This was such a cute read. I am normally not the romance type of reader but this book just changed that for me. I loved reading it. You definitely want to pick this book up and read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion!


Like I said in my review for the first book in this series, sports romances aren't usually my thing, BUT both of the books in her Oakwood Bay series are five star reads to me! This book featured the fake dating trope, which I am seriously in love with. From start to finish, this book was just so well-written and fun to read. I loved watching the relationship between Siena and Brooks develop, it was so sweet to see her let herself be taken care of and Brooks be so happy to do that. A huge bonus is that the remaining side characters will (hopefully) be getting their own books and they are all super compelling as well. Ellie K. Wilde, keep writing and I will be reading!

Tropes:
*Enemies to Lovers
*Sports Romance
*Fake Dating

Brooks Atwood is desperate to restart his football career but is having a hard time after old photos of him went viral. While meeting what he thought was a random fan, a selfie they took ends up going viral since she is the former girlfriend of another player. Brooks thinks Siena is jersey-chasing and wants nothing to do with her until his agent thinks a fake relationship between them might be the ticket to signing with his favorite team. Siena wants nothing to do with athletes anymore, especially after Brooks’s insinuation that she was after him for his status. But with one financial problem after the next, she relents and agrees to fake-date him because the publicity could help her earn some side money to save her Dad’s business. What started as animosity between them shifts to something different as playing pretend starts feeling less pretend.
This is the second book in the Oakwood Bay series. I loved the first one (Only In Your Dreams), but I gotta say I think this one was even better!! I absolutely loved Brooks and Siena! Brooks was a cinnamon roll MMC that had been burned in the past by a terrible ex and became guarded, but ultimately really wanted to just be a sexy, flirty, loving cinnamon roll. Siena was fierce and strong but struggled with being vulnerable. She carried around so many burdens and felt like a burden herself. I loved how Brooks slowly inched his way in and made her feel comfortable and comforted letting another person be there for her. She needed someone who wouldn’t give up easily, and Brooks had that nature in spades. This book was so cute and fun, sexy (yes, Brooks has a mouth on him, and it was amazing!), but also very sweet. It was so good. And I am absolutely kicking my feet and waiting for what I hope is Parker and Summer’s story in the next book!!! I really need it to be and will absolutely jump on it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Because who doesn't love a sports romance?? I haven't read very many football romances and this one was so nice for the intro!

One of my biggest pet peeves in romance books is when they say it's fake dating but it stops being fake WAY too quickly. It's hard for me to get into the story when I'm clouded with disappointment. That said, Only Between Us will likely still be a big hit of a romance due to the engaging MCs and fun supporting cast.

Thanks to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my review.

4/5 Stars

I really loved reading Brooks and Siena's story. He falls first, fake dating tropes are absolutely one of my favorites to read. Giggling and kicking my feet. Towards the end of the book I found myself crying along with Siena's realizations.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading only in your dreams book one of the Oakwood Bay series and this is a fantastic sequel. The characters have depth, personality and traumatic backstories that make for well rounded relatable characters. I loved their banter, and laughed throughout the whole book.

There are quite a few spicy scenes, Brooks has got it bad for our girl Siena!

4/5 and thoroughly looking forward to book three, maybe we will have Parker and Summers story next?

WOW. What a ride this book was! Ellie K. Wilde absolutely nailed it again, and I’m not even a little okay. I’m ready to pack up my husband and move us straight to Oakwood Bay because I need to be besties with every single character in this town. The banter? Chef’s kiss. The tension? Deliciously unbearable. The spice? Perfectly toe-curling with just the right amount of emotional slow burn before the fireworks.

Brooks Attwood had no right being that swoony. A disgraced football star with a body sculpted by the gods and a heart of pure gold? Yeah, sign me up. And Siena? ICONIC. A spicy, take-no-BS queen with so much heart. Watching these two go from enemies to “okay maybe I don’t hate you” to full-on we might die without each other was SO satisfying.

Fake dating? Check. Forced proximity? Check. Mutual pining and sizzling chemistry that makes you blush in public? Double check.

Also, can we talk about how Ellie perfectly balances the emotional weight of redemption, healing, and starting over with laugh-out-loud dialogue and red-hot scenes? It’s talent. It’s magic. It’s Only Between Us.

If you love smart heroines, emotionally wounded athletes, small-town charm, and enough steam to fog up your Kindle—this book is your next obsession. Bravo, Ellie. I need the next Oakwood Bay book yesterday.

