4.5⭐️ ARC REVIEW!

Thank you so much Net Galley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this opportunity!

OMG, I absolutely loved this one so much! MY HEART!! This was the sweetest, cutest, most wholesome and swoonworthy romance book. This novel is the perfect escape. I haven’t read many STEM themed romance books, but this one was just immaculate. All the little star/astronomy love talk was so heartwarming.

The plot, storyline, and progression of this book flowed amazingly. It was immersive, and both Millie and Finn had great depth to make them feel real, relatable, and personable.

Millie is such a strong and inspiring fmc. She’s an entomologist (yay women in STEM!) with an incredible support system between her family and friends. Finn appears grumpy, but is the most gentle and attentive man. He works in astronomy at the same museum as Millie so there’s countless interaction between the two.

What starts off as extreme rigidness and high tension between the two soon transpires into something more authentic. Their little hangouts outside of work where their true personalities start to shine through and start to learn more about each other is so wholesome. I loved this book, loved this world, and was so sad to see it end!

Tropes
⭐️forced proximity
⭐️workplace romance
⭐️found family
⭐️love after lost
⭐️single parent
⭐️women in STEM
⭐️mental health rep
⭐️protective mmc

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This had one of my favorite grumpy sunshine tropes, along with the ever more present stem related plot. It was an engaging read!

Women in STEM
grumpy/ sunshine
dual POV

if there's an unfinished series with three sisters you already know i'm gonna read them all and never shut up about them
i dont usually read the single dad trope but i'm SO glad for the spin on this because i would have missed out on my new favorite romance series- seriously if this were a movie (starring Jane Levy 🤞🏻) it would be a comfort rewatch for sure!!

i loved all the side characters just as much as our fmc Millie and all the Oaks folks- i loved the family group chat! It reminded me of Lovelight Farms in all the best ways and I'm dying for Fable and Theo's story! Jillian Meadows is my new favorite
and she is a QUEEN for blessing us with (this book and) the best snickerdoodle recipe of our lives, everyone say thank you!!

astronomically thankful to Avon and Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for the eARC of this special edition

I’ve tried to write this review multiple times now, but I don’t think my words will ever do my feelings justice. Let’s get this out of the way: this book was perfection. My favorite book I’ve read this year, and one I’ve already revisited since finishing it, just to soak up the serotonin running from its pages once more. After years of reading romance, figuring out some about what I do and don’t like, it’s still so rare that I come across a book that connects so deeply with me. A book I love so much that I want to scream its praises as much as I wish to go full Gollum mode and hide it away in a cave all for myself. From the characters to the pacing to the themes, this book is my Roman Empire and I love it.

I won’t give away too much of the plot, but our book focuses on Millie, an anxious but optimistic entomologist aspiring for a promotion to be a curator at the museum she works at. She has a series of run-ins with grumpy Finn, the astronomy curator on her hiring panel, and as brief and unfriendly as their interactions have been, there’s just something about him that intrigues her. As they become unexpected friends, she realizes there’s more layers to him than the workplace grump.

When Millie starts incessantly bouncing her knee out of nerves in the first chapter, I knew I was going to love her. Millie’s characterization is done beautifully. She reads like the late 20s woman she is – emotionally intelligent with flaws and insecurities she’s still working through from her past. I loved her relationships with her friends, and her dedication and enthusiasm for her career. And as a fellow woman in science, I found Millie’s representation pretty authentic to my experience, and I empathized a lot with her struggles and thoughts around it.

On the other hand, FINN IS THE SWOONIEST HERO, A+++++++ book boyfriend HUSBAND material!! Please, I’m begging someone to put me on the waitlist to marry this man. Finn is the right amount of grumpy, balanced with a healthy dose of inner marshmallow. Reading about him with his nieces was an insanely precious part of this book and only added to my love for him. He was so kind, thoughtful, HOT, HANDSOME, ATTRACTIVE, truly I could go on and on. His insecurities and flaws made sense for his character, and they’re well explored through the story with a sensitive and compassionate hand from the author.

Finn and Millie complement each other so well. Their relationship feels realistic and idealistic, both in the best ways possible, if that makes sense. Two people truly liking each other, and then loving one another. 😍And as someone who loathes the miscommunication trope but loves angst and tension, it’s really hard to find all that in one book. However, Jillian Meadows mastery with this book shows there’s a way to have it all. And to top it all off, this book was FUNNY(‼️) like I laughed out loud several times while reading it.

