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Thursday, September 16, 2010

'Hot House Flower' by Margot Berwin + giveaway

Genre:  Fiction that made plants sound sexy!

About:(From TLC) Lila Nova is a 32-year-old adverting copywriter who lives alone in a plain white box of an apartment. Recovering from a heartbreaking divorce, Lila has a simple mantra: no pets, no plants, no people, no problems. But when she meets David Exley, a ruggedly handsome plant dealer, a country-sexual, as she calls him, her lonely life turns into something far more colorful. From the harsh streets of Manhattan to the verdant jungles of the Yucatan, Hothouse Flower is the story of a woman who travels beyond sense and comfort to find out what she really wants.

Descriptive Words: steamy, informative, magical, quirky, sexual, thought-provoking,


Why I wanted to read this book:

  • I wanted to be on this tour because Diane @ Bibliophile by the Sea read this book earlier this year and loved it to pieces. After finishing I was absolutely in her camp!! 

What worked for me:

  • I loved all of the mythical folklore surrounding plants. I have never looked at any flower and thought any deeper about it than the color of the petals and the sweet smell it evokes. This book has made me think about flowers and plants on a much deeper and cellular level.
  • I adored Lila Nova, the main character. I loved her willingness to just go with the flow and to open her mind and horizons to new adventures. When she takes off for the Yucatan Peninsula I wanted to go with her!!
  • The cast of characters were wonderfully fleshed out and I felt myself gravitating towards them. I liked most of them and thought they really added to the story.
  • This book is filled with adventure...non-stop adventure towards the middle and end. I caught myself with one of those cheese-eating grins on my face several times as I was reading this. I suspended all sense of belief ,threw all cares to the wind and allowed this book to take over all of my senses. What an exhilarating ride!
  • I had no idea how sexual plants and flowers are!! Wow...all of that information was so much fun to read and at times I found myself blushing, but all in a good way!! 
What didn't work for me:
  • It all worked for me...every single word, every single sentence, every single character, the plot, the whole freaking story!!!  
Recommend? Oh yeah!! And lucky for you I get the opportunity to offer one copy of 'Hot House Flower' to one of my friends who leave me a comment on this review!!! Please make sure you include your email address!!! This is limited to US/Canada only. Your chance to win a copy ends September 23, 11:59 p.m.

My Rating: 5/5



Thank you to TLC for asking me to be a part of this book tour.
Check out the other tour stops HERE



MARGOT BERWIN won a merit scholarship for creative writing from the New School and earned her MFA in 2005. Her stories have appeared on Nerve.com, essaysandfictions.com, The New York Press, and in the Anthology The Future of Misbehavior. She lives in New York City.
You can contact Margot:


© 2010, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

    36 comments:

    1. Can I just say that you find the most awesome books!?!?!?! This sounds wow! :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

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    2. Plants..sexy...lol, not something I usually hear, but I will take your word for it

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    3. Another one to add to my list of books to read!


      erin@cinnamonowl.com

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    4. Nice review, Staci! This has been on my radar for a while. Please enter me in the giveaway :)

      meah56[at]gmail[dot]com

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    5. Wow, after that review, how can I not enter your great giveaway? I'm adding the book to my wish list!! milou2ster(at)gmail.com

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    6. Hi Staci,
      I'm the author of Hothouse Flower and the nine plants of desire and I want to thank you so much for such a great review!! I'm sitting here in my apartment just really happy, kind of thrilled, to read this.

      I had a great time writing the book. It was an amazing adventure even though I didn't move from my desk very much..:)

      I hope your readers will enjoy it as much as you did!

      If anyone reads the book and wants to connect, I can be reached on facebook. I love to hear from readers.

      Thank you so much again for taking the time to write this review!

      Margot Berwin
      Author
      Hothouse Flower and the nine plants of desire

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    7. I don't really have a green thumb, but this book sounds great. Wonderful review. :)

      jgbeads(at)gmail(dot)com

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    8. I really want to read this one! Please enter me!

      nbmars AT yahoo DOT com

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    9. Your picks are always right on as far as I'm concerned. You haven't steered me wrong yet, Kiddo!
      Sign me up for this one.

      florida982002@yahoo.com

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    10. I liked the audio version of this one. Great giveaway!

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    11. I haven't heard of this one, but it sounds fabulous!

      I'm in!!

      chezraine(at)gmail(dot)com

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    12. Now stop that! I am on a break from checking out library books (It's killing me). This is will go on my list to look out for when I can go back to the library Oct. 18th! ;o)

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    13. I love the sound of this one. You convinced me with your review.

      I do have to point out that flowers and sex have always gone together. That's why florists are in business. Men send flowers to women for more reasons than just because they are nice guys. Or is all of this just my generation?

      margot.peck@gmail.com

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    14. Great review! If you and Diane liked it then I'm sure I would too!
      shetreadssoftly(at)gmail(dot)com

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    15. WOW - now I have to read this one! I'm adding it to my list now. :)

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    16. I enjoyed reading this review, especially the description of the characters (esp. Lola). This sounds like a book for me! :)

      nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

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    17. I love reading good adventuresome books. Please enter my name in your draw for this wonderful-sounding book. Thanks!
      wandanamgreb(at)gmail(dot)com

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    18. Woohoo! I'm so happy that you loved this book as much as you did - now I really can't wait to read it for myself. Thanks for being a part of the tour!

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    19. This book does get around. I saw two of my students reading this before class. Obviously it's way more gripping and sexier than the books I assign! :)

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    20. Wow this sound fantastic thanks to your great review. I will definitely have to get this one and give it to my sister after I read it first!

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    21. Please enter me to win. pizzo underscore kathleen at yahoo dot com

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    22. Wow, you really liked this one! :)

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    23. Did I not just say I wasn't entering any more contests? Between your phenominal review and me wanting to rea dit but couldn't for the tour, now I have to! Plants intrigue me, especially since I tend to kill most of them, but plants and hotness??? Gotta see what this is about. Thanks for the contest girlie :)

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    24. First-time visitor...found you on lauralrainsnow's list of favorite blogs.

      Love your site.

      Stop by my blog if you get a chance for reviews on I'd Know you Anywhere by Laura Lippman, Saving Cee Cee Honeycut by Beth Hoffman, and many others.

      Happy Hopping, Everyone....hop on over to my blog to see who my favorite blogs are.

      http://silversolara.blogspot.com

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    25. On the one hand I am not sure I want to read this, but on the other hand I am curious... Will have to see if the library has it and decide from there. Great review!

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    26. Sounds like another one to add to my burgeoning pile!!

      Staci, I love your new look... although I miss the kitty/puppy shot!

      Enjoy your weekend... hugs!

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    27. A book I found very engaging on plants is "The Botany of Desire." The author is Michael Pollan (I think that is the spelling of his last name). It is nonfiction, and covers 4 plants: the apple, marijuana, the tulip and the potato. If someone would have told me, "You will read about apples for 6o 0r 70 pages and be entranced," I would not have believed them...until I read this book.

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    28. Am I old enough to read this book?? I sure hope so!

      gayejunk(at)vaterlaus(dot)org

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    29. Your steamy 5 rating has me wanting to read this one. Please enter me :)
      stacybooks at yahoo

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    30. That's an amazing review and score of 5! Noting it down and it's the name of a great band too ;)

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    31. You made it sound like I really should be reading this!
      Please enter me, thanks.

      ruthiekb72@yahoo.com

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    32. Great review! As a gardener and plant lover, sexy plants sound intriguing.

      undermyappletree at gmail dot com

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    33. This sounds like such a fun book! Enter me too please!

      shereadsandreads(at)gmail(dot)com

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    34. Loved your review, it sounds fantastic. Can't enter but I just wanted to say thanks for the glowing recommendation; onto my wishlist it goes. Have to say you very rarely steer me wrong :)

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    35. Quirky books almost always turn out to be some of my favorite reads. Would love to win this one; thank you for the chance!

      safoga at gmail dot com

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    36. Just found your blog and love it...I wish I could follow by email...the book sounds adventurous...and romantic at the same time.

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