Rating: 3.75/5
Spice: 3/5

Tropes;
Second chance
Football romance
Golden Retriever MMC
Fake Dating

This is my first book by this author, and I enjoyed it! The angst between Brooks and Sienna was CRAZY! I also loved the fact that the MMC was obsessed with the MFC! The spice was the perfect amount in this boo to add to the plot. I haven't read a lot of football romances, but I enjoyed this one. I would recommend this to readers!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

I adored this!

Fake dating? Check.
Sports romance? Check.
Enemies to lovers? Check.
Forced proximity? Check.

After a death-defying injury sidelined him for two seasons, Brooks Attwood's pro football comeback has hit a major snag. Naughty photos from a post-break-up bender have leaked, and they're killing his chances with the Rebels—his old team, and the only one he wants to play on.

But Brooks's plans to keep a low profile are suddenly upended when his selfie with a fiery fan goes viral, and tabloids mistake them as the football world's newest It couple.

Turns out, Siena Pippen is the ex-girlfriend of the "face" of the League. And she wants nothing more to do with that world after being with her nightmare ex. While she and Brooks are busy blaming each other for the media circus surrounding them, NFL teams are suddenly scrambling to sign a housebroken Brooks. Meanwhile, Siena realizes that all this buzz could be the Hail Mary her family's struggling business needs…

4.25⭐️

Only Between Us is an enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, sports romance where the fake dating line gets very blurry (if you know what I mean)!

The chemistry between the leads is electric, and the slow-burn tension paired with fantastic banter had me swooning, laughing, and completely hooked from the start. The push and pull was deliciously frustrating in all the right ways. This book had me pulling my hair out, yet giggling and swooning the entire time!

While the story is full of flirty, fun moments, it also delivers emotional depth. This book strikes that perfect balance! The banter? Top tier. The tension? Outrageous. I could not put it down, I just wanted to keep reading!

If you’re craving a fake dating, enemies-to-lovers, sports romance that will make you swoon, scream, and smile like an idiot—this is it!

Also: Ellie K. Wilde just announced her next book will feature the two friend trainers who help the MMC with his football comeback, and from the snippets we’ve seen so far, their story promises to be equally amazing! I’ll be impatiently waiting for it!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

5 ⭐️

“Swim with sharks with me.”

Oh my heart, Only Between Us was the perfect romance. I love Brooks and Siena so so much. This book had me giddy with happiness, laughing, and fanning myself, but it was also deeply emotional in a beautiful way.

My man Brooks was ADORABLE. There’s no other word for him. He was as sweet as the candy he was constantly eating (hello ordering every type of coffee and tea before he learned Siena’s favorite drink); he was caring and thoughtful (hello fixing her broken lock without being asked); and he was willing to put all his fears on the back-burner just to make Siena smile for real (hello riding on the back of her motorcycle). And let’s not forget his love for his pup Pete, because a great dog dad is always swoony AF. I just loved the way he wore his heart on his sleeve - or rather, in the crook of his elbow - so that Siena always knew how much he loved her.

Siena was so smart, strong, and sassy, but her real journey throughout the book was actually the way she let go of her strength and showed her vulnerabilities. Her childhood was beyond heartbreaking, but her ability to love was the true measure of who she was. I really loved the way she learned to open up to Brooks and trusted him to take care of her, even when it was hard. They were the perfect balance for each other.

Also, the SPICE in this book!! Ellie, what are you doing to me?! I was sweating in the best way at the sexcapades of these two dirty-mouthed, adventurous people. The app-controlled toy, the FaceTime scene, and skinny dipping are living rent free in my head for the rest of time.

I’m beyond excited for If Only You Knew, Parker and Summer’s book, next. The setup for those two had me on my knees in anticipation of Parker’s pining for his “best friend.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! I’m an Ellie K Wilde fan for life, and already preordered the audiobook so I can read it again in just a few weeks. I have a feeling Only in Your Dreams and Only Between Us are going to make regular appearances on my reading list between now and February when I get to add in If Only You Knew to the rotation.

