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! 💖

This is such a sweet and fun romance! I highly recommend it. If you aren't sure...get it!

Thank you to NetGalley, publisher and author. All comments are my own.

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!

Tropes: Stem Romance, slow burn, found family, he falls first, no 3rd act breakup, MMC is a single guardian, grumpy MMC/sunshine FMC

I was very excited to get this book. I love both Ali Hazelwood and Tessa Bailey and this book stated it was for fans of these two authors. The cover is also so beautiful I’d want to read it just for that. Give Me Butterflies did not disappoint. I got the best Ali hazelwood’s vibes with the stem aspects of this book. The banter was really good. The romance is sweet however this book had a deeper layer as Millie deals with life after her abusive ex. Finn deals with the death of his sister and taking care of her daughters by himself.

What I didn’t like:
I’m not a big fan of epilogues. I just finished this whole book I don’t want a large chapter that’s telling me ‘oh look how happy they are.’ If the book had a happy ending I know that. This book has two. TWO Epilogues. If it’s that important to the story it should be part of the actually story.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Avon books for giving me an ARC of this book for a honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for sending me this book before it re-enters the world!

I thought the idea behind this book was super cute and, when I requested it, I was super excited to read something a little bit romantic and sciency and maybe even a bit cheesy. It was all of these things, but I still don't think it worked all that much for me. I think the characteristics of this book were a little too in-your-face. By this, I mean that everything just felt over exaggerated. For example, Finn's "grumpy" personality to Millie's "sunshine" personality were a bit too on the nose and overly stated by the characters. I'm the kind of person who would rather decide who a character is based on action and not their own words or perceptions of themselves, so when describing the main characters I just felt like it wasn't as believable. And, in my opinion, the entire book (from plot, to characters, to everything else) was set up like this and it was super disappointing.

I think this book will be for some people, just not me.
Still thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for sending this advanced copy to me!

I adored this! Millie, the cheerful entomology curator, is determined to snag the department director job and nothing, not even her grumpy astronomy colleague Finn, will stand in her way. But as she digs into Finn’s grumpy shell, she finds a softie underneath, juggling grief, two nieces, and a demanding job. When Finn ends up on the committee deciding her fate, things get complicated in the best way. Millie’s optimism and confidence shine, and Finn’s gruff exterior hides a heart of gold. Their relationship unfolds naturally, with sweet moments that had me rooting for them the whole way. Bonus points for no third-act breakup!!!! Just solid communication and lots of warm fuzzies. THIS WAS GREAT!

I’m eagerly waiting for Jillian’s next book! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a charming and cozy read that blends grumpy/sunshine dynamics, workplace romance, and found family beautifully. The new cover and engaging blurb drew me in, and the book did not disappoint. The romance between Millie and Finn is heartwarming, and his adorable twin nieces add extra charm. The low-drama, supportive relationship between Millie and Finn, combined with a welcoming found family, makes this a perfect read.


Thank you, Jillian Meadows and NetGalley for the ARC

Jillian Meadows has written something special with "Give Me Butterflies". It had so many things that I love (all the tropes AND a strong heroine in STEM, supportive hero, banter for days, steam, and an elderly dog) and the writing was gorgeous.

Millie was a perfect heroine for me. She had some emotional baggage to work through from her ex, but didn’t shrink into herself or become a wallflower. She was strong, capable, and funny/sassy when she needed to be. I loved the friend group and absolutely adored her relationship with her parents and sisters. Their texts were hilarious but it was so great to read about a supportive, loving family.

And Finn - the work he is putting into getting over his grief and being a good guardian for his nieces made him absolutely delicious. I loved the open therapy talk and how mature their whole relationship was handled - the way he went about proving his love and committing Millie was so sweet. He was all in from day one, and communicated the crap out of that. The subtle way he propped Millie up without stepping in to save the day - I melted. And he made her soup! 🫠

Their tension was incredible and there were so many scenes where it was so heart-wrenchingly palpable . I adored seeing them fall for each other, working through their attraction with healthy communication. And I absolutely LOVED Millie and her whole fantastic family also taking on Finn’s nieces as their own.