Ellie K Wilde once again delivers a sports romance with heart, complex characters and humor! Only Between Us is a sports romance between a woman who is trying to carry on with her life after her father passes and a man who is trying to make a comeback in the NFL after a devastating injury. Siena and Brooks are both characters that have trauma in their pasts and continue to work to not let that trauma continue to affect them.

Brooks and Siena are thrust into a fake dating situation due to pictures that leak of them after they have first met. Brooks is hopeful this will get him on his old NFL team and Siena is hopeful it will help her family business. I really enjoyed reading about these two falling for each other. Siena is very loyal and early on goes out of her way to help Brooks. Brooks wants to make Siena's life easier in any way that he can. I loved this story and the cherry on top was the supporting cast of characters!

Thank you to Atria books and NetGalley for the ARC!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Highly recommend!

ellie k wilde is an auto buy author for me. i genuinely enjoy every book she’s written, and this book is no different. i couldn’t wait to get my hands on this arc & im so lucky i got it!!

this book is actually so funny. there hasn’t been many instances where i laugh out loud at a book (because… embarrassing) but this one didn’t even give me a chance. ellie is SUCH a great writer. i could feel every single emotion thought out this book, and i even cried. multiple times. and it’s my favorite trope, fake dating!!!

I LOOOOOOOOVE FAKE DATING AND THEY DO IT SOOOO WELL. (also, did i mention one bed trope? ABSOLUTELY.) brooks is the embodiment of what we all deserve in a man. so attentive. so sweet. he pays attention. he is OBSESSED. and hot. SO FREAKING HOT. & his filthy mouth, SIR YES SIR 🫡😩 i love him & would die for him (and he’s so adorable with his rescue dog 😭) he falls first and he falls HARD.

siena. my sweet tough girl 😭 she is me. i am her. fiercely independent, lowkey wants someone to take some of the responsibilities away but doesn’t like to ask for help. finally able to take a deep breath when she realizes he is there to stay. been through so much but still a ray of sunshine for others. they are so freaking cute together i stg ill cry again just thinking about it

in conclusion: 200% YES. would (happily!) die on this hill & can’t wait for it to get the attention it deserves 🥰 can already tell it’ll be one of my favorite books of the year. also i’m so sorry this is so long??

thank you to the publisher for providing this book for review via netgalley. all opinions are my own <3

ARC REVIEW!!!!
3.75⭐️

This book was very cutesy I definitely enjoyed it. This first half was a little slow for me and I didn’t find myself picking up the book to read as much but once I got into the second half I really started to enjoy it. Brooks and Siena were very adorable and the connection was very much there once they admitted to each other. The smut was also absolutely phenomenal such a plus I was invested in those scenes! There were some moments when I wanted to just scream at Siena to let her guard down and go all in with Brooks but the slowness of their actual relationship paid off.

MY HEART!! These two!!! Goodness!! I loved every single thing about this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for providing the copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are those of my own.

I will extend on my review closer to the release date. But for now just know…this book has everything we love in romance and so much more. I absolutely loved this book and Siena and Brooks were romance perfection.

Highly recommended.

Simon & Schuster hit the jackpot with Ellie K. Wilde and here is the proof! I was lucky enough to be a beta reader for Only Between Us way back in June 2024 and even then I knew immediately this one would be a hit. I've read 200+ books in the year since I beta read this one and somehow I still find Siena to be one of the most relatable FMC's I've encountered. I am she and she is me and I'm fairly certain every eldest daughter will see themselves in her as well. Brooks is a treasure who I loved meeting in Only in Your Dreams and getting to see his fleshed-out character is such a treat. These two have some of theee best banter and truly embraced the enemies-to-lovers trope - I am such a sucker for a good hate-kiss that escalates into a hate-hump and this one DELIVERS! The secondary characters were a blast too (#romanceforAidan!) and have me chomping at the bit for the next stories in the series. A pet peeve of mine is when pacing in a romance with lots of side characters drags but that was very much not the case for this one! There are no piecemeal flashbacks to introduce us to secondary characters or give us background on a MC's behavior and I love that everything was straight to the point but equally straightforward, leaving us nothing to guess about. Add in the quippiest comebacks and funniest fake dating moments I've ever read and this one's a solid 5 star read for me!

