Relationship toxicity at its finest is what "Adelaide" is.

Because Adelaide loves Rory but Rory doesn’t love Adelaide. He takes advantage of her kindness, disappears for weeks at a time, and cares little for her life. But Adelaide believes if she loves him hard enough, is devoted enough, he’ll realize she’s his forever one and only. Until, that is, she loses herself so completely that both her heart and her mind break.

Genevieve Wheeler’s first novel is a memorable love story, though not a happy one. It will make you uncomfortable – rape, emotional abuse, suicidal ideation and other mental health issues are all part of it – as well as enlighten you. Many will relate to Adelaide and her troubles, and even those who don’t will appreciate the realistic portrayal of an unhealthy relationship.

But the book isn't only despair and heartbreak – there’s a hopeful note to it. It shows us that light follows darkness, that we can survive the people who aren’t good for us. And that sometimes, if we do the work afterwards and take care of ourselves, we end up all the better for them.


My sincerest appreciation to Genevieve Wheeler, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

I kept seeing people post about this book and I was excited to see it available for me on NetGalley. It is hard to leave a review for this book without giving things away. I will say that it did live up to the hype. I enjoyed the writing style and storytelling I was engaged through the whole book.

This was not a light read. Adelaide starts with her in the hospital for suicidal ideation. We then go back to find out what has her at this point. Adelaide is very relatable. I'm far from my twenties and this book took me right back to them. It was hard to read about Adelaide trying to twist herself in knots to get Rory to even acknowledge her. Her friends are incredibly supportive. I did find the ending very trite but otherwise this was a solid novel.

From the summary, this book should have been one I loved. Set in London, Adelaide is surrounded by her friends and has a life she loves except for that special man in her life. Unfortunately, the mess Adelaide finds herself in was one that made me want to scream. Rory had my sympathy early on in the book. It was obvious that he needed help due to the sudden loss of his parents at a young age. But his mental health was no excuse for the way that he treated Adelaide. I found myself wanting to reach in to the book and smack Adelaide in to action and self-love.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 due to the ending and Adelaide getting her happy ending.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

Possible Triggers: Rape, Sudden death, parental death, mental illness, emotional abuse

This book was a beautiful representation of mental illness, the effects of grand love, and the way that one can lose themselves and find themselves over and over. I loved Adelaide's story and her character growth! The writing was impactful and this novel was beautifully written

This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster. At times hard to read because of the content – mental health, grief, relationship struggles and more but a good read if you are interested in coming of age stories. Check the content warnings before reading if you are easily triggered.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book broke my heart and mended it in the span of ~300 pages. Adelaide is one of the best-written and relatable main characters I have ever encountered, and her genuine empathy moved me almost to tears. Her rocky relationship with Rory read like a romance that every woman will have, but remained exempt from stereotypes and cliches. Adelaide's never-ending need to please everyone and be everything for someone who doesn't deserve her was simultaneously heartbreaking and completely understandable. I am excited to see what devastating and inspiring story Wheeler dreams up next.

I wanted to love this book… but I couldn’t finish it. I was really excited for it because I saw a lot of my favorite authors post about it for months leading up to pub day, but it wasn’t for me. I didn’t enjoy reading about a woman letting a subpar man ruin her life and self-esteem.

When we meet Adelaide Williams, she is in the hospital in the midst of a mental health crisis. She is overwhelmed by several changes in her life and reeling from a breakup, and it is all too much. From this pivotal moment in Adelaide's life, Genevieve Wheeler takes us back to explore the events that led her to this point.

An American living in London, 26-year-old Adelaide is in love. In love with her friends, with her adopted city, with her life...and with Rory Hughes, who she meets on a dating app. Adelaide falls for him deep and hard and fast, and although Rory doesn't seem to reciprocate her passionate feelings (he ghosts her for weeks at a time, doesn't honor his commitments, doesn't show more than a passing interest in her life or thoughts), Adelaide is convinced he is The One. If she just loves him hard enough, gives enough of herself to him and to their relationship -- surely he will fall in love with her, too. But if Adelaide gives her all to Rory, what will she have left for herself?

Well gosh, this one is a heartbreaker. Adelaide is raw and real and emotional and relatable and heartfelt and full of yearning and ultimately -- thankfully -- such a hopeful book. Adelaide is a well-crafted character who you will relate to, root for, and be exasperated with in equal measure. Her naiveté is both endearing and maddening, and her eternal positivity and enthusiasm for life are infectious. You can't help but fall a little bit in love with Adelaide. C'mon, Rory Hughes, get on our level!

Adelaide is a sensitively-rendered exploration of mental health issues, the manifestations of grief, the joys of found family, and the power of love (both the right kind and the wrong kind) to irrevocably alter us. It reads to me like a sweeter, more nuanced, more complex version of Tell Me Lies. I highly recommend the audiobook read by Caitlin Kelly, whose tender, heartfelt narration perfectly encapsulates the character of Adelaide.

