Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Indie rock singer Greta James hits a blip in her career following the sudden loss of her mother & biggest fan. A last minute Alaskan cruise with her difficult to connect with father isn't what she needs right now-- or is it? Greta works through her grief all while discovering a little more about herself in the beautiful Alaskan landscape. I had Grace Potter in mind as the inspiration for Greta. For fans of [book:Malibu Rising|55404546], [book:Songs in Ursa Major|55502881], [book:Blush|55573786], and [book:The Simple Wild|36373564].

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this Advanced Reader Copy, in exchange for my honest review.

Greta James is a rock star. And after the death of her mother, ends up taking her place on an Alaskan cruise with her father. The story is a beautiful story about family dynamics, grief and hope. The story takes place over about a week of the cruise.
The writing was easy to read, and the characters are likeable but flawed. It is somewhat easy to relate to the family conflicts, even if you are not a rock star. The flow is somewhat slow-paced but not in a way that makes you want to stop reading.
I really enjoyed this book and could and definitely see this as being a book club selection in the future.

I absolutely loved this book! There is a subtlety to it that I really enjoyed. Greta is an indie musician who has reached stardom, only to have it come crashing down around her as she grieves for her biggest fan--her mother. The book centers around her relationship with her father, who has not been supportive of her career. They have to deal with the strained relationship when Greta takes her mother's place on a cruise with the stoic man.

I really loved the unexpected romance that finds Greta on the ship. Ben was an unlikely match for her, but also perfect. The ending made my heart swell. I totally loved it!!!

I was gifted a copy of this book by Random House-Ballantine and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith.

Greta has been tasked with replacing her recently deceased mother on a cruise with her dad, and friends of her parents. Greta is also a fairly well known musician who is dreading the cruise for a variety of reasons. What if she gets recognized, what if she can't connect with her dad, what if the pain of her mother's absence is too much.

But Greta still can't anticipate just how impactful the cruise will be, especially after meeting Ben. Ben is a single dad and Jack London enthusiast who is on the ship to spread the love of The Call of the Wild. But Ben is also fighting his own internal battles and insecurities. Perhaps Greta and Ben can resolve some things with the help of each other.

This presents a bit as a romcom, but actually carries a bit more weight and instability. I found both to be both refreshing and frustrating. It was not cut and dry, but isn't that more representative of life anyway? Either way, it was a pleasant read, full of the same waves and bumps as an actual cruise, and I enjoyed it.

An Alaskan cruise was such a fun setting for this, and I loved that it was going into GovBall. Super intriguing plot and well crafted characters I enjoyed this one.

Greta James is an indie rock star who has just lost her mother. As she attempts to deal with the loss, she loses her passion, her confidence and a little bit of her identity.

Greta's brother talks her into going with her Dad on a cruise to Alaska in place of her deceased mom. She and her father have a very strained relationship and are horrible communicators with each other. Greta goes on this trip begrudgingly, only to be there for her father at her brother's request. Her parents' two closest couple friends are also on the cruise. Along the week-long journey, Greta finds out that she really needed this this time away from her regular life, this time with her mother's best friends, this time with her father and this time away from the pressures of her life in the limelight.

I enjoyed this read, but I did not find it to be anything special. I didn't really believe the breakneck speed at which Greta fell for another passenger. I didn't really believe that he would fall for someone who admitted she didn't like children when he had two daughters. The character development was okay, but I felt like I never fully understood why her father would be so disappointed in her life choices. He seemed to finally come around in the end, but I think I wanted more from their conversations and interactions. I liked the ending of this story - I appreciated that it didn't try to find a perfect ending. I left the story with hope for the main character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballentine for the ARC to read and review. Solid 3 stars.

The Unsinkable Greta James is a very readable, well written book. Greta is an indie musician whose career is on the upswing until she has a meltdown on stage shortly after her mother’s unexpected death. Her brother persuades Greta to accompany their father on an Alaskan cruise that was supposed to be a 40th anniversary trip for their parents. What ensues is a trip where they are both dealing with their grief as well as a relationship between them that barely works, especially without Greta’s mother. This sounds heavy, but instead this is all handled with a light touch. There is humor and even a bit of romance. I really enjoyed Greta’s story!

