3 out of 5 stars

It has brother friend, forced proximity, enemies to lovers; he falls first tropes all in one great story. Wyatt the hockey player got hurt and wasn't able to play hockey for a while, Josie is tricked into going and helping Wyatt (her brother's friend), who she doesn't like, while he is injured. It starts with an arrest which made me excited for the rest however it fell a bit flat after that. While being forced to spend the summer together, they begin to tolerate the other. Wyatt was set to go on a sailing trip before he got hurt, and the only way he can go now is if Josie comes with him, which she choses to do because she is a push over. They adopt a stray and go on an adventure. It's cute but very predictable
Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing, for an E-Arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Three words to describe this book
sailing
cottage
strays

This was a sweet story about Wyatt, an injured hockey player, and Josie - the sister of Wyatt’s agent who was tricked into coming to help Wyatt get out if his funk after his injury.

The banter and chemistry between Wyatt and Josie was great. I loved when Jib came into the book, the little rescue dog that Josie dressed up for the duration of the book.

The first half of the book took place in the “murder cottage” as Josie dubbed it, and the second half was on the sailboat, taking an intercostal journey.

This was a sweet, feel good rom com and another win for Emma St. Clair!

Thank you Net Galley, Emma St. Clair and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the eARC of this book!

A cozy romance all about close proximity.
It had a strong start, funny and full of banter. About 40% through it slowed down.

He falls first and everyone but her knows it.
I love the dog and Wyatt’s mom while her character didn’t add much, if anything, to the plot she was a fun one.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

3.5 stars.

A clean romance between a guy who has been in love with the girl since they met and the girl who thinks he hates her! A well written story that was easy to get into and stick with. I liked both leads, and the depth that their characters have.
I personally would have liked at least one fade-to-black scene of them getting together, but it was just kissing. Though I am glad this sort of well written contemporary romance exists for those who don't like steam/spice. I just didn't think the couple had enough chemistry and passion without it, sorry. They were fine, and I wanted them to get together, but there didn't really feel like there were stakes (even though the main obstacle after the miscommunication is their living far apart).
There was some unresolved stuff, mostly to do with family, that I wish was dealt with more. And the ending really seemed to happen too quickly, especially considering how slow and considered most of the plot was leading up to it.
Overall, it was fairly well written, easy to read, and didn't require any emotional investment (I mean that in a good way). It was a bit of a palette cleanser, and good for my currently anxious brain. I would definitely check out any other books by this author in future.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for the ARC of If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair. All opinions are my own.

I’ll honestly read anything this author writes, but wow does this book stand out as one of my favorites from her. I read the book in two days because I just didn’t want to put it down.

If I had to describe this book with one word, it would be tender. I don’t use this word a lot, but the character interactions and romantic moments were so tender, and It really made me love this story.

This book follows Wyatt, a professional hockey player that is supposed to be recovering from an injury. Instead, he has become reclusive and is staying in a beach house left to him by his late uncle. His agent Jacob is worried about his mental and physical health, so he decides to send his own sister to go stay with Wyatt. Jacob’s sister Josie is an elementary school nurse, and she has no idea that she’s been sent to get Wyatt back on his feet. She thinks she’s going on a sibling summer vacation with her brother.

Because Wyatt and Josie aren’t expecting to see each other, their first interaction is hilarious. There’s also so many other funny moments between them (especially the pigs!). Besides the humor in this book, the author did a fantastic job creating emotional depth between these characters.

Each of these characters is dealing with different issues, so it was beautiful to see how each character grew to not only accept themselves but to not settle for the situations they found themselves in. I loved the vulnerability these characters shared with each other, and it was so nice to see them lean on each other through their difficult circumstances.

This story has a slow burn romance that is so sweet because the characters build a friendship before they’re finally ready to share their feelings with each other. I loved seeing Josie and Wyatt learn from each other, and their sailing trip was such a fun part of the plot.

Overall, I can’t recommend this book enough! If you want a heartfelt and tender romance between two hurting people, this is the book for you.

Enemies to lovers? Check. Forced proximity? Check. A grumpy hockey player and a no-nonsense nurse stuck in a rundown cottage with unresolved tension simmering beneath the surface? Triple check.

