Give Me Butterflies (Oaks Sisters #1) by Jillian Meadows

 

Summary (from the publisher): Millie loves her job as a kickass entomology curator, inspiring museum visitors every day. She even has an interview for the department director position, so she can take on an even bigger role in the museum. She refuses to be distracted by her grumpy coworker with his permanent scowl, bright blue eyes, and nerdy astronomy ties.

. . . Not that she’s spent much time noticing any of those things.

Finn Ashford doesn’t mean to glare at everyone, but he’s juggling his job at the museum, navigating the grief of losing his sister, attempting to make his nieces smile, and not ruin dinner for the fifth night in a row.

When Millie stumbles through the door of her interview, her eyes scan the committee and land on the one man that could derail her promotion, but it just so happens he’s also the one man that could make all her dreams come true.

Give Me Butterflies is a slow burn, single guardian romance. This steamy story features a handsome grump who seems to only smile for his nieces, an anxious curator finding the confidence to believe in herself, and a cast of endearing, meddling side characters. It’s full of swoony moments, nerdy banter, and enough fiery tension to light the museum ablaze.

Review: Millie is an entomology curator who gets along well with pretty much everyone except her grumpy coworker, astronomer Finn Ashford. Little does Millie know, but Finn is navigating the grief over the death of his sister and figuring out how to parent his twin nieces. When Finn winds up on the hiring committee for the promotion Millie desperately wants, their relationship begins to evolve. 

There was truly so much I loved about this book!: 

- I really appreciated how mindful both Milllie and Finn are of his nieces at every turn. The two get to know each other and let the girls get to know Millie before diving into a relationship. Finn is very conscious of his responsibility to the girls and all the changes they have been through, and Millie genuinely loves spending time with all three of them; they are a package deal. 

- I love Millie's family! It feels like nearly every romance features main characters with turbulent childhoods and terrible parents. And Finn does fit into this box (his parents are AMONG THE WORST). But I find I grow weary of this terrible parent character point. Surely some people had good childhoods and loving parents. And Millie does have a wonderful, loving family! I loved their farm, their cute family group texts, and how loving and supportive they are. I was genuinely SO HAPPY for Avery and Eloise to get to join this family when Finn starts dating Millie. They deserve to be a part of this extended family. 

- I thought it was so fun that Millie and Finn both work at the same museum. Fun fact, I interned at the natural history museum in my hometown one summer in college, so I kept imagining that building during all the scenes of them at work and it just felt really fun.

- I really appreciate that Finn goes to therapy and is in touch with his own emotions. After the childhood he went through with his parents and the loss of his sister who was his best friend, he needs this! At one point in the book, he acts like a jerk to Millie. But he talks to his therapist about it, works through why he acted that way, and apologizes. What a man. I love to see it. 

- This was so well done on audio with dual narration. 

I'm not typically bothered or concerned by spicy scenes, but this one does have some extended ones, which felt a little too long. I also didn't love the subplot of Millie's ex-boyfriend and the way he pops up. It just felt not as well integrated or fleshed out enough and just sort of fizzled out as a worry so didn't feel super necessary. 

I already have the ARC for book two in this series loaded up and am so excited to keep reading about the Oaks family. Loved this one!

Stars: 4