I think this was an OK read overall, I feel like it lacked a strong sense of direction and I wished the ending was a bit tighter.

What an emotional and very human read. This book follows Adelaide as she experiences the crests and valleys of relationships while being a huge people pleaser. I felt all of Adelaide’s emotions so clearly as she fell head over heels with someone she feels is “the one,” but who withholds the emotions she gives so freely. This book is about love in all aspects: romantic, familial, female friendships. I really enjoyed the author’s depiction of the depth of Adelaide’s friendships with everyone around her, as well as the ways she (subconsciously) demonstrates how good a person she is. A good, flawed person. All in all, Adelaide was an incredibly relatable main character for me, despite the fact that I haven’t experienced her same struggles. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of this book!

There are definitely triggers in this book one should be aware of going in, which I will list below.

Trigger warnings:
Alcohol use, drug use, mental illness, toxic relationships, emotional abuse, SA

This book did nothing for me. The novel started off promising, but I quickly lost interest once the toxic relationship turned soap opera-ish. It read like a really tame and boring romance novel. I just didn't care for the overall tone. It felt cheap and melodramatic. I really wanted to like Adelaide (the character) but she felt flat and pathetic.

Adelaide, by Genevieve Wheeler is pitched as a love story, but it is sooooooo much more than that. It is basically a story about finding self-love, in a very raw way. There are a handful of characters in this book & all the main ones are well developed enough to feel emotional about them. The story is told with most of the setting being London, but there are different locales along the way, which are all wel developed & definitely transport you to those locales.

I feel like most readers of contemporary fiction, would get enjoyment from this book.

📖 BOOK REVIEW

BOOK: Adelaide
AUTHOR: Genevieve Wheeler
FORMAT: Audiobook
GENRE: Literary Fiction
DID I CRY: Yes
PUB DATE: 4/18/23
RATING: 10/10
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @netgalley for my #gifted advanced copy & @librofm for my advanced listening copy!

MY THOUGHTS

I picked up this book on a whim, completely blind after it was a LibroFm ALC pick & I very quickly fell in love with just about everything about it. This book is so special. It definitely targets a certain audience in my opinion, specifically those who have personal experiences with mental health / mental illness, abusive or unhealthy relationships, taking a leap to do something completely on your own & struggling to really find yourself. I definitely think despite resonating with those themes, you could love this book for sure. I happen to have some of those experiences and it made this book all the more special for me.

Our MC Adelaide is perfectly imperfect. Her flaws make her so human and so real, and I empathized with her so much. I definitely saw a lot of myself in her so I couldn’t help but root for her. The relationships in this book, without giving too much away, are complicated and layered & I think while it’s natural to form opinions, it’s also a really complex situation and a reality for so many so try to read through it with empathy and an open mind. The themes as I mentioned are so powerful and realistic, and Genevieve does a really great job capturing them in the different characters and relationships for readers to grasp. The ending had me teary and fist pumping and wanting to give Adelaide the biggest hug.

This book was phenomenal on audio, I definitely recommend. One to put on your radars and add to TBRs for pub day for sure!! Such a wonderful debut from Genevieve, I cannot wait to see this book succeed🌷🌷🌷

Definitely not a love story. It does have some romance though. The story starts with Adelaide attempting suicide and tells her story in reverse on how she got to that point. It's raw and emotional. It's set in England. Deals with mental illness. I struggled with this book not because of the content but due to writing style. It just seemed to drag.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Beautiful cover, but dark content that did not come across as a moving love story as it was portrayed.

For some reason, had a hard time with the writing style and italics used throughout thr book.

Adelaide has great female friendships but does not make good decisions when it comes to romantic relationships to men. It was difficult for me to read how she kept giving and giving to Rory, and he largely acted like a jerk to her, ghosting her for days at a time and otherwise not offering the support and love she gave to him.

There is also mental illness and other events from her past that made this darker and more depressing than I thought it was going to be.

NetGalley provided an advance reader copy of this novel, which RELEASES APRIL 18, 2023.

Almost strangely, yet certainly beautifully written. It is a novel you won’t soon forget.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

i knew just from reading the synopsis that i would really love this book and i’m so glad i reached out about it. a big life motto adelaide repeats to herself throughout the book is that people come to us exactly when we need them to, and says she feels the same about books. i think this book came to me just when i needed it to, and for that i feel very attached.

this book follows the titular character, adelaide williams, as she navigates her life as an american in london and her relationship with the man of her dreams rory hughes. when rory is met with an unexpected and devastating loss, adelaide does everything in her power to be his support even if it means losing herself in the process.

this book is a VERY heavy read and i do not suggest anyone go into it lightly. i’ll attach some trigger warnings at the end and i highly recommend checking them out before giving it a go.

tw/cw: suicidal ideation/attempt, sexual assault, abusive relationship, off-page death of parent and friend, miscarriage, mental health struggles.

This book is a MUST READ! The way Genevieve Wheeler writes about Adelaide’s state of mind throughout her various ups and downs and through a few seasons of her life is insightful, heart-wrenching, funny, and heartfelt. Somehow, she manages to delve deep into every bit of emotion Adelaide is feeling, and the complexities of those feelings, without it feeling too complex. Once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down, and I find myself missing these characters like they’re real friends of mine. I can’t wait to read more from Genevieve Wheeler!

Oh what a lovely, heartbreaking, tender book this is! As painful as it was to watch Adelaide languish with Rory, I loved her and wanted all of the good things for her. (Rory, on the other hand….) The prose is full of gorgeous writing that I will want to underline when the book is released. If you loved Ghosts by Dolly Alderton or Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason you will love this book!

