It took me a couple of chapters to get into this - it opens with Adelaide being checked into hospital due to her poor mental health and I wasn't sure if I'd find the story a bit too heavy and triggering. However, what follows is a brilliant love story, with multi-dimensional characters, strong storytelling and an on-and-off romance that kept me turning the pages. It doesn't shy away from the tough themes it opens with, but in the context of the story, it works and I really enjoyed it.

I don’t usually read books in the romance genre, but I added this one to my TBR solely because of its beautiful cover. It sat there for a while until I came across it on NetGalley and decided to request it. Even then, it remained unread until I finally set out to tick some titles out from my list. I had no idea what I was in for, but I’m so glad I finally got the chance to read this beautiful book.

Adelaide is a twenty-six-year-old woman living and working in London when she joins a dating app and steps into the dating scene, experiencing the usual date nights and casual sex. However, when she least expects it, she finds her soulmate and Disney prince in a handsome man named Rory Hughes. Rory is everything Adelaide ever wanted. But was Adelaide ever enough for Rory, or was he just in it for the perks that came with being in a relationship with her?

This book comes with trigger warnings for mental health struggles, suicidal tendencies, and heartbreak. However, in my opinion, the real trigger warnings should be:
* If you’ve ever been on a dating app and had someone ghost you, this book might not be for you.
* If you’ve ever fallen in love, thinking you found "the one," only to realize they didn’t feel the same way, this book might not be for you.
* If you’ve ever been asked for nudes, this book might not be for you.
* If you live in your own bubble, hoping things will change if you just give a little more of yourself instead of letting go, this book might not be for you.

But if you’ve been through all of this, trust me—this book will hit you right in the face. You’ll find yourself screaming, feeling every emotion, and living through its pages.

I found this book incredibly relatable—I felt every emotion Adelaide went through. I think we’ve all experienced what I call the “Adelaide phase”—falling deeply in love with someone we believed was our soulmate, only to face rejection over and over, yet still struggling to let go. I appreciate that Genevieve Wheeler explored this topic so honestly.

While there is a love story that ends in heartbreak and a meltdown, I wouldn’t classify this book as a romance. To me, it leans more toward women’s fiction, infused with raw realism that many millennials can relate to today. This book is unfiltered and deeply authentic—I truly believe everyone, both women and men, should read it at least once.

Although this book was beautifully written and deeply touching, I still rated it only 4 stars. There were parts that I felt were exaggerated, which made the book drag—for example, the entire section related to the death of Nathalie Alban. Grief when over done in a story turns boring and to me the author just stretched it too much.

I also disliked that the whole story boiled down to mental illness. In my view, Adelaide wasn’t mentally ill and didn’t need a psychiatrist—time would have been the best healer in this situation. Additionally, Adelaide didn’t need to come from a broken family with a bipolar sister. Even people from happy family backgrounds can go through an “Adelaide phase.” The last 20-25% of the book also could have been shortened by a couple of pages.

The characters were also not likable and far from perfect. The protagonist, Adelaide, was a character you want to scream at. Rory Hughes was selfish—he wanted all the perks that came with having a girlfriend but didn’t want to invest himself in any kind of commitment. He simply used Adelaide for his convenience. The other characters, Adelaide’s friends, were too sugar-coated and overly sweet. They failed to show Adelaide the reality of her situation and burst her bubble.

If it wasn’t for these short comings this book would be a perfect 5 stars for me. However, this book is not an easy read but definitely one you won’t be able to put down and a one that will stay with you for a long time.

Thanks to netgalley, the publishers Aria & Aries and author Genevieve Wheeler for this Arc.

Wow, what a journey! *Adelaide Williams: A Love Story* by Wheeler is a stunning debut that totally captures the messy, beautiful reality of love. From the very first page, I was pulled into Adelaide’s world—an American living in London who’s trying to make sense of her life and her relationship with Rory, a charming guy who just doesn’t seem to get it together.