A swoony, emotionally intelligent, funny, and definitely steamy read, and all of it, between an entomologist and an astronomer. GUYS… If you haven’t realized it already, you need to pick this book up immediately‼️ I am supremely looking forward to Wreck My Plans, I CANT WAIT AAAAAA

5/5
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Millie is a hard-working quirky entomologist who is up for the director at her museum job. Finn is a grumpy hot astrologer with a few secrets that make him have a harder disposition coincidentally on the interview committee when a few chance encounters and Finn's recently adopted nieces have Millie swooning and volunteering to help the grump out. Luckily, these two know how to help each other through their past traumas and grow through them in this heartwarming rom-com.

For Fans of:
🦋Ali Hazelwood
🦋No Third Act Breakups
🦋Adopted Family

Growing up going to my local science museum for day camps made me love this story. Thank you so much NetGalley, Jillian Meadows, and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

what a sweet romance! both characters felt super authentic and there were such cute moments in this book. they communicate and are vulnerable with each other which is so refreshing to read!

read if you love:

- grumpy x sunshine
- duel POV
- found family
- no third act breakup
- wholesome romance
- he falls first
- workplace romance

thank you to netgalley and avon and harper voyager for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to Netgalley & Avon/Harper Voyager for the E-ARC! Loved this so much! Gave me actual butterflies reading this. The main guy was so cute & also loved the chemistry. Also related to the main girl. Will definitely read more from this author.

I would say around a 4.
I loved this one! I loved the aspects with the museum background, the banter, the grumpy sunshine, the spice!!! Everything. I love a good academia/ STEM romance and this is it!

I’ll also add the cover is stunning and so eye catching. I want it on my shelf and really drew me into requesting this book too. I’m sure many others will feel the same way!

I didn’t read it prior to this re release so I’m unsure on how changes compare. But this was overall a fun and great read. I will be recommending this to my audience closer for the release date.

This book was so cute! Loved Finn and Millie and the two little ones. The humor was sweet, and the main characters had such good chemistry! Great romcom for a rainy day or the beach.

I loved the new edition of Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows. I had read both of her books previously and really enjoyed them. In GMB, they work in a museum which is a setting I can appreciate from previous work experience. I love that he fell first but didn't let on and that their love story is very beautiful. I also appreciated the spice, the funny parts, that it deals with grieving loved ones and that they have a close group of friends. GMB comes before Wreck My Plans. You'll definitely want to read both especially after reading the new bonus chapter.

Give Me Butteries by Jillian Meadows is such a sweet, funny, tender debut. I related so much to both Millie and Finn. I loved to see them evolve from dislike to friends to lovers, while learning to trust themselves along the way. The secondary characters were a delight. The Oaks folks fam-bam? Incredible. I had the pleasure of reading this as an indie and am thrilled for Jillian’s enhancements made to the traditional version. The edits made further enhanced the story and it’s a delight to revisit these beloved characters.

If you like the following tropes, then I recommend that you check out this book!
- Museum/ workplace romance
- meet disaster
- Grumpy hero, sunshine heroine
- single guardian
- found family
- anxiety/ therapy representation
- LGBTQ+ side characters
- Women in STEM
- No third act breakup!

Don’t mind me over here just crying literal TEARS OF JOY on multiple occasions throughout this book because of its beautiful depth, character growth, the way it handles topics of healing, grief, moving on from past trauma and finding unconditional love. Oh my gosh, I was so thrilled to pick this book up each time I sat down to read. It was a lovely world to escape into with the sweetest friend group and a wonderfully quirky and endearing family to get to know throughout the story.

Wow, what a remarkable debut! I loved Millie and Finn and the way these two grew so much before and throughout this book. They are both on their own journeys and the way they support one another and watch each other shine was beautiful and heartwrenchingly wonderful to read.

Just writing this review has me wanting to pick this book up again and start a reread. It was that good.

I loved having the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this story. Many thanks to Avon and NetGalley for a review copy, all opinions are my own.

Read if you enjoy:
🦋 STEM romance
🦋 museum setting
🦋 single parent
🦋 fun friend group
🦋 found family
🦋 grumpy/sunshine
🦋 workplace/forbidden romance

Romance: open door (if you’re not a fan of open door scenes, there’s SO much more to this book and those scenes are easily skippable if they’re not your jam - I’m just saying cause I’d hate for anyone to miss out on all the other amazing moments throughout this book just because of the steam level)

Single parent romance with a dance of workplace romance? Sign me up. This was absolutely adorable and I'm sad I put this off for so long. I loved Millie and Finn together so much and the support they have for each other. The little girls were also such an adorable addition to this story and I can't wait to read more from this author.