I'm trying to put my finger on what exactly didn't work for me with this book. I think the very earnest, uncomplicated approach to Adelaide just fell flat. Like both Adelaide and Rory came across as navel-gazing characters and the book comes across as a navel-gazing exercise. I love the idea of a book tackling a toxic relationship and having something to say about the way interpersonal power dynamics reveal truths about class and gender (like in Normal People), but I don't think this book does that (to be fair, I don't know if it had those ambitions). Just fine.

I enjoyed this debut from Genevieve Wheeler but was surely glad I read reviews with content warnings before heading in. This is not an easy read - it deals with immensely challenging topics, and the prologue opens with the main character’s suicide attempt.

The book follows Adelaide Williams, American ex-pat living in London, over about a two year period. The central story is about her relationship with Rory Hughes. Their relationship is deeply toxic and unloving but Adelaide cannot realize it.

The prose is very beautifully written, but I was frustrated with Adelaide’s lack of growth and the inability of her friends and loved ones to say anything meaningful about how Rory treats Adelaide. The last 30% or so was the highlight of the book as Adelaide finally gets help for her mental illness and gathers up the broken pieces of her life, but I can see why others may DNF before making it there.

Content warnings include growing up in a family with a bipolar sister and suicidal mother; suicide ideations and attempt; recounting of a sexual assault described in detail on page; gaslighting and manipulative behavior

I voluntarily reviewed and early copy. All opinions are my own.

This Book wrecked me. The story starts with the titular Adelaide checking her self into the hospital for suicidal thoughts due to a break up. The story then flashes back to when Adelaide first met her now ex boyfriend Rory. We see Adelaide fall in love with Rory, and the struggles of their relationship. We also get to meet the various people in Adelaide's life, and get glimpses into Rory's past. Through out the whole story we get to see Adelaide's struggles and joys.

This is a difficult read, Trigger warnings for sexual asualt, mental illness, suicide and death of a loved one. With that said I found the book beautiful, the slightly non-linear timeline really helped convey Adelaide and Rory's mental states. Adelaide's struggles with her mental health are written wonderfully and relatable, as someone who grew up in a family where many people have mental health issues like Adelaide and who also struggles with suicidal thoughts the way Adelaide does. While I hated the way Rory treats Adelaide and really resented what he did to her the way he was written made understand that while he was awful in their relationship I didn't completely hate him. Eloise, Adelaide's best friend, is wonderful the way she is completely on Adelaide's side really warmed my heart knowing that Adelaide even when she's feeling her absolute worse Eloise is still there fighting for her.

I really loved this one. I'm very glad I read it and i look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

ARC Review: Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler

Adelaide, debut novel by Genevieve Wheeler, available April 18, 2023!

I requested this book after seeing some buzz about it on TikTok and was so excited to dive in!

Before reading this book, please check trigger warnings (without giving too much away, the character deals with mental health issues, sexual assault, grief and loss, and emotional abuse among others).

Just as Adelaide believes paths cross and fates align, I too felt like I read this book at the right time working through some of my past relationship traumas. I related to the ups and downs of Adelaide’s discovery of herself, giving too much to people who are not ready to receive their love, and finding ways to deal with her own struggles in the process. If you are looking for a book with “all the feels” – Adelaide delivers. The story is gripping, honest, and realistic. How many of us have pined after another or worried they were more invested than their partner in their relationship?

There are some stylistic features to point out. The e-book ARC had italics for dialogue and it took some time to get used to the text messages embedded within the normal text of the paragraphs. It took me a few chapters to get used to it! Also, Wheeler uses flashbacks and foreshadowing, so don’t be alarmed if you learn about how things happen before they do. I felt like this was highly effective and was refreshing to stretch my reading muscles with this book vs. point-A-to-point-B style prose.

This book is labeled as women’s fiction but bends multiple genres. If you are looking for a light-hearted romance novel, this would not be the best fit!

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced (e-)reader copy (my first!) and a chance to rate and review this book!

3.5 ⭐️ 0.5 🌶

NOTE:
TikTok: Video is in draft, will release within 2 weeks of book release!
Amazon: Will post when book released

I have no words. Such a powerful storyline with a lovable main character. This book just felt so real and raw and emotional. I’m afraid that no other book I read this year will top it!

Releases in April, thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.

I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I started reading this book, but I ended up really enjoying it. While I can't say that I loved all the characters and found them relatable, I did think they were plausible. Don't go into this book thinking it's a rom-com or you'll be disappointed - it's a much deeper story and not always light-hearted. I did really enjoyed Genevieve Wheeler's writing and will keep an eye out for future books.

This read alternates between the past and present. You follow the story of Adelaide and Rory. Throughout the book, you’ll uncover who they were before, during, and after their relationship. You’ll follow the journey of an individual’s personal growth but also one of insecurity, immaturity and toxicity within a relationship. Topics such as SA, mental health, unhealthy relationships, and suicidal ideations are present. The end leaves the reader optimistic and with the message that brighter things are always ahead of us. Overall, there were moments that dragged a bit throughout this read.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC and Libro.fm for the Audio!

Oh goodness. I haven’t been this attached to a character in a long time. I felt Adelaide’s presence in many forms. I saw myself, at that age; I saw a best girlfriend, a sister, a daughter. I remembered the pains and the beauty of being a 20-something year old. And I feared for that bittersweet phase that my own daughter has not yet entered. Thank you, Genevieve Wheeler, for creating this visceral story, that felt so real and relatable. I am planning on getting my hands on a physical copy and, for the first time ever, annotating a book.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. Truly.