Ashley is a struggling talent agent in Los Angeles working to make ends meet. Her most recent client is Jack Medley, a former football star dreaming of movie fame. He falls for Ashley, but not before she meets Keller, a former crypto bro reduced to repairing computers for a living. Both men are imperfect but seem to have some redeeming qualities. And then there are the souls of Ashley’s as-yet-unborn children: Ciara, Olivia, and Wyatt. From above, they’re observing her life, hoping to steer Ashley towards the man of their choosing. Instead, they keep causing trouble.
Writing comedy is hard. Les Whitmore rises to the challenge. His THE GARDEN BEFORE EDEN is a 21st-century romantic comedy featuring characters presented with uniquely modern problems. They are overworked and underpaid but exchange witty quips like pros. The entire plot revolves around Ashley. Her boss requires her to book a rising star. Keller and Jack both pine for her. Ciara, Olivia, and Wyatt wish to become her children. As for Ashley, she would like to pay off the mortgage and keep her family home. Ashley is warm, funny, hard-working, and relatable and yet, she spends most of the novel pushed and pulled by other characters’ wants and whims which feels frustrating. Maybe that’s the point: trying to please everyone leads to failure. But it takes a long time for Ashley to recognize that.
THE GARDEN BEFORE EDEN has some great characters. The best of them may be Jack Medley. Throughout the novel, this supposedly dumb jock keeps revealing surprising facets of his personality, even as he remains gloriously and annoyingly self-absorbed. On the other hand, characters like Wyatt and Ciara never become as funny as they should be. Vain and selfish, they’re one-note characters. It is only very late in the novel that they begin to grow and change. But again: maybe that’s precisely the point. These are all minor criticisms. While marred by some pacing issues and occasional clumsy character moments, THE GARDEN BEFORE EDEN is a fun (and funny) read. Author Whitmore does an admirable job writing a romantic comedy with a message, making readers care for his characters, even if they’re sometimes irritating.
Les J. Whitmore’s THE GARDEN BEFORE EDEN is a light, fun and breezy read romantic comedy, featuring likable characters, a supernatural bent and a heartfelt message.
~Danijel Štriga for IndieReader