I opened this book, thanks to an advance copy from NetGalley, in a doctor's office to pass the time. The writing is solid, the characters complex and three-dimensional. The protagonist, Adelaide Williams, appealed to me simply because her name was Adelaide.

She seemed to represent every woman who has ever sacrificed herself for the benefit of a man. She also experienced what I would consider sexual trauma and self-esteem issues. But "Adelaide" is actually both lighthearted and difficult to read. I don't want to say to much and reveal spoilers, but the novel is really about mental illness and the support, compassion and self-compassion needed to survive it.

While I did not always enjoy this book, this book has a powerful message and provides some viewpoints and messages that some people need to hear.

And it's also a great chronicle of a certain generation, and a fantastic collection of literary references.

my thoughts: if you’ve ever experienced that twin-flame type of love that breaks you, seemingly irreparably, only to put you back together in a beautiful way, then this is it. throughout the novel, adelaide gives so much of herself to lift those around her up, so it only makes sense that the book would have a similar lingering effect. this book gave me so much: the insight on grief & mental health & unrequited love are unmatched. adelaide is a love letter to the painfully messy yet beautiful act of living & loving.

Oh goodness - this one made me cry, mainly because of a lot of what Adelaide went through, I have experienced before. Hit me right in the heart. Definitely recommend this one.

Thought this book really allowed for a discussion on selfish love and narcissism. Unfortunately the protagonist did not gain the insight to set a healthy boundary for love until the end of the book. But let’s say tha she did achieve that therapeutic goal

I didn’t know what to expect with this book. The blurb I read when I received the arc didn’t match how the book started and it really made me wonder how I would get through it. The few chapters were tough, graphic, jolting. And then you get into the heart of the story, where your heart aches for Adelaide and wish for her to find that moment of real happiness and contentment. This is where the book shines. Where it pulls you in thinking with each chapter there is hope for Adelaide and then like a roller coaster, there is the fall after that hopeful rise. I saw myself in her at moments, the mirror a little too close for my liking. The lyrical writing softening the lessons. I found myself wishing the book lasted a little longer so we could revel in Adelaide 2.0.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I feel like this book is going to be a hit. It feels very topical--toxic relationships, imposter syndrome, male-female relationships? I felt like there was a fairly light hand so it didn't seem too extreme or depressing. I think it will generate a lot of book club discussion,

Oh wow, this debut novel! This book is a lot to break down. First, I will say, the end brought me to tears. It's a gorgeous book and one that I know many readers will love. It is, however, about a toxic and emotionally abusive relationship that is pretty hard to live through the main character, Adelaide. For those of us who have been in those bad relationships, this will be at once an interesting way to look back and see the red flags (and want to scream Adelaide! Stop what you're doing!) but it can also open some old wounds. Regardless, I'm very glad I read it and can tell this new author's voice is fresh, exciting, and very different.

I devoured the story of Adelaide over a weekend. An American expat in London, she is a mess. Dealing with mental health issues, an awful ex-boyfriend, and a sense that she is unloveable, she meets "the one" on a dating app and we follow the next 12 months of Adelaide desperately trying to make this guy, Rory Hughes, love her back. At first he ghosts her, and I was tempted to put it down and say "Dolly Alderton did it better" but I kept going and it morphed into something unexpected. Watching Adelaide try to win his affects, both from her point of view and occasionally from his, is both thrilling and cringe-worthy. Some may want to categorize this as romance novel, and it is NOT that. It's a tough book, filled with trigger warnings, but it is also sweet and cozy and I know lots of people will be talking about it next year.

I just finished this book today, and wow….. I’m not really sure exactly how to put my feelings on it into words. I really enjoyed the book overall and would recommend it, but it’s pretty raw and gritty at times. Reading the synopsis makes you think of this dreamy, romance-laced romp in London, and while it is that in some ways, it’s also very very real and also can be triggering. I adored Adelaide, as well as the rest of the characters, but Rory was a bitter pill. I think so much of him reminded me of an Ex that I just couldn’t like him.

I think if you go into reading Adelaide with the knowledge that this isn’t your average book, you’ll enjoy it. The writing is stellar. I felt like I was there in parts thanks to the beautiful imagery. The character development is outstanding. Adelaide and her friends are truly fun, bubbly, and likable and their friendship with each other made me envious. But this is why the sharp edges of the book can be so difficult. Because Adelaide is just so good. My heart felt like it was breaking for her at times.

It’s really hard to say all the things I want to say without spoiling anything. So I’ll just say that it’s been a long time since a book affected me this much, and I saw so much of my younger self in Adelaide. I did like the fact that this book was quite a surprise and made me really feel things, even if they weren’t always happy.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Genevieve Wheeler for gifting me with an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was an enjoyable read despite not being my type of book. I think it will definitely be a popular read when it comes out and anticipate lots of reader excitement.

Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler

Thanks to @stmartinspress for allowing us to read this book as an eARC through NetGalley

5/5

Adelaide is if ‘It Ends With Us’ was a Taylor Swift song

If you’re looking for a lighthearted romance or any kind of romance, this isn’t for you. This isn’t a romance, but it is a story about love, the danger, the wonder, and the power of it. This is a love story for life at its lowest, for family and friendships, self-love, and learning to accept yourself and life as is.

I didn’t know what to expect from a debut author, but this book blew me away. It was certainly very character driven and played with themes of love, loss, and the everyday struggles of many young adults in the transition years of their life, when it’s easy to feel like everyone around you is doing better and figuring out life a lot quicker. The portrayal of mental illness felt very authentic and compassionate.

Almost every character in this story felt like someone you could meet in real life. No one was perfect, they all had flaws. Flaws that come with living the life of the cards you’ve been dealt, whether it be being unable to compromise or being too lenient. Yet despite the fact readers may disagree with the actions of the characters we had such understanding and sympathy for them as what we knew would happen played out.

Admittedly I was a little unsure about the writing style of this book going into it. It had a mostly linear timeline, but readers were given hints to what the future pertained and some glimpses into the past. I felt it was an effective way to tell this story and managed to keep readers interested and guessing without spending too much time saying things that don’t need to be said. And despite the fact we knew where it would lead, the journey it took to get there was captivating and emotional and somehow still full of twists.

The one thing I don’t usually like about contemporary novels is when they mention real life pieces of media that could probably be anything, but for some reason are oddly specific, yet even that didn’t break the spell for me, although it did it a fair bit. Points for being the first book I’ve read that mentions covid even if not in great detail.

-Big Sis

Adelaide, by Genevieve Wheeler, is a novel about a young woman named Adelaide who falls in love with an Englishman she meets on a dating app. Adelaide is a 20-something American, living in dreamy London. With wonderful friends and fierce ambitions, Adelaide has little interest in finding “The One” right now, but when she meets Rory Hughes on a dating app –a charming and handsome Brit– she can’t help but be drawn in.

As their relationship develops, Adelaide quickly realizes that things are not as they seem with Rory. He is often distant and secretive, and her gut instinct tells her that he is not good for her. But despite her better judgement, she continues to pursue him, only to find herself in the midst of an emotionally abusive relationship.

Adelaide is a beautifully written novel that will resonate with anyone who has ever been in a bad relationship. Wheeler’s characters are realistic and flawed, and the story is heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful. This is an important book that deserves to be read and discussed by everyone.

This was a dark and heavy book to read with a lot of trigger warnings. I definitely fell for the main character Adelaide and wanted to shake her out of this toxic relationship with her man child. I was in a lot of pain while she was caring for him since it was evident how compassionate she was, and it was disheartening to watch the psychological torment she endured at his hands when all she wanted was love. The writing was beautiful and heartbreaking.

This story will stay with me for a long time.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁-𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻'𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟭𝟴𝘁𝗵, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.

Honestly, this book was hard to get through because it felt a little too relatable.

If you've ever suffered imposter syndrome, felt like everyone else is doing life better than you, been in a horribly intoxicating and heartbreakingly one-sided relationship, or struggled with mental health, you'll probably relate to Adelaide.

I think this book did a great job at exploring the dichotomy of feelings in a toxic relationship.

Adelaide feels a need to be perfect in every aspect of her life, and faults herself for any issues in her relationship, and the book explores her journey through a tumultuous time of change and sadness in her life as she tries to figure out where she fits into the lives of everyone around her.

I did not expect this book to have such heavy topics, but I'm glad it did. Adelaide, who lives in London, tells the story of falling in love with Rory Hughes and how it changes her life. I have felt a lot of the same feelings Adelaide talked about and it was a lot for me to handle. I'm so lucky to have read this book and it's taught me a lot about myself. I can't wait to buy myself a copy when it's released.

I really enjoyed reading this book! Adelaide was so lovable and relatable. She's messy but in a way that we all are.. I think a lot of readers will see themselves in her. The female friendships were really well done and realistic. It was clear they each had a purpose in Adelaide's life vs. being flat characters. The setting was great - I felt like I was in London. It made me want to move there. The omniscient narrator was well done, too, and I thought it was a unique way of telling the story. The story was told through dual timelines and I think it added to my understanding vs. distracted from the story.

I didn't love Rory (obviously, that's the point) but my problem was I couldn't see what Adelaide saw in him. He was constantly giving her scraps and she acted like she was so lucky to have them. It would have been more realistic if he had flip flopped a little more between good boyfriend and bad boyfriend. I wish there had been more time on the aftermath, vs. most of the book focusing on their relationship.

FYI - there are some triggering topics covered in this book, including toxic relationships, mental health, sexual abuse, death of a young adult, and suicidal ideations.

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