I really enjoyed this book--I found the premise of a rockstar going on an Alaskan cruise with her father just after her mother's death quite intriguing. And, I liked a lot of the descriptions and the ways in which the characters weaved together. I felt like there was a good balance of romance and depth in this novel, especially with how Greta and Conrad had to work through their issues as child and parent. It also talked about parenting at all stages with Ben and his children. I also really loved the visual descriptions of birds and wildlife in Alaska. Jennifer E. Smith is an awesome writer, and I can't wait to see what other novels she comes out with. One note, at certain points, I did find myself getting a bit confused with pronouns and which "he" Smith was referring to in regards to Conrad, Ben, Greta's brother, and the other male characters. I'll be posting on Instagram, @talia.reads.books within the next week!

"'Maybe the point isn't always to make things last,' he says. 'Maybe it's just to make them count.'"

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I looooved all of Jennifer E. Smith's YA books, so when I heard that she wrote her first adult fiction i RAN to @netgalley! Insane that lil 'ol me got an advanced copy of this. It officially comes out on March 1st!

The exploration of grief in this book was heartbreaking, and while I was expecting a smidge more of a romance, I really loved that she centered Greta's relationship with her dad and moving forward. She and her dad are stuck together on an Alaskan cruise for a week, sharing the weight of losing her mother while not getting along themselves, and knowing that they both wish Greta's mom was there instead... like OW 😰😰 So many moments really pulled my heartstrings and just made me want to hug my mom tbh

It took me a second to fully get into this, and Greta is a famous guitarist so sometimes the references of her listening to Wonderwall, etc, made me cringe a lil BUT i was rooting for her nonetheless. Ben (the professor/love interest) was a sweetie, but they're both late thirties and he has kids so I was personally less connected to their romance than I've been to other ones I've read. Loved his obsession with Jack London and overall this was a really good read that left me feeling very 😪😌❤️‍🩹 Big recommend for people who like books about grief that aren't strictly depressing and also if u like alaska??

Greta James is a songwriter and guitar player with a cult following. She is happy with her life in her 30's, as long as she doesn't slow down. When her mom dies unexpectedly, she goes in her place on a cruise to Alaska with her dad and their close friends. Greta and her dad are not as close and must use this cruise to strengthen or break their relationship. Greta must also evaluate her life and what she wants going forward after a public meltdown.

I loved this book so much! I loved Greta, who is complicated and doesn't always make good decisions, but wants to do better. I loved her voice and the "stuck on a cruise ship" with her grief. I loved the themes of minor celebrity, music as art, and friends as family. The dialog is snappy but not too much and the father/daughter relationship is real and fluid.

This book is a gem and there is something here for everyone. If you like rom coms, books about musicians, loving families, dysfunctional families, stories about travel, nerdy professors, or life after death of a family member, this book is for you. I think this book is for everyone.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

The characters in the book were really interesting and developed well. I like the relationship growth between Greta and her father, and all his friends who were on the cruise with them. I would have liked a little more focus on the main relationship, but overall it was a really nice read.

This is a story of loss and connection. Rock star Greta James had a meltdown on stage after the passing of her mother--her greatest supporter. The video went viral, and in the months since, she has been feeling lost. Her brother convinces her to go on the Alaskan cruise her parents had planned with their father, who thinks that Greta should live a more conventional life, and their parents' closest friends. Immediately after the cruise, Greta will perform for the first time since the meltdown. Both Greta and her father are dealing with the loss of Greta's mother, and the cruise forces them together.

The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith is a lovely story about a daughter trying to make peace with her father after her mother’s unexpected death. The daughter just happens to be an up-and-coming indie rock star. That was until she had a melt-down while performing right after her mother’s passing. It’s been three months and Greta hasn’t performed and can’t seem to move forward. And while her mother was her biggest supporter, her father wants her to have a more normal life. The two of them have butted heads for years, with Greta’s mother playing referee. On what would have been her parents’ 40th-anniversary trip, Greta joins her father and her parent’s best friends on an Alaskan cruise. On the ship, she befriends the handsome guest lecturer, Ben Wilder, who has written a successful novel about Jack London. He is also having an identity crisis from struggling with his own family and career issues.

Sprinkled with occasional humor, the author treats the issues respectfully and realistically. Nothing is fast or easy when it comes to rebuilding relationships or careers. In the end, there is an overall feeling of hopefulness and healing, along with the possibility of romance.

4 stars. Book club recommended because there will be lots of juicy discussions about parent-child relationships. Thank you to #NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my advanced reader copy. Also thanks to Taylor Noel whose review brought this to my attention. This book will be published on March 1, 2022.

