I'm not sure I can fully put into words how much I adored this book. To start, this cover is beyond gorgeous 😍

Jillian Meadows gave us a relationship between the mc beyond just the steamy parts. I love the grumpy x sunshine with Finn and Millie. Their jokes and nerd banter are amazing, but even better is their honesty with eachother and communication. Finn is a top teir book boyfriend and seeing their story and relationship build in such a healthy and respectful way is a breath of fresh air.

Millie's family is that supportive family everyone wants in their lives. The Oaks Folks group chat is simply amazing. The text threads help build the characters of her family members, while also being hilarious and showing how much their care for eachother.

The stem aspect of this book makes it so much fun. The little insights to both of their professions give you some interesting facts without over taking the story.

I was loving reading about their friends (and finding out Lena has her own book, I will be running to read that next).

Jillian wrote about some heavy topics in this book, but did a beautiful job of not letting it bring the story down. Touching on hard topics makes you want to hug these mcs. Thank you for emphasizing the importance of open and honest communication! I love seeing Finn talk about therapy, showing the importance to deal with his grief and his challenges rasing the girls.


She intoduces the sisters so well in this story. I can't wait to see what comes next from Jillian (more about Fable hopefully)

Big Thank you so Avon/Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing me an ARC!

Let me start off by saying I’ve been in such a reading slump the last couple of days. I’ve been sick with a nasty cold and every book I’ve tried to read has resulted in some form of a DNF. I was scrolling through my ARCs on my kindle and immediately this cover drew me in. It’s was so bright, colorful and cheery literally everything I was desperate for in my time of need. “Give me Butterflies” did not disappoint. Reading this book was an immediate serotonin boost. This book was quite literally my perfect palate cleanser. “Give me Butterflies” is a perfect sweet and wholesome workplace romance featuring found family, grumpy x sunshine, and he falls first.

I cannot stress how much I thoroughly loved this book. I’m also still in complete disbelief that this was Jillian Meadows's debut. I can't wait to read more from her. And I’m so excited to have a new favorite romcom author. I can’t recommend this enough please check out this book. It’s the perfect romcom for any season!

This is a dual POV story following Finn and Millie. Both are scientists working at a museum. Finn is in astronomy and Millie is in entomology. Finn has lost his sister to illness and is now the guardian for her 2 adorable kids. Millie has just recently left her toxic relationship with her ex. The two are attracted to each other but Finn is perpetually scowling which gives Millie the wrong impression. Millie is also looking to advance in her career and take up the head of the entomology department. Over this course the two develop a friendship that is possibly on the brink of something more.

Millie is plagued with anxiety and added with a toxic ex, her self worth has been a struggle to get back. I love reading books about women in STEM and seeing them prevail in a male dominated field. Its even better when Millie is the bug lady and totally stomping stereotypes. I admired her tenacity and drive and kind heart. Also reading about Finns grief and how he's slowly overcoming it was great because it doesn't magically just disappear. The author shows how its a constant but can morph from debilitating to manageable and then to a place where you can look back and experience sadness and happiness at the same time.

The side characters definitely added to the story. I loved them. Those twins were so fucking adorable I wish they were real. Millie's friends and family are such big supporters and full of love. It was amazing to read of such a support system while chuckling at something crazy they said. (Sidenote: I need Theo and Fables story!)

It was great to see the toxic people being expelled from places they shouldn't belong to make way for a better future. That being said; the constant angst and tension of Millie's ex trying to get in contact with Millie felt like it fell flat and a bit lackluster when the conflict actually arrived. It felt like a big build up for little bang.

It was a really cute easy read. If you're looking for adorable and heartfelt, this is a book you should take a look at.

