This beautiful story about mothers, loss, love and starting over was so beautiful. I have read some of Smith's YA books, but her adult debut completely blew me away. I am excited to read more adult novels from her in the future.

Greta James is having a hard time. A working musician, she hasn't played a gig in months, her album is beyond delayed, and she's recently ended a relationship. Still reeling from the sudden death of her mother, Greta finds herself on a cruise through the Alaska wilderness with her father, a man with whom she has always struggled. On the boat, Greta meets Ben, an author and single father with whom she finds connection.

This smart, heartfelt novel is full of complicated characters who feel fully-realized. This novel is about families - about mothers and fathers, about grief and happiness and loss and moving on. Ultimately hopeful, this one is not nearly as light as it might first appear. It will appeal to fans of contemporary fiction. Folks who liked Evvie Drake Starts Over will find a lot to love here. Smith has solidified herself as an author who can write for an older audience as well as excelling for the YA crowd.

The Unsinkable Greta James. I had no idea how much I would love this book when I first started reading it.
After the death of her mother, and first fan, Greta James falls apart on stage in the middle of a show. Well, more like freezes. With the video of the incident going viral, Greta holes up, afraid to put herself back out there, and seeks to find the best way to grieve. Not long after this incident, Greta's brother asks her to join their dad, and family friends on an Alaskan cruise. A cruise her parents were supposed to be taking together.
The thing is, Greta believes her dad has never been her greatest fan and that he sees her life as a waste. Can they make it through a week together on a boat, in Alaska? Through new relationships on board, and her long time family friends, Greta learns to forgive, her father, and herself.
This book read so well that it kept me going page after page. It wasn't that I needed to know what happened next, it was more a who are they becoming pull that dragged me in. People aren't perfect. But we can always learn and grow. I would love to see a follow up to this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the advanced read copy in exchange for my honest review.

Reviews posted to Amazon and Barnes & Noble (awaiting approval) as well as my Instagram page (to come).

THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES by Jennifer E Smith is a memorable story about family, grief and love.

With the Alaskan cruise backdrop, this novel was a welcome escape. I loved Greta and Ben, Conrad and the full cast of characters. This is my first JES read but I look forward to reading her other novels after thoroughly enjoying this one. I would highly recommend this novel- full of heart and emotion- to any and all.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC I received in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this read!!! Family relationships can be so complicated…. but we make it complicated!!! Loved the story of the father and daughter relationship! I wish the ending was more but it was a great read!

This was a heartwarming story about Greta who is a rock singer and her relationship with her father after her mother dies. I loved the writing and the characters. The setting of an Alaskan cruise was also fun to read about. There was a small element of romance but I liked that it wasn’t the focus of the story. The relationship between Greta and her father was the main storyline. Conrad was never really fully behind Greta pursuing her dreams of being a rock singer. He was always closer to her brother Asher. But when her mom dies and Asher can’t go on this cruise with their dad he asks Greta to go. Reluctantly she does and over the course of their trip they navigate mending their relationship. I really enjoyed this book and definitely will read more by this author.

What seems like your run of the mill romcom will surprise you! While there happens to be a love interest, this story is one of self discovery and forgiveness.

Greta James is a famous indie musician who has just lost her mom and suffered a subsequent breakdown on stage while dealing with her grief. She is not very close to her father, who doesn’t really support her career. When the cruise date that her parents had planned to celebrate their 40th anniversary arrives, Greta’s brother persuades her that she should go with their father.

While on the cruise, Greta and her father are able to talk about some issues they have. Greta is able to understand her father’s perspective, and share her own. She also meets fellow cruiser, and Jack London expert, Ben Wilder. Ben knows little about Greta Janes, and she’s able to open up and be herself with Ben. But while the cruise smooths the water between Greta and her dad, not all is smooth sailing for Greta and Ben.

I loved The Unsinkable Greta James! I don’t read a lot of father/daughter stories. Maybe there aren’t a lot? But this one was very well written. I loved the scenery, the cruise, the characters on the boat, and those couples who have been part of Greta and her parent’s world for years.

I also loved the ending of this book. Some might now, but I did.

Thank you to #netgalley and #randomhouse publishinggroup #ballentinebooks for the advanced e-copy of #theunsinkablegretajames.

