotional growth wrapped in witty dialogue, Only Between Us is a must-read!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

If you're looking for a fun, wholesome, spicy, comeback story with a swoon worthy MMC, look no further. This is the book for you.

*Fake dating
*Comeback story
*Sports romance
*He falls first

In general, I think the fake dating trope so much better than fake marriage trope. I'd give this book 4 stars, I really enjoyed Brooks and Siena's story. I liked their initial connection, their backgrounds, their families and friends, and their journey together. The book was equal parts wholesome and spicy. Siena's parents are the real MVPs of this book. I love the hints Ellie dropped about Parker and Summer and absolutely cannot wait for their story! The friends to lovers trope is probably my favorite so I may be biased here.

Many thanks to Atria books, Ellie K Wilde, and NetGalley for the ARC of Only Between Us in exchange for an honest review.

Blown away by this book! This my first book by this author and I am HOOKED! Immediately running to my TBR and adding the first book of this series! Wilde has a way of roping you into the storyline and falling in love with the characters from chapter one and making this book hard to put down. By far, my favorite football-based romance I have read! The banter between the main characters is relatable and allows for their love story to pull through all the obstacles. With the MFC being torn between carrying for her found family or pursuing the love of her life, realizing that both communities can join as one and allow her to write her own life story.

Highly recommend this book! Must read!

I was a huge fan of the first book in this series featuring Melody and Zac, so I was ecstatic to see that there was another one in the series.

This was SO good. So sweet but spicy - just like Brooks. Love loved his character. I love strong female leads so I was definitely a fan of Siena. Great job on the supporting characters in this story.

This was overall one of my favorite reads this year. Thank you for Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy to enjoy!

I have been waiting for Brooks’ story since the moment I finished Only in your Dreams earlier this year and it did not disappoint. I absolutely devoured this book in one sitting…I seriously couldn’t put it down.

This story is perfect combination of funny, swoon worthy and spicy 🥵

The banter, tension and chemistry were off the charts but what I enjoyed most was how sweet they were with one another. There was such great depth to both of their characters and backstories that I felt so connected to them & their love.

I loved how they were both able to overcome past traumas and open up to each other. The open and honest communication was refreshing and made the story feel real and relatable.

No one is as down bad as my boy Brooks and I was here for it 🥵he has officially taken a top spot for one of my book boyfriends. Maybe even number 1 for sports romances 👀

This series just keeps getting better and better & I am absolutely feral waiting for Parker and Summers story next - can next year come faster PLZ?!

S & B 4eva xoxo

Ellie K Wilde’s writing is like candy. I just eat her stories up. I really enjoyed Brooks and Siena so much. Excellent mix of spice and sweet. Siena’s backstory was also so interesting and I loved the way she and Brooks understood each other.

—
Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for providing an aARC in exchange for an honest review.

જ⁀➴ 4.6 stars ⋆⭒˚.⋆

arc review 💌
release date: july 8

⁀➴ 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬
💗fake dating
🏈football player
💗he falls first
🏈dual pov
💗small town
🏈banter

𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠: dandelions by ruth b. ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹


⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
okay so i wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book THIS much!!!! i had some expectations after enjoying only in your dreams (book 1 in this series) but i can’t believe i liked this one even more. second chance is a trope im a huge sucker for, but the banter and fake dating in this one omigosh yall.

this is a short review but i think this is such a perfect summer read and it has a balance of cute/witty and emotional depth. i teared up a bit (i always do but yk) both mcs have a sense of brokenness they seen in themselves, realizing they were mirrors of one another led to the authentic relationship being formed.

he falls first will never not be one of the best tropes ever, the pining from his pov and just doing everything to show his love for her. like what do you mean he literally went and bought every possible caffeinated drink from his local diner because he wasn’t sure if you were a hot coffee or iced coffee or tea or creamer girly. like this was when it was purely a PR relationship and she had openly disliked him. what do you mean he literally waited for hours for her after her shop closed her to take her home 😭 guys brooks is honestly so sweet and i just wanna give him the biggest hug ever.

sienna was honestly such a sweet girl and her banter with brooks was hilarious. i think she was such a perfect match for brooks, genuinely caring about him for who he is and not who he can be/what he can do for someone.

they're such a cute couple and i fear i'm going to miss them for the rest of my summer

ellie has such a fun and easy writing style, you can’t help but fall in love with the story and characters.

also parker and summer 👀 soso excited for if only you knew (book 3) there’s bound to be some tension after how close they are and for how long they’ve known each other - the familiarity and them both being single.


thank you so much to simon ^ schuster canada for a physical ARC of this title!!

