Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler

Genre: Contemporary

Format: Print, Hardcover

Pages: 290

Start Date: April 19th, 2023

End Date: April 22nd, 2023

My Ratings

Overall: ★★★★

Character Development: ★★★

Ending: ★★★

Tear Jerk-ability: 💧💧

Pace: Quick

Recommend: Yes

Triggers: Mental Health, Sexual Assault

Summary - Goodreads

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.

My Thoughts - Contains Spoilers, Continue at Your Own Risk

I almost skipped this month's BOTM because nothing was really sticking out to me. I really didn't want to miss out on getting one though (FOMO) even though I have a HUGE TBR stack staring at me from my bookshelf as I type this. This isn't something I would normally pick, especially with the brief description provided. I will say that I'm glad I decided the cover art was pretty enough that I needed it on my bookshelf & even more glad that I decided to read it.

I have to admit that the ending kind of threw me for a loop. Not that I'm surprised that she was diagnosed with Bi-Polar - her family's mental health in referenced multiple times throughout the book, but that I didn't see the "ups & downs" Rory describes in Adelaide. I was looking at Rory to be the one with that "up & down" personality. If the author's intent was to make me question myself & what I read at the end then she 10/10 nailed it. I thought Rory was the emotionally unavailable one, the one evading a "future" with Adelaide. I guess the death of the ex-girlfriend & Adelaide's strong reaction to that situation should have maybe been a tip off, but I guess I chose to view it from her point of view - dealing with the weight of someone you care for going through something so difficult.

I'm Curious

1. Once you learned about Adelaide's diagnosis did you look back at the interaction between her & Rory differently?
2. What do you think about Rory? Do you see what Adelaide saw in him?
3. Do you think the tramatic expereinces in Adelaide's formative years made a large impact on her mental health or do you think it's simply hereditary?
4. Did you find yourself rooting for Adelaide & Rory or did you feel as if though they weren't good together?
5. How did you feel about Rory's reaction to the death of his ex? Would you be as supportive as Adelaide? Do you think her feeling so much for someone she hardly knew, if at all really, was peculiar?

Next Book: The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden