🦋 Giving Me Butterflies by Katy Michele 🦋
Key Tropes:
💕 Forced Proximity
🦋 ENEMIES TO LOVERS 💜
💕 Grumpy/Sunshine
🦋 He Falls First
💕 Trauma Bonding/Understanding
Characterization: I don’t think I have ever found a character I identify with more than the FMC, Drew. She’s been through some sh*t, loves teaching, and has the best taste in music. Every millennial teacher must read this book, BUT there’s some intense TWs - so read first. Mental health above all else. Emmett is probably my new favorite book boyfriend, and I don’t find too many men to be super swoon worthy, but when someone knows how to respond to someone’s trauma and doesn’t dismiss it, gosh, that’s the best thing.
Plot/Storyline: Holy crap. The prologue. I knew because of the trigger warnings, but I also know because I’m a teacher in modern day America. The intensity, the love, the passion, and the simple everyday struggles are so well depicted in this story. To the person who thought this book was “boring” - you embody the sentiment of desensitization discussed in chapter 10. I was on edge. The tension, the angst, the ANXIETY. It’s real.
Writing Style: GOD THE ACCURACY IN THIS BOOK. I’m not rating books with stars, but as a teacher I give my students smelly stickers when they do impeccable work. This book deserves a million good smelling stickers for the sarcasm, wit, and on the nose depictions of teaching in modern day. I found myself highlighting and snapping at more lines than I have in some time. I laughed. I chuckled. I fumed. I don’t cry when reading (don’t judge me), but I was feeling all the feels with this book.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Recommend: RESOUNDING yes. This book will now be one of the few I consistently and frequently recommend to readers needing a book to help them out of a slump.
💕 Katy Michele - let me know when ARCs open for the second in the series!! IM IN 💕