Prissy, city business woman with failed relationship, embarks reluctantly on a journey, finds life changing adventure and learns to unwind.

It seems like I could describe the formula for every mediocre book I’ve read recently, this way. I had all but crossed Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire off of my list when it came in to the library per my months-old request (based on this sexy, catchy little thing). Having recently finished some great books, I thought I might be able to give it a chance without letting it hurt my average too much. Now, I get to give you a big 1950’s toothpaste commercial smile and say, “Gee, I’m sure glad I did!”

While the basic story begins as any other, it grows into something completely different, quickly. Lila Nova is a middle aged, divorced advertising guru, wound too tight to function. On a stroll through the Union Square green market, one day, she happens upon David Exley, a charming plant dealer, who waxes romantic about having the perfect plant for Lila’s ailing soul: a bird of paradise. Taking home her very first living object to care for her since her husband walked out, Lila begins to finds herself rather attached to the plant. She strikes up a casual friendship with Exley that leads her to a slightly deeper knowledge of plants and eventually a slightly, ahem, deeper knowledge of Exley.

What could possibly go wrong? Oh, everything.

Shortly after buffing up on the tropical flora trade in New York City, Lila comes face to face with a beautiful fern attached to a rather unlikely city laundromat. Run by eccentric, fifty-something plant enthusiast Armand, the small business is a local hangout for answer seekers, both mystical and mundane. After a bizarre botanical test, Lila is deemed worthy of Arman’s backroom secret: he has, in his possession, the nine plants of desire.

After an avoidable blunder ends in disaster, ultimately losing Armand the laundromat and the plants to Lila’s big mouth, the two shake on a plan to go down to the Yucatan to retrieve more clippings, restoring the collection. Leaving the concrete jungle for the organic model, the travelers are immersed in an age old web of psychedelic folklore that will heat up even the coldest Manhattan heart.

What a fun little book! Though it takes a fair amount of time to lay the ground work for the real adventure, the second half of the book is well worth the wait. And, while parts made me scream “why do all chicklit protagonists have to be hammered over the head with the message we all got hours ago“, it did that less than I was expecting and its occurrence at all was my only complaint.

The plant information is fascinating but the story reads, at no point, like a text book. It flows more like a well guided romp through the rain forest, covering known characters like canabis sativa and the mandrake but also luring all parties, fictional and reader, into an obsessive hunt for a plant that no one has seen, to date.

It is definitely a beach read but a very different approach to the “girl meets sexy plant dealer” yarn. Don’t expect a botany dissertation; just relax, sit back and enjoy because it is just too much fun. ( )

Lila Nova finds herself fascinated with plants after buying a Bird of Paradise from a handsome plant man at NYC's Green Market. Walking home one evening, she spies a very rare fern hanging in a window and stumbles upon a strange laundromat housing a tropical paradise. Armand, the owner of the wacky laundry, gives Lila a cutting from the Fire Fern and tells her that, if she can coax it to grow roots, he will show her the 9 mythical plants of desire he has locked in the back room. Unfortunately, Lila isn't the brightest sunflower in the garden, and she accidentally brings ruin to the tropical laundry. To make it up to Armand, she embarks on a journey into the Mexican jungle and finds herself entangled in a world of plant mysticism, spirit animals, lust and shaman magic.

This book is very different from anything I've read in a while. At first it seems a bit like chick lit, but everything takes a turn for the better once Lila gets to Mexico. I found myself very interested in the plant legends and also intrigued by a few of the characters. Give it a try if you're looking for something light and a little different. ( )

I picked up this book only because the title sounded interesting. I didn't read any reviews on it, nor did I read through the description. They say not to judge a book by it's cover, but I did, and I'm happy.

This was a very good book. It has love, romance, lust, greed, passion, death, spirituality, and just about everything else. For a debut novel, I'd say that Margot Berwin did a great job. She's left me with high expectations for her next novel.

The story takes place in New York and Mexico, the Yucatan to be specific. As Lila, Armand, Diego, and Exley are all on the hunt for the illusive Nine Plants of Desire. Oh what a tangled web Ms. Berwin has weaved...

This story was exciting. It was pretty fast paced and it kept me wanting more. The stories behind the nine magical and mystical plants are great. Even with all that Lila went through I want to find these plants. I did do some research on some of the nine and they really do have stories just as great as they are given in this book. (I LOVE when an author does great research!)

I was captivated from the first line to the last. I will be looking for a second novel for sure! ( )

Loved this book, steamy, sensual, enlightening, and inspiring. A seamless narrative took me from an urban jungle to a real one, feels like a vicarious adventure that's filled with amazing life lessons. When does the movie come out? ( )

Erica Melnichok:
Last weekend was filled with Julia Roberts, my long-time favorite actress. I saw her new movie, Duplicity, with Clive Owen. And I read Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire, a first novel being published by Pantheon in June. Julia Roberts and Columbia Pictures have already optioned the film rights for Ms. Roberts to produce and star in. Wow!

While Duplicity was set in New York City, and Hothouse Flower also starts out in NYC’s Union Square, you are soon transported to the jungles of the Yukatan Peninsula with not one, but two steamy romances. The plantology included with each chapter and throughout the book is also very informative and fascinating. Who knew the mandrake could be so deadly?! This is a well researched page-turner!