This book made me feel so emotional. Near the beginning of the book, when Greta is in her room the first night on the ship, she starts to write a song about charting your course and finding your way and I feel like that theme carries through the book. It’s also incredibly relatable. At one point her and Ben have a conversation about how few people truly live their lives by taking chances and therefore doing something really big with their lives. He says, “I have a good life. But until recently, it’s been a small one too. And mostly I’m okay with that. But every once in a while, I look around and it sort of cracks me over the head. How contained it all is. How safe. And it makes me realize how few risks I’ve taken.”

This is an important conversation for Greta to be a part of because with a combination of other events: meeting a young, adoring fan, Preeti, having closure with Luke, coming to terms with Jason moving on, and of course, reconciling with her father, Conrad (more on that), she is able to find the bravery to get back on stage and give things a go. I was waiting for Greta to find that part of herself throughout the book and it was nice when it finally happened. Also, because it happened in a way that I didn’t fully expect.

It was a sweet moment when Preeti goes on stage at the talent show to perform one of Greta’s songs when it starts to get away from her and Greta ends up on stage with a ukulele to help Preeti get through her performance. Greta had scoffed when it was suggested she perform at the talent show; however, seeing a young girl experience something similar to what she had experienced the last time she was on stage was enough to get her back up there and performing in front of a crowd, especially when so little was on the line for her. She chose not to let her fear stop her from helping an impressionable girl. You could feel her pride, as well as her father’s, during this.

Greta and her father, Conrad have always had a rocky relationship. She was always closer with her mother while she and her father butted heads. She felt his constant frustration and disapproval in every choice she made. Greta going on the Alaskan cruise with her father seemed like a ridiculous choice when her brother so clearly got on better with him; however, the week together on a “boat” (as Greta would call it) was just what Greta and Conrad needed. During the big fight that leads to a reconciliation between Greta and her father she asks him, “Haven’t you ever taken a chance on anything? What ever happened to the kid who loved magic?” And he responds with, “Life. Life happened. I grew up. Had a family. Got a job, one where I could put food on the table. I always had my priorities straight. Which is obviously something that’s hard for you to understand.” This goes back go the theme of the importance of taking changes and not letting things hold us back, but it also helps Greta understand her father more and see his frustration with her, as less about disapproval and more about concern (with maybe a tinge of envy). The reconciliation between Greta and Conrad was really well done and was one of the many moments of the book that brought tears to my eyes,

I truly enjoyed reading this book and although there were some things that felt predictable, I feel like there was a enough of a spin put on them to make the moments special. While it was expected for her father to be standing in the audience holding a sign (another moment that brought tears to my eyes), it was also expected that Greta would end up with Ben, because “that’s how these books go.” But I was glad that Greta’s love life was left open-ended because this wasn’t a book about finding love with another person, it was a book about life being uncharted and the stars (relationships) with find along the way.

Synopsis: Greta, a rock star, is making sense of her own life after losing her mother who was also her biggest fan. Misunderstanding has caused a strained relationship with her father. Greta now finds herself on a cruise boat with her dad. They are both grieving and remembering the mom/wife they both loved so much. Will Greta make peace with her dad and in her own life choices or will they continue this strained relationship?

Have you ever just connected with someone in a story? This is how I felt about Greta. Her pain, sadness, grief and plain hard headed decisions just resonated with me. I thoroughly I enjoyed this book and found myself slowing down to read it so that I could enjoy each moment.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My review posted on Instagram @aprilmayreadit

I loved this heartwarming story of a rock star who finds herself on an Alaskan cruise with her father after her mother's death. Still reeling from an onstage meltdown that could threaten her career, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with Ben, a Jack London lecturer who is estranged from his wife. Gets my vote for best cover of the year!

The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith is an endearing story about love, loss, the complicated relationship between fathers and daughters and the price of musical stardom. This fun and unusual setting on an Alaskan cruise allows for refreshing content. It was a joy to ride the ocean with Greta, her father, her mother’s memory and the famous author, Ben Wilder.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book as covers can be very telling these days. Any type of cartoonish or hand-drawn art leads me to believe it’s a romantic comedy. I’m learning that this type of cover, without people depicted on it, can simply mean women’s fiction, rather than rom-com, and that’s where this one landed for me.

During their week at sea, a lot of tough conversations, healing and understanding occurs. There’s erasure of self-doubt, which was heavy enough for Greta to sink the ship at the start.

Smith’s writing was sure-footed, and she was able to keep the reader invested, especially with Ben, the new guy in the picture. I listened to this on audio and the narrator did a splendid job. Her characterization was appreciated. I look forward to reading what’s next from this author.

