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.

This was a fun and fast read!! I loved the flashbacks to Ramona's days in college, and the references to Prince's songs.

I could empathize with Ramona in dealing with her widowed mother, Adelaide's antics, and felt her anxiety and anger towards her.. Alex and Nanette were a hoot!! I also felt the pain and anger she felt towards her cheating husband, Desmond.

How she manages to keep the kids rounded up (including the neighbor kid Bailey) and a gaggle of pets while weathering a Cat Four hurricane is amazing!!

Romona is dealing with all of the things in her life - a job with tight deadlines, 2 young kids and a husband, her mother, a coming hurricane., and a need to evacuate To top it all off, she comes home early to find her husband is cheating on her. This was a book that was funny, quirkily, and heartwarming in many places. It also made me shake my head and ask why several times too. Overall, I found it enjoyable and a quick read.

Fun, quick read about a divorcee that is taking charge of her life. It was a fun and easy read, and definitely had me thinking about things differently

I really enjoyed this book. I was expecting light hearted and it was sometimes, but also full of emotion at others. That always makes for a great book. It felt completely relatable, which I personally love in a story. Definitely a recommend from me!

This book is for any woman who feels like it all falls on them. Everything from getting the shopping done to sending birthday treats to school. ALL while dear ol' dad/husband goes to work and has time for a mistress. Romana dealing with any one thing at a time is enough to make you wish for the single life on a tropical island....now throw in evacuating your neighborhood to get ahead of a hurricane.
As a grown woman myself, I couldn't help but tighten my hands around my book as Romana clenches her steering wheel in her hands as she tries to flee dodge. When bickering breaks out in the backseats of her old--and full--van you will want to turn around and say "DON"T MAKE ME PULL OVER!" yourself.
As she zones out along the drive she remembers the feeling of youth, sheer joy, and carefree life of Prince songs that played on the radio in her hay-days.
Romona is your neighbor, your friend, your sister...Romana is you. You on your very worst day.

This had a lot of humor and charm, but was also heavy-handed in some aspects in a way that was distracting and unnatural to the narrative. I enjoyed the idea of the book and storyline, but overall, the callbacks to moments in Prince music history didn't feel like they were flowing forth from our main characters' love and passion for the late singer, but rather from the author's attempt to fit the references in by any means necessary. A+ work on a realistic portrayal of the realities of motherhood and the inequitable division of parenting labor between mothers and fathers, which often leads to marriage woes, but not my fave story at the end of the day.

Ramona has a rough day at work and comes home early. She soon discovers that her husband has been cheating on her. She goes into a tail spin and tries to focus on her kids and getting out of Savanah before hurricane Mathew hits.

Ramona is on an emotional roller coaster which makes her very relatable as a mother, daughter, concerned neighbor, friend as she tries to figure out what she wants in life. Somewhere along the way she focused on making everyone else happy and not her own needs. She finally finds her voice and decides to stand up for herself.

I loved all the prince references and songs and flash backs to how Ramona was in college.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of ‘None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive’ by Carolyn Prusa in exchange for my honest feedback.

4 stars!! This book was so much fun to read and so RELATABLE in so many areas.

As a working mom, I deeply felt the struggle our heroine, Romona feels about family/work life balance. But that struggle is just the tip of the iceberg for Romona, there is a literal hurricane headed her way on top of her discovering her husband’s affair… all in one day.

This book was an entertaining, easy read. Following Romona on all her adventures was so much fun!

None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive was quirky and fun despite a lot of serious stuff sprinkled throughout. It had a lot of "why Ramona? why" moments for me, as well as a lot of cringey situations but both ended up working in the context of the story. A natural disaster, a cheater husband, and a woman who keeps putting everyone and everything else ahead of herself.

Ramona's life is one tricky balancing act - trying to fit in at the office full of young people, potty training her toddler, checking on her fiercely opinionated and independent mom and now dealing with a potential threat of an incoming hurricane. Discovering her husband is cheating on her turns her already wobbly world upside down. When hurricane evacuation notice comes into play, Ramona will have to figure out how to haul her kids, a neighbour's teenage son, a school pet and her unwilling mother, out of hurricane's path. All the while trying to suppress her heartache, field attempts at reconciliation from her husband and ridiculous demands of her boss. As memories tied to her beloved artist Prince start to surface she starts to remember the person she used to be before...

