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)

Adelaide is a beautifully written story that captures the important message of friendship, love, and the impact that past trauma has on our lives - no matter the time that has passed. I felt deeply for Adelaide as she tried to navigate London as a young 20-something professional. There were many points while reading the book where I wished I could shake her and tell her that her “Disney Prince” was a walking red flag, I guess that is an example of how we don’t always see what others do, especially when we are trying so hard to perceive our situation through rose colored glasses.

Overall, it was an engaging read and well-written. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's deep, tragic, thoughtful, provoking. The writing was a bit unusual: no indication of dialogue is a little strange to me, but it made you definitely feel as if you were in Adelaide's head. I liked the jumping timelines and the focus on how past actions really dictate our future, specifically when dealing with romance.
I kind of hate everything about Rory though. He was very hard to feel emphathetic towards.
Overall a really good read.

I was thrilled to get this ARC from Netgalley as Adelaide was one of the books I almost picked for my Book of the Month book. I loved this book so much. I devoured it in a little over a day. I don't even really know how to best describe this book. Its's real, it's raw, and it's very much heart breaking.

There's a whole lot of triggering things in this book so proceed with caution (rape, emotional abuse, miscarriage, death of a loved one, suicide).

I can see how this book would be great for some bit it was way too sad for me! I need some lighter happier things to happen amongst the emotion.

Wow. It took me a while to get into this book, but my difficulty was due to the Adelaide's seeming unconscious hypocrisy. A self-avowed feminist, she nonetheless pours her entire heart and soul into her relationship with Rory--who she believes to be her soulmate--although he is mainly too self-absorbed to be bothered. He has experienced a lot of trauma, and is about to encounter more, but he doesn't deserve Adelaide.

Fortunately, she has some good friends who do appreciate her and who help her when she hits rock bottom.

This novel will rip your heart out, but put it back in. I want Adelaide to be my friend.

Warning: mental illness is a significant character in this book, as is trauma and suicide ideation. But it ekes out a happy ending, most amazingly. #Adelaide #NetGalley

I was provided a free advanced copy of this from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Adelaide is the person who dives into life and love full force. She's living her dream as an American in London, with great friends and an advancing career! But even when she thinks she's found her Disney Prince, she has to learn the hard lesson that you can't make someone love you.
This is a difficult book to review. On one hand it is a beautiful depiction of mental illness, the highs and lows of one sided relationships, and grief. But also, it's a very raw journey, and can be tough to get through at times.
Overall I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the realness of it. But I can understand how others may not. It could definitely do with some trigger warnings.
Since I'm late in posting, this one has already been published, so if it sounds like something you would enjoy, check it out!
#NetGalley #Adelaide

4 stars!

What a wonderful, soul-wrenching book. I enjoyed "Adelaide" by Genevieve Wheeler quite a bit. Be aware going in, though, that it is *deeply* depressing as it deals with some of the heaviest topics imaginable. Think "Normal People" by Sally Rooney levels of depression. Don't go in thinking this is a romance. It's *about* a relationship, but it's *not* all that romantic. It's complicated, a punch in the gut, heartbreaking, and intricate, and it will make you reflect on how you may have been treated in your past relationships. Were you the doormat who couldn't stop going back to someone who didn't deserve you? Have you ever been someone who loved another person so deeply, only to receive nothing or nothing but the bare minimum in return? I know I have been! "Adelaide" is the book for you if you can relate to these feelings. It feels like a lived-in story, wholly birthed from reality. That didn't stop me from wanting to slap Adelaide and tell her she deserved better! SO MUCH BETTER! Caitlin Kelly does a decent job narrating this book, but her character voices don't change all that much. I'll be thinking about this book for months to come.

Thank you to NetGalley, Genevieve Wheeler, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.