REVIEW: Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde

Only in Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde: Melody just needs to regroup and get her life back in order after a bad break up, so being back home in Oakwood Bay is really just a pitstop if you ask her. The last thing she ever planned was to wind up getting involved with her childhood crush, Zach Porter, who also so happens to be her brothers best friend. However it would seem that Melody has no choice but to face the guy that she has spent the better part of a decade avoiding when her brother all but forces her to take his place on a camping trip with non other than Zach. Everyone knows that having a crush on your best friends sister is a big no no, but Zach cant help but still have feelings fro Melody, even ten years after he blew his one shot with her. Now that she is back in town and stuck sharing a tent with him, Zach plans to make the most of his second chance to prove to Melody that he is in fact the perfect guy for her…

Only In Your Dreams was so cute, this book was the absolute best way to start a new sports romance series that is sure to be a winner if this first book is anything to go by. There was so much to love about this book, with a mushy sweet hero and a reluctant to trust again heroine we got one heck of a cute slow burn, second chance which turned out to actually be their first real chance romance.

I just love a mushy, wears his heart on his sleeve hero that isn’t afraid to show his emotions and this is definitely what we get from Zach. Gosh our hero was so incredibly easy to love, this guy was sweet, romantic, swoony and just downright book boyfriend perfection. It has been over ten years and his feelings for Melody have not changes, and now that he has a second chance to get the girl, our guy is determined to pull out all the stops. I just adored Zach, he was so well written and easy to root on that I just could not get enough. I loved that he was not shy to admit that he was pining over Melody for all this time and that he embraced his feelings and softer side. He was definitely the golden retriever in this couple. As for our leading lady, well Melody might have been the more grumpy of the two but this didn’t make me like her character any less. I completely understood her reluctance to fully allow herself to start something new with Zach after her last relationship and the emotional trauma that came from that. Though I have to say I really liked getting to see her realise that she had to put herself out there again and allow love into her life again.

Goodness me! The chemistry between these two was hot! I just ate up the forced proximity in the wilderness scene! This could not have been better written, just perfection really with steamy moments one second and then giggles the next. I loved their banter and the playful edge that each other their encounters had, but I also really liked that we got flashbacks to their past and the more meaningful element that came with them. I loved the fact that Zach had Melodys back through it all, he was such a sweetheart marshmallow of a hero. The thing I loved the most was that while there was a bit go angst, there was no third act break up or unnecessary drama to derail the story. Though I think one of the cutest parts if this book was the clover scene, I just loved this part.

The supporting characters were just as good as our mains and I can not wait for the next book in this series to see who’s love story we get next. I have to say I just loved Parker, talk about an undercover mastermind, I just loved how he pulled the stings in the background to get his twin and bestie to finally get together after all this time dancing around their feelings.

Only In Your Dreams is a total must read, this book is cute, fun and has a totally adorable golden retriever hero that will instantly melt your heart. If you are a fan of sports romance books with a side of cute but steamy chemistry then this is definitely the book for you!

Book Info:

Publication: January 21, 2025 | Atria Books | Oakwood Bay #1

If he can prove he loved her then, and he loves her still, this time might be different.

Ten years after one of the most heartbreaking nights of her life, Melody Woods is back in her small hometown of Oakwood Bay, broke, jaded, and unceremoniously dumped by her big-city boyfriend. To top it all off, her twin brother, Parker, is pushing her to take his spot on a camping trip with the one guy she’s spent a decade avoiding.

For college football coach Zac Porter, his best friend’s twin sister, Melody, has always been off-limits. And after fumbling his chance ten years ago, a devastated Zac was sure he’d lost Melody for good. So, when Melody shows up at the campsite instead of Parker, Zac realizes that now is the time to prove to her that they were always meant to be, no matter how long it takes to make up for his teenage self’s mistake.

Reeling from the truth of her last relationship, Melody plans to stay in town just long enough to get back on her feet. Then, she’s gone again. Meanwhile, Zac is facing an uphill battle to coach his team to its first winning game in years, to show Melody how she deserves to be loved, and to keep Parker from ever finding out. Maybe then, being with her will be more than just a dream.