So It Grows

by Andie Burke

A cozy small town business-rivals-to-lovers romcom about finding joy where you least expect it from USA Today bestselling author Andie Burke.

Felicity Gallagher thought inheriting her aunt’s plant shop would be the fresh start she needed. She never expected that the trendy, mac and cheese themed restaurant next door–and its inconveniently hot chef–might be her downfall.

Nicholas Holm-Bozic is arrogant, presumptuous, and just flat out gets under her skin. Felicity has made ignoring him an art form—until the exploding popularity of his restaurant leads to renewed interest in Felicity’s quirky corner of Kansas. Now, a greedy developer is threatening both their businesses with a towering parking garage that could steal the sunlight from her plants. With her shop’s future in jeopardy, Felicity must join forces with her least favorite neighbor.

As the pair fight back, Nic and Felicity’s formerly contentious relationship blooms into something new, but hidden battle scars, old secrets, and a devastating storm threaten everything they’ve built. Will they choose to cut and run, or are they finally ready to put down permanent roots?

Andie Burke’s So It Grows is chock full of heat, heart, humor, and everything in between.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Adult, LGBT, Small Town Romance

326 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 22, 2026

About the author

Andie Burke writes books with queer kissing and happily ever afters. She was originally an English major who decided to jump into a pediatric nursing career. Her writing is inspired by over a decade spent working in hospitals with patients of all ages. After the last couple years spent in the pandemic ER, she escaped to an outpatient pediatric sedation unit. Andie lives in a blue house in Maryland with an alarming number of books and an embarrassing number of ultra-fine point pens. When she’s not writing, she’s probably feeding snacks to the two small human creatures who live with her or trying not to kill her chaotic houseplants. You can find her on Bookstagram adding to her ever-expanding TBR or letting her ADHD brain happily dissociate while listening to Taylor Swift.

Reviews

[Lina]

4.5 / 5 Stars
This is a vibe rating because I truly could not put this book down. I was really into it and thought it was a fun rivals to friends to lovers story and then we hit 67% and my jaw hit the floor and then it was two hours later (and who knows what time at night) and I have finished with no regrets.

You will probably like this book if you like:
💜 Business rivals to friends to lovers
💜 Plant shop owner FMC x Chef MMC
💜 Small town romance in Kansas
💜 Mental health rep (check the content warnings)
💜 Queer romance (bisexual FMC x pansexual MMC)
💜 Puns as a love language
💜 Found family

It starts out as business rivals who have to band together to get rid of a common bad guy who wants to build a parking lot next to a plant store and restaurant. They are business rivals and she really dislikes him and I had a whole diatribe about “how could you be so attracted to someone when you actually actively dislike them?” (I do not have those multi-tasking skills. When your girls feel rage, all she sees is red, not hot butts). But that said, to my friends who struggle with insta-lust in a book, all I can say is keep reading.

The banter was great. There were so many great food puns and an electric back and forth that I really enjoyed. Felicity and Nic have a ton of chemistry. I felt like the rival and dislike part was dropped pretty easily and I understand why on Nic’s part, but I am not sure that I fully buy it on Felicity’s part but again, I am down for the ride.

The book reminded me of Archer’s Voice in that it is a grand and epic love story with heavy themes, but I felt like the mental health and trauma aspects of this book were done way better (no tea, no shade, no pink lemonade to Archer’s Voice but it doesn’t even have content warnings which it desperately needs). This books explores assault, PTSD, suicidal ideations, addiction in thoughtful ways, but please take care of yourself while reading.

When the book wrapped up, I did still have a few lingering questions or a few things that just didn’t 100% add up, but if a book sucks me in, that gets big kudos from me.

I am so excited that I discovered Andie Burke. This book takes place in the same universe as two of her other books (though I don’t think you have to read them to understand this book) and I am excited to go back now and read her other work.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: September 22, 2026

⋆ ೀ ⋆ Follow me on Instagram @book.recs.by.lina for book recommendations and general fun times ⋆ ೀ ⋆

[Katie’s Bookshelf]

3⭐️
I enjoyed this story as a whole, but I wasn't super sold on the romance between Felicity and Nic. I think the time jumps we got just took away from the slower development of their relationship? There was a lot going on and yet it never fully captured my attention

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Katie B]

Review coming soon.

[Sarah (bookofsari)]

Review coming soon.

