Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows completely stole my heart. This is the kind of romance that feels like a warm hug — comforting, swoony, and impossible to put down. I absolutely loved that it’s a wholesome workplace romance with a perfect mix of grumpy x sunshine, he falls first, and a soft, heartwarming found family dynamic.

One of my favorite things about this book was the sciencey side of it. Millie being an entomologist was such a fun and refreshing detail, and her passion for bugs brought such a unique charm to her character. Finn, on the other hand, is a grumpy astronomy head who serves on the interview committee, and I loved how their worlds collided in such an unexpected and sweet way. Their connection felt so organic and full of tension, and the academic setting added a really fresh backdrop to the romance.

Finn falling first had me melting. The way he softens for Millie, while still being his gruff, guarded self, was everything. Their banter was hilarious, their chemistry was undeniable, and the emotional growth between them made the romance feel so earned and satisfying.

Jillian Meadows also did a beautiful job weaving in themes of belonging, vulnerability, and healing. The found family element was touching, and every character felt real and lovable in their own way.

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books, and Jillian Meadows for the ARC. Give Me Butterflies is smart, tender, and delightfully nerdy in all the best ways. If you love STEM heroines, emotionally repressed astronomy guys, and all the cozy, heartfelt romance tropes, this one is an absolute must-read.

Omg, this book was amazing! You can’t tell me that Finn and Millie are not soulmates, their love for each other was so pure. Don’t get me started on the girls, I couldn’t get enough of Avery and Eloise! I loved how Finn and Millie’s relationship blossomed and the deep bonds she formed with the two girls. I loved how supportive Finn and Millie were to each other, no matter what dilemma was occurring. I’m mad at myself for not picking this book up sooner!

3.75 🌟
"Give Me Butterflies" is a cute, easy read with a dash of quirkiness. Millie is an upbeat ray of sunshine, compassionate entomologist who is over coming a deeply toxic relationship, while Finn is the grumpy, nerdy head of the astronomy department, who recently became the sole guardian of his sister's twin daughters. The pacing seemed a bit disjointed, with Finn going from not ever talking to Millie to "tracing her collarbone and neck" in a matter of pages. Finn falls fast and it's definitely an "insta love" but this is still a fun read. I'm excited to read Millie's sister's book next!

What we get
Dual pov
Women in stem
Grumpy×sunshine
He falls first
Nerdy hot guy
No third act breakup 🙌
Open communication and therapy!
Single dad/guardian

What might not work for you
Insta love leading to insta nicknames🫣
Very little drama=felt long

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

It has taken me way too long to review this book. I read this back in January and it was easily a five star read for me. In fact, it likely will be one of, if not the, top favorite books of the year. I loved everything about this story. Give Me Butterflies tells the story of Millie, an entomology curator, and Finn, the head of astronomy, who both work at the same museum. Millie finds herself up for a promotion but Finn being on the interview committee might mean disaster for her. What begins as a grumpy x sunshine romance soon turns to the sweetest, most endearing relationship ever. Finn is dealing with a lot of personal sadness, which is what Millie interprets as his grumpiness. But when his walls begin to break down and the two of them form a bond that is like none other, there's no stopping them. This is one of the most incredible romances I've ever read and I never want Jillian Meadows to stop writing books. As someone who often forgets what they read days later, the fact that these two have stuck with me all this time says something for sure.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC.

I absolutely loved this book! I loved both characters, their grumpish/sunshine tropes, their careers, and their personal lives. I love how they started as friends who were attracted to each other and their path to romance felt believable and real. I thought the beautiful cover was such a great compliment to a fun story!

Millie loves bugs. Yes, the creepy crawly little creatures that most people do not enjoy. She loves them so much that she is an entomology curator at the museum in town. There she is able to share her passion and love with everyone. However, she’s not able to share it with her grumpy space loving coworker, Finn Ashford. But there’s more to Finn than meets the eye, he’s juggling a job, grief, and raising two little girls. That’s a lot for one man to handle. At the rate him and Millie keep crashing into each other, literally, things are bound to happen right? Only time will tell.

Give Me Butterflies was a cute quick read! I think I definitely like science romance book more than I realize because this was giving Ali Hazelwood vibes. Both Millie and Finn are very passionate about their work and I love how Killian Meadows was able to tie both of their passions into their budding romance. *If you know you know*

Aside from their passions, being able to see/read how both Millie and Finn overcame their internal struggles gave them more depth and rounded out their characters even further. I love when main characters are able to work through their personal struggles and they don’t always have to rely on their love interest to do so.

However, at times I felt that Millie’s character overanalyzed and stressed about some things a little too much at times. It sometimes took away from her growth as a character. Plus the romance seemed a little rushed to me but that also could have been because there was a couple weeks with a time jump, so maybe there wasn’t any rushing at all. But the spice definitely helped make up for it.

Overall, this was a cute read that made me giggle throughout. I’m excited to see where the author takes this series and explore the different Oaks sisters.

This book was cute. A quick and easy read.
Millie & Finn were good characters, both vulnerable and guarded in their own ways. The relationship they form is a slow-burn that is fast-paced if that makes any sense. I loved the found family aspect of this book and the relationship Millie formed with Finn's nieces. Did not love that Millie's abusive ex was a part of the plot/conflict.

Soft, tender, and filled with quiet charm—Give Me Butterflies is a gentle start to the Oak Sisters series that left me smiling. Julian Meadows brings a comforting warmth to this small-town romance, with just enough emotional tension to keep you hooked. The chemistry builds slowly, but when it clicks, it feels earned and genuine—perfect for readers who love a slow-burn, character-driven love story.

