Hurricanes, libraries, and love are the center of "Where You're Planted" by Melanie Sweeney. When fiercely independent Tansy is saved (literally) by Jack, a grumpy gardener, when her Houston library branch floods in the middle of a hurricane, sparks don't fly. Throughout the novel, Tansy learns to adapt at work, at home, and in her love life, which isn't easy for her.

Sweeney paints post-hurricane Houston as a recovery scene for its residents, especially Jack, Tansy and her daughter Briar, Jack's park and coworkers, and Tansy's library and staff. Filled with quirky and loving supportive characters that balance out Jack and Tansy, "Where You're Planted" gives readers all the good feels and reminds them that there's hope, community, light, and love in the temporary darkness.

Loved the honest situations during and post-natural disaster, the character growth, spicy scenes, and diverse characters.

This was a gifted ARC from Putnam’s – thank you!
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Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for providing a DRC of this title for review.

Really dug this one! There was maybe a little more friction on Tansy's side than I think the story needed, but I really loved the characters and their chemistry-- and this one gets an extra plus from me for depicting library work in a way that felt authentic. Definitely look forward to recommending this one to my patrons and to reading more of Sweeney's work!

2.5 Stars (Outliner)
One Liner: You'll like it if you like the MCs

Tansy Perkins is a single mom whose focus is divided between her daughter and the library (where she works as an assistant director). But when a hurricane damages the library, she has no choice but to move the branch to the adjacent county botanical gardens.
Jack Reid is a grouchy gardener who loves the garden and his plants. When Jack and Tansy are asked to host the annual Spring Festival, they have to make a truce. Even as they fall for each other, they are wary of another chance at love.
The story comes in Tansy and Jack’s third-person POVs.

My Thoughts:
I requested the book since it combines two of my favorite topics – books and plants. Sadly, the characters weren’t good enough to pull off the enemies-to-lovers trope, which is tricky as it is.
What I liked –
Briar, the eight-year-old kid. Though we are told she is struggling with some issues, she is shown as a sweet, curious, and darling little girl.
Amy and Kia are the two side characters who could have carried the book better than the main characters.
The map at the beginning was very helpful in visualizing the entire setting and layout.
The discussion about plants, the aftermath of a hurricane, the politics in maintaining public properties, the lack of funds, and the power of the community.
What didn’t work for me –
The thing about enemies to lovers is that the characters should hate each other, but the readers should like them. Here, it was hard for this reader to like either of them. Jack did get better, but Tansy got on my nerves.
I understand independence, control, and not wanting to rely on anyone. However, it is equally important to know where to draw the line. Don’t want to trust someone who let you down. Absolutely, makes sense. Don’t want to take help from friends when you clearly need it? That, too, because you don’t want to be obliged to help them at some point in the future? That too (three) when you have a child who needs a proper home and basic utilities to stay warm and eat healthy food? No. That’s being an idiot.
I hate asking for help, but even I know when I should ask for it instead of pulling my hair out. I don’t maintain a spreadsheet of these ‘transactions’ or worry about what I’ll do when I have to return the favor.
Multiple times throughout the book, the FMC chooses her pride over sensibility and her child. After a point, I couldn’t see why Jack was so attracted to her. I bet it was the kid, who is a real sweetheart.
Teaching an eight-year-old that independent women don’t need anyone can have long-lasting consequences, just like teaching her that a prince will save her. Both are extreme. If I have to psychoanalyze, the kid’s struggle with coping is due to the FMC’s control issues. Kids need to know they are loved and cherished. That’s their safety blanket. No wonder Briar gets attached to Jack, who gives her that without making a show of it and treats her like a normal person.
The thing with the FMC’s ex should have been more detailed. It’s just surface-level, with the guy trying to buy his way into the family he left.
The side characters had a lot more potential than they had been used for. However, they did play some role.
The MMC’s change of heart was a bit too abrupt. He went from so much unprocessed grief to offering free therapy for the FMC. Slow down, you haven’t healed yourself yet!
To summarize, Where You're Planted has a great premise but falters in execution. Your enjoyment will depend on how much you like the main characters. Since I didn’t connect with them, it was a lost cause. Do check out other reviews, too.
Thank you, NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

***
PS: Jack is described as a rugged and well-built guy who works outdoors all day. The one on the cover looks like a sleepless IT guy trying to stretch the deadline by stepping out for a smoke.

