I expected this to be so much better. My co-worker loved it, but I thought it was boring. The whole reason for the character taking the cruise was to spend time with her father and work through the death of her mother. Instead, it focused mainly on romance: the romance during Greta's breakdown and while on the boat.

“An indie musician reeling from tragedy and a public breakdown reconnects with her father on a weeklong cruise in ‘a pitch-perfect story about the ways we recover love in the strangest places’.” And not just any cruise, but the long-awaited cruise of Alaska’s inner passage— meant to be a 40th anniversary trip for Greta’s parents. Except that Greta’s mother dies suddenly three months before the trip begins. And so Greta is urged by her brother to go, to keep their father from feeling alone. In spite of longstanding disagreements, the father and daughter are eventually able to share their grief and reopen their path to communicating.

I loved this book much more than I expected to. Yes, there were some overly-convenient coincidences, but a lot of heart, healing, and a touch of romance. A sparkling read!

THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES is a tender story about grief and how we show up for each other.

Greta is a 36-year-old indie rock star grieving the sudden death of her mother and taking a break from her career. Her dad's grieving too, but decides to go on the weeklong Alaskan cruise he and Greta's mom had planned to celebrate their 40th anniversary, along with their friends. And so Greta's brother convinces her to go in her mom's place.

The highlight of this book for me were some truly beautiful moments of connection, with family, old friends, and a new friend (and potential love interest?). There's one scene in particular that just got me -- that alone was worth my reading this book; I won't soon forget it.

The pacing felt uneven at times and I never really felt like I was on the trip, despite wanting to. Still, overall, I enjoyed rooting for Greta, her dad, and basically every other character.


Review posted to Goodreads and Instagram (@Christine_QueenofBooks) on March 18 (both linked).

Oh, Greta James, Greta James. What a wonderful name, am I right? It’s absolutely perfect for the rockstar that she is. The premise of The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith caught my attention immediately. At the very last minute, daughter (Greta) joins her father (Conrad) on a weeklong Alaskan cruise. A trip he was supposed to go on with his wife to celebrate their fortieth wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, she died unexpectedly before she could go on the trip of her dreams, one she’d been planning for years. Not wanting him to travel alone, Greta decides to step in and accompany her dad. This was not an easy decision as her relationship with her dad isn’t the best. It’s quite strained, actually. The pair have a bristly past, and a lot of issues to unpack that stem from years prior. I absolutely loved how the author explored father/daughter relationships in this novel. I feel like we don’t get to read about them very often, especially the complicated ones.

READ THIS BOOK IF YOU ENJOY:

- Alaska, glaciers, hiking, and cruise ships
- Complex family dramas/dynamics
- Emotional stories about navigating grief
- Unexpected romances
- Character-driven and coming-of-age stories
- The music industry and lives of musicians

I ended up enjoying this one a lot more than I initially thought. It made me think about my dad, and you better believe that I gave him a call after reading it. You’ll want to hug your loved ones tightly after reading this book, that’s for sure. 4/5 heartwarming stars for The Unsinkable Greta James!

The Unsinkable Greta James is an engaging little rom com that blends in some sober themes, such as dealing with loss, repairing difficult relationships and being authentic to one's true self. I love the way Smith plays with language in ways that make you snicker out loud. The plot did drag a bit before the climax, but, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Greta James is a musician who is struggling with her career after losing her mom. She gets talked into taking her mom's place with her somewhat estranged father on an anniversary cruise to Alaska. I enjoyed the Alaskan cruise setting and found the plot to be well paced and enjoyable.

Thank you, @netgalley for my #gifted copy of this book!

This was my first book by this author and WOW! This was a beautiful story centered around a father and daughter trying to find a way to navigate life after the mother’s death. The daughter just so happened to be a famous indie rock star and they also happened to be on an Alaskan cruise.

There was humor with some real laugh out loud moments, a little bit of romance, and it was also a really emotional and heartfelt read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one!

the vibes are: daisy jones and the six meets grief piled on grief

greta’s onstage meltdown after her mother’s death has left her needing severe help. she decides to reconcile with her estranged father and together, they rediscover the meaning of life, family, and what makes happiness true.

full disclosure here: this one triggered me a lot but also helped me through my grieving process (my dad passed away rather recently). the exploration of the grief in this book sent me into quite a few spirals, but the wholesome feel of the story gave me hope for the future.

the short chapters did have me speeding through this one rather quickly, and I absolutely loved the raw texture that the author brought to the book. I could have done without the romance elements (I was not vibing with ben sorry), and it felt a little forced. she barely spent any time with him!!!

however, my favorite parts were the realistic look on a father daughter relationship, and made me really reflect on my own relationship. I still cry thinking about it, but the healing never stops.

thank you to netgalley and random house for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: napa valley merlot

Loved the mix of grief, humor, and love found in this book. We all have family troubles and the thought of being stuck on a boat with them can cause anxiety, but Greta proves that you can get through it. Loved this story!

I really loved this book! It was a beautiful exploration of family, grief, and finding yourself. I loved the various supporting characters on the cruise. This book totally makes me want to book a cruise to Alaska!!

This was a quick book about a fairly famous musician who goes on an Alaskan cruise with her father shortly after her mother's death. I've read some of Smith's young adult books and this book gave off many of the same, comforting, easy reading vibes as her young adult stories. The book is perfect for vacation. Not great literature but a great story nonetheless.