Thank you to Ellie K Wilde, NetGalley, and Atria books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WHEWWWWW BROOKS ATWOOD THE MAN THAT YOU ARE. I loved this book so much! Both characters are so lovable— the entire friend group is so great and everyone’s personalities really shine. The main characters have such fabulous banter and I loved their fake relationship dynamic. Loved the ending & epilogue. I am so excited to read Parker & Summer’s story next!!

Okay, I have a confession: I will always be here for a fake dating story. No matter how many times I read it, it still makes me kick my feet, giggle, and just love the chaos it brings. This book totally nailed that vibe.

Brooks Attwood? Hot, filthy-mouthed, ambitious football player with a soft, vulnerable side that made me melt. Honestly, watching him open up and fight for Siena was everything I didn’t know I needed.

Speaking of Siena—she’s sweet, kind, and one of those girls who tries SO hard not to disappoint her parents, even though deep down she knows they’d love her no matter what. I really rooted for her, but sometimes I wanted to shake her and say, “Just talk to people!” Her hang-ups got a little repetitive, but her feelings were so real and raw.

The chemistry between Brooks and Siena was electric. The slow-ish burn, the push and pull, the hilarious banter—I was hooked. And that angst near the end? Had me sweating and so invested in whether they’d make it.

I’ll admit, the start was slow for me—I got stuck on the first chapter for way too long because I kept getting distracted by other books—but once I got going, I was all in. This sequel is such a fun ride, and it totally works as a standalone, too.

If you love fake dating, slow burn, and a guy who would literally do anything for his girl, this is a must-read. I’m already excited for the next book!

This was such a greatly written story and I am completely obsessed with it.
In a nutshell, Only Between Us, shows us the story of a former NFL player(Brooks) trying to win back a spot at his dream team by cleaning his image fake dating a public loved figure (Siena Pippen). These two have an adorable and full of chemistry meet-cute that puts them in an awkward spot very quickly.

Brooks was adorable from the beginning and he is such a vulnerable yet confident MMC. His true character showed early on and he stole my heart🩷.

Siena is such a strong FMC, very determined and loyal to the core.

I enjoyed the journey the characters had to endure as they kept fake dating while their feelings kept growing.

Overall I absolutely recommend this book to anyone that is into sport romances, the chemistry between the characters was unbelievable and their story was well written.

Tropes:
- Sports Romance
- Fake relationship
- Enemies to lovers
- Found family

Thanks NetGalley and Atria books for allowing me to get access to the ARC.

EXCUSE ME where do i get my own Brooks Atwood??? i adored this book for so many reasons, it had the right amount of heart, hurt, healing, happiness, and heat. and i cannot wait until its pub day to get my hands on a physical copy of this bad boy.

Is it wrong to start a review by saying, “I loved this book”? Because - I LOVED THIS BOOK! I was introduced to Ellie K. Wilde with Only In Your Dreams and fell for her characters. Her female protagonists aren’t portrayed as inherently strong women who can make the world bend to their will; they’re flawed, bruised, and metaphorically battered. Yet, they weather the storm, find their voices, and learn to love themselves for who they are and what they’re capable of becoming. Her male protagonists are the blueprint for everything a woman could ever dream of in a man. I couldn’t help but fall in love with the town, the main characters, the supporting cast, and everything in between. I was so looking forward to Brooks’s story, and I am thrilled to say Ellie did not disappoint! In Only Between Us, Wilde puts the age-old saying, “Everything in life happens for a reason,” to the test, turning a one-in-a-million chance encounter into the most swoon-worthy story she’s written to date.

Brooks Attwood has one dream, and one dream only: to return to the Rebels, the team he left two years prior after a major concussion. That injury upended more than just his athletic career - on the day of his retirement, he discovered his girlfriend of seven years had been cheating on him and left him for his teammate. With no desire to ever be deceived by another clout-focused, jersey-chasing woman, he’s dedicated to working with Parker and Summer, determined to earn a coveted invite to the Rebels’ summer training camp. But when photos from a post-breakup bender resurface, his life is derailed, destroying any chance of a comeback. That is, until a viral picture with Siena Piper captivates the internet, leading the Rebels to believe the former bad boy has turned a new leaf and reigniting his chance to return to the only team he’s ever considered home.