Football, enemies to lovers and fake dating? Heck yeah!

Brooks and Siena are damaged in different ways but they recognize similar damage in each other as they are fake dating. They each have something to gain by the fake relationship.

Brooks has been retire for 2 years from the NFL but he misses it and wants it back but the downward spiral into being a player a year and a half ago is haunting him - his dream team isn’t looking his way because they are a family oriented organization. That is until a picture of him and Siena goes viral and makes him look like he is in a steady relationship.

Siena is working hard at a family business that doesn’t bring her joy. In one day everything in her life seems to fall apart. That’s what leads her to agree to the fake dating arrangement.

The characters have great backstories and the pace of their relationship is perfect. Loads of tension and laugh out loud moments. Their friend group adds a lot to the story and makes you want to be a part of it.

like all of ellie’s books, the banter between the two main characters is great! however, i don’t love when a character feels like they have to give up their happiness in order to keep their parents business running because they “owe them.” it seemed sienna was creating problems for herself out of stubbornness. . but i definitely will keep picking up ellie’s books!

this book started very promising, especially with the main trope “fake dating” and incredible main chapters. i was relieved to see that both characters actually needed something ( from this “relationship” ) and finally this “something” was life changing and not just “i’m doing this for fun”. however, as story was going, it became too long with no stones, conflicts or anything catching. from 20% to 70% all we do is follow brooks and siena who live their lives. and don’t get me wrong, i love this type of tv shows but not books.

siena was so strong but also flirty and funny. but i can’t say anything about brooks. he was plain, basic male character passed into another romance. of course he liked siena but i also feel like this “love” from him was only because siena was giving him attention. he had girl trauma before so when someone was nice to him, brooks just went with it. do i think those feelings were mutual? yes, but not permanent. they will get bored of each other sooner or later.

chemistry was so on point with them pining and melting over each other, but at some moments it was becoming cringy. as you read their “together scenes”, you cannot not mention the unnecessary amount of description and pages of them doing the same thing over again.

Really enjoyed this one! The pacing kept me hooked, the characters were well-developed, and the plot had just the right amount of twists. A solid read that I’d definitely recommend! A great second book and i love the first.

This book was so fun! If you love fake dating sports romance books then you need to read this book! The romance is so fun and banter filled. Would highly recommend.

Only Between Us, the second novel in Wilde's Oakwood Bay series, was fun to read. I enjoyed Brooks' come back story as he recovered from injury and worked to regain his spot on the Rebels' roster. I enjoyed that he had foes in both his ex girlfriend's new boyfriend and his new girlfriend's ex boyfriend! I thought that dynamic was fun but I did often forget who was who.

Siena's journey was a heavier one, navigating her own demons as an adopted child in a family where her dad has since passed. I found it hard to connect with her because she was so different than me and we don't share many commonalities, I did find her story interesting and think other people will definitely see themselves in her and her struggles with guilt, finding her place in her family, and with her self worth.

Overall I found the story cute and I enjoyed the fake dating side of it a lot. I liked Brooks' friend group and how he had fake dated in the previous book as well, making the full circle be a bit more fun and light. I loved Summer and Preston the most and will definitely read their book (if the HOPEFULLY get one!)

This was a cute and heartwarming follow up to the second book. It took ,e a minute to get into but once u settled into the main characters I loved them. We have the fmc who is adopted and stuck doing a job she doesn’t like to honor her late dad. The mmc is a football player that’s trying to get signed to his fave team and is having issues due to his reputation. The two decide to fake date and there’s forced proximity as they live in the same,e house. I loved the banter, the meet cute and how both were together. It first started as a contract fake dating, to friends that were attracted to each other but made a rule to not sleep which each other. I loved the no sleeping together pact because they were creative with the steamy scenes. The romance had time to develop and the spicy scenes were hot. I liked the subplots about the fmcs adoption and the mmcs feelings of belonging and worth. Overall a cute, steamy and fun read. Thanks to Atria for the arc.

I enjoyed this one.
This was my first sports romance book.

I love Siena’s character.
She is sarcastic.
But down to earth and a very caring person.

This is a fake romance book.

Brooks is a retired pro football player who is looking to come out of retirement and play for his old team The Rebels.

Siena had a hard upbringing.
One thing after another seems to happen in her life and all she wants to do is live out her father’s dream and keep the family business going.