Wheeler's writing is beautiful and so, so sad. Though sometimes I wanted to shake Adelaide and tell her to stand up for herself, the character's behavior perfectly explored the harrowing times in your early 20s when you seek self-worth from others. Aside from the main romantic conflict, I thought Adelaide's relationships with her friends and others she loved was a great way to demonstrate her selflessness through action.

I loved this book. The author did a fantastic job describing mental health. I wish I could have talked some sense into her about the love that was right in front of her. It definitely wasn’t that douche bag she was dating.

This was a powerful coming of age novel that every millennial woman needs to read. It was incredibly relatable, from the pop culture references; to online dating culture, and clinging to love interests who keep you hanging on by a thread; to all your friends being in different stages of life. I love a realistic, melancholic story of how messy people and relationships can be. I especially appreciated how female friendships were portrayed on the page—they are so important at all stages in life, but I loved seeing women be there for each other while they were each going through something different. One thing I would leave out is the Harry Potter references. Additional things I loved: Bub and the mental health rep. Overall I’d recommend to anyone in their 20s, going through it.

My heart broke for Adelaide through her journey. I enjoyed the way this was written and made me even reflect on some aspects of my life.

This gave me sally Rooney vibes tbh but easier to follow through with! Highly recommend

While this book left me thinking, it was a tough one to finish for me. I really loved Adelaide, but felt more relatable to her friends - nothing terrible there and I truly appreciate that there was genuine acceptance of who she was with her friends. I struggled to find the good or redeeming moments for Adelaide and Rory and by the end really disliked them.
As others have said this is not a love story, but rather a coming to terms with mental health and all the things we accept as coping mechanisms in that process. All true and a times gritty, but it seemed almost secondary to her spiral down.

This book was incredible. Every single character felt like a real person and I think that can be hard to do. Also, every interaction between humans felt so authentic. Found myself really relating to a lot of the characters and just loved every minute.

Didn't know I needed this heartbreak. Its such beautiful novel. Crying never made me feel so seen. Thank you Genevieve Wheeler.

Adelaide is beautiful and heartbreaking—definitely prepare yourself to cry as you're reading. I really enjoyed this debut novel and am looking forward to whatever Genevieve Wheeler writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the writing style and I really found myself within Adelaide. I will defiantly be rereading in the future.

This book was truly so unbelievably gorgeous and spoke to me in a way very few other books have. Adelaide became a special part of my heart during this experience and I sincerely look forward to reading Genevieve Wheeler's future works. My favorite book of the year so far.

Before I even opened this book, I wrote in my notes, “This is definitely going to break my heart.” And it did. I felt shattered when I finished this book. But I also felt seen. And I felt hopeful.

Adelaide Wheeler is a 26-year-old American communications student living in London whose relationship history is tragic. She’s been abused and taken advantage of, she’s done the casual sex thing, and she wants so desperately to be loved. She lives life at full speed, giving everything she has. So when she meets Rory Hughes, who just so happens to look like a Disney prince, all Adelaide sees is her happily ever after. But after a couple of spectacular dates, it turns out this prince might be more of a villain, although Adelaide can’t quite see it — he won’t communicate or commit, he’s hung up on someone from his past, and he’s using her to make himself feel whole. This relationship is a recipe for disaster because Rory is happy to take and take, and Adelaide is someone who gives and gives and gives… until there’s nothing of herself left. Rory won’t commit, but he won’t let her go, either.

Genevieve Wheeler does a remarkable job of capturing the millennial relationship angst and the way it’s easy to lose yourself in another person. Adelaide tries so hard to do the right thing, to be the right person, that she allows herself to get swept away by the intensity of this relationship and her devotion to making it work, even when the signs that it’s breaking are everywhere. Wheeler captures the book’s time period nearly perfectly that she makes it easy to be swept away in the setting she’s created — with the references to FlowerBomb perfume, the Caroline Calloway jump scare, the mentions of Sally Rooney and “Call Me By Your Name.” And some of Wheeler’s writing stunned me. Wheeler’s characterization is also strong, if a little heavy-handed. Adelaide is sweet and excitable and loyal and eager and endlessly positive. She glitters. She’s also obsessive and allows herself to be treated a bit like a doormat, and it’s easy to be frustrated with her while still rooting for her. Rory is the quintessential pretty boy who only wants what he can’t have and treats all the people around him like they’re his supporting cast. (Wheeler does include some chapters from Rory’s perspective that I thought did nothing to further the book; his emotions or motivations never really get explored.)

This book was originally marketed as a romance, and I’m glad someone finally got their head screwed on straight and fixed the description. This isn’t a love story. This is a hard read. It’s messy and beautiful. But it’s relatable. So many of us have been in or have seen a similar one-sided relationship. Wheeler doesn’t give us a Prince Charming and a fairy godmother. This book doesn’t have a happily ever after. But sometimes, that’s life, isn’t it.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.