Not sure exactly what I was expecting from the title, but this definitely was different than my expectations. I found myself completely confused at why Ramona would not evacuate/RETURN to the hurricane path with her children and didn’t leave them with her beloved friend Christopher and out of harms way? Why it was so accepted that her mom was homophobic? Many unanswered questions… the best part was the Prince references for sure!

I'm not a big Prince fan, but I loved this book! The main character in the book, Ramona, has always been a Prince fan. His music is a reminder of when she was unmarried, childless, sexy and creative, and when she is in line at the post office and hears the news he passed away, she feels all the magic has gone out of the world and her life has just become a calamitous, monotonous existence. Her boss is a young bratty guy who doesn't seem to understand motherhood comes first.. Her three year old daughter refuses to potty train properly. Her mom won't evacuate and the fact that she has just come home to decide whether to evacuate from a Cat 4 hurricane, only to find her husband having sex with a woman whose child goes to school with her son, is the last straw. Which is worse, the impending breakup of her marriage or this hurricane, called Matthew?

Ramona has to keep things together for her children, but there's so much other stuff going on. She learns things from other people she would rather not know..

This is the debut novel of an exciting new author. I look forward to reading the next book she puts out. The book is funny. The line about teenage boys' eating habits had me laughing out loud, because I certainly can identify with it.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are mine, and freely given.

Picture this: you’re a working parent who has just been called to pick up your kid early from daycare, pissing off your chauvinistic boss. The laundry needs doing, the fridge is empty, among the three dozen other things on your to-do list. You walk into the house and all that temporarily turns into background noise upon discovering your husband is cheating on you. Oh, and there’s a literal category 4 hurricane on the way and the region has been ordered to evacuate.

I imagine this could either be really cathartic or really activating for people who can relate to these circumstances. If you use reading as an escape, maybe avoid. But if you use reading to feel seen and yell, “YES!!” at the book, this could be for you.

Not going to lie, I initially fell for the cover and title of this one. I would put this in the category of quick, contemporary fiction. I read 75% of it on a plane. While the themes were relatable and I laughed out loud at parts, I do wish this would have had more depth for such serious topics. I mean, the hurricane is an actual metaphor, but that’s about where the analysis ends. And no spoilers, but, the MC completely lost me when she made the most idiotic decision I think I’ve ever read (not related to the spouse cheating situation). I get that it added needed conflict to the story, but just… utter foolishness.

Read this if:
😵‍💫 You’re an overstimulated mom doing it all
📚 You like Chandler Baker’s stories about women
🎸 You’re a Prince fan who is white

Funny, inspiring, and heartwarming. A witty debut novel that was a page turner and so engaging to read. Very relatable, especially for women trying to juggle it all. The title caught my attention and it didn't disappoint.

This book was pure chaos. The story takes place over a 2 day period, beginning with the author discovering her spouse is cheating and a category 4 hurricane is on the way. Add in kids, work, a class pet, and about a thousand other responsibilities and you can about tell how the book is going to go.

I related to the main character having to function through the chaos, but there were so many times I really wish she would have made better choices and stopped trying to do *everything*.

Overall it was a quick and fun read.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This book was interesting, because it was set in Savannah, and there was a hurricane, headed their way. However, there were lots of people involved, and the main character struck me as slightly crazy because she evacuated her family and when they got to Augusta they turned right back around to come back to Savannah. The story was funny in parts, and it was very light reading, but it was not really my cup of tea.

Title: None of This Would Have Happened if Prince Was Alive
Author: Carolyn Prusa
Publisher: @atriabooks
Release Date: November 22, 2022
Format: E-book 336 pages
Star Rating: 2

I was sent an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review. The cover and title definitely intrigued me but it just didn’t do it for me. I can admit it may not be my lane because it was very character driven and not much plot.

The characters were extremely unlikable and the kids were awful 😂 some lines were funny but overall just not enjoyable. There didn’t seem to be much of a story more of just complaining about life.

I can see someone liking it if they are fans of Maria Semple.

I started and stopped this book a couple of times before I finally got into it. But once I got into it, I really got into it. As in I couldn't put it down. I could relate to so much of this book and Ramona's struggles as a wife, mother, and employee. I was like my everyday times a hundred with the hurricane bearing down.
Prusa does a great job of providing urgency without it ever seeming forced. I also appreciate that Ramona doesn't just immediately give into her husband's apologies and take him back with a happily ever after that could only happen in fiction.
All in all a fine book. Well written and thoroughly enjoyable.

Ramona has 2 kids, a stubborn mother, a recently caught cheating husband, and a crappy boss. Oh, and a category 4 hurricane headed straight to her in Savannah. And she’s certain none of the bad stuff would have happened if Prince had been alive.

Very character driven. Not enough plot for me.

This was a fun and fast read!! I loved the flashbacks to Ramona's days in college, and the references to Prince's songs.

I could empathize with Ramona in dealing with her widowed mother, Adelaide's antics, and felt her anxiety and anger towards her.. Alex and Nanette were a hoot!! I also felt the pain and anger she felt towards her cheating husband, Desmond.

How she manages to keep the kids rounded up (including the neighbor kid Bailey) and a gaggle of pets while weathering a Cat Four hurricane is amazing!!

