The Unsinkable Great James is a read in one day kind of book. I just couldn't stop reading. I loved Greta and the Alaskan cruise setting was so fun. That said, this definitely isn't a lighthearted book. There's a lot here and it even brought tears to my eyes, which doesn't happen often. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’m not sure what I was expecting from The Unsinkable Greta James, but it was certainly not the very deep emotional story that I got. This is not a book to take lightly—this is a difficult and poignant story about repairing relationships and navigating grief and it is not a light read. There is a very sweet romance plot but this is definitely not a romance. I enjoyed this book, but I think it was more emotional than I was really prepared for. Not a bad thing, just means I need to pay more attention to the back cover! I think this will be a popular choice for book clubs and for folks who enjoy contemporary fiction that tugs at the heartstrings.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for an advance reader’s copy.

Enjoyed Smith's first attempt at an adult contemporary fiction. I think I would've preferred more focus on the family relationships/dynamics than the romantic relationships but it was enjoyable. 3/5 stars!

Greta James is a successful indie musician with her second album about to be released. Her biggest fan was her mother Helen, who would go to her concerts cheering her on. Her father Conrad, being a practical man, couldn’t find it in himself to encourage his talented daughter in a career he felt was too uncertain. When Helen unexpectedly passes away, Greta is crushed and puts her career on hold. She agrees to go with her father on a cruise to Alaska, which was to be a 40th wedding anniversary celebration for her parents. This trip could mean a chance for Greta to connect with her father, who also deeply mourns the loss of Helen. And perhaps the cruise could be a chance for Greta to heal and get back to what she loves, making music.

The Unsinkable Greta James tugs at the heart as it deals with loss, regret and the journey to forgiveness. I fully enjoyed author Jennifer E. Smith’s first adult novel, after writing many popular YA books. The family dynamics will probably be relatable for most people. The loss of a parent, in this case a wonderful mother, resonated so deeply that I found myself tearing up often. There’s some romance mixed in and some light moments. Greta is a very appealing character and all of the people in this book feel very real. The setting of an Alaskan cruise was well done – I’ve never had an interest in going there but this book might have changed my mind.

Rated 4.25 stars.

Links to online reviews to be added closer to publication date.

Book Review:
The Unsinkable Great James by Jennifer E. Smith

Lately I've found myself brawn to books with rockstar women (sometimes without even knowing it). Aside from their interesting stories, I love that these women are wild, they're fierce, they're confident, and they're bold.

Greta James is definitely all of these things, but she is also grieving the loss of her mom and feeling like she's lost herself. She reluctantly agrees to join her dad on a cruise to Alaska to both watch over him and try to patch things up.

There is a really cute romance sub-plot with a scruffy professor who is also a bit lost in life. But the main plot of Greta's relationship with her father is so great! I found it touching and easy to relate to, as many girls might, with a dad who is supportive of your dreams as a younger child but then shifts to unsupportive as dreams become reality. With Greta's mom gone it's make or break time for her and her dad.

So many possibilities and such a beautiful setting for new beginnings.

The Unsinkable Greta James releases March 1st!

Thank you @netgalley and #BallantineBooks for this ARC!

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When Greta's mother dies, it brings on the heartbreak but also guilt and anger over a bunch of things that have transpired, especially in her family and specifically with her father. This story is told over the course of a week on the cruise and the day after she gets home, with a brief chapter "before" and "after" those 8 days. She does manage to grow and learn about herself, but it is a struggle. I'm not entirely sure what to make about Ben's character and his Jack London obsession - that does give him a purpose and a reason for being on the Alaskan cruise, but as the characters keep pointing out, if Greta and Ben had met.in NYC, they wouldn't have paid any attention to each other. It's forced proximity since they're the two people on the ship in their age range and novelty since they are so different from each other. Their "romance" seemed to help him more than it helped her, and this is not a romance book so there is no concrete HEA or even a HFN between Greta and Ben. This book definitely feels more like women's fiction, I don't think it has the general fiction appeal.
There were poignant scenes and lots of beautiful Alaskan scenery, but overall I felt the story had some issues.

