Give Me Butterflies Summary, Characters and Themes

Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows is a charming and emotionally layered romance that balances wit, scientific curiosity, and the quiet power of healing.   Told from alternating perspectives, it follows Millie Oaks, a quirky entomologist with a deep love for insects, and Dr. Finn Ashford, a stern astronomer unexpectedly thrust into guardianship of his young nieces.   Their relationship begins with antagonism and awkward moments but blossoms into something tender and meaningful.

This story isn’t just about romantic chemistry—it explores grief, anxiety, professional ambition, and the courage it takes to begin again.   It’s warm, funny, vulnerable, and grounded in real emotional stakes.

Summary

Millie Oaks starts her week in chaos.   After losing out on her favorite almond croissant to an elderly man at her regular bakery, she’s left reeling, her caffeine withdrawal adding to her dread of a critical departmental meeting.

With the help of her best friend Lena, Millie regains composure and heads to the Wilhelmina Natural Science Museum, where she works as an entomologist.   There, she has a mortifying run-in with Dr.

Finn Ashford, an astronomer known for his icy demeanor.   Their clashing personalities lead to sarcasm and a spilled coffee, setting the tone for a rivalrous dynamic.

The next day, their relationship gets even rockier when Millie accidentally rear-ends Finn’s car just before a pivotal job interview—for a position she deeply wants.   To her horror, Finn sits on the hiring committee.

Though the accident and his cold demeanor throw her off, Millie recovers well during the interview.   Her enthusiasm and professionalism leave an impression, even on Finn.

His grudging respect begins to show when he brings her coffee afterward as a peace gesture.   This act leads to a surprisingly warm and witty email exchange that signals a softening between them.

The museum’s summer camp begins shortly thereafter, and Millie finds joy leading children in exploring the world of bugs.   Unexpectedly, Finn arrives with his nieces, Avery and Eloise, who are now in his care following his sister Clara’s recent death.

This twist reveals another side of Finn: a man quietly shouldering the grief of loss and the weight of sudden parenthood.   Millie sees this tenderness in him, a stark contrast to his usual aloofness.

Watching Finn with the girls reshapes her perception of him entirely.

Finn, meanwhile, is learning to navigate single guardianship and his grief.   At night, he reflects on the enormity of the responsibility he now carries.

Seeing Millie interact naturally with the girls tugs at something in him.   Her laughter, her empathy, and her clear love for life begin to break down his guardedness.

Slowly, they begin to enjoy each other’s company—first through subtle flirtation, then through shared concern and affection for the girls.

Millie, however, carries wounds of her own.   A past relationship with a manipulative ex-boyfriend, Kyle, has left her wary.

When he reappears suddenly via a message, it destabilizes her.   Still, breakfast with Finn and the girls helps ground her again, reinforcing the sense of safety she’s starting to build with them.

As her candidacy for the museum’s directorial position progresses into a trial week, Millie suspects Finn may have known about the decision before her.   Her self-doubt bubbles up, but she pushes forward, determined to succeed on her own merit.

Meanwhile, Finn grows increasingly drawn to her, from her humor to her passion to the way she fits so seamlessly into the lives of Avery and Eloise.   He invites her over to make pizza with them, and despite her professional boundaries, she agrees.

Their evening together is intimate and vulnerable.   Millie’s entrance into Finn’s home, into the personal world he’s built with the girls, is significant.

When the girls show her the urn containing their mother’s ashes, it deepens the emotional texture of the night.   In the kitchen, music and laughter flow.

Millie brings joy and spontaneity, and Finn is moved watching her dance with the girls.   On the patio afterward, they talk deeply about family, career, and the emotional scars they carry.

Finn invites her back for cookies, a subtle but genuine invitation into his world.

Yet just as Millie begins to feel safe again, Kyle appears at her favorite café.   Terrified, she hides behind Finn.

His calm, protective presence anchors her, and though they nearly kiss, she pulls away, not ready yet.   Still, their emotional connection grows stronger.

They begin to share more openly, including a passionate night that marks a turning point in their relationship.

That physical intimacy soon gives way to deeper questions.   Millie feels empowered and free in a way she hasn’t for years.

Finn, however, wrestles with guilt—about his responsibilities to the girls, about his ability to balance love and fatherhood.   During a weekend trip to Millie’s family home, Finn sees what a loving, supportive environment looks like.

Her family embraces him, the girls thrive, and the rural peace offers healing.   However, the appearance of Theo, Millie’s childhood friend, sparks Finn’s jealousy.

Back in Millie’s room, they stargaze and speak honestly about their pasts.   But when Avery wakes and Finn realizes he wasn’t there for her, he retreats emotionally, drowning in guilt and uncertainty.