Romona is dealing with all of the things in her life - a job with tight deadlines, 2 young kids and a husband, her mother, a coming hurricane., and a need to evacuate To top it all off, she comes home early to find her husband is cheating on her. This was a book that was funny, quirkily, and heartwarming in many places. It also made me shake my head and ask why several times too. Overall, I found it enjoyable and a quick read.

Fun, quick read about a divorcee that is taking charge of her life. It was a fun and easy read, and definitely had me thinking about things differently

I really enjoyed this book. I was expecting light hearted and it was sometimes, but also full of emotion at others. That always makes for a great book. It felt completely relatable, which I personally love in a story. Definitely a recommend from me!

This book is for any woman who feels like it all falls on them. Everything from getting the shopping done to sending birthday treats to school. ALL while dear ol' dad/husband goes to work and has time for a mistress. Romana dealing with any one thing at a time is enough to make you wish for the single life on a tropical island....now throw in evacuating your neighborhood to get ahead of a hurricane.
As a grown woman myself, I couldn't help but tighten my hands around my book as Romana clenches her steering wheel in her hands as she tries to flee dodge. When bickering breaks out in the backseats of her old--and full--van you will want to turn around and say "DON"T MAKE ME PULL OVER!" yourself.
As she zones out along the drive she remembers the feeling of youth, sheer joy, and carefree life of Prince songs that played on the radio in her hay-days.
Romona is your neighbor, your friend, your sister...Romana is you. You on your very worst day.

This had a lot of humor and charm, but was also heavy-handed in some aspects in a way that was distracting and unnatural to the narrative. I enjoyed the idea of the book and storyline, but overall, the callbacks to moments in Prince music history didn't feel like they were flowing forth from our main characters' love and passion for the late singer, but rather from the author's attempt to fit the references in by any means necessary. A+ work on a realistic portrayal of the realities of motherhood and the inequitable division of parenting labor between mothers and fathers, which often leads to marriage woes, but not my fave story at the end of the day.

Ramona has a rough day at work and comes home early. She soon discovers that her husband has been cheating on her. She goes into a tail spin and tries to focus on her kids and getting out of Savanah before hurricane Mathew hits.

Ramona is on an emotional roller coaster which makes her very relatable as a mother, daughter, concerned neighbor, friend as she tries to figure out what she wants in life. Somewhere along the way she focused on making everyone else happy and not her own needs. She finally finds her voice and decides to stand up for herself.

I loved all the prince references and songs and flash backs to how Ramona was in college.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of ‘None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive’ by Carolyn Prusa in exchange for my honest feedback.

4 stars!! This book was so much fun to read and so RELATABLE in so many areas.

As a working mom, I deeply felt the struggle our heroine, Romona feels about family/work life balance. But that struggle is just the tip of the iceberg for Romona, there is a literal hurricane headed her way on top of her discovering her husband’s affair… all in one day.

This book was an entertaining, easy read. Following Romona on all her adventures was so much fun!

None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive was quirky and fun despite a lot of serious stuff sprinkled throughout. It had a lot of "why Ramona? why" moments for me, as well as a lot of cringey situations but both ended up working in the context of the story. A natural disaster, a cheater husband, and a woman who keeps putting everyone and everything else ahead of herself.

Ramona's life is one tricky balancing act - trying to fit in at the office full of young people, potty training her toddler, checking on her fiercely opinionated and independent mom and now dealing with a potential threat of an incoming hurricane. Discovering her husband is cheating on her turns her already wobbly world upside down. When hurricane evacuation notice comes into play, Ramona will have to figure out how to haul her kids, a neighbour's teenage son, a school pet and her unwilling mother, out of hurricane's path. All the while trying to suppress her heartache, field attempts at reconciliation from her husband and ridiculous demands of her boss. As memories tied to her beloved artist Prince start to surface she starts to remember the person she used to be before...

Though it tackles many heavier subjects this book makes a great poolside/beach-side companion. Ramona's character is probably an exaggerated version of what sometimes happens in life - we forget the essence of who we are as we take on different roles in relation to other people. Yes some of her decisions felt ridiculous but they felt necessary for propelling the story forward, as well as for the journey of self-discovery she was on. I love the backdrop of Prince as artistic and personal influence in her life. Overall I just wanted to give Ramona a huge hug and tell her it'll all be ok.

My gratitude goes to Atria Books and NetGalley for gifting me an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I didn't know what to expect from this book, but if Prince is involved, I'm there no questions asked. I was pleasantly surprised at how touching and relatable this story is, and in weaving Prince's legacy into Ramona's life, was a great touch.

As a huge Prince fan, I knew I had to check this out when I saw the title (especially as it's something I've been thinking over the past few years since his passing). And Prusa's book did not disappoint!

Ramona's life is a hot mess, and it's likely to be perfectly relatable to many readers. She sacrifices for her dreams and those she loves. Well-developed characters and fun details easily pull the reader in. Overall, this is a fast, fun read that takes place over the course of 48 hours in Ramona's hectic life. While there are some serious issues addressed, there is also a healthy dose of humor along the way. And I loved how Prince was key to so many of the important moments for Ramona.


A favorite quote: “Prince has been gone six months, and the world already feels less sparkly, specifically my world. He is never again going to don a shoulder-padded blazer with a billowing scarf and remind us that we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.”