“Where You’re Planted” is absolutely charming. From the very first page, I was completely swept up in the cozy, botanical garden setting. The lush, vivid descriptions made it feel like I could practically smell the greenery, and the inclusion of a map at the beginning was such a thoughtful, immersive touch.

This sweet romance totally delivers, especially for fans of the grumpy/sunshine trope. I fell hard for the “plant daddy” Jack. His green thumbed flirtation style was unexpectedly swoony. Let’s just say the greenhouse shenanigans? Chef’s kiss. The perfect blend of spice and playfulness.

What really made this book stand out, though, was the incredible sense of found family. The relationships throughout were full of warmth, humor, and heart. It’s more than just a love story. It’s about community, healing, and growing exactly where you’re planted.

Tansy Perkins is a librarian and single mom. When a hurricane damages her library, she has to set up a temporary branch in the county botanical gardens. Jack Reid is the assistant director and a grouchy person on a regular day, but when librarians take over his space, he is even more of a curmudgeon.

Jack and Tansy need to work together on the spring festival to raise money. They need to get the library back in working order and restore the plants that were destroyed in the hurricane. Soon sparks fly in this steamy, grumpy-sunshine romance.

Trigger Warnings
Hurricane and aftermath

Why Jackie loves it
Tansy is optimistic without being unrealistic. I liked that she felt like a real person with real problems so I was rooting for her to find love and a happy ending!

I enjoyed this book overall. However, I felt the last 15-20% and the conflict overall were very forced and the ending was rushed.

I wanted to love this enemies to lovers, but I felt disconnected from both characters and their chemistry. It didn’t jump off the page for me and fell flat.

I also don’t understand how as a mother you could subject you and your daughter to a home with no walls, hot water, kitchen, bed or furniture for months on end after a hurricane. How no one called CPS here is beyond me. It just really frustrated me that as a single mom, Tansy had so many options to ask for help from her ex partner, Charlie. She was selfish and protecting herself so she wouldn’t lose custody when she absolutely should have.

Jack’s hero complex and needing to care for Tansy and Briar while heartfelt, did not have the build up which warranted his quick attachment.

The quirky side characters who all work at the library felt forced at times except for they/them. I didn’t find humor in their “hi-jinx” or how the older woman was made out to be weird/super kooky and it’s just like “ohh lolllll. That’s just Marianne.”

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for this eARC.

A crafty new take on the age old work place enemies to lovers finds our main characters locked in a battle for their respective jobs, future plans, and hearts. While the tropes stay the same, nothing pleases me more than a grump and ray of sunshine love story.

While pleasantly surprised, I have to say it starts off okay, goes really slowly in the middle, then picks back up. From the standpoint of an outside viewer, I wanted to discontinue reading in the middle but soldiered on because I’m a sucker for a cute ending.

The addition of LGBTQIA+ characters and side stories is always wonderful. I enjoy Melanie Sweeney books, and this one doesn’t disappoint.

ARC Review: Where You're Planted by Melanie Sweeney
Pub Date: July 8

Thank you GP Putnam for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

When librarian Tansy's branch is shut down due to hurricane flooding, she has to move it to the nearby botanic gardens which just really isn't set up for small kids or any type of programming. In order to get what she needs for her patrons, she's forced to work with Jack Reid, the assistant director who is grouchier than anyone Tansy has ever encountered. Even she, who is always smiling and cheerful even when her life is falling around her, can't get him to loosen up. But as they are forced to work together on a festival, they realize that they make a pretty good team and that their initial impressions of each other may not have been the most accurate.