They find themselves in this fake relationship to help Brooks score a spot back in the NFL, but the longer this goes on.. feelings start to happen and things get REAL.

Funny
Spicy
Fake Dating
Football romance

If you love the fake dating trope as much as I do. Then do I have the perfect book for you! Big thank you to Atria Books & NetGalley for providing me an arc to read and review!

Y’all I have been very fortunate and was able to read arc copies of both books in this series. And god bless the publishing gods for that because Ellie K Wilde’s books have me in a freaking chokehold. I’m going to be totally honest I didn’t think anything could top book one in this series. But Ellie literally said “hold my beer” I give you, BROOKS ATTWOOD!

Holy guacamole this man. He is seriously the entire package. He’s charming, loyal, hilarious, sexy AF and also an extreme softy at heart. Brooks is working hard to come back to the NFL after a previous career ending injury. But after a scandal, he gets himself tangled into a fake dating mess with our MFC Siena. Who btw is by far one of my new favorite romcom characters.

Our girl Siena is a fierce independent woman who literally lives up the phrase, “I don’t need no man”. Siena has dealt with the NFL drama before with her EX. And isn’t looking to be thrown back into it. However, fake dating Brooks proves to benefit her with the opportunity of saving her families shop.

Now you’re probably wondering Lexie, you loved it why the 4 stars ⭐️. Well folks if you’ve been with me for a while you know my hatred for the 3rd act break up. And I thought surely with 90% left of the book we wouldn’t have one…..But nooooooo we just had to squeeze one in. When let’s be for real it didn’t need one. So the angst and torture I was put through because of it is why this book got a 4 versus a 5.

However, even with that tiny hiccup I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. The fake dating trope was executed perfectly, the banter between our main characters and as spectacular and the chemistry was “chefs kiss 😘 “ So of course I highly recommend this book as well as this series as a whole. And of course I will be waiting patiently for the next one.

I love this troupe of fake dating to falling in love.
I liked Siena and how loyal she is to her family and friends.
Brooks is such a good guy and such a softie.
I loved watching them fall in love and grow closer.
Very open door romance so it won't be for everyone.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

I devoured this in one sitting. It’s the perfect mix of “we said no feelings” tension, slow-burn heat, and that aching emotional depth that sneaks up and wrecks you. The chemistry? Off the charts. The characters? Flawed, real, and so easy to fall for. Ellie K Wilde writes with a kind of intimacy that lingers long after the last page. If you’re into romance that hits hard, heals slow, and leaves you wanting more—this one’s a must. 🔥💫

Thank you netgalley and atria books for the eArc!

I loved Ellie Wilde's first book so I was super excited to get the ARC for this-it was totally worth the wait! Only Between Us follows Brooks Atwood who was a former NFL star who retired hurriedly after an injury and some negative publicity. However Brooks realizes that he's not ready to give up on his dream and is working hard to get back into the NFL and sign with a team. Then enters our FMC, Siena. Brooks and Sienna have an unexpected and tense first meeting that results in a lot of PR attention. The kind of attention that just might help Brooks get back to NFL status. So he pitches Siena the idea: put aside their initial dislike and fake date. The goal? To use fake dating to get Brooks his NFl offer and Siena to be able to bring in some profit from the media attention.

As their fake dating scenario moves forward, they realize that maybe they initially misjudged each other. Maybe they are a lot more alike than they thought and maybe they're more than fake.

I really enjoyed this book! The writing was easy to follow. I liked how the tension and banter between the two played out. I liked that Siena was quirky and Brooks was sweet. They had a really good dynamic together and their friends folded seamlessly into the story. It did feel a little long at parts but overall it was a fun spicy, sports romance with fake dating that I recommend!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When I saw Ellie post that this ARC was on NetGalley, I couldn't click "request" fast enough! I absolutely loved Only In Your Dreams last year—it was a 5-star read for me, and this one was no different.

Brooks is a top-tier man! He cares for Sienna so deeply and is genuinely the sweetest person—not just to her, but to everyone he cares about.

And Sienna? She’s fierce, independent, and incredibly kind. I loved her!

Tropes:
✔ Fake Dating 👏
✔ Banter for days
✔ CHEMISTRY so good, it was criminal 🔥
✔ Football Hero 🏈💖
✔ Hurt + Comfort
✔ ANGSTTTTTT


Thank you, Thank you Thank you to Atria Books & Ellie K. Wilde for inviting me to read this early via NetGalley!