Book Summary: 

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.

My Review:

Only In Your Dreams is the first book I’ve ever read by Ellie Wilde, and let me tell you – it definitely won’t be my last. I am insanely excited that this book is kicking off a series, and I can’t wait to follow Brooks on his journey – but I’m getting ahead of myself. Ellie’s writing is like a bag of trail mix with personality: salty and sweet, zesty, and blended with the perfect mix of everything you’d want to satisfy your rom-com cravings. Despite touching on some heavy issues, she effortlessly uses wit and banter to keep things light between her characters, conveying her message without losing the book’s uplifting tone. At over 400 pages, you’ll breeze through it at the speed of a novella because, yes – it’s just that good!

Melody Woods will never forget that fateful night – the night that was supposed to mark the beginning of everything she’d ever dreamed of, including a chance with the man she’d loved for as long as she could remember. A night that started so full of promise, only to end in utter devastation, heartbreak, and rejection. Funny how, ten years later, she finds herself back in the same small town of Oakwood, feeling the exact same way after her boyfriend of six years suddenly broke up with her. Broke, essentially homeless, and scorned yet again by trusting her traitorous heart, Melody is determined to simply hide and let the world pass her by while she regroups. Her brother, however, seems dead set on pouring salt into her open wounds by forcing her to go camping in his place. And not just any camping trip – the one being led by the very man who shattered her soul almost a decade ago.

What should have been the best night of Zac Parsons’ life has haunted him as a living nightmare for the past ten years. The moment he had dreamed of since he was fourteen had finally arrived – Melody Woods wanted him to kiss her. But instead of seizing the chance to make every wish he’d ever had come true, he walked away – a decision he has regretted with every waking breath since. A decade later, his self-loathing runs deep, and his already strained relationship with Melody’s twin brother, Parker, is hanging by a thread. The last thing Zac wants is to be stuck on a camping trip, sharing a tent with Parker for three days. What he didn’t expect, however, was for the love of his life to show up in Parker’s place. Zac has been praying, hoping, dreaming for this moment – the chance to right his ultimate wrong – but now that it’s here, he is in for the battle of his life.

As Melody begins to uncover the truth about her relationship, she becomes determined to stay in town long enough to rebuild her life and prove she can achieve her dreams on her own terms. With a deadline looming, time is running out, and Zac must figure out how to not only save his job but also win back the heart of the only woman he’s ever loved – all while ensuring that the person who destroyed everything the first time doesn’t find out and derail it all over again.

While there were countless things I truly enjoyed about this book, the ever-present humor was what stood out. Ellie’s writing is nothing short of incredible, seamlessly blending moments of sadness, joy, and heartfelt emotion to keep a smile on the reader’s face while simultaneously pulling on their heartstrings. The topic of narcissistic partners seems to be a recurring theme in many 2025 releases, and while I’ve read several other ARCs tackling this subject, Ellie’s approach resonated with me the most.

Through Melody’s story, Ellie highlighted just how easy it is for the “perfect” charismatic and charming man to manipulate, control, and gaslight someone without them even realizing it. Melody spent six years in a relationship with Connor, completely unaware of how deeply he controlled her until conversations with Summer, Brooks, and Zac began to reveal the truth. It’s a powerful reminder that even the strongest, most capable, and self-aware individuals – like Melody – can fall prey to manipulation. Connor had an uncanny ability to make his controlling ideas feel like their shared ideas. If Melody ever questioned anything, he would play the victim, reminding her of all the ways he “took care of her.” He even filtered her friend group, gradually surrounding her with people who approved of him rather than those who might have exposed his behavior.

Despite the heaviness of the topic, Ellie managed to keep Melody’s realization uplifting. Instead of shutting down, Melody felt fired up. Yes, she was humiliated and embarrassed, but ultimately, it fueled her determination to reclaim the fierce, independent woman she used to be.

I also loved that Ellie didn’t go for the traditional third-act breakup. Honestly, I feel like it would have dragged the book down. Instead, she leaned into a slow-burn approach packed with both spice and heart. What made this even more brilliant was that the slow burn didn’t focus on the usual “will they or won’t they” tension between the protagonists. Instead, it zeroed in on the one thing they both desperately wanted –  something that would define everything about who they were: sex. It was the catalyst that had torn them apart in the first place (not by their own doing, but because of what Parker believed Zac’s intentions were with his sister), so making it the ultimate barrier to overcome was absolutely perfect.

This book was so much fun! I know that’s incredibly subjective, but have you ever read a book that you just genuinely enjoyed from start to finish? The characters were wonderful, the small-town setting was picturesque, and the supporting cast struck the perfect balance – playing their parts to move the story forward without stealing the spotlight. The pacing was spot-on – not so fast that it felt unrealistic, but never so slow that it dragged. The overall energy is filling, not depleting – it makes you want to keep reading because it fuels your mood, leaving you feeling light, happy, and just completely satisfied. That’s exactly how this book was for me.

Speaking of characters, what I appreciated most was the strength and humor of Ellie’s female characters. Without Summer’s inner voice guiding us, we can only take her experiences at face value, but her first date stories were absolute gold. No matter what, she took everything in stride. The same goes for Melody. The more she uncovered how deeply Connor had manipulated her, the more determined she became to reclaim herself and prove her strength. She was an absolute force of nature, and the way Zac consistently encouraged her, acknowledged her power, and never once overshadowed it? That was the hot fudge (and sprinkles) on a six-scoop sundae!

And since I just mentioned Zac, have you ever come across a line in a book that is so scorchingly hot it echoes in your mind long after you’ve finished reading? That’s exactly what happened to me with this book. The chemistry between Melody and Zac was already off-the-charts, but there’s a particular scene toward the end where Zac says one line that had me almost dropping my Kindle! What made it even better was that Melody had the exact same reaction in the moment! I know I have a tendency to put in spoilers, but that one? You will need to discover that little gift that keeps on giving on your own!

Like most of the topics she tackled, Ellie nailed the overarching theme of second chances in this book. For Melody, it was about proving to herself that she could have lived the life she wanted in the city on her own terms. For Zac, it was about undoing his greatest regret and making things right. What resonated with me even more was the line about how both of them needed those ten years of experiences to shape them into puzzle pieces that finally fit together. Yes, it was heartbreaking to think about all the time they lost, but the growth they went through apart is what made their connection unshakable. Zac had to endure his loss to truly understand what he had to gain, and Melody had to fall in order to rise stronger than ever. They found each other at exactly the moment they needed to, and the perfect balance of give and take in their relationship made their story feel almost poetic.

While I absolutely can’t wait to dive into Brooks’ book, I’m really hoping we get a chance to check in with Nick somewhere down the line – even if he doesn’t get his own story. But what I really want (and I’m not above begging) is to see Parker and Summer together. I’d settle for their own individual stories, but I can only imagine how much fun it would be to see those two paired up – and the epic payback Melody could dish out!