Siena Piper has gotten herself into a few questionable situations in life, but this one takes the cake. Sneaking onto the field in honor of the anniversary of her dad’s death, she didn’t expect to meet - well, be steamrolled by - one of her dad’s favorite players, Brooks Attwood. Despite how gorgeous he is, Siena has done her time dating an athlete and has zero desire for a repeat. But she also can’t afford to be busted for trespassing! Sticking with the lie that she’s doing social media for the Huskers, she caves when Brooks catches on, agreeing to post pictures to save face. She never intended for the selfie they took together to go viral! Now, the media is fixated on the internet darling and the reformed bad boy. Siena wants nothing to do with the circus, but quickly learns that Brooks’s future is tied to her playing along - and now, so is hers, with one financial disaster after another. Can they keep the fake relationship charade going long enough for Brooks to get signed and for Siena to catch a much-needed financial windfall, all without killing each other? Only time will tell.

There are so many things I love about Wilde’s stories - the humor, the thoughtful insight and perspective, and the deep friendships. I love how all the characters are beautifully human and face relatable issues. These aren’t people who’ve had it easy, and yet they find love, compassion, and support from those around them - including their community. You just want to book a one-way ticket and live among them, in this fantasy happy place where life may kick the crap out of you, but you always know you have a soft place to land.

Going deeper with Siena and Brooks, Ellie is gifted beyond words in her ability to craft the most relatable characters with extraordinary, gut-wrenching backstories. You just want to wrap them both in a protective bubble so the outside world can’t undo the growth they’ve achieved, so you can keep them safe from harm. Put them together, and they have this uncanny ability to see each other like no one else - to feel what can’t be said and to offer compassion for the hardships and heartaches that shaped them.

And if that kind of emotional and psychological connection isn’t enough for you, trust me - the spice will have you sweating around the collar. I thought Only In Your Dreams was insanely hot - and while it was, this one is downright filthy, in the best possible way. They don’t do sweet, wholesome lovemaking - it’s down and dirty, hardcore, and makes me wonder what direction Ellie will take next (and she even hinted Parker might be into bondage…). I don’t know where Ellie gets her inspiration for those steamy scenes, but the woman can make my jaw drop. You’re not even 40% in before you’re fanning yourself and ready to quote the famous line from When Harry Met Sally! She is so extraordinarily talented at mixing the sweet and the filthy when it comes to her male main characters.

In case you missed it the first dozen times, I LOVED Siena and Brooks! Even though the story wrapped up beautifully and I knew I was reading the epilogue, I still wasn’t ready to let them go. I just couldn’t get enough of those two. As Ellie did with the first story, she gives us sneak peeks of Summer and Parker’s upcoming journey, and I will be front and center for that enchanting tale. I didn’t think she could top Only In Your Dreams, but I was proven wrong in the most spectacular way. Ellie, you’ve set the bar even higher for the final installment, and I honestly can’t wait to see what magic you bring next!

Quick Summary: A summer hotness romance 💖

My Review: Only Between Us by Ellie K. Wilde is book #2 in the Oakwood Bay series. It is scheduled for release on 7/8/25.

About the Book: "...a steamy, whip-smart sports romance about a former pro football star who agrees to fake date the fan-favorite ex of another high-profile NFL player so they can both save what’s most dear to them while fighting their growing feelings for each other."

In My Own Words: An accidental meet-cute crash brings together an athlete coming out of retirement and a business owner with a dream. After partnering together in a fake relationship, the two soon realize that the heart truly does want what it wants.

About the Characters:

Brooks Attwood - > This sweetheart was a keeper. I loved him and the way he was written. It was refreshing to see a good guy being vulnerable and even insecure. Still, he was confident, assured, and loyal in all the ways that count. The glimpses of who he was with his family, with his friends, and with the teams he practiced with spoke volumes. He gets the hot heart award. ❤️‍🔥

Siena Pippen - > I adore strong female characters. Siena was a boss. I loved that she had dreams and hopes and wishes. She, like Brooks, was loyal and driven to succeed. She was a perfect match for Brooks. On a side note, I almost fell out of my seat when she called oh girl out on her stuff. BOOM! 💥

My Favorite Quotes:

- "I hate how much I don't hate kissing him."

- "Turns out, after years of struggling in lonely silence, I've stumbled into my twin soul."

- "I want to ruin you for anyone else, want you to remember how mine you are every time another man looks at you."

