𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁:

Wow this is definitely an underrated book why isn’t booksta blowing up talking about this one. I really loved it! It was fun to see MCs in the STEM space and this book even layered some great depth into the story. If you like a cinnamon roll MMC with single dad vibes and workplace romance this one’s for you.

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:

Millie is interviewing for her dream job to become the Director of Entomology at the Museum she works at. But her very grumpy coworker who she may have split coffee on, elbowed in the nose and crashed into his car happens to be on the interview panel. But she’s never taken the easy path and she’ll prove to the panel that she’s the right one for this job. She’s loved bugs since she was a little girl and she will let that love and passion shine!

Finn is the Director of Astronomy and he has a lot on his plate right now. His sister recently passed away leaving him custody of his twin nieces, so his grumpy side is coming out more and more. But there is something about Millie that makes him want to smile, he’s drawn to her. Then add in she keeps razzing him with super nerdy references and witty banter, how can he resist.

Millie realizes she can’t use the avoidance tactic with Finn any longer. He’s everywhere so she’s just going to have to keep it professional. But when he brings her, her favorite almond croissant and asks for her help making pizza for the girls she can’t resist. The more they become friends the more they realizes it would be really easy to blur the lines into more. But with her dream job on the line Millie can’t think with her heart.

𝙁𝙖𝙫 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚:

“Of course I love you.” He bends and touches his lips to mine. “Could you not tell when I bought you an entire shelf of books?”

𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅:

* CoWorkers to Friends to Lovers
* Grumpy Astronomy Director
* Sunshine Entomologist Curator
* Age Gap: He’s 34 & She’s 29
* Custody of 5yr Old Twin Nieces
* Grief& Anxiety Rep
* Witty & Full of Banter
* She Has an Abusive Ex
* LOL Family Group Chat - Found Family
* Wilhelmina Natural Science Museum
* Dual POV + Slow Burn w/ Spice

🦋🥐✨🔭 🦋🥐✨🔭 🦋🥐✨🔭🦋

I was hooked from the very first page to the point that I couldn't put it down!! Millie and Finn's character development was everything, while being relatable!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I gave this one 3.5 stars and overall thought it was an enjoyable read! I was pleasantly surprised this was a debut novel!

I really enjoyed how both Millie and Finn had character development throughout the story, with similar but different situations. I do wish there was a little more depth to these story lines though. I don’t usually enjoy books that have kids as part of the main storyline but i thought this was done really well!

I look forward the Lena’s book!

2.5

i was really loving the first 130 pages of this book. the romance was adorable & i really enjoyed the main characters. i just stopped caring about them at a certain point, & i’m not sure why i did, but i just feel indifferent to them. the book ultimately was good & enjoyable while i read it but i don’t feel anything for it.

Give Me Butterflies 🦋🔭🌌
5 🌟
3🌶️

Thank you so much to Avon for the free copy of this book!

WOW! This book was INCREDIBLE! I was so pulled in from the first page, and it didn’t let me go until the last. This book is like if Ali Hazelwood and Hannah Bonam-Young had a literary baby and it is PERFECTION.

Finn + Avery and Eloise was very “Jude-Law-in-The-Holiday” and girl???? I was so obsessed. I loved the dynamic between Millie and Finn, but also between Millie and the girls. This was found family to the MAX!

I loved the STEMinist aspect of this book, and that’s what felt really Ali Hazelwood to me. The Hannah-Bonn Young aspect was from the emotional impact that the personal backgrounds of each character brought. This book handled some really complex topics in a really responsible way.

There were so so many lines of this book that I highlighted on my Kindle, and if I had a physical copy you best believe it would be annotated to heaven!

I did a dynamic read for this book of partial audiobook and mostly e-reading. I loved the narration of Jason Clarke and Victoria Connolly. I’ve listened to both of them in separate audios and loved their cadence and tone, but they worked so well together in the delivery of this story.

"Give Me Butterflies" by Jillian Meadows is a sweet, swoon-worthy romance that’s sure to make your heart flutter. The chemistry between the characters is electric, and Meadows beautifully captures the excitement and uncertainty of young love. It’s an emotional yet uplifting read that’ll have you hooked from the very first page. Huge thanks to the publisher for the ARC! I’ve already added a copy to my library system. If you're looking for a heartfelt romance that’s both tender and thrilling, this one’s a must-read. Highly recommend it!

