A review by purple4199
Where You're Planted by Melanie Sweeney

4.5

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