I’ve loved the author’s previous YA novels and snapped this up in a heartbeat when it was available on NetGalley. I love books about rock stars and especially books about female rock stars so it had all the makings of a great read. And did it deliver!! Greta’s journey to reclaim her artistic space and reform a connection with her father after her mother’s unexpected passing, while on a cruise to Alaska to boot, was both heart-warming and heart-breaking. The only regret I have is that I didn’t wait for the audio version narrated by Mae Whitman. I’ll have to listen when it comes out!
*Thanks to the author, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for this advance ebook copy.

This is a highly enjoyable family drama about a successful indie musician, Greta James, trying to come to terms with her mother's death, a traumatic experience onstage, her relationship with her father, and her love life. That's quite a bit to deal with and Greta grapples with all of it on a cruise to Alaska with her father, a trip he had planned to take with his wife.

There was a lot in this book I could relate to, especially dealing with a mother's death. The loss of a parent throws the remaining family into grief and turmoil and it changes lives and leaves a hole that can't be filled. Also, Greta's career goals are conflicting with her romantic relationships and I think this is a theme many deal with at some point. Any big changes in life cause lifestyle changes, and change is always hard to deal with.

The setting of the cruise ship was a breathtaking background for the story and I enjoyed all the side trips on the cruise to experience some of Alaska. I loved some of the characters: Ben Wilder, the writer; and the little girl Greta met on the ship whose dream was to master the guitar.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on March 1, 2022.

I'm a longtime fan of Jennifer E. Smith's YA novels--always clever, funny, and with the best meet cutes. So I was very happy to get an early peek at her first adult novel. This was such a poignant exploration of grief and parent-child relationships (and yes, a bit of shipboard romance with an adorable book nerd on the side...my favorite kind of people!) It just hurts your heart to think of an artist losing her biggest fan and a husband losing his wife just before their fourtieth anniversary, leaving a father and daughter to figure out how to connect when their bridge is gone. The Alaskan cruise setting provided perfect opportunities for several personal revelations, and we're left with a lovely sense of hope. Just a wonderfully layered novel with all the feels!

First off I want to thank Netgalley and Ballentine Books for giving me an e-ARC copy of this captivating book.

I was immediately drawn to it because I love books about music or musicians. Then you add in the Alaskan cruise, which is a Bucket list item for me, and I was hooked.

Greta James is a musician who sets off on an Alaskan cruise with her father, taking the place of her beloved mother who they lost unexpectedly. She recently played a horrible gig and needs a break from reality. Greta’s relationship with her father hasn’t always been the greatest, but they tolerate each other for the trip while also navigating the grief they each feel for her mother.

Over the course of a week, Greta deals with emotions of loss, love, and relationships. She works up the courage to confront hard topics with her father and get herself back up on stage to continue her dream of being a musician.

Thank you again Netgalley and Ballentine books! Official review will be posted to Instagram on pub day.

Greta James is spinning from the death of her mother and a major melt-down on stage which has left her unable to play guitar. When her brother suggests she join her father on the Alaskan cruise her mother had planned for their anniversary, she's hesitant but she goes.
Greta's evolving relationship with her father, as they both struggle with their grief and their past issues, is honest and refreshing. Their journey takes them through Alaska, but also gives them the space to work on past differences.
Of course, there is a romantic interest as well in Ben Wilder, a writer who is a guest lecturer on the ship to promote his book about Jack London. He's got a messy personal life and again, the back and forth relationship between Ben and Greta felt pretty real.
The descriptions of local scenery in Alaska were great - I've always wanted to take an Alaskan cruise and this for sure made me want to push it higher up on my bucket list.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for this ARC.

A daughter/dad story is so refreshing for a change! I loved this book. The characters are very well written and believable and I enjoyed their interaction and dialogue and how they came to understand one another. Greta James is a great character!!!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- { THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES - Jennifer E. Smith}

Standing ovation for this one! Thank you to @netgalley and @ I am so in love with this book! It just warmed my heart in so many ways! Theres the quirky romance between the rocker chick and the nerdy author, the healing after the traumatic loss of a loved one, and a father daughter literally crossing oceans to repair their strained relationship. So uplifting in its message to follow your dreams wherever they take you as long as it makes YOU happy 😊

It gave me “A man called Ove” vibes with the loveable but out of place main character and the deadpan humor from the supporting cast. Everyone in this book was so cute and down to earth, the story itself was beautiful and the fact that it was amongst all the wonders of Alaska made it all the more magical.

