I'm not really sure who exactly the audience is for this book. The entire book should have trigger warnings (not for me, I was fine reading it, but for the many people who won't be) based on the unhealthy relationships, the mental health struggles, suicidal ideation, mental and sexual abuse among others.

Adelaide is an extremely (imo) unstable, needy person who can't see the forest for the trees and keeps chasing after a man who she allows to constantly ghost her, dismiss her (I'll sleep better without you here so please leave - said at 2 a.m.), disrespect her, and take advantage of her when it's convenient for him.

My overwhelming reaction while reading this was disbelief. Disbelief that anyone would put up with so very much crap and still come back for more.

I do appreciate that the author, publisher, and Netgalley provided an ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I love the way this book is written and it was an emotional read that I connected with in a way. The author has a way with words and this story really touched me.

I enjoyed this fast read. I felt so connected to this story because I too, like the main character, give too much of myself to everyone else and not to myself. I overbook myself, stress, and make sure everyone else is happy before myself. This story was well written and thought provoking. I enjoyed the fast pace of this book, it did not feel like I was reading, I was completely engulfed by the story. It's a different pace from a normal read of mine, and I am glad that I was able to switch it up and read this one.

Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler was one of my most anticipated reads given the praise I had heard about it and I was so excited to get an advanced copy. This might already be the winner for best cover of 2023 and it's still 2022.

As a London study abroad girlie myself (the Roxy shoutout truly had me laughing out loud), I loved the nods to the city and was truly so envious of Adelaide's life there. The female friendship in this book is the star of it all-- though a lot of this book is about romantic love, Adelaide has so much platonic love in her life that is really special to read about. Adelaide is a messy character that I can see resonating with a lot of women feeling lost in their mid-20s.

I liked this book but didn't love it the way I wanted to. I went into it without knowing too much, which I think worked for me, but there is a lot of heavy content in this book and it starts immediately, so definitely take caution. I liked the premise of this book but the execution left a little to be desired. We spend so much of the book on Rory, who in my opinion had no redeeming qualities, and so it was frustrating to see Adelaide get taken advantage of time and time again. I wanted less of the back and forth between Adelaide and Rory and more of Adelaide finding herself post-Rory.

The writing in this book was really strong and Rooney-esque (so beware if that's not your thing) and it is an impressive debut. I didn't love the omniscient narrator throughout though, and think the COVID mention was unnecessary. Overall I think this book will resonate with a lot of people and I look forward to Wheeler's next work!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Adelaide Williams in an American living in London pursuing her doctorate degree. She has several close friends, she is looking for the one, and hoping for the job of her dreams. She is meets Rory Hughes via a dating app. They spend time together and Adelaide is pretty certain he's the one.

However, there are some flags but she keeps pushing them aside because she cannot see him as a whole, she remembers the good, and excuses the bad. In addition, she has some mental health issues that cause concern, and maybe, Rory is not over his last girlfriend.

I struggled with this book. The timelines, the bouncing back and forth between the two, and the characters introduced made it hard to follow.

5/10

I read this book because my daughters name is Adelaide so of course I need to read a novel called Adelaide.

I knew nothing of the book when I started and, for the first quarter of the book I was pleasantly surprised.

Adelaide is a 20-something American living in the UK. She comes from a family with some mental issues (depression, bi-polar). She meets Rory and they begin a romance. But it’s clear from the get go that Adelaide lacks a feeling of self-worth and the relationship is unhealthy.

But the book drags on with that same theme. It’s like 150 pages of proving the same point, but not effectively. After awhile, I wondered where the plot was going - if it was going to actually go anywhere. It doesn’t really. But it takes a long time to not go anywhere.

There’s no real connection you get to any of the characters. Even Adelaide, I don’t feel sorry for her. I don’t feel any emotion for her.

I wish there were better editing in this book and the author was challenged to take the good opening and turn it into a much more compelling journey. Unfortunately the path it takes is long, flat and boring.

#netgalley #adelaide

First I'd like to start by saying, this book was absolutely not for me. Even though I'm a millennial myself (unfortunately), and found some truly relatable aspects to this book... it just was not a book for me.

This book felt like the heaviest book I have ever read in my life. Physically and mentally. It was the longest and hardest 304 pages I have ever read. It took a long time for me to get through this one, having to put it down several times and switch to something else, because otherwise I may have had to DNF it. The situations that occurred hit me hard. It was like every emotional trauma from every toxic relationship all rolled into one. Adelaide was so desperate for love and affection that she literally did any possible thing she could to receive it.

