What an utterly delightful and sweet book. While the “sailing” aspect of the book didn’t happen until the latter half of the book, I loved this grumpy x sunshine, brothers best friend, second chance, closed door romance!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you @netgalley and @thomasnelson for the copy of this novel.

If all else Sails follows Josie and Wyatt as they overcome challenges and animosity since childhood. Wyatt is a grumpy hockey player with a possibly career changing injury; Josie is a school nurse with a pushy brother (Jacob) who pays her to look after Wyatt.

This is a class summer romance read - enemies to lovers in the perfect sense. I love a slow burn romance and this is one of the SLOWEST.

Tropes:
👀 He fell first
😠 Enemies to lovers
🏒 Hockey Romance
❤️‍🔥 Slooooowwwww burn

Absolutely perfect for a summer read and will get you in the feels. (Also sports romances are so hot right now!)

4.25⭐️


Pros:
✅ Hockey Romance
✅ Enemies to lovers
✅ Slow burn to the max - the sexual tension is HOT!

Cons:
⭕️I wasn’t impressed with the epilogue but that’s not the story!

“A quaint little murder cottage…”

What a great page turner this book is! Deliciously summery, packed with humour, love and “hate” and also touching on some very sensitive issues, which made me emotional and prompted self-reflection.
I have enjoyed reading this book from the very start as I have laughed out loud on page one and knew the book will provide the perfect escapism.
Perfect dose of sunshine, animal love, nautical themes, humour, family matters and splendid unraveling of the “hate” to love topic. Very well written and beautifully executed book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley!

This was a sweet, dual POV summer romcom that takes place in South Carolina and has an injured hockey player recovering with help from his agent's elementary school nurse sister who he's happened to have a crush on for years.

Full of laughs and heart and based on the author's family history, this had me smiling and cheering for the two MCs to get their HEA. I especially loved the rescue dog, the free range pigs and the ICW sailing trip. Highly recommend it for fans of books like Float Plan by Trish Doller.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review. This is the author's first trad published book but there were some fun cameos from past Appies Hockey team players so fans of her indie works will delight in those Easter eggs!

This was a clean, slow-burn romance with a sailing backdrop — and while the concept had promise, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

First off: this isn’t really enemies to lovers. It’s more like “I saw you once and misjudged you” to lovers. The tension? It’s there, and some moments were really sweet (plus, Jib is a cinnamon roll 🐾). I loved the lack of forced third-act breakup — that was refreshing.

But the pacing felt… off. The first 25% covered basically one day, and the sailing — which the title and cover promise — barely starts until halfway through. Even then, it’s more background than plot. I went in excited for forced proximity on a boat. That? Didn’t happen.

Josie felt immature for her age, and Wyatt lacked depth. I wish we had seen more of their personal lives — Josie’s family, Wyatt’s backstory. The miscommunication plot (based on a kitchen scene that was nothing) never fully made sense, and some reveals (like Josie’s trauma) came way too late and with little emotional build-up.

By the end, I didn’t feel their connection or growth. Questions about the relationship popped up right before the proposal, then vanished. For a book that dragged, the ending felt rushed and unearned.

If you like clean, low-stakes romance with minimal spice and don't mind a verrry slow burn, you might enjoy this. But for me? It felt flat. Cute moments, but nothing truly memorable.

Thank you so much to #netgalley and #thomasnelsonfiction for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I am a sucker for so many tropes. Literally so many. But a top one for me is ~always~ brother’s best friend. And If All Else Sails with its brother’s best friend and he’s obsessed but she has no idea tropes just HIT.

I loved this book and could not put it down. This was my top read for the month of June (and I read a lot in June).

We are along for the ride as Josie and Wyatt navigate their situation after Josie is set up by her brother to go to Wyatt’s house under the guise of a siblings trip. Josie arrives, her brother is not there (and never had plans to be), and Wyatt ends up calling the police on Josie for trespassing at his murder cottage. Despite their rocky start, Josie and Wyatt partner up for a trip on Wyatt’s sailboat down the intercoastal. Josie knows nothing about sailing, and is super relatable when she is researching, learning, and overbuying for the trip. While the pair is gearing up for the trip, they grow what feels very naturally from unwitting participants in a scheme orchestrated by Josie’s brother/Wyatt’s agent, to friends, to something more. There’s no insta-love, nothing happening so fast you end up looking back later and going HOW? In addition to some super cute summer romance and funny shenanigans, If All Else Sails tactfully covers issues such as dealing with grief/the loss of a loved one.

If All Else Sails had me kicking my feet and giggling the whole time. The longing and pining were 10/10, the romance 11/10. We had unlikely minor antagonists in the form of pigs and a dog that was truly living her best life and definitely has a closet that rivals mine. If you’re looking for a summer read, you’ve found a great one.

Does anyone know where I can sign up to be a nurse/roommate/support system/eventual girlfriend of an injured hockey player? My brother doesn’t love me enough to sneakily set me up with one…

I did receive a review copy of If All Else Sails, and am leaving this review honestly and voluntarily.

IF ALL ELSE SAILS is definitely one of my favorite Emma St. Clair rom-com (and I've read over 15 of them so far!). I love the humor and heart that comes with Wyatt and Josie's relationship, and this book was definitely different from any other Emma St. Clair book I've read, in terms of the SLOW-BURN romance - and I LOVE a good slow-burn romance! Trust me, it's worth the wait as Wyatt and Josie start out as "enemies" that leads to a shy, budding friendship simmering with attraction, which eventually leads up to the MOST AMAAAAAZING kiss ever. And then there ARE plenty more kisses after that!! ;) Wyatt was the perfect grumpy to Josie's sunshine and I also loved the character development that they both went through. Jib was the perfect side character, and I also liked Jacob and I DEFINITELY loved the two cameos from the Appies Romance series! I also learned a lot about sailing, so that was a fun bonus - I love learning new things in any and all books! I definitely am getting my own non-ARC copy and will recommend this to other sweet rom-com lovers! Thank you, Emma St. Clair, NetGalley, and Thomas Nelson for the ARC of IF ALL ELSE SAILS! I am posting this on my Instagram and GoodReads as well, under @heidieafinitelyreads and https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/60646865.