Beautifully written, funny, witty, adorable characters. I loved everything about this book and truly recommend it.

✨ 𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 ✨

𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄𝘀
𝚁𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙹𝚊𝚗. 𝟸𝟷𝚜𝚝, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻 — 𝙾𝚞𝚝 𝙽𝚘𝚠!

Thank you so much to @jillianmeadowswrites @avonbooks @harpercollins & @netgalley for the eARC copy of this book! 🫶🏼

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
🦋 workplace romance
✨ single dad/guardian
🦋 characters in STEM
✨ found family
🦋 grumpy/sunshine
✨ he falls first
🦋 open door romance
✨ dual POV

𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦: I abso-freaking-lutely loved this book with my whole heart! The found family aspect between Millie, Finn, & his twin nieces just made my heart smile. The traditions & moments that Finn & Millie created for the girls was so special & you could really feel the happiness & emotions through the writing. The character development in this one is phenomenally written. Both Millie & Finn are silently struggling with overcoming past events that has lead to grief, anxiety, & feelings of loneliness & they way they both care, love, support, & help each other was just so beautiful. Highly recommend this one to my romance reading besties!!

I just knew I had to have it as soon as I saw it. The color and the motif are so beautiful. I also really enjoyed the initial tension between the protagonists. I really wish it could have lasted a bit longer. It was so sweet to see Millie and Finn "wrestling" with each other. They found each other quickly, which meant the tension was lost and made the whole thing so much less tense. There weren't any more peaks and valleys in the plot, which was a bit disappointing. It dragged on and on. I really love the way Millie and Finn are so affectionate with each other. It's just so sweet! Overall, it's a lovely book that's perfect for those moments between busy days. I really wanted to love it, but I guess I expected more.

A truly heartfelt and endearing read. Finn is a true book boyfriend—steadfast and supportive as Millie works to heal from a past abusive relationship. It’s equally moving to watch Millie show up for Finn and his nieces as they navigate the loss of their sister and mother. I appreciated how Meadows thoughtfully explored narcissistic abuse, both in parenting and romantic relationships—something not often addressed with such care. The ensemble cast added a rich, life-giving dynamic to the story. Highly recommend.

Thank you Jillian Meadows, NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC copy of Give Me Butterflies in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

This was my first time reading Jillian Meadows work. This story was extremely wholesome, charming, and really did a great job in tackling some more sensitive topics such as grief and anxiety.

Read if you love:
-Workplace Romance
-Found Family
-Grumpy x Sunshine dynamic
-He Falls First
-Wholesome, feel good reads

The story follows Millie, an entomologist who is up for a promotion at the museum she works at. As well as our main hero, Finn - the grumpy astronomy head who is on the interview committee. Fate seems to keep throwing our main characters together, and soon we see that Finn's grumpy exterior isn't as harsh as it seems. He is a man struggling to keep up with parenting his nieces after losing his sister. As Millie learns more and more throughout their budding friendship lines begin to blur.

I loved the supportive and heartfelt moments between everyone. There is so much genuine, healthy and healing love that blooms. I truly cannot wait to read more from this author. This read was exactly what I needed.

Such a wholesome book! Delighftul amd wonderfully crafted love story with incredible self aware characters and a healthy relationship as the main part of the book

I really enjoyed "Give Me Butterflies" by Jillian Meadows. I appreciated the smart and strong female lead. There was a good amount of chemistry in this book. I loved having the male leads nieces involved. Looking forward to more in this series.

Give Me Butterflies is an absolutely charming romance. Millie and Finn are sweet, smart, and absolutely made for other which makes it easy to root for their happily ever after.

Millie was once mentally battered down by an abusive boyfriend but now she’s standing strong and isn’t letting anyone mess with her sunny disposition. She’s a successful entomologist and is up for a director position at her museum – her dream job. But on the day of her first interview, she runs into the head of the astronomy department and things do not go well. Finn is grumpy, glowering, and her total opposite…or so she thinks. Finn may seem like a thundercloud at first, but actually he’s just a guy going through a really difficult time. He lost his sister and is now guardian to his nieces, who he loves with all his heart but is afraid of falling short as their new parent.

