First and foremost, I LOVE workplace romances. Already in love with the story but to find out they work in a museum. *chefs kiss* Obsessed. My minor in college was museum studies. Didn't know I needed museum romances. I'll take 14 right now.
Loved that there wasn't a third act break up, loved that the conflict the couple faced wasn't miscommunication. Can't wait to read the other sisters love stories.

In this house, we love a grumpy X sunshine slow-burn with both MCs in STEM!
I am always a sucker for the found family trope and this book was no exception.

This was somehow deep and cute all at once. I truly fell for Millie and Finn's relationship. They were so sweet to each other and truly cared while Finn also put his sister's kids first. His relationship with his sister was so real and she felt like an unseen character that you knew. I loved Eloise and Avery, they felt very much like real kids.

The connections in this book were so real and even the text message chains felt like a real family. I can't wait to read the rest of the sisters love stories. Jillain Meadows will be added to my autobuy authors going forward and I already order her other book. OBSESSED with her real-feeling characters/relationships, and Finn is simply the sweetest, most pure man. I can't think of anything bad to say because I even found myself loving the side characters like Micah and Lena.

They truly were all such good friends and Kyle sucks. I loved everything from the tropes in this books to their jobs to their sweet humor with each other. I think this book really succeeded in the small moments that made Millie & Finn feel like a real couple.

5 Well-Deserved Stars, this is a fabulous debut. Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars!

I absolutely adored "Give Me Butterflies" by Jillian Meadows, a grumpy/sunshine STEM workplace romance with excellent mental health and grief representation on the side. I swooned the entire time while reading Millie and Finn's story! I loved them together so, so much. I love how they started as workplace rivals, then became friends, and then became lovers. Meadows takes her time crafting their relationship so readers feel their yearning and the pining throughout the entire book. Finn is such a delicious grum. I love how gone for Millie he was from the very start. He is also in charge of his two young nieces, so watching him let down his walls with them, too, was such a delight to behold. He is respectful and sweet, but still so dower at times. Millie is the most enthusiastic, intelligent, sweetest ray of sunshine. She has been burned in the past and is nervous to get close to anyone new because she doesn't want to get hurt again. Meadows also balances the workplace part of their relationship with their actual relationship, plus their family dynamics on the side. Meadows has crafted a gentle, delicate, loving, spicy, sweet, honest, realistic universe in this book, and I, for one, am so thrilled I had the chance to read it. I was transfixed by every facet of this story. What a joy to read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Jillian Meadows, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Everything about this book gave ME butterflies. I read so many STEM romances and I appreciated the backdrop without it being overwhelming. I also LOVE a grumpy man. Finn working through his grief was so real and meaningful and he might be one of my favorite MMCs ever.

I loved this book yall! It was like nerdy banter meets sizzling chemistry, and I was so here for it. This book gave me ALL the soft, swoony feels while also serving up a little bit of steam. Millie, the entomologist with an infectious smile, and Finn, the grumpy, yet secretly soft astronomer, are chef’s kiss perfect together. From the slow-burn tension to the way they just get each other, their connection had me hooked.
What I loved most? There’s literally no unnecessary drama (YES, you heard me right). It’s all about Millie’s journey to self-confidence, Finn's healing process, and their sweet moments of growth—together and apart. The found family vibes? Ugh, adorable. Finn’s niece energy? Total heart-melter. Plus, a hero who sees a therapist? Iconic.
Also, NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP, y’all. This book keeps it real and grounded in a way that feels so refreshing. It’s soft, spicy, and so satisfying. Highly recommend if you’re into heartwarming STEM romances that don’t play games with your heart.
4.5⭐️

Jillian Meadows can do no wrong! I read Wreck My Plans over Christmas and fell in love with her writing and characters so when I saw this ARC, I knew I had to have it! You know Ross Geller? From Friends? Imagine if he was less awkward and 1000 times sexier and then you would have Dr. Finn Ashford. The story follows Millie Oaks, entomologist at the Wilhelmina Natural Science Museum, and her journey through applying for a new position at work while also rediscovering herself after a relationship that took too much from her. Finn is the director of the Astronomy department, the new guardian to two little girls and he’s also on the interview panel for Millie’s dream job. Which is problematic when they establish a friendship but are both left with the feeling of wanting more. Workplace romance, single guardian, found family and grumpy sunshine all tied together with nerdy humor and topped with the sweetest nickname!

Thank you so much to Jillian for the opportunity to read this arc! I’ve loved reading your work and getting to chat with you as I read! You’re an auto-buy author for life and I can’t wait to read more of your work!

Give Me Butterflies was a super sweet read. I enjoyed the story and the characters. Overall, it was cute but not something super memorable.

Entomologist Millie has fought hard to come back to herself after ending a toxic relationship. She is ready to prove herself and further her career and won’t let grumpy astrologist Finn stand in her way. But after a coffee spill and a fender bender Finn and Millie can’t escape each other at the museum. After some bad first impressions, Millie and Finn learn the depths of grief and other vulnerabilities they refuse to share with anyone except to each other. Millie must choose between dating her coworker and potentially risking her promotion to follow her heart.

