This was a really sweet story. I loved the chaos that surrounds the beginning of their relationship. Even from the first spilled drink these two have great chemistry. I love a smart and capable FMC and this story does a great job highlighting that instead of relying on the classic "female in distress" trope. Very fun story and fabulous narration by both Victoria and Jason. They are both incredibly capable and talented enough to take on any role, and they did a great job bringing Millie and Finn's story to life.

4/5 Such an easy romance to root for and very funny, highly recommend!

This book was funny, heart warming, romantic, and real. It also ranged in inclusivity with a Woman in STEM, LGBTQ+ representatives, therapy representation. It handled the hard: toxic boyfriends and family, balancing a new relationship specifically with a co-worker, growing and trusting yourself, and grief, but all of that was mixed in with the good: found family supportive friends, dancing to Disney, baking, supporting small businesses, adorable kids, sweet dates, and a hilarious family group chat.

I found it so easy to support the MC's on their own goals and as a couple. I wanted Millie to get the position, get the man, and get back to herself. As well as wanting Finn to trust himself as a parent and build relationships with the right people.The banter between the two was witty, soft, and undeniably strong chemistry. There was no third act break up, although each of them do take some time apart to figure out their needs, that trope was avoided because they were really good at communicating with each other. It was a breath of fresh air to see a couple who could communicate well and realistically battling it in their heads while doing so. I do wish the enemies to lovers or grumpy/sunshine vibes lasted a little bit longer as the tough exterior Finn was around for a very short time in the beginning before switching to a softer Finn. This caused a disconnect to me of the FMC being like "he is such a grumpy, bad mood person, I can't stand" when I didn't get to see a lot of that to be able to agree.

Finally, I listened to the audiobook and he narrators did a wonderful job, I felt like their voices fit so well, they were melodic and well paced. Also I LOVED the vibrance of the audiobook cover and would suggest using it for the hard copy books as well. Also, it seems to be a series to include the sisters who brought so much humor to this book and already hinted to one with an old friend with LOTS of tension. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Book Tropes: Insta Love, Workplace Romance, Single Parent, Women in STEM, He Falls First, Found Family
Spice Level: 4/5 - This book was STEAMING! There were multiple spicy scenes sprinkled through out that were very well written.
Trigger Warnings: Death of a Loved One, Toxic Ex-Boyfriend, Toxic Parents, Grief, Anxiety

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was interested in the first few chapters, Millie and Finn's dynamic had me smiling and kicking my feet. The initial vibes were giving a bit of Ali Hazelwood.
Unfortunately, it got heavier than I expected for a romance, so I put it down.
DNF 13%
arc provided by Netgalley.

Jason Clarke one of the best male narrators around loved him in this! Victoria is a new to me narrator and I enjoyed her and would listen to her again.

Give Me Butterflies is a sweet, relatable YA romance with great chemistry between the characters. It’s an enjoyable, heartfelt read perfect for fans of feel-good stories.

I loved this book! I'm glad the work rivals aspect ended quickly and it blossomed into an adorable friendship then more. I loved the characters and the story and their growth and support for each other. Highly recommend!!


https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/dcbfd598-9cb6-475b-8edc-63aa983e2314

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7478502700

✨ ARC Review✨

Rate: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Oh my gosh, this book is everything—I can't even begin to tell you how much I adored it! The grumpy/sunshine dynamic is one of my favorite tropes, and Finn and Millie just nailed it.

From their very first interaction, I was hooked. Plus, the banter between them? HILARIOUS! Chef’s kiss! I laughed out loud more than once, especially with the text threads and the awkward, hilarious meet-cutes (spilling coffee, rear-ending cars—oops). Their chemistry is off the charts, and their story had me grinning the entire time.

While this is a slow burn, Finn and Millie fall so hard for each other and with their communication being so open and honest with no games made it felt so raw and real.

But both have their personal stuff to work through, Millie’s dealing with a promotion and trying to move past her toxic ex, while Finn’s dealing with some heavy grief and trying to figure out how to be the best guardian to his super cute twin nieces. Who kept stealing the show!

And let's talk about the family vibes! Millie just sliding into Finn's world with his nieces felt so natural and sweet🥹🫶🏽 Also, Millie's family welcomed Finn and girls like they belonged there and I just wanted to CRY!!

The relationship between Finn and Millie has so many swoon-worthy moments and the SPICE was Chef’s kiss. And don’t even get me started on the cookie dough scene. Ugh,(fire) IYKYK!!

I was so glad to pick this book up in New York so I could have it in my physical library!

I loved this book. It was way more than I expected. It was heartfelt with characters that were flawed but wonderful together. They supported each other and developed throughout the book. All the things you love from a romance!

PERFECTION! I read the ebook last summer and loved it, so when I saw the audio, I HAD to check see how the narrator's delivered the story. I was not disappointed at all. Thank you, thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the chance to preview this audio.

Here are my thoughts on Give Me Butterflies:

This book was the definition of a comfort read for me. Warm, cozy, wholesome (with spice) and cute.

Millie has a love for coffee, almond croissants, book boyfriends, and her career. Her family is warm and welcoming with loads of sarcasm and their family texts threads will have you laughing. Finn comes across as a grump. But we soon find out, he is the guardian of his sister's twin daughters and is trying to balance his work life, parenting, and setting healthy boundaries between himself/the girls and his toxic parents. THERE ARE LAYERS TO THESE MAIN CHARACTERS and oh my goodness I love them both.