This review needs to come with a preface to truly illustrate my journey with this book:

Once upon a time (March 2025), a girl (me) randomly chose to start reading a book (Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde). This girl was so surprised by how much she liked this book that she (1) read it all in one night, (2) remembered that she had recently been emailed an arc copy of its sequel, Only Between Us, & (3) yoinked that arc copy so fast when she was only at the 50% mark of Only in Your Dreams bc she basically became that gif of Kylo Ren yelling “MORE.”

The way I immediately needed more of Brooks from the second we met him in Only in Your Dreams. And my god, does Only Between Us hit so good.

Brooks & Siena as individual characters? Hits. The chemistry between Brooks & Siena? Hits. The fake dating trope? Hits. The side characters? Hits. No third-act break up? Hits. Miscommunication that gets addressed & cleared up in a non-frustrating amount of time? Hits so hard.

And I am now 2/2 for reading the Oakwood Bay books in one night. This is probably a ridiculous review to write but this book is also just ridiculously delightful. I beg you to add it to your TBR if you’d like a very well-written sports romance between two very likable characters who serve up heat, humor, AND emotional intelligence.

(I can’t wait to read Parker & Summer’s book, If Only You Knew, in 2026!)

Thank you to Atria Books & NetGalley for providing a digital advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions expressed are my own.

This second installment in the Oakwood Bay series was an easy, enjoyable read, albeit not groundbreaking. This was a pretty typical fake-dating trope, and I’m actually a pretty difficult reader to please when it comes to fake-dating. I feel that it’s a trope that is so overdone, that when it is done it has to be written extremely well and introduce other aspects to the story constantly to keep me on my toes. While an enjoyable read, Only Between Us followed what I would consider to be a run-of-the-mill fake-dating storyline, and the fake-dating aspect felt more of using it to hit on the trope rather than it being used as a device to make Brooks’ and Siena’s story more interesting. I would definitely recommend this for anyone whose bread and butter is a fake-dating trope, but I found the first book to be much more riveting than this one.

Only Between Us by Ellie K. Wilde was a fun and spicy fake dating sports romance that had me hooked from the start. The setup is classic; NFL drama, media chaos, and forced proximity but Ellie K. Wilde keeps it fresh with sizzling chemistry and banter. While the characters felt a bit flat and could’ve used more emotional depth, the spicy scenes were really well written and definitely delivered. It’s a quick, entertaining read perfect for fans of steamy romance with just the right amount of drama. 4/5 ⭐️ thank you Ellie K. Wilde, Atria Books, and netgalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A good second book in an overall great series so far. Siena and Brooks were so funny and hot, and the fake dating aspect of this story was so refreshing! It took awhile to warm up to Siena and while I did understand Brooks wanting to go back to play for his original team, it did kind of annoy me at times as it felt to me, like his life in Oakwood wasn’t good enough.

I think this is just a personal thing, but it did feel a little bit too long, and personally I wasn’t in love with the ending.

All in all, good book and I am excited for the next!

I thought I loved Only in Your Dreams and it was great but THISSSSSS? Oh my god!!!! Ellie really did an amazing job and I have no words to describe how much I loved this.

The backstory for Siena was absolutely sad and at the same time so beautiful and Brooks inner struggle and doubts were absolutely reasonable after what he went through. Seeing them develop their relationship and growing out of their personal struggles was very healing ❤️‍🩹

Brooks really is THE MAN and oh my hod, the way he loves her and how hard he fell for her was sooooo cute. ahhhhhh!!! Don’t even get me started on the coffee cups scene or when he fixed her door 😩😩😩😩 this man is too much and must be protected at all cost 💖

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Atria books and Ellie K. Wilde 💖✨

One sitting read because I could not put this down!!!

I loved this book and the chemistry between Brooks and Siena was off the charts! Ellie Wilde's writing is incredible and completely draws you into the story and the relationship between the couple. While sports is a heavy focus in the book, it isn't really the focus so much. The book involves self-reflection, healing, and coming to understand another person can be there for you.

If you're a fan of Emily Henry and Elsie Silver, these books are definitely for you. New favourite author alert--Ellie Wilde!

