Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This book was so cute and unique. I loved how our main characters and their relationship grew throughout the book. I loved their communication and the found family aspect of the book.

A very sweet grump/sunshine workplace romance. Even with the heavier themes of emotionally abusive familial and romantic relationships, loss of a loved one, and struggles of self-worth this book remains beautifully comforting. As a chronic apologizer the dedication pulled me in and as someone who has experienced relationships like Finn and Millie I was hooked. I appreciated how the focus was on two damaged people helping each other become whole again and doing it together. The evolution of their relationship was very sweet and the girls were an added bonus. I wish we had some more Eleanor and even more Oaks family interactions! I will happily keep reading Oaks Sisters series, they stole my heart. Thank you Avon & NetGalley for the e-ARC to read and review!

I really liked this book! It was sweet, swoony, cozy. It was nice to see Millie have a great support system to help build herself back up after having an emotionally abusive ex and I really enjoyed seeing Finn do his best to support her and himself while also taking care of his nieces.
I did take off a little since it wasn't exactly grumpy/sunshine since Finn was pretty much down bad for her from the get-go and STEM wasn't really a pivotal thing in the plot at all.
I also appreciated the book not having a third act breakup, it didn't feel necessary considering the arcs the characters were already going through aside from the decent communication they'd built together up until that point.

Thank you again NetGalley and the publisher for the E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Give Me Butterflies" by Jillian Meadows was one of my most anticipated books! I ended up reading it in 2 days because I just couldn't put it down!
I absolutely loved it!!

The workplace romance, found family, slow burn, and grumpy/sunshine tropes were just written perfectly! I even loved the single uncle aspect! Sometimes the surprise kids trope is not a favorite of mine but in this case it just made the mmc so much more likable and relatable! The nieces were adorable and impossible not to love!

I did think this would have more of an enemies to lovers feel and to me it was more insta-love with a fornbidden romance. This did not take away from how much I loved it though!

Finn Ashford will forever be one of my favorite book boyfriends!

Thank you so much Netgalley for the eARC and Avon for the physical copy!!

Thank you Jillian Meadows, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book is about two STEM curators at a science museum falling for each other! Millie is up for a promotion as a director, but grumpy co-worker Finn is on the interview committee, and my lord does he own that permanent scowl.
This book is a STEM romance, and is the first book in the Oaks Sisters series! This book is expected to rerelease on January 21st, 2025.

➼ found family
➼ slow burn
➼ STEM
➼ grumpy/sunshine
➼ he falls first
➼ single uncle

Trigger warning(s): verbally abusive ex

I was super excited to read this book, as it was my first STEM romance! I was however disappointed by how many tropes were pushed into this story. I think the storyline was great, but there was just too many tropes it was trying to be, rather than focusing on one specific trope and executing that all the way through. Also the love felt like it was forced and there truly was no "enemies to lovers" cause we didn't get to see HOW and WHY they were enemies, they just almost immediately hopping into something more than friends.

Millie Oaks is an entomologist who ADORES her job. As she should, she seems really good at it! She loves her family and is a great entomologist who deserves that director position. I definitely appreciated the character growth with her, the little bit that she did have!

Finn Ashford is an astronomer at the science museum that Millie works at! He is also a part of the interview committee that will decide if she gets hired or not. There is a lot that is misunderstood about Finn in the beginning, but Millie finds out very quickly why. He also had a lot of character growth, especially with his cooking LOL! I also loved seeing the growth as a guardian over his twin nieces.

Book boyfriend? yes, but not for me!

★★★
🌶️🌶️

I knew this was going to be five stars early in. It was everything I could ever want in a romance! Good communication, lovable side characters, mental health representation, inside jokes and good steamy scenes! This also had some baking elements in it, which are always a favorite of mine in books. I loved hearing about their jobs at the museum, the cute dates, and seeing Finn and Millie be there for each other and their girls. Millie’s family and friends were so supportive and I fell in love with them almost as much as the main characters. This was such a cozy, warm hug of a book and I can’t wait to tell everyone I know to read it!

I loved the women in stem representation and the cover is also SO perfect for the book!