I absolutely loved this! It was heartfelt and heavy at times, but also light and cheerful. It was like having a cozy cup of coffee after a long day and I am still thinking about it all day after finishing it yesterday. Greta is just the right amount of impulsive and hesitant. She is quirky and assertive but also vulnerable. I love that this book focused on her healing after losing her mom and her oath as a performer in more ways than just romance. The scenes with her father were what really stood out to me the most. There were little nuggets of wisdom I think I will remember for awhile. I will be recommending!

This book brilliantly tackles many subjects — grief after unexpected loss, complicated familial relationships, career struggles, companionship, and finding light amid the darkness. I thought Greta’s emotional struggle was well written; from the opening pages and throughout the story, it was inspiring watching her overcome obstacles and work on herself. The story leaves you convinced the climb is worth the view — and that what’s meant to be will be.

My only real complaint is that there were times I found myself frustrated with Greta’s father and his stubbornness in supporting her career. I’m a firm believer in doing what makes you happy; as a parent, I would think that even if you don’t *agree* with it, you’d still support it. A couple times I felt Greta’s father was being a little too petty for a 70 year old man which (for me) challenged the authenticity a little.

Overall, I liked this book 😌. The ending felt just right and for that I’m happy! And now I want to go on an Alaskan cruise so there’s that. 🚢✨

3.5🌟

What a splendid novel! This is my first by Jennifer E. Smith, but surely won't be my last. The Unsinkable Greta James is easy to read. I wanted to know more about Ben and Greta and their lives before they met. Of course their chemistry is electric. Secondary characters are well-crafted and complex. I liked them all immediately. Something significant for me in this novel is the characters' collective grief. Its raw and almost palpable. The dialog is witty and clever, but also poignant. There are several passages that moved me to tears, perhaps because I lost a loved one recently.
If you like entertaining, thoughtful prose in an easy-to-read style with excellent pacing and delightful characters, then I highly recommend The Unsinkable Greta James.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

It was a slow burn. But overall, the pace was decent for me. I think it was the characters themselves that kept me reading. This book covers a lot of emotional topics with grief. I found myself shedding a tear or two at the end of the novel.

I really enjoyed the characters. I am not sure about the romance arc within the novel. I just did not see sparks between them. If they had something in common, I may have bought the romance. I really did not see those two together. I also wish that it was less on the romance and more with her father. I would have really enjoyed some tense or even funny moments with her father more than a romance.

Speaking about Greta and her father’s relationship…I really enjoyed the dynamic relationship. Greta desperately seeking approval from her father really felt realistic and relatable. The novel showed how different Greta and her father were on grieving, career, relationships, etc.

I also liked the setting was on a cruise in Alaska. It was unique. I also liked how it was remote. It took the main character out of her busy life and onto a cruise ship where she was able to bond with her father and grief properly. I also liked the descriptions of the places that they saw along the way of the cruise.

I lost a parent as well. I know the feelings of you grieving but also worrying about a parent grieving. You not only have to worry about yourself but also your siblings and living parent. I think this novel was a realistic depiction of grief.

The writing was great. I really liked the writing and will be reading Jennifer E. Smith's other books.

Y’all. What an enthralling + brilliant + heartfelt story by @jenniferesmith. This book completely charmed me from the very first page and then gave me ALL the feels. Greta is a rock star whose been on the cover of Rolling Stones and played to sold out international stadiums…who still can’t seem to win the approval of her pragmatic father, Conrad. Their strained relationship has grown even more distant since the unexpected death of Greta’s beloved mother, Helen, 3 months ago. Wading through grief and guilt, Greta finds herself in a professional and creative slump when her brother suggests she accompany their dad on an Alaskan cruise- a vacation that had been their parents’ dream. Over the course of the weeklong trip, Greta learns about herself, her music, and most importantly that she and her dad have more in common than they both thought.

This book thoughtfully explores themes of love, forgiveness, fame, parenthood, grief, and family expectations… all set against the stunningly beautiful and raw backdrop of the Alaskan wilderness. I laughed, I cried, I was frustrated and ultimately was left feeling hopeful. The story flowed so smoothly and I found myself captivated by the gorgeous writing. Not to mention that cover!

Thank you Random House for my copy.

"An indie musician reeling from tragedy reconnects with her estranged father on a week-long cruise in this tale of grief, fame, and love" - Goodreads
🐋🚢🎸

I really hoped to connect with this book more than I did. While it was not really what I expected, there are some truly beautiful moments in this book.
What I loved~
~ I have been grieving the loss of my father, and there was one part of the book that I really related to.
~ a sweet love story
What I didn't love~
~Some of the added drama was a bit frustrating and took away from the story in my opinion
~The ending. I won't spoil anything, but I didn't love it.
⭐⭐⭐

I love this one, this was an easy five stars. I love the music component, I love the family component and I thought it was very interesting how the author dealt with grief. A feel good story that I would definitely recommend.

The Unsinkable Greta James was a beautifully written novel about love, loss, grief and the meaning of family. I really loved the descriptions of Alaska. They were so well done that I wanted to drop everything and visit there! I also really loved how well written the relationship between Greta and her father was, especially the exploration of their past hurts and dysfunction. Overall, a great family drama novel.

If you’re looking for a great spring break read, look no further. The Unsinkable Greta James is a lovely little book about Greta, a 30-something rock star dealing with the intense grief of losing her mother too soon. Greta has a rocky relationship with her dad, but in spite of that, she joins him on the Alaskan cruise he was supposed to take with her mother and their best friends.

Greta dreads the trip, but things take a turn when she meets Ben, a professor and writer there to discuss his book, a fictional tale of author Jack London’s life. The book is a little bit romance, but it’s much more than that. It’s an exploration of grief, the tenuous relationships between aging parents and their adult children, and an examination of what it means to do what you love and make art for others.