There were a few moments where the pacing dipped or I wished for a bit more spark between the leads earlier on, but the emotional payoff was sweet and satisfying. It’s clear this book is laying the foundation for deeper stories to come, and I’m excited to follow the rest of the Oak Sisters as the series unfolds.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. A cozy, heartwarming read with room to grow—3.75 stars!

Great book! Loved the character growth and I am always here for healthy relationships. Even though it's a romance novel, I love learning about new careers!

Grumpy x sunshine, workplace romance, found family! What else could you ask for? I loved this book so much and I can’t wait for the series to continue!

This is a pretty typical forbidden workplace romance, grumpy/sunshine, single "dad" conglomeration. It ticks a lot of boxes and for the most part, it executes them pretty well. Finn is the grumpy tenured museum director who's become the guardian to his twin nieces after his sister's untimely death. He's still reeling. Sprinkle on top some gaslighting parents and he's one miserable MF'er.

Also, the author's choice to reintroduce said gaslighter toward the end of the novel was unnecessary and actually detracted from the story. It was silly and on the heels of the gratuitous third act break up was overkill.

Altogether this was a sweet, fluffy read and I will move on to the second book in the series, focusing on Millie's sister.

This was so soft and wholesome and amazing, I had such a great time reading it!

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I wanted to love this one. I loved that it was dual POV my favorite rom coms are normally the ones that do that because I love watching the hero fall in love with the heroine while we get his point. I loved Finn and I loved being in his point of view. I just never warmed up to Millie.

This was a very sweet, emotional romance with interesting characters and a believable story. I like that Meadows doesn't include a typical third act breakup and instead focuses on the growth of the 2 characters. Eloise and Avery were a delight and I loved their relationship with Millie. The side characters were charming and I would read a book featuring any of them. This was truly a wonderful romance that I highly recommend.

This book was....fine. I was really excited to read a woman in STEM-centered romance, but I found that the plot and setting barely took place in the museum and was mostly focused on the FMC getting to know the MMC's nieces. It was adorable, but I think I went into this with the expectation of it being something other than it was.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.


It took me forever to get to this one and what a mistake. I loved it! The plot of Finn and Millie’s work and romance was so delightful and I loved their characters and their community of friends and family.
The secondary storyline did feel a little shoehorned in but it was still a good conflict for a bit.

This book was such a cozy delight—it hit that perfect sweet spot of comfort without being boring. The cover reeled me in (yes, I do judge books by their cover) and the synopsis sealed the deal. Once I started reading, I found myself wanting more. I especially appreciated the thoughtful mental health representation and the warm, heart-hugging found family (because seriously, who can’t relate to building your own crew?). Bonus points for the lack of unnecessary drama and characters who actually communicate like functioning humans. Honestly, 10/10 for emotional maturity and good vibes.

Just finished Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows and… this was a 5-star swoon-fest 💕

If you love a grumpy academic MMC who flirts through arguments, gets adorably jealous, and secretly buys you coffee because he spilled yours DAYS ago—this is your book.

Finn and Millie have that chaotic, tension-filled, slow-burn chemistry that had me giggling and kicking my feet.

From fender benders to spider emails, pizza with nieces, and the “are you dating?” panic spiral—every scene was funny, flirty, and full of feels.

That first kiss dare? Perfection.

Plot twist? Emotional depth? Jealous meltdowns in kitchens? Yep.

Plus a sweet, wholesome ending that wrapped it all up like a warm hug.

I’m OBSESSED with this couple and already need more from Jillian Meadows! 🥹📚✨


IG: https://www.instagram.com/p/DKcdVu6sOFE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

GR: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7608886085

BLOG: https://beawritesandreads.substack.com/p/give-me-butterflies-by-jillian-meadows

Starting out, I want to say this is my first Jillian Meadows book. That being said, I did thoroughly enjoy this book and her as an author. Watching the chemistry build between the two main characters was enjoyable, and the mental health rep genuinely felt throughout and not overly done and sobby. I am also a sucker for a grumpy/sunshine trope.

I want to personally thank NetGalley, as well as the author, publisher, and anyone else involved in providing copies, for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jillian is new to me but I really loved this sweet and swoony workplace love story. With a great blend of opposites attract dynamics, found family charm, and all of that he falls first energy, this was such a sweet and charming story. Give Me Butterflies definitely gave me some butterflies...sorry I had to do it.

Our heroine Millie is an entomologist (never read a romance with one before), and she's aspiring for a promotion in her role at her museum. Which means impressing Finn, the grumpy head of the astronomy department who is helping lead the hiring efforts. But as always, we know there is more under the surface when we have a grumpy hero, and as this two get to know each other more, we find out there is more to Finn's surly facade. Finn is coping with the loss of his sister, and the important role of raising his two nieces. Cue all the swoon.

I loved how we see these two form a meaningful friendship as they get to know each other. Finn becomes increasingly charming the more we (and Millie) get to know him. They have a beautiful dynamic- it's authentic, it's respectful, it's full of empathy and true connection. It's really a friends to lovers dynamic here - and i loved how their friendship helped both of them uncover more about each other, and in turn about themselves. There's a nice emotional tinge to the sweetness here- as both of these characters grow into a vulnerability. It's a sweet love story, tender and heartwarming and quite sincere and charming. There's a beautiful emotional resonance to their character arcs and their love story, and I found myself completely charmed. Can't wait to check out more from Jillian!