CRYING SCREAMING LAUGHING. Ellie did it again. I recommended the books to everyone I know again. I love every character in here.
Retired NFL player wants to return after overcoming some fears about the field. He meets a chaotic girl who loves the water and spontaneity. They strike it off well until Brooks (MMC) questions Siena’s (FMC) motives, which puts her off. But there’s pictures….. so now they have to fake date to make Brooks seem like a more wholesome guy.
Absolutely a joy to read, and while I do not know a damn thing about football, I at least learned something about the wide receiver position and who usually ends up doing touchdowns. Thank you so, so much to Ellie and her team, as well as Atria and NetGalley. So extremely appreciated! I CANT WAIT FOR BOOK 3 I PRAY ITS PARKER AND SUMMER eeEeeEeEEe

Was shocked that I liked this sequel better than the first book but WOW!! 🤩 The romance and banter was amazing between the main characters. I always have a hard time when characters fall for one another so fast, like it's hard for me to believe that it's real.

Before I read this book, I listened to the first one. I like knowing the characters and the backstories for any characters that already have their on books. I liked Brooks from book one. He showed that he was a great friend and willing to put his neck on the line for the people closest to him. Brooks and Sienna had a sweet meet-cute that soon turned sour because Brooks had some pretty high walls after being betrayed. He soon learned that Sienna's walls were higher and he worked to break them down. This book was slow burn in the best ways possible. They formed a friendship before forming a relationship. This series is one I plan to recommend in the future to anyone wanting and easy, slow burn, sweet romance.

Ellie K. Wilde scores another touchdown with “Only Between Us,” her new sports romance novel coming out this July. Perfect timing since it’s a terrific beach read!

This book is the follow up to “Only In Your Dreams,” in which Wilde introduced readers to the small town of Oakwood Bay. I loved that book so much that I was so excited to see what the next installment would bring. I was not disappointed! It’s a fun, funny, well-written story that should appeal to lots of romance readers.

“Only Between Us” follows Brooks Attwood, an former NFL star who lost his career due to a bad injury and has not been handling it well. His goal is to make it back to the league, but his image needs a makeover.

Even though she’s miserable, Sienna Pippen runs her family’s bait & tackle shop out of an unending debt of gratitude to her adoptive parents. While Sienna had dated a pro football player in the past, she was not looking for a replacement. That said, she has a meetcute with Brooks at the football stadium which winds up going viral. The two end up in a fake dating agreement, and well, you can guess what happens!

This is a sweet and sexy book that also deals with issues of betrayal and loss, plus the baggage people can hold on to for so many years - either out of thanks for being rescued from a horrible situation, or out of anger from being scorned. The characters have issues with trust, stability, and more, and it’s beautiful to see how they help one another heal and move forward into a healthy and loving future together.


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Slow burn, Only Between Us is book two of Ellie K Wilde’s Oakwood Bay series. Definitely can be read as a stand-alone, (I plan to read book one once my library has it in stock) I was able to seamlessly learn the character dynamics of our core group, most likely introduced in book one. Both our FMC and MMC are so relatable, even though MMC is an NFL player he tends to wear his heart on his sleeve. His sensitivity was heartwarming to me, especially since I usually pick such anti-hero’s to throw my hat in for. Brooks had been hurt before, badly, and erected some pretty big walls, but after meeting Siena he can see her walls are even higher. I love a good Slow burn romance, but there was a bit of a lull midway through, but it picked up soon after. You definitely get the HEA Brooks and Siena deserve, and were set up for the next in the series which will be Parker and Summer I believe. Can’t wait for that one as well.

Glad I picked this up and thank you to NetGalley for giving me a free ARC for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review.

This was a fun romance novel, and I enjoyed it a lot. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you Netgalley for the early access on this one!! I absolutely loved it. Rivals to lovers isn't typically my go to trope but this one is definitely an exception. Reading how our FMC worked through her stuff to be able to be present in her relationship with our golden retriever MMC??? My heart couldn't take it. 10/10 recommend!

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the main characters and Brooks friends in the story. I loved the chemistry between Brooks and Sienna.
I had a hard time keeping up with the some other characters in the story. I didn’t know who they were and I didn’t feel like they were properly introduced.

Ellie K Wilde has quickly become an auto-buy author for me. She has this very incredible ability to hook the reader in the first few pages that really sets her as one of the next great romance authors writing in this space. This book was the perfect follow up to Only In Your Dreams - I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.

I didn't expect to love this story so much, but I truly fell in love with Siena and Brooks. Their banter is humorous, while also heartwarming. The spicy scenes were well done, and the book was an easy, make you feel good, kind of read.

I am obsessed with this book and the whole Oakwood Bay series!! These books are the perfect sports romance. It has everything you need. The romance, the spice, the banter, it’s there!!! Everyone should go read this!

Only Between us was such an epic, heart-melting story! It was giving meet cute, enemies to lovers, fake dating, forced proximity ??? Only one bed available at the inn?? It had everything my heart desires in a romance book. I loved everything about Siena and Brooks love and how easily yet difficult this was for them. It was such a hot and heated read!

