Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
🌶🌶 / 5

✨ Grumpy / Sunshine
✨ Office romance
✨ Forbidden romance
✨ Single dad (/uncle)
✨ Found family

➕ Mental health rep
➕ LGBTQ+ rep in side characters
➕ Women in STEM

👏🏼 MMC with alllll the green flags!!

What I liked:
Finn is truly blessed with every green flag imaginable. He is already in therapy *swoon* working on his trauma from having a shit family, losing his sister to cancer, and overnight becoming the sole guardian of his twin nieces. There is NO miscommunication trope because this is an adult man who has gone to therapy and is working on himself. That's not to say the relationship isn't without hiccups, but it is NOT because of miscommunication. Over and over again Finn proves that he supports Millie and will continue to support her in the way she needs support. This is a man who will ask you if you want to vent to him or want advice because he knows sometimes you just wanna vent about your shitty day while eating a pint of ice cream and sometimes you want someone who will pull out the blue prints to a casino and help you plan a heist.

There's also great rep (women in STEM, LGBTQ+ side characters, FMC has anxiety and trauma from her emotionally abusive ex).

Forbidden romance! Finn is her coworker and on the hiring committee for the her (recently retired) boss's job. So she has some (understandable) concerns about the optics of being in a relationship with him.

What I didn't like:
🚫 OATMEAL RAISIN HATE 🚫
I am concerned with all of y'all on team chocolate chip because you are missing OUT.

Also, Star Trek > Star Wars and this is a hill I will die on. The author clearly has questionable taste and I almost DNF'd for the characters having such awful taste so early on in the book. I did not need to have Finn's ONE red flag come out at 3% into the book??

TLDR - cute, no miscommunication trope, a man with so many green flags he'll never get pinched on St. Patty's day, and women in STEM!! If you enjoyed The Love Hypothesis, I think you'll enjoy this one too.


For the publisher/author - the book had several continuity errors (e.g., Finn mentions that he got rid of the twins' smaller beds and got them one big bed, yet later on Millie mentions their beds) and could benefit from an additional round of editing to identify and correct those continuity errors.

This book was amazing. I loved the start of their office romance. Him coming off as super grumpy and the friendship that started between them and how it transformed into more. It was perfect for this set of characters.

OH MY GOD, oh my god. This book was SO so so so good. I devoured this book in one sitting and was shocked at how much I loved it. I pre-ordered the book immediately after finishing it! This book was witty, emotional, adorable, and HAWT HAWT HAWT my god. I was blushing and giggling and kicking my feet like a fool the entire time. It also shows such a healthy relationship between the main characters and the MMC nieces it made me cry so much. I LOVE this book. I'm going to go reread it lol. I cant wait for pub day!

This is an absolute gem of a feel-good novel. I thoroughly enjoyed delving into the lives of Millie and Finn, both as individuals and as they come together. Millie's journey of rediscovering herself after an abusive relationship and Finn's process of navigating grief were handled with such care and depth. The book beautifully balances scenes from work, home, and family life, making the characters and their experiences feel real and relatable. The found family theme was particularly heartwarming, especially knowing that Finn and the girls finally got the love and support they deserved. Finn's unwavering support for Millie was a highlight—it's a testament to the strength of their connection. Overall, this is a wonderfully written story with compelling characters. I’m already looking forward to reading more about Fable and Tess!

this book was like one big warm hug on the coldest of winter nights oh my god, so much ooey gooey mushy goodness 😭🥰🩷

this book first captivated me with the cover, then the synopsis and lastly by the end of the chapter when millie called our hot, grumpy, glasses wearing head director of the astronomy department “Dr. Black Hole”. i knew after all of these things that i was about to discover a new favorite book of mine and i was right!!!

there were so many aspects of this book that i just wasnt expecting and the biggest being that Finn is the sole guardian to his sisters twin daughters, how i missed this? i have no idea BUT OH MY GOD, avery and eloise were the stars of the show for me 🥹 everything about these two little girls and the way both finn and millie loved them was so heartmelting.

i absolutely LOVED the way there was no unnecessary drama in this book and only what was necessary for plot development. its been awhile since ive read something that was able to captivate and keep intrigue in their story with minimal drama and it was done to perfection honestly.