Though it tackles many heavier subjects this book makes a great poolside/beach-side companion. Ramona's character is probably an exaggerated version of what sometimes happens in life - we forget the essence of who we are as we take on different roles in relation to other people. Yes some of her decisions felt ridiculous but they felt necessary for propelling the story forward, as well as for the journey of self-discovery she was on. I love the backdrop of Prince as artistic and personal influence in her life. Overall I just wanted to give Ramona a huge hug and tell her it'll all be ok.

My gratitude goes to Atria Books and NetGalley for gifting me an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I didn't know what to expect from this book, but if Prince is involved, I'm there no questions asked. I was pleasantly surprised at how touching and relatable this story is, and in weaving Prince's legacy into Ramona's life, was a great touch.

As a huge Prince fan, I knew I had to check this out when I saw the title (especially as it's something I've been thinking over the past few years since his passing). And Prusa's book did not disappoint!

Ramona's life is a hot mess, and it's likely to be perfectly relatable to many readers. She sacrifices for her dreams and those she loves. Well-developed characters and fun details easily pull the reader in. Overall, this is a fast, fun read that takes place over the course of 48 hours in Ramona's hectic life. While there are some serious issues addressed, there is also a healthy dose of humor along the way. And I loved how Prince was key to so many of the important moments for Ramona.


A favorite quote: “Prince has been gone six months, and the world already feels less sparkly, specifically my world. He is never again going to don a shoulder-padded blazer with a billowing scarf and remind us that we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.”

I absolutely loved every second of this. Anyone who knows me knows the level of relatability was off the charts. I mean, the title made that obvious, but then there were references to a New Kids first concert, Justin Timberlake, Savannah, Macon, anxiety, putting on a brave face.

All that aside, this is a story that is somehow hilarious, tragic, heartwarming, and hopeful all at once. It shows us that life is going to throw some really bad stuff at us, stuff we can’t prepare for, plan for, or expect. But then it shows us that doesn’t have to make us. Navigating those moments is what we all have to do. And that is okay. And we will be okay.

I will be picking up anything Carolyn Prusa writes from this point forward.

I recommend this book to anyone who needs to laugh, to feel, to be immersed in a story. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy.

(Actual: 3.75⭐️, rounded up) This book was actually quite the surprise— I came for the quirky title, sure, but I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this one as much as I did. And I’ll be honest— this book is kinda chaotic lol. But don’t get me wrong, I kinda loved it? It also works here in this instance. There’s a lot *literally* going on in this book, and a lot of topics to tackle (both light and heavy in tone). …. And yet, I think Prusa did a pretty good job at balancing & devoting enough time to each of these things so that none of them felt too rushed or like an afterthought. I personally found Ramona to be SO RELATABLE as a character and I think that a lot of others will feel the same as well. I think that…. on some level anyway, we all know or have experienced what it’s like to feel (or be) under-appreciated or under-valued, despite us genuinely giving it our all. And as we get older, it’s also easy to look back & fall victim to wondering “How the hell did I get *here*?” Ultimately though, this book is very hopeful & uplifting above all else, and I’d definitely read more from the author in the future!

I really enjoyed this book.

For one, it made me feel like I was in a hurricane and I had to remind myself that I’m not.

For two, it’s a beautiful story of when life goes off track and how to bring it back. Or try to.

It was an enjoyable read, and I definitely recommend it.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fans of Maria Semple will likely enjoy the prose and set-up of Carolyn Prusa's debut novel. Prusa's lead, Ramona, is a great encapsulation of a mother of two young ones just....trying to do her best in the face of many trials (exploitative job, unhelpful and cheating husband, really terrible kids, and an impending Category 4 hurricane). I enjoyed this book, but I also found every character (minus her neighbor Bailey and delightful gay college friend Christopher) incredibly frustrating. To ignore a mandatory evacuation warning is really hard to get past, especially when you throw non-consenting kids into the mix. I also found it dragging a bit in the middle--lots of thought tangents that didn't really matter too much. It's a cute book! But it's a bit forgettable and also made me never want to have kids...ever. The Prince tie-in wasn't really necessary, more add and stir than fully part of the plot.

This was such a fun read! I absolutely loved Ramona and was super invested in everything that happened in the book. I think the flashbacks interspersed with the present day chaos of trying to get ahead of a hurricane worked really well in giving you a sense of who Ramona is and how she's trying to re-discover herself in a way. I'm still laughing at the class guinea pig named Clarence Thomas,

Five stars - I can't wait to read more from Carolyn Prusa!

I expected a modern ROM com based on the cover but this was an authentic look at marriage and motherhood. It did have me giggling at times, and as a huge Prince fan, I appreciated the commentary on his various videos and performances. I wanted a more satisfying end, but that probably would've felt less authentic.