Please don't go into this thinking you're going to get warm and fuzzy feelings from this book because it is absolutely a heavy one. It's not a love story. It is absolutely NOT a love story. The only way I can honestly see to look at this book is as a guide of exactly what not to do, or what not to allow to happen to you in your relationships. I'm concerned that a younger audience will read this and want to do some of these things and I just hope they see that's not the way to go.

This seems to be in the same style as Normal People, by Sally Rooney, but on steroids. That being said, I wouldn't recommend either of them to anyone. And not because I didn't like them, but because I genuinely can't think of what kind of audience I would recommend it to. This really was a heavy story. It was depressing as hell and there was no real relief in that, for me anyway. Do I think other people will find it enjoyable? I'm sure there will be. Do I know who those people will be? No, not really.

So my advice would be to read this at your own risk and be ready for the emotional weight you're bound to feel with this one.
Also, F**k Rory. Seriously.

This is womens fiction not a romance, with that being said I loved this. This is about a toxic relationship, where one character is flaky, constantly playing the victum, and always putting themselves first by putting the other down. While the other person in the relationship makes excuses for how they are being treated, does everything they can to make the other one happy and blames themselves when the other isn't happy.

If you have ever been in a toxic relationship this is going to speak volumes to you because it is like someone took my own thoughts during that time and wrote them down. If you haven't this is a glimps into what that experience might be for someone.

Its not an easy read due to the topic but I found it very compelling to read and finished this in 2 days.

I think this is going to be a very polarizing book. If it is marketed as a romance people are going to be disapointed, if it is marketed as womens fiction or a book about a toxic relationship I think it will do well. The writting style could also be polarizing. It bounces around a lot with timelines and there are no quotation marks, when someone is speaking it is in the middle of the paragraph and italizised. I think some people will like this and others will hate it.

There are so many trigger warnings in this so please look them up if you need to.

this book discusses sensitive topics such as rape & suicide ideation. if these topics are triggering to you, i would read with caution. i felt such a kinship to adelaide and adored this book. thank you netgalley & the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

This book is perfect. I loved the main character and her inner voice. She was unlikeable but also felt relatable and the whole plot was surreal, but also relatable. Wheeler is definitely going to be the next Sally Rooney; I'm so excited to see where she goes!

Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler is a beautiful love story for the ages. I could not put this book down. I had no expectations and didn't know a thing about this book until I started reading it and I was pulled in right away and swept away.
The narrative is beautifully written, almost lyrical language, and the characters are so relatable. For any person who has loved someone that didn't deserve to be loved this book is your story. The character of Adelaide is relatable and I will never forget this beautiful story.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my review.
I implore readers to pre order this book, which comes out in April 2023

What a whirlwind! Adelaide is lovely and loved but can't quite see that and mostly bc she's very generous with her heart, has friends who adore her but the person she wants most to love her, simply can't. Or at least not in the way she needs and deserves and if you're like me, you'll find yourself in every gesture she gives, trying trying trying to figure out why you're broken and can't help but feel in the shadow of someone who you think is the sun.

This isn't a ground breaking story but it is a real one, told in two timelines and with the occasional POV from the man that for Adelaides world spins. You see he's not a villain and certainly not a hero but most people aren't.

And most of all you may recognize that those who had our trust broken young, an imprint we can't shake, molds us to find people we just need to be enough for. Even if from the outside it's 'that guy? Really?'

Ultimately though all love stories end in some way with a dog. As they should.

I thought this book would be a typical “cute” romance, but I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be an interesting and engaging novel about a young woman who believes she has fallen in love. Ashley is living in London when she meets Rory. This is life-changing. The ordinary tribulations of a relationship are magnified because of a twist which is totally unexpected.

The author has managed to transform a story of ordinary angst into a fascinating story about a young woman who is dealing with atypical issues. I really enjoyed this book. I believe that many women readers will be able to identify with Adelaide or have had friends who exhibit some of the issues that are part of Adelaide’s problem.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. I really enjoyed it.

Whew— this wasn’t anything like I expected. It’s heavy. I’m going to give it another go later, but I’m just not up for the heaviness. The cover is beautiful and the writing is amazing…

4.5 stars and rounding up. Oh Adelaide!! How you hurt my heart, mostly because it's like looking into a mirror gazing upon you. A few details may be different, but Adelaide is every one of us who has struggled to fit a square relationship peg into a round relationship hole and who fights to remember that not only is it okay to claim your space in life, but to live that life loudly and proudly. The half-star reducti0n is simply due to pretty much every possible trigger being hit (non-con/rape, abortion, mental illness, abuse, death, suicide). I don't think there's anything missing from the list which is a bit over the top for my liking. I love a good read that can make you think and this one is certainly in that category.