In “The Unsinkable Greta James” by Jennifer E. Smith we meet Greta James, an indie musician who had recently lost her mom and her will to play the guitar. So, when she joins her dad and his group of friends on a cruise to Alaska that was supposed to be for her parent’s anniversary, she is forced to face decisions about herself and those who love her.

A fun read about love, grief, and family. I am keeping my fingers crossed for that walk in the snow to Central Park .

I received a copy of this book through Net Galley, and this is my honest opinion.

The Unsinkable Greta James
Jennifer E. Smith
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Isn’t it so funny when we read books at the perfect time? Especially when you have no clue what the plot of the book is?

It might have taken me all of April to read this one, but it was worth it. I had to tread lightly with this one because it was hitting so close to home! I might not have been on an Alaskan cruise, but I have been struggling with adult life and all those fun things.

I found Greta to be a very likable, relatable character. Maybe I feel that way because I also lost my mom. Because I’m definitely not a rockstar so we know there’s no connection there 🤣 The ending was perfect in my opinion and I couldn’t help but smile. I think this is the perfect light-hearted/wholesome read.

I expected to love this book based on the description. It tackles grief and loss and forgiveness and reconciliation, all things that speak to me so I was surprised that this book didn’t resonate much. I never really grew to love the characters. The writing was really good though and maybe I just didn’t connect because I couldn’t relate to the musician life as I have zero musical inclination. I do think this book would speak to a lot of people though and don’t hesitate to recommend it.

**Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy they sent me in exchange for my honest review.**

The Unsinkable Greta James is a charming and compulsively readable book about family and mending relationships. I loved the writing style and relatable characters. I would definitely recommend if you like Taylor Jenkins Reid's books.

Greta is a thirty-something minor rock star whose career has stalled. Several months before, Greta's mother dies unexpectedly, shattering her and her father. She agrees to go on an Alaskan cruise with her father that was meant to be an anniversary trip with his beloved wife. Greta's relationship with her father has always been strained so the trip presents an opportunity for reconciliation if they're open to it.

On the cruise, she meets Ben, a semi-famous author who gained fame from a fictionalized book about Jack London. I really enjoyed how their relationship blossomed and taught them about themselves. I loved having a bird's eye view of Greta's life and her relationships with her father and Ben. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

An emotional story about a young woman joining her father on an Alaska cruise. Her mother recently died and she struggles overcoming her grief and getting over a recent break-up with her boyfriend.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

For fans of Daisy Jones & the Six and Songs in Ursa Major - Greta James has found herself on a boat, or as her father says “a ship” in the middle of Alaska on a 7 day cruise she wasn’t supposed to be on. A musician (and famous one at that) as well as a grieving daughter, Greta has agreed to accompany her father, Conrad, on the trip Conrad and Greta’s late mother had planned to take before her death.

As the ship sets sail, Greta’s trouble begin to compound - her tense relationship with Conrad, her looming performance at Gov Ball, her last disaster of a performance (with a demanding label and publicity team thrown in).

A delightfully quick read, The Unsinkable Greta James explores love, loss and self-discovery in the wild of Alaska. Jennifer Smith leans fully into her YA background to give a grown up view on individuality and coming into one’s own.

I really enjoyed this as a break between heavier novels. It was an engaging read and while not light hearted, was heartfelt and endearing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Indie music star Gretta James is going on an Alaskan cruise with her dad in place of her late mother. Heavy stuff.

Gretta’s mom was her first and biggest fan; losing her was so unexpected and heartbreaking. When Gretta has a public, onstage breakdown that goes viral, her career is in a precarious place. She hesitantly agrees to accompany her father, who has never supported her career choice, on a cruise celebrating her parent’s fortieth anniversary that her mother had looked forward to for over a year.

This book made me feel everything that Gretta was feeling despite never having experienced a single thing that she went through. Definitely not a light read, but so so good. I was worried about how it might have ended, but was pleasantly surprised and delighted with every turn of this story. It was definitely slower paced than I am used to, but I was still captivated.

Thank you so much to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After her mother dies and she has a breakdown on stage, indie-musician Greta James goes on an Alaskan cruise with her father. He's never been very supportive of her career, unlike her mother. You also meet Ben Wilder, an author connects with Greta right away. Experiencing loss and the start of new love, follow along on Gretas' new life, if she will let herself move on,