3.5 stars!

Opposites attract when an entomologist looks up from her insects and notices that the cranky astronomer at the science museum she works for is actually pretty cute. Millie is focused on preparing to apply for her retired boss's job; Finn is raising his sister's twin five-year-olds while still reeling from his sister's death from cancer. When Avery and Eloise show up for the museum's camp program, Millie at first thinks Finn is a single dad that's been holding out on her. When her friend Lena manipulates her into making pizza for Finn and the girls, the night is an unexpected delight for all of them, and they fall into a regular Friday night routine of dinner and dance parties. Finn and the girls show up for game night with Millie and her circle of friends and fit right in with their offerings of Goldfish crackers and fruit snacks amidst the wine.

Uneven writing and a chain of awkward events in a row at the beginning gave me pause, but then the characters found their voices and Meadows hit her stride. There's a dark element: Millie's ex was emotionally abusive and controlling, and diminished her spirit and spark until she wasn't sure who she was. She's been taking time to rebuild herself. The ex's renewed vigor with texting Millie with increasingly violent and unhinged messages had me yelling like Lena: just block him! This abusive relationship is contrasted with Millie and Finn's snarky, sassy banter (OMG their emails!), loaded with geeky references; the ethical dilemma of Millie's potential career move and Finn's position on the hiring committee; and the screamingly funny group chat between Millie's parents and siblings. Her parents own a farm, and she visits them once a month--when Finn and the girls score an invite, it's a really lovely, warm time for all of them.

Before I knew it, I was 65% of the way through, watching a grumpy cinnamon roll of a man having a conversation with his therapist about navigating dating while actively parenting. AND THEN THEY WENT ON A DATE TO A GAME STORE AND A BOOKSTORE AND HE PURCHASED EVERYTHING SHE PICKED OUT AT BOTH LOCATIONS AND I GOT SO HOT AND BOTHERED I HAD TO PUT THE BOOK DOWN AND TAKE A BREAK. The love scenes were detailed, consensual, and passionate, but repetitive and formulaic--these days, I'm into everything but PiV, creativity, realistic orgasms, and humor and awkwardness. Still, this was a satisfying read that could have been even stronger on the STEM details and harder on the abusive ex. Ali Hazelwood has the STEM market cornered; try Josie Silver's A Winter in New York or Chloe Liese's Wilmot Sisters series for another take on no longer taking men behaving badly and recovering from a controlling relationship.

I recieved a free advance reader's review copy of #GiveMeButterflies via #NetGalley, courtesy of #AvonHarperVoyager. This review will post to HLBB on 1/21/2025.

This is a fantastic women-in-STEM romance! I'm always looking for those heroines who have been through something but quickly regain their confidence and that's 100000% our gal Millie. I also love seriously good men who pick up the slack when other people fall through, and that's precisely what we have in bachelor-turned-immediate-dad-to-two-little-girls-Finn.

Found family is a trope near and dear to my heart and I loved journeying with these characters as they found their way into a happy home!

Definitely one to pre-order!

A Warm Hug of A Book

| contemporary romance | sweet | heart warming | astronomer x entomologist | museum | enemies x lovers | workplace romance | caregiver | mental health rep | SPICY | tender | nerd humor | humorous | romantic comedy | netgalley arc | nicknames | dual POV | friendship | guardian | loss of a loved one | grief | women in STEM |

This was seriously a warm hug of a book. It literally gave me butterflies.

I want to say that as someone who can love both a slow burn and a fast burn, this was the perfect middle burn. Jillian does not keep you waiting, but she also builds it enough that even a landmark of movement in a developing relationship can be greatly appreciated and feel perfectly timed.

Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows made me laugh with joy, and cry with both happiness and sadness at times. Honestly, there is something so satisfying and fulfilling to feel the depth of your emotions through someone else's story (even if it's fictional because even fictional stories can be inspired by real-life events for a real human out there).

I am always blown away by stories that manage to pull both happiness and sadness from me because for me that story is believable, it is, in essence, the full package because actual laughter and actual tears are on the extreme sides of emotion for me. To provoke those feelings in me, I have to really feel like part of the story. I truly felt this story, there are so many things that resonated with me and quite simply gave me butterflies.

