A spicy small-town, brother’s best friend, sports romance “packed with sizzling tension, heat, and sweet, swoon-worthy moments” (Peyton Corinne, author of TikTok sensation Unsteady) between a college football coach and the one that got away that you’ll want to devour in one sitting.
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.
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.
Title: Only In Your Dreams (Oakwood Bay #1)
Author: Ellie K. Wilde
Publisher:
Expected Publication Date: January 21, 2025
Expected Publication Date: January 21, 2025
Review:
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I love me some sports romance. But what I love more is the sports taking a bit of a back ground to the growing relationship between the characters. While the sports background is of some importance in this book, I really loved how Wilde built the relationship between Zac and Melody. Or should I say rebuilt it since it's been 10 years since they talked, 10 years since Zac walked away with no explanation as to why. Did I figure it out early on? I did. Did I care? Nope. I needed to see how Wilde got us to where I knew we needed to be.
Melody is fresh off a rocky and abusive (though she doesn't realize it right away) relationship. She's spent six years twisting herself into a pretzel to please her ex. I'm just going to put right here that I hate this guy, and I'm sure that's exactly what Wilde was going for. The emotional and mental abuse this guy spewed was totally gross. But Wilde did a great job showing it. And showing how easy it was for him to manipulate Melody into believing it. I will say her realization of the abuse was a little to quick for me, considering she endured it for six years. I feel like this would have been a slower process given the time she spent in the relationship. But I do understand it took getting out of the environment for her to be able to look back in and see what was wrong. I love her relationship with her twin. They banter and cajole each other in the most loving way. Parker is super protective of Melody, which comes into play with how she was treated in high school by all of Parker's friends (the football team). I enjoyed how she reconnected with her best friend but I truly enjoyed how she reconnected with Zac. Her slow burn realization that her crush from 10 years ago really never went away held up against her anger for him just leaving her and never looking back is a great dichotomy.
Zac is so sweet. I love how he's held out all these years for Melody. Knowing he screwed up but feeling like he could never really do anything about it for fear of losing Parker as a friend. But I also find it a little unrealistic that he would truly wait all those years hoping she'd come back when he knew she was in a committed relationship for so many years. I truly felt for him, though. I cannot imagine the pain of watching someone you love be with someone else and hoping beyond hope that one day you'd have another chance. I love how he rebuilds his relationship with Melody even with the idea that it may never turn into what he truly wants. And he not only has his heart set on her, but he has his heart set on protecting one of the kids he coaches: Noah. This relationship is built so well. Zac opens his home and heart to this kid because he sees he needs it. Is he trying to rescue him? Maybe a bit. But I jut think his heart is just so big he needs an outlet for all he wants to give. He creates a found family. I was swooning for him.
The pacing and writing style is well done with this book. I didn't feel there was unnecessary plot inserted that stalled the story. Every element moved things forward. I enjoyed how Wilde wove so many elements into the story. I laughed at some parts. Fanned myself with the spice. And definitely shed a few tears with the emotional gravity underlying the relationships between the characters. The chemistry between Zac and Melody is off the charts. They fight, they banter, they can't avoid the pull to one another. And how he helps her heal, even knowing she will at some point leave him, it's just so sweet! It has all the right elements of a romance. I didn't want to put this one down.
Does this book have great supporting characters? It sure does. Summer, Melody's best friend, slowly sneaks her way back into Melody's heart. They reconnect on that level only best high school friends can. And Brooks? OOF! I adore him. He and Zac has this bromance going that is so much fun.
Gold retriever, cinnamon bun guy? CHECK! Second chance love? CHECK! Brother's best friend? CHECK! Forced proximity? CHECK! Fake dating? CHECK! Slow burn? CHECK! And, a fun, quick, easy read? CHECK! No third act break up? YES! This book hits a lot of tropes which all work together to create a great story. I'm really excited for the next book in this series because BROOKS! Wilde will definitely be a go to author for me in the future.
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