None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive by Carolyn Prusa: Book Review

None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive is Carolyn Prusa’s debut novel. With an anticipated release date of November 22 by Atria Books, readers are taken to Savanah, Georgia, when a category four hurricane is coming. Ramona is a mom struggling with finding the work-life balance she craves. Trying to be there for everyone except herself, Ramona finds herself trying to figure out what’s next for her and her family.

I want to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of None of This Would Have Happened if Prince Were Alive. All opinions presented here are solely mine.

Synopsis from Goodreads

Ramona’s got a bratty boss, a toddler teetering through toilet training, a critical mom who doesn’t mind sharing, and, oops—a cheating husband. That’s how a Category Four hurricane bearing down on her life in Savannah becomes just another item on her to-do list. In the next forty-eight hours, she’ll add a neighborhood child and the class guinea pig named Clarence Thomas to her entourage as she struggles to evacuate town.

Ignoring the persistent glow of her minivan’s check engine light, Ramona navigates police checkpoints, bathroom emergencies, demands from her boss, and torrential downpours while fielding calls and apology texts from her cheating husband and longing for the days when her life was like a Prince song, full of sexy creativity and joy.

Positives

A quick and easy read. Clocking in with 336 pages, this could easily be read in a weekend.

Many of the characters are easy to relate to.

Negatives

Honestly, there isn’t anything I can think of that is negative.

My Opinions

As a wife and a mother, I found it very easy to relate to Ramona’s situation. When we were younger, many of us thought we would be the cool adult, and then we became the adult in charge and had to be responsible over cool. Then one day, we wake up and find ourselves wondering who we are and how we got there.

Ramona has a job she likes and feels successful doing. Except she’s feeling a bit stressed by her boss and that she’s one of only two women in her workplace. Ramona has two kids, one of which she is in the process of potty training. Her husband is a contractor, and her mom is stubborn and refuses to listen to reason. Ramona looks around her and wonders how she got into the situation she finds herself in.

If you’ve read and enjoyed Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple, you will also enjoy this book. This book is also perfect for anyone who feels like they’ve lost themselves along the way.

Looking for some more books to read? Check out my bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.