Mein Leseerlebnis

Das wunderschöne Buchcover hat mich auf den ersten Blick begeistern können und es war auch der Grund, warum ich mir den Roman näher angeschaut habe.

In der contemporary romance können sich die Hauptcharaktere zunächst nicht so richtig leiden, doch so langsam entwickelt sich eine Freundschaft und später mehr zwischen ihnen.

Der einnehmende Schreibstil machte es mir leicht, mich auf die Geschichte einzulassen. Auch fühlte sich der Liebesroman über weite Strecken frisch an.

Die Hauptcharaktere wirkten auf mich interessant und ich habe sie im Verlauf des Romans ins Herz schließen können. Mit der Heldin fiel mir das leichter als mit dem Helden. Dessen Verhalten verwirrte mich im Verlauf des Romans in manchen Szenen.

Nicht ganz so unterhaltsam und überzeugend fand ich zwei Erzählstränge, die mit dem Ex der Heldin und der Familie des Helden zu tun hatten. Die Entwicklungen im Zusammenhang mit beiden wirkten auf mich teils etwas übertrieben und wie ein Fremdkörper in dem romance Buch. Gerade auf die Sache mit dem Ex hätte ich gut verzichten können.

Darüber hinaus gab es im Mittelteil ein paar kleinere Längen, die mein Leseerlebnis glücklicherweise nur minimal beeinflusst haben.

Das Happy End fand ich wiederum berührend und schön.

🖤🖤🖤 3/4

PS: Ich kann mir durchaus vorstellen, auch die Liebesgeschichte Wreck my plans von der Autorin zu lesen. Das Buch dreht sich um Millies beste Freundin Lena.

PPS: Die Website der Autorin ist toll gestaltet und auch informativ.

Für wen?

Wer unterhaltsame Liebesromane mag, in denen im Leben der Hauptcharaktere viel los ist und in denen die beiden sich zunächst nicht grün sind, für den könnte das STEM / MINT - Buch eine schöne Sache sein.

I was bamboozled by this book! I had no idea it was a reylo fic until the broody lead started to bear too close of a resemblance to Adam Driver to be a coincidence. Don't get me wrong, I love a bit of reylo, but unfortunately this just did not hit for me. DNF @ 50 pages.

For starters, as a big fan of he falls first, and harder/grumpy x sunshine there is one thing that can absolutely destroy the trope for me and that is mishandling his POV. I found him really annoying and it felt too much like he was infantilizing the FMC for me. I also just did not feel like they had any chemistry at all. Once the kids were introduced I lost all hope of this book being good. I can be a fan of the single dad trope, but if the characters are already half-baked I feel like authors tend to split all of their energy between incorporating the kids and the romance....it all just gets super messy and boring in my opinion.

This book was swoon worthy, the banter was amazing! It was sweet and spicy, two of my favorite things!! I really liked the in depth for both characters, growth, found family, single guardian. The writing was both funny and profound. The book tackled some heavy topics like death of a sibling, guardianship to two little girls, verbal abuse, and anxiety and did so really well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for an advanced copy of this book on exchange for an honest review.

Omg too cute way too cute!!!!!. I loved everything about this book. The little enemies to lovers, i feel like is tgat because she hates him and thinks he hates her, total misunderstanding but still. I love that he has his nieces and that he is learning how to navigate that. Also the burn meals 🤣. Millie is such a fresh breeze, i love her actitud and how she becomes so invested on the girls and Finn . Definitely happy I was able to read this ahead of time, now time to hunt a physical 🫣

This was a fun read, with lots of characters to root for. The family dynamics were really sweet (for the most part) and the romance was a fun “enemies” to lovers story. (I have received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review). The new cover is great!

This was so sweet and I like that it was a bit different in setting than most of the popular STEM romance books. Both of the main characters work in STEM and work in a science museum. The fmc works with butterfly curations which I loved and is going for a promotion. The mmc is in a higher position in the job and at first is on the hiring committee for her promotion. I liked that the mmc was broody, tall, and never smiled and that the fmc was the exact opposite in so many ways. Their interactions especially in the beginning were fun and highlighted the opposites attract. The mmc is the guardian of his late sister's kids and his grief and backstory really helped me understand his broodiness.
This is a slow burn and i think it was necessary especially allowing them to get to know each other and spend time with the kids before going into anything. Theres a lot of tension and want and steamy scenes after they finally go for it. The kid scenes were so so cute and i liked their little family. The mental health and therapy rep was nice and overall this was a cute romance.