I loved Give Me Butterflies and I can’t wait to read more from this author. I thought this book was really well done, especially for a first-time author. The MCs were so well-written. Both of them have been emotionally abused in some way and have the scars to prove it, but the way they overcome them together is perfect. The side characters are amazing. I wish the author nerded out a bit more in Finn and Millie’s respective career fields, though. I think that would’ve added a bit more depth to the book and made it less generic. You could’ve substituted just about any scientific field or career and had similar results, though the astronomer part was played up much more than the entomologist part. The book was also perfectly steamy. Overall, just well done.

I received an ARC of Give Me Butterflies from NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

We definitely hit the grumpy/sunshine trope here hard (or at least initially). There's a lot here dealing with grief and loss and Finn being a single parent. There were a few things I would've liked to have seen done differently (for example, with Millie's ex) but overall I enjoyed this. I see the next book is about Millie's friend but I'm more interested in reading about her sister and the neighbor guy.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute, but a bit surface level for me. Millie and Finn started out disliking each other so you'd think enemies-to-lovers. But then they're friends by like 10% in and already on their way to lovers by 20%. All of the villains were one-note and and all of the conflict was too easily resolved.

Absolutely loved this book! It is a very very emotional book. However, The characters and love story make it worth pushing through.

I cannot express how sweet and rich and absolutely decadent this book is. I first read this back in 2023 and when I saw it was going to be trad (how delightedly deserved) I knew I had to get my hands on it again.

There is love OVERFLOWING from this book. Between Millie and her family. Between Finn and his girls. Between Millie and Finn themselves. There is fierce, protective love, and soft, gentle love. There’s light and laughter and also missteps and heartache and healing. Between the heated flirtations and the easy familiarity, Millie and Finn have almost my entire heart - because the rest of it goes to Eloise and Avery.

One of my favorite things about romances is how frequently they press on the importance of non-romantic relationships as well. The way Lena and Millie and their friend group care for each other and how easily they welcome Finn into their fold. The chaotic, loud, and undoubtedly unconditional love from Millie’s family is a constant warm hum in the background of all of her other relationships. But also, the sharp contrast of Finn’s relationship with his parents, and how those ties can impact every part of a life.

You have to wait a bit for this one, but it will be SO worth it, I swear. Also, Jillian has phenomenal taste in jeans and can make conversational latte art, so she is a triple threat (at least).

i absolutely LOVED THIS BOOK!!! it was SUCH a sweet story. Millie and Finn had the sweetest relationship and you can just see how much they care for eachother. the rivals to lovers trope was done so well and was a seamless transition but in the way we needed. Finn fell first and so hard and just such an amazing grumpy man who melted my heart.

More to come on goodreads!

4.5 stars

I loved Finn and Millie so much. I liked how they both had issues to work through and that they communicated and talked about them even if their first instinct was to pull away. They felt like very real, relatable people. They also both had such fun, unique jobs and even though I would’ve liked a little more detail about that it was still a fun detail about them both.
I will say there wasn’t really a reason for why they originally didn’t get along. It seemed like they knew each other for a while and were kind of antagonistic and then had several unfortunate run ins at the beginning of the book but then all of a sudden were friendly. But other than that I thought they had a really great dynamic and I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

A huge thank you to Avon books, NetGalley and Jillian Meadows for the ARC.

This book. THIS BOOK. It was absolutely swoon-worthy.

I've had the indie copy of this book on my Kindle Unlimited for ages, and I'm now kicking myself for not reading it sooner. When I downloaded the eARC from NetGalley, I read it within 24 hours. I was obsessed.

Give Me Butterflies is such a sweet, loving, romantic story between two co-workers who go from dislike to lovers over the course of the book. The main characters are great communicators once their relationship starts and their relationship is filled with nothing but green flags. I also loved Millie and Finn just for who they are individually. I love reading about women in STEM roles, and Millie being an entomologist was unique and intriguing. Both characters are sweet, loving, and dedicated to their jobs, their families, and each other.