4 stars

This is a subtle but memorable read about starting and stopping, experiencing grief, and finding a way to grow in the darkest of times.

Greta, the titular m.c., is in her mid-thirties and is a complicated but endearing character who is reeling from her mother's death three months ago. She is also a relatively famous musician, has a complicated relationship with her father, and enjoys an amusing connection with her brother, who convinces her that she must take her mother's place on a long-scheduled cruise with her father and several of their couple friends. Despite her intense misgivings, Greta embarks on a literal and figurative journey to remember.

The portrayal of grief here is realistic and tough but also potentially helpful to those who have experienced it themselves. Greta's art is suffering internally and externally as a result of her grief, and this is causing her to question who and what she really is and how this might all change in the face of her mother's absence. She's also forced to reckon with her father, and without her mother, whom she recounts served as a translator between the two of them, this challenge only evolves.

This is a quick read, and Smith both keeps it simple in terms of the plotting and manages to develop a layered character whom I couldn't help but root for, along with a cast of ancillary characters who all add so much on their own. Readers should be mindful of the weighty subject matter (i.e., be in the right headspace for this content), but I expect that those who take the leap will also be pleased that they took a chance on Greta. I'll be back for more from Smith, and I'll be recommending this one widely.

This contemporary novel isn’t my normal type of book, but I was grabbed by the title and synopsis. And I'm glad because i quite enjoyed it. It was nice to see a difficult father daughter relationship instead of the usual narcissistic mother daughter relationship trope. The setting on the cruise ship was well managed, much better than another recent popular novel set on a cruise ship. I enjoyed the descriptions of Alaska, touring as a female rock star, and the relationships between the supporting characters.

Enjoyable, light read about a musician dealing with her grief about her mother’s death and tough relationship with her father while on an Alaskan cruise.

Publication date: March 1, 2022 I was given an Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith by NetGalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I don’t want to say that this book reminded me of #ReesesBookClub Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, but it definitely had a certain vibe that makes me think if you enjoyed Daisy you’d like The Unsinkable Greta James. It’s about a musician who is going through some turmoil, there’s a love interest, there’s a lot of similarities. Yet there are enough differences that make this a wholly unique story, too.

I really enjoyed the exploration of Greta’s relationship with her father and all the baggage she carried around because of it. Suffice it to say they don’t get along too well. The peace maker was always her mom, her biggest fan. When Greta says she wants to be a musician and a songwriter, her mom is her cheerleader, her dad wonders why she doesn’t pick a more stable job. When Greta’s mom dies unexpectedly, that buffer is removed.

Greta’s brother convinces her to take an Alaskan cruise with her dad, something he and her mom had planned for their fortieth wedding anniversary. Since Greta has just had a disastrous concert appearance in Germany that’s gone viral (of course), she finally agrees it’s the perfect escape from her life. But getting along with her dad is another matter entirely. They spend much of their cruise apart, and when they’re together, they keep having the same old arguments about her life choices and how Greta has always felt her dad didn’t support her once she decided that music was her calling.

On the ship (not a boat, as Greta keeps calling it), she meets the author of a book on Jack London and Call of the Wild and a little relationship dance starts. Greta’s on the heels of a breakup following her breakdown on stage, and Ben, the author, is separated from his wife. In any other situation, Greta and Ben might not have given each other the time of day, but on a ship travelling around glaciers and opportunities for whale watching, anything can happen, apparently. I found their relationship very real, as real as it can seem when you’re dealing with a rock musician and a professor.

I found the situations believable, the description of scenery a plus, and overall, a very satisfying read. I recommend The Unsinkable Greta James to anyone who enjoys a good fiction book with a little romance thrown in. It’s a book about relationships, and the conclusion at the end is a real kicker.

