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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
medium-paced
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.
The author’s notes at the end (both).
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, dude! 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.
#NetGalley
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.
The author’s notes at the end (both).
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, dude! 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.
#NetGalley
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
This was a really good book. We meet Tansy as she is at her library saving some pet birds, when a man comes and yells at her for being out in a hurricane. We learn that the man is named Jack and works at the botanical gardens They are forced to work together when the destroyed library is closed and they are temporarily moved into the gardens. Jack and Tansy are adversarial towards each other from the start. Tansy has a big thing about anyone helping her, she could be really stubborn and refuse assistance even if she needed it. That was frustrating to read, even if I understood why she was that way.
Jack had closed himself off to relationships after his marriage ended and he wasn't able to have children. You could see he really wasn't living a fulfilling life though; he was so tightly wound. I loved that Jack took to Tansy's daughter, Briar, right away. He seemed to get her and knew how to talk to her. I love when an MC bonds with a kid that isn't their own. As Jack and Tansy develop feelings for one another you could see that she held back because she didn't want to be disappointed again after having had a previous relationship fall apart. There was decent communication between the two, but Tansy stubbornly held on to her view that she didn't need anyone's help and that nearly cost her the relationship with Jack. There is a bit of angst in the book, but no big miscommunication or misunderstanding. They both had to reflect on some things though. The characters felt real and I appreciated that.
Third act fight, not a breakup
4/5 on the Spicy Scale
M/F
Contemporary
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up. Jack (the grumpy, divorced botanical garden director) and Tansy (the single mom librarian) have a disaster-cute as a category 4 hurricane hits Houston. Four months after the disastrous day that Jack saved Tansy twice, much to her ‘I’m not a damsel in distress’ embarrassment, they are each still dealing with the aftermath of severe flood damage - Tansy at her house and the library, Jack throughout his gardens. Tansy fights to save her library branch after floodwaters ruin the building and books by creating a temporary library within a little green shed in Jack’s gardens. Forced proximity in their workspaces plus unresolved tension about their previous encounters leads to Jack and Tansy constantly pushing each other’s buttons. It might take a minute, but these two fiercely independent people eventually realize that they are better off - professionally and personally - working together. Competing for the same grant funding maaaaay unfortunately put a damper on their truce and budding romantic connection. They each have fears to work through, hers being committing to someone as a single parent and his being committing to someone after a failed marriage, but with one another’s help and that of their community, they are trying to make the best of everything.
Spoilers ahead…
This book was definitely a slower-paced journey without a lot of action - my sister even called it boring 😬 - but there was definitely some emotional depth in how Tansy and Jack grow out of the limitations they had put on themselves in order to endure hardships so that they can seize the seemingly fated connection they’ve found. Their conflict creates real chemistry and it is enhanced by the natural chemistry between Jack and Tandy’s daughter, Briar, who latches on to what makes her feel safe and is instantly drawn to him. Tansy has been let down by her ex-fiancé/her child’s father and is scared of being dependent upon a man again only to have to pick up the pieces for her and her daughter when it falls apart. Jack is scared of a long-term commitment after his marriage ending as a result of his fertility issues. He is ready to give them a real shot way before she is and her stubbornness wore a bit thin, but the found family dynamic was nice.
Does it take these two highly compatible people way too long to realize they should just go for it? Yeah. Tansy, in particular, had more to work through in being stubbornly feminist. GIRL, this man is not asking you to choose between him and your daughter… you having a daughter is literally granting the wish for a family he was too afraid to hope for again. Nor is he trying to sabotage your library by applying for a grant… he has tried to help you at every turn!!! Her coming around in time for his grand gesture to rework his grant proposal to include the library was a satisfying climax. It felt like I was reading about very realistic people just living their lives and trying to do their best.
The importance of community really elevated the book. I appreciated the author’s note explaining the truth within this story and all of the relationships really emphasized that theme of communal duty. Tansy with her coworkers, the library staff with their patrons, the garden staff with their visitors, Jack with his sister and best friend - it is all about lifting one another up. Another reviewer said it beautifully that Melanie Sweeney “possesses a rare gift of infusing weight and depth into the everyday, crafting intimacy from kindness and emotional gravity from the smallest details.” There is power in be a helper and that power isn’t diminished when it’s your turn to receive that help (*cough*TANSY*cough*).
Special mention to the hysterical meet-cute story between Amy and Omar!
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Jack and Tanay have an unlikely meeting. He saves her from a hurricane and them they are forced to work together afterwards. He is trying to save his wrecked garden and she is trying to save her library, only now it's in his garden. He doesn't like change and she is trying to make library programs work outside. This is a grumpy/sunshine, he falls first book and it is so good!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌶🌶🌶