After the death of her beloved mother, failed indie singer-songwriter Greta James joins her father on a week-long Alaskan cruise, which becomes a journey of discovery for them both as they work to heal old wounds, giving her confidence she needs to move forward. - (Baker & Taylor)

"Right after the sudden death of her mother--her first and most devoted fan--and just before the launch of her high-stakes sophomore album, Greta James falls apart on stage. The footage quickly goes viral and she stops playing, her career suddenly in jeopardy--the kind of jeopardy her father, Conrad, has always predicted. Months later, Greta--still heartbroken and very much adrift--reluctantly agrees to accompany Conrad on the Alaskan cruise her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth anniversary.It could be their last chance to heal old wounds in the wake of shared loss. But the trip will also prove to be a voyage of discovery for them both, and for Ben Wilder, a charming historian, onboard to lecture about The Call of the Wild, who is struggling with a major upheaval in his own life. As Greta works to build back her confidence and Ben confronts an uncertain future, they find themselves drawn to and relying on each other. It's here in this unlikeliest of places--at sea, far from the packed city venues where she usually plays and surrounded by the stunning scenery of Alaska--Greta will finally confront the choices she's made, the heartbreak she's suffered, and the family hurts that run deep. In the end, she'll have to decide what her path forwardmight look like--and how to find her voice again"-- - (Baker & Taylor)

An indie musician reeling from tragedy and a public breakdown reconnects with her father on a weeklong cruise in “a pitch-perfect story about the ways we recover love in the strangest places” (Rebecca Serle, bestselling author of In Five Years)

“The characters are drawn with a generosity that allows them to be wrong but also right, loving but also prone to missteps, and ultimately deserving of a resolution that’s full of hope.”—Linda Holmes, New York Times bestselling author of Flying Solo

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: She Reads

Just after the death of her mother—her first and most devoted fan—and weeks before the launch of her high-stakes sophomore album, Greta James falls apart on stage. The footage quickly goes viral and she stops playing, her career suddenly in jeopardy—the kind of jeopardy her father, Conrad, has always predicted.

Months later, Greta—still heartbroken and very much adrift—reluctantly agrees to accompany Conrad on the Alaskan cruise her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. It could be their last chance to heal old wounds in the wake of shared loss. But the trip will also prove to be a voyage of discovery for them both, and for Ben Wilder, a charming historian struggling with a major upheaval in his own life. As Greta works to build back her confidence and Ben confronts an uncertain future, they find themselves drawn to and relying on each other.

It’s here in the unlikeliest of places—at sea, far from the packed city venues where she usually plays and surrounded by the stunning Alaskan wilderness—that Greta will have to decide what her path forward might look like—and how to find her voice again. - (Random House, Inc.)

Jennifer E. Smith is the author of nine books for young adults, including The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between, both of which have been adapted for film. She earned a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and her work has been translated into thirty-three languages. She currently lives in Los Angeles. - (Random House, Inc.)

Booklist Reviews

When Greta James' mother dies of a sudden blood clot in her brain, Greta, a rising rock star, is shocked. Her mother was the guiding light in her life, coming to all Greta's shows and steadfastly supporting her. Greta flies home from a show in Berlin immediately, but it's not enough for her father, who is resentful of Greta's career and absence. In an effort to reconcile, Greta agrees to accompany her father on an Alaskan cruise, which was supposed to be a celebration of her parents' anniversary. While there, Greta dissociates herself from her famous persona and learns about her own humanity through a whirlwind relationship and a return to the music that has propelled her through her life. Smith's first book for adults after eight successful young adult novels is a page-turner, smoothly written and engaging. Exploring themes of grief similar to Rebecca Serle's One Italian Summer (2021), but through the wholly different and beautiful setting of Alaska, Smith delivers a satisfying read for book clubs, adventure lovers, and musicians. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

A 36-year-old indie rock star goes on a weeklong cruise with her father after her mother unexpectedly dies. Greta James is struggling. She hasn't played a concert in months, her new album is delayed, and she's broken up with her boyfriend. All this pales in comparison to the spark that set off these events: Her mother suffered a brain aneurism and died before Greta could get to her. Now, the Alaskan cruise that her parents had been looking forward to taking for their 40th anniversary is here, and her mother is not. Greta's brother, Asher, convinces Greta to go on the cruise with their father, and she decides to do it for her mother even though she and her father have not gotten along since her career started to take off. While on the cruise, Greta meets Ben Wilder, an academic who's there to lecture about his new novel based on the work of Jack London's The Call of the Wild. Sparks fly. The cruise is hard, emotionally complicated, stressful, and a balm, both for Greta and her father. Author Smith has crafted a story about mothers and daughters, fathers and children, grief, happiness, and healing—and also about the music industry, hard work, dreams, and relationships both old and new. The power of the Alaskan scenery breathes through the pages, and Greta's grief about her mother's death is palpable. But sometimes the best way to handle grief is to move through it, as someone tells Greta on the ship, even though the route might be hard. Readers of Evvie Drake Starts Over will enjoy this book. A well-told story with evocative prose that bares—and bears—the ragged emotions that accompany a journey to healing. Copyright Kirkus 2022 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Library Journal Reviews

Indie musician Greta James has made her mark despite her father's insistence that she choose a more practical career. But after her devoted mother dies, Greta suffers a calamitous breakdown onstage and stops performing altogether. Accompanying her father on the Alaskan cruise her parents had booked for their 40th wedding anniversary might help her find a way back to music, as might her meeting with historian Ben Wilder, who is facing down his own demons. From top YA author Smith.

Library Journal Reviews

YA author Smith (The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight) enters the adult field with this uplifting novel. The last thing Greta James wants to do is spend a week on a cruise ship. The trip to Alaska, an event her parents had been planning for more than a year, was supposed to be their 40th anniversary celebration, but Greta's mother didn't live long enough to enjoy the trip she so meticulously planned. Greta and her father, Conrad, don't have the best relationship. She never fit his ideal—housewife, PTA, picket fence; instead she's a rock star, on tour all over the world. Greta fell apart on stage the day after her mother died and hasn't picked up her guitar since. Maybe the cruise will do her some good; maybe she can resurface and work on her second album. On board, history professor/best-selling author/cruise ship guest lecturer Ben Wilder catches Greta's eye, proving to be the best distraction. But with a concert on the horizon, Greta knows she'll have to face her fears and sorrow head-on. VERDICT Death can change so much for the living. Readers of Debbie Macomber and Robyn Carr will love how unsinkable Greta proves to be.—Jane Blue

Publishers Weekly Reviews

Smith delivers a story of love and grief with her satisfactory adult debut (after the YA novel Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between). Greta James, a beleaguered rock star in her 30s grieving the sudden loss of her mother, Helen, sets off on an eight-day Alaskan cruise with her father, Conrad. The trip, which Helen had organized prior to her death, was supposed to be a wedding anniversary celebration. Greta, meanwhile, hasn't performed since an onstage meltdown went viral, and Greta and Conrad have an uneasy rapport because Conrad never supported Greta's career. Early on in the cruise, Greta meets Ben Wilder, an author and Columbia professor there to give lectures for the guests. The unlikely pair form an instant bond, and this romance, along with Greta's potential reconciliation with her father, propel a plot buoyed by majestic descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness. Hints of a disastrous development on the voyage never come to fruition, though Smith does a great job with her characters, particularly Greta, eliciting her charms and flaws in equal measure. There's not a whole lot to write home about with this, but it gets the job done. (Mar.)