The Garden of Eden. Millie Belizaire. 2019. 356 pages. [Source: Provided courtesy of author.]
Who knew stumbling into the wrong car while looking for an Uber could lead to something like love for Eden, a rising pop-star, and Drew, a reluctant megachurch pastor. The Garden of Eden, set mostly in New Orleans with a few scenes in Miami, is an intriguing look at a passionate but sometimes reluctant courtship that has so many obstacles it’s hard to know whether it’s worth the fight.
I had mixed feelings about the main characters. On one hand, it’s easy to sympathize with them. Eden’s career is something she values, but it impedes her ability to just be herself and breath. Drew is living in the shadow of his father’s ambition as a pastor. But I often questioned their decision-making that led to worse circumstances or put them into easily avoidable situations. But hey — that just means they’re complex characters and have room for growth.
I rarely find myself having strong feelings about secondary characters — regardless of how critical they are in a story, they’re still peripheral to me, and as such don’t often warrant emotional investment. I was shocked at how easy it was to love or hate the people in Drew and Eden’s lives. Whether it was how much folks pushed Eden to focus solely on her career trajectory or the burdensome expectations and responsibilities put on Drew by his church, the outside characters elicited strong feelings and had a strong presence throughout.
Being set in New Orleans allowed the story to benefit from not only the rich setting, but it also featured the culture of New Orleans. The author highlighted the sights, sounds, tastes, and practices of the city in a way that didn’t feel trivialized or exoticized. There was a certain reverence for the history and people I appreciated.
All things said, I really enjoyed The Garden of Eden. It is a more lengthy read, so this is truly a slow-burn romance that doesn’t have constant bedroom scenes. There’s always some level of intimacy, but not necessarily sexual. The book doesn’t just drop a happily-ever-after to neatly wrap up the book after a little drama, either. This forces the ugly realities of their lives onto Eden and Drew and they have to reckon with it not just as a potential couple, but also as individuals. I think I was more compelled by their individual stories than how they were together. That said, I can easily recommend this book.
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