Adelaide’s struggle is so relatable. We’ve all been there—holding onto someone who feels like “The One,” even when deep down, we know they might not be. Wheeler does an amazing job of showing the highs and lows of love. You can’t help but feel every twist and turn in Adelaide’s heart. When tragedy strikes, things really hit the fan, and I found myself rooting for her to find a way to move on, even when it seemed impossible.

The writing is so raw and honest, making it hard to put down. Adelaide’s emotions leap off the page, and her journey feels like a reflection of our own experiences with love and loss. It’s a beautiful reminder of how love shapes us, even when it hurts.

If you’ve ever loved the wrong person or felt that longing, this story will hit home.

Most relatable thing I have read in the longest time. I laughed, I cried, I lost my mind, I absolutely adored! Will be recommending this to every person I know who has felt heartbreak.

Thank you Netgalley for this copy!
I don't know what to say. I took my time reading this book because it was quite emotional. I really liked this book and I'll be thinking of this story for a long time.
I would recommend checking trigger warnings before you pick it up.

Absolutely loved this book! From page one I was hooked and couldn’t wait to pick the book back up.

I can’t wait for the next instalment!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Adelaide was a hard book to read for me because of the things the main character experiences. It was also full and warmth and hope for the future. Plus, the author writes beautifully. Wouldn't say this is a love story but that it is a story about love - about finding your home away from home, about friendship, about mental health and dating in this day an age. Hard but worth it. I'd recommend it in a heartbeat.

I couldn't have loved this book any more, it was just so real and filled with emotion and my heart broke for Adelaide as she tried to navigate her life and cope with the demands that she put on herself and others put on her. It ended fabulously, however, and she was such an endearing character. The less said about Rory Hughes, the better...
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

I fell in love with Adelaide even if I did want to shake her sometimes!! Although Adelaide’s f*ckboy romantic interest is at the centre of the plotline, I wouldn’t call this a romance — more of a literary fiction memoir of a twenty-something woman finding her way in life.

Would recommend to all my girl friends x

So grateful to get a chance to read this ARC - it was a special one. It's messy and emotional but most of all real. It follows Adelaide's life during her relationship with the charmer Rory Hughes. She thinks this is everything she wanted. But instead she finds herself in a relationship with a man who can be aloof and thoughtless, while also making her feel incredibly special. I think many of us have experience some version of that push and pull. It's a heartfelt, agonising look at what it's like to love intensely and not get back what you're giving. I wanted so much better for Adelaide. Mostly I was internally begging her to want better for herself. Stunning writing, I'll definitely be recommending this one.

'Were she to slip into a Groundhog Day dream state, this is the day she would choose to live over and over and over again, These were the memories- -painful though they were- -that she never, ever wanted to forget.'

'You look like a Disney prince,' Adelaide Williams drunkenly declares to an amused Rory Hughes when they first meet. As someone who believes strongly in fate, Adelaide is sure that the universe is telling her something when, years later, the same handsome face appears on Tinder. A mutual swipe and her fate is sealed: she is destined to fall unreservedly, irrevocably in love with Rory Hughes.

What follows is a painfully real portrait of a relationship which, we are told from the start, is doomed to fail. When we first meet Adelaide, she is at her lowest ebb - admitting herself to hospital plagued by thoughts of harming herself - and we know from the outset that she is reeling from having her heart broken. It is quite the feat then that first time author Genevieve Wheeler manages to capture so convincingly the heady feeling of intoxication synonymous with the beginning of a new relationship. 'It seemed so intentional,' she writes, 'the way their lives had been woven together. Like some deity had spent centuries writing their story, meticulously planning the details and paving their paths.' Even though the reader knows it's all going to come crashing down, it's impossible not to get caught up in Adelaide's giddy optimism. Anyone who has experienced the thrill of staying up all night talking, delighting in common ground and fizzing with excitement at a new connection will be drawn back to that time in an instant.