This witty and heartwarming romance follows Josie, a school nurse with a grudge, and Wyatt, her brother’s best friend and injured pro hockey player. Thanks to a sneaky setup by Josie’s brother, the two are thrown together for a summer at what Josie dubs the "quaint little murder cottage" in Virginia’s Northern Neck. What starts as a begrudging arrangement soon evolves into something deeper, funnier, and surprisingly tender.

The dynamic between Josie and Wyatt is classic slow-burn—full of snark, banter, and just the right amount of tension. As they sail down the Intracoastal Waterway (yes, there's a boat!), they’re forced to confront not just their misconceptions about each other, but also about themselves.

It was also a treat to see familiar faces from a previous book make an appearance—like catching up with old friends and getting a glimpse of their lives after their own happy ending.

If All Else Sails is a charming, feel-good romance that blends humor, heart, and just the right amount of swoon. Emma St. Clair crafts lovable characters and witty banter that make the story impossible to put down. It’s a delightful escape full of warmth, second chances, and the kind of chemistry that leaves you smiling long after the final page.

it is a slower romance than my go-tos, with a lot of internalised conflict mostly from Josie’s end. I thought it was handled really well in this book, but it does slow the pace down a bit in the last quarter Still enjoyed this book!

I love Emma St.Clair books because they are always a series of moments that are so cute to read + just plain fun! Josie & Wyatt’s love story is no different!

Poor guy is down bad for her the moment he meets her and can’t think straight/ always ends up saying the wrong thing. 🫣🤭 she on the other hand thinks he can’t stand her… and is disgusted at the thought of dating her…

I LOVE when her brother comes to visits + brings Eli and Van! They are seeing straight through the pair and calling this romance. 🥰

The dog 🐶 so cute! & Josie constantly dressing the dog and matching the dog plus his reactions are priceless.

I loved the sailing/ adventures in this book it makes it the perfect summer read!

The death of Wyatt’s uncle and the spreading of his ashes along the sail trip give this romance an added emotional depth plus allow the pair to talk about deeper things.

“If All Else Sails” by Emma St. Clair is an absolute delight! The witty banter between Josie and Wyatt had me grinning from ear to ear. Josie, a school nurse, finds herself roped into helping her brother’s best friend, Wyatt—a grumpy hockey player—recover from an injury. Their forced proximity on a sailing trip leads to hilarious mishaps, unexpected chemistry, and heartfelt moments. It’s an easy, fun read that perfectly blends humor and romance. If you’re looking for a feel-good story with engaging characters and sparkling dialogue, this one’s for you!

Wyatt and Josie are one of my favorite book couples! They have great banter and I was seruisly laughing at times. -I loved how when they began traveling together everything just got better. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this I loved it.

Once again, Emma delivers an adorable romcom! I loved Wyatt’s story and that Emma gave it as a side story to the Appies series. In my opinion you can never get enough Appies romcoms! Wyatt is a big grump at first but actually ends up being really sweet and charming, especially to Josie. I didn’t guess in the beginning of the novel that he was actually in love with her; his communication skills need some work. ;) This was a fun read that easily kept me engaged and wanting to know how those two finally ended up together.

Thank you to Netgalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Emma St Clair for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Perfect mix of swoon-worthy romance, laugh-out-loud humor, and just the right amount of heartfelt emotion. From the very first page, I was completely swept away (pun totally intended) by the charming characters, witty banter, and undeniable chemistry.

The romance? Pure chef’s kiss perfection—slow burn with all the tension and just the right amount of angst. The humor? Absolutely spot-on, with moments that had me laughing out loud. And the emotional depth? Sneaks up on you in the best way, making the love story even more satisfying.

If you love stories that feel like a warm hug with a side of hilarious chaos and all the swoons, If All Else Sails is a must-read. Trust me, you’ll be grinning from start to finish! ⛵💕😂

Thank you NetGalley & publisher for this eARC.

My very first book from Emma St. Clair.

Okay, just one thing - this is not exactly enemies to lovers trope - if one of them has already developed a crush and kinda yearns for them for a period of time.

But anyways, it's ;

☸ forced proximity
☸ grumpy x sunshine
☸ slow burn romance x closed-door romance
☸ dual pov (mostly it was Josie's POV)

Overall, there were no dull moment throughout the story, and the banter was