Publishers Weekly
02/27/2023
Wheeler debuts with the emotional tale of an ambitious 20-something American woman in London and the grieving man she falls for. Adelaide Williams swears off men after breaking things off with an abusive boyfriend. Then she meets Rory Hughes, a suave Englishman who looks like a Disney prince, and quickly decides he’s her “soul mate.” But after Rory’s ex-girlfriend Nathalie is killed in a car accident, he ices out Adelaide. Adelaide despairs, which triggers her underlying depression, and she begins thinking of suicide and compares herself negatively to Nathalie, who’d just been named deputy editor of the London Times (of Adelaide, Wheeler writes, “She knew she would not be mourned by thousands, that her name would not become a hashtag on Twitter”). Thanks to a cadre of friends, though, Adelaide comes to understand that love has many guises. Wheeler perfectly captures her protagonist’s depression, anxiety, and negative self-talk—not to mention her keen agony of unrequited love—and a solid supporting cast provides Adelaide with ample emotional support. The complex heroine animates every page. Agent: Melissa Edwards, Stonesong. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
"Wheeler’s debut is searingly raw...Her whole soul is poured out onto the pages, and you’ll find it hard not to feel your own heart crack and stomach turn as Adelaide tries without avail to win the love of someone who simply can’t give it. Wheeler deftly relates Adelaide's journey of unbending friendship, grief, and passion, and for many readers, her tale will strike a resonant chord. Vulnerable, tender, and impossible to put down."
–– Kirkus (starred)
"Heartfelt...This is a portrait of a woman struggling with her empathic desire to be all things to all people and realizing that she is allowed to put herself first...Fans of The Midnight Library will identify with Adelaide's journey."
–– Booklist
"Wheeler perfectly captures her protagonist’s depression, anxiety, and negative self-talk—not to mention her keen agony of unrequited love—and a solid supporting cast provides Adelaide with ample emotional support. The complex heroine animates every page."
–– Publishers Weekly
"Poignant."
–– Popsugar
“Adelaide is a beautifully-written, deeply-felt exploration of what it means to love and be loved. In it, Genevieve Wheeler perfectly captures the exquisite pain of being head-over-heels in love with someone whose feelings don’t match yours and poignantly celebrates the people on our journeys who make life worth living. A remarkable debut.”
–– Jill Santopolo, New York Times bestselling author of The Light We Lost
"Emotional and poignant, Genevieve Wheeler has made a remarkable debut with her fresh, modern voice. I was charmed. Adelaide exposes the raw edges of early adulthood and unrequited love, ultimately showing us that the true magic of life is that it's always worth living.”
–– Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times bestselling author
"Impossible to put down. I saw myself and all of my past mistakes reflected back at me on every page. Genevieve Wheeler writes with brilliant clarity and specificity. I feel like I’m longtime friends with every one of her characters. I’ve been recommending this book to every one of my female friends who knows what it is to love too quickly and too deeply, with the wrong person. Adelaide is achingly beautiful, and heartbreakingly relatable."
–– Dana Schwartz, New York Times bestselling author of Anatomy, a Love Story
"Adelaide is a fearless portrayal of unrequited love—the kind that thwarts us, flattens us, and ultimately has something to teach us. Wheeler's debut is engrossing and poignant, full of grit and vulnerability. I devoured it."
–– Carola Lovering, author of Can't Look Away
"Sharp-eyed and big-hearted, Adelaide dives headfirst into the tidal pulls of love, friendship, grief, and mental health. Wheeler captures the lively adventures of an American 20-something trying her best in London with dazzling humor and dizzying aplomb. This is a can’t-miss, can’t-put-down debut."
–– Beck Dorey-Stein, New York Times bestselling author of From the Corner of the Oval and Rock the Boat
"Adelaide puts the heartbreak of loving the wrong person and the healing powers of friendship on magnificent display. With whimsical prose and a charming London backdrop, this deeply relatable novel infuses even the most painful moments with hope. I savored every single page of this beautiful book."
–– Hannah Orenstein, author of Meant to be Mine
"I fell head-over-heels in love with Adelaide. Featuring an unforgettable main character, this debut bursts with warmth, while offering an unflinching look at heartbreak and mental health. Genevieve Wheeler’s writing had me cackling, crying, and nodding in recognition so vehemently that I almost gave myself whiplash."
–– Laura Hankin, author of A Special Place for Women
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2023-02-23
A young woman searches for love but ends up finding it in the wrong person.
When Adelaide Williams met Rory Hughes, her life split in two. Before, she was an American grad student living a dreamy existence in London. She went dancing with her friends Madison and Celeste, hooked up with strangers in bars, and aspired to land a job in publishing. Adelaide was finally overcoming her fear of relationships after a high school experience with emotional and sexual abuse and had hoped that she would be deserving of a happy ending. She'd first met Rory, briefly, two years ago at an outdoor pub, where she, drunk and barefoot, told him he looked like a Disney prince, and then she met him again on a dating app. After that, all she wanted was him: “Adelaide had not fallen in love slowly, or carefully, or with intention. She had fallen in love the same way one slips at the grocery store, despite the CAUTION: WET signs lining any given aisle—quickly, accidentally, and fully aware of the mess into which she was getting herself.” As she falls harder for Rory, it becomes apparent that he's not only emotionally unavailable, but clearly hung up on his former partner of six years, Nathalie. When an unexpected tragedy strikes, Adelaide is determined to be whatever Rory needs, but what if she has already given all of herself away? Wheeler’s debut is searingly raw, and at times, Adelaide’s heartbreak and desperation are difficult to read. Her whole soul is poured out onto the pages, and you’ll find it hard not to feel your own heart crack and stomach turn as Adelaide tries without avail to win the love of someone who simply can’t give it. Wheeler deftly relates Adelaide's journey of unbending friendship, grief, and passion, and for many readers, her tale will strike a resonant chord.
Vulnerable, tender, and impossible to put down.
