POV: Dual
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

This book is just the sweetest and has all the heartwarming feels. I enjoyed the STEM part of the plot, and I feel like it takes a lot to surprise me and even I didn’t see the little twist coming! There were laughs and few tears, and overall I just wanted all the good things for both Finn and Millie, and I’m so glad they worked on themselves to get to their HEA!

unfortunately, i don’t think Jillian Meadows is the author for me (which makes me sad because i was highly anticipating her trad pub debut!m). i tried reading this (as well as her holiday romance) and just couldn’t get through it. i do want to say that Jillian Meadows is by NO MEANS not talented at her craft. i 100% see the appeal of her books, but there’s just something missing for me??? i so badly want to love her books, but they just don’t keep me invested or entertained :( for that reason, this book is unfortunately a no for me. DNF’d @ 69%

I really expected more of a grump to be honest, and he just really really wasn't. He was nice to everyone after exactly one moment of misunderstanding things. Otherwise, I liked this really sweet story of two people building their little found family together. I loved Millie's family and friends, and I'm glad that they all ended up happy in the end.

Make way for a new five-star grumpy/sunshine STEM romance. This is one not to miss!

✨ Five Star Book Review: GIVE ME BUTTERFLIES by Jillian Meadows ✨

🐞 Book Synopsis: Millie is a successful but self conscious natural science curator up for the director role at work. She’s been working over the past year to rebuild her confidence after a horrible past relationship. So, when the grumpy astronomy director at the museum that she can’t take her eyes off of is on the hiring committee, her nerves skyrocket. Finn isn’t all that grumpy though, he’s grieving his sister and trying to find his way while now caring for his adopted twin nieces.

🌟 My Take: This story has depth, so much tension and tenderness, steam, and nerdy banter. So, yeah, I loved it. Finn is a swoon-worthy book boyfriend and Millie is so relatable. The added layer of her past, Finn’s family drama, and each of their searches for balance make this story extra compelling. Highly recommend!

Read GIVE ME BUTTERFLIES for
🏛️ Science museum workplace romance
💫 Grumpy astronomer
🦋 Upbeat entomologist
🍕 Cooking lessons
🥐 Almond croissant reverence
💣 Family dynamics
🥰 Sweet dates
🔥 Slow burn steam

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 stars)

😘 Thanks to @AvonBooks for the gifted eARC. All opinions my own.

I really enjoyed this story. From the very beginning I was intrigued by Millie and Finn’s working relationship as well as where all of their tension came from. The writing style was really lovely and I think the heavier topics were handled with care. I loved the romantic relationship growth but also the relationships between Millie and the girls, as well as Millie’s family. The side characters were so much fun and I’m excited to read the next installment of this family.

I loved this book so much. The relationship between the two characters was so well molded and the mention of grief throughout really felt like it was handled with care. The two MC’s really made sure they communicated with each other and worked through their doubts.

while this was a cute, lighthearted cozy romance between two museum employees — finn, who works in the astronomy department, and millie, who works in the entomology department, and is rife with fun banter, sizzling tension, and popular tropes, this ultimately fell quite flat for me, to the point that i found myself setting the book down before finishing it.

on one hand, the bones of the story are great — finn is a grumpy, grieving single guardian to his late sister’s two daughters, and millie is a bit of a happy-go-lucky mess gunning for a promotion. the story starts out with finn and millie as ‘enemies’ — which rarely works well in a contemporary romance setting, and less so here as the enmity fades the minute finn remembers she has a nice body — which is to say, by like, chapter 2. it then somehow pivots from enemies-to-lovers straight into insta-love, which is a rather jarring adjustment, even for the yearniest of readers.

the ‘enemies’ part of the dynamic was underdeveloped and rushed, and the ‘lovers’ part of the dynamic felt cheap to boot, as finn’s POVs were dominated mostly by boring, one-dimensional thoughts into how hot she was. millie, meanwhile, functionally steps into the role of helpful coparent before even officially dating finn, which felt backwards and frustrating.

while both finn and millie were quirky and had potential, and finn’s nieces absolutely adorable side characters, this was ultimately not a very enjoyable read for me, lacking the romantic dimension and realistic character development that makes a contemporary romance book relatable and fun.

pick this up if you’re looking for something easy to read, though, with solid spice and a fun STEM setting, and a BEAUTIFUL cover — especially if you love a grumpy single guardian with a tragic backstory.

In this swoony, steamy STEM romance, two museum curators—Millie, an optimistic entomologist, and Finn, a grumpy astronomer—discover they're the perfect match despite their differences. Millie is focused on securing a director position, but her grumpy coworker Finn keeps distracting her, even though she's determined not to notice his blue eyes or nerdy charm. Finn, dealing with personal grief and life stress, isn't looking for a romance. However, when Finn is on the interview committee for the job Millie wants, the two are forced to confront their growing attraction, realizing that their hearts are more in play than they expected.

