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.

As a music lover, I enjoyed this. This wasn't one of my favorite reads of the year, however, I would still recommend it to people. I think I read this at the wrong time and because of that, I should probably re-read it one day. But it wasn't a bad book by any means, I just don't think I enjoyed it as much as I should've because of when I read it.

I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. I listened to it as an audiobook and while I loved the narrator, I struggled to connect to Greta as a character.

For anyone still looking for a great summer read, this is a good option! It's a quick read, though it's not exactly lighthearted -- it deals with grief pretty heavily as the main character has just lost her mom. But it's got everything: Great side characters, an Alaskan cruise, a handsome love interest and music. I read it in one sitting!

There is a reason she is one of my favorite authors. The way Jennifer writes you just see and feel everything. What a delight her first novel for adults was. I read it in two sittings and loved it so much.

When Greta’s mother passed away, she takes her spot on a cruise to Alaska that was a bucket list item of her mother’s. Greta is a musician who had a setback after her mother’s death… understandably… but social media is hounding her. She views the cruise as an escape. Predictably, bonding between father and daughter ensues, as well as a love interest. Even though the story is predictable, the execution is well done and fun and poignant. The excursions into Alaska are also a delight. I enjoyed the book and recommend it, especially to those that enjoy the women’s fiction genre.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing and Ballantine Books for this advanced reader’s digital eCopy to review. I’m so grateful for the opportunity.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This was a really sweet book and reminded me a lot of One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle (which I also loved) I loved the characters and found it to be a perfect beach read. I’ll read more by this author in the future!

📄 Greta James in an indie music superstar who recently lost her mother. Guilted by her brother (favorite-child-father-of-three-with-a-day-job), Greta agrees to go on an Alaskan cruise with her father—which was an anniversary dream trip planned by her mother before she passed. Grappling with her own feelings regarding her mothers death, Greta struggles to bridge the seemingly impossible divide between her and her father, who never quite understood her life choices and hasn’t exactly been her biggest fan.

💭 This book is FULL of so many emotions & heartache & healing. It was a JOURNEY—and not just because it takes place on a cruise. If you need a good family drama to break your heart, put it back together again and make you want to call your Mom or Dad—read this one.

This book is so warm and so heartfelt and so so good! I loved the way we learned about events in the past as we're moving forward in the future. Greta's relationship with her father has so many cracks and we get to learn about them while they are both trying to heal separately and together after her mother's sudden death. This book will make you laugh and cry and give you all of the good feels.

This, ultimately, is a book on grief, on forgiveness, and on second chances.

Greta James has found some success as a songwriter and performer, but when she loses her mother, her primary supporter, Greta has a viral downfall and she retreats, trying to find her grounding before venturing in front of the public eye again.

A cruise trip ultimately meant to celebrate her parents' anniversary is instead attended by Greta and her father, whom she's been at odds with for years. The experience forces her to confront her grief, her past, and her ideas for her future. Along the way, she gains insight on parenthood and she sees glimmers of hope and of healing.

This is a gentle book that, at times, fell flat for me but wrestles with important themes.

(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

Greta James is a well known singer who embarks on an Alaskan cruise with her father shortly after her mother passed away. The story has a cast of characters who are much enjoyed and Greta’s journey through her grief while making new connections is engaging and heartfelt. This is the first time I’ve read a book by this author and I look forward to reading more!

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE ERIE READER.

When Greta James was young, she could only dream of becoming a successful musician. When her father bought her a guitar and she began practicing in the family’s garage, those dreams started to take a more meaningful shape.

But it wasn’t an easy path. From dive bars and small venues, Greta grew her fan base and eventually achieved indie stardom, featuring on magazine covers and playing sold out venues. Her mother Helen was there every step of the way, supporting her daughter as her first and biggest fan. However, her father Conrad was not so supportive, only seeing an unpredictable career path for his daughter, worrying about her financial and professional stability.

Greta spends most of her career trying to prove him wrong, creating a rift between them that only grows larger over the years. But following Helen’s sudden death and only weeks before her sophomore album is set to release, Greta finds herself spiraling and has an epic meltdown onstage, leading to an embarrassing video that goes viral.

Humiliated and still reeling, she finds herself grudgingly agreeing to accompanying her father on a week-long Alaskan cruise that her parents had booked for their fortieth anniversary. With the rift between Greta and her father larger than ever since her mother’s death, this cruise could be the last chance they have to make amends and heal their now smaller family.

Alongside historian Ben Wilder, an author aboard the ship who catches her attention, Greta must figure out how to move forward and together try to make sense of the difficult choices in life.

The true spotlight in this book, though, shines on Jennifer E. Smith’s writing: characters with larger-than-life personalities, heartbreaking and heartwarming moments, and breathtaking landscapes painted so delicately but vividly through prose are all the stars of this novel. For those looking for adventure and emotion, you’ll find it in The Unsinkable Greta James.