Book Summary: 

After a death-defying injury sidelined him for two seasons, Brooks Attwood’s pro football comeback has hit a major snag. Naughty photos from a post-break-up bender have leaked, and they’re killing his chances with the Rebels—his old team, and the only one he wants to play on.

As he trains with the hope of being signed before the first kickoff of the season, Brooks’s plans to keep a low profile are suddenly upended when his selfie with a fiery fan goes viral, and tabloids mistake them as the football world’s newest It couple.

Turns out, Siena Pippen is the ex-girlfriend of the “face” of the League. And she wants nothing more to do with that world after being with her nightmare ex. While she and Brooks are busy blaming each other for the media circus surrounding them, NFL teams are suddenly scrambling to sign a housebroken Brooks. Meanwhile, Siena realizes that all this buzz could be the Hail Mary her family’s struggling business needs.

Together, Brooks and Siena hatch a plan: ignore the will to kill each other and pretend to be madly in love—at least, until Brooks signs with a team. But the longer they pretend, the less fake their fauxmance begins to feel…and Brooks becomes as determined to convince Siena they’re truly meant to be as he is to land a spot on the Rebels’ roster.

My Review:

Is it wrong to start a review by saying, “I loved this book”? Because – I LOVED THIS BOOK! I was introduced to Ellie K. Wilde with Only In Your Dreams and fell for her characters. Her female protagonists aren’t portrayed as inherently strong women who can make the world bend to their will; they’re flawed, bruised, and metaphorically battered. Yet, they weather the storm, find their voices, and learn to love themselves for who they are and what they’re capable of becoming. Her male protagonists are the blueprint for everything a woman could ever dream of in a man. I couldn’t help but fall in love with the town, the main characters, the supporting cast, and everything in between. I was so looking forward to Brooks’s story, and I am thrilled to say Ellie did not disappoint! In fact, you’ll be surprised by what the quiet guy from Only In Your Dreams is truly capable of behind closed doors (and in back alleys). In Only Between Us, Wilde puts the age-old saying, “Everything in life happens for a reason,” to the test, turning a one-in-a-million chance encounter into the most swoon-worthy story she’s written to date.

Brooks Attwood has one dream, and one dream only: to return to the Rebels, the team he left two years prior after a major concussion. That injury upended more than just his athletic career – on the day of his retirement, he discovered his girlfriend of seven years had been cheating on him and left him for his teammate. With no desire to ever be deceived by another clout-focused, jersey-chasing woman, he’s dedicated to working with Parker and Summer, determined to earn a coveted invite to the Rebels’ summer training camp. But when photos from a post-breakup bender resurface, his life is derailed, destroying any chance of a comeback. That is, until a viral picture with Siena Piper captivates the internet, leading the Rebels to believe the former bad boy has turned a new leaf and reigniting his chance to return to the only team he’s ever considered home.

Siena Piper has gotten herself into a few questionable situations in life, but this one takes the cake. Sneaking onto the field in honor of the anniversary of her dad’s death, she didn’t expect to meet – well, be steamrolled by – one of her dad’s favorite players, Brooks Attwood. Despite how gorgeous he is, Siena has done her time dating an athlete and has zero desire for a repeat. But she also can’t afford to be busted for trespassing! Sticking with the lie that she’s doing social media for the Huskers, she caves when Brooks catches on, agreeing to post pictures to save face. She never intended for the selfie they took together to go viral! Now, the media is fixated on the internet darling and the reformed bad boy. Siena wants nothing to do with the circus, but quickly learns that Brooks’s future is tied to her playing along – and now, so is hers, with one financial disaster after another. Can they keep the fake relationship charade going long enough for Brooks to get signed and for Siena to catch a much-needed financial windfall, all without killing each other? Only time will tell.

There are so many things I love about Wilde’s stories – the humor, the thoughtful insight and perspective, and the deep friendships. I love how all the characters are beautifully human and face relatable issues: Summer is struggling with dating, Parker is tired of messing around and wants something real, Brooks is finally ready to chase his dream again but doesn’t trust himself or his capabilities, and Siena is torn between living for her father’s memory and wanting to dream for herself. These aren’t people who’ve had it easy, and yet they find love, compassion, and support from those around them – including their community. You just want to book a one-way ticket and live among them, in this fantasy happy place where life may kick the crap out of you, but you always know you have a soft place to land.

Going deeper with Siena and Brooks, Ellie is gifted beyond words in her ability to craft the most relatable characters with extraordinary, gut-wrenching backstories. If you couldn’t adore Siena for her impulsive nature, shoot-from-the-hip bluntness, and tough-as-nails attitude, you had to admire her for the survivor she truly is – the phoenix she’s become. Same with Brooks: if you weren’t swooning over his gentle way with kids, his love for pets, or his loyalty to friends and family, you were ready to roll up your sleeves and throw down with the woman who almost destroyed him after his devastating concussion. You just want to wrap them both in a protective bubble so the outside world can’t undo the growth they’ve achieved, so you can keep them safe from harm. Put them together, and they have this uncanny ability to see each other like no one else – to feel what can’t be said and to offer compassion for the hardships and heartaches that shaped them.

And if that kind of emotional and psychological connection isn’t enough for you, trust me – the spice will have you sweating around the collar. I thought Only In Your Dreams was insanely hot – and while it was, this one is downright filthy, in the best possible way. They don’t do sweet, wholesome lovemaking – it’s down and dirty, hardcore, and makes me wonder what direction Ellie will take next (and she even hinted Parker might be into bondage…). I don’t know where Ellie gets her inspiration for those steamy scenes, but the woman can make my jaw drop. You’re not even 40% in before you’re fanning yourself and ready to quote the famous line from When Harry Met Sally! She is so extraordinarily talented at mixing the sweet and the filthy when it comes to her male main characters. One minute Brooks is just a guy lovingly watching his dog on the pup cam or dancing on the sidelines with kids, and the next – you’re questioning why hotels don’t lock coat check rooms, and what price you’d pay to trade places with Siena at that gala. Four hundred people be damned!

I will say one last thing before I wrap up, Siena’s backstory was heartfelt, but the way Wilde told it made you feel more inspired by who she became and the love she has for her family, rather than pity for where she came from. It broke my heart that she thought she always owed the people who saved her, never believing she was enough just as she was – that she didn’t have to owe anyone for simply being herself, for being someone worthy of love and value. 

In case you missed it the first dozen times, I LOVED Siena and Brooks! Even though the story wrapped up beautifully and I knew I was reading the epilogue, I still wasn’t ready to let them go. I just couldn’t get enough of those two. As Ellie did with the first story, she gives us sneak peeks of Summer and Parker’s upcoming journey, and I will be front and center for that enchanting tale. I didn’t think she could top Only In Your Dreams, but I was proven wrong in the most spectacular way. Ellie, you’ve set the bar even higher for the final installment, and I honestly can’t wait to see what magic you bring next!