Born from a deep love found in the books written by Ali Hazelwood, I am extremely attracted to stories about women in the field of science, women in male-dominated industries, and relationships that form and bond over the most nerdy of things (because I am, in fact, a nerd). This book hits that Ali-induced itch and I was overjoyed to stumble upon a book that had similar vibes, strong characters, and a real story behind the romance.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves Ali Hazelwood, fans of Star Trek/Star Wars (and nerdy humor in general), and romance readers out there who love a good story with spice.

Happy Reading, Friends xx

This book feels like wrapping up in a soft blanket on a cold day—comforting, emotional, and incredibly fulfilling.. It follows Millie, a positive yet anxious entomologist up for a promotion at her museum, and Finn, the grumpy astronomy department head on her interview committee. At first, Millie finds Finn irritating, but as they keep crossing paths, she realizes his grumpiness is a mask for the grief and stress he’s carrying as the sole guardian of his twin nieces, Eloise and Avery, after losing his sister.

What makes this story shine is the authentic, slow-burn development of their relationship. Finn might seem rough around the edges, but he’s a softie at heart—especially when it comes to his nieces. Watching him fall for Millie (hard and first!) while trying to juggle parenting, grief, and work is heart-melting. Millie’s journey is equally compelling as she balances her ambitions, anxiety, and the aftermath of a toxic past relationship. Together, they form a healthy, supportive partnership built on trust and communication.

I loved how there was no unnecessary drama or a third-act breakup—just genuine challenges like balancing work, family, and personal growth. The moments between Millie, Finn, and his nieces are pure wholesomeness, and Millie’s family and friends add warmth and humor. The pacing is slower, with lots of small, everyday moments, but it makes their connection feel so real.

If you love grumpy x sunshine, found family, and romances with minimal angst, this book is a gem.


Thank you so much NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for eARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reading Give Me Butterflies was an absolute emotional ride—it truly gave me butterflies and has officially earned a spot as one of my all-time favorites. This beautiful reprint of the 2023 release hits shelves on January 21, 2025, and if you’ve been procrastinating like I did (this was way too long on my TBR!), don’t wait any longer.
Let’s talk Finn. Finn is perfection personified, and I mean that in the most heartfelt way. His kindness, vulnerability, and strength brought me to tears multiple times—happy, emotional tears. This book delivers everything:
* Hilarious family group chats.
* A beautifully supportive found family of friends.
* Heartbreaking yet hopeful healing journeys for both Finn and Millie.
* Sweet little girls who simultaneously broke my heart and pieced it back together with their warmth and innocence.
The story’s bittersweet undertones hit so close to reality. It’s gut-wrenching to think that these challenges mirror so many people’s lives, but the thought of having a Finn or Millie to lean on is a balm to the soul. Their relationship and healing journey were gorgeously written—I never wanted the story to end. Luckily, there’s more coming, with a series focused on the other Oak sisters!

This book is packed with feels—smiles, swoons, giggles, and those toe-curling moments where you just want to hug the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this ARC!

If you’re a fan of STEM romances, heartwarming relationships, and meaningful emotional journeys, Give Me Butterflies will absolutely steal your heart.

Such a sweet story! I loved the STEM, spicy, enemies to lovers aspect of this! I can’t say enough good things about it. It’s definitely in my top reads for the year!

This was a delightful, emotional book. I was excited to read this one because I adore work place romance and self-proclaimed needs in STEM. But I wasn't expecting so much depth, and touches of heavier topics like death of a sibling, guardianship of children, and domestic abuse. But Jillian wrote it so well, and I found myself laughing and crying in equal measure.

Millie and Finn are scientists who work at a museum, her in entomology and he in astronomy. She is sunshine and he is brooding but as they spend more time together, an undeniable attraction forms. However, she is up for a promotion that he's on the hiring committee for, she's recovering from an abusive relationship, and he is busy raising his twin 5 year nieces. All of this should serve to keep them apart, but instead, a beautiful friendship forms and slowly builds to more.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the fact that both main characters acted like mature adults who were able to communicate their issues in an open and honest way. While there were definitely some moments of miscommunication or lack of communication, they didn't last long and were resolved in a satisfying way. Finn's twins were cute and sweet and his relationship with them was absolutely perfect. Millie struggled with past demons, but she worked so hard on healing herself and I loved seeing her open up to Finn and develop a relationship with his girls.