Thank you to Penguin Random House- Ballantine and Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book. I love books that center around vacations or trips for healing and growing. That's exactly what I felt from this book. Jennifer E. Smith does a beautiful job of articulating grief and the multitude of feelings that come with it. It was emotional and raw, but also uplifting. I also really enjoyed Greta's career as a musician. The story was told through flashbacks as well as present time and I think having Greta's backstory was a nice touch here. It really helped me feel her grief and understand why her relationships played out as they did. Overall, I really liked the message, the themes of healing and understanding other people's reasoning behind their actions. It was a more emotional read than I was expecting but I really liked this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book and will read it again. It made me cry, laugh and made me want to keep reading, yet not want it to end.
There were times when I absolutely loved Greta and other times thought how rude she was. I ended up loving her and all of her family. The Unsinkable Greta James was a heartwarming book. Yes, of course I stayed up reading too late. I loved it!

The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith
In The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith we are introduced to Greta who, after the tragedy of her mother's death, and Greta's breakdown on stage, agrees to accompany her father on a week-long Alaskan cruise. The same cruise that her parents were to spend together on their fortieth wedding anniversary. I really enjoyed the dynamics and the gradual reconnections that Greta had with her father after many years of a strained relationship. I may have shed a tear or two. This was just a great read and one that will stay with me awhile.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my review.

So deeply touching in a way that I did not expect.

The emotional rollercoaster (err boat, no ... SHIP!) that Greta James has ridden is a real doozy. The heart-wrenching details surrounding some regrets with her mom bloom into a realization of the potential she has to mend her relationship with her father. Their arguments and differences come to a head in a way that made me really feel for both of them, deep in my gut.

The family dynamics of this story were relatable and touching. From the "favorite sibling" tendency to the idea that parents just want what is BEST for their children were common themes throughout.

All of this set among the beautiful landscape of Alaska really piqued my interest.

Ultimately, this story reminds us that it doesn't matter how "successful" you are or what your line of work is (writer, rock star, nurse, athlete), people CHANGE. Sometimes it takes the deepest, darkest moments in life to make us stop fighting against that change.

Great read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. :)

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Contemporary

Greta James is a rock star. Her mother Helen passed away recently just before going on an Alaskan ship cruise with her father. This was the trip her mother has booked to celebrate her 40th marriage anniversary with her husband. Greta and her brother argue about who should go with their father and the rock star ends up going with him. The story takes place in a week timeframe. Greta and her father didn’t have a strong relationship especially because her father had no faith in her as a musician. Could this trip change things between them? That’s is what the bigger part of the story is about.

The concept of the story is really good. I enjoy reading about family members when they sort out their issues and try to rekindle their bonds. In this story what both the father and daughter share is the grief of losing a loved one. Helen’s passing away and the trip makes the father and his daughter put aside their differences and know each other better. The end result is beautiful. There is also a romantic interest (Ben) that Greta gets to know on the ship. But I felt something was missing between the two. I don’t know what exactly. Their chemistry was not strong and I feel something was absent in that new relationship. Another thing that didn’t convince me is Greta’s character and her being a rock star or musician. I kept forgetting that she was a musician in the story until something was coming up about her job. Maybe her behavior did not feel like a celebrity. I feel her character needed some more fine-tuning in that area. However, these points I mentioned do not outweigh the perks that this story has. The main highlight for me is the father and daughter relationship which is the core of this book.

Many thanks to the publisher Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book.

This was a heartwarming woman’s fiction story about the dynamics of family dysfunction dealing with loss, grief, and miscommunications. Greta and her father had to deal with all their issues while on an Alaskan cruise. The cruise that her mother was suppose to be on before she suddenly passed away. I will add that the author’s descriptions of the scenery of the cruise was amazing an added a unique layer to the story.

Greta and her father have a difficult relationship and at times is awkward and uncomfortable but very real and relatable. Greta also finds an unlikely romance aboard ship that helps her to find herself once again. While the story was melancholy, it did end with positivity and hope and that new beginnings are possible.

“Maybe the point isn’t always to make things last, maybe it’s just to make them count.”

*advanced copy provided by NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Ballentine Books in exchange for an honest review*

4.5 stars rounded to 5 stars! What a heartwarming read! I truly enjoyed The Unsinkable Greta James. This story centers around learning to navigate through life, after loss, while faced with grief. The author does a fabulous job developing complex characters and making the reader feel like he or she is there with them. I wanted to be on an Alaskan cruise while reading this book! Once I started this book, I found it difficult to put down.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.

I started this book at 5PM, and stayed up until 1:30AM to finish (I did some other things in between, like workout, eat dinner, watch Jeopardy with my husband, which only shows how quickly I devoured this book). The setting immediately hooked me – as someone who loves the water, and misses traveling desperately, being on a boat (sorry, a SHIP) completely transported me. I could feel the wind in my hair, taste the salty air, and hear the gently lapping water. It was perfect.