[Jessica Paige (Exercise_Read_Repeat)]

A fun rivals to lovers romance that follows Felicity after she inherits her aunt’s plant shop and Nic, the chef who works next door. I really appreciated the queer and mental health representation, which was woven into the story in a way that felt natural. I did have some difficulty getting into the story because of the third person POV, but Adelaide Fernport did a great job on audio bringing the characters and their dynamic to life.

[BookishKB]

🌿🪴 So It Grows 🪴🌿

📖 Bookish Thoughts

My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.

✨ What to Expect
• Small Town
• Rivals to Lovers
• Plant Shop Owner
• Chef MMC
• Forced Partnership
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Cozy Rom Com
_ _ _ _

📅 Pub Date: September 22, 2026
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[Hailey]

5/5⭐️
3/5🌶️

Firstly a big big thank you to Andie Burke, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for my honest review!

This is a love story that will stick with you, and takes little to no time to grow on you;) Seriously though, I knew at about 5% in that this was going to be a 5 star read for me. The rivals to lovers, neighbouring shops, garden store owner x chef pairing was too good to pass up. Not to mention, Felicity is an incredibly hilarious main character to follow. I loved her spark and passion for what she does.

Not only was the love story well, and beautifully written. But I didn’t see the twist coming. Obviously, no spoilers, but this totally changed the whole story for me, and almost makes me want to reread to see if I pick up on anything differently.

Burke also did an amazing job with all the representation in this novel. Both visible and invisible disability rep, LGBTQIA+ rep, giving a realistic perspective on medical profession, as well as some nurse rep! (We love to see it!) Felicitys experience with chronic illness and mental health was really interesting and wonderful to read/see in a novel, it really made her character feel more real and tangible to me. I find sometimes books dealing with mental health can deal with it poorly, or make it the overarching plot of a novel, when that isn’t what the reader may have been ready for. That is not the case in So It Grows.

I can’t wait for everyone to have this available to them September 22nd!

[Kristy]

This is a cute story, but with a slightly weird premise that I shall not reveal as I believe it's a bit of a spoiler. Felicity has inherited a plant shop in Kansas from her aunt. She's still trying to figure things out, but all is complicated by the popularity of the mac and cheese restaurant next door, run by chef Nicholas Holm-Bozic. Nic's restaurant threatens the sanctity of Felicity's shop--and he gets under her skin like no one else. Unfortunately the two will have to work together to try to save both their shops against some machinations from city hall.

This story has a sloooow burn start. If you've read any of Andie Burke's other books, you'll see some interconnected characters, including references to Aunt Jeannie, Marshall, Courtney, Thea, and more. That's kind of fun!

As Felicity and Nic spend more time together, we learn how Felicity has always felt too much, while Nic is recovering from a difficult childhood and the pressures of his father. The two share some good banter, and we get a lot of references to plants and food!

The writing felt a bit choppy, without fully developed characters, and I was a bit thrown by the overall premise, but the book really picks up in the second half and had me quite invested. It also makes some excellent points about mental health and sexual assault. 3.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin in return for an unbiased review. Look for SO IT GROWS in September 2026!

[Jenn (burlingtonbiblio)]

Book Review
And So It Grows by Andi Burke
Pub date: Sept 22
St Martins Griffin

Tropes and Triggers
🌱 Alliteration and banter
🌱 Slow Burn
🌱 Found family
🌱 Mental health rep
🌱 Gender fluidity (bisexual and pansexual)
🌱 Business rivals to friends to lovers
🌱 Personal healing journey
⚠️ Suicidal ideation
⚠️ Death of a loved one
⚠️ Addiction
⚠️ Assault and PTSD

Thoughts
New to me author who nailed the banter between our Chef Nic and Plant lady Felicity, the back and forth, the humour, and the sexual tension fueled barbs and digs were soo good

I really enjoyed the community and village of support that surround Nic and Felicity -Aunt Jeannie, Marshall, Sam, Courtney, Thea, Abbott, Derek, and yea even Toby and Bruce- each character added another relationship, thickened a plotline and made our MCs personal histories shine brighter

On a more personal note, as a survivor of attempted suicide I appreciate the care the author has taken in addressing the weight of depression and the lasting impact of negative intrusive thoughts that persist when we are at our most vulnerable . Felicity’s voice captured feelings that I often struggle to articulate about my own experience.