I really enjoyed how well the two main characters communicated and how they were on the same page about everything. I loved the two children in this book - they added so much depth to the story. The grief was handled really well. Overall, this was such a great story to read! If you're a fan of Ali Hazelwood, you'll be sure to love this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

If I could give this book 6⭐️ I absolutely would. Thank you Jillian Meadows for bringing this delightful story into my life and I cannot wait for the next one!

The tropes were fantastic! You have SO MUCH sexual tension, single dad (sort of), enemies to lovers (also sort of), TENSION, workplace, witty banter and did I mention the sexual tension???

I would like to take a minute to appreciate the amazing character progression of the main characters but especially Finn. I know he’s fictional but if Millie wasn’t interested in him, I would be asking for his phone number 😂

Finn is the best non-dad character I have ever come across and he deserves the world and everything great it has to offer him. And I’m so glad tow of those things were his nieces and another one was Millie.

Millie is also an absolutely amazing character. I was so proud of her for sticking to her guns on not starting anything up with Finn because he was in the hiring committee. But the second she found out he removed himself, all bets were off and boy am I glad they were 🥵

And don’t even get me started on Kyle… he doesn’t even deserve the recognition he’s getting in this very nondescript sentence.

I will definitely be buying this trophy for my shelves and telling everyone I know to read it immediately! Also, for anyone who likes audiobooks, thank me later 😉

"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty" - Maya Angelou

CUTEST STEM romance EVER! I adored this book. This is truly the rivals to lovers story of my dreams!!!
Yes, it's a rom-com, but it also deals with heavier topics that add so much emotional depth to this story!
Finn is the definition of a golden retriever...with a grumpy exterior at times :)
This book covers many romance tropes, all done to PERFECTION!

" She's glowing all the time, illuminating everything around her, and the blazing light feels like a third-degree sunburn for a man who has been in the dark for too long."

"I could stay like this for as long as she'd let me."

"His eyes are as dark as the night sky, and I'm falling into them, drifting through space without oxygen or anything to tether me. I'll be completely lost there forever, and I'm still longing for it."

"An electric current zaps through my body from our joined palms, doing irreparable damage to my heart. It will never recover from this."

Thank you NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for providing this E-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Jillian Meadows does it again. Writes a cozy, emotional book that makes me feel like I’m wrapped up in the warmest hug.

This was such a warm and fuzzy, comfy, cozy, happy, low stakes rom-com that so many of my favorite Booksta friends love and I am here for it 👏🏻.
I read Wreck My Plans first during the holidays in 2023, and I loved the writing and characters, so I was so excited for an opportunity to read Jillian Meadows' trad rerelease of Give Me Butterflies. The rerelease apparently has some additional scenes added to the original (which I didn't get to), so it's definitely worth it to grab even if you read her self-published version.
Give Me Butterflies is a workplace romance, single Dad, MMC, FMC in a STEM field, and lots of nerdy boardgame/movie/TV fun. Millie and Finn are adorable and their meet cute is wholesome, and their story is sweet and natural, but will still make you sweat a bit 🥵. This is the low stakes part. Finn's backstory, how he became a guardian, his childhood, etc, is not so low stakes, as well as parts of Millie's past, and any TWs provided should be considered. However, I didn't find this to be a rom-traum or an emotional rom-com, it was a comfort read for sure.
Finn's nieces are adorable, and you can definitely tell that Jillian has kids, they were written so well. I also loved meeting Millie's Family and am excited for her sisters' books, especially if Fable and Theo are one of them 😉. The friend group side characters are also really great, and I absolutely loved seeing an update on Lena from Wreck My Plans in the bonus epilogue.
Overall this is a book hug! I'm not even sure if there was a third act breakup, maybe we can call it a third-act conflict, but it was so real and natural that I didn't find myself hauling a Kindle across the room like I want to do with so many 😂. Millie and Finn will definitely stick with me as one of the sweetest book couples. I'm excited to read more releases from Jillian Meadows for sure 💕

adore this book. It doesn't even have to become my personality, because it's already my personality. Gilmore Girls, board games, a semi-subtle SJM joke.... I identify with this book 😆. And I absolutely love the characters.

Finn! The hand flex! The cookie dough 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 I have read that cookie dough scene and embarrassing number of times. Finn is top tier. I was already on board from the beginning with his grumpiness. But then you add in his nieces and he got 1000x better. His devotion to those girls is amazing. I LOVE a grumpy softy. Especially a grumpy softy who goes to therapy! 🙌🙌🙌

I love Millie. She is so cute and fun and nerdy. I loved how much thought she put into how a relationship with a coworker would affect her work. Her past relationship history is absolutely devastating and infuriating, and it's amazing to see her overcome it. Her relationship with the girls is perfect and beautiful and honestly I was almost more invested in them than Millie and Finn. Almost.

