Listen, I love a low-stakes sports romance as much as the next guy, but this book has NO BUSINESS GOING THIS HARD.

Our MC’s were immediately likeable. Siena was fun and so much bolder and flirtier than so many FMCs in romance books- there was nothing shy about her. Despite this, her backstory makes her such a relatable and well-rounded character. Her motivations, fears, and way of thinking make so much sense given her past, and definitely make her feel like a real person, not just a one-dimensional caricature.

Brooks was an incredibly sweet and emotionally intelligent male lead, and you couldn’t help but fall in love with him, right alongside Siena. As soon as he recognized the flaws in his perception of Siena, he was apologetic, attentive, and an absolute model partner. 🥵

While the reasoning for Siena’s resistance to truly dating Brooks could have felt a little weak (a past failed long-distance relationship and a job she already hates) the author’s thorough groundwork in explaining Siena’s deep fear of loss and her commitment to her family made the conflict feel real and believable, and made the reader truly sympathetic to her struggle.

This book was decently long for a contemporary romance, but definitely didn’t feel like it!

The cast of side characters were instantly likeable, and absolutely left me wanting more. I will absolutely be going back to read book 1, and you will see me first in line for the next instalment! Ellie definitely has a new fan in me!

3.75 stars!

I enjoyed this / just not as much as the first book. Did I still have a great time? Yes! Sienna and Brook’s made sense as a couple, meshed well, and I eat up a fake dating book every time.

In the end - it was loosely forgettable but still a fun read.

I have never read anything by this author, but I will be looking out for other books they write in the future. I really enjoyed the story as well as the pacing of the story.

I sped through this book! I love a good fake dating story, and this one really drew me in!
The main characters (and their friends) have great banter that actual makes you laugh, while the spice is the perfect amount at exactly the right time! This is everything I look for in a romance, highly recommend.

The way I DEVOURED this book 😭 I loved Brooks & Siena so much. I'm never gonna get tired of the fake dating where the lines blur and the fake relationship isn't so fake anymore. I had such a fun time reading this book. The chemistry, the sparks, the tension, the push and pull, the banter; loved every part of it. I was a bit annoyed with the whole separation and the reasons behind it, this could have been avoided in my opinion; But I still enjoyed the hell out of that book. And BROOKS 😮‍💨 the man that you are 😮‍💨 A cocky, golden retriever with a filthy mouth, always a great combo 🫣

OMG. This book is everything. I was skeptical about starting another sports romance, but this right here? DEVOURED IT. I loved every second of it. Ellie really knows how to write a GOOD fake-dating, he falls first trope. Brooks Attwood just moved his way into book boyfriend #1, and Siena??? HANDS DOWN one of my favorite FMCs i’ve ever read. The last 20% of this book I was CRYING because of how much I loved the both of them. Their love story is going to forever be one of my favorites.
I will be posting a review on tiktok at a later date as well!

I wasn’t sure I was going to like this one at first. It felt really lust driven & that’s just not something that I personally enjoy reading. The banter between the MCs really saved this one for me though! They had really great chemistry & I loved their teasing & banter.

The side characters were also great & I liked that they were involved throughout the story.

As the book progress we do get to a bit more depth, which I was thankful for, but this one was just a tad too spicy for me.

That being said, I thought this one was still cute & I can see most people really liking it!

𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚚𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:

💕“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.”

🥰“𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄’𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙪𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙤 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙. 𝘾𝙪𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚 𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥.”

🫠“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛***𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙧.”

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁:
🏈enemies to lovers
🏈sports romance
🏈fake dating
🏈possessive, protective MMC
🏈confident FMC
🏈he falls first and HARD
🏈banter

Thank you to Atria for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I didn't enjoy "Only Between Us" as much as I did the first in the series.

I usually love the second-chance and fake dating tropes, as they're both adorable, but something about their execution here didn't resonate with me. I can't quite pinpoint why, but it just felt off.

The banter and the spicy scenes were the saving grace of this book

I’m really enjoying this series. Plenty of chemistry and I liked how Sienna and Brooks challenged and supported each other. The spice was very spicy but the banter could have been better. I’m excited to read the next book in this series. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

In the second book of a loosely connected rom com series, football star Brooks is fighting his way to a comeback after a bad injury. He meets Siena, who is an ex of another football star. Together they concoct a mutually beneficial fake dating scheme. Brooks quickly realized Siena is special, but she might not be ready for a serious relationship.

This sports romance has all the makings for a good time- fake dating, extra spicy, he falls first (and hard), and they both have past trauma to work through. It is both sweet and spicy with several open door scenes, and packed with funny moments. It could be read as a stand-alone without reading the first book easily. I love banter and a cute dog too! There’s definitely some unrealistic parts with drama toward the end that kept me from loving it as a five star read, but overall it is still a great escape and an entertaining sports rom com.

Thank you to Ellie K Wilde and Atria books for the arc and opportunity to be an early reader and reviewer.

Actual Rating: 4.5

Eeeeekkk this is another amazing book by Ellie K. Wilde! I seriously love her writing and the way she plots out her books. This is so realistic to a real life couple with an actual third act problem that is understandable and is handled in a mature way (as adults should in books!). The romance, humor, dialogue, and overall storyline of the book was so interesting and kept me wanting to read it. Getting dual POV is one of my favorite part in a romance books if it’s present and I loved getting to see the inner dialogue of both Siena and Brooks. I think the way our main characters are described on their own makes them fascinating to get to know.

Siena had a rough childhood before she was adopted by her parents and then had an ex NFL player who only seemed to care for her when they were physically in the same state. Brooks is a retired NFL player trying to get back into the league after his ex cheated on him and left him for his own teammate. They decide to fake date to clear up Brooks image and so Siena has monetary perks that come with the image of them together. But they immediately have real chemistry that develops steadily and into something neither is wanting to give up, however there are some serious things keeping them from potentially getting a happily ever after. Brooks wants to sign with his old team the Rebels (across the country) and Siena is determined to continue running her late father’s fish business and stay close to her aging mother. I love how we pieced together the plot of this book and got to see their feelings grow romantically and how they matured thanks to one another.

This is an author I think will be an auto read and buy for me because there’s never anything I don’t like about her books. I cannot WAIT for the next book in this series (I’m guessing Parker & Summer because we got so many good hints and moments between them that I’m dying to read)!

I received a digital copy from NetGalley & the author of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Ellie K. Wilde for this novel!

Thank you to Atria for the advance reader copy of Only Between Us by Ellie K. Wilde.

Brooks is looking to make a comeback in his professional football career and needs to do so by keeping a low profile. However, when Brooks is mistaken for being in a relationship with Siena, the ex of another player, both Brooks and Siena can benefit from the attention. They agree to a fake dating arrangement that will last until Brooks is able to sign with a new team.

Brooks and Siena have spectacular chemistry! I love how these two banter from when they aren’t getting along to when they start to grow feelings for each other. Their relationship development kept me engaged throughout the book and their respective journeys during the book make this a well developed story.

If you enjoy a fake dating romance, this is one to check out!

4 stars – I really enjoyed Only Between Us by Ellie K. Wilde! Siena and Brooks had amazing chemistry and a deep connection that made their love story feel real and heartfelt. The conflict was a bit predictable, but the resolution was genuine and satisfying. Loved being back with the Oakwood Bay crew—this group always feels like home!

4.75 stars rounded up

What I loved about this book:
-Brooks Attwood. I am a sucker for an obsessed man who falls first and falls hard. This man bought her not only several types of hot coffee but also several kinds of iced coffee, simply because he didn't know how she liked to caffeinate. He accepted Siena for who she was and loved his dog, Peter *great dog name*
-Siena. My god she was sassy and fierce and I loved her.
-the banter between literally everyone
-the spice level. Whew the public toy scene, I had to set down my Kindle and take a moment.

The only thing I didn't enjoy in this book was just the little bits of immaturity from Siena, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this. I laughed, cried, blushed, and swooned.

I absolutely loved Only In Your Dreams so when I Saw that Only Between Us was here I knew I had to read it! And this delivered just as much if not more than the first book. I am not a fake dating fiend. It is not my preferred trope. But when written well, I gobble it up. And Ellie K Wilde writes fake dating like a pro. She also delivers great character growth from both the FMC and MMC that this will probably be one of my favorite sports romcoms of the year. I feel that the story was very well rounded and the spice level was fantastic and also very well written. I really am excited to see what she does next!

Big thank you to Atria & Ellie K. Wilde for this adorable read!
I was able to read and review the first installment of this series and I knew the second would match the joy I felt reading the first book.
This was such a cute read, I was never bored, it felt so effortless, being able to visualize the beach and vibe of summer while reading was so fun I fell in love with the setting.
What I really loved though was the chemistry and meet cute between Siena and Brooks. It was not what I expected for Brooks Atwood's book but I was not disappointed in the slightest. They were like peanut butter and jelly. They complimented each other so much, the banter was the cutest.
If you enjoyed Only in your Dreams you'll adore Only Between Us just as much!

I have just been loving the fake dating trope lately and always a slow burn!
This was fantastic! a high 4 stars!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

“Good. And just so you’re aware? 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 series is so dang cute.

What I liked:

I love Brooks and Sienna together. They have fantastic chemistry, amazing banter, and great tension.

I really enjoyed getting to know Summer & Parker better in this book. Will their book be next?

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes. And Ellie Wilde did it so well.

What didn’t work for me:

Nothing

5⭐️ 3.5🌶️ This book is everything I need in a fake dating romance and I thoroughly enjoyed this read! Really hoping there is more coming for this series, Parker and Summer need their HEAs!

Siena had a really troubled childhood and combined with a bad break up, she didn’t trust easily. Watching Brooks adore her and show her she is not a burden and it’s a pleasure to be there for her was beautiful. Brooks also had trust issues from a previous relationship and was excellent at showing Brooks he is more than just foot ball!

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

Kicking my feet and giggling!!!!

Fake dating is that trope I always run back to because… they always fall for each other and amp up the PDA to try and decide if they’re both feeling it.

Fake dating an NFL players ex to get your contract? Yes ma’am! My favorite part about this book is how much they both are unwilling to ask the other to give up their dream- this is really phenomenal in how the FMC doesn’t give up her life to follow the MMC.

5/5 would recommend and would read again.

I received an ARC for review through NetGalley 🫶🏻