This book is for you if you like:
* Single parent/guardian
* Co-workers
* Dislike to Lovers
* Who did this to you?
* STEM romances
* He falls first and harder

Unfortunately this wasn't my favorite book! I feel like I am not the audience for "enemies to lovers for one chapter " | need more animosity between the characters before they fall for each other in order for it to be labeled that in anyway! It was a cute, easy read! Thanks to net galley for the e arc!

I absolutely devoured this book. My favorite trope is grumpy/sunshine and Millie and Finn were so easy to root for. The understories of the impossibly adorable twins and their heartbroken Uncle Finn grieving a traumatic loss and Millie finding her way back to herself made me feel totally invested in this story and unable to put it down.
The writing was engaging and the pace of the book moved nicely, so much so that I finished the whole book in one sitting.
Anyone that likes swoon-worthy romance and a little spice will thoroughly enjoy this read!

This book was absolutely swoon-worthy. I, someone who isn't swoon-able, almost actually kicked my feet in two different scenes.

I love a good grumpy-sunshine-he-falls-first, and this absolutely fit the bill. I also adored those two little kids and my heart broke for them so many times.

Plus. The game store / bookstore scene. ............ I gasped in adorable.

Excited to read more from this author!

Having already read this book as a indie publication, then reading it again for a traditional publishing house... this book just gets better and better. Reading it again for the second time just made everything so sweet and I got to soak up all my favorite interactions and moments. I really think I ended up enjoying the book more overall the second time around. But for those who are reading it for the first time...

The relationship between Millie and Finn is like a warm hug on a cold day. It heartwarming and SO swoon worthy. Millie and Finn as individuals are amazing! They are both well established adults who understood the boundaries of their professional relationship before becoming friends then eventually lovers. I think the workplace aspect of this book is super realistic which is refreshing compared to some other workplace romances out there. I loved that Finn didn't hide what he was feeling for Millie or hide it for a majority of the book. He waited for her and gave her the space to figure out what she wanted/needed from her next relationship. And he still showed up for her throughout that time. SWOON!

Millie and Finn also had their own past traumas they were working through and they COMMUNICATED!!! I love when characters do that. I hate unnecessary conflict. When they did have conflict, it made sense for the characters and their relationship together. And guess what they did, they TALKED IT THROUGH! The heavier topics discussed in this book weren't overbearing, the book was still overall a very light read. Check TWs though!

Overall, this book is amazing! I love the romance, the setting, the communication, the side characters, everything was just too good.

This book was amazing! First of all the cover is so pretty and it definitely made me want to read the story. The romance was so cute and the banter was so funny!

I really loved this book, I finished it so quickly and I am now unnaturally obsessed with Finn. 🥵 Finn being so down bad and feral for Millie had me down bad and feral for Finn in response. 😅

I am typically not someone who picks up books with a single dad trope (he becomes the guardian of his nieces) but this book seriously had my heart bursting.

This cover is also SO CUTE?! I can’t wait to get a physical copy when it comes out in January.

Thank you to NetGalley & Harpercollins/Avon for sending me this ARC! 💖

3.5/5 stars

I wasn't entirely sold on this story at first. The characters felt a little flat at first and there was a bit of telling instead of showing over the course of the first few chapters (we were told more than shown that Millie and Finn were enemies of sorts). However, I am glad I stuck it out because it ended up being a really feel-good story overall and the characters felt much more dimensional as the relationship between Millie and Finn progressed. I am not usually a fan of stories where the main characters have kids, but Finn's role as guardian to his late sister's kids was so sweet that I didn't mind it so much. I will say that the portion of the story featuring Millie's ex as the villain could've used some more exploration. The conflict felt hollow because it ended with very little action on the part of Millie or Finn. Overall though, this was a solid read and perfect for someone wanting lighter fare with found family and a MMC that is respectful, communicative, and only mildly grumpy.

Very cutesie. Very demure. I loved the premise and how fun this was. Gave the vibes I was looking for and honestly so glad to have read it.

I loved this book! The characters had such depth, the story had so many layers and I didn't want to stop reading. The cover is beautiful and I loved reading this!