With the prominent message of found family, this romance tugs at the heartstrings while also giving so much joy, confidence and perseverance to both its readers and its characters.

3.5⭐️

If you’re looking for a sugary sweet, workplace romance…then I’ll think you’ll enjoy this! The banter was cute and all the characters were pretty likable.

My only complaint is that I did get a little bored since there wasn’t a huge conflict and the ex boyfriend drama was resolved pretty quickly. However, a lot of people will love the low stakes.

Workplace romance
Grumpy/sunshine
Single “dad”
A dash of ex-boyfriend drama
Topics of toxic relationships and toxic families

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

DNF did not enjoy the storyline. It unfortunately did not keep my attention and it felt a bit too insta love. Minimum build up for their relationship.

This book was good. Not bad, not great, but good.

I enjoyed the characters arcs both of the leads had. I think the enemies-to-lovers storyline was well written here.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a STEM romance where two curators at a science museum fall in love. This was honestly such a cute book and I loved the storyline. I don’t believe I read any STEM work place storyline and I just loved the layout of this book. The author did so well with balancing the work, the romance, the family and just about everything. The pacing was perfect and I loved the different conflicts in this book. I was never bored and just wanted to keep on reading without stopping. This book includes both Millie and Finn’s pov.

Millie is an entomologist who is trying to become the director. I really liked her character as she is strong, sweet, and just so caring. She has anxiety and I loved how she gets help from her friends to help with it. Then we have Finn who is known to be a grump but honeslty he is such a sweetheart who loves his nieces. I just loved how caring of a person he is. There are many side characters but I loved the girls and Millie’s family. The romance is grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, workplace romance, and a bit of enemies to lovers. There are a few steamy scenes but none that overpower the storyline.

The ending was well done and I really enjoyed this book. It was truly well written and I’m excited to read the next book in the series. I am excited for Theo and Fabs story because I know it will be amazing. I recommend checking this book out because you don’t want to miss out.

*this book was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

Comparing this to Ali Hazelwood was spot on — it has that steamy STEM setting with a funny narrative voice and quick pace. This book had a lot of great romance tropes; enemies to lovers, workplace romance, he falls first, grumpy vs sunshine. And all of them were done really well! I’m not usually the biggest fan of dual POV romances but I really enjoyed it it here. The two POVs really helped to build that chemistry and tension between Finn and Millie.

Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows is so adorably heartwarming with the perfect blend of laugh out loud humor, witty banter, blush worthy spice & all the feels you could ask for.

Give Me Butterflies is great for those looking to read…
🦋 Sweet & Spicy Romance
🦋 Single Uncle/Guardian
🦋 Workplace Romance
🦋 Characters in STEM
🦋 Forced Proximity
🦋 Shorter Chapters
🦋 Anxiety, Panic Attacks & Grief Rep.

This has banters galore & it is truly top notch. The connection between these two is evident right from the start even though it begins with friendly sparring, the small flame sparks from there & it is a joy to watch them blossom. I adored the short chapters as well as the quick pace of the novel, which made it easy to get lost in. I love seeing women in STEM. & this was just an excellent feel good romance, which I highly recommend.

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Avon for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

4.5 stars

Despite some tropes not fully excelling for me, I still enjoyed this STEM romance! The nerdy banter, lovable characters (well, most of them), and heartwarming found family dynamic made it a great read.

What stood out most were the real-life challenges woven into the story. Finn’s journey through therapy, grief, and raising his nieces felt authentic, while Millie’s pursuit of her dream job while overcoming past trauma added depth. Though the book had its share of clichés, they weren’t overdone.

That said, the pacing felt off at the start, and the slow-burn didn’t fully deliver. The grumpy-sunshine dynamic also faded too quickly, making their friendship feel too immediate.

Still, I highly recommend this book—Finn and Millie’s journey was a joy to read!

Words can not express how much I loved this book. There is the perfect amount of smut, fluff, and angst and add in a touch of found family and stubborn enemies to lovers it's such a fun read!

The way you write like Ali Hazelwood brings so much joy to my life. I love your characters, I love how consent heavy this is, I love the communication, and I love the green flags.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Give Me Butterflies
Author: Jillian Meadows

Crying, screaming, throwing up over this one. Absolutely loved it. Thank you for the copy Avon and Harper Voyager! This was a re release, and it originally came out in 2023! It was so friggin good. Millie works in a museum, and it has always been her dream to run her own department. A positon opens up and she ends up applying for it, and competing for the position against her toxic ex. Of course she accidentally runs into her coworker and spills coffee all over herself on her way to work one day. He works in the astronomy department, and is the known grump. Finn is an asshole on the outside, but on the inside he is just a sad guy raising his recently passed sister’s two daughters all by himself. Also his astronomy attire was hilarious. I need to get my husband some of those outfits. There connection was inevitable and I adored it. I loved Millie’s relationship with her friends and family, especially all of her group chats. This book had me swooning, and laughing out loud throughout the entire thing. Also give me a science/stem related romcom any day of the week. Can’t wait for more of this series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows!