The book follows Greta, a successful indie musician who just lost her first fan, her mother, and has a complicated relationship with her dad who doesn’t approve of her career or life choices. However, after her mother’s sudden death, Greta has an onstage meltdown that goes viral. As she tries to avoid it all, she reluctantly agrees to accompany her father on a week-long Alaskan cruise that her mother originally booked to celebrate their anniversary. We follow their weeklong cruise as they navigate their last chance to heal old wounds.

I enjoyed the story more than I expected. For some reason, from the first Chapter, Greta reminded me of Daisy from Daisy Jones and the Six. Greta is successful, stubborn, defiant, independent yet also insecure in a lot of ways and seeks validation.

The exploration of both Greta and her father’s grief was done well but the inclusion of Ben did seem a bit forced. I wasn’t that invested in their love connection as the main plot driving the story is Greta’s relationship with her dad and she barely spent any time with him!

However, I did enjoy the short chapters as it kept me engaged and how everything came together at the end. It was a bit idealistic but I didn’t mind.

It was a wholesome quick read as it was around 300 pages. It also made me want to go on a cruise so that might be added to my bucket list now.

You can't help but root for Greta James as she struggles with the death of her mother and the changes in her family relationships. As Greta reluctantly embarks on this Alaskan adventure, you can't help but feel you are right there with her. I wouldn't mind a little more of Greta's story (which must include the interesting cast of characters we meet in The Unsinkable Greta James)!

Greta James is a musician. After the sudden death of her mother, Greta falls apart on stage while performing. It’s been months and she hasn’t been able to pick up her guitar since.

Greta’s mother was her number one fan. Her father doesn’t support her career and they don’t have the best relationship. She reluctantly agrees to go on an Alaskan cruise with her father, a cruise that was booked to celebrate her parents' 40th wedding anniversary. At sea Greta will learn to confront her father, her career and her heartbreak of the loss of her mother.

This was a beautifully written book about healing, family relationships, self-discovery and forgiveness. There is also a little sprinkle of romance. I thought the author took a realistic approach with Greta dealing with both her relationship with her dad and the loss of her mother. I also loved that the book took place on an Alaskan cruise. It was such a heartfelt read.

A huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Unsinkable Greta James
author: Jennifer E. Smith
Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books
genre: General Fiction (adult) Women's Fiction

As a lover of music and travel, I had to read this novel. This was my first book to read by this author, and I quickly knew that I would enjoy the setting of an Alaskan cruise. Smith adds rich character development, along with the strong component of family relationships, resulting in a very enjoyable and original story.

The main character is Greta, who is a singer-guitarist-songwriter from New York City. She is not close to Conrad her father, but they both are mourning the recent death of her mother. Greta signs up for a small cabin on a cruise ship bound for the Alaskan wilderness, taking her mother's spot on what would have been her parents' anniversary trip. Joining them on the cruise are two couples who are her parents' friends. The trip is one of grief and adventure, as the trip progresses to stunning Alaskan landmarks and scenery. Both on ship and off ship, Greta learns more about her father and late mother, their friends, herself, and her music.

This book captures the profound emotions of grief, which affected Greta deeply and took a toll on her career. With each event and stop on the cruise, Greta learns and grows, at times questioning herself and her decisions. Smith described her talents as well as her flaws, making the reader want to follow her journey in both her career and relationships. The lovely descriptions of Alaska, with its natural beauty and wildlife, really put me in the atmosphere of this trip.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for the advance reader's copy and opportunity to provide my unbiased review.
#TheUnsinkableGretaJames #NetGalley

I love Jennifer E. Smith. I love her writing and her characters and her emotions. This book was no different, but something didn’t hit as strongly as her previous works for me. This may very well be a personal thing, because the book was very good.