Jillian Meadows makes it easy to adore Millie, Finn, and the twins, Eloise and Avery. All of them are kind and loving people doing their best. The girls are absolutely sweet as can be and I loved how quickly Millie established a relationship with them separate from hers with Finn. For all that Give Me Butterflies deals with some heavy themes, Meadows makes the book feel light and airy. It’s a low-drama romance as Millie and Finn go from friends to lovers and sometimes you just need a solid love story without false drama in the third act. There’s tension, of course, but Meadows keeps things mostly organic as the story goes on.

Give Me Butterflies is the first book in the Oaks Sisters series and I cannot wait to see more of Millie’s family. I loved the Oaks and Millie’s friends, enjoyed how they welcomed Finn and the girls into their circle with open arms and hearts. All in all, Finn and Millie’s romance was a delight and I am very much looking forward to the next Oaks Sisters tale.

I thought this book was so cute!!! The romance between the two MC's were everything and it had all my favorite tropes I love and need more of!

The blurb for Give Me Butterflies truly captures what this story is about. There are also many wonderful scenes and character development strewn across the pages (this is a character-focused romance). There's women in STEM, nerdy guy, positive therapy rep, LGBTQ+ side characters, found family, some awesome biological family (and sadly some not so awesome family for contrast), adorable young children, dancing to Disney music, cute animals, learning to stand up for yourself, and some steam. That's just a taste of what I enjoyed.

This was absolutely incredible! This was so cute and watching her relationship develop with him and the kids was absolutely adorable. Truly just the cutest pairing and I have nothing but positive, wonderful things to say about this book.

𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 𝑰𝑭 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑳𝑰𝑲𝑬:
♡ Workplace romance
♡ He falls first
♡ Found family
♡ Single (uncle)

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑻𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺:
What a stinking cute book! I listened to it on audio and I really loved it.

Finn is the kind of man that every woman would want 🥹 first off, he’s taking care of kids that aren’t his and he cares so much about them. MELTS MY HEART. He was also so supportive of Millie and even though it took some time to figure out that he can love his nieces and her at the same time, I’m so happy he found his HEA.

Millie, Millie, Millie. I wanted to give her a great big hug and tell her she deserved the world, except Finn did all that LOL. I applauded her for wanting to get her dream job “the right way,” and she never stopped fighting for it. Get it girl!

This book was filled with so many sweet moments outside of the romance plot and it gave me so many feel good feels. I highly recommend!

I went into this book blind and I don't regret it.

Book Vibes:
Book Vibes: This book is packed with heartfelt moments and truly adorable dialogue. The way the two main characters communicate is swoon-worthy, but what really stood out to me was how authentic and charming the children's dialogue felt — it was spot-on and added so much warmth.

One of the standout elements of Give Me Butterflies is how it explores the journey of healing from narcissistic parents and toxic exes. Seeing both main characters work through that trauma and find strength in themselves — and each other — was powerful. Jillian Meadows also does a fantastic job portraying therapy in a positive light, while also showing how it can be twisted by others as a weapon of blame. That nuance added depth to the story.

What I really appreciated was how both MCs stood firm in their boundaries and values throughout the book. The contrast between healthy and unhealthy family dynamics was really well done. The FMC's family was a beautiful example of love, support, and understanding, and I loved seeing that kind of representation.

Another thing I adored? The workplace setting. All the adult friends work at the same museum, which I know isn’t super realistic — but I didn’t care. It made for such a cozy, supportive vibe. There’s a particular moment when the museum’s HR person has the FMC’s back, both professionally and as a woman, and it gave me chills (in a good way). The way the author addresses workplace sexism — especially the harmful stereotype that women get ahead based on who they sleep with — was refreshing and necessary. The FMC wasn’t having any of that, and her determination to earn her place and protect her peace was empowering.
Spice: 3/5

I would have given this book a 5, but I noticed around the 64% the story started to lag a bit. Overall, this was an amazing book that could really show a lot of readers healthy emotions, and relationships.

Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Forbidden Romance
Workplace romance
Single Parent
Contemporary
Protective partners