This was one of the best books I've read in a while. One of those that keeps you up because you can't wait to find out what's going to happen. The author is so talented, able to bring in such realism. You can feel Adelaide's pain and her joy.

When I first encountered this book on Netgalley, there was something about the cover and the summary of a love so strong, so intense it knocked you off your feet as the protagonist grapples with heartbreak, grief, mental health, etc. Frankly, I am trying to find another book that can be as emotionally visceral as Kristin Dwyer's Some Mistakes Were Made was because that book DESTROYED my heart and built it back up again somehow. It was a wild ride, and so... this could be it.


But also broken hearts can be discussed and read about so many times and every narrative will have something different to present. It hurts. It burns us on the inside, gets us angry and yet, there are so emotions that can't always be expressed on paper. Many may try to do it and some books make the reader think "ah, yes... this is similar to what I can relate to" but there are few books out there that can REALLY get into the core of the feeling of heartbreak, of losing oneself for someone else... of re-discovering yourself when everything seems to just be gone.


It was an unexpected ride to say the least. So, here we go.



Short Summary: When the knockoff of Juliet tries to poof herself out of existence after losing her "true love", she sets out to rediscover the lost parts of herself and to accept that the ugly parts can be beautiful too.


Long summary: When Adelaide Williams ends up in a hospital for trying to kill herself, she was supposed to have succeeded. After all, a life without Rory wasn't one worth living even if her life was just starting to reach the pinnacle of her career. Her mother was celebrating her birthday. She was starting in a new apartment. There were good things ahead of her.


But, with a broken heart, those things seem to not matter anymore.


Before the attempt, before her heart shattered, she was just a young woman falling in love with a guy that stepped out of storybooks, that captured all the good, all the beautiful, all the ideals of a woman, all in the shape of Rory. The guy who may not be great at texting back, but when he was around, he'd make her feel like the sun. Rory, the one who made her wish for a future with him, her true love.


Rory, the one responsible for leaving a catastrophe in his wake after an unexpected tragedy. And her life will never be the same once they meet.


Reading this book was an absolute emotional rollercoaster, but the story was so captivating and how she met Rory along with all the coincidences of how their paths kept crossing without the other realizing it was so powerful it felt like it was a whole star-crossed pairing. Of course, it leans more towards the tragic side and how a love story that may seem magical and causes the butterflies in your stomach to rise can just...


Go downhill.


Either way, it is one of those books that will stick with me as the year continues and as I continue listing those books that I enjoyed as I narrow it to my favorites of 2023.


Overall: 4/5 stars

Wow. This book felt so real to me in its depiction of love, mental health, and friendship. When Adelaide meets Rory, she is immediately infatuated. She strives to be a great partner by being present, responsive, and thoughtful. And yet, he doesn’t seem to be able to do the same. While this could be described as a love story, I see more power in the self-discovery and exploration of friendship in this novel. Highly recommend.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC is exchange for my honest feedback.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This book is the type of novel where I hope the author knows what an exceptional writer they are.

Adelaide is a hard read because I think that people either know an Adelaide or have been Adelaide at some point. Because of this, you'll find yourself so upset by her decisions. If you are a person who had a year of your life that taught you every lesson at once, you'll enjoy this.

Lots of triggers in this book.

LOVED the ending and the perspective on Rory.

Read if you like:
💕 Characters that love deeply
🧠 Mental Health Rep
📚 Fiction that feels like a Memior
❤️ Relatable Characters

This one was really well done! It really gave me the same vibes and notes of fiction feeling like a memior that I recently got when I read Maame and I truly love that raw, real, and honest vibe!

This one takes a look at the journey of a young woman as she gives oh so much to her partner with not a lot in return and looks at the importance of finding your tribe that will bring the same energy to you that you bring for them.

You get to see the impact that her relationship has on her overall as well as her self-image, her history with traumatic relationships, and her mental health in such a raw and real way.

If you are looking for raw and real emotion and taking a journey with a character through some of her darkest days before the sun can shine again I highly recommend checking out this debut!

Thank you to the publisher for my ARC copy in exhange for my honest review!

I wanted to like this book but I could not get past Adelaide's personality. Her codependency really made me sick to my stomach. I was given fair warning that this book was intense and expected abuse but I didn't expect the main character to keep going back for more. Maybe the point of this book is not to love it but to learn from it. I personally had a difficult time getting to the end.

My favorite book of 2023 so far!! I will be buying this book immediately. It was a wonderful, real, and raw literary character study, and Adelaide felt like my friend the entire way. Absolutely incredible. I'll be watching this author for her next release.

ADELAIDE will always have a special place in my heart. What a heartbreaking, emotional yet overcoming story. I deeply resonated and connected with the character Adelaide and her desire to please and take care of everyone (except herself). Her sensitivity to others and feeling the need to prioritize their happiness, while forgetting her own.