Drawbacks
I didnt like how a chapter would end on a scene and the next chapter picked up days, weeks or months ahead- I think if the chapter noted a timeline jump I would have been better prepared for it. I found this presented somewhat of a challenge in keeping up where/when we were in our MCs story

Overall
I would most definitely pick up another book by this author

Thank you to St Martins Griffin for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

[Lindsey Domokur]

I love a good enemies to lovers book, but this one didn't feel like that to me. It is the reason I picked it up, but you could very quickly see how soft Nick was and the only prickly one was Felicity. She has ADHD and has had a rough go of things over the past few years. She is trying to find her footing with the plant store that her aunt has left her. When a new restaurant and small town politics threaten her shop, she has to rally with others to save the small town feel.
Nick was fabulous and caring from the moment we meet him. I enjoyed his story and his backstory and getting his POV towards the end really helped me to like this book a lot more. I love a good twist of fate moment and I feel like it was all woven together so great.
Felicity is quirky and her vibe was a lot. Not just a lot, but she didn't really know how to navigate things like conversations well. I realize this was because of her ADHD, but walking away from people in the middle of conversations multiple times without telling them and leaving them confused, is just not it for me. I realize she suffered from a lot of mental health issues, but maybe she needed more therapy than just running the plant store and isolating herself. I couldn't come back from how Felicity just did whatever she want without thinking about anyone else, even when she was in dangerous situations. So this one is 3.5 stars.

[Jenae Gilchrist]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC of So It Grows by Andie Burke!

This book completely stole my heart. We follow Felicity, who inherits her aunt’s beloved plant shop in a small Kansas town, and Nic, the ridiculously hot chef who runs the trendy mac-and-cheese restaurant next door. They start out as neighbors who definitely do not get along, but when a developer threatens their businesses and the community they’ve both come to care about, they’re forced to put their differences aside and work together.

And of course… the business rivals-to-friends-to-lovers progression was SO good. I loved watching their relationship slowly change as they got to know each other and began opening up about the things they were carrying.

What really surprised me was how much depth this book had beneath the cute small-town romance. Both Felicity and Nic have endured some incredibly difficult things, and I loved seeing the ways they supported each other while navigating their own hardships, trauma, grief, and healing. There were moments that absolutely broke my heart, but there was also so much humor, warmth, and hope woven throughout.

I genuinely could not put this book down. The characters, the banter, the romance, the community, the plants: I loved all of it. And that plot twist?! I was NOT prepared.

A beautiful story about love, healing, finding your people, and putting down roots.

5 stars and an easy recommendation from me!

[Alex]

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am OBSESSED with this book. I immediately wanted to reread it again.
I have loved all of Andie Burke’s books, but this one took the cake.

First of all, I am a sucker for banter and haters-to-lovers. Give me a snarky FMC and a down-bad MMC and I am set.

Second, the Part 2 got me straight in the feels. I don’t want to say any more, but trust me, it’s good.

Third, bi/pan representation for both MCs 👌🏼

I look forward to rereading this book again!

[Ellie]

I was in the mood for a romcom, and So It Grows promised a cozy small town business rivals-to-friends-to-lovers romcom between a plant shop owner and restaurant chef.

I didn’t expect to read such realistic-feeling depictions of living with and/or reacting to neurodiversity, gender diversity, addiction, assault, depression, suicidal ideation, cancer, and death. I really appreciated Andie Burke's the straightforward approach to such serious topics wrapped with sassy banter and slow-burn romance between Felicity and Nic.

Before I continue, please remember, if you ever need someone to talk to about how you're feeling, the 988 Lifelife is available 24/7. Text or call 988.

Whether you're facing mental health struggles, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns, or just need someone to talk to, 988's counselors are there for you. You are not alone.

Now back to the book review. I would have preferred more tension and romantic acceleration between Felicity and Nic for a greater payoff after the slow burn. We have to wait till over 65% of the way through to experience a major pivot that turbocharged the story, when we start getting answers to the gaps the story had spun up to that point. In the end, I enjoyed the characters being able to open themselves up and not hide or make themselves small for fear of rejection or burdening others. Existing is enough.

Readers who like small town business rivals, shared rivalry, and lost and found love, and don’t mind steady, long slow burn will like So It Grows.

I finished the book feeling content and satisfied!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the chance to read an advance reader copy of this book!

Again, if you ever need someone to talk to about how you're feeling, the 988 Lifelife is available 24/7. Text or call 988. Support is always available.

Tropes
Small town
Found family
Slow burn
Business rivals to friends to lovers
Restaurant chef x Plant store owner
Shared rivalry
Lost love
Second chance love
LGBTQIA+

[Ellen Slikker]

This is my favorite book (yet!) by Andie Burke!
It feels fresh while keeping her signature banter, spice, and characters who are facing relatable issues with heart.

