This book took me on quite a journey - both through Alaska and emotionally. I’ll be honest that I nearly set this aside due to the father/daughter relationship, particularly with how harshly critical Greta’s dad was of her life choices. I’m glad I pushed through and ended up loving this layered story of grief, family, and self-discovery.

**The Unsinkable Greta James** had some buzz so I picked it on a bit of a whim. The cover is cute but not really my style, the premise is a father-daughter relationship (and that is not my mental headspace at the moment), and it is set on an Alaskan cruise which I have never wanted to take (Do you know what happens if you fall in that water? I have seen Titanic. No thank you). However, I still picked it, and I am so glad that I did!

Greta is sweet and fun. The kind of girl you want to be friends with and probably envy a little. I also love that she is not 22. She has some life perspective. So when she has a bit of a breakdown after her mom's sudden death she is relatable. When she is nervous about helping her father pick up the pieces due to past disappointments and unrealized expectations - she is relatable.

Eventually, she takes the cruise with him (the one her mother planned for their 40th anniversary), meets a cute author, and works on coming back to herself.

The ending really lovely. They are so hard. It works on a number of levels as it does not follow the typical romcom, but it feels true to all the characters involved, and it satisfies the reader.

I highly recommend it! It is not really one that stays with you but rather leaves you feeling content and hopeful.

The colors of this cover caught me completely off guard. I thought this was going to be a summer romance, which it was - sort of. This is what I get for not reading synopses. Don't let the bright colors fool you! This is a book that takes place on an Alaskan cruise, and while there are lighthearted moments, most of this is a deep exploration of grief and how we move forward from it.

While the main focus was on Greta and her relationship with her father, I also loved the side characters and the side romantic plot. I love that Greta was an indie musician and that her romantic interest is a memoir writer! There was something so magical about the healing they brought to each other, and the Alaskan backdrop only added to this.

The one thing I will say is that the relationship between her dad and her was genuinely painful to read because of how unsupportive he was. He comes around in the end, but her being 36 years old, wildly successfully, and still completely unsupported by her father didn't sit right with me.

Some of the other side plots in this book were distracting at times from the main two things that were going on, but that being said nothing was left unresolved. Overall this was a great read, and there's a lot to love and connect with!

"The Unsinkable Greta James" handles love and loss and stardom. It tastefully navigates grief and finding a way back to yourself after unexpected loss.

A struggling musician goes on an Alaskan cruise with her father. Made me want to go on a trip to Alaska and give my Dad a big ole bug!

Touching story on love and grief and mending relationships that have sustained deep wounds. Greta is a rockstar who loses her mom suddenly, and then is guilted in to taking her place on an Alaskan cruise with her grieving father. Her father has never quite accepted her career choice, wanting her to have a more safe and stable life, and while on the cruise they are forced to face their issues while starting to heal from the loss of the woman they loved the most in the world. Beautiful Alaskan imagery that truly made me want to make some travel plans. There is a romance arc as well, but it’s definitely secondary to her story with her parents.

Greta James, after a very public meltdown, finds herself on an Alaskan cruise with her father; a cruise he was supposed to be taking for his 40th anniversary with his wife, who recently passed away. The relationship between father and daughter is strained at best and in Greta's mind, worse than that. The relationship between father and daughter is honest and realistic; and I found myself emotional for both of them and their shared loss. This is a well written, heartfelt story that I truly enjoyed.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

I had a really hard time reading this bc of responses and settings in the book and personal issues for me at this time.

But I am not giving this less stars bc that is that point of books - to make us feel.

Well done, Ms Smith. Well done.

The story was enjoyable. The setting is on an Alaska cruise. It would be great to read while on an Alaska cruise. It was a quick read. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher. This is my honest and personal review.

The Unsinkable Greta James

rating: 5⭐️
genre: contemporary fiction
read this if you liked: Evvie Drake Starts Over

Greta James is an up and coming Indie rock guitarist when her entire world is blown apart by the sudden death of her mother. Unable to deal with her feelings of guilt and pain, she retreats into herself and her career begins to take a hit. She's semi-forced to accompany her Dad on a week long cruise to Alaska - where she must confront her feelings about her father, along with her guilt on not being with her mother when she passed away.

The Unsinkable Greta James is a deeply emotional book that will break your heart and put it together again in one fell swoop. This book gave such a raw, authentic look at how complicated life can be sometimes - whether it’s grieving someone, mending a relationship, or learning how to grow up - we are all dealing with something and sometimes it’s a messy journey. I loved the setting of this book and how real all of the characters felt to me. The relationships in this book are complicated yet full of love – you’ll be rooting from them from the beginning. This is one of those books that fell into my hands right when I needed it (thanks @books_with_taylor!) and it didn’t disappoint. The topics are are deep, but the author handled them with care. If you typically judge a book by its cover… Don’t with this one! It’s light and fun cover, while cute, is a bit deceiving on how deep this book is! I flew through it and can’t recommend this heartfelt book enough!

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.