Only Between US is the second (much anticipated) book in the Oakwood Bay series by Ellie K. Wilde. Wilde is a newer author, and I LOVED Only in My Dreams, the first book in the series. These are football romances, but you don't need to be a sports fan to fall in love with these characters and their stories.

Brooks is a football player trying to break back into the NFL after an injury sidelined him. His training is going well, but he needs to polish his image to land a spot on his former/dream team's roster. He meets Siena by chance, and there's an instant attraction. Neither are looking for a relationship, and Brooks proposes a fake dating scenario that will benefit both of them. Siena is going through some financial difficulties, so reluctantly agrees to earn some money through sponsorships.

Their arrangement is to attend a few public events together, but soon Brooks is driving Siena to/from work every day, and they are breaking their boundaries on physical affection. Their relationship is progressing and seems more like actual dating than fake dating. Brooks is smitten and does all he can to win Siena over. Brooks is a pro athlete who is extremely good looking, but I loved how humble and earnest he was. He worked so hard to get back into shape, and to earn Siena's affection. Both characters have many positive, down to earth qualities that seem rare among celebrities and athletes.

The entire book culminates in Brooks' tryout at the Rebels' training camp in California, where Siena meets his family and provides emotional support. Brooks and Siena are definitely not fake dating anymore, but how can they make a relationship last while dating and being thousands of miles apart? Both shift their priorities as the book ends and find their happily ever after.

I really liked both Brooks and Siena's characters. Siena had a lot of unresolved trauma from her childhood, but I was frustrated with her emotional struggles that could have been resolved by communicating with her family. She was really stuck in a miserable life of her own making, and that was a bit tedious.

These characters are genuine, caring, hard-working people who are crazy about each other and their chemistry jumped off the page. Ellie K Wilde's bio states that she writes "stories with dirty-mouthed, cinnamon roll heroes and the fiery women who bring them to their knees", and I couldn't agree more. Only Between Us is full of angst, steam, intense longing and once-in-a-lifetime love. Pick up this whole series and enjoy! These books are amazing.

Thanks to Ellie K Wilde and Atria Publishing for an advance copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

What an adorable warm hug of a book.

Brooks & Siena were such a perfect match. Her sarcastic snark balanced out his sweet (but also filthy) golden retriever ways.

This was a sports romance fake dating trope with a tension filled slow burn.

5 Stars, no notes. Give me all the Ellie K. Wilde books please. Hoping for a Parker/Summer friends to lovers book next.

This has been a fun little series for me to read! I really enjoyed the vibes of the first book, so I wondered how this would would go. I overall really enjoyed it. Brooks and Siena did suffer from a very very obvious and annoying miscommunication, but at least it was at the start of the book and not the third act! But their chemistry was obvious, and once they started actually communicating, it was working like gangbusters.

For me the biggest letdown is that Melody and Zac are barely in this one - it makes sense since, like, they've moved, but I think it may have worked a little better had they been more prominent in this one. Instead we had a lot of Parker and Summer as connective tissue, obviously setting up their book next (I hope???) I also thought some of the spicy scenes were a little erratic, which sort of tracks with my experience with the first book as well.

Overall, it's a great entry into the series and fans of the first will be very happy! Four stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I had an absolute blast reading this book!

I read Only in Your Dreams first and really enjoyed it, but I have to say, this second book was even better. The characters had more depth, and their conflicts felt much more real. I loved seeing them work through their issues individually while also coming together as a team to work toward their happily ever after.

Thank you so much to Atria for sending me this e-ARC! To be totally honest, this book wasn’t on my radar at all but DAMN I am so glad I was given the opportunity to read it because I absolutely LOVED IT!!

This book had NO business being this good! I love the fake dating trope and once I knew that was a major plot point, I was hooked. I laughed out loud multiple times and was constantly swooning.

The banter is top notch, the spicy is spicin’, and the found family elements are so beautiful.