It is at times almost unbearable to read the story of Adelaide and Rory's relationship, as we see pathological people pleaser Adelaide devote herself to being the perfect girlfriend, determined to prove herself worthy of the love which Rory continues to withhold. Both have complex histories with family and relationships, and these are revealed gradually through flashback chapters, helping us to understand the events which formed our protagonists and shaped their attitude to relationships. These are important particularly for making Rory a more-developed character, rather than just a selfish, oblivious arse. A supporting cast of Adelaide's friends are a bright spot in the book; the love Madison and Celeste, Eloise and Nico clearly have for her is a balm to Rory's callow, thoughtless treatment of her.

Adelaide as a book is also a portrait of a specific time in life which will resonate with many readers: when your friends are starting to settle down or move away; when you feel an increasing pressure to have figured out what you want to do with your life in terms of relationships and children, career and location.

The book's treatment of mental illness is sensitive and true, if at times very difficult to read because of this. I was relieved to finish feeling hopeful for Adelaide, and pleased with the message the author chose to send about the possibility of experiencing joy even when your past experience makes it impossible for you to ignore the possibility of despair.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve just finished Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler and it is an honest exploration of unrequited love, relationships, mental health, grief and the struggle to maintain one’s own well-being in the face of adversity.

I enjoyed the raw honestly of this book and that the author wasn’t trying to evoke the reader to feel one particular way about a character, it’s just completely what each person is experiencing allowing the reader to see their perspectives and draw their own conclusions.

I think people who like story’s like Cleo and Frank, that follow characters though the highs and lows of life will enjoy this one but I do strongly suggest checking trigger warning as there are lots of potential triggering elements.

Thank you @headofzeus for my review copy

not only the cover gets 5 stars but the entirety if this book is fabulous. i love the modern take on literature and Genevieve Wheeler has written a beautiful story, I love love love reading about love and falling in love and the deep emotions that come with it. this book is beyond my wildest dreams (and heartache hopefully)

Brilliant. Wonderful

Rating: 5⭐️

Wow, where do I even start with this book?? In this book we follow Adelaide, a 26 year old American living in London. For the past year she’s been dating Rory, the charming yet non-committal man she’s convinced is the one.

- This book felt incredibly relatable to me, pretty much from page 1! Figuring out your life and career as a young adult in London. Dating, watching your friends do the same and move on with their lives, sometimes in different directions to you.
- This book was captivating. It held my attention and I felt drawn to read it every free moment I had. I think the interesting writing style contributed to that.
- I felt that this book really celebrated female friendships and emphasised how important these relationships are, especially when you live far from family.
- There was a large focus on mental health and I feel like this was handled well and really showed the profound impact it can have on people’s lives.

⚠️ Please note that this book touches on many extremely heavy topics, and I would definitely recommend people check out trigger warnings if necessary ⚠️

Overall, I loved this book! I have no dislikes to talk about. It was unique and impactful, it is a story that will stick with me and I’m positive I will reread it again in the future!

Thank you Head of Zeus & NetGalley for the ARC.

An absolute certainty about me is that I cannot resist a character driven novel, and Genevieve Wheeler’s debut Adelaide delivers everything I love in literary fiction: a heartfelt prose, sharp emotional insights, and deep exploration of identity and self-discovery while navigating through mental health issues.

At the heart of the story is Adelaide, a vibrant and vulnerable woman, dealing with the highs and lows of love, friendship, and the weight of her internal battles. Adelaide is imperfect and messy, achingly human and, most of all, relatable to many of us. Her experiences feel authentic, which made me cry many times because you can understand her and yet, feel seen.

This is an emotional book, to be savored and not rushed, and while we feel invited to reflect on our own past and experiences, we are also reminded of the resilience of the human spirit and all the possibilities open to us.
This is a must read!

P.S: Wheeler treats mental health with sensitivity, shedding light on some often-hidden aspects of depression and anxiety without romanticizing them, and this is wonderful.

<i>I would like to thank Aria & Aries | Aria and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review</i>

Wow - what a book.

Adelaide, by Genevieve Wheeler, follows American ex-pat Adelaide, living in London for school, and her tumultuous relationship with Rory Hughes - her dream partner who struggles to express his feelings for her. If he even has any.