AND NO THIRD ACT BREAK UP *chefs kiss*!!!!

all of the side characters in this book were so damn lovable, i truly couldve read hundreds of more pages with every single one of them ESPECIALLY her family 🥹

there are so many things i wanna gush about but dont want to give too much more away but trust me if you love fluff, spice, minimal drama, found family and the best of friend groups, you will love 🤭

I loved this story about finding yourself and everything else along the way. Well written and a great read!

~Workplace-Romance, He Falls First, STEM, Single Guardian, GrumpyxSunshine, and more!~

Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows follows Millie, a brilliant and determined entomologist who works as a natural science curator. When her dream job as department director opens up, Millie is committed to doing her best to land the role. So after a couple of run-ins with a handsome astronomer with stunning blue eyes and a permanent scowl, Finn, who just so happened to be on the board deciding her promotion, Mille is determined not to cross the lines from friends to more. Not to mention, she is still healing from her horrendous ex-boyfriend. So what will happen when Millie gets to know him more and realizes she wants to be more than friends? Will she be able to keep things professional? Will she land the promotion? And will she resist falling not just for Finn, but his nieces?

5| First, I appreciated the content warning before the book began. While nothing was too extreme, being informed and prepared about the topics discussed throughout the book was nice. With that being said, I do wish we got to hear some of Millie's internal monologue with her anxiety. However, I do acknowledge anxiety is different for everyone, and it can be difficult to write how anxiety feels. This book was adorable, and one of my favorite 2024 reads so far. I loved Millie's character, her passion for her job, her care for the people around her, and her understanding and patience. I love Millie's character growth throughout the story and how it's not instant. I also loved how she never backed down from her values about her job. She always stayed very true to herself and worked for what she wanted. Her relationship with Finn is adorable. I love the duel POV and seeing how both characters feel. Finn always put the girls first, even before his relationship, which was great to see and shows what type of person he is. I appreciated getting to see his conversation with his therapist and seeing him work through his issues and insecurities. Finn and Millie had so much chemistry, and I loved seeing their back-and-forth banter. Millie always thinking of the girls is heartfelt and probably one of my favorite parts of her character.

The side characters are so charismatic. Not only are they always there when Millie needs them, but they are also open-minded and often the voice of reason. Millie's family is so caring and balances Finn's cold family. The text messages were a fun touch they helped me grasp the family dynamic at play. I wish we had learned more about Millie's sisters, but I assume that will come in future books. The bonus epilogue is beautiful and a great addition to the book. It was the perfect way to end their story and pay tribute to Clara. The descriptions in this book were absolutely beautiful. Everything was so well written it's admirable. You can tell how much thought went into each sentence. I thought Finns and the girl's grief was written well, and I enjoyed Clara not being pushed aside but remembered for who she was and what she wanted. My only thought is I was some sort of legal action was taken against Kyle. It seemed like all the harassment ended very abruptly, which is out of character from the previous behavior we had seen from Kyle. Something like a restraining order would have made more sense as to why he stayed away. Other than that, I enjoyed everything about this book.

Overall, I loved this book, and it's definitely one of my new favorites. The special edition cover is stunning, and I love the addition of the bonus epilogue. It really helps finish Finn and Millie's story. I can not wait to see what's next for the Oak sisters!

Finn and Millie are literally everything to me. I got to ARC read this when it was first indie published and I honestly haven’t stopped thinking about it since. So I am SO thankful to be able to read this new version a little early.

This book is PERFECT. I was once again smiling the entire time I read it, it made me so incredibly happy! It has a little bit of everything. The workplace romance, the grumpy/sunshine, lots of GOOD communication, the goofy museum things, the kitchen aid??!! The croissant making??! Two people who just went thought it and are now finding themselves again with the help of the other person, two ADORABLE twin girls who bring so much joy to everyone around them, finding a family that they desperately needed and deserved, and lots of healing and so much happiness. I loved this book so much.

Thank you so much to Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I was so excited to get this ARC - I had read the description and was excited to get another book about a female scientist and her grumpy co-worker. This book definitely gave Ali Hazelwood / Reylo fandom vibes in the best of ways - and was also much more focused on the romance than the workplace environment (which was totally fine with me, though I would love to see in the future.) It did suffer from a few weaknesses though - for one, the male POV didn't feel much different in voice, and didn't feel like a different person overall. The third act second-guessing over parenthood and getting too lost in a romantic relationship also felt like it came straight out of nowhere - even if it made logical sense, Finn hadn't been having that in his internal monologue this whole time, and so it felt like it was mostly there all of a sudden just to introduce some distance in the third act. But, I'm really excited to see this author continue to write (would love to see a sequel with Fable!) and will certainly read her future works as she continues to improve!

