A wonderful new book from Emma St Clair! I love Wyatt and Josie. Wyatt is another grump that just needs the perfect girl to pull it out of him. And I love that even though this is a brother’s best friend romance, there’s no fights with the brother. No third act breakup. Perfect. Just pure happiness while I read.

Oh Emma you’ve done it again another great book that I can’t get nothing done until I’ve finished this book !! LOL
This was such an awesome book Wyatt and Josie’s chemistry kept leaping off the pages on my kindle . Josie as a school teacher nurse and Wyatt as a hockey player who is also her brothers’ best friend . I loved the Appies appearance in this book too !
When they sail together and find the dog named Jib oh so cute !
Thank you so much for the publishers and net galley for the ARC !

Oh Josie and Wyatt, you two were such a delight. I really enjoyed this story. This author is one of my favorites and this story was no exception. This is a slow burn but I loved learning about the characters and the growth they experienced throughout.

If you’ve read any of the Appies books then you’ve met Wyatt before and he is finally getting his story. I am so happy that Josie was the other half to this story.

Josie was a complex character. We didn’t really know why she so vehemently opposed certain aspects of relationships or with certain people until close to the end but I loved the relationship that built before this point. I also really enjoyed her brother Jacob and I hope he gets his story too. Their sibling bond was pretty sweet and I loved how different they were but that they still loved each other.

Alright, Jib, she was a favorite in this book for sure. I loved her fun addition.

The sailing part of this story was really unique. I feel like this was new to me and I’ve not read a book with sailing in it before this.

Thank you to the author and to netgalley for allowing me to read this. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Minor spoilers with content warning*
CW: closed door (kisses only), mention of attempted assault in past, neglectful father/brother in past, anxiety in character.

Refreshing rom-com that was fun and cute and great chemistry without the annoying trope of misunderstanding/overreaction that is so common in rom-coms and/or romances. I loved all the little bits of character, loved the nod to the author’s Appies series. It was just overall a fun, quick read.
I did feel like the sailing bit came a little late in the story considering it was the title and cover, but that’s just my personal opinion and nitpicky on the pacing, nothing that overrides the enjoyment of the book!
**thank you to Netgalley and TNZ publishing for a review copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair
5 Stars

Let's start this review out with....I LAUGHED SO MUCH IN THIS BOOK! I read this with my friends Oceana and Lindsay and we both really enjoyed it! So many laughs and just an overall great rom-com!

This is Emma's first traditionally published book with Thomas Nelson and I HIGHLY recommend! I have loved all of Emma's books I've read, she just has such a way with writing funny, clean rom-coms and this did not disappoint!

Tied to the Appies Hockey series, we have Wyatt, Josie's brother's best friend and Hockey Player, who spend the summer together. What happens when the "enemies" spend a summer together including sailing, forced proximity situations and a sweet dog accompanies them? FEELINGS!

Our characters spend time together, feelings come to the forefront....their walls come down as they get to know each other more deeply and we really get to know them. Emma always tells stories that are filled with depth and I love that because they are REAL people with REAL issues - more than just your average rom-com.

I loved seeing Josie open up to Wyatt about what she had been through and how much Wyatt grew from his grumpy self in the beginning to the end.

Another great read from Emma I highly recommend for a clean romance!
*content warning for mention of attempted sexual assault recounted. no spice, kisses only, no language

Thank you to Emma, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for complimentary copies of the ebook and audiobook to read and review. All thoughts are my own.

This is such a fun book! I loved the chapter titles, the Appies link, the dog fashion, and the characters love story! Emma did a great job at writing the tension of characters trying not to like each other while making sure it didn’t cross over into making you think they actually hated each other. So much good stuff in this book!

First I need to thank Emma St. Clair and everyone who made it possible for me to read this book before its release date. It was a gift. I read a lot of ARCs and honestly, there is another one I should be reading which is to be released at the same time as this one. I have had it longer, so I started with that one. I just couldn’t get into it, so I decided to read some of this one before going back to the other. That was literally about 2 am this morning. It is now 8:57 am and I just finished the book. I should have known better than to start it with the thought that I was only going to read a chapter and then go to bed. I WAS HOOKED IMMEDIATELY and I laughed and swooned through the whole thing. Emma St. Clair is so good at writing the banter and making me feel like I am really watching two people fall in love. I love all of her characters and I always think that she won’t be able to make me like the next ones as much as the last ones and yet every time, she makes me love them more. I am obsessed with Wyatt and I love that the Appies got pulled into this book. I should have been wearing my Appies t-shirt when I read it because they are one of my two favorite hockey teams. (The other is the D.C. Eagles.). I love that Emma can make me feel all the feels and there is never any sex in her books at all and sex isn’t even hinted at until the couples are married. Don’t get me wrong. I read smut and some of my other favorite authors can write things in that realm that I definitely enjoy reading, but to me a romance isn’t worth reading if I don’t feel the connection between the main characters and if there isn’t an actual plot. Emma is a master at it without the steamy scenes and I will continue to read whatever she write. I just hope I am lucky enough to read her next ARC. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Now I think I need a nap. :)