It broke my heart to see Adelaide lose herself in the hopes that one day Rory, the man she is in a situation-ship, will see that she's a catch and that he loves her. But she is already a catch. She goes out of her way to cheer her friends up and do nice things for them. She's thoughtful, considerate, giving and caring and has so much love and yet gets nothing in return. She internalizes Rory's avoidance and emotional unavailability to mean that she's not pretty or worthy of love, even though it has nothing to do with her and all about Rory's own issues. How far she bends to upload Rory through his grief, feeling like it's her responsibility to make him feel better, while it's tearing herself apart. And her own needs were never even an afterthought.

She also doesn't want to feel needy or high maintenance or be see in any sort of unattractive way, so she holds and bottles up all her emotions. Then how demanding of her Rory becomes and blames almost everything on her, made Adelaide go even further to please him, past her breaking point.

I lived for the moments where she was so busy with friends, caught up in work and her own life that she wasn't counting how long since Rory last contacted her. A heart wrenching ride, but so worth it to see her come out of this darkness and receive the love she well deserves.

Heavy topics including trauma, abuse, grief, mental health and suicidal thoughts handled in a gentle yet powerful way. I also admired and appreciated the realness and rawness of this story and the writing. A compelling, powerful debut.

Much gratitude to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Oof, had to sit with this one in a good way 💜

It must be said that our MC Adelaide does not Always Make Great Decisions, so if you hate screaming NOOOOO at a protagonist multiple times during a book, this one won’t be for you. However, the hopeless love she can’t stop herself having reminds me of a not-too-long ago point in my life when I nursed love for boys beyond hope but eventually got through it with the help of supportive friends (and therapy of course). Genevieve Wheeler captured how visceral it feels to go through that, so it was very easy to have compassion for Adelaide even when certain doom in terms of her mental well-being is clearly approaching.

Rory can go f*** off though, the tosser.

4 hearty stars for Genevieve Wheeler capturing the ups and downs of mid-twenties life and giving an immersive experience even when it hurts ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

4/5 stars. This was an emotionally difficult (downright depressing) read about the things we sacrifice in order to please others. I found myself frustrated with the characters and at times wanting to scream at them, but the writing was beautiful. A coming of age story about young love, obsession, and mental illness.
“There are parts of our hearts we give away. Not lend, but sacrifice entirely. And there are some people to whom we give these pieces, knowing we'll never really get them back.”
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is not a love story, like one might think but it’s so good. I love how Wheeler really developed the characters — she really makes you either love or hate them. I really felt for Adelaide and the sacrifice she made, in hopes that love and affection would be returned. There are some trigger warnings so definitely look into that before you pick this one up.

Love, love, loved this!! I will definitely be picking up a copy once it’s published.

Publishing April 18, 2023.  This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Know in advance that this is not a romance let alone a rom com but rather an exploration of mental health issues with an overlay of a relationship that is frankly toxic. Adelaide is a 20 something American living and working in London she meets Rory on an app. She thinks things are great, not recognizing that he's not a good guy, that he doesn't really like her. and that this whole thing is not a positive for her. She pushes her own issues aside and goes all in for him, Mistake. I know this will resonate with many but I found both characters frustrating. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Not a light read.

Editing my review to better reflect the new synopsis. I'm glad that they changed the synopsis, as it's more honest of the contents of the book.

A stellar debut! Adelaide follows our titular character, Adelaide Williams, throughout the course of two years in London, where she meets a boy. Over the course of Adelaide, we follow their relationship throughout their ups and downs with an interesting set of supporting cast of characters.

What I liked the most about this book was the set of complex characters, mainly our protagonist and the love interest(? not sure how to label him). Adelaide is a beautiful character that I couldn't help but root for, flaws and all. I desperately wanted her to get her happy ending as I kept reading and my heart lurched every time her efforts went unnoticed. Rory was also a very interesting character that was well developed. You get to see past the charming looks and see what lies underneath it. Adelaide's collection of friends are also a bright spot in this book; you could tell that all they had was love for her, which was recuperated by Adelaide. The writing is also not to be left out of the conversation. It was beautifully well written and some of the quotes sat with me well after I was done. I could see some of these quotes being talked about at book clubs.

This book is not for the faint of heart, I'd say. I actually almost DNF'd it when I was about 80% done. It was incredibly emotional and raw. It dealt with a lot of sensitive topics, such as mental illness, toxic relationships, suicide ideation, attempted suicide, miscarriage, and abuse. I don't recall if there were any trigger warnings at the beginning, but maybe there should be some because I was taken by surprise. The reason I rated it 4 stars is because I felt that there was too much focus on the relationship and not enough about healing from what she went through. It would have sparked a greater conversation about mental health and relationships as a whole.