Thank you to Net Galley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the digital ARC!

I truly adored this booked. I loved how it was a little enemies to lover, semi single dad(single uncle who took his sister's kids after she passes) it was a bit of a grumpy x sunshine moment. She fell for him but he truly fell harder.
I loved how it shows the aftermath of leaving an abusive relationship and how it takes a toll mentally when you feel unlovable.

The chemistry between the two is undenible and tense. He shared part of his world with her and she did the same for him. They became this makeshift family unit that worked and was beautiful.

I will definitly be reding more from this author. I cant wait to see what she writes next!

such a beautiful story about grief, and love, and found family. millie was literally the missing puzzle piece in finn’s life, she swooped in and gave him and the girls oxygen and it was so heartbreakingly beautiful to watch those little girls come to life after losing their mother.

“I don’t need the sun when you are here, stella mia. You’re the brightest star in the universe, and I’ve been orbiting around you since you poured coffee all over me. I could spend the rest of my life watching you shine.”

Thank you to Avon Books for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review! Between the STEM FMC and themes of grief, I knew this book would be a relatable read.

𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘔𝘦 𝘉𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 follows Millie, a bubbly entomologist working hard to obtain a promotion as museum director, and her rather grumpy (but very handsome) coworker, Finn. As Millie learns of Finn's loss and connects with his adorable nieces, she struggles to not cross the line from friendship to a more intimate connection, which could have devastating consequences for her dream job.

This comforting, wholesome read was a fun, quick read with depth and emotion. It features lovable found family, he falls first, and grumpy x sunshine tropes. I enjoyed the portrayal of such a mature, healthy relationship that progressed naturally and included clear communication. Grief and anxiety are well explored and conquered by the characters.

I loved the family group chat texts and nerdy references. If you're looking for a STEM romance, I couldn't recommend this enough!

this was exactly what I needed after reading mysteries for a month. I didn’t want the book to end. Finn and Millie’s relationship is so cute and I want more!
also, love that Millie is an entomologist. it’s so nice to see women who work in STEM and love it, especially when the career is perhaps not the most ”normal” of careers.

⭐⭐⭐.75

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sending me an ARC in return for an honest review.

"Give Me Butterflies" by Jillian Meadows is a STEM romance between a slightly grumpy astronomer, Finn, and an anxious but cheerful entomologist, Millie, as they realize, despite some roadblocks, they might just be the perfect match for each other.

"Give Me Butterflies" was a wonderful romance between Millie and Finn! Although their relationship got off to a rocky start, the banter was wonderful to read. My favorite part had to be when Millie was interacting with Finn’s nieces. And then in return watching Finn see Millie bond with his girls.

The best part of this book had to be the relationships each character had with each other, not just Millie and Finn. Finn with his nieces, Millie with the girls, Millie and her parents, her parents with the girls, etc! It honestly made me cry. The characters were very well developed. I also appreciated how there was no third act break up but rather small miscommunications throughout the novel that were resolved with a good conversation.

There are only two tiffs I have with the novel: 1) the main characters had the same names as two of my friends…just a personal problem. (lol). 2) The plot happening around the romance didn’t feel as developed. Whenever it would be the focus of the story I just got a little bit bored.

But, overall Meadows did a wonderful job of writing Millie and Finn’s romance. I would recommend this to anyone who is slightly nerdy but also is looking for love and a cry.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A witty, sexy nerd romance that checked all my favorite boxes.

⭐️5
🌶4

Tropes:
🦋STEM Romance
🦋Grumpy/Sunshine
🦋Cinnamon roll MMC
🦋Single dad
🦋Slow Burn
🦋He falls first

An amazing novel by Jillian Meadows for lovers of Ali Hazelwood and Penny Reid.

"Finn is nothing but green flags." AND MAN DO I AGREE. This book had me biting my lip in anticipation and also swooning at the same time. A perfect balance of heat and lip-twitching comedy (or laugh out loud if you like looking a little deranged in public). It still made me chuckle even while being unbearably sexy.