Well this was the cutest! Josie, an elementary school nurse, gets tricked into leaving her comfort zone and taking care of her brother’s friend- famous hockey player Wyatt Jacobs. He’s injured, a total grump and they have a history, a history that makes Josie certain the next month will be terrible…

Loved it! So sweet and fun. Wyatt is 😍 and while I wanted to shake Josie and yell “just kiss him already!” I loved her too.

While I am absolutely terrified of sailing down the east coast, If All Else Sails is so charming and delightful it makes me (almost) amenable to such a trip…but only if I have an adorable dog-loving softie hiding beneath the exterior of a grumpy hockey brute whose favorite word is “no.”

Josie Rowland and Wyatt Jacobs are the dream of my favorite tropes…brother’s best friend, professional athlete, forced proximity, he falls first, and a matchmaking brother/best friend/sports agent. Oh, and there is a dog named Jib with wardrobe changes (including matching outfits) AND a cameo from some of Wyatt’s former teammates. It can be read as a standalone, but be prepared to dive into the Appies world!

Dual POV

This slow burn had a semi enemies to lovers feel to it that was charming to see play out. Josie and Wyatt may not have gotten off on the best foot but with a little nudge are finding their way to each other. Which brings me to one of my favorite parts of the book- the little twist to brother’s best friend trope.

Plus I am a sucker for lovable pup sidekicks and Jib was an absolute winner!

This was my first by Emma St Claire and I found it very cute. I’m going to have to check out her backlist.

Read if you love:
☀️ Grumpy / sunshine
⛵️ Sailing
🏠 Forced proximity

Thank you Harper Muse, Uplit and Netgalley for my review copies!

I’ve been a fan of Emma‘s indie books for years! This story is full of her Hallmark signatures, storytelling in a way that only Emma can! It’s the perfect combination of romance, comedy, and tension. I love the depth to her stories, but the fact that they still stay on the lighter side of things. She also does a great job incorporating side characters from previous books and new ones! If All Else Sails is a fantastic first traditionally published and the perfect summer read!

I always enjoy an Emma St. Clair book and this was no exception. I loved the unique voice and humor in this one, and I thought the dialogue was exceptionally well done. It was fun seeing little Easter egg references to the author's other books, and I loved its unique take on the hockey romance and brother's best friend tropes. I hope this won't be Emma St. Clair's last book with Thomas Nelson - she's a perfect fit for their brand of romance!

This is a charming and funny summer romance that blends slow-burn chemistry, forced proximity, witty banter, and emotional healing. Ideal for fans of clean, feel-good rom‑coms. If you enjoy brothers‑best‑friend tropes, grumpy/sunshine dynamics, and nautical adventures peppered with quirky animal antics—you’ll likely love this one.

I had really hopes for this book, but I was really let down. The premise seemed great, with themes I like (enemies to loves, forced proximity and hockey romance). This just fell short. My biggest issue with the book is the pacing. This wasn’t even a slow burn really. The anticipation and tension was lacking for me so it just felt lackluster. The characters didn’t really change at all either so it was hard to root for them when there was nothing pushing them to make a change. The one thing I loved was the sense of humor between Josie and Wyatt.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

OH HOW SOFT.

You know what we all need sometimes? A soft and sweet summer romance that just gives you the warm fuzzies. I adored this story. It was an easy read and I loved watching these two souls who were so oblivious to their love work it out sailing together. And did I mention that Wyatt is down bad? BECAUSE HE IS AND I LOVE IT. There were so many small moments that truly added to their love story. I love the quiet actions. Those always speak the loudest and make my heart burst.