Kansas is such a unique and lovely setting
Felicity is a delight (and she knows it!)
Nic is a top tier book boyfriend who feels like he was made for me 🔥

I just really loved this book!

[Mackenzie RM]

Felicity thought that inheriting her aunt’s plant shop would be the fresh start she needed, but the trendy, mac-and-cheese themed restaurant next door with the hot chef may be her downfall. Nic’s restaurant is growing ever popular, leading to a greedy business developer threatening to build a towering parking garage next door that could put both of their businesses in jeopardy. Together, Nic and Felicity must band together to fight to keep everything they’ve built, but the more time they spend together, something new blooms between them.

SO IT GROWS is the book I didn’t know I needed. It may be the case of right book, right time, but I adored Felicity and Nic’s story. This novel was one I had trouble putting down and was thinking about it when I couldn’t be reading — a true sign of a book that I’m loving. I’ve read each of Burke’s books to date and have loved them all, but this one I can safely say is my favorite to date.

SO IT GROWS is set in small town Kansas where Felicity has recently taken over her aunt’s plant shop business and is now forced to band together with the arrogant and hot chef next door to save both their businesses. I enjoyed the small town politics that rippled beneath the surface and the plotting Felicity, Nic, and their friends did to give their businesses the chance to continue to flourish.

A special tidbit that I really loved was cameos of characters from previous novels here: Courtney, Thea, Dexter, Sam, Abbott, and Dylan to name a few. Some of these were main characters in previous books and others have remained key side characters. Burke has such a talent in creating characters that you can’t help but love. They are each so genuine and relatable. Felicity is the main narrator of this novel, and I loved how her character arc forms and develops as each page turns. She’s a complex character with a lot going on behind the scenes, but I loved how easy it was to get to know her as the reader. She’s definitely a firecracker and her love of alliterative wise cracks had me in stitches.

I loved the connection that forms between Nic and Felicity. Their relationship begins in a state of contention but as they begin to work together to save their respective businesses, something new blooms between them. It is a slow burn romance that is filled with cheeky banter, heart, and passion. I was hooked in by the banter but stayed for the quiet yearning. The last 20 to 25% of the novel had me in a chokehold, riding an emotional rollercoaster that I’d absolutely do again. The ending is so sweet and fits this book’s tone perfectly.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.

[Bari (justbookedup)]

I went into this one with absolutely no expectations & somehow ended up with a book I genuinely could not put down. This surprised me in the BEST way.

The banter between Felicity & Nic immediately pulled me in. They have that perfect back & forth, but what really got me was how much their relationship evolves throughout the story. What starts as rivalry (on her part) slowly becomes friendship, trust & something so much deeper. And once you understand everything underneath their connection? Oh my heart!!!

I also loved the way this story is structured. The different parts, the dual third-person POV & the way Andie slowly reveals pieces of Felicity & Nic's histories completely changed how I saw certain moments. There were connections I did not see coming, but once everything started clicking into place, it added SO much emotional weight to their story.

This is truly right person, wrong time done so incredibly well. Felicity & Nic both have complicated pasts that have shaped who they are. They feel like two fully developed people carrying grief, trauma, regrets & pieces of themselves they are still trying to understand. Their backstories pulled at my heart so much more than I expected.

There are some incredibly heavy themes here, including trauma, grief, addiction & depression, but I thought they were handled with so much care (check TWs). And through it all, Andie weaves in this beautiful romance that feels even more meaningful because of everything these two have been through.

I expected a cute rivals-to-lovers romance with a plant shop owner & a chef. Instead, I got a deeply emotional story about healing, timing, finding your people & allowing yourself to love someone when life has given you plenty of reasons to keep your walls up.

Such an unexpected favorite & a book that hit me SO much harder than I ever expected.

🏡 Small Town
💕 Rivals to Friends to Lovers
⏰ Right Person, Wrong Time
💋 Second Chance
🔥 Slow Burn
🫶 Found Family
🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQIA+
💔 Grief, Healing, Depression (check TW)
✌🏻 Dual 3rd Person POV

[Sam Aylward]

So It Grows is a cozy rivals to lovers romcom - Felicity Gallagher inherits her aunt's plant shop and hopes that it can be the fresh start she's looking for. What she didn't expect was Nicholas Holm-Bozic, the arrogant chef of the trendy mac and cheese themed restaurant next door. The two butt heads over their shared courtyard and plans on how to improve the space, but a developer threatens both of their businesses with a towering parking garage that could put both businesses in jeopardy. They must work together to fight for the preservation of their small corner of the town, and in the process maybe contempt turns to lust? Old secrets, battle scars, and a storm threaten everything they've built - can they grow through it together?