Ok ya'll, I absolutely LOVED this book! I also loved Melanie's debut last year and thought that both books tackle heavy topics with care but also levity and results in a book that doesn't feel too heavy and that is driven by the romance.

When I first started reading, I thought Jack's grumpiness was a little overexaggerated. But as I continued to read and realize that he was certainly neurodivergent and reacting to a change in his environment, I was able to see his behavior much more clearly for what it was. I thought both his and Tansy's daughter's neurodivergence were written very well - I super loved how much Jack was able to relate to Briar. I do wish their neurodivergence was talked about explicitly on page especially because I think a lot of readers might have the issue I had in the beginning.

Tansy is independent and used to being a single mother who has to get shit done - she is super resistant to help from anyone in her life. I loved seeing Jack break down her walls and help her renovate her house after the hurricane flooded it. And I loved seeing Jack realize that he is deserving of love and that he can trust someone else again. One of my favorite moments is when Tansy realizes that Jack actually adopted the kittens that she found at the botanic garden instead of taking them to the shelter - this is where she starts to realize that he's actually a huge softie on the inside.

I loved Melanie's authors note and knowing that something like this actually happened to her library branch! (The library moving into the botanic garden, not necessarily the romance!)

Also: I've read two books with a FMC named Tansy. Which is a little weird that it's happened twice!

4.25 ⭐️

Within the realm of contemporary romance, I’m most drawn to authors whose writing feels realistic and emotionally authentic—the kinds of writers who create characters that feel like people I could know in real life, but with the volume turned up just a smidge. Melanie Sweeney’s writing style fits that bill. I loved her debut novel, Take Me Home, and this is a great sophomore release.

Set in the aftermath of a brutal Houston hurricane, this book pairs Tansy—a single mother and librarian—with Jack, the director of the botanical gardens where her library is temporarily relocated. Theirs is the epitome of a grumpy/sunshine romance. They are share classic enemies-to-lovers chemistry—sparks fly from their very first meeting, and gradually deepen into something more meaningful.

Tansy, much like the flower she’s named after, is resilient—optimistic even in the face of hardship, and fiercely independent, sometimes to a fault. Jack, still reeling from a bad breakup years earlier, is gruff and guarded; at first, he doesn’t appreciate Tansy’s warmth. What I love most about these characters and their relationship is that, though they approach life in very different ways, they’re both healing from similar kinds of pain.

The book is rounded out by a cast of wonderful side characters, moments of sharp humor, queer representation that feels genuine rather than tokenistic, and possible neurodiverse representation portrayed with care and authenticity.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book, provided in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

There's a lovely symmetry to basing the majority of this novel in botanic gardens and also having a cast of characters that are stretching and growing to accommodate their goals and personal happiness. 🌱

Tansy Perkins is a single mom and children's librarian. When a hurricane sweeps through with more force than expected she and her daughter are led to safety by Jack Reid. Normally, this would be cause for feeling gratitude and relief, but Tansy lives by the rule of never depending on anyone for anything since her ex dropped the ball abandoning her and their daughter. Tansy feels like she's an irresponsible mother for not evacuating in time with her child.

The library sustains severe storm damage and Tansy and the other employees are forced to open a small library at the local botanic gardens where a certain grumpy gardener is also employed. Jack Reid prefers plants over people. He has his own wounds from a failed marriage and hasn't done relationships since. The last thing he wants is the library and its patrons invading his gardens. Things get rocky. Both the library and the gardens require funding to offset the effects of the storm.
The storm between Tansy and Jack is simmering under the surface. Neither is initially thrilled about the attraction.

There's a lot to love about this story. The mental health rep flows across multiple characters and the author did an admirable job exploring the unique ways mental struggles arise. The support shown between the cast of characters when someone was having difficulty was endearing. Vulnerabilities were part of who each character was, and I liked that nothing was swept aside with a 'love conquers all' type of vibe. There were discussions and patience which was lovely because both are difficult to put into practice in real life when you want to fix something.

