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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
So good!!!! Gavin and Lena are so great together the chemistry was crazy! Also Gavin taking her last name… stop! I was a little shocked that Lena’s brother wasn’t like yeah obviously you love my sister we all knew I was not expecting him to be upset at all. But I’m glad it was quickly resolved. Also their nephew walking in on them sleeping Christmas morning i died that shit was hilarious. This book was great. I was a little frustrated because it felt like there were previous books with Lena’s best friends’ love stories but this book wasn’t listed as a part of a series so I didn’t know to read those so I felt a little lost but it didn’t take away from Gavin and Lena’s story at all.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Wreck my Plans was cute, but I couldn't get behind the conflict. Lena's family is the only family Gavin has truly felt a part of, and he doesn't want to mess that up by dating Lena... but that's giving up before you've even started. I know all about holding yourself back, but it just didn't feel like a real issue to me. I also thought the spice was out of proportion to how we see them interact. Like, the spice is hott 🔥 🔥 🔥 🥵 but what we see of their relationship is eh. It takes a while to figure out what actually happens and why Gavin leaves. It just didn't grip me. I do like the representation of adoption and foster care.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved Lena in Give Me Butterflies, and I'm so happy she has her own story. It's nice to see the best friend getting her own story moment. She and Gav have loved each other from afar as friends, and I love a friends-to-lovers story. Age-gap isn't usually my favorite, but I am coming around to it with well-written stories like this one, when each character has lived their own life and grown and explored, but still comes back to essential characteristics and personality traits of the other - for Gav and Lena, its loyalty, humor, and a deep well of love they bring to all their friendships and relationships. I also love a holiday story, providing a glorious setting and party moments for the magic to happen. The audiobook is also lovely - Samantha Brentmoor is perfection in every fmc role, and the male narrator brings the uncertainty, but also hopefulness to Gavin's interior narrative that fits so well with the character! The secondary plot with Gavin reaching out to other foster kids is sensitive and lovingly handled by the author.
This was a sweet and steamy romance that I wish I had read during the holiday season. With 10 years of pining, the amount of pent up feelings feels believable, and the FMC’s supportive family makes it all that much more heartwarming. Plus, I liked the occasional glimpses into the characters from Give Me Butterflies!
4 stars
4 stars
I felt all the feels with this book. I was crying, I was happy, I was a little turned on. All of it.
This is the first book I have read from [a:Jillian Meadows|29877702|Jillian Meadows|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1681949014p2/29877702.jpg]. I decided I wanted to start with [b:Wreck My Plans|199129838|Wreck My Plans|Jillian Meadows|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1696390428l/199129838._SY75_.jpg|202889999] instead of [b:Give Me Butterflies|183904913|Give Me Butterflies (Oaks Sisters, #1)|Jillian Meadows|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1688511819l/183904913._SY75_.jpg|144902568] because the latter is the first book of a series that is still a work in progress. Well, while [b:Wreck My Plans|199129838|Wreck My Plans|Jillian Meadows|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1696390428l/199129838._SY75_.jpg|202889999] is a standalone story, it turns out that we were already introduced to Lena and all her friends in [b:Give Me Butterflies|183904913|Give Me Butterflies (Oaks Sisters, #1)|Jillian Meadows|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1688511819l/183904913._SY75_.jpg|144902568]. It may have given me a bit more of an understanding of the friendship dynamic that Lena has in Wilhamena with her group (it may also have given me some insight into their group chat name). The bonus chapter that you can get for free on Jillian's website gave some insight into their friend dynamic, which now only makes me want to read [b:Give Me Butterflies|183904913|Give Me Butterflies (Oaks Sisters, #1)|Jillian Meadows|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1688511819l/183904913._SY75_.jpg|144902568] even more.
Either way, this book was beautiful. It was well written. The family dynamic between Lena, her mother and grandmother, her brother, sister-in-law, and niece/nephews is a perfect example of love and support and working together.
This is the first book I have read from [a:Jillian Meadows|29877702|Jillian Meadows|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1681949014p2/29877702.jpg]. I decided I wanted to start with [b:Wreck My Plans|199129838|Wreck My Plans|Jillian Meadows|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1696390428l/199129838._SY75_.jpg|202889999] instead of [b:Give Me Butterflies|183904913|Give Me Butterflies (Oaks Sisters, #1)|Jillian Meadows|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1688511819l/183904913._SY75_.jpg|144902568] because the latter is the first book of a series that is still a work in progress. Well, while [b:Wreck My Plans|199129838|Wreck My Plans|Jillian Meadows|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1696390428l/199129838._SY75_.jpg|202889999] is a standalone story, it turns out that we were already introduced to Lena and all her friends in [b:Give Me Butterflies|183904913|Give Me Butterflies (Oaks Sisters, #1)|Jillian Meadows|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1688511819l/183904913._SY75_.jpg|144902568]. It may have given me a bit more of an understanding of the friendship dynamic that Lena has in Wilhamena with her group (it may also have given me some insight into their group chat name). The bonus chapter that you can get for free on Jillian's website gave some insight into their friend dynamic, which now only makes me want to read [b:Give Me Butterflies|183904913|Give Me Butterflies (Oaks Sisters, #1)|Jillian Meadows|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1688511819l/183904913._SY75_.jpg|144902568] even more.
Either way, this book was beautiful. It was well written. The family dynamic between Lena, her mother and grandmother, her brother, sister-in-law, and niece/nephews is a perfect example of love and support and working together.
Another sweet read. I like that the H was sweet, not a manwhore. It was a refreshing read.
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Really cute holiday rom com book. The epilogue was cheesy but the main story was nicely paced and enjoyable. I wish I had read this during Christmastime! Lots of warm holiday vibes.
fast-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm torn! On the one hand the romance was great - banter and teasing, long-term longing and best-friend's sister/found family tropes. On the other hand, ovaries are not sentient and it's vomit-worthy to refer to them as 'clenching' or 'melting' or really any other action. We can be much more creative with expressing our base natural desires, please and thank you. Honestly, my favorite moments in the book were Lina and Gavin's friends. Those conversations were real, raw, healthy, and exactly as anyone should hope to have with their besties. They are always the real MVP's.