I thought this was relatable and entertaining- a book to read if you want a warm hug! Exactly what I want from a summer book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book. 

At first, I really enjoyed this book. I liked the plot and as someone who enjoys music, really liked the connection to Prince. However, as the book went along, I just found myself growing less interested.

None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive by Carolyn Prusa. Pub Date: November 22, 2022. Rating: 2 stars. When I read the synopsis of this novel, I was intrigued by the premise of a woman in the middle of a category four hurricane who is just trying to keep her and her family's life together. Honestly I really wanted to love this one and I did not. I felt it was a train wreck, dry writing and kind of all over the place with emotions, the characters were unlikeable and I thought the kids were awful as well. Also, I thought there would be more connections to Prince due to the title but there were not. This novel was a miss for me. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own. #netgalley

A relatable story about a mom who doesn't have it all together. An excellent genre in itself.

Ramona is having a bad day. She's got marriage problems, work problems, and challenges as a mom. So naturally there's a category four hurricane on the way.

This is light, funny reading. I liked Ramona and found her incredibly relatable, even as an unmarried woman without children. 

Definitely give this one a read!

This was just so so for me. I had a hard time sitting down to read it, but I enjoyed enough to finish because I was interested in finding out the ending.

A funny, smart, heart warming read. I’d recommend to anyone. I really enjoyed the characters and the way the plot moved by time

Very well written with moments of humor. 

Unfortunately I didn’t find this as engaging as I originally thought I would.

In this book we follow a stressed mother as she tries to navigate the chaos of evacuating ahead of a category 4 hurricane as her life seemingly comes crashing down around her. The writing in this book is chaotic, sometimes in a good way and sometimes not. The character growth is largely lacking, and many of the problems that Ramona stresses about have solutions that are so simple that it draws you out of the story. Put a diaper on your kid and go girl.

It’s a short read with lots of humour added in, but it’s not quite what was promised.

I found this book to be a uch a funny and relatable read. I will definitely be recommending it to others.

While hurricane season is officially June first through November thirtieth, those of us who live near the water know the biggest danger is late August through mid-September. Since I live 10 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, at the end of every summer I’m drawn to hurricane stories like manatees are drawn to warm water. And while None of This Would Have Happened if Prince Were Alive is a comedy, the tension from the storms is always very real.

For the complete review, click on the link below.

While I love books about the complexities of motherhood,  this book missed the mark for me- mainly because I didn't like the writing style, and also I felt that the jumping around the timeline took away from the pacing of the main hurricane evacuation and philandering husband plot.  It was too distracting and disappointing when it would cut away.

I am DNFing at about 50%

Not sure exactly what I was expecting from the title, but this definitely was different than my expectations. I found myself completely confused at why Ramona would not evacuate/RETURN to the hurricane path with her children and didn’t leave them with her beloved friend Christopher and out of harms way? Why it was so accepted that her mom was homophobic? Many unanswered questions… the best part was the Prince references for sure!

I'm not a big Prince fan, but I loved this book! The main character in the book, Ramona, has always been a Prince fan. His music is a reminder of when she was unmarried, childless, sexy and creative, and when she is in line at the post office and hears the news he passed away, she feels all the magic has gone out of the world and her life has just become a calamitous, monotonous existence. Her boss is a young bratty guy who doesn't seem to understand motherhood comes first.. Her three year old daughter refuses to potty train properly. Her mom won't evacuate and the fact that she has just come home to decide whether to evacuate from a Cat 4 hurricane, only to find her husband having sex with a woman whose child goes to school with her son, is the last straw. Which is worse, the impending breakup of her marriage or this hurricane, called Matthew?

Ramona has to keep things together for her children, but there's so much other stuff going on. She learns things from other people she would rather not know..

This is the debut novel of an exciting new author. I look forward to reading the next book she puts out. The book is funny. The line about teenage boys' eating habits had me laughing out loud, because I certainly can identify with it.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are mine, and freely given.

Picture this: you’re a working parent who has just been called to pick up your kid early from daycare, pissing off your chauvinistic boss. The laundry needs doing, the fridge is empty, among the three dozen other things on your to-do list. You walk into the house and all that temporarily turns into background noise upon discovering your husband is cheating on you. Oh, and there’s a literal category 4 hurricane on the way and the region has been ordered to evacuate.

I imagine this could either be really cathartic or really activating for people who can relate to these circumstances. If you use reading as an escape, maybe avoid. But if you use reading to feel seen and yell, “YES!!” at the book, this could be for you.

Not going to lie, I initially fell for the cover and title of this one. I would put this in the category of quick, contemporary fiction. I read 75% of it on a plane. While the themes were relatable and I laughed out loud at parts, I do wish this would have had more depth for such serious topics. I mean, the hurricane is an actual metaphor, but that’s about where the analysis ends. And no spoilers, but, the MC completely lost me when she made the most idiotic decision I think I’ve ever read (not related to the spouse cheating situation). I get that it added needed conflict to the story, but just… utter foolishness.

Read this if:
😵‍💫 You’re an overstimulated mom doing it all
📚 You like Chandler Baker’s stories about women
🎸 You’re a Prince fan who is white

Funny, inspiring, and heartwarming. A witty debut novel that was a page turner and so engaging to read.  Very relatable, especially for women trying to juggle it all. The title caught my attention and it didn't disappoint.

This book was pure chaos. The story takes place over a 2 day period, beginning with the author discovering her spouse is cheating and a category 4 hurricane is on the way. Add in kids, work, a class pet, and about a thousand other responsibilities and you can about tell how the book is going to go.

I related to the main character having to function through the chaos, but there were so many times I really wish she would have made better choices and stopped trying to do *everything*. 

Overall it was a quick and fun read. 

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This book was interesting, because it was set in Savannah, and there was a hurricane, headed their way. However, there were lots of people involved, and the main character struck me as slightly crazy because she evacuated her family and when they got to Augusta they turned right back around to come back to Savannah. The story was funny in parts, and it was very light reading, but it was not really my cup of tea.

Title: None of This Would Have Happened if Prince Was Alive 
Author: Carolyn Prusa
Publisher: @atriabooks 
Release Date: November 22, 2022 
Format: E-book 336 pages 
Star Rating: 2 

I was sent an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review. The cover and title definitely intrigued me but it just didn’t do it for me. I can admit it may not be my lane because it was very character driven and not much plot. 

The characters were extremely unlikable and the kids were awful 😂 some lines were funny but overall just not enjoyable. There didn’t seem to be much of a story more of just complaining about life. 

I can see someone liking it if they are fans of Maria Semple.

I started and stopped this book a couple of times before I finally got into it. But once I got into it, I really got into it. As in I couldn't put it down. I could relate to so much of this book and Ramona's struggles as a wife, mother, and employee. I was like my everyday times a hundred with the hurricane bearing down. 
Prusa does a great job of providing urgency without it ever seeming forced. I also appreciate that Ramona doesn't just immediately give into her husband's apologies and take him back with a happily ever after that could only happen in fiction. 
All in all a fine book. Well written and thoroughly enjoyable.

Ramona has 2 kids, a stubborn mother, a recently caught cheating husband, and a crappy boss.  Oh, and a category 4 hurricane headed straight to her in Savannah.  And she’s certain none of the bad stuff would have happened if Prince had been alive. 

Very character driven. Not enough plot for me.