This is a beautiful, heartbreaking look at mental health. Raw, honest, emotional and often heartbreaking, Wheeler brought Adelaide to life in a way that will stick with me for a while. While there is a relationship, this book is NOT A ROMANCE! Be sure to check trigger warnings before reading.

The characters were not likable. Adelaide was rather flat. After reading her story, I’m still not sure of her personality. I agree of the reviews that compared this to Normal People by Sally Rooney.

dnf at 25%

I saw such rave reviews for this book and wanted to be as sucked into it as everyone else but I just wasn't. I did enjoy the writing style and the way emotion is conveyed is done so well. The characters felt real but I struggled to connect with them.

That being said I do think this is a case of a book just not being for me.

Adelaide was a difficult read for me.
While I personally have been fortunate enough to never have dated a Rory, I’ve seen many friends be less fortunate.

Rory was a selfish jerk and just a very toxic relationship and it was incredibly difficult to read through.

I actually ended up DNFing this book because it was difficult.

However, I did enjoy how raw this book is. It’s real. It’s emotional. It’s very needed.
It was just too hard to continue to read through personally.

Read the trigger warnings. Read cautiously but enjoy it. It’s a very well written and beautiful story even thought I couldn’t finish it.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press. Adelaide is a dark romance that involves a women with mental health, specifically depression. I enjoyed the book a lot and liked that it was different than other stories. I highly recommend this book.

Trigger warning: Suicide

I absolutely adored this book. I could not put it down and wanted to know what happened to these incredibly well drawn out characters. I found this book to be very similar to the book Ghosts by Dolly Alderton. I adored that book but this one hit even harder. This is NOT a light hearted romance novels and there are huge triggers for mental illness and abuse both physical and mental. There is trauma and loss here, but also so much love and hope. Not an easy read as we watch Adelaide make mistake after mistake with Rory, who has his own demons and traumas. For Adelaide, her past has made her give and give and give with her whole heart. Rory’s traumas have made him into a human parasite who looks like Prince Charming. Watching their relationship from start to finish made me realize how much I do not miss the dating scene from my 20’s. It did however, make me so nostalgic for the incredible friendships made during this time in my life when people saw you as you really are/were before you get sucked into the vortex of marriage, motherhood, and career. I adored Adelaide’s friends who were family. They never judged her and always had her back. I hate to use the cliche of propulsive read - but it really was. Highly recommend this book - so much to talk and think about.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion of the book.

I really should have been able to get through this quicker, but I would find myself, at times, not super excited to read about Adelaide being over the moon for the worst boyfriend in the world. This went on for a loooong time.
Things picked up in the last quarter of the book when something else finally happened.
Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this #arc of #adelaide in exchange for an honest review.

Overall a good book. I also received this as my book of the month as part of a book club. I enjoyed the writing due to how it flowed and I think this is a great “Good find yourself after a breakup” book.

Would say this is similar to “really good actually” not working style but in theme

As someone who has struggled with mental illness for the majority of their life, this book was so important.
Adelaide is in her mid 20’s, checking herself into a mental health facility. We get her backstory and what has brought her to this place in her life: a relationship with an abusive boy at 16, an extensive family history of mental illness and the trauma that stems from this. I related to this from my core.
I felt such a connection to Adelaide, and could relate to her on a large part of her story. I love books with mental health representation- and this one was well researched and accurate.
When good things happen to Adelaide, she can’t help but wonder if it’s a mistake or going to be taken away from her. That uncertainty, the inability to relax and enjoy good things- some people really live that way. (I am one.) I appreciate the author bringing attention to this, and the fact that many high-functioning, educated women in their 20’s are a good portion of those struggling with mental illness- I often feel mental illness is poorly represented as people that cannot function in their daily life.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the e-ARC of this beautiful book.

Thanks to NetGalley and SMP for my advanced copy,

This book hurts. Not necessarily in a ‘hurts so good’ kind of way, but in a deeper way. A book that makes you think, “how have you seen into my deepest parts, too? Why do they look just like yours?”

The side characters are rich, with their own fulfilling lives, and Adelaide—my heart breaks for her. Rory, too, but I wanted to wrap Adelaide up and tell her to love herself too. Love herself first. The last 25% of this book was painfully honest, raw, and vivid. I didn’t know I’d felt some of these emotions until I saw them spelled out on paper, line by line and word by word.

I would definitely read all associated trigger warnings before diving in, but I think it’s worth it. It’s not a romance. It has a happy ending, but also not. It’s worth it anyway.

This story was very raw and real. It was not what I was expecting. I think I would have enjoyed this book at a later time since it was a heavy read.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

First, I felt like the description of this book was a little misleading. I had gone into it thinking that it was going to be a romance heavy story but instead was met with a very different vibe. Adelaide covered a wide range of topics including mental health, suicide, and other topics that evoke strong emotions while reading. This is definitely not the book for those who struggle with these topics.