This was so cute! Fake dating can be hit or miss for me but I actually really enjoyed it in this book (probably because it didn’t last that long 😅). Brooks is a new fav MMC for me despite a couple corny lines I had to overlook. The spice made up for any cringeworthy lines ;) I also liked seeing the characters from the first book and watching Siena join their crew, and meeting some new characters on Siena’s side. And PETE <3

I loved being back in this world, and I definitely enjoyed this book more than Only In Your Dreams, but I will be reading anything else Ellie K. Wilde writes (especially a Parker/Summer romance)! Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the eARC!

I ate this up so quick. I'll be honest, the story was kind of predictable but it was still fun and enjoyable. I really liked the characters and the banter between them, the chemistry was there and it was also emotional. There was also a good amount of spice to it, so beware if you're not into spice.

I'm pretty sure Brooks and Siena are the definition of soul mates. They were the perfect couple, you couldn't help but root for them. This book had amazing banter, tension, and chemistry, but it was also emotional and vulnerable. The main characters were likeable and you could really empathize with them. This was a really a good book, I loved it so much!!

It was.... fine. I remembered next to nothing about the previous book, so I went in pretty much blind. It introduces another set of people to likely setup a third book, and I kept getting the potential third book couple mixed up with the couple from the previous book.

Brooks is a former pro football player with an axe to grind with relationships. When his less than stellar reputation risks his chances of being drafted by his former team (or was it his "goal" team?), fate intervenes. Enter Siena who needs... someone to help promote the fishing bait store she runs since her father left? I don't know. All of that was a bit murky to me.

It was fine. I'll likely forget it in a week.

Such a good read!! Supee duper excited to have read this book as an arc. As a massive fan of ellie k wilde and all of her books I was genuinely so excited to read brooks’s story. It is centered around brooks and siena (brooks is besties with zac and parker) and they meet when siena was sneaking into a stadium and gets hit by a football. brooks checks on her and they accidentally get locked in the coaches office together. brooks gets a call from his manager (he previously retired from a bad concussion and is now trying to return to his team). they decide he needs a fake long term gf and a picture gets out of him and siena so it has to be her. when they got locked in together brooks picks a fight with her after learning her ex was also a fb player and he thinks she’s a jersey chaser. she thinks he’s arrogant and rude. but they have greaaatttt tension and bickering. genuinely so good! i thought the premise was so fun and so different from other books i’ve read in the best way. as they fake date they get super close and form a good friendship. siena only agrees to the fake dating to get money for her mom. as they open up to each other the fake dating starts to blur. siena decides on a list of boundaries that they aren’t allowed to cross. but 1 kiss turns into many many more. their relationship is very cute and very very fun to read! can definitely tell their personalities match well and woooweeee that spice was gorg. i do however have a couple minor complaints: one being it at some times has a bit of a depressing undertone in the book which is kinda hard to pinpoint but still there. i do think it’s a bit odd that all of the relationships in the series so far move out of oakwood bay, but oh well ig. i also think it also at some points feels a bit disconnected from the rest of the series. but don’t get it twisted i still loved this book. ellie k wilde writes some of the best relationships i’ve read. they are so fun but have such a meaningful relationship that makes them feel so loveable. also i am just constantly kicking my feet and giggling. seriously great book!!

This fake dating setup was everything I wanted!

Brooks is trying to fix his image and get back in the NFL. Siena wants nothing to do with football ever again. But one viral selfie and a fake relationship later, things start feeling a little too real.

Their first meeting had me laughing out loud, and I loved every second of their banter!

The fake dating was top tier, especially with her swearing off athletes and him being so hopelessly into her. Brooks was fully obsessed!

If you love fake dating, football, and heroes who fall hard, add this one to your list.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the gifted copy!

I really enjoyed this book! Siena and Brooks both were just amazing < and the slow burn!! yess!! I really like how they challenge each other , o and let me mention the "fake dating"!!! A big THANK YOU to net galley and Ellie K for letting me read this arc , My reviews are always honest even if arc is given.

Only Between Us is a contemporary romance book. the sequel to Only in your Dreams!
Football romance is always a good one as it’s my favorite sport to watch! Brooks and Siena tumbled upon each other at the football field where Brooks was training and She was trespassing.

Brooks is a college football coach, after sustaining a head injury and having to retire from the pros early, but with his determination he’s ready to make a comeback but his dream team does love his actions and his way of life lately.

Siena the Wild free spirit girl and where she lacked in a childhood she’s made up in bad decisions according to her friends and parents. But finding the one place, she was able to connect with her late father, was the last place she would find herself in a fake dating ploy.

Siena and Brooks start off a fake dating relationship but soon realize they both needed each other more than they let on. By trying not to fall for each other during their stint, they find that the other is just what they needed, Brooks broken from his past needed Siena to praise and love him just for who he is, not for what he brings to the table. Siena needed brooks to push through her walls, and bulldoze his way and allow her to see help and a little spoiling is always a green flag.

tropes
-professional football player
-fake dating
-summer fling
-dog dad
-biker girl
-open spice
-found family