I enjoyed the banter between the main characters, but this didn't pull me in like I hoped. Other reviews mention the ADHD of the FMC being relatable - that might be part of why I found her hard to like as ADHD personalities can be too flighty for me in real life for my anxiety-based brain. I would recommend this to others, keeping in mind the trigger warnings for PTSD/grief, but it's not going to be a re-read for me.

I received this ARC through NetGalley.

[Hannah S.]

Thank you to Andie Burke who came into the teeny tiny, only a few months old, bookstore I work at and dropped off this arc! I love this book with my whole heart. Felicity and Nic form such a beautiful relationship through this book. People may be frustrated at the time it takes for them to get romantically involved but it’s so purposeful and needed within this particular story. Both characters have so much growing they need to do. They both have their own struggles that they needed to come to terms with before things could fully work between them.

The small town vibes are also immaculate. I loved how everyone was trying their best to rally behind Felicity even when she wasn’t in a place to accept help easily.

I think people may also struggle a little with how long it is before we get Nic’a pov. But, again, this is so purposeful. We get to know his backstory at the exact perfect time and it helps the reader put together all the little bits and pieces that had been seeded throughout the story.

All in all this is a beautiful love story and a beautiful story of loving yourself in all your iterations.

[Melissa LiVolsi]

Thank you @netgalley for this copy.

Rivals to lovers 🌻
Dual timeline 🌻
Slow burn 🌻
Small town 🌻

Following the worst year of her life, Felicity Gallagher moves to a quirky corner of Kansas to take over her late aunt’s plant shop, hoping for a fresh start. Her peace is instantly disrupted by her neighbor, Nicolas (Nic) Holm-Bozic, the inconveniently attractive, arrogant chef running a trendy, booming mac-and-cheese restaurant next door. While Nic’s restaurant thrives, Felicity’s shop struggles, fueling a petty, bickering business rivalry between them.

I’m surprised to say the part that stole my heart was the relationship between Nic & Felicity’s Aunt ♥️ It was so sweet and just such a wholesome friendship that started off super rocky. I wasn’t expecting it and it gave me the fuzzies.

I think Nic & Felicity were cute. It was a fun and sweet relationship. This was a nice fast paced read.

[Cara]

What an absolute delight of a book! I thought this would be a cute romance but it ended up being so much more. Felicity is trying to save her aunt’s flower shop from the brink of closing and has to team up with the next door business, where Nic is the chef. They get off on the wrong foot after Felicity overhears an out-of-context conversation, but soon become friends and even more.

There was so much heart in this story and I absolutely loved Felicity and Nic. Their romance was so beautiful and each of them went through a lot in their personal lives, so seeing their happy ending was wonderful.

Felicity’s POV had me laughing and getting teary eyed. She is a great lead for this story! Nic is so swoon worthy and once we learn his backstory I was obsessed! The man knows how to commit to being down bad for a long time. I also loved all of their friends and the support system they had in town. I will definitely be going back to read Courtney’s story for more!

I would suggest checking trigger warnings for some emotional topics that occur throughout the book, and definitely recommend picking up this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[BK Reads]

I fear I have never related to an opening line more than I did in So It Grows. Thank you so much to Andie Burke and the team for the arc.

From the get go this book is really funny. Like really funny, very witty and the banter is fantastic. However, I fear it fell flat from there.

I loved Nic as a character, when he opened up and we learnt more about his back story I really appreciated him more. He is the definition of a down bad man and I love him all the more for it.

Felicity, well she had her moments. She was lovely, but at some stages she felt incredibly infuriating. I did appreciate the portrayal of her adhd as I don't think you see it done like this very often.

Unfortunately once they became lovers everything felt too fast paced and rushed. I wonder if rivals to friends to lovers was too much.

[Kate]

This was a beautiful book! Felicity is currently living in Kansas desperately trying to save her aunt’s plant business that she left her when she died. Felicity is struggling with trying to save the shop, her grief over losing her aunt, and a traumatic event in her past. So she is extremely annoyed when a hot chef next door Nic, tries to get in the way by stealing part of her patio space for his restaurant. Felicity wants nothing to do with Nic… that is until they decide to ban together to stop their common foe from building a tall parking garage nearby that will harm both their businesses. As they work together Felicity struggles to hold on to her hatred of Nic as she gets to know him. And suddenly she starts wondering if she could fall for him, but Nic keeps giving her confusing signals, and he keeps some secrets that leave her worried. I love a good enemies to lovers book, and this one had a fun twist that I adored. A fun book with bruised characters that will stay with me for a while. I received an ARC, and this is my honest review.

