This could have been an out-of-the-park read for me but there were a lot of elements that just didn't add up or mesh well.

I wish the author would have just focused this novel on the relationship between her and her father. The addition of a <i>love interest</i> was superfluous and completely unnecessary. First off, the love interest was so bland and icky. And second...it came off as very insta-lovey bordering on possessiveness. She owes this essential stranger <b>nothing</b> yet he is constantly bamboozling her for information he reads from tabloids? He was a complete ass and almost ruined the read. When scenes with him would pop up, I would groan internally.

Overall, it was a unique and fascinating read. It could have been more layered and complex if it just focused on father/daughter but overall wasn't a <i>terrible</i> read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I think I personally just wasn't in the right headspace to read this book because I didn't have a lot of the same takeaways as I've seen others have. I think this book could have hit me in a deep and profound way, but I just didn't connect to it like others have.

I really admire the way that the author portrays each and every character in the book. The characters were one of my favorite things about this book, and I also really enjoyed the setting of the book as well. I think the family dynamics were very interesting and were well unpacked and explained.

This book addresses loss and grief in such a real, raw, and beautiful way, and I respect it so much for that.

I really love seeing a YA author branch out into the adult world!

This book has a great balance of all the things I love in a story. You will not be disappointed with this one. I really enjoyed it.

The Unsinkable Greta James is a story about coming to terms with loss, repairing relationships, and finding yourself again while all being set on a cruise ship in Alaska. Greta James is a rock star who has recently experienced lost her mother/biggest fan and has not been able to play. When the anniversary cruise that her mother planned for herself and Greta's father as well as some family friends comes up it is determined that Greta will take her mother's place. Ever since Greta decided that music would be her life she has not had a good relationship with her father and they cannot seem to break through the walls each other has setup over the years.

While the topics this story deals with are tough they are handled in a way that makes this a quick, enjoyable, lighthearted read. I would suggest this book to any reader young or old, male or female (although more female), light fiction or high stacks mystery reader. The characters are great, realistic, and you are able to take and understand everyone's side at the same time.

I really enjoyed Where'd You Go Bernadette and I'm happy to say that I this one had a very similar vibe. There was a perfect balance of romance, fun, and family drama to keep me reading. I officially want to go on an Atlantan cruise now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the free copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, very good for fans of where’d you go Bernadette. Going to be doing this for book club next year,

This book kind of has it all! It is sad, heartwarming, sweet and funny. The characters are so endearing and well-developed that I felt emotionally connected to each one. I loved the Alaskan cruise ship setting. The story is so engaging and beautifully written. I love books about family dynamics and family drama and this one has romance to boot. Jennifer Smith's venture into adult fiction from YA does not disappoint in my opinion. The cover is beautiful too! Highly recommend Greta James!!

I am mad at myself for letting this sit as long as I did. It is a great story of a daughter trying to find herself and rebuild relationships after the death of her mother. It reminded me of Daisy Jones or Songs in Ursa Major with the music component, but the author focused a lot on the character herself and how she was adapting at life.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Greta James is a indie star - she has worked really hard at her craft since she first held a guitar in elementary school. Her mom, Helen, is her biggest fan. Conrad, her father, her smallest. He never seemed to support her dream and always seemed disappointed/disinterested in her dream. This, Greta sees as a challenge, and goes out everyday to prove him wrong.

A few months prior to the release of her sophomore album, Helen dies quiet unexpectedly. When Greta takes the stage to sing a song to promote the album, she sings a song that is NOT on the album. It is a song she wrote while flying home from Germany due to her mom's death. The song is not ready, still too new, and Greta has a complete meltdown on stage and goes into hiding as a result. During her hiding, her brother reminds Greta that her parents were slated to take an Alaskan cruise. Her encourages her to go so that they may be there for each other and help the healing of their relationship.

Greta agrees to go and it is rocky, not just the terrain, but their relationship. A lot of old wounds reopen; however, there is room for discovery and healing. Along the way, Ben Wilder, an author, enters her life and helps her to see things from another perspective.

A wonderful book that kept me interested from page 1. I look forward to reading more by this author.

3.5 stars rounded up

This atmospheric novel set on an Alaskan cruise ship had a lot of heart. I cried twice while reading this and was clearly emotionally affected, but struggled with aspects of this novel.

Greta is an Indie rockstar reeling from a public emotional collapse onstage after her Mother’s death. She’s struggling with returning to her music when she joins her father on what would have been his anniversary trip on an Alaskan cruise.their father daughter relationship has always been strained and the two are forced to find new footing without the matriarch of the family as a buffer. While onboard, Greta meets nerdy author Ben that she has a spark with despite their vastly different lives.