Brooks is probably my favorite sports romance book boyfriend ever?? (Sorry, Garrett Graham!) I won’t spoil anything specific about it him but my GOD what a perfect man he is.
Siena is so sexy, independent, loving, and the backstory of her childhood added such a unique and serious element to her as a character.

This book had my heart aching in the best way and, to my utter surprise, had me shedding tears more than once.

I HIGHLY recommend that all my fellow romance readers out there get their hands on this one, especially if you like these tropes:

💕 fake dating
💕 sports romance
💕 he falls first (and harder)
💕 found family

Thank you x a million to Atria and Ellie K. Wilde for giving me the gift of reading this book early!

This author has upped her game.
Adored this first book in this series but this sequel just demonstrates she's only getting started...

Who do you meet in this sports romance with a side of bittersweet ?

Siena. She's snarky, and loyal.
Brooks. He's driven, beloved by friends and sweet.

Their meet cute is more a meet distrust shaped by their respective relationships with others.
If you're a romance reader looking for balance of spicy (see: gala scene) with sweet (her relationship with parents, the flower delivery scene, the symbolism of the necklace), this book should be on your TBR.

Already looking forward to what this author has in mind for the next book of characters .

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Atria Books, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I fricken loved this book.
I read the first book in the series and I’ve been waiting patiently for a book about Brooks since, and it was truly worth the wait because Brooks and Siena are everything.

Fake dating sports theme. Very similar to others I have read in the past. The characters were ok but some of the dialogue was cheesy

This was a pleasant surprise! I had book 1 on my TBR but received this book via NetGalley, so I decided to jump right in with Only Between Us. Brooks might own a German Shepard but he is 100% Golden Retriever. Even coming from a dark place during his recovery after a career ending industry, the guy just loves a laugh. He carries around lollipops in his pockets! Who can’t love that? Then there is Siena - a total wild card with quick wit who loves to be honest. I loved the unique fake dating set up and their escalation to breaking the rules.

The spice is HOT and the tension was thick. This burn is slow but I promise there’s enough tension and banter that you won’t care when they actually get together.

1000000 ⭐️ specifically for Peter.

Thank you Atria Books for providing this book review for consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I received an arc via netgalley

I was pleasantly surprised that this book was better than the first in the Oakwood Bay series.

The male main character, Brooks, is from the first book, but we meet the female main character, Siena, for the first time in this book. I liked the setup that Brooks has trust issues after his long term girlfriend broke up with him when he retired from the nfl so when he finds out Siena used to date a pro football player he assumes she’s a jersey chaser and writes her off. Siena meanwhile has trouble asking for help and is self sufficient to a fault when eventually all Brooks wants to do is help her. I liked the evolution of their relationship from fake dating, which fit much better in this book than the first, to fighting to admit it was more to acknowledging it was more but had an expiration date because Siena didn’t want to do long distance. They had a good amount of communication and vulnerability which had me rooting for them.

I adored this book. The relationship between Brooks and Siena felt so natural as it developed. The issues that they face felt realistic and didn't drag on longer than necessary. It always felt like they had an open line of communication, and I loved how at times they didn't even need to say anything because they knew what the other was thinking. This book is marketed as a "hate to love" but I don't think that is true. I never got the impression that they hated each other, they just had a misunderstanding due to past trauma. They worked through that misunderstanding fairly quickly. The ending of this book is so sweet, and I almost cried on behalf of Siena. Siena is without a doubt my favorite part of the book and Ellie K. Wilde does such a good job building her and her fears to where we feel the relief Siena does at the end. It would be very easy to be annoyed at the conflict, but instead we understand her viewpoint and why she leans a certain way. After finishing this book, I found myself wanting to start it all over again and to spend some more time with Brooks and Siena.