Thank you so much to Avon Books for an early copy of this book! 💖

OH MY GOSH! This is one of my new fav rom-com obsessions!!! Give Me Butterflies is an enemies to lovers + STEM + workplace romance + opposites attract + grumpy x sunshine!!! I mean what a PERFECT combo! 🤩 I absolutely adored this book! I got so sucked in that I literally thought I would finish reading the book in one day (but I didn't cuz I didn't want it to actually be over 😭)! This book will definitely be a hit for people who love books like Snowed Under by Juliana Smith and books like The Love Hypothesis or Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood! 🫶 There's an AMAZING combo of found family and banter and quirky characters and I absolutely love ALL of it!!! 💞 There's even my fav microtropes like the female main character taking care of the male main character while he's sick! And makes him chicken soup! 😭

It's been a couple weeks since I've read this and I'm STILL thinking about it! I loved it so much and I cannot wait for book 2 in the series! 🥹

Accurate title because this WILL give you butterflies. THIS 👏🏼 MAN 👏🏼 my god, every time he said piccola I actually started melting. The invisible string of Millie and Finn ties this whole story together from start to finish. Ready to move on from a recently toxic time Millie is getting back on track, starting with interviewing for her dream job. She quickly realizes that her process might be short lived however when she sees the grumpy man she can’t stop fumbling in front of is on the hiring committee. Finn is starting it out on his own fresh path after becoming the guardian of his two nieces. The two become a perfect pair experiencing new things, learning from each other and bringing joy to the little world they’re creating.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the Publisher for letting me read a copy of this book! This one really hit me in my feelings. Not only was it pulling at my heartstrings, but I also found myself giggling and kicking my feet. Although the characters were slightly formulaic and a bit bland at times, they were overall likeable and the book was a fun read. There are a bit
Of topics discussed in the book that might be triggering for some, so I really appreciated the author
Being transparent about those from the beginning. But despite those more difficult topics, the book left you feeling happy and warm and fuzzy by the end. All in all, great read that was so well done!

dnf at 50%

the single guardian element in this is so so sweet and i honestly love what a central role it takes on in the main couple’s dynamic. sadly, there was not much transition from their workplace tension to all of a sudden hanging out together as one big family so the switch from “grumpy” to clearly crushing was so sudden, it almost felt like whiplash to read.

the humor also fell a bit flat for me so it was hard to connect with the characters but this is an entirely subjective opinion so it might be a hit for others!

thank you avon & harper voyager for the opportunity to review an advanced digital copy 💌

Two things that need to be acknowledged right off the bat:
1: This special edition cover is gorgeous! 🦋✨
2: Finn is a walking array of green flags in every shade of the color. 💚

I enjoyed the character development that Millie goes through. After finally breaking free from a toxic relationship, she becomes comfortable with herself and finds the tools and support she needs to stand up for herself. The journey Finn goes on to figure out how to find a healthy way to remember his sister while still moving forward in his life, and raising his nieces without being consumed by the role of guardian is endearing. We all need a little therapy!

The different relationships between Millie and Finn’s nieces, Finn and his nieces, and Millie and her family are all incredibly sweet and well rounded.

Also, the date to buy games to play together and books to swap is swoon worthy 📚🎲

I did find that the first 30% of this book was a bit slow, and took a little patience to get into. I also found that, while Finn had some grumpy moments, he didn’t truly feel like a “grump” in this story.

Excited to see how Fable and Tess’s stories turn out!!📚
—
🦋Debut novel
🪐Re-release
🦋Women in STEM
🪐Romantic comedy
🦋Grumpy/sunshine
🪐Astronomy
🦋Entomology
🪐Museum
🦋Recent loss of a sibling
🪐Anxiety
🦋Single guardian
🪐Emotional and verbal abuse
🦋Mental health therapy
🪐Dual POV
—
Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review! 📚
Publishers release date 1/21/2025

This grumpy and sunshine book was so addictive that I finished it in one day. It was great to see both of the main characters working in the STEM field and how their respective fields fit perfectly into their romance. Although this was a slow burn, I felt that it was perfect to see Millie not only getting to know Finn but both of his niece's as they learn how to live with their grief. However, this book does have some spice. Give me Butterflies was a heartwarming romance that had me captivated from the first chapter and I am excited to read more from this series.

Give Me Butterflies is out January 21st.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to review Give Me Butterflies. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ooohhh the grumpy and the peppy and enemies to lovers and everything you could want!

