Adelaide

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.)