I am in love with Finn. He is the ideal book boyfriend. Attentive, secure in his emotions, and would do anything for his woman. But you have to peel back those icy layers to get to the gooey man beneath. Finn is wounded by the loss of his sister to cancer and having to raise her twin girls on his own.

Millie is your shiny, bubbly personality, but with real issues like anxiety and self-consciousness. She's been degraded and controlled by her ex, and it took a while for her to find herself, but she still is stumbling, even in her newfound confidence.

These two butt heads from the get-go, but Millie doesn't let Finn's scowls and grumbly demeanor deter her. Soon, she is spending time with him and his girls, teaching Finn to cook and be a better parent. They begin slowly healing each other after the emotional trauma they both have faced.

Millie's family group chat was hilarious. They are such a lively and interesting group, with love to spare.

The emotional aspect of the story is potent, but the spice is also off the charts. If you love a broody man with a hot professor vibe and a seriously dirty mouth, boy, is this the book for you.

Sometimes you really can judge a book by its cover, I picked this one up just bc of the cover and randomly found my new favorite romance 😭 I feel like nothing I say will be enough for how much I loved it so I'm gonna say my favorite parts of the book instead:

1. There’s no unnecessary drama. They communicate so well, sometimes it took them a minute to talk but eventually they understood each other.
2. He hired the chef who makes her favorite croissant to teach them the recipe bc she could never get it right on her own.
3. Super cute kids. I always love kids in books but these two were out of this world.
4. She got a tattoo in honor of his sister who passed away bc she knew it had an extremely special meaning for all of them.
5. He cooks very badly but didn't think twice before calling her dad to ask for her favorite soup recipe when she got sick.
6. No 3rd act breakup (honestly that alone should be enough to convince you to read).
7. All the characters are extremely lovable (except for her ex and his parents, obviously). I finished the book with the feeling that if there’s a book for each character I’ll one hundred percent be reading them all.

I really hope this book gets the recognition it deserves ♡

Really cute and fun! I loved the characters and thought the story was very sweet and lovely. A very enjoyable read. My only qualm is the Kyle stuff felt a bit contrived and didn’t add much to the story having him going for the same job as Millie.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️

“𝑶𝒉, 𝑴𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒆. 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒅𝒐. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖.”

I adore this book. It doesn't even have to become my personality, because it's already my personality. Gilmore Girls, board games, a semi-subtle SJM joke.... I identify with this book 😆. And I absolutely love the characters.

Finn! The hand flex! The cookie dough 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 I have read that cookie dough scene and embarrassing number of times. Finn is top tier. I was already on board from the beginning with his grumpiness. But then you add in his nieces and he got 1000x better. His devotion to those girls is amazing. I LOVE a grumpy softy. Especially a grumpy softy who goes to therapy! 🙌🙌🙌

I love Millie. She is so cute and fun and nerdy. I loved how much thought she put into how a relationship with a coworker would affect her work. Her past relationship history is absolutely devastating and infuriating, and it's amazing to see her overcome it. Her relationship with the girls is perfect and beautiful and honestly I was almost more invested in them than Millie and Finn. Almost.

The spice in this book is excellent. The build up in the first half had me screaming. I was obsessed with Millie and Finn. Their chemistry is 🔥

I love Millie's family. Her parents are adorable and perfect and they made me cry during the second epilogue. I also love her sisters. The fact that this is book 1 of the "Oak Sisters" series makes me absolutely ecstatic. I cannot waith for Fable and Theo's book!

The bonus epilogue in this edition is absolutely adorable. It gives all the sweet found family vibes with Millie, Lena, and Micah. The adorable moments with Millie, Finn, Avery, and Eloise. And of course the delicious spice with Millie and Finn. It's basically all the feels of the book, in travel size. Loved it!!!

“𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆, 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒂 𝒎𝒊𝒂. 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒓𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒑𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒆. 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆.”

This was a short, sweet palate of a romance. I did enjoy the single guardian trope and found Millie’s relationship with the girls to be very cute. However, I don’t think this book is going to stay with me for very long. Nothing about it lodged it into my brain.

This is such a cute book! I loved the themes, tropes, and characters; they were so easy to love! I have never read any book where the main characters work in a museum and now I need more! Would definitely recommend this book to someone wanting a STEM based book with found family, super cute nicknames, workplace romance and banter, AND HE’S A SINGLE GUARDIAN!!