Greta is a moderately famous musician whose mother has recently died. Her music and career, the thing that defines her, now feels shaky and uncertain. Her older brother, who has settled down and has a family of his own, gives a minor guilt trip to convince Greta to go with her father, who she’s never seen eye-to-eye with, on the Alaskan cruise that her mother had been planning for their 40th anniversary. This story is full of Greta processing her grief. There’s guilt and anger and sadness and joy all mixed within this 8 day cruise. It’s awkward and uncomfortable and lonely, but ultimately satisfying and hopeful. There’s a sweet romance in the midst of the story but it’s not the centerpiece by any means. The ending felt very dissatisfying for me, but I recognize that it’s a personal preference. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a sweet and compelling story! I flew through the book, about a woman joining her father (with whom she has a tenuous relationship) on a cruise after the death of her mother.
Smith delves into topics of grief, family expectations, self determination and fate with such heart. It was pretty easy to see how things would end, but I enjoyed the journey in getting there. I also thought the characters were wonderfully fleshed out, and I really felt for Greta and her father in their grief and hope.
I highly recommend The Unsinkable Greta James which is available today, AND it is a @bookofthemonth pick for March.👍
The tone of the story has a slight YA feel (which makes sense, as this is Smith’s first ‘adult’ novel) and is very similar to her other book I have read, This is What Happy Looks Like - which also features a famous person thrown into the mundane, and would be a great read alike. This novel would also be great for fans of The Happy Ever After Playlist or The Simple Wild, with similar themes on family, grief, and star crossed romance.
Lastly, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Lucy Knisley’s excellent graphic memoir, Displacement, wherein she is the unwitting family member that is deemed the appropriate escort for her frail and aging grandparents on a cruise. I would highly recommend it as a complementary read to this book. The tone is completely different and it’s pretty emotionally raw, but it also explores fate, family, the idea of seeing our elders for who they are, and not just how they affect our lives (also while stuck on a ship).

Indie rocker Greta James is recovering from a meltdown at her last concert that went viral. She hasn’t been back onstage in several months. Even harder to come to terms with is the reason she had the meltdown: the sudden death of her beloved mother, who supported her from the beginnings of her hard-won career, when success was still just a dream. Now she’s left with a father who only ever communicated to her that she needed to grow up and get a more stable way of life.

When her father, Conrad, is about to depart on an Alaskan cruise that was supposed to be a celebration of his and Helen’s 40th anniversary, Greta’s brother (the dependable one with a wife and children and a solid career) encourages her to go with him. Though Conrad will be traveling with two couples who have been longtime friends, Asher tells Greta she can’t just let her father be a fifth wheel at such an important time. Finally she relents.

So Greta finds herself stuck on a boat (ship! as she is reminded a number of times) with a bunch of old people and families, far away from her previous busy life on the road, performing for thousands of fans. And she’s stuck having the same old conversations/arguments with her father. Both are mourning and desperately missing the woman who was their intermediary. This cruise is really their best chance to try to find a way to understand each other and heal from the wounds they’ve inflicted on each other for years.

On the first day, Greta is surprised to meet and find herself attracted to another passenger, Ben Wilder, who seems to be her opposite in every way. He’s a professor, historian and author of a bestselling novel about writer Jack London. Ben is also trying to find his way after some big changes in his life. The two strike up a relationship as the boat (ship!) takes them far away from their uncertain lives in New York.

The Unsinkable Greta James is a lovely book about loss, grief, family and healing. It’s real, showing the struggles these characters are going through, and how difficult it can be to change after many years of entrenched attitudes and actions. But it’s also sweet and hopeful, showing the progress that can start to happen with love and tough conversations. It’s a romance, it’s a thoughtful family story, and it’s a portrait of a woman digging deep again to find what drives her in the face of heartache and uncertainty. Jennifer E. Smith delivers another book not to miss (I was absolutely charmed by her young adult book Field Notes on Love, for one).

Totally enjoyable! Reminded me a bit of Daisy Jones meets Beach Read but in the best of ways! Humorous and fun to read. It feels like it's going to be an excellent summer read.

This book is so emotional and so addicting to read. The style of writing is beautiful. You really get to feel the grief from Greta and her family after the loss of their mother/wife. You really feel the tension between Greta and her dad. Greta's dad, Conrad, has always made made her feel as if he wasn't the biggest fan of her music/career.

The character development is some of the best I've ever read. Every character was needed. They were all well thought out. They had the perfect role. This book touches on loss, grief, estrangement, and forgiveness. So heart-wrenching yet so beautiful.

There are touches of romance with a man named Ben. He is unlike anyone Greta has ever known. Their friendship right off the bat seems like exactly what she needs.

I loved the setting of Alaska. It was described so well. I just loved the scenes with Ben and Greta exploring.

This is my first read by Jennifer. I will absolutely be reading more for books. Highly recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine for the ARC!