The spice in this book is excellent. The build up in the first half had me screaming. I was obsessed with Millie and Finn. Their chemistry is 🔥

I love Millie's family. Her parents are adorable and perfect and they made me cry during the second epilogue. I also love her sisters. The fact that this is book 1 of the "Oak Sisters" series makes me absolutely ecstatic. I cannot waith for Fable and Theo's book!

The bonus epilogue in this edition is absolutely adorable. It gives all the sweet found family vibes with Millie, Lena, and Micah. The adorable moments with Millie, Finn, Avery, and Eloise. And of course the delicious spice with Millie and Finn. It's basically all the feels of the book, in travel size. Loved it!!!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and our main characters. I was drawn into the story immediately! This book lost a star on my end though because I feel like it was insta-love for Millie and Finn. Millie tells us that Finn is broody and doesn’t like her, but we as the reader never really see that. I feel like the author did a lot of telling and very little showing when it came to characters emotions and feelings. I still loved the book and the pacing of the story! I cannot wait to read about the other Oaks sisters!

This was a cute story!! I loved the way that the toxic ex storyline was dealt with. I found Millie's journey of learning to speak up for herself to be very relatable. Finn was the softest, sweetest cinnamon roll and I loved how supportive he was of Millie. I personally wanted a little more development between them because it felt like the emotional development happened too quickly but for those looking for a low-stakes, cozy romance this will be perfect!

This was a fun, rom-com novel, with a charmingly grumpy guy and a sunny, cheerful girl. I enjoyed the characters and found Meadows' prose entertaining and engaging.

I appreciated seeing the personal challenges both Finn and Millie face, and I like that Meadows let these be an organic source of conflict rather than engineering a crisis or falling on the dreaded miscommunication trope. This is a relationship where both characters have the potential to make one another better, and Meadows leans into that dynamic.

I usually find children in rom-coms annoying, but Meadows has a deft hand and clearly knows 5-year-olds. The girls, Finn's nieces over whom he has guardianship, are characters in their own rights, not props or some kind of inconvenience, and they add nuance to the story.

Good read! I'll look for more from Meadows!

This was one of the sweetest romances I’ve read recently. Finn is the typical grump but then you see that it’s all just a cover for the grief and loneliness he’s feeling surrounding a family members passing.
I loved the representation of anxiety in the character of Millie because I have struggled with it myself, and it made me feel seen and connected to her. The character development in this was amazing. So many great traits and aspects were brought into the story for the characters.
It is definitely a slower build, but she knocked it out of the park for her first book and I cannot read to read more from this author

I REALLY enjoyed this book! The entire premise was so interesting to me and i loved the 2 MC’s 😭😭😭 it left me with all the warm fuzzies

This book was so sweet! Definitely gives all the feels of a Hallmark movie with a dash of spice. The family and friend relationships are perfection (minus Finn’s parents 😒). Also, Theo immediately caught my eye so I’m hoping book two is about him and Fable. I just know it’s going to be good!

I am quite sad that this ended up being a DNF for me. I made it to the halfway point and just couldn't bring myself to continue... This book actually started with a very different vibe. I was convinced I was reading a potential 5 star story early on, but I think things changed in the 2nd quarter.

Let me just say up front that this wasn't awful. I would feel very comfortable recommending this book to others and I think a lot of my issues are fairly subjective. But there certainly are things that I wish the author hadn't done or did differently.

To start, my biggest issue was the pacing. I stopped reading because I didn't feel I had anything to gain from reading a whole other half of the story. What was going to happen that didn't already occur? Millie and Finn established that they had feelings for each other a long time ago and have been basically living a cute domestic life together. They've even hooked up already, although I can't remember much about it because I was so UNinvested I tuned out and skipped a bit. He even already told her that he dropped off the hiring committee so there is nothing standing in their way. The only remaining plot lines are whether Millie will get the job and what she's going to do about her ex - neither of which were strong enough to sustain a whole half a book.

On that note, the plotline of Millie's ex was completely unnecessary. I don't think the author did a good enough job of establishing Millie's trauma from that relationship so it felt unrealistic. We had enough drama going on with Finn's situation and didn't need more. Then I found out from another review that he was going against her for the job and I can't explain how ridiculous that sounds to me. That entire storyline could have and should have been cut.

I think the author tried to do too much. There were too many tropes and elements that didn't need to be there. Things could have been much simpler - grumpy, single "dad" and a work place rivalry. That's all we needed.

All of that said, I liked that this took place in a museum and in the sciences and I liked our characters. I can see myself recommending this to someone someday because I think plenty of people could enjoy it. I wish I had loved it but it just wasn't for me.