As someone that has been on an Alaskan cruise, I especially enjoyed this story as I could picture many of the places talked about.

Greta James has managed to make a name for herself in the Indie music scene. Her mother was extremely excited about this success and never failed to attend as many concerts as possible with her sign proclaiming she was Greta's mom. Her dad wasn't nearly as thrilled. He wanted to see her at a "real" job making honest money and was just waiting for the floor to fall out underneath her. This obviously created a lot of tension in their relationship. Greta's parents plan an elaborate once-in-a-lifetime Alaskan cruise that they've dreamed about and saved up for. But when Greta's mom becomes sick and can't go, Greta unhappily steps in to support her dad. We get to watch a relationship that should certainly crash and burn actually start to make waves towards love and support. This was a really sweet story. A lot of humor thrown in with the hard stuff and I like that it wasn't a magical turnaround for either person. There was a lot of soul-searching done by the father and daughter and I enjoyed that journey.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a great read! I loved it and am going to check out other books by this author. Greta has a lot of childhood angst revolving around her father and how she felt he didn't support her choice of a career in music. After her mother suddenly dies, Greta joins her father on the anniversary Alaskan cruise her parents were taking together with friends. I'm getting this book for our book club to read!

Three months after the sudden death of her mother, Greta James finds herself in Vancouver, about to head off on an eight day Alaskan cruise with her father and four of her parents' friends. It would have been a celebration of her parents 40th anniversary.
The Unsinkable Greta James is a poignant story about two people coming to grips with the loss of the woman who was most central to their lives. And, then trying to determine what their relationship will be moving forward. I loved traveling to Alaska with Greta and the author made me want to sign up for a cruise. Greta's battle with second guessing her decisions was beautifully written and likely very relatable for anyone who has suddenly lost a loved one. The insights into the life/world of a rock musician were also very interesting.
The Unsinkable Greta James is a lovely book and while the ending might have been a tad predictable, it was the right one and made me smile. I am curious about if there's any connection to the movie, The Unsinkable Molly Brown!
Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine for the opportunity to read The Unsinkable Greta James in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this book! It is beautifully written and compulsively readable. Jennifer E. Smith has created an emotionally complex and poignant story that I became wholly invested in. Character-driven look at grief, loss, estrangement, and forgiveness; this one covers some territory and does so very tenderly. The characters are relatable, and their development is thoughtful and natural. Exploring all the emotional issues Greta, her father, and Ben go through is heart-wrenching but not over the top, which was refreshing. The romance sub-plot is well-done, and Ben provides some funny moments. The secondary characters are charming. Greta is a well-known musician but not widely known, which works so well for this story, as she has more freedom than you would expect a rock star to have when most of the people on the ship do not know who she is. Thankfully, she is not a massive cliche, which endeared her to me even more. Interactions between Greta and her father were so heartrendingly written that the emotions were palpable. The Alaskan landscape was beautifully described and I just loved those scenes. Big fan of the ending too, it just felt "right." Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine for this ARC. I enjoyed it tremendously! Review posted to Instagram 2/22/22

I really wanted to like this one more than I did.

Greta, 36, is a bit of an indie rock star who writes her own songs and loves playing guitar. She is heartbroken when her mother (her biggest fan) suddenly dies before she can make it home from tour. Her brother suggests she take the Alaskan cruise with her dad that her mom had planned for their anniversary. Even though she and her dad have a contentious relationship stemming from her career choice and seemingly unorthodox lifestyle, she reluctantly agrees to go.

While parts of this were bittersweet and poignant, my big issue was that I really didn’t connect with the characters or even like most of them very much. Both Greta and her shipboard romance Ben were too immature in their actions/mindsets. And unfortunately I’m all about the characters.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #BallantineBooks for providing me the free early arc of #TheUnsinkableGretaJames for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Greta James is a successful indie musician, having spent her whole childhood playing guitar and dreaming of doing something exciting for a living. But her world is turned upside when her first and biggest fan, her mother, suddenly dies. Following this tragedy, and a public meltdown as a result of it, she reluctantly agrees to go with her father on an Alaskan cruise that her parents had booked for their anniversary. Can they repair their relationship after years of distance and disagreement? Can Great find her confidence, maybe even love, on this voyage?

Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid will enjoy this funny, heartfelt novel. This book deals with themes that I think resonate with a LOT of readers - dealing with grief after the loss of a loved one, wanting to see eye-to-eye with the important people in your life, questioning and rediscovering parts of your identity after a setback. Greta James is a flawed but lovable character, and I appreciated having access to her inner world over the course of this book.

I found myself not wanting to put this book down, looking forward to picking it up again. Ben Wilder, the professor that Greta meets on the cruise, is one of my favorite book boyfriends I’ve ever read. The secondary characters were all so vividly crafted with distinct personalities. The author does a good job balancing the heavier parts of the book with humor and levity. Overall, I loved it!

Who wouldn’t want to go on an Alaskan cruise with indie rock star Greta James and her cantankerous father? THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES by Jennifer E. Smith was a fun read by a new author to me. Whenever I had to put the book down, I couldn't wait to get back to it.
Greta’s career is on shaky ground after a break-down on stage and the video went viral. Greta’s mother had just died, and Greta had ended a lengthy relationship. She needs time out of the spotlight to regroup.
This cruise was her mother’s dream, booked as a fortieth wedding anniversary. Since she died before she got to go, Greta is going - to help her father through it. The problem: they have a rocky father/daughter relationship. While on the cruise, Greta is attracted to Ben, an author hired to lecture on Jack London. They begin an uncertain relationship.
THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES is a story of how small actions of many people impact us, helping us through tough changes in our lives, and how time can change our understanding of other people’s perspectives. Enjoyable read!
I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

OOOOOF this book left me in all the feels! Greta has been coerced by her brother into going on an alaskan cruise with her dad and his friends after her mom's passing. They don't get along and are both grieving the loss of this force of their family. But Greta isn't just grieving the loss of her mother, but also a fork in the rode of her music career. After one particularly bad night, Greta has not gone back on stage since her mother died. Set to return to the stage, Greta has to make it work or come to terms that her time as a rockstar might be over.

This was such a heartfelt book. I definitely cried a few times thinking about Greta's relationship with her mother. I loved Ben and his side story with Greta. I also enjoyed the ride of Greta and her dad's relationship. It was not an easy time between them and felt so realistic. The alskan background of the book is wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

I loved this. Heavy and light, fleeting, a glimpse into these lives with an interesting backdrop. I wish it went on forever.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC

Greta's life is in turmoil after the death of her beloved mom, a break-up, and an onstage breakdown that goes viral. She embarks on a cruise with her dad, with whom she has a tenuous relationship. We follow along as family and career drama play out. A light, but enjoyable read. This reminds me of the YA books Jennifer E. Smith is known for; her fans will be rooting for Greta James.

Thank you to Random House-Ballantine and Netgalley for this ARC.

The Unsinkable Greta James has far more depth than one would guess at first look. A beautiful story of loss, love, relationships, and self. You join Greta as she is near what some would call rock bottom, as she goes on a cruise with her father, a man she isn't that close to. She is there to support him in what is probably the hardest time of his life, but she is also there to run away from her own hard times. An infectious story that keeps you wanting to turn more pages and has you rooting for the characters with each paragraph. Greta James thinks she is an iceberg but as everyone knows time can change even the biggest of icebergs.

Greta James is a fairly successful indie rocker grappling with her mother’s unexpected death. When her brother asks her to accompany their father on an Alaskan cruise that their mother and father were supposed to take together as a 40th anniversary present, Greta is hesitant. Greta’s mother had always been the buffer between the two and it’s clear to Greta that her dad does not approve of her lifestyle. Coming to terms with the fact that her mother would want her to go, Greta agrees to the trip.

While onboard, Greta meets an author and guest lecturer, Ben, who is dealing with his own family drama. As Greta bonds with Ben, they both begin to think about what their futures hold, not just when it comes to relationships, but their careers as well. Even more importantly, the more time Greta spends with her dad, the more she comes to understand why their relationship has been so prickly.