The beauty of books and gardening combined to add special touches throughout.

Thank you to Penguin Group | Putnam for providing an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

If this was my book boyfriend he'd be sleeping on the couch tonight.

Let's say it together. ready: "enemies to lovers is not an excuse for your characters to be absolute assholes"

One of the rudest, most self-centered, inconsiderate male love interests I have ever read about.

thank you G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ebook arc in exchange for an honest review

This is my first book by this author and I have to say, I really enjoyed it. Tansy, the FMC, is a single mom librarian struggling in the aftermath of a hurricane that has left the library she works at completely unusable and her home is all but unlivable. Due to her past baggage, she has trouble trusting in people and asking for help.
MMC Jack is the assistant director of a county garden and has his own emotional baggage to contend with. His marriage broke up because he couldn't father a child. He doesn't want to try for another relationship but despite his best efforts, Tansy and her daughter Briar both sneak past his emotional defenses.
I adored the pairing, the way Jack was with Briar and him having to grapple with his past was incredibly poignant. I adored the side characters and understood Tansy's reticence in asking for help. I even understood her willingness to work with Briar's dad in trying to coparent their daughter (despite Charlie's past behavior). If I have one complaint, it was a certain scene that involved Tansy and Jack and Charlie - I didn't particularly love Charlie to begin with (which is fine, he's not the MMC) but I didn't really love Jack's behavior either.
I do think both Jack and Briar are neurodivergent but nothing is explicitly stated in this book. Jack also has panic attacks and a fear of public speaking; Tansy was previously engaged to Charlie who abandoned her and their baby after his father died. It is also implied that Tansy has a difficult relationship with her parents.
ARC from publisher, review is all mine.

Another solid, sweet book by Melanie Sweeney!

I read the first few pages of this book as a preview in Melanie’s first book, Take Me Home, and I was immediately hooked! I couldn’t wait to read this book, and I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint!!

This is the story of Jack and Tansy, a wonderful opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine tale about a children’s librarian (who hates and fears the outdoors) and a botanical garden director (who doesn’t ever read). When a hurricane floods and forces the closure of her library branch, Tansy takes matters into her own hands and secures a temporary placement in the botanical gardens next door. But, grumpy garden director Jack is none too happy about letting the library, its quirky staff and annoying patrons into his peaceful sanctuary, and he isn’t shy about saying that to the annoyingly sunny and distractingly attractive librarian.

Single mom Tansy is determined to do everything on her own, to never be a damsel in distress and rely on anyone else-especially a man-to take care of her. So, she’s scared when her growing attraction to Jack leads her to have real feelings for him. And Jack, bruised and battered from his previous relationship, has vowed to never let another woman get close enough to hurt him ever again-but somehow Tansy and her daughter sneak past the walls he’s built around his heart and he’s surprised to find himself falling for them in a way he never expected.

I am always here for a good grumpy/sunshine matchup and Jack and Tansy fit the bill so well! I just loved them!! I really appreciated how real and honest both of them were, and even though it was frustrating to watch them both push the other away out of fear, their fears were well founded and well explained, making it completely understandable why they each were scared of what was building between them.

I absolutely loved the setting and the way even though they seemed like opposites, they shared a common vision about their respective passions (gardens and libraries) which was so endearing to read. As a library volunteer, I’m here for any book written about libraries and librarians; I loved the library programs included in this story, and absolutely loved how symbiotic the library and gardens became for each other.

The side characters were hilarious and a great addition; I especially loved Jack’s relationship with his sister and her no-nonsense attitude with him…she was GREAT!

Overall, I adored this book, even more than the author’s first book! I’d recommend it for anyone who wants a sweet story of loss and redemption, healing past wounds, single motherhood, found family, libraries and plants, and a very well done grumpy/sunshine!

