Jennifer Smith is always fantastic and The Unsinkable Greta James is no exception. It's full of heart, Greta is terribly sympathetic, her relationship with her father is incredibly relatable, and the ending is jusy the right amount of bittersweet.

Greta is an up and coming indie artist. Her mother unexpectedly passes away while she is in Germany. They were very close and her mom was her biggest supporter. She wasn't close to her dad who felt that Greta should get a "real" job and not pursue being a musician as it was so uncertain. At a concert a short while after her mom passes away she has a melt down on stage while singing a song she wrote about her mom. Of course in this day and age there is video and it went viral and the song was panned by critics who felt it wasn't her usual style. What happens to her career now? A few months later her brother convinces her to go on an Alaskan cruise with her dad and some of their family friends and reluctantly she agrees.

I liked Greta. She didn't seem to fit the mold of a 36-year-old up and coming rock musician. She kept a low profile, hung out with her Dad and his friends and didn't have a look-at-me attitude. She was genuinely touched when a young girl on the ship told her she was her biggest fan and inspiration. Her dad was hard for me to like. He seemed to always be taking digs at her and her life style and pretty much hated her boyfriends but I had to like him because he had loved his wife, Helen, so much. This trip was something Helen always wanted to take and it was actually planned to coincide with their 40th anniversary. Their relationships shows how different each person deals with grief and how hard it was at times to understand each other. On the cruise Greta meets a nerdy professor, author of a book about Jack London and they hook up. It seemed an unusual pairing but they were both dealing with grief. Her the loss of her mother and Ben the demise of his marriage and not being with his daughters daily.

I really enjoyed the story. The parts about Alaska were beautiful and even the activities on the boat were great. I've never been on a cruise but I have been on a ship so I loved hearing about all the venues and the food and activities. I only wish that I knew more about Ben, Greta and her dad. Oh and the music. Titles of her songs were mentioned and I know I couldn't hear them but even knowing some of the lyrics would have been a way to learning more about Greta.

I would recommend this to anyone that just likes a good, solid story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for providing me with a digital copy.

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

Yea, it was okay. These kind of books are the hardest for me to review.

Not much else to say. I got a little annoyed that we kept repeating the same issues over and over. Like we get it. Your mama passed away. You are terribly sad. Your dad and you don't have a great relationship. You don't want to really be on a cruise with your dad. Your career is in peril due to a very public break down (regarding your mom). I get it. All valid. I did however get bored. Sorry, not sorry.

Now, having said all of this. I think some people (shoot, I've seen them) will really love this book. At this time. It was meh for me. Not terrible, but not noteworthy.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I loved the relationship change between Greta and her father. I love the little bit of a love story. I identified quite a bit with Greta since I also lost my mother within the last year and still trying to work through it. I laughed and cried while reading.
3.5

This book took me on quite a journey - both through Alaska and emotionally. I’ll be honest that I nearly set this aside due to the father/daughter relationship, particularly with how harshly critical Greta’s dad was of her life choices. I’m glad I pushed through and ended up loving this layered story of grief, family, and self-discovery.

**The Unsinkable Greta James** had some buzz so I picked it on a bit of a whim. The cover is cute but not really my style, the premise is a father-daughter relationship (and that is not my mental headspace at the moment), and it is set on an Alaskan cruise which I have never wanted to take (Do you know what happens if you fall in that water? I have seen Titanic. No thank you). However, I still picked it, and I am so glad that I did!

Greta is sweet and fun. The kind of girl you want to be friends with and probably envy a little. I also love that she is not 22. She has some life perspective. So when she has a bit of a breakdown after her mom's sudden death she is relatable. When she is nervous about helping her father pick up the pieces due to past disappointments and unrealized expectations - she is relatable.

Eventually, she takes the cruise with him (the one her mother planned for their 40th anniversary), meets a cute author, and works on coming back to herself.

The ending really lovely. They are so hard. It works on a number of levels as it does not follow the typical romcom, but it feels true to all the characters involved, and it satisfies the reader.

I highly recommend it! It is not really one that stays with you but rather leaves you feeling content and hopeful.

The colors of this cover caught me completely off guard. I thought this was going to be a summer romance, which it was - sort of. This is what I get for not reading synopses. Don't let the bright colors fool you! This is a book that takes place on an Alaskan cruise, and while there are lighthearted moments, most of this is a deep exploration of grief and how we move forward from it.

While the main focus was on Greta and her relationship with her father, I also loved the side characters and the side romantic plot. I love that Greta was an indie musician and that her romantic interest is a memoir writer! There was something so magical about the healing they brought to each other, and the Alaskan backdrop only added to this.

The one thing I will say is that the relationship between her dad and her was genuinely painful to read because of how unsupportive he was. He comes around in the end, but her being 36 years old, wildly successfully, and still completely unsupported by her father didn't sit right with me.

Some of the other side plots in this book were distracting at times from the main two things that were going on, but that being said nothing was left unresolved. Overall this was a great read, and there's a lot to love and connect with!

"The Unsinkable Greta James" handles love and loss and stardom. It tastefully navigates grief and finding a way back to yourself after unexpected loss.

