First Read of June: Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows
Is it too early to say I think I found a new favorite author? (READ ON FOR SPOILERS)
I just finished Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows, and I have to say... what a dream balance of a romance novel. Released in 2023, the book follows Finneas (Finn), the astronomy department head and museum director, and Millie, an entomologist at the same museum who is interviewing for a director role.
This is a grumpy/sunshine story with a slow burn between the two. Finn is the caregiver to his twin nieces, Avery and Eloise, after losing his sister to pancreatic cancer. Millie, on the other hand, is surrounded by a loving family and friend group, something Finn never really had growing up outside of his sister's love.
This was such a soothing balance of falling in love, learning to trust yourself after toxic relationships (both romantic and familial), and navigating the ups and downs of becoming a new parent. We usually see a little more grumpiness in stories where the lead is a grouch, but early on, we start to see cracks in Finn's facade.
I won't deny the spice here (I do love to see it), but for readers who prefer spice that serves the story instead of existing just for "spice's sake," this strikes a wonderful balance. There's plenty of waiting, yearning, and tension until the timing finally feels right.
While I'm generally not a kid person, I thought Eloise and Avery were a wonderful way to tie the story together. They reminded me a little of the children in The Holiday: sweet, charming, and equipped with an impressively advanced vocabulary for 5-year-olds. As someone without kids, I can't say how realistic that part is. What I did love was how they nudged the relationship forward and highlighted that Finn and the girls were a package deal, one that Millie seemed to fall for immediately.
An honorable mention goes to Millie's friend group, which was probably the most relatable part of the book for me. I can absolutely relate to having gay husband besties, and a ride-or-die friend. The protective and supportive dynamic of their foursome was so enjoyable that I honestly would have liked even more of it. Fingers crossed we get some background updates in book two.
We meet Millie's toxic ex and Finn's emotionally sterile parents, and we get to see where some of their lingering trauma and insecurities come from. I appreciated that both characters seemed to have already done a lot of work through therapy and mental health support. Even when they struggled, communication remained relatively open, and we didn't spend 100 pages watching them spiral over one misunderstanding. Sometimes I get so frustrated when miscommunication dominates an entire book and makes otherwise smart characters seem unrealistic.
The intimate scenes were fun and felt believable. My God, when Finn sucked cookie dough off Millie's thumb, I kind of stared at the page for a moment, completely lost in the visual.
I'd recommend this book to fans of Jodi McAlisterand Sarah T. Dubb. It follows a similar balance of emotion, intimacy, and character development, helping you feel grounded in the story. Also, we love a couple in STEM! Overall, I gave Give Me Butterflies a 4.5-star rating.
I had a great time with this one, and I'm already looking forward to starting the second book in the series, No Place Like You. If Jillian Meadows keeps writing books like this, she may have officially earned a permanent spot on my auto-buy list.