This book offers a charming STEM romance between Millie, an entomologist, and Finn, an astronomer, who work together at a science museum. Their witty banter and nerdy jokes create a warm and adorable vibe, and it's inspiring to see Millie as a woman in STEM facing challenges head-on. Finn's interactions with his nieces add a sweet touch, and the story explores deeper emotions like anxiety, trauma, and grief. However, the pacing felt off, with the initial tension between Millie and Finn resolving too quickly, leaving me wanting more depth and detail in their relationship and backgrounds. Overall, it's a cute and enjoyable read, but it could have benefited from a bit more development.

First off, I thought the cover of this republish was so cute and it definitely pulled me in to request the book!

Overall this book was very cute and cozy. It just had an overarching feel good mood to it, even with some sad themes (Finn’s sister). The found family trope in this book probably sticks out the most to me, which again adds to it being a heartfelt read!

This book would be good for a reader who is looking for a cute romance with just a dabble of spice. However I was expecting more of a grumpy/sunshine and slow burn originally going into it. I would say yes Finn (MMC) is depicted that way originally but it was a weirdly paced switch that he becomes more soft for Millie, which was odd to me. This isn’t that much of a slow burn because he falls for her very very quickly.

Thank you Avon & NetGalley for letting me read this ARC!

I’m feeling quite conflicted about this book. While I don’t think it’s a bad read, it ultimately wasn’t for me, which is perfectly fine.

On the positive side, it’s adorable. I love the science aspect, especially that Millie is an entomologist and Finn is an astronomer—such opposite ends of the world yet so compatible at their core. Millie being a woman in STEM who faces challenges and has to work hard for everything is inspiring. Finn is a genuinely nice guy, and their witty banter, along with the "nerdy" Star Wars jokes, creates a super cute, warm vibe. The nieces in the book are adorable, and I appreciate Finn’s dynamic with them—he’s great with kids. The story also explores a range of emotions beyond the cuteness, touching on anxiety, trauma, and grief. Overall, it’s a good story, and some quotes really tugged at my heart.

However, I struggled with the pacing. At the beginning, it seemed like we were heading toward a grumpy-sunshine, almost rivals-to-lovers vibe. I felt the palpable tension and was excited to see it unfold. When it did, it felt a bit anticlimactic, breaking just a couple of chapters later. I wish it hadn’t started with those adversarial vibes, as it left me feeling let down.

SPOILER ALERT: Around 30% in, when Finn buys her a KitchenAid and says, “You’ve already done everything, more than you know,” I was confused. It felt too soon for such a significant moment, and their interactions hadn’t built up enough to make it flow for me. I suppose what I’m trying to say is that there’s a lot of insta-love in the story. While that trope appeals to many, it just doesn’t resonate with me.

Overall, it’s a cute book with great ideas, but the pacing was much quicker than I initially expected, which affected my connection to the story.

3.75 stars. I enjoyed this book, the concept was really interesting but I feel like I’m missing important information or context with each short chapter. I would’ve liked more time in the museum, more of Millie’s entomology knowledge, more of the interview process, more of Millie’s family. There was opportunity for more there that I think could have rounded out the story. Even, more information about her ex - I wanted more!! I also felt that maybe the romance was too fast, a bit insta-lovey.

Overall, I enjoyed it but I wish there was a bit more detail.

I fell in love with the cover first. However the story was incredibly heartfelt too. I love romcoms with kids done right. The meet cute was workplace grumpy-sunshine but it involves into something deeper. A romance about a single parent and loving his kids. Finn became a single parent after his sister died of cancer. Finn is a good parents to the twins Eloise and Avery but Millie was the star that helped them heal. It wasn’t just a romance love story between Millie and Finn but also Millie and the girls. I melted how caring they all are towards each other and I love how close Millie is to her family. I loved the small group family text chain at the beginning of most of her chapters.

The spice was simmering very much a 3. Good.
Overall I really enjoy this story. Easy to read and flows well perfectly for a first time novel!

I ate this book up. I loved the found family trope, and this was done very well. This book was really hard to put down and I definitely stayed up way too late to finish reading. I couldn’t stop giggling and feeling all the warm and fuzzies with this.

4.25 stars!- I really enjoyed this story and I am looking forward to reading more books by Jillian Meadows in the future! First off, I love the cover! This was such a quick read for me. I really liked the character development between Millie and Finn and seeing them grow. I loved the found family aspect with Millie's family and Finn's nieces. I also liked the emphasis Millie put on her career and wanting that promotion. There is no third act breakup, which I always like. I am hoping we get more books in this world with these characters in the future!