Thank you Avon for the earc, the bonus scene in the new version is so cute!

Read for:
- Stem romance
- Opposites attracts
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Guardian mmc

I loved this so much! A perfect romance book. 10/10! I loved the found family trope in this. Character development was also great. I can’t wait for more from this author, can’t believe this was her debut novel!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!! Wow this book was swoon worthy!!! It had everything i was looking for in a book. The banter was fabulous. It was sweet and emotional but also spicy. It was the perfect combination of everything i wanted. Such a joy to read.

I couldn’t have loved this book any more than I did! Swoon worthy banter, depth for both characters, growth, found family, single guardian. The writing was both funny and profound. The book tackled some heavy topics like death of a sibling, guardianship to two little girls, verbal abuse, and anxiety and did so really well. I LOVED both of the main characters and loved watching them grow and find each other. I laughed, I cried, and I can’t wait to read more by this author!

Having read the indie publication of this one, I already knew I absolutely adored Jillian Meadows's debut, and that Finn Ashford was the ultimate book boyfriend of all of our dreams. Fortunately, a re-read confirmed this for me and I can feel good having constantly recommended this one all over the place. Millie and Finn are so good for each other, and the way they communicate could teach many a book couple (cough cough miscommunicators) a thing or two about healthy conversations and working through fears and issues together.
Finn's nieces are the sweetest little girls and I am so glad they were clearly written by someone who has experience with 5 year olds- they clearly act their ages and that's a welcome relief. The way Millie embraced Finn AND the girls as a joint package, and her relationship with all the girls was just as important to her as her relationship with Finn was just the sweetest thing ever. I love love loved how quickly Millie's parents embraced the girls as part of the family and filled that ache Finn knew was missing from their lives.
The bonus epilogue, which as far as I'm aware is the only change from the indie publication, was honestly a bit of a let down and unnecessary for me. It just felt like an excuse to add another spicy scene, but I feel like the book already had the perfect amount and I ended up skimming almost the whole thing.
Overall, Finn, Millie, and the girls will absolutely steal your heart and I highly highly recommend this one!

I requested this because it is marketed like hybrid of the writing style of Tessa Bailey and Ali Hazelwood,, and that is a perfect description of this fabulous book. I absolutely loved the banter and humor between Millie and Finn. This book is charming, loveable and soooo swoony, I can't wait to see what is next for Ms. Meadows, she is very talented and writes such charismatic characters that you will treasure forever.

This book is pure feels. It starts off with utter dismay and second hand embarassment for Millie and the chaotic meet-cute style encounters. Her hopefulness over a promotion quickly takes a backseat to the dread of finding Finn on her interview committee right after she rear-ends his car. The reveal of Finn's single-uncle/dadhood creates a lot of confusion and heartwrenching compassion, and the girls are written so adorably that we can't help falling for them. I will admit that my Spotify conspired against me, leaving me in tears over the "you were meant to be in our lives" moment while listening to the 500 Miles song cover by Sleeping At Last. The feels were real and created a whole story I enjoyed.

I first read Give Me Butterflies last year after it released and fell head over heels in love with Millie and Finn. I was completely swept off my feet and read it in one sitting - the tension and banter are *chef’s kiss* simply delectable and the cookie dough scene has been living rent free in my brain for over a year. I love how this story centers finding joy, laughter, your voice, and yourself after loss and leaving a toxic relationship, and I appreciate how Jillian has the characters advocating for therapy (with the sessions on page!) and encouraging each other to prioritize their mental health and emotional well being. I am so excited that Jillian’s delightful debut is being rereleased so even more readers can meet and fall in love with Millie and Finn. AND!!! That BONUS epilogue. SO perfect!!