Unfortunately, I can only give this novel 2 stars, maybe 2.5.
I chose this book because it is a family drama that takes place on a cruise ship, and I love cruising.
Greta is an indie rock star who is estranged from her father. She joins her father, family and family friends on a cruise that would have celebrated 40 years of marriage, but mom recently passed away.
This is an interesting premise and setting. However, the author tried to do too much in this novel and failed to concentrate sufficiently on the father-daughter relationship that was supposedly at the heart of the plot. Greta got involved with some random guy on the cruise who was separated from his wife. The author focused on this relationship more than Greta and her dad. Flashbacks centered on some other guy named Luke. I would have preferred more history of her relationship with her father.
The book had moments of interest such as when Greta and dad talked about her career choices. According to Greta, she won the career lottery and actually made it as a musician. I wish the author had explored this more thoroughly. However, Greta came across as a whiny, unhappy person with whom I could not sympathize. I did not feel sorry for her at all. Maybe this is what the author intended, but I doubt it. The character simply did not work for me. She had too much angst for no meaningful reason, and most of it deviated from the objective of the novel.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review.

This was a quiet and meandering book for me and I mean that in a good way. It was gentle and uncomplicated, it made me feel cozy and calm. I really appreciated how it wasn't just one type of story, it wasn't just a love story it wasn't just a family saga it wasn't just self discovery it was everything and more. It was exactly the book I needed.

Loved this story! It was easy to get wrapped up in Greta’s life. I i originally thought the story would be all about the family drama/dynamic of Greta and her dad and was pleased to find the author included a romance storyline! It’s rare to find a great read that has both depth and is still fun and this boon was just that for me.

What’s your reader catnip? Mine is any book set in Alaska. While I loved Daisy Jones and the Six, I don’t always love books centered on musicians. Don’t ask me why, it’s just not something I gravitate towards. But when I saw that The Unsinkable Greta James was set on an Alaskan Cruise…I changed my tune. I read this book over a weekend in just a couple of hours and I really enjoyed it. It’s definitely heavy at points but I also loved the melancholy tone. I picked it up the right time for me! The ending had me in tears.
What I Liked:

The Setting—If there is Alaska mentioned, I’m almost always there. And since I’m not as brave as Calla Fletcher (from The Simple Wild) I think an Alaskan Cruise is as close as I’ll get the beauty of the land. I haven’t read a book set on a cruise…ever? It was fun! Plus I thought Smith captured the sweeping nature of the scenery of Alaska.

The Portrayal of Grief and Parent/Child Relationships—This story is centered on grief and and specifically, how grief impacts a nuclear family. I found it to be simple and true, entirely relatable and gave me a lot to think about.

The Tone—I enjoyed the overall tone of this story. It wasn’t a romance, which is what I generally read, but it had some of the qualities of romance that I love, like self discovery and intimate confidences that allow the characters to grow.

What Didn’t Work For Me:

The Pacing of the “Reveal”—There’s a “big reveal” and I didn’t vibe with the mystery surrounding it. I didn’t find it to be shocking, but I don’t know if it was supposed to be shocking. It was more something Greta had to come to terms with, but it felt like we were waiting to found out “what happened before” if that makes sense.

Content Warnings:

Cancer, Loss of a Parent, Grief, Marital Separation

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Steam Rating: 0/5 Overall Rating: 3.75/5

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books, the author, and NetGalley for the free gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Unsinkable Greta James is a very character development-driven read, however, I am usually more of a fan of plot-driven books. I prefer more action with problems and solutions, rather than character development.

The main plot of Greta James I did really enjoy - stuck away on a cruise ship with her father with whom she has a rocky relationship. Greta goes through many ups and downs this week away.

I kind of went into this book thinking there was a little more romance and a little more rockstar life- cause who doesn’t love a celebrity romance trope - so that may have been where this book fell short for me.

All in all, still a great read I just had very different expectations for the book that were not lived up to.

You know those authors that you’ve absolutely loved years ago but somewhere along the way you kind of lost track of them? Jennifer E. Smith was this author for me. Years and years ago I fell in love with her writing when I read This Is What Happy Looks Like & The Geography of You and Me. I remember thoroughly loving and just fast-reading those books because I couldn’t get enough of the writing and storyline.

