I LOVED THIS BOOK!! This was such a cute and heartwarming workplace romance!! There is alway something so special about a single guardian book, Finn with the girls was precious and adorable. I also love a grumpy sunshine, and seeing Finn's grumpiness being no true match to the sunshine that was Millie... I was smiling and kicking my feet at their banter. Perhaps what I loved most about this book was how supportive Millie and Finn were of each other. I appreciated that this book was low drama, and that the drama that did exist had more to do with concerns of how it would look in the workplace rather than any issues amongst the two of them. This story also comes with a strong found family in the friends of Millie's who immediately welcome Finn and his nieces into their fold. I had the absolute pleasure of first reading this book when it was independently published by the author previously and was so honored to be able to read it again ahead of its rerelease. I can't wait for more people to read about Finn and Millie.

RUN- DON'T WALK.
This book is so damn good! It literally had me kicking my feet.
The characters are charming, hilarious, and easy to love.
In case you're wondering- it is very spicy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a sweet romance. I was swooning while reading this book.

This book was a warm and cozy read with grumpy/sunshine, workplace romance, and found family. The new cover grabbed my attention and then the blurb had my whole attention and this book did not disappoint. Who doesn't want to work at a museum and fall for your grumpy colleague!! No THIRD ACT breakup should convince you enough to pick up this book and if not how about some adorable twin girls that just stole my heart. Pick up this book it is the perfect read for fall coming up!!

Thanks netgalley for the arc!

Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows is the first book in the Oaks Sisters duet. This is Millie and Finn‘s story.
 
These two both work in a museum together and I absolutely love the STEM aspect of the book. Millie is a curator for the Entomology Department and the butterfly and bugs girl. And Finn is the director of the Astronomy Department. They have a bit of a hate to love work rivalry going on and that was quite funny to follow along and their bickering is great. They slowly became friends and then so much more and I loved following along their story. It’s definitely slow burn but I loved all the little and tender moments.
 
Millie is working hard to get a new position of a director and I loved how passionate she is about her field of study. Her family is lovely as well and I loved the scenes at their farm. She is caring and loving and that was exactly what Finn needed.
 
Finn really likes his job and he has a stable life, but it  turns upside down when his sister dies, and he becomes the guardian of his twin nieces. I liked how this book portrayed grief in a raw and realistic way and how they work on it. I always love a found family story and this one was just so precious, and I melted away with all the scenes with the nieces.
 
Overall, Give Me Butterflies totally gave me butterflies and was such an amazing and heartfelt STEM friends-to-lovers romance. 5 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

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.