Thank you to NetGallery and St. Martin's for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is a story about young love, with some mental health issues sprinkled in. The main protagonist sometimes frustrated me. Why are you staying in a relationship that is not reciprocated, but then the next paragraph I felt bad for her. I think this is a great read for someone in their mid to late 20’s. Many highs and lows, quite an emotional ride. 4.25 Stars.

Adelaide is a young woman in her mid 20s navigating life in London. The readers are able to connect with Adelaide in her present, but also experience how Adelaide came to be with some “then” chapters. Mental health is explored in depth, as well as romantic relationships, familial friendships, and personal growth.

Adelaide is a character I will be thinking of for a long time. She was quirky and fun, while under the surface battling invisible demons. Adelaide may be a character many people can relate to: she experienced traumas in her life who have shaped who she is as an adult, and these experiences contribute to her inner monologue and how she feels she may be unlovable. I wanted to hug Adelaide and give her inner strength and peace to carry on. I was so happy she had a strong support network around her, but I was most happy to see her use her own strength to move forward. All of the stars for this one.

I literally just finished this book and have been crying for the last 20 minutes. Adelaide spoke to me. I feel her. I recognize her in myself. I relate so much to this book, it genuinely made me stop and breathe for a few moments.

Adelaide is 26 and living in London. She checks herself into a hospital because she feels suicidal. The nurse asks her if she’d like to talk about what happened, and we flash back to Adelaide’s life.

I love the way those story is written in seasons. I love the different perspectives, but how it mostly focuses on Adelaide. I love how relatable Adelaide and her friends are.

Toward the end, Adelaide discusses darkness with a friend and the passage hit me so hard I immediately reached out to my friends who have absolutely helped me through the darkness.

Check trigger warnings on this one, but it is absolutely worth the read. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I sadly could not read this novel because of the subject matter. I had to put it down, however, based on the writing it seems like it would have been a great read. Thank you publisher for the early copy

✨ eARC REVIEW ✨ Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler

~ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ~

Wow wow… I’m honestly STILL finding my words and feel like no review can do this book justice. Adelaide absolutely wrecked me, making me feel more than a book has in a long time. This is Genevieve Wheeler’s debut (it’s literally not even out yet) and I’m already craving more. Her writing transported me to London and had me rooting for our main character more than I normally would.

This novel is a beautiful, tragic and melancholy story on a woman in her twenties, struggling through dating + heartbreak, burnout + career ambitions, mental illness + vices, and grief overwhelming empathy. Adelaide is unflinchingly honest and raw. Throughout the book, she struggles with major depressive episodes and suicidal ideation, constantly putting others happiness and needs before her own. I’m incredibly passionate about mental health and am equally very sensitive to how it is often personified and sometimes glamorized in stories, but Wheeler pulled the Rory- I mean rose-colored glasses, giving readers a glimpse into what it could be like to live with mental illness. This story exposes the raw edges and because of this, I latched onto our main girl, Adelaide, feeling as though I were reading about someone not much different than myself.

I could go on (& probably will) but I’ll leave this review with the HUGE statement that this is easily my favorite book I’ve read so far this year 🥰

🗓️ Mark your calendars because this book comes out on April 18th! Note there are absolutely some TWs so feel free to message me if you want a heads up on any!

📖 Or if you’re impatient like me, head over to Book of the Month and grab Adelaide now❕Check out the link in my bio to get your first book (maybe even Adelaide) for $5!

💭 Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced record copy in exchange for an honest review!

Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler was such a joy to read - I was very surprised to learn that this is the author's debut novel. Adelaide Williams is a spunky and fun American living in London, the kind of person who is loving and giving to all but herself - she's quite hard on herself throughout the novel as she struggles through life with the help of her amazing support system of her three closest girlfriends. Rory Hughes, the man she considers "the one," is kind of a self-absorbed jerk who does not love her and it takes her quite a while to realize that she is healthier and happier without him. No spoilers - but Adelaide is an easy read that touched me - and it had such a hopeful ending! I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Adelaide is definitely not the genre I normally read, as it is contemporary fiction. However, I flew through this wonderful book and was blown away by all the emotions it got me to feel! The cover (which I love) makes it seem like a romance and love story, however, it is more about self-love and so much more. There are some very heavy parts to this book that can be hard for some and definitely mental health and grief triggers throughout.

Genevieve Wheeler did a tremendous job writing this memorable book! I still can't believe it is her debut book! This book is the definition of a rollercoaster ride, so many highs and lows throughout, but in the end, you are left with hope and a new friend - Adelaide Williams, who you can think of when times are tough when you are struggling that in the end you can get through toxic relationship and know there too is hope for you! A great message for those to stand up for themselves and really strive for something better. I highly recommend this book! I am so glad it is part of the BOTM club so many more people will be exposed to it and love it! I cannot wait for more books by Genevieve Wheeler!