Essentially, Adelaide is an American woman living in London where she meets her "Disney prince", Rory. Right off the bat, we see that Rory is anything but a Disney prince. He frequently disappears for days, doesn't answer her messages, and is constantly very negative. About 70% of the book is Adelaide being in love with Rory but he seems completely unsure of her. Throughout the book, Adelaide struggles with feelings of self doubt and clearly doesn't feel like she is enough in all aspects of her life. This was probably the most relatable part of her storyline. However, as a character, Adelaide was an extremely frustrating perspective to read. Perhaps this had to do with her blind love for Rory who clearly wasn't putting in any effort while she bent over backwards for him. By the end, I literally was cheering when Madison confronted her about Rory's behavior and how Adelaide spent all of her time prioritizing him even as he treated her like trash. I struggled to get through this book but am grateful that I pushed through because I do think it was a provocative and thoughtful read in terms of putting others' needs before your own and neglecting your own self care. It just wasn't at all what I was expecting to read based on it's description.

ADELAIDE by Genevieve Wheeler is a challenging, compelling story about a woman navigating ex-pat life in London, while dealing with metal illness alongside the highs and lows of everyday life and love.

Adelaide is a very relatable, lovable character and Wheeler writes her deftly- I felt for her every loss and misstep, rooted for her success, laughed at her jokes and was crushed by her heartbreak and hardship. Wheeler also handles the various topics in her story- including suicidal ideation along with mental illness and other challenging parts of life - with remarkable grace and insight. I thoroughly appreciated these aspects of the story. Plot-wise, I wish more time was spent developing Bubs’ character and showing his and Adelaide’s interactions. The ending was enjoyable but felt rushed and a bit disappointing after all the work Adelaide does to get there! Still an enjoyable read that I would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC which I received in exchange for my honest review.

This book is going to be the poster child for Sad Girl Summer and has already received a ton of buzz, but let me add my voice to those praising Wheeler's debut, Adelaide. The writing is stunning and the story is devastating. Because of the way the book opens, you know Adelaide and Rory's relationship is heading to an ugly end, but the journey to get there was heart wrenching.

I deducted a star because I found a lot of Adelaide's actions to be mind-boggling and had a hard time relating to some of her feelings and choices, but even that I can't complain about too much because it came together well at the end. Also, a few of the author's repeated stylistic choices got tiring by the end. But overall, I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the author's future works.

I felt for Adelaide as a fellow heartbroken female. I loved how she rose higher than her downfall. The character development was real and well done, and the storyline kept me laughing and sad at the same time.

when I picked up ADELAIDE for the first time, i never would have guessed that i would feel so deeply seen by this book. i knew going in that i was in for an emotional read, but never would’ve guessed how much this book would’ve touched my soul.

Adelaide herself is one of my favorite MCs to date. i saw so much of my younger self in her. she is someone i wanted as a friend, someone i rooted for, someone i cried for, and certainly someone i wanted to shake and yell, YOU ARE BETTER THAN THIS!

Adelaide is someone who loves SO deeply, and finds herself in the middle of a “relationship”
where she would give and give and give, and get nothing in return. she saw the red flags, yet that small glimmer of hope was strong enough for her to keep going.

ADELAIDE is a book for anyone who has dealt with mental illness, a toxic relationship, and struggled with self worth. i think many readers can connect to this story and Adelaide, no matter the capacity in which you have dealt with these things.

i didn’t know how much i needed this book until the very last page (ESPECIALLY that epilogue 🥲) this book brought up a lot of hard feelings and memories but it was a deeply cathartic and healing reading experience. sometimes we need these stories to remind ourselves to lean on those who love us, that we are all deserving of love, and that it will all be okay 🤍

Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler is a character driven story about Adelaide’s struggle with depression amidst a breakup. I don’t mind character driven stories but I did not connect with any of the characters which made it hard for me to get into. I didn’t hate the book but I didn’t love it the way others have. The portrayal of mental health was so important and well done and I would recommend it to others.

This book frustrated me in the way only a good book can. Adelaide is a frustratingly good person, in a way that is self-destructive and leads her to give too much of herself away. Her main love interest is the single most infuriating man. This is a story about grief, mental illness, healing and more. While at times I wanted to scream at both main characters, there were so many amazing passages and I saw myself reflected a lot in the way that Adelaide is unable to process literally any of her emotions/ experiences.

I do wish the healing aspect of the book was a bit longer, the last 25% of the book felt a bit rushed. One star off for having a Harry Potter reference in 2023.

TWs: suicide, mental illness, past sexual assault from a partner, death of non-main character, discussion of miscarriage/reproductive issues, ED.

This was a phenomenal contemporary fiction debut! I hesitate to call it a romance, because the focus of the story is Adelaide's personal growth rather than her romantic connections. I saw so much of myself in Adelaide and adored how Genevieve Wheeler crafted such an authentic character. I don't think I have ever disliked a book boyfriend as much as I disliked Rory, and even when Adelaide first met him I failed to see the appeal. This book depicts a very unhealthy relationship, and as a reader I felt it went on longer than it made sense to, but I respect that Adelaide wasn't able to recognize it was toxic. This is a very heavy read with some serious mental health content, so I would advise readers to proceed with caution.

so raw and emotional and exactly what i needed at the time. beautifully written and such a genuine representation of so many women's experiences.

thank you so much to netgalley and the publisheer (all thoughts are my own)