Ellie K Wilde is becoming an instant buy author for me! She knows her sports romance and the two books I’ve read are fun and spicy. Fake dating is also one of my favorite tropes so this was fantastic! . Thank you for letting me read this early!

This book is definitely hot and way spicy. I loved the characters and the plot to the book. It was just way too hot for my taste.

I want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for this advanced reader copy and this is my honest review.

I just finished Only Between Us by Ellie K. Wilde and wow—my heart is full. This book pulled me in from the very beginning and had me completely invested in the characters. The chemistry was off the charts, but what really got me was the emotional depth. There were moments that made me smile and others that hit me right in the chest. I loved how real and raw the connection between the characters felt. It was steamy in all the right ways, but also had such a strong emotional core. Definitely one of those reads that sticks with you. Highly recommend if you love romance that’s both swoony and heartfelt.

A very easy 4 star read. Siena and Brooks are absolutely adorable. I love them as both individual characters and as a couple. This is overall just a really giant warm hug of a love story. Brooks is a golden retriever cinnamon roll; Siena is fiercely loyal and a fabulous FMC. She is someone I would want to be friends with in real life. My only thoughts keeping this from 5 stars is because it didn't give me that 5 star feeling and felt the slightest bit too long (I did start skimming spicy scenes after so many, but if you are wanting more than a handful in a story oh boy are you going to love this).

Side note: I can't wait for the third book in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for an eARC of this story!

Ellie K Wilde is my newest author obsession!

I gave 5 stars to the first Oakwood Bay book Only In Your Dreams and have been anxiously awaiting the next story of the series!

Siena and Brooks’ story was sweet, spicy, and the perfect one sitting read! I started it and couldn’t put it back down until I knew how it ended!

I cannot wait for Summer & Parker’s story next! This is just the BEST interconnected sports series!

Thank you to Atria Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

"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."

This was a really enjoyable sequel.

Brooks and Siena had a really dynamic, fun relationship. It took awhile for both of them to warm up to each other, but when they finally did they were such a fun couple, fake and otherwise ☺️

Most of my issues came from Siena. There were so many times where she was such a force and so admirable in so many ways. But she had a hang up throughout the whole book that is one of my least favorite plotlines in books. I really don't enjoy characters who think they only have one route in life because of situations that also directly affect other people but never discussing those situations WITH those people. Just assuming the worst without even trying.

There was a lot of deeper back story and a lot of her feelings were totally justified. But she had SEVERAL come to Jesus talks with her friends and it got a little old.

But the story was still pretty good and all the characters were so fun, and this also sets up for another sequel that I'll be excited to read too 😎

This was a great fake dating book! I loved the aspect of the NFL and both Brooks and Siena trying to find their way in life. They were both very likable characters and we love the MMC swooning over the FMC. I would highly recommend this to anyone but especially to those who love the fake dating trope, it is done very well.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for a copy of this ARC.

I really liked the first book in the series but I absolutely ADORED this one. It's so sweet and heartfelt while also having some really funny moments. It was longer than most romance books but I absolutely felt invested and engaged the whole time. I'm so excited for the next book in the series!

I already loved the first book in this series so this one had a lot to live up to but it knocked it out of the park. I am always on the fence about fake dating but I think it was handle so perfectly in this story it was a part of it but not the main focus of their developing relationship. Siena and Brooks were both going into a situation due to circumstances beyond their control, both suspicious and untrusting of each other but despite their best efforts the more they opened about about their past and pain the more they realized they may be exactly what the other needs. It was achingly sweet how they both needed validation and approval from one another, the comfort they gave each other so willingly and openly when it was needed was so beautiful. While sports played a roll in what was to happen their emotional development as friends and into a relationship was such a joy to read! Can't wait for more, and with the hint at the next couple I know it is going to SO GOOD!

First, thw cover of this really got my attention. This book was such a great read! From the very first page, the story pulled me in and kept me hooked all the way through. The writing was smooth, the pacing was spot-on, and the characters felt incredibly real and relatable. I found myself rooting for them and eagerly flipping pages to see what would happen next. There was a perfect balance of emotion, drama, and just the right touch of humor. It was one of those books that’s hard to put down. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a well-written and engaging story.