Adelaide
A Novel
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4.2 • 83 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Named Most Anticipated by: Bustle ・ Popsugar ・ Goodreads ・ Zibby Magazine・SheReads ・ Book Riot
“A beautifully-written, deeply-felt exploration of what it means to love and be loved.”–– Jill Santopolo, New York Times bestselling author of The Light We Lost
In love . . .
For twenty-six-year-old Adelaide Williams, an American living in dreamy London, meeting Rory Hughes was like a lightning bolt out of the blue: this charming Englishman was The One she wasn’t even looking for.
Is it enough?
Does he respond to texts? Honor his commitments? Make advance plans? Sometimes, rarely, and no, not at all. But when he shines his light on her, the world makes sense, and Adelaide is convinced that, in his heart, he’s fallen just as deeply as she has. Then, when Rory is rocked by an unexpected tragedy, Adelaide does everything in her power to hold him together—even if it means losing herself in the process.
When love asks too much of us, how do we find the strength to put ourselves first?
With unflinching honesty and heart, this relatable debut from a fresh new voice explores grief and mental health while capturing the timeless nature of what it’s like to be young and in love—with your friends, with your city, and with a person who cannot, will not, love you back.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
Customer Reviews
Struggles we know all too well…
I struggled to relate to the main character initially, but by the end I resonated so much with her struggles, her pain, her hope, and determination. If you find the first few chapters difficult to follow, push through. It gets better…much like life.
It was very enjoyable but I felt like some parts were a bit tacky.
It was very enjoyable but I felt like some parts were a bit tacky. Didn’t stop me from enjoying it though.
Good, slow start
I enjoyed the way the book ended. The beginning was hard to get through for me. You definitely need to be in the right headspace for this book.