Oh, Adelaide. You sweet, kind hearted, darling, doormat of a girl. You want to root for her, but her dogged pursuit of an emotionally unavailable man loving her back gets outrageous by the time the book draws to a close.

I loved the part of the book that deals with the relationship she has with her friends and how strong their bond is. They don’t really tell her the hard truth about how awful her boyfriend is, but they do support her in times of mental crisis.

I was tempted to stop reading this one a few times, but I really wanted to push through and see if Adelaide got a happy ending, or at least some sort of moderately positive resolution.

I won’t spoil it for you- you have to find out for yourself!

Thank you to NetGalley for this #ARC of #Adelaide

Adelaide-beautiful, lovable, endearing Adelaide. I’m sorry she is fiction, as she truly seems to be the perfect friend. She lives in the moment, loves fiercely and is there for those lucky enough to call her their companion and friend. What a wonderful book about love, loss, friendship, finding oneself and living life to the fullest.

I think for many people (especially millennials and Gen Z) reading "Adelaide" will hit very close to home. While there are some very heavy topics in here, I think some of it is all too common, especially the emotional abuse and unhealthy sexual relationships. I think Wheeler has done a good job here of giving our titular character some strength, but I wanted to see Adelaide love herself a bit more without needing validation from an external relationship. Maybe that's what makes it so real - that's generally easier said than done. A good read, but left me feeling a bit heavy.

📚 Adelaide
✍ Genevieve Wheeler
📖 Contemporary Fiction (wouldn't call it Romance)
⭐ 4/5
🌶️ referenced but not described

Adelaide Williams is a 25-year-old graduate student living abroad in London when she meets Rory Hughes, a fairytale handsome Brit whose path has aligned serendipitously and continuously with hers. Despite their immediate chemistry, Rory is often aloof and withdrawn but Adelaide is smitten and soon, infatuated with him. Their relationship is thrown into interdependence when Rory experiences an unexpected loss and Adelaide falls apart while trying to keep Rory together. Carefully crafted to expose the heartbreak of a lopsided love story, Adelaide is a raw, appraising look at an emotionally abusive relationship and what it takes to break free of the constraints of love.
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💭What I liked: Adelaide was far from a traditional happily ever after story about two main characters meant to be. It was breathtakingly poignant commentary on interdependent relationships and mental health. At times, it was devastating and heavy, but I so appreciated the way Wheeler depicted characters who defied so many stereotypes about living with mental illness- specifically that they can’t be the ‘givers or pillars’ in relationships.
What I didn't: Wheeler’s writing style worked for me for the most part. It’s similar to Sally Rooney’s books in that there’s no distinct textual differences between thoughts and verbalized communication, so it takes some getting used to. I was frustrated, however, by the constant foreboding commentary which felt unnecessary to pushing the story along.

Adelaide was incredibly sad and was bookended by deep discussions of suicide, so be sure to check trigger warnings and take care of yourself before embarking on this exploration of loving and being loved in a modern world.
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TW: suicide, abusive relationships, pregnancy loss, depression
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Read if you love:
*mental illness representation/stigma fighting
*stories about Americans abroad
*found family & great friendships
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See also: Normal People (Wheeler’s writing felt similar to Sally Rooney for me), Twice in a Lifetime, It Ends with Us

Genevieve Wheeler"s Adelaide is essentially a love story, and it is a grand one. Adelaide, a talented, intriguing young American woman is smitten with Rory Hughes, a well-spoken, charming, and handsome young British man. Hughes appreciates Adelaide's generous heart and kindness, but he is never quite able to reciprocate her love in spite of her overwhelming attraction toward him and his occasional attraction to her. That desire seems to always have an unidentified impediment that keeps Rory from moving toward further closeness with Adelaide.

Perhaps, to me, the most compelling part of the book is Adelaide's ability to create and sustain friendships with her female friends from various times of her life. She is a remarkable and supportive friend, and her soft heart propels her to always help others.

Adelaide has tragedy and joy in her life, and she also struggles with depression and feeling unloved. Her ability to deal with such challenges and forge ahead is inspiring and heartening. This love story is one almost any reader can relate to, and it has the beautifully written balm needed for any reader who wants to love and be loved.

Thank you to Saint Martin's Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this lovely book.