I was absolutely obsessed with Only in Your Dreams and SO excited to read Only Between Us, and this book did not disappoint.
Brooks was such a gentle and charming MMC in a way I wouldn’t have expected after Only in Your Dreams. He was such a golden retriever compared to Sienna’s dry wit persona and that is my favorite dynamic. I really appreciated how both characters came from such different backgrounds and were on vastly differently paths in life but were written with so much chemistry that it blended perfectly. The trials they went through never felt redundant or basic 3rd-act-breakup vibes but instead really realistic concerns that they were actively communicating about it which always help me root for a couple even more. It was everything you want out of a romance novel with the humor and HEA but just real enough that you get so gripped into the story. I’m also a huge fan of all the side characters in this series and both books leave me more and more intrigued for the next one!

Ellie K Wilde delivers a sweet, refreshing romance in Only Between Us, mixing just the right amount of tension and playful banter to keep the pages turning. From the start, you can’t help but root for Lillian and her blossoming feelings, which strike the perfect balance between swoony romance and that nervous excitement of falling for someone new.

The pacing is spot on, giving you time to really get to know the characters—especially the dynamic between Lillian and the ever-charming Blake—without slowing the story down. Their chemistry feels natural, helped by the fact that Wilde peppers in moments of witty dialogue and genuine vulnerability. The side characters bring an extra layer of warmth, adding fun and insight into both Lillian’s and Blake’s worlds.

I loved how Wilde tackled real-life challenges in relationships and personal identity, weaving them seamlessly into the overall plot. While there are a few predictable beats, the story still manages to surprise you with small twists and heartfelt revelations. The writing style itself is comfortable and easy to slip into, which makes it perfect for a cozy reading session.

Overall, Only Between Us is a lively and heartfelt romance that hits all the right notes. If you’re looking for a read that’s equal parts entertaining and sincere, this one absolutely deserves a spot on your TBR list. It’s a solid four-star read that will leave you with a smile—and maybe just a touch of longing for more time with these characters.

I gotta be honest with you- when I got the invitation to read this book early I almost pooped my pants I was so excited. I literally had to contain the squeal I was about squall.

Now, as far as the book goes, I really liked it! The beginning was a bit hard to get through. I still don't understand why she went on the field? Anyway, after that first part I could not stop reading. Like you wanna talk about slow burn? SLOWEST BURN OF MY MF LIFE. thats probably dramatic but tf? i waited until 3 am for what I was waiting for 😉

Now, my SINGLE complaint, and I fear you know what it is.... <b>why TF do we need to go through that third act "break up"??????</b> Like please I get she has her reasons, but GIRLLLLL omg don't be dumb!!!!!!!!!

Phew ok sorry but yeah great book great characters great plot. Thank you so so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the arc!! 🫶🏼

This book was exactly what I needed it to be. I was looking for something fun, something I could binge, something spicy and sexy. Only Between Us by Ellie K. Wilde was exactly that. It’s the perfect blend of fun, steamy, and emotional - the perfect palate cleanser.

The book is written in dual POV, which I LOVE because it really allows me to connect with both characters, Brooks and Sienna. They were both so much fun, I really had such a blast with both of them. Sienna is fierce, independent, and confident, while Brooks is charming, wholesome (not behind closed doors), and a huge softie, which to me, is the perfect balance between sweet and spicy. They start off really hesitant to trust each other, but as they unintentionally start to show little hints of their true nature, they realize they have more in common than they thought and their chemistry is chef's kiss.

In reality, this book is a little long for a sports romance - but it didn’t feel that way at all. I ate it up in less than 48 hours. I typically shy away from male characters who have controlling or obsessive tendencies, but Brooks - although had some moments where I was like, REEL IT IN PAL - felt well-balanced. I quickly forgave his weird moments (like when he randomly started showing up at her apartment to drive her to work or when he demanded she cut off her friends-with-benefits situation at work). I think getting his POV and understanding why he had trust issues, and where his need for validation comes from helped.

One of the things I really appreciated was the extra depth Ellie K. Wilde gave to Sienna’s character. She’s had her share of trauma, but she’s tough and full of personality. I loved her character. Her relationship with her family added an emotional layer that made the book even more compelling.

The side characters also had me hooked, and I’m already excited to see where the next book in the series goes. Parker and Summer seem like they’ll play a major role, and I’m definitely picking up the next book to see what happens next. I’ve found my new dopamine-boost author.