[Keaundray Osborn]

I’m about to DNF another ARC because this main character is working my LAST nerve. First, she’s giving self-righteous automatically makes her morally superior to everyone around her. Then she says she stopped dating men altogether because she got ghosted in college? Girl… WHAT?! I’m trying so hard to push through, but every chapter is giving me another reason to close this book and never open it again. The ARC struggle is REAL because I hate DNFing books I agreed to review, but at some point I have to choose peace.

[Emily Adams]

Thank you to Net Galley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for a review.

I loved every second of this. A great business rivals to lovers (plant shop vs. chef) rendition. The banter between Nic & Felicity is unmatched. I was cackling when he showed up after she took her pain meds. This was one of those books that kept making me laugh and my fiancé kept having to ask me what I was laughing about.

As someone with ADHD, I loved the representation of ADHD, especially in a woman. I related very easily to Felicity because of this.

This was a comfy read that also touched on difficult subjects such as grief/loss, drug abuse, and assault.

[Caroline]

This was a very funny, witty, quick read. Almost too quick? There are time jumps in Part 2 that feel natural, but also left me feeling I was missing out on the relationship development. Also, I completely missed the twist, so I don’t know if I wasn’t paying attention earlier in the book, or I missed it, or I’m an inattentive reader. The story also contained some very heavy themes that were dealt with in a careful, accessible way. Thanks to SMP for the arc.

[Terri]

This was my first time reading one of Andie Burke’s book and I feel like this one had so much potential and it kinda fell flat for me. The pacing was off quite a bit, it was confusing at times trying to figure out who was talking, as there wasn’t clear indication.
I feel like the best parts were Nic’s chapters.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

[Claire]

With thanks to St. Martin's Griffin/Edelweiss for the ARC

[Torrey]

I was drawn to this book by the cute cover and the title, curious to read about a rivalry between the plant shop Felicity inherited that is next door to a popular restaurant that Nic owns, and the developers that want to come in and put in a parking garage in the plot of land between their businesses that will threaten them both, making Felicity and Nic work together.

The story itself was hard to keep my interest, and I didn't feel much for the relationship between the two main characters for the majority of the book, until we got to see more of Nic in the later half that helped make up for it to make it more endearing. The plants were probably my favorite characters.

Thank you St. Martin's Griffin for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Suzette]

I recently finished reading So it Grows by Andie Burke, and this novel is an absolutely beautifully written, emotionally rich, and unforgettable.

The characters are both inspirational and hilarious, each one coming to life on the page in a way that made me feel truly connected to their journey. I found myself laughing out loud at some moments, only to be moved to tears a few pages later. The balance of humor and heartfelt emotion is masterfully done.

The plot is marvelous, unfolding in a way that feels natural yet full of surprises. It’s the kind of story that keeps you fully immersed, leaving you both entertained and deeply touched. Andie Burke has crafted an incredible story that lingers in your mind long after the last page.

If you’re looking for a book that will make you laugh, cry, and fall in love with its characters, So it Grows is a must-read. I can’t recommend it highly enough!

[giftgirlreadsromance]

Format - ARC (Netgalley)

Rating- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice- 🌶

Series- N/A

Troupes- Enemies to friends to lovers, Small town, a year in fast forward, Forced proximity

Representation- ADHD, Recovering Addict, PTSD, Chronic pain, LGBTQAI+, Depression, Suicidal thoughts

CW- Loss of a loved one to cancer, assault of a medical professional, chronic pain from injuries


How to Andie Burke know I know I needed this book when I didn’t even know I needed this book! We love an inclusive rep heavy book but damn this one hit hard and just right!

We got a Pan MMC and a Bi FMC A+ on Queerness.

They are business rivals forced to work together to defeat the Money Hungry Villain.

She has Chronic Pain from a horrific incident and he take very good care of her.

He has secrets that could she is gonna wanna know about!

The Fiddle leaf Fig tree is a very important character!

She needs community and it just waiting on her to pull her head out of her ass.

Auntie Jeannie is needs her own book.

There is a literal tornado!

If anyone that sparks your interest then pick up this one for the Cozy season!

Thank you Andie Burke, St Martins Griffin and Netgalley for the early copy. My opinions are my own!