This book has it all - nerdy banter, women in STEM, stargazing, therapy rep, found family, strong female friendships, relatable family group texts, and the most perfect grumpy sunshine pairing. Jillian’s writing not only has you giggling and kicking your feet, but her encouragement for chronic apologizers (hi, hello, it’s me) and joy and hope she infuses on every page comfort your soul. If you’re a girlie with anxiety whose heart and mind often need a pep talk and assurance that you’re confident, capable, badass, and doing amazing by showing up and being YOU, Jillian (and Lena and Micah) will be your hype girl and you will finish this story feeling so loved and empowered.

Everything about this story is abundantly cozy, heartwarming, and soft and I relished the opportunity to revisit this story and spend time with these wonderful friends turned family, who love and protect each other fiercely.

There is so much to love in this book.
- The characters, both main and secondary
- The relationship Millie and her family build with Ave and El, twins who lost their mother at a young age.
- The chemistry between Finn and Millie, and the way he cares for her.

Once we get past the 30% mark (which, prior to this point, feels like Insta-love), there’s a really beautiful story of healing after grief and found family.

Here’s what you can expect from this read:
- Found family
- Enemies (?)-to-Lovers
- Dual POV
- He Falls First
- Single guardian
- Workplace romance (sort of)
- Cinnamon Roll MMC

If you love these tropes, I think you’ll adore this read.

But, for me, the central conflict in this book felt pretty flimsy - which took away from the core love story. From the absolutely inconceivable hiring practices of this museum (which would be nothing short of illegal in real life) to how emotional abuse is depicted (much too quickly for the this important topic), I struggled to buy-into parts of this narrative - especially when it ALSO felt like questionable conflict was too easily resolved.

**A note on the depictions of abuse - I’m confident the author meant to portray this in a sensitive manner, but these moments - with Finn’s parents, with Millie’s ex — felt hollow/surface-level, like they were there to create conflict rather than truly explore this painful reality so many readers will have experienced firsthand.

In the end, I think Give Me Butterflies is a case of “less is more” - as I mentioned, there is a sweet and spicy love story here that would have been enough. There’s the promise of a science love story/STEM romance that could have been a focus and wasn’t. But we have this close-knit family to adore, and another one to create with the growing love between Millie and Finn.

The story could have focused on these things -- and the honestly wonderful characters Meadows created — and been a top contemporary romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for an advanced copy of this book on exchange for an honest review.

I needed a pallet cleaner and this was just the thing. This was a great balance of emotions: sweet, heartwarming and spicy. The pacing was perfect for the vibes, I never felt bored which sometimes I have issues with when reading romance but not here! I look forward to picking up the next installment of this series. Thanks NetGalley for the e-ARC.

I loved Give Me Butterflies so much. Jillian Meadows wrote a beautiful story touching on grief, anxiety, and self doubt. Millie and Finn's relationship was so sweet, especially watching Millie fall in love with Finn's nieces right along her falling for Finn. I cannot wait for the release date to add this to my shelf.

Where do I even start with this book? This is one of those books that had me kicking by feet and squealing with all of the cuteness happening. From all the nerdy references to the adorable girls catching on. I also really enjoyed how the author portrayed anxiety and also grief; it was done it such a respectful way and did not hinder any of the part of the story. The miscommunication that happened also did not take away but fit in with the characters. Also, Finn falling first and hard was so cute but understanding that Millie is getting over a really bad relationship not quite as ready as he is. Overall, this book is adorable and very relatable.

Thank you, Avon & Harper Voyager, Jillian Meadows, and Netgalley for an arc of this book. I love STEM romances they are an instant read for me! The cover on this book is to die for! Cant wait for the release day so i can add it to my bookshelf.

I was drawn to this book by the adorable cover and grumpy x sunshine trope, but sadly this did not work for me. I was really bored by the fifth chapter or so. The MMC was only grumpy for the first few chapters and the enemy co-workers was over by then as well, so I felt cheated. He was instantly in love with her, constantly talking about how he couldn't stop checking her out. Both characters read as perfect people and it was nauseating. The FMC was portrayed as so strong, yet she didn't block her manipulative ex? Didn't add up. This just felt like insta-family and I struggled to connect. I didn't feel any sparks between them and the banter felt stilted. I even skipped over the spicy scenes. I wanted to DNF by the 50% mark, but pushed through with some skimming.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a must read! The writing is gorgeous, the banter is on fire, the steam deliciously spicy and the conversation around anxiety, grief, and therapy is executed with perfection!