If you're looking for a beautiful romance, full of heart and emotion, be sure to add this one to

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

This book was very sweet. It had your typical predictable grump to loveable character trope and I loved the nerdy characters and funny banter. It was a quick read which was exactly what I needed.

This was my first time reading this author but I'd heard so much about her books I knew I had to give this a try.

Give Me Butterflies is the perfect title for this swoony romance. The romance here is so sweet! It's has the classic grumpy x sunshine workplace trope but it's done to perfection. I absolutely could not get enough of Millie and Finn. They were too adorable. I also liked that they had a very healthy relationship. The drama was mostly from external sources. I liked seeing a healthy relationship play out, especially one that doesn't have a third act break-up too. Bonus! There are some steamy scenes which I found to be tasteful and true to the characters. I really liked the steam here. It was sexy without being over the top. Just the right amount.

I loved the museum workplace setting too. I thought it was so different from what readers usually see in this trope. It offered a lot of cool stuff and character moments.

You will devour this romance if you love grumpy x sunshine, workplace romance, single guardian and he falls first. Highly recommend!

I cannot believe this is the author's first book. It's a masterpiece. It's one of the most romantic stories with a beautiful and well done plot. I love the tiny twists and the growth from both characters . It is a little long but I found myself clinging to every word and it only helped me grow more in love with the characters and their story. I wouldn't call it an enemy to lovers as they didn't stay enemies very long but there is some spice and lots of chemistry. Definitely recommend for anyone looking for a romantic read. I read it in one night as I couldn't put it down. The writing was as expected for a romance and some of the turn of phrases were very beautifully written.

Thank you so much for the ARC!

Oh. My. Goodness. I have a new book boyfriend. The way I have fallen for dr Finn ashford?!?! The fact that this man has been into her since he first laid eyes on her but she think he’s just a grumpy guy while he tries to keep his distance … GIMME. I loved everything about this book. I honestly can’t wait for the next ones to come out.

A truly endearing book. Finn is the ultimate book boyfriend and support to Millie as she heals from a previous abusive relationship. And it's a joy to see Millie equally show up for Finn and his nieces as they navigate the loss of their sister/mother. It was good to see an author shed light on narcissistic abuse in the form of parenting and also in the form of a romantic relationship. Meadows created an enjoyable and life giving ensemble cast as well. Highly recommend.

I absolutely adored this book! I loved both Millie and Finn. The scene where Millie was making pizza with the girls reminded me of the scenes from The Holiday where Amanda was with Graham and his daughters.

I liked how protective and supportive Finn was towards Millie. I really enjoyed seeing them both heal and grow both individually and together.

As someone who has been in Millie’s shoes, I was so proud of Millie for finally standing up to Kyle, he was an awful human. It was so sad to hear about how he made her feel, and that Finn dealt with something similar with his parents. All I can say about his parents: disgusting.

I absolutely adored the girls, I loved how much they admired Millie. It was so cute how Avery found comfort in Millie, especially when trying new things or dancing. I thought it was very special that the girls were encouraged to remember their mom, how Millie had them write letters to her, and how Finn talks to her through the constellation.

I liked how everything in the story was tied to butterflies / the title. The cover is gorgeous!

Overall, I have no notes, I absolutely loved how this story made me feel.

4.5⭐️ Rounded up!

I received an ARC from Avon and Harper Voyager through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Review: Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows

Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows is a delightful and heartwarming romance that beautifully blends humor, emotional depth, and the charm of everyday life. The story centers on Millie, a passionate entomology curator who is dedicated to her work at the museum. She’s on the cusp of a big career move, interviewing for the department director role. However, her biggest distraction comes in the form of Finn, her grumpy coworker who also happens to be her rival for the position.