I’ve been sitting on this book for a week or so since I finished it. I keep coming back to it, keep thinking and uncovering more. Wheeler has written a heartbreakingly beautiful, and incredibly relatable story. It found it near impossible to put down - I devoured it from start to finish, and was devastated when it was over.

I’ve been calling it Sally Rooney Lite - with Adelaide, Wheeler has proven herself capable of keeping up with the likes of Rooney and shining brightly. Her work is nuanced, carefully crafted, compassionate, complex, and smart. It is clear she cares deeply for her story and characters, which in turn impacts me as a reader to also care so deeply.

A great read for anyone in their 20’s struggling to find ‘the one’ in a world where our media tells us we must. A great read for anyone, no matter their age, feeling pressured to fall in love and be in love and be comfortable in love, even if you aren’t. A great read for anyone hurt by someone you loved, seeking catharsis and the reminder that you are not alone, and you never will be. Love sucks, love is hard - but you are enough.

I really really really want to thank the publishing house, the author and Netgalley for this ARC.

My favourite read of the year. It was one of the rawest book on traumas that read since a long time. I was totally empathetic to Adelaide, even if equally mad at her. The beautiful writing style served all these atrocities. First the London setting was here to take me, but the friendships, the relationships between all of these characters but mainly her attention seeking for Rory was so real. I found a part of myself in her and her devotion to be loved. I LOVED the interaction between humor and sadness of old traumas to explain her current actions !
The only one point was the bipolarity rep near to the end which ostracize her a bit. Even if the next part showed that life is possible even with this mental illness. It is not a love story but a commentary on toxic love and what we allow others and ourselves to accept. It's a take on what we think we deserve, especially love and pain.

26-year-old American expat Adelaide Williams walks into a London hospital and asks for help. Something's not right. She doesn't feel like herself any more. For the past year, she's been dating Rory Hughes, the charming man she met. Does he respond to texts? Honour his commitments? Make advance plans? Sometimes, rarely, and no, not at all. Despite everything, Adelaide is convinced he's The One. But when tragedy strikes unexpectedly, their relationship crumbles, and Adelaide realises she doesn't want to live without him. Because how can you move on from a love that's changed you forever?

I thought this sounded like my perfect book! I liked the storyline (but some points not so much) and I really liked the way it was only over a short period of time.

This is definitely my type of book in the sense it’s quite a sad book but realistic (well, most of it because I found some parts a bit too much 😂). I loved the character of Adelaide because I found myself getting so frustrated with her decisions then realising I probably would have done the same had I been head over heels for someone! As much as Rory infuriated me, I feel he was realistic and he acted the way you’d except.

Overall, I definitely liked this book and found the start really strong. I also kept wanting to read on and struggled to put it down. I loved the characters and really liked the story. I found the back and forth in the beginning a bit tricky to follow but I can see why it might have been done.

I’d recommend this book!

This is the book I've been waiting for. It's so honest, moving and deeply relatable. I loved every page and I'm going to be talking about this book for a long time to come.

This book was an emotional whirlwind that I read in one sitting with quite loud reactions. You are given a full account of the before, during, and after Rory Hughes, all of which filled with so much pain that you just want to hug Adelaide Williams forever. She is the biggest sweetheart, and you can heartbreakingly understand why she gives Rory so many chances, no matter how many times he ignores her. You can tell from the very beginning that he is not the one for her and yet you long for him to change— He does not, and that is the most realistic part. Rory was not the best, nor he was not the worst, but he simply did not deserve her. Adelaide had so much love and kindness, but that was not enough. The hinting towards every bad occurrence, especially for Rory’s ex, in the book became so brutal, I simply could not put it down until I had devoured every single word. You can feel the agony of each scene as if it were your own. This book is so raw with emotion and reads very well— I would definitely check out the author’s other works.

Trigger warnings for ‘Adelaide’ involve emotional abuse, sexual abuse, miscarriage and death.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for kindly giving me an arc of this novel. I cannot wait to get my own copy and annotate it once I am emotionally healed <3