Finn and Millie work at the same museum and have had a few run ins. Some of those are quite dramatic! He's gruff and moody, While she's a walking ball of light shining like the brightest star in the sky. They seem to be inevitable magnets for each other and their banter is adorable. These two characters end up being so soft and sweet to each other. I adored watching their relationship grow and change. I love that they both express their needs and take time for themselves as needed. I LOVED LOVED LOVED the dynamic between the four of them (Finn's nieces Avery and Eloise were adorable).

Quick Notes Of My Favorite Bits:
book boyfriend chat with Eleanor
their nicknames
the date at Maggie's
a green mixer
the interview panel
Friday nights
the family soup recipe
adorable twin 5 year olds
therapy!!!!
the tattoo
her family texts and parents oversharing
her parents (hearts, hearts, hearts)
healthy boundaries
emails

I can't wait to read the next book!

The emotionality of this book surprised me in the best way! This was so cozy and romantic and the grumpy/sunshine dynamic was top tier.

This was my second book from Jillian and I loved it even more than my first book from her!

I'm always a sucker for a single dad/guardian so I know I was going to like this. I loved the workplace environment of this book because it was nothing like I've read before in a book.

The connection between the 2 MCs was so fun to watch happen from awful first meetings to finally falling for each other and finding their person.

This was such a cute story! I really enjoy this author’s writing this is my second book of hers and I have loved both books that I’ve read! In this book I loved both main characters and their dynamic! They had such great chemistry! The narration was fantastic I really loved both narrators and thought they were perfect for the characters!!

Thank you Jillian, Avon, Harper Collins, Harper Audio, and Netgalley for an ALC!

I loved the book it just took me forever to read. I've been in a reading slump that I haven't been able to get out of. This story is full of Stem, grumpy/ sunshine, single dad vibes, laughter and a little sadness.

I absolutely devoured this book! I adored the characters instantly and found myself rooting for them individually and as a couple. The story flowed so well and I enjoyed learning so much about each MC. Tackling an abusive past relationship and the grief of sibling loss added so much depth to the story and definitely had me shedding a tear or two. I laughed, cried, kicked my feet with excitement and couldn’t put the book down! It sent me on an emotional rollercoaster with the slow burn romance but it was so satisfying and worth the wait! I’m always a sucker for two MC’s helping each other grow and evolve as they fall for each other with high stakes. This is a book I would definitely read again!

This was a fun enemies to lover romance with great characters and smart lead characters, I wouldn't mind reading more of her books

I was able to listen to an ARC audiobook for this book and flew through it. The only negative I have is that it was compared to Ali Hazelwood, and it did not deliver on the STEM side of things that seemed to be an afterthought. But that is okay because it delivered so much more. This is such a sweet, slow-burn romance. The man gives golden retriever energy in the best way ever! The fact he is caring for his sister's kids after his sister passed away only makes him more sweet. He is also super thoughtful and caring. The dual points of view make it super clear that both of them are heads heels in love with each other very early on, but due to the fact she is applying for a job, he is part of the interview committee, and she refuses to act on those feelings. There are scenes in this book where I felt like screaming at the characters to just kiss already! The tension build-up was that good! This book also does an amazing job of bringing in some laugh-out-loud moments but also brings in deeper meanings of what love can do to you and for you. The audiobook has two narrators for both parts, which makes it a really fun listen.

I loved this book!!! The audiobook was incredible and the narrators were spot on! I loved the single dad trope and how Finn started opening up to Millie and how she so seamlessly fit into their family dynamic! I also loved how welcoming and open her parents were to Finn and the girls! The academic setting was fun and new and I really enjoyed the Catan micro trope lol.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I first read Give Me Butterflies when it was still an indie and loved it! I’m so happy to see this being traditionally published and with an audiobook. I loved this just as much on audio as I did the first time! The narrators do an excellent job as Millie and Finn. They really brought the story to life.

The growth and characters arcs for Millie, Finn, and the girls are well done, while staying believable to the story and real life. I thought the handling of Millie’s previous abusive relationship and Finn’s loss of his sister (and his own abusive parents) was thoughtful and showed growth and maturity for everyone. The story handles heavy topics while staying a sweet romance with (thankfully) no real third act breakup.

Millie and Finn are perfect together!

I love the Nerds In Love trope and 'Give Me Butterflies' did not disappoint on that front. There were so many references to other types of media that I found myself giggling at including a nod to ACOTAR and the....importance of wingspan. I love when authors make references to other books and shows and I get it. It's just a fun little easter egg.

My only complaint with this book is that SPOILER it feels like a potential HR nightmare, and not for what you think. The workplace romance is done very well and doesn't ever really get problematic. My HR issue was with Millie being up for a job against her abusive ex and NOT saying anything about it. Yes, I understand the "I want to earn it myself" mentality she has but it feels like this could be a bigger problem in the future, especially if her ex hand gotten the position. It's an easy to over look point but it just kept sticking out to me.

The narrators were wonderful. Victoria Connely was a delightful Millie. I always love Jason Clarke's work and this was nothing different however, reflecting on the book more I don't feel like his voice was the best fit for Finn. That being said, the both gave a great performance.

If you're a fan of single dad (or in this case uncle), grumpy/sunshine, workplace romance, and nerdy stuff then this book is for you. Bonus points for no third act break up too.

I enjoy a good grumpy/sunshine romance and Finn and Millie play their parts perfectly. I liked that there were other challenging elements to their story, like grief and raising your sibling's twins, that added depth to their struggles to find their way to a romantic relationship. Enjoyable characters and an enjoyable narrator make this a great audiobook to listen to and while away an afternoon.