Seeing the protective Finn jump into action so many times is really great. And the way he truly cares for Millie is so sweet. He's the epitome of cinnamon roll hero. I loved that he stood up to those who didn't give his family the attention they deserve. It reminded me of a friends episode when Phoebe meets Mike's parents.

Overall, it was great and no third act breakup and the side characters are all even better than the main characters. The twins have such innocence to them.

this romance was cute and a different pace from what I usually read. Millie and Finn’s romance is full of support and their whole relationship is built on so much trust. To see their growth in their relationship as the story progressed, especially after just thinking that Finn is just the typical grump trope but is actually dealing with grief and having to take care of his nieces now as well. Millie was such a relatable character. For a debut novel this was such an amazing story!

The cover of this instantly intrigued me and made me want to read. After reading i requested the audio and am so excited to hear it too!

For fans of Ali Hazelwood! This STEM romance will have you absolutely swooning! I wasn’t anticipating loving this as much as I did but it was perfection!

Well rounded romance that stuck to the plot!
Thank you to NetGalley, Jillian Meadows, and Avon and Harper Voyager for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Plot:
Millie is an entomologist working at the same museum as a grumpy astronomer, Finn, where she is up for a fancy new promotion.
After spilling coffee on him and getting into a small fender bender with his car, Millie learns that Finn is on the interviewing board.
Fast forward a bit as we see Millie and Finn start getting along. She's over at his house cooking or baking something new with his two nieces every Friday and finds herself growing closer and closer to him.

Is this something she'd risk her dream job over?

My Thoughts:
This was a great read! My first from Jillian Meadows and that cover was too cute to pass up. So glad I was able to get an ARC because this has been on my TBR since it was originally announced.
I loved Millie and Finn's relationship and how they worked in his nieces.
The book didn't focus so heavy on the romance that it forgot about the museum plot and it didn't conveniently forget or forgive Millie's relationship past just to forward the story.
Such a cute read and I cannot wait what comes next!

"Give Me Butterflies" by Jillian Meadows is a delightful romance that feels like a warm embrace. With a whimsical blend of humor, heartfelt moments, and a charming cast of characters, this book captures the essence of falling in love. The banter is witty, the chemistry is electric, and the story flows like a dream. Perfect for anyone seeking a feel-good read that leaves you smiling long after the last page. A true gem

Millie is the bug and butterfly curator at the local museum, happy with her job, having just escaped a disturbingly toxic relationship. When a director position opens up, Millie is sure this is the next best step for her career.

Blocking her path is Finn, the stars and planets guy at the museum. He’s grumpy and wears a permanent scowl along with his astronomy ties, a real thorn in her side.

But then, on the first day of summer science camp at the museum, in walks Finn holding hands with two little girls and maybe a hint of a smile. (This is when my ovaries regenerated, FYI.)

Millie learns that Finn recently took custody of his nieces, Eloise and Avery, after his sister’s untimely death. While navigating work, instant fatherhood to five year old twins, and grief, well, yeah, he can be a bit prickly.

But they are slowly, steadily drawn to one another and begin to form a bond, which includes, ever so delightfully, Finn’s nieces, Millie’s family, and their friends.

This is it. The holy grail of cerebral romance™️. Two adults with complicated pasts, trust issues, and obstacles aplenty, who communicate - clearly, honestly, and with gentle kindness. Millie is a ray of sunshine with a delightful family, but she is still reeling from her last breakup and the verbal abuse and gaslighting she withstood. And Finn, too, has his share of baggage, growing up with parents who were cold as ice and losing the sister who was his tether to happiness.

And yet.

And yet, these two find ways to move through pain and problems, never giving in when things get tough, trusting each other enough to share feelings both easy and difficult.

The unsung heroes here include Eloise and Avery, fully realized, punt sized side characters who steal Millie’s heart. Watching Finn fall in love as his girls fall in love, too, is a joy to behold. And Millie’s family embrace Finn and his girls immediately and wholly. Plus the family group text is top tier hilarity.

This is love through the lens of resilience and found family and the rediscovery of joy.

A stunner.

Give Me Butterflies is one of the best rom-coms I have read in a while. There were so many fun tropes, such as grumpy/sunshine, workplace romance, and single guardian. I loved the chemistry between Millie and Finn and also how they interacted with Finn's nieces. This book was basically one big hug with how comforting and cute it was. I can't wait to read more books from Jillian Meadows!
Thank you Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!