Aside from the atmosphere, I also adored the characters. Greta is 36-years-old and still trying to figure out what she wants from her life (which, as a 37-year-old wondering the same thing, was very relatable). After a lot of loss, she's feeling unmoored, and spending time with her dad on a cruise is just about the last thing she wants to do.

This book is all about grief, growing up, mending relationships, and figuring out if your dreams are possible. Can you grow up and live out your dreams at the same time? What does it actually mean to grow up? I adored this book. I teared up quite a few times, so have your tissues handy. For fans of The People We Keep and Evvie Drake Starts Over.

Thank you to Randomhouse for my free copy. All opinions are my own.

Ooph, this book was somehow heartbreaking and cozy and sad and lovely all at the same time.

The story follows Greta as she goes on an Alaskan cruise following the death of her mother. She has taken a large step back from her career - a singer/songwriter - after a very public meltdown. Her brother convinces her to go on the cruise to keep her father happy, though they have a strained relationship.

Greta goes on journey on this 8 day cruise.’ Not just literally but also emotionally. She and her father have emotional talks and start mending some of the fractures. She meets a man and is able to see herself actually sharing a live with someone. And most of all, she rediscovers her love of playing guitar.

I really enjoyed this one. I liked learning about Greta and her life. I liked seeing her interactions with her father & Ben (love interest). I also liked the little interactions she has with other people throughout her journey (there is an old lady, a young aspiring guitarist and others).

Of course being the romantic and always wanting a HEA, I wanted a different outcome for her relationship. But at the same time, I feel like she gave herself her own HEA. Reaffirming her passion, and rebuilding a relationship.

Definitely would recommend this with the caveat that if you’ve experienced a loss recently to go in with care.

[cw - death of parent]

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
"The Unsinkable Greta James" by
Jennifer E. Smith was a well written, funny, heartfelt, enjoyable & entertaining story.
This book isn't the usual genre that I read but I have to say it's one of my favorite books that I have read this year.
I will definitely be looking for more books by Ms. Smith.

I love any kind of story about music/musicians, so I was immediately drawn into The Unsinkable Greta James.

Greta is a musician who ends up on an Alaskan cruise with her father after the death of her mother. She's reeling from an emotional event that's left her not playing music, and she's also working through some difficult challenges in her relationship with her father.

Over the course of the novel, Greta is confronted with everything she's been trying to avoid, whether it be relationships, loss, and coming to terms with where she is in life. So much growth happens for her over the course of the novel that helps her learn how to shine as bright as possible in spite of whatever life throws at her.

I loved the unexpected ending, and I look forward to more novels by Jennifer E. Smith.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine books for the ARC of this novel.

What a lovely read! At first, I wasn't sure about the premise of this book, but as I started reading, I was hooked. It's a novel about a father and a daughter, but it's also a novel about love, in all its forms. I look forward to recommending it to our patrons.

4⭐
G for a contemporary fiction that's not really a romance and is closed door!

This book has me wishing I could plan another trip to Alaska ASAP! Set on an Alaskan cruise for indie rockstar Greta James to reconnected with her widower father, this book has a great balance of beautiful wilderness, a little romance and a lot dealing with grief and hard relationships.

I loved how Jennifer's writing truly transported the reader to Alaska, to the flashbacks of Greta's Ohio childhood and to her life in New York City. I did find some of the relationships between the characters were not as developed as I would have liked and thought Greta and her dad found peace in the end, I wanted to see even more development in their relationship.

I really enjoyed the set up from this book and could totally see it happening in real life. If you enjoyed Josie Silver's One Night on the Island, I feel like this one would be worth checking out as well for that stranded romance, dealing with some hard stuff feel.

❤️ I liked Greta and felt her character was well-developed and unique. I appreciated that she was a successful middle-age indie musician & can’t say I’ve read many characters like her before.

❤️ this book is about grief, family, forgiveness, and how the unexpected can be tragic but also beautiful. I loved the setting - sign me up for any book that takes place in a boat, in the wilderness, or in Alaska. all three? YES.

💔 I found some of Greta’s dad’s actions to be unrealistic. the conflict between the two felt authentic, but it’s hard to believe how unsupportive a parent could be about their wildly successful kid’s career.

4.25/5