I’m so conflicted on my rating on this one. I thought the complicated Father Daughter relationship was incredibly captured and the heart of this novel. The grief they share, the values they differ on and the conflict they’ve avoided for years all has come to a boiling point. As someone who works professionally in the arts, I found the concerned parent who wants his daughter to find a steady career hitting close to home. Smith vividly describes Alaska, which is now even higher on my bucket list.

The lower rating really stems from the romance plot line in this book. I just…didn’t care or buy it at all. Ben and Greta are too different and it was such a reach for me. The dichotomy between the pair’s different lives seemed too convenient and unrealistic. But overall, I was emotionally affected by this book and would read another by this author.

⚠️Trigger Warning: Death of a Parent, Infidelity

This is a sweet read that will make you want to book your own Alaskan cruise. While it's fairly predictable, it's also beautiful and fun to read.

I really enjoyed this book. Jennifer Snith is a solid, engaging and funny writer. I wish the release date had been spring or summer because I think Greta is a perfect vacation read, particularly if you vacation with extended family. Greta as a character took me a bit to warm up to, but I really enjoyed her by the end, as well as her father. The relationships in this book were definitely the heartbeat, as some of the plot points felt implausible at times. That said, this was a quick and enjoyable read, and I look forward to more by this author.

Greta James is a successful indie musician whose biggest fan was her mother, Helen. Her father Conrad is a practical man and struggled that his daughter chose a career that is too uncertain. Helen passes away just before she to go on a cruise to Alaska to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. Through encouragement by her brother, Greta ends up joining her father, as they mourn the loss of Helen. It’s also a chance for Greta to heal and get back to what she loves, making music.

This book tugged at the heart as it dealt with loss, regret, and the journey to forgiveness. The family dynamics will probably be relatable for most people. There’s also some romance mixed in and some light moments. Greta is a likable character and all the people in this book feel very real.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for an digital version of The Unsinkable Greta James.

What an incredible story. There is so much to enjoy about this story, the setting, the xharacter, the drama. There is nothing like facing family issues like doing on a cruise with nowhere to go. It's a great story about healing and loss and how our perceptions can create their own narrative in our brain.

I really enjoyed the elements of music and books and it taking place in Alaska. A beautiful story! I would recommend d for anyone looking to enjoy a story with great characters.

With a mix of romance, family drama, and coming of age this book was an easy, quick read. Despite the main character being a international rock star, she was very relatable. The reader goes through the stages of grief after her mother dies and trying to navigate life without her. But overall, I didn’t find the book to be depressing, but rather quirky and hopeful.

I appreciated that the story didn’t end the way I was expecting as sometimes I found the writing to be a little corny.

Greta has recently lost her mother, had a meltdown that went viral, and is just trying to put her life back together. Cue being almost forced into an Alaskan cruise vacation with her difficult-to-relate-to father, and you have a fantastic story about coming to terms with one's choices, grief, and choosing your own path forward without regret. Add in a bit of a love story and you have a gem of a novel. I adore Jennifer E. Smith, and this book is one of her best. She does such a wonderful job of drawing you into the story, caring about flawed characters, and delivering a happily ever after that satisfies without being saccharine.

While I thought the writing was good and story made sense, I didn’t find myself pulled into the story as much as I could have been.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the free copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

The feel-good easy read I needed. I loved this book, and I loved Greta! I may have shed a tear or two, but if a book doesn’t evoke an emotion of some kind, was it even worth the read?

A slow-building story about overcoming grief and the power of family. Personally, I wasn’t very engaged, but I’m also an unsentimental curmudgeon. If you are looking for an introspective, character-driven story, this is for you.

Greta James is an up and coming rock star. It's all she ever wanted to do since she was a kid. But since that day on stage, in front of a huge crowd, when the incident happened, Greta has been out of the limelight, still mourning her mother, who died a few months before that day, she's been hiding. The surviving members of her family have been grieving, but the loss seems to have affected Greta and her father the worst. Her father has disapproved of her career, despite being the one to put a guitar meant for her brother in her hands.

Her parents were supposed to go on a cruise to celebrate their anniversary; they'd been planning it for years. Greta's brother talks her into going to support her dad, even though he's going with friends. Greta agrees to it, despite her relationship with her father not being the greatest.

This book will make you laugh and cry. It's such a great story, about healing and forgiveness and relationships. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more books by this author.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book, and thank you, Jennifer E.. Smith, for a wonderful book.