Millie is left devastated.   She wants a future with Finn and the girls but respects his request for space.

At work, he grows distant while she tries to maintain composure.   Eventually, Finn seeks out his therapist and gains clarity: Clara chose him because he would try, not because he was perfect.

With this new understanding, he goes to Millie and apologizes, affirming his love and his commitment—not only to her, but to building a life with her and the girls.   Millie, having grown braver through all her trials, accepts.

Their healing is tested again during Millie’s final job interview.   Finn waits outside, anxious.

Millie emerges strong, but Kyle appears again.   This time, Millie confronts him with confidence, reclaiming her power and declaring an end to his control.

Shaken but resolute, she pulls away for space.   Finn, always supportive, gives her time.

When they visit Finn’s emotionally abusive parents, the contrast between Millie’s warmth and Finn’s cold upbringing becomes clear.   Serena and Riccardo insult both Millie and the girls, prompting Finn to sever ties.

Declaring his love for Millie and choosing his found family, Finn steps into a new chapter.

Later, he brings Millie to his study, where he’s painted the ceiling like a night sky in memory of his sister.   Under that sky, he tells Millie he loves her, and she says it back.

Their intimacy becomes a reclamation of joy.   The next morning, the girls crawl into bed with them—a sweet culmination of all they’ve worked toward.

Millie is finally offered the job, a recognition of her strength and capability.   In the closing scenes, Millie dances with the girls while Finn carves pumpkins.

Joy has replaced fear.   They have built a family together, not one rooted in biology or convenience, but in care, choice, and love.

Characters

Millie Oaks

Millie Oaks, the endearing and tenacious protagonist of Give Me Butterflies, is a woman defined by her passion, resilience, and emotional complexity.   An entomologist with a flair for the whimsical, Millie approaches life with a curious heart and a sense of wonder that makes her instantly likable.

Beneath her colorful wardrobe and quirky personality lies a woman still healing from the scars of emotional abuse.   Her past relationship with Kyle has left her with a deep-seated fear of manipulation and a tendency to question her own worth, especially in moments of vulnerability.

Despite this, Millie is not a victim—she is a fighter.   She bravely navigates the professional pressures of competing for a leadership role at her museum while also managing the emotional terrain of falling in love with someone as complicated as Finn Ashford.

Millie’s empathy shines brightest when she’s with Finn’s nieces, Avery and Eloise.   Her nurturing nature and playful spirit allow her to bond with the girls in a way that is both organic and heartwarming.

Over the course of the narrative, Millie evolves from someone unsure of her place in the professional and emotional world to a woman who confronts her past head-on and reclaims her agency.   Her confrontation with Kyle and the poised strength with which she handles Finn’s distant parents mark significant turning points in her arc.

Millie is a portrait of quiet courage and earned joy—a woman who has not only survived but chosen to thrive and love again.

Finn Ashford

Dr. Finn Ashford, the astronomy-loving, emotionally guarded counterpart to Millie, begins Give Me Butterflies as a seemingly cold, aloof figure—nicknamed “Dr.

Black Hole” for good reason.   He operates within the comfort of order and logic, his life heavily shaped by grief and duty.

After the untimely death of his sister Clara, Finn becomes the guardian of her two daughters, Avery and Eloise, a role he takes on with a mixture of fear, love, and guilt.   The burden of raising children while juggling his career and mourning has left him emotionally restricted, initially unable to express vulnerability without retreating into silence.

However, his evolving relationship with Millie acts as the gravitational force that slowly pulls him out of isolation.   Through their shared moments—whether humorous, awkward, or intimate—Finn gradually reveals a depth of care and devotion that contradicts his stern exterior.

His love for the girls is a central pillar of his character; he is fiercely protective and eager to do right by them, even when plagued by the fear of failure.   Finn’s growth is most profound when he chooses to cut ties with his emotionally abusive parents, declaring his allegiance to the family he’s chosen over the one he was born into.

Therapy becomes a pivotal tool for his emotional evolution, allowing him to dismantle guilt and begin building a life with Millie that includes vulnerability and joy.   By the end of the novel, Finn transforms from a man merely surviving to one actively building a future rooted in love, acceptance, and emotional transparency.

Avery and Eloise

Avery and Eloise, the five-year-old nieces of Finn, are not only sources of levity in Give Me Butterflies but also emotional anchors for both Finn and Millie.   Their presence brings vibrancy and innocence into a narrative otherwise laced with grief and trauma.