This was such a fun summer romance! Josie’s brother tricks her into “babysitting” Wyatt (an injured hockey player) while on her school nurse summer break. Wyatt refuses PT and is grumpy and Josie isn’t so sure how this is going to work out. As the summer goes on, their relationship turns into a friendship and then… I loved the relation to the Appie’s, that was like an extra nugget of fun!

4.5 stars (rounded up to 5)

Omg this book had me grinning ear to ear. Emma always delivers on humorous and fun romances.

I love Wyatt and Josie, they just kept getting into one mess after another. Their antics absolutely sent me!

Josie, an elementary school nurse, is tricked by her brother into becoming a caregiver for Wyatt after he suffers an injury. Wyatt is grumpy and doesn’t like people in his business. The two end up stuck together in Wyatt’s so-called "murder" cabin. What follows is a chaotic and hilarious series of events, from a misunderstanding arrest to wrangling pigs and emergency hospital visits.

Wyatt has a planned coastal sailing trip, and with his injury, he needs Josie’s help with navigating. With the forced proximity, they draw closer and form a friendship, finally realizing they never really disliked each other.

The banter is top-notch! But they also had the most tender and fun moments from real talks, tickle fights, back scratches, and late-night chats that slowly chipped away at their walls.

I highly recommend this gem! It’s hilarious yet tender, a well-done dislike-to-lovers trope, and gives off perfect summer vibes!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

🔥Heat level: Kissing only. Closed-door romance
🫢Language: None

This book was adorable. It had such great grumpy/sunshine vibes! There were several funny moments that made me laugh out loud. I loved the dog and all of the outfits! Enjoyed the connections and references to Appies. I loved the slow burn and then happily ever after just had me smiling so big in the epilogue!

This is a great summer read! I loved the chemistry between the main characters and that it was a sweet read that also dealt with some more serious topics (family relationships, career pressure, etc). The ending was a bit cliche, but it’s a cute, feel good story!

Jump on board and sail away with this funny, touching, adorable rom-com! Loved this story! Definitely worth the read, This book was provided through NetGalley for me to read. These are my own personal thoughts.

4.5 stars

This book was so cute! I loved the characters and the journey they went on. It was even cuter learning that a lot of this story was inspired by the author and her family's life. The sail journey was lots of fun and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. Fun, easy read!

This was such a fun enemies-to-lovers, grumpy x sunshine, slow- burn romance!! I am a sucker for all of those tropes but the addition of the forced proximity trope made this the perfect blend for me.

If All Else Sails was such a light hearted and fun read! I'm a sucker for brother's best friend, and I really loved the dynamic between Josie and Wyatt. Plus the banter was *chefs kiss*

This was auch a cute read. I really had fun reading it.
Love the mcs soooo much
Big thanks to netgally for this book

It was very cute and quite adventurous!
I enjoyed the banter between the main characters and how cute their journey was.
Brother's best friend and grumpy x sunshine are not my favorite tropes, but I had fun!

Jib <3

3.5 stars from me
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC.

Actual rating: 4.5 ⭐

This is the first book by Emma that I’ve read, and I’m certain it won’t be the last.

I genuinely enjoyed it. The story was engaging, and the characters felt real and likable. I’ve always had a soft spot for the brother’s best friend trope, and this book handled it perfectly. The chemistry between the leads was strong, the humor hit just right, and the pacing kept me hooked throughout.

The writing style was smooth and easy to get into, making it one of those books you can fly through without realizing how much time has passed. A really fun, heartfelt read overall — definitely one I’d recommend to romance lovers.

This is a sweet and clean rom com that had me both laughing and crying throughout. I loved both main characters, Josie and Wyatt. I even enjoyed learning a little bit about sailing as the book went along. The middle got a little long waiting for the inevitable to finally happen, but I really enjoyed the comical and sweet way it all came together. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Emma St. Clair is an auto-buy author for me, so I was so excited to get an ARC of this book especially with it tying into The Appies series which I adore.

This rom-com checked all my favorite trope boxes: brothers' best friend, enemies-to-more, and forced proximity. I loved watching Wyett and Josie go from butting heads to acknowledging their true feelings. Their meet-hate and were such a great jumping off point for their story, and it stayed consistently enjoyable.
I appreciated the depth their individual background stories brought and how they helped each other heal and grow. Josie brought out the best in Wyatt, helping him recover from his injury and deal with family issues , while Wyett made Josie feel safe and seen.

And let's not forget Jib, a dog with a wardrobe that any girl would be envious of! Plus she loves Eli so we know she’s a dog with great taste.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this read, there were a few things that kept it from being a full 5-star read for me. At times, I felt like we were told about Wyett and Josie's chemistry rather than truly feeling it. I also would've loved more dual POV moments to delve deeper into Wyett's thoughts; it was dual pov definitely heavier on Josie’s side of things. Lastly, the shared last name "Jacobs" and Josie's brother "Jacob" did get confusing on occasion.

Overall, "If All Else Fails" is a great rom-com that tackles heavy themes with a lighthearted touch. Emma St Clair's writing is, as always, engaging and addictive.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."