I loved the few cameos from some of my favorite Appies and the growth that Wyatt showed throughout. I love watching grumpy characters soften and have some core realizations about their life. Josie was steadfast in taking care of Wyatt and I can’t tell y’all how many scenes I was giddy over. Your friendly reminder that closed door romances can bring the heat.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low
Content warnings: grief depiction, loss of a loved one (recounted)

Such a cute book. I have read a number of the appies series and this one definitely felt more in depth which I really liked. Appies is great and super cute, this one was just more flushed out with more build up.

I also loved this quote from the beginning. “Never leave the house without your underwear or your boundaries.”

Josie accepted a last-minute plea from her brother to pack a suitcase and drive two hours for an epic Super Summer Sibling Extravaganza. When she arrives at the address, she wonders if Jacob has sent her to a murder cottage instead. Even worse, he won’t answer his phone, and she has no idea if he’s dead or alive (or soon-to-be-dead for sending her to this creepy address). Josie wants nothing more than to run and hide in her crowded apartment and lose herself in a stack of novels. What self-respecting school nurse could desire more for their short summer break?

When Josie’s brother finally picks up, the scream of police car sirens interrupts the conversation before Josie and Jacob can sort out the mess. Not a propitious beginning to the planned-for sibling extravaganza. But when she realizes she’s standing outside Wyatt Jacob’s house, it all makes sense. Wyatt hasn’t liked her from the moment they first met.

The problem with having your best friend as your agent is that you never know what to expect. Wyatt Jacobs certainly doesn’t expect Jacob to send his all-grown-up little sister to coax him out of his hockey injury post-surgery slump. Otherwise, he never would have called the cops to protect his privacy. And he certainly would never ask them to detain Josie; the woman he’s secretly had a crush on from the moment they first met. Wyatt doesn’t know if he should fire his agent or bless him for the crazy scheme.

Josie doesn’t know whether to follow through with her plans to throttle her brother or accept the obscene amount he’s offering to stay and help Wyatt through his physical therapy and recovery. Josie wants a down payment on a house, so she begrudgingly takes the deal.

As she gets to know Wyatt—Josie makes a bargain with him. She’ll sail along the Intracoastal Waterway with him in his sailboat if he goes to every physical therapy appointment without complaint. Easy-peasy. Until she realizes the living quarters on the sailboat make the murder cottage seem like a mansion. How will they ever survive such forced proximity?

Despite the odds, maybe Wyatt and Josie can figure out a way to help each other this summer. And maybe Wyatt the Grump can figure out how to speak to Josie without making a fool of himself. The payoff could be bigger than any contract or hockey victory he’s ever won.
Why I Loved This Book

Emma St. Clair, the queen of clean rom-com, has done it again. Sassy dialogue, unlikely encounters (including pigs, poisonous plants, and Emergency Rooms), and sizzling romance set firmly in the clean zone make this a novel that anyone from fifteen to 115 will enjoy.
If you love to laugh out loud, you’ll love the latest book by Emma St. Clair (and you’ll want to check out all of her other clean rom-coms!).

A loving couple who heal together. A fun romance, with communication difficulties, but an understanding of each other's limits. Jib was adorable and a way for the couple to communicate their feelings. Their friends and relationship with Jacob were a plus. Their journey together was well-constructed and fun to follow.

Emma St Clair's books always make me smile! Her characters and plots are always so great.

This book starts with Josie. She thinks she's going on a sibling vacation with her brother. Only...she ends up at a murder house in the back of a police car in the heat. What a great meet cute! It definitely made me chuckle.

I loved Josie so much! She didn't really want to stay and help Wyatt. But she ends up doing it as a favor to her brother. Even learning to sail so that she can go with him on his uncle's boat.

Wyatt is one of the good guys. But he's really stubborn and going through a hard time. Eventually Josie breaks through his defenses and she's able to help him.

I loved that these two go on a sailing journey together. And the reason for their journey touched me. I loved that the characters in this book have gone through struggles, we all do, of course. Josie and Wyatt are able to move past their struggles together.

I loved this one so much!

If All Else Sails is a delightful story that hits all the marks for a sweet, funny, and entertaining summer read. Josie is supposed to be meeting her brother for a sibling vacation but instead she finds herself at the home of his best friend and hockey pklyer client, Wyatt. The two have never gotten along.get along He's a grump and she is not comfortable around athletes. But, her brother hires her to take of Wyatt while he is recovering from an injury. She needs the money. A sailing trip down the intravenous waterway is the perfect way for the two to get acquainted and a stray pup, Jib, (a sailing term) adds a sweet note. Loved it! I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. These are my thoughts.