A struggling musician goes on an Alaskan cruise with her father. Made me want to go on a trip to Alaska and give my Dad a big ole bug!

Touching story on love and grief and mending relationships that have sustained deep wounds. Greta is a rockstar who loses her mom suddenly, and then is guilted in to taking her place on an Alaskan cruise with her grieving father. Her father has never quite accepted her career choice, wanting her to have a more safe and stable life, and while on the cruise they are forced to face their issues while starting to heal from the loss of the woman they loved the most in the world. Beautiful Alaskan imagery that truly made me want to make some travel plans. There is a romance arc as well, but it’s definitely secondary to her story with her parents.

Greta James, after a very public meltdown, finds herself on an Alaskan cruise with her father; a cruise he was supposed to be taking for his 40th anniversary with his wife, who recently passed away. The relationship between father and daughter is strained at best and in Greta's mind, worse than that. The relationship between father and daughter is honest and realistic; and I found myself emotional for both of them and their shared loss. This is a well written, heartfelt story that I truly enjoyed.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

I had a really hard time reading this bc of responses and settings in the book and personal issues for me at this time.

But I am not giving this less stars bc that is that point of books - to make us feel.

Well done, Ms Smith. Well done.

The story was enjoyable. The setting is on an Alaska cruise. It would be great to read while on an Alaska cruise. It was a quick read. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher. This is my honest and personal review.

The Unsinkable Greta James

rating: 5⭐️
genre: contemporary fiction
read this if you liked: Evvie Drake Starts Over

Greta James is an up and coming Indie rock guitarist when her entire world is blown apart by the sudden death of her mother. Unable to deal with her feelings of guilt and pain, she retreats into herself and her career begins to take a hit. She's semi-forced to accompany her Dad on a week long cruise to Alaska - where she must confront her feelings about her father, along with her guilt on not being with her mother when she passed away.

The Unsinkable Greta James is a deeply emotional book that will break your heart and put it together again in one fell swoop. This book gave such a raw, authentic look at how complicated life can be sometimes - whether it’s grieving someone, mending a relationship, or learning how to grow up - we are all dealing with something and sometimes it’s a messy journey. I loved the setting of this book and how real all of the characters felt to me. The relationships in this book are complicated yet full of love – you’ll be rooting from them from the beginning. This is one of those books that fell into my hands right when I needed it (thanks @books_with_taylor!) and it didn’t disappoint. The topics are are deep, but the author handled them with care. If you typically judge a book by its cover… Don’t with this one! It’s light and fun cover, while cute, is a bit deceiving on how deep this book is! I flew through it and can’t recommend this heartfelt book enough!

This beautiful story about mothers, loss, love and starting over was so beautiful. I have read some of Smith's YA books, but her adult debut completely blew me away. I am excited to read more adult novels from her in the future.

Greta James is having a hard time. A working musician, she hasn't played a gig in months, her album is beyond delayed, and she's recently ended a relationship. Still reeling from the sudden death of her mother, Greta finds herself on a cruise through the Alaska wilderness with her father, a man with whom she has always struggled. On the boat, Greta meets Ben, an author and single father with whom she finds connection.

This smart, heartfelt novel is full of complicated characters who feel fully-realized. This novel is about families - about mothers and fathers, about grief and happiness and loss and moving on. Ultimately hopeful, this one is not nearly as light as it might first appear. It will appeal to fans of contemporary fiction. Folks who liked Evvie Drake Starts Over will find a lot to love here. Smith has solidified herself as an author who can write for an older audience as well as excelling for the YA crowd.

The Unsinkable Greta James. I had no idea how much I would love this book when I first started reading it.
After the death of her mother, and first fan, Greta James falls apart on stage in the middle of a show. Well, more like freezes. With the video of the incident going viral, Greta holes up, afraid to put herself back out there, and seeks to find the best way to grieve. Not long after this incident, Greta's brother asks her to join their dad, and family friends on an Alaskan cruise. A cruise her parents were supposed to be taking together.
The thing is, Greta believes her dad has never been her greatest fan and that he sees her life as a waste. Can they make it through a week together on a boat, in Alaska? Through new relationships on board, and her long time family friends, Greta learns to forgive, her father, and herself.
This book read so well that it kept me going page after page. It wasn't that I needed to know what happened next, it was more a who are they becoming pull that dragged me in. People aren't perfect. But we can always learn and grow. I would love to see a follow up to this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the advanced read copy in exchange for my honest review.

Reviews posted to Amazon and Barnes & Noble (awaiting approval) as well as my Instagram page (to come).

THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES by Jennifer E Smith is a memorable story about family, grief and love.

With the Alaskan cruise backdrop, this novel was a welcome escape. I loved Greta and Ben, Conrad and the full cast of characters. This is my first JES read but I look forward to reading her other novels after thoroughly enjoying this one. I would highly recommend this novel- full of heart and emotion- to any and all.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC I received in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this read!!! Family relationships can be so complicated…. but we make it complicated!!! Loved the story of the father and daughter relationship! I wish the ending was more but it was a great read!