Despite their young age, the girls are intelligent, curious, and emotionally intuitive, quickly forming a loving bond with Millie that mirrors the familial warmth they miss following their mother’s death.   Through their eyes, readers glimpse the emotional stakes of Finn’s guardianship and Millie’s integration into their lives.

Avery and Eloise serve as barometers of emotional safety—they gravitate toward Millie because she offers them joy, security, and attention.   Their reactions are spontaneous and sincere, often acting as catalysts for emotional breakthroughs between the adults around them.

When they show Millie the urn containing their mother’s ashes or create tie-dye shirts that spark disdain from Finn’s elitist father, their innocence challenges and softens the emotional rigidity of the world they inhabit.   Ultimately, the girls help create the “cuddle puddle” scene that physically represents the chosen family being forged.

Their love is pure, and their capacity to embrace change becomes the hopeful heartbeat of the story.

Kyle

Kyle, Millie’s toxic ex-boyfriend, serves as the lingering shadow of emotional abuse in Give Me Butterflies.   His reappearance in Millie’s life represents the persistent specter of past trauma that victims of manipulation often face.

Kyle’s behavior is marked by condescension, entitlement, and cruelty, evident in both his text messages and his public confrontation with Millie.   He uses his proximity to her professional life to inflict psychological harm, undermining her confidence and attempting to assert dominance.

However, Kyle’s primary function in the narrative is not merely to antagonize—it is to act as a foil to Finn and as a trigger for Millie’s growth.   Her confrontation with Kyle becomes a defining moment of empowerment.

Where once she may have shrunk or doubted herself, Millie now faces him with assertiveness and resolve, signaling her evolution.   Kyle’s presence may be toxic, but his ultimate failure to destabilize Millie affirms her emotional resilience and the strength of the support system she’s built.

Lena

Lena, Millie’s best friend, is a voice of grounded support and levity throughout Give Me Butterflies.   Always ready with a well-timed joke or word of encouragement, Lena helps to counterbalance Millie’s anxiety and overthinking.

She acts as both confidante and mirror, often reminding Millie of her value when she’s at her most insecure.   Lena’s playful jabs and teasing—particularly about Millie’s feelings for Finn—create moments of comic relief, but her role is deeply substantive.

She helps Millie navigate professional stress, emotional vulnerability, and the resurfacing of Kyle, always offering support without judgement.   Lena embodies the loyalty and humor of female friendship that uplifts without overshadowing.

Though not as deeply explored as the central characters, Lena’s constant presence is essential to Millie’s emotional safety and personal growth.

Serena and Riccardo Ashford

Serena and Riccardo, Finn’s emotionally cold and status-obsessed parents, represent the entrenched systems of power and neglect that shaped Finn’s guarded personality.   Throughout Give Me Butterflies, they are portrayed as elitist, demeaning, and emotionally abusive—harsh critics of Millie’s profession, appearance, and influence on Finn and the girls.

Their rejection of Finn’s guardianship role and disdain for the tie-dye-wearing nieces paint them as figures of rigidity and prejudice.   Their presence magnifies Finn’s internal battle between inherited coldness and chosen warmth.

The final confrontation with them is a liberating moment for Finn—when he declares Millie as his partner and disavows the toxic legacy his parents represent, it marks a radical break from the emotional suppression he’s always known.   Serena and Riccardo are not villains for the sake of plot—they are emblems of generational dysfunction and emotional sterility, which Finn ultimately chooses to reject in favor of building a new, loving family.

Themes

Healing from Trauma and Reclaiming Self-Worth

Millie’s journey in Give Me Butterflies is shaped by the long shadow of her past trauma, particularly her emotionally abusive relationship with Kyle.   His toxic reappearance and the residual fear he incites expose the fragility of her healing process.

Yet, her story is not one of victimhood but of resilience.   Through the narrative, she gradually reclaims agency over her emotions, her body, and her future.

One of the most significant turning points comes when Kyle tries to shame and belittle her after her job interview.   Millie’s ability to assert herself in that moment, standing firm against his manipulation, signals a pivotal reclamation of power.

Rather than succumb to fear or defensiveness, she uses her voice and presence to resist him.   This transformation is gradual—her anxiety, uncertainty, and emotional triggers don’t vanish overnight.

Instead, healing is depicted as a nonlinear process made of small victories: drawing boundaries, accepting love, leaning into joy, and trusting herself again.   The tenderness she receives from Finn and the girls helps validate her worth, but the novel makes clear that her empowerment stems from within.

Her trauma doesn’t define her future; her courage, persistence, and capacity for love do.   By the end, Millie has not only built emotional boundaries but also rewritten her internal narrative—from one of brokenness to one of strength.