My Favorite Scenes (coded, so as to avoid spoilers):

- Locked In x 2
- Let's Dance
- Closet Secrets
- T-shirt Tales
- Beach Adventures
- The Takedown
- A Family Dinner
- Think Sophie...
- Anchors

My Final Say: This one is a guaranteed hit!!! It had the right amount of heart, hurt, healing, happiness, and heat. I was so gone on it. Brooks and Siena brought the fire and then some.

The audiobook is sure to be fire. Sign me up!

Other: Readers who enjoy sports romances, memorable meet & match LAFS, enemies to lovers stories, and fake dating scenarios will love this novel.

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Status: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Level: ⚡🌶️ 💗 💎

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Atria Books), and to NetGalley. Thank you so very much for granting access to a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest critique. It was a pleasure to review this treasure. I cannot wait to become better acquainted with the series.

This is just so good. Brooks is so obsessed with Sienna and wants to give her the world. He knows he can't ask her to give up her dad's shop but he knows she wants more. Sienna has such strong ties to her family and she loves them so much but she's also falling in love with Brooks. Everything about this is just amazing and I'm in love. All of the little things he would do for her made me crazy.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Another fantastic read from Ellie K. Wilde! She truly has a gift for crafting stories that pull you in with heart, heat, and characters you can’t help but root for.

I absolutely loved the found family aspect in this book, it added such depth and warmth to the story. The chemistry between the characters was electric, and the spice? Off the charts. And let’s talk about the fake dating trope with a cinnamon roll MMC…chef’s kiss. It was everything I love in a romance. We love a “he falls first” kind of guy, and this one absolutely delivered on that front.

There was a stretch in the middle that felt a bit slower, where the momentum dipped slightly, but it didn’t take away from the overall experience. The final chapters more than made up for it and had me completely hooked. I flew through the ending, hanging onto every last word.

All in all, another swoon-worthy win from Ellie K. Wilde. Can’t wait to see what she writes next!

5 stars! Football/influencer romance with fake dating, I thought Brooks and Siena's relationship developed at a believable pace and their chemistry was off the charts. I also enjoyed the narrative of Siena's childhood. If you aren't into open door scenes, this definitely is not the book for you. Spice off the charts.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy. Only Between Us hits shelves on July 8, 2025.

Brooks MF’ing ATTWOOD & SIENA GDAMN PIPPEN . I adored this book so much. I loved the banter , the swoon and the spice. I honestly found Siena refreshing and fun. She was always going to be herself and no one could ever change her. And brooks is a high quality book boyfriend. Just everything about the pairing fit and the author did a fantastic job making me believe their chemistry

4.5⭐️ This book… caught me SO by surprise!

When Siena and Brooks accidentally run into each other, they end up finding a mutually-beneficial arrangement. Brooks needs the NFL team he has his eyes on to think he’s settled in a relationship, and Siena needs the money from all the brand deals she gets offered just for being seen with Brooks. They decide to fake date until Brooks gets a signing offer, and then they’ll end their arrangement and part ways… or WILL they? 😉

I did not expect to like this book so much but there was not a single thing I can complain about - the writing style is amazing, both main characters are extremely lovable (especially Brooks 🥰), the plot structure was addicting, and all the side characters were so lovable! I need to go back and read book 1 and then keep up with the rest of this interconnected series. Ellie K. Wilde might be a new author for me to keep up with!

Tropes: fake dating, enemies to lovers, he’s obsessed with her.
Spice: 3/5🌶️ multiple explicit spicy scenes

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for this ARC!

I read this book in one sitting and could not put it down…it is phenomenal. Ellie Wilde’s writing just stays top tier. The relationship developed between Siena and Brooks is magical. He validates Sienas struggles and not only meets them with proof of how unfounded her thoughts are through words but actions. She also sees a kindred soul in Brooks and reciprocates what he does to her. The affection and gratitude between these two is just *chefs kiss*. Another aspect of the book I truly love is their friend group. Each one of them shows up to support each other in so many ways while still being so real and humorous.

this book was so cute and heartwarming and just a fun time.

i read this in a single day, i could not put it down! i remember reading ‘Only In Your Dreams’ a looong time ago when it was just indie published and got so excited when i found out Ellie would be writing another book in the series.

from a meet cute tackle🤭
to fake dating
to checking in on her mom
to falling in love

you cannot go wrong with this one.
i giggled, i swooned. it was a great time.