Thank you to NetGalley & Putnam Books for providing this book for review consideration; all thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book was so sweet! I was first intrigued to read it since it was about a librarian and I was interested in the description of the hurricane and the library being temporarily moved to the botanical gardens. I enjoyed the story/romance build up between Tansy and Jack but I also enjoyed the background story of the community building that took place throughout the book. I’m not always one who enjoys an enemy to lovers trope but I really enjoyed this one (I didn't see them as true enemies but more as just grouchy/stubborn). I loved the character development of both Tansy and Jack and I feel the back-and-forth PVs really helped this. The book did move a bit slow for me in the beginning but during the second half, I couldn’t put it down! Overall, I really enjoyed the love story and character growth present in this book as well as the message about community working together.

This had some really bright moments throughout but I found the overall storyline and conflict predictable. I loved learning so much about the botanical gardens and really appreciate the support and acknowledgement of the importance of libraries.

4.25⭐️

This love story was so sweet, and I think I loved it mostly because of the background plot that centered on a community rebuilding after a natural disaster, and of course, libraries! Actually, libraries and gardens which is even better. While I love the enemies-to-lovers trope, this one didn't seem like they actually had reason to hate each other; they just were annoyed by one another. So it wasn't too difficult to see them let their walls down and show feelings. I also liked that the MMC put his heart on the line first and was pursuing the FMC. The spicy scenes were steamy and fun. After the second open-door scene, the rest of them were closed-door, which was meh but fine. During the conflict, I thought Tansy was a little naive to think she wouldn't rely on help from anyone at all for the rest of her life, but I was glad the conflict wasn't a miscommunication that led to a breakup. It was complex and wasn't easily solved with clarity. Actually, the two characters communicated effectively and openly throughout the whole book, which was refreshing!

I also appreciated the inclusion of a non-binary friend of the FMC. Kai was a funny character and had a little romance themselves in the subplot. I liked that Kai was in many scenes, so we got the chance to read over and over again "they did this," "their back was turned," etc. I think in normalizing the use of nonbinary pronouns, it's helpful to see written (or say, in a conversation) those pronouns repeatedly. In that regard, I thought the representation was well written, but I am not an NB pal, so my opinion in this holds little to no value.

Spicy rating: 2/5 🌶️ Two open door scenes, a few closed door scenes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s a hurricane in Houston and Jack rescues Tansy when she rushes into the library branch where she works to rescue caged birds as water begins to rush into the building and then from her home in his boat. Not quite a meet-cute and one challenging Tansy’s hard-won role of rescuing herself. Even though the library is damaged badly, she convinces the leadership to give her the summer in the botanical park next door in the hopes it will convince the board to rebuild. But who’s the new director of the park? That’s right, Jack. A love letter to libraries and gardens as well as survival and growth - sure to find happy readers.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of Where You're Planted by Melanie Sweeney in exchange for an honest review. This review will necessarily be crammed full of growth and plant metaphors; it just can't be helped.

A hurricane has completely upended single mom Tansy Perksin's life. Her young daughter is traumatized from having to be rescued from rising flood waters. Their home was destroyed, as was Tansy's workplace, the library branch were she is the children's librarian. Now she's spent all her savings, just to make their house barely livable. The city is threatening to permanently close her library branch, and the only solution they've found to keep it open is to temporarily move it to a shed in the nearby botanical gardens, a situation made more complicated by the tense working relationship she has with the garden director, Jack Reid.

Jack's dealing with his own issues. He cares deeply for the gardens, but local politics are threatening the garden repairs and improvements that will help prevent the kind of catastrophic flooding wrought by the hurricane. He's not great at dealing the realities of working with the public, and Tansy's library branch is bringing all kinds of disruption to his peace and sanity.