Greta James is an indie rockstar who is most at home onstage, playing guitar and singing in front of crowds of people. But after the death of her mother, she finds herself unable to perform, and agreeing to accompany her father on what was supposed to be her parents' anniversary cruise to Alaska. Whisked away from her normal life, she is forced to reconcile her difficult relationship with her father, process the death of her beloved mother, and begin to explore her own identity and place in the world. An emotional, heartwarming, and sometimes funny novel that will appeal to fans of Katherine Center and Christina Lauren.

This had some heartbreak I wasn't quite ready for, and I had to take a moment and get there. But, once I did, I really enjoyed the story of family. Placed on an Alaskan cruise as a backdrop gave the entire story a fantastic location, and I really enjoyed it. I liked the romance, but for me, the main story was about the character's growth and grieving process. I liked it!

I really enjoyed this story about love and grief and finding oneself even amidst pain. The writing was lovely and the tension between characters was realistic and nuanced. I though the story did drag a bit in the middle, but still an enjoyable read overall.
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I do have one reading pet peeve I wanted to call out. “But she’s basically only into like, Taylor Swift-which is fine if that’s your thing…”
I am BEGGING writers to stop using my girl T Swift as an insert to show “bad” taste in music characters. In the year of our Lord 2022 Greta would be a Taylor fan and would be dying for a feature on a Reputation (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) track.

Greta James is an international super star, but at home she's just a daughter. Now she has to imagine what it means to be a daughter without a mother. Traveling with her dad on what was meant to be her parents' anniversary cruise makes Greta face her grief and fears. I loved how she discovers her place in the world. There is a potential romance as well. I read this in two days and miss Greta now that the book is over.

Rather cute story of a musician who has a minor breakdown on stage, retreats into the shadows to gather herself by going on a cruise with her father whom she doesn’t quite see eye-to-eye with. invest time in relationships that challenge and sometimes bonds can become stronger.

I really enjoyed this one. I was able to read an advance reader's copy and have already heard buzz about it even though it won't be published for a mother months or so. But I can easily see this becoming the choice for BOTM club or one of the celebrity book clubs because it is an easy enough read to appeal to many people but has enough depth not to be written off as fluff. The two main issues up for discussion are parent/child relationships and the choice between chasing your dreams or settling for stability. While an up & coming rock star is the lead character, as it has been in a few books I read the past few years, it seems different enough from Daisy Jones & the Six, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev and Malibu Rising to not feel at all repetitive in case you've already read any of these. Also, having been to Alaska, it was fun to go along on Greta's cruise and revisit some of the places I had been a few summers ago.
I read it in a day (granted during a snowstorm that kept me indoors all day) and recommend.

NOTE: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Following her mother’s untimely death, Greta agreed to accompany her father on the cruise meant to celebrate her parents’ fortieth anniversary. This was an opportunity for Greta to recharge before facing career challenges, but also served as an opportunity to mend the rift between her and her father.

I have long been a fan of Smith’s YA books, but I do not believe any of those works touched my heart the way The Unsinkable Greta James did. I was constantly feeling some sort of emotion, and Smith did an incredible job taking me on this healing journey with Greta.

Three months later, Greta was still reeling from the loss of her mother. Her grief and sadness was palpable, and there was this undeniable undercurrent of melancholy throughout the story. To me, it felt appropriate, and I appreciated that it was a constant that accompanied many of the other emotions experienced as Greta examined her past, her present, and her future.

Greta’s love for her mother was fierce and ran deep. Smith wove memories of Helen throughout the book which allowed me to get to know her. With each glimpse, my fondness for this woman grew. It was lovely to get Greta’s recollections of her mother, along with those of her husband and friends. This woman was a force, and I easily understood why her absence shook Greta’s foundation the way it did.

Part of Greta’s process was examining relationships, past and present. One HUGE relationship woe was with her father. Without her mother there as the buffer, Greta had to face the issues between her and her father. This part of the story was quite moving for me. A reminder that things aren’t always how we perceive them to be, but also, that some relationships are worth fighting for.

There was a romantic subplot that I found wonderful too. The love interest was the opposite of any man Greta had ever been romantically entangled with, and he was also at a crossroads in his life. I actually adored this man, and the bit of clarity and insight he ignited in Greta. He pushed and challenged Greta, and I believe he was an important part of her healing process.

By the end of this book, my eyes were wet, my heart was warm, and I was full of hope. This was a quiet and heartfelt journey through Greta’s pain and loss as she attempted to regain her footing after losing her anchor. The exploration of grief, loss, love, guilt, aspirations, and complicated relationships was beautifully executed by Smith and left me bursting with emotion.