Finn, an astronomer at the same museum, is navigating the complexities of grief while caring for his twin nieces. The tension between him and Millie is palpable from the start, creating an engaging “grumpy/sunshine” dynamic. Meadows skillfully uses this trope, balancing the prickly exterior of Finn with his softer, more vulnerable moments, especially around his nieces. Millie’s determination and anxiety are portrayed with nuance, making her a relatable protagonist.

The novel’s strength lies in its slow-burn romance and its focus on personal growth. Both characters are dealing with their insecurities and past traumas, and their relationship becomes a space for healing and mutual support. Meadows also incorporates mental health representation, touching on themes like anxiety and therapy, which adds a layer of realism to the characters’ journeys.

Give Me Butterflies is a well-written romance filled with heartfelt moments, endearing characters, and just the right amount of tension and humor.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books / Harper Voyager for this eARC.

This book was so romantic, it had me sighing longingly and grinning ear to ear the entire time. It’s mushy gushy wonderful. Jillian captured the craving to love and be loved beautifully.

I got butterflies reading into the nervous energy of wanting to let someone new into your world and hoping they’ll want you back. It’s a happy reminder to trust that love can conquer big obstacles when you’re both choosing each other.

The complex familial relationships and strong friendships really made this story special. And the empowering HEA really made this such a lovely book to read. I highly recommend it.

Adorable romance between two Science nerds Millie & Finn. They both have reasons to avoid relationships. Millie has worked hard to build her career and is aiming for a big promotion. Finn has suffered a great loss and now finds himself raising his twin nieces. They cautiously begin a friendship but can’t deny their true feelings. Loved the storyline and diversity of characters. Would highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Publishers.

Oh, how I devoured this book. I was always a sucker for workplace romance, and in STEM? God, that was everything I needed because Finn and Millie captivated me completely.

Their dynamic was so satisfying even before they realized their feelings. I loved how comfortable Millie was with Finn. And, the adorable little ones, my heart broke for them. But I am so glad they have Finn and Millie (grandparents).

The way Finn grappled with his trauma, a result of his parents' negligence, was truly inspiring. His determination to be a better person for the little ones and Millie was commendable, making him a partner anyone would be lucky to have.

And to say I hated Kyle was an understatement. He was a moron without any ounce of conscience. I wanted to jump into that universe and smack him to teach him a much-needed lesson! However, I am proud of Millie for moving past it and focusing on her career and dreams instead of letting an idiot get in her way.

Overall, I loved the book. It was an easy, comfortable read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Jillianmadows, for the ARC. I am completely in love with it.

I really enjoy this book! I’m not usually phased by character names but I kept saying out loud Millie & Finn! I was obsessed with their names & their characters. The communication in this book was top tier!!

Tropes:
Grumpy x Sunshine

Workplace Romance

STEM MCs

Cinnamon Roll MMC

Single Guardian

He Falls First

Grief and Healing

This was so good and the perfect welcome into Jillian Meadows books for me! It had everything - sweet, tears, swoony, spicy. The tension between Finn and Millie was 🥵. I caught myself just smiling 95% of this read. This was such a heartbreaking yet sweet version of the single dad trope which I loved! I cannot wait for the next books in this series because I just know they are going to be just as good!

Millie was never one to take the expected path, she goes after her dreams no matter what. The director position at work is no exception but her grumpy coworker isn’t making it easy to achieve. He’s got a lot on his plate juggling the loss of his sister, taking care of his nieces and work. There’s no time for distractions. In the end there might be more than just a job on the line for Millie.

This book hit me right in the feels and is easily one of my favorite reads of the year. The characters are authentic and jump off the page. They might be opposites but they bounce off each other so well and their chemistry is electric. There are plenty of spicy scenes to prove it.

The girls are adorable and I loved watching them open up to Millie. They’ve been thru so much at such a young age and seeing them flourish in their new home made me emotional.

I must say the new cover is GORGEOUS, the illustrator really outdid themselves. The spice level is just chef’s kiss and the dual pov is used in an impactful way. Can’t recommend this book enough!

Read this if you like
🦋Workplace romance
🩵Single parent
😭Emotional reads
🔥Spice