When I requested The Unsinkable Greta James for review on Netgalley, a part of me felt like I knew who the author was but I didn’t really give it a thought. It wasn’t until these past couple days that I started reading this amazing book and did some Goodreads research that I found out just who this author was and immediately fell in love with her writing all over again whilst reading this book.

A heart wrenching story of a woman who has to come to terms with her mother’s death and make peace with the father who she so clashed with as a child and young adult. This book is one that made me laugh, cry & smile throughout it and I cannot recommend it enough.

Greta James is a rock star. So why in the world is she boarding a cruise ship, guitar in tow, for a week-long adventure to Alaska? Truth be told, her career is on shaky ground after her last disastrous performance. And for the first time in a very long time, the thought of getting on stage, writing songs, or even playing her guitar doesn't excite her. Has she lost the second great love of her life as well as her first? And how in the world will this trip help her sort out her issues? She's not sure about anything anymore, so she'll drift along with the ship in search of something to moor her to the present and push her in the direction of the future. ⁠

I freaking loved this book! I knew it was going to be good, but I didn't know it would be great. This is one of two books I read in the past few weeks that dealt with the acute loss of a parent, both were moving and very heartfelt. The author does an excellent job drawing in the reader, enveloping us in the pain Greta is experiencing after the loss of her mother. There were moments I was sure I knew exactly how she felt because I was sure I'd feel the same way. The complicated relationship between Greta and her father gives additional dimension to the plot, especially when juxtaposed with her budding romance with a fellow traveler. There were definitely moments when I was super conflicted about Greta and her father. I wanted them to resolve their issues, but I couldn't help but feel frustrated and angry for his lack of support. In the end, the author finds a way to instill hope in the final pages while also making space for the uncertainty that is life, leaving me feeling satisfied with the overall outcome.

Get them tissues out cuz this one will tug on those heart strings. For. Sure.

Greta recently lost her mom and jumps in to take her place on an Alaskan cruise w her Dad. She’s still dealing w grief and loss, while trying to navigate a challenging relationship w her father after a lifetime of miscommunication and not seeing eye to eye.

Overall I did enjoy this read! I loved how it ended with things coming around and being open ended at the same time. Here’s some details:
🚢The setting - I don’t like to travel but an Alaskan cruise has always been high on my list.
🖊 The romance - this was a cute bonus to the story and offered some comic relief.
🎸The background - Greta is a rockstar. It was an interesting dynamic in the story working through the tabloids, a public display of loss, feeling unsafe and unsure w the future.
🏡The family dynamics - life and loss is so hard. This books makes it feel almost tangible. I know parent relationships can be hard but couldn’t she have gone into this adventure w an open heart? She was unnecessarily harsh and stubborn w her father; obviously it was hard to watch him not meet her halfway. I mean I understand losing a parent herself is difficult but she was impatient w her father not realizing or seeing anything out of herself. I felt so bad for him, I can’t imagine losing my husband. I don’t know what I’m trying to say but it was hard to watch her lack grace is his moment of epic loss. It was also hard to watch him not soften up for her in her moments of need also. The lesson: COMMUNICATION IS EVERYTHING AND IT GOES BOTH WAYS. 🤣😩

Tysm Ballantine for the Arc. 💓

Loved this! While Greta has a unique life, her relationships and struggles within are very relatable. I loved the realness. Loved the Alaska pieces too! Now I want to visit.

I really enjoyed this story of a family finding their way through misunderstandings, judgements, parent/adult child challenges when the beloved mother dies. I enjoyed Greta as a character and I was always eager to get back to this book. Very readable and the author does a nice job of letting the reader see and feel where Greta is coming from.. I appreciated that the relationships are complex and that characters remain true to their essence. Good read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Just under 4 stars for me. I found Greta's rock star career path (the ups AND the downs) to be interesting. And I'm always here for drama between fathers and daughters. Throw in a little surprise romance, on a cruise ship no less, and what's not to love?

My only issue is that the book had all this momentum going in the beginning, and then between 70% to 90% of the way through (on my kindle), the book slowed waaaay down. Now we're analyzing allll the feelings and having alllll the flashbacks. It was ok at first, but I got a little bored. I skimmed a lot in those sections, I'll be honest. But I did really like how the book ended. It was a strong, believable, and satisfying ending that I could get behind. So, you know, pros and cons.