He does like Tansy's bright, bookish kid, though, and Tansy herself is growing on him. When they have to team up for a fundraising event that will benefit both library and gardens, they are able to see past their differences and get the job done. Their truce, plus their blossoming mutual attraction, leads to a much deeper connection. The third act complication that threatens their relationship makes sense, and the solution to that problem is very satisfying.

This is a lovely read. As with Sweeney's previous work, Take Me Home, the story features well-meaning people working through a lot of complicated emotions and issues. Tansy is overly stubborn in the beginning, holding onto hurt feelings over a blunt (though totally justified) lecture from Jack during the hurricane; Jack is ill-equipped to discuss feelings of any kind. Both are overwhelmed with the challenges of their professional and personal situations, made more complicated by being both rivals for resources and partners in survival. So it's particularly rewarding to see the two of them grow through these issues and arrive in a better place, both individually and together.

The story has humor, drama, and an especially endearing bit about Jack's preferred methods for wooing. (Adorable, really.) Recommended by readers who enjoy stories with both physical and metaphorical rebuilding folks who love a good grump/frazzled sunshine, and anyone who like some quality plant-based flirting.

2.75⭐

LIKED:
- I really liked Tansy’s character. I understood her hang ups and her motivations. I loved her passion for her job and her child and her struggles that they caused her as well.
- The other librarians were a joy and I honestly wish we got more of them. I understood who each of them were unique to themselves as well as their relationships to Tansy.
- I so appreciated Melanie Sweeney putting a map to the gardens grounds at the front of the book. Mostly because I just love a good book map but also because it did help with my own mental mapping.
- The writing of the after effects of disaster (re: hurricane in this case) are pretty brutal in a way that was very effective. It was a solid catalyst for a lot of the external conflicts of the book that just really worked .
- It’s good title. I wish that this book actual had more about plants and planting, but it is a good title as a title.

LAMENTED:
- I found Jack incredibly frustrating, especially in the latter half of the book. I get that he is a “grump” archetype, but his ire towards Tansy made little sense. He’s just mean.
- As I’ve mentioned a bit, I’m not a dual POV super fan because I feel that it can easily take away from one character’s story and not add enough to another. This is a prime example of this. It should have just been Tansy’s story. All of the drama and intrigue we learn about Jack’s background and character we should have also learned from her perspective (in my opinion). It would have made their budding interest in each other make more sense.
- Speaking of which…why did they even get together? Their first intimate scene (making out in a wall-to-wall windowed greenhouse while there are children outside even??) made no sense in the evolution of their “relationship”. It’s not that they even still hated each other at that point, but we had no communication from a reader vantage point that Tansy was even remotely interested. I wish they had still hated each other. That would have been at least heightened emotions.
- The relationship between Tansy and her ex is just kind of left dangling. Also their relationship kind of painted her in a bad light while still dubbing him the villain a few times. It was frustrating. And then there’s the pissing games between him and Jack,, ugh.
- The treatment of Briar (from the writing) I found very discouraging. I’m not sure exactly how to describe it, but there was something just kind of unspoken in regards to this child’s struggles. I’m glad she was in therapy, but there’s never actually discussion on Tansy having a kid with a ton of sensory issues and possibly deeper mental healths needs. Also, I always get annoyed when kids in books are never written to seem like they’re consistenty the same age throughout the book and Briar suffered a bit of that. I think she was supposed to be about eight and her character ranged pretty wildly from kindergartener to middle school.
- This cover is just…not good. Why is ti so yellow but Tansy’s hair is also blonde and against the yellow? Why are they so blobby and flat? It just is not visually enticing, and that’s pretty disheartening. Take Me Home’s cover was pretty simple as well, but ti was still eye-catching positively.

LONGED FOR:
- A more believable build up of their passion for each other
- Less of Jack’s POV that takes away from Tansy’s
- A more appealing cover

Will I read the next one? : I don’t know. Both this and her previous book I’ve read have been relatively middle of the road for me, personally, especially in the area of the romance between the MCs, so I think I may wait for a recommendation from someone else before I pick up the next one.