Parenthood, Grief, and the Burden of Responsibility

Finn’s narrative is grounded in the sudden upheaval that comes with becoming the guardian of his two nieces, Avery and Eloise, after the death of his sister.   His story becomes a portrait of reluctant but transformative parenthood, marked by grief, guilt, and the desperate desire to do right by the girls.

His internal conflict lies in the tension between honoring his sister’s memory and fearing that he isn’t good enough to fill the role she left behind.   He’s often caught in a loop of self-judgment, believing that every misstep as a guardian reflects a failure—not just to the girls, but to Clara’s legacy.

His withdrawal from Millie at certain moments isn’t driven by rejection but by the heavy emotional toll of caregiving.   His eventual therapy session becomes crucial, not only for personal clarity but as a declaration that perfection isn’t required for love to be meaningful.

What Finn learns, and what the novel affirms, is that showing up with love and intention—even when imperfect—is what makes someone a parent.   His transformation from cold and guarded to emotionally present and nurturing reflects the novel’s deeply compassionate view of caregiving.

Parenthood is less about biology or tradition, and more about commitment, healing, and the ability to provide safety, even amid grief.

Emotional Intimacy and Romantic Vulnerability

The romantic arc between Millie and Finn resists cliché by emphasizing emotional intimacy as much as physical desire.   Their relationship is slow-building, filled with moments of hesitation, retreat, and fragile honesty.

Both characters have reasons to guard their hearts: Millie has been betrayed and manipulated before, while Finn is burdened by grief and parental obligations.   Their romance is not based on grand gestures, but on the accumulation of quiet, meaningful interactions—shared coffees, vulnerable conversations, and collaborative care for the girls.

The scenes of physical intimacy are deliberately sensual but grounded in emotional significance, symbolizing not just attraction but trust.   For both of them, letting someone in represents a risk.

When Millie visits Finn’s home and is welcomed into his private world, she feels both overwhelmed and touched; it is a space marked by Clara’s memory, parenting routines, and emotional rawness.   Likewise, for Finn, seeing Millie interact with his nieces fosters both hope and fear—hope for a future, fear of being disappointed or failing again.

Their intimacy reaches its most profound point when they exchange I-love-you’s beneath a star-painted ceiling, a space that holds both grief and love.   Their relationship doesn’t erase their wounds but offers mutual refuge—love not as escape, but as connection forged through understanding and choice.

Professional Validation and Female Ambition

Millie’s pursuit of the entomology director position at the museum underscores the theme of ambition, especially as it intersects with self-doubt and gendered scrutiny.   Despite her intelligence, creativity, and dedication, Millie constantly feels the need to prove herself.

The pressure of being taken seriously in a scientific field, combined with the awareness that Finn sits on the hiring committee, intensifies her insecurities.   Her discomfort with the extended trial process reflects a deeper anxiety that her professional worth might be judged not just on merit, but also on personal connections or biases.

The book doesn’t treat her ambition as a flaw—it’s part of what makes her vibrant and whole.   Yet it also examines how women are often expected to juggle professionalism with emotional labor, a tension seen in how Millie masks vulnerability to protect her image.

Her final triumph—being offered the job on her own terms, with clear support from her boss—is a moment of profound catharsis.   It proves that her work speaks for itself.

This career milestone, while rewarding, also symbolizes emotional restoration; it’s not just about the job, but about knowing she is worthy, capable, and resilient.   Her professional journey mirrors her personal growth, and by the end, she stands confidently in both realms.

Chosen Family and Redefining Belonging

The concept of chosen family underpins the emotional fabric of Give Me Butterflies.   Both Millie and Finn emerge from family environments marked by disappointment, emotional coldness, and rejection.

Millie’s ex, Kyle, and Finn’s parents, Serena and Riccardo, exemplify traditional power structures that use control, status, or cruelty to inflict harm.   In contrast, the families Millie and Finn create—through their friendships, their love, and their care for Avery and Eloise—are formed by trust, acceptance, and joy.

The “cuddle puddle” scene, where Millie and the girls nestle beside a sleepy Finn, is emblematic of this transformation: a safe, warm, and affirming unit forged not by blood, but by choice.   The comfort Millie finds with Finn’s nieces, the unwavering support of her best friend Lena, and the love she receives from her own parents create a network of care that contrasts with the emotional violence she’s known.

Likewise, Finn’s rejection of his parents and embrace of a new life with Millie and the girls is a radical act of self-definition.   Their home, their routines, and even their Halloween celebrations illustrate how belonging can be reclaimed and reshaped.

The novel presents family not as an inherited structure, but as a living bond made through empathy, nurture, and mutual respect.   In this reimagined version of family, healing is possible, joy is prioritized, and love is a choice continually made.