Kudos to Jennifer E. Smith for both painting a vivid picture of an Alaskan cruise and for showcasing truly complicated family relationships. Although this novel takes place over the course of a week, I found the pacing a little slow at first. The ending made this book for me and although it wasn’t a “perfect ending”, I really thought it was well done. Thank you to Random House-Ballantine and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

Thanks to Ballantine for the free book.
I absolutely adored this book. Greta's mom passed away before she could take her Alaskan cruise with her husband for their fortieth anniversary, so Greta goes with her dad instead. While this sounds fun, Greta and her dad's relationship is strained. I loved how Smith explored the idea of an adult daughter and father being forced together to try and work on their issues. There are deep hurts here that are explored with vulnerability. She didn't make the conflict in this book resolve effortlessly, and I appreciated how realistic this relationship was. I was filled with emotion for these characters. She wrote them as actual people with complex feelings, and it was easy to get lost in the story because of the realness. It was a beautiful story of loss, love, complications, honesty, and uncertainty.

Thank you so much netgallery and Jennifer Smith for this ARC!

4.5 Stars!!! Probably my favorite book from netgallery so far. A beautiful story about conquering grief and rebuilding relationships and just how life keeps moving forward. It was such an easy read and it reminded me of a hallmark movie in the way that it was heart-warming. Greta James is so likable and down to earth despite her "rockstar" status, you can't help but root for her. It was a fun juxtaposition coming from reading Daisy Jones and the six recently. I definitely recommend this book and can't wait to hear others thoughts on it once it comes out!

I did enjoy this book, but my goodness I was severely unprepared for the content of the book. That is to say, as someone who has lost their mother, this book was a bit triggering for me. I wasn't expecting to cry so much! That being said, it was a tender portrait of a broken family trying to stitch itself back together and a very real and sobering examination of how we as humans deal with grief. There were lots of moments of levity too, so don't be dissuaded by this review - merely take into consideration that if you've recently lost a loved you, it may be worthing taking time before reaching for this book.

I love books about families and their complex relationships and that’s what this book is about. It includes things that all families deal with - loss and siblings and family friends and love and heartache. I appreciated the idea of the setting and plot idea and think everyone will be able to relate to a part of it in some way. While I wished it would have dig a bit deeper and not rushed the events according to the setting, it made for a quick read with a satisfying ending. Great novel for a vacation read. Grateful to Ballantine for the advanced copy!

The Unsinkable Greta James is tender, heartwarming and very readable. Protagonist, Greta James is likable and a well written character. She spends a week with her father on a boat, er um ship (you'll need to read the book 😉) after the passing away of her mother. Her strained relationship with her dad and her career as an indie rock musician on the cusp of imploding, she isn't sure this is the vacation she should be taking, but ultimately it is just what she needed. Lighthearted, cast of great characters, with some emotional moments makes The Unsinkable Greta James a compulsive read. Highly recommend. Publication Date 3/1/2022

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and honestly review an advanced copy.

Coming to grips with a parent’s unexpected death, a rocky relationship with the remaining parent, a failed personal relationship, and a professional crisis all combine to make a one week Alaskan cruise a life changing event. The dynamic between father and daughter felt genuine as did the cruise ship setting and Alaskan scenery. This was a fun, quick-to-read novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books/Random House Publishing for the ARC to read and review.

I received a free electronic copy of this excellent novel from Netgalley, Jennifer E. Smith, and Ballantine Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am always happy to recommend Jennifer Smith to friends and family. She writes from the heart.

Greta James is an Indie singer who had a fast-growing career with much demand for concert dates when her biggest fan, her mother, passes away unexpectedly. Not having a good adult relationship with her father, she finds herself lost and clueless after a complete breakdown on stage shared by hundreds of thousands on the internet. Canceling concert dates and putting off the release of her second album only makes matters worse. Three months later she is still afloat, and her brother uses that uncertainty to talk her into making the 40th-anniversary trip celebrating her parent's marriage on an Alaskan cruise ship reserved months ago by her mother, a trip which included her Dad, two of her Mom's best friends and spouses, and now missing a hostess. Greta knows she can never fill her mother's shoes. She isn't even sure she can complete the eight-day cruise without completely alienating her father. But if she can do this, perhaps she can gain control of her life once more. Plus, you know, icebergs.

I loved everything about this book. I loved Greta, I loved her family/friends, I loved the trajectory of the novel, I loved the intensity of focusing the book on just a week in time, I loved the love interest/relationship, I cried at the end, this novel has it all. How is this my first time reading Jennifer E. Smith? Are her YA novels this excellent? Anyway. So much love for The Unsinkable Greta James. Perfection.