Tansy meets Jack when she’s attempting to rescue the library’s birds in the middle of a hurricane. A second meet cute happens when he has to rescue her from her flooding house - birds, her daughter and her neighbour in tow.

Tansy is a librarian, struggling in the aftermath of the hurricane after it destroyed her library and her home. Single mom who’s trying to do it all on her own. Ends up having to work in close proximity to Jack after the Library is relocated to his botanical gardens.

Jack is a gardener at the botanical gardens - struggling following the breakdown of his marriage a few years prior. Typical grumpy MMC, shields his heart and doesn’t get close to anyone as doesn’t want to get hurt again.

I loved Tandy’s daughter Briar - she really brought the pair of them together and was a such a good character. I loved her relationship with Jack.

Overall a fun quick read, I loved the library/botanical gardens setting and it had a great cast of side characters. Tropes are grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, found family

ARC copy provided by Harper Collins & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed Tansy and Jacks story. Tansy's determination to build a life for herself and her daughter; while navigating the total rebuild of her work and community, was truly admirable to read. I loved the hidden softness behind Jack's rough exterior. The beautiful garden setting and the extended network of supporting characters helped make the story even better. A great read!

An enjoyable romance with gorgeous writing filled eith hope. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

When single mum Tansy is made homeless in a hurricane, she and her daughter are rescued by the local fire service and Jack (who is helping out as he has a boat). Since they initially took a dislike to each other it is obvious that their relationship will change. The focus of the novel is how they work through both their life and relationship problems. There are some good characters and an imaginative setting. Escapist fun.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I started to read this book without having checked the blurb, and this author is new to me, so I didn't know what to expect.
I loved the setting of the library and the gardens, even though this was the result of a devastating flood. The main and secondary characters were likeable, the story touching, and I liked the chemistry between the main characters. The author also evoked some heavier topics, which were handled well.

I recommend this heartwarming book!

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for this arc!

This book completely surprised me, in the best way. The writing is beautiful, emotional, and full of heart.

Tansy and Jack have an amazing slow-building romance. It is sweet, funny, and full of great banter. Jack’s backstory added surprising depth, and their chemistry was perfect.

The book touches on themes of family, friendship, and hope. It’s heartfelt without being too heavy, and the side characters were just as memorable. A lovely summer read!

How did an idea that I totally wasn't sold on become my favourite book of the year? Melanie Sweeney's gorgeous writing of course. I started off incredulous that the FMC was named Tansy and somehow a powerhouse but also rescuing birds in a flood, then was absolutely unsold on the MMC being even remotely likeable, and then by 25% through I was eating my words and completely enamoured.

This is a tender, strong, emotive book about family and friendship in the wake of unprecedented circumstances. I saw Sweeney's warning on Threads about reading it after the devastating floods, and whilst I agree, this is really the kind of book we all need- that which gives us hope and reminds us of how precious and wonderful life can be. Jack and Briars relationship was so beautifully written and I loved the parallels with Amy and Omar. I loved the supporting cast of characters (especially Kai) and loved how flowing and strong this plot was. I can't wait to reread it again!

it’s summer and summer means a lot of things and one of these’s reconnect with nature and what a perfect opportunity’s to do it while reading too thanks to melanie sweeney that with her new story where you’re planted let us enter in jack and tansy world filled with books and a garden filled with lovely plants and flowers… isn’t one of the perfect set up for a cute story?

now… besides my initial ranting let me talk better about these characters and their story so be ready and read my thoughts :”) ⬇️

this is my first book by melanie sweeney and it was really a special surprise especially because this story was inspired by facts happened in real life so it made the story even more special :) we have our strong and caring librarian aka tansy and her daughter briar and well nature happened with a hurricane and our tansy’s library was unfortunately damaged and so she had to move with her colleagues but where?? yup, u got it! in the garden where our grumpy jack works and well he’s isn’t exactly delighted so it’s not like they will have the best of the interactions at the start… but what if i told that they met before ? and what if a thing called time combined with a various elements such as understanding, respect and dare i say looove happens? and as usual everything will change and it will be for the best and especially for the big family that will be created in the end :”) 💐💗☀️

what do i have to say more? honestly i laughed, i adored the relationships between a lot of characters and not only the main i could mention the friendships, the relationship between jack and her sister or i could talk about briar and jack and just add more details but i think that u don’t need those because in the end u just need to read this story and live it!

least but last a lot of thanks to harper collins uk for giving me the opportunity to read the e-arc of this lovely book in exchange for my honest opinion :)

Tansy & Jack ❤️

🌳When a vicious hurricane ploughs through the area where librarian Tansy lives, she dashes to rescue the two caged birds that have taken residence in the library. With the water levels rising and the rain blinding her visibility, Jack from the next door botanical garden helps her out.

🌳And when she and her young daughter Briar have to evacuate their her house, built on the floodplain, he’s there with his best friend Omar in his boat to take them to safety.

🌳The last thing Tansy needs or wants is to be rescued, but when she gets to know the kind but gruff Jack, their feelings for each other are stronger than either of their fears.