Greta James, pun intended, is unmoored after her mother's sudden death. Her relationship has folded like a deck of cards and an out of sorts performance has her record company and team on edge. To re-calibrate and determine her next move, she reluctantly agrees to go on a week-long cruise with her father and her parents friends to celebrate what would have been her parents 40th wedding anniversary. Onboard the ship, though, things aren't much better. Greta and her father are forced to admit the fragility of their relationship. In addition, Greta is forced into taking a hard look at what she wants from her life. Does it include a recently separated author with two young children? This is a beautifully written novel about being faced with loss and being forced to come to terms with grief. I very much enjoyed it, especially the descriptions of cruise life and Alaska. Many thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this poignant novel. It's scheduled for release on 03/1.

Jennifer E. Smith's first adult novel was a hit! This book follows a heartbroken rockstar Greta James who goes on an Alaskan cruise with her father a few months after her mother died. Exploring grief, purpose, and familial relationships all with a beautiful background of Alaska, The romance in this book was cute but overall took a backseat to the greater storyline. Also, I definitely want to go to Alaska now!

This book is about love and loss and healing. Greta and her father seem to always be at odds. She thinks he doesn't support her dreams unlike her mother always did. Greta is a well known singer-songwriter. When her mother dies, Greta is left bereft and breaks down in the middle of a performance and finds herself unable to get back on the road. She agrees to go on an Alaskan cruise with her father, hoping to clear the air and find some understanding. It isn't all smooth sailing and they have their share of disagreements but finally begin to understand each other a little better.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group -Ballentine Books for providing me with an advance copy of The Unsinkable Greta James in exchange for my honest review. I have been on a celebrity fiction kick lately, and Greta James kept that streak going for me. The Unsinkable Greta James is about an indie rock star who suffers a tragic loss and the domino affect that result has on her career and her life. While the entire novel takes place over just a few days, I love how the characters' histories are woven in throughout the chapters. It is a sweet story with just a tiny bit of romance. The characters were relatable and honest while also being entertaining and fun. 3.5 solid stars from me.

I received this early copy of The Unsinkable Greta James from @netgalley. I really enjoyed it. Greta is a rock star and still she’s a normal human being with normal problems and family troubles. She finds herself on an Alaskan cruise with her dad shortly after the sudden and devastating death of her mom. Greta and her dad don’t really see eye to eye and this trip is bringing all the hurt and disagreements to the surface. The question is will they be able to rise above the hurt and forgive each other? I thought this story was relatable for the most part. Yes, most families have their struggles, but not all families have famous rock stars in them. Overall, I thought it was a great story and I felt immersed in the setting which is always a good sign.

I really enjoyed this book. . I loved the setting of an Alaskan Cruise. The descriptions of the cruise passengers, activities and the excursions were spot on. I loved Greta's grumpy dad and his quirky but loveable supportive friends. My heart broke for Greta as she struggled with her regrets concerning her mother. I struggled with similar regrets concerning my dad. This was a great book about live, family, grief, healing and moving forward. It was relatable on so many levels.

"The Unsinkable Greta James" by Jennifer E. Smith
One Week filled with Emotions
I chose this story to take the "Inland Waterway" cruise one more time. The descriptions in this story certainly did bring back a lot of memories, good memories. The telling of Greta's story held me so tight that it was difficult to set the book down to deal with my real-life needs. I shared some smiles and chuckles, and shed some tears, and truly did love this story. A Worthy read. Happy Reading ! !
NOTE: I received an ARC of this story from the publisher
This review expresses my honest opinion.

A romance story and so much more! Greta is a famous musician who is experiencing a major slump following the sudden and unexpected death of her mother. Her brother convinces her to accompany their father on what would have been the couple’s 40th anniversary Alaskan cruise. Greta and her father have always disagreed on her career choice so their differences are difficult to overcome but both make efforts and this part of the story reaches a satisfying point of reconciliation and a better understanding of each other. While on the ship, Greta meets and develops a relationship with with Ben, a professor and author but each has past baggage that threatens any future together. They have a few miscommunications which leads to break ups, a dynamic that I find annoying about romance novels. The destiny of their relationship is left open, promising the possibility of a future together. I appreciate that not all things are left tidy and resolved at the end. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishers - Ballantine Books for the Advanced Reader Copy.

The Unsinkable Greta James was a fun read! The vivid descriptions of Alaska had me ready to plan my trip there :) I liked the auxiliary characters and it also held some poignantly emotional moments as well.