✏️I was offered to read this beautiful story by the UK publisher and was convinced to take a chance on a new-to-me author by the positive reviews. I am glad I did. So many themes in this story are relevant for the times we live in. Libraries being underfunded, assistance in natural disasters being thin, infertility and the damage it does. I was touched by the author, Melanie Sweeney’s epilogue, where she explains how the effects of Hurricane Harvey affected her own experience back in 2017. The caring and kind relationship between Tansy and Jack had me hooked, and the experience of being a single parent was spot on. Highly recommend 💫

✨4 stars✨

I’m so glad that I enjoyed this book more than I expected! I think the fact that I didn’t really have any expectations when starting this book helped my enjoyment!

This book follows single mum Tansy as she and her colleagues have to move the library where they work into the botanical garden across the road after their original building was damaged in a flood. Here works grumpy gardener Jack and tension ensues, especially as Tansy and Jack have already met when Jack saved her and her daughter Briar from said flood.

I really enjoyed this and would recommend if you’re looking for a quick romance that carries some depth, especially to read in the summer.

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This was perfection! The chemistry and banter at the very beginning had me laughing and smiling to myself; I absolutely adored the relationship that blossomed between Jack and Tansy. Jack was a dreamy man with a very complex story which was extremely refreshing yet heartbreaking to read about. I couldn't get enough of them both!

When a hurricane strikes and causes damage to Tansy Perkins’ library and Jack Reid’s botanical garden, the two are forced to work together to rebuild what has once been. The only issue? They can’t stand each other. He thinks she is too quirky, she thinks he is too grouchy. Can they put their differences aside?

First off, I want to highlight how much I loved to read about the love and dedication the characters have for their respective jobs and how they both want to preserve things that are so valuable for the community. This book is a bit of a love letter to libraries and nature and highlights the importance of both.

Jack is a grumpy MMC who avoids relationships but once you take a deeper look, he is loyal to his core and an acts of service man (which is incredibly hot). I loved how his backstory was portrayed. Tansy, who is a single-mom, is a strong-willed FMC who would do anything for the people she loves. I love them both and I love them together. Two puzzle pieces, perfectly fitting together and completing each other.

Even though I think they were made for each other, I could not exactly follow how their feelings changed from hostility to love (though attraction was always present). I would have loved to see a „friends“-phase, where they realize that they were wrong about each other and then develop more romantic feelings. It went from „I don’t like you“ to „Let’s start some sort of relationship“ too quickly for me, personally.

However, the author has given the characters incredible depth and touches on some important topics, in relationships, such as co-parenting and conflicted feelings, but also issues that arise after natural disasters and how they can change someone’s life in the blink of an eye.

If you are a fan of single-parent, enemies-to-lovers or an acts of service man, or simply want a cozy and hopeful read, give this one a go!

„Where You’re Planted“ is out August 14th 2025!



Thank you to HarperFiction and NetGalley for an earc in exchange for an honest review!

Single mum Tansy Perkins is drowning in library duties and homework help, with zero bandwidth for romance. Divorced gardener Jack Reid is perfectly content tending his botanic gardens alone, thank you very much. When a hurricane damages the library and forces Tansy to set up shop in Jack's pristine greenhouse, neither of them signed up for this disruption. But sharing space means bumping into each other constantly, and their banter starts shifting from annoyed to something dangerously close to flirting. Jack finds himself looking forward to Tansy's daily chaos, while she discovers there's more to the grumpy gardener than his scowls suggest. They're both convinced they don't need complications, but their growing attraction has other plans.

Two very headstrong main characters who can barely tolerate each other- could there be romance there? Keep turning the pages to find out. An easy holiday read.

A lovely feel good read with great characters. I loved the library / gardens setting and how they worked together. Recommended.

Both have suffered damage to their workplaces in a tornado and flooding. Tamsy has lost her home and the library, Jack's botanical garden has suffered much damage .They must both rebuild, but did not plan to have to work together. With damaging relationships in the past, neither is looking for romance. just to get their lives back on track . A truce helps them work together, will it bring romance too?

#plantdaddy: I’d like, follow and subscribe to that account!
Where You’re Planted had me hooked from the very first page. The two main characters, Tansy and Jack, are both headstrong and fiercely independent, which made their chemistry all the more compelling. Their dynamic was the perfect blend of razor-sharp wit and unexpected tenderness. I especially loved how Tansy supported Jack through his anxiety with patience and strength, and how he instinctively treated her daughter, Briar, with such kindness and compassion; it felt deeply real and heartfelt.
Author Melanie Sweeney creates an amazingly sweet story that charts both personal and professional challenges, and it was incredibly satisfying to watch Tansy and Jack grow not just as individuals but as partners. Their emotional journey was just as intense as the romantic one—and speaking of romance, wow. The spice level was definitely off the charts; I found myself blushing more than once!
A beautifully written, emotionally rich, and seriously steamy read. Highly recommend for anyone who loves romance with depth, humor, and heart!
Many thanks to HarperCollins for this ARC!

It didn't surprise me upon reaching the end of this beautiful book that the author had drawn upon real circumstances. The love of community and found family was apparent throughout.
From the minute of meeting Tansy and Jack in the middle of a storm, I was right there with them and raced through the rest of the story. "Where You're Planted" reminded me of the last couple of Abby Jiminez books as the love story is strong, but so are the lives and circumstances built round it. Tensions didn't just exist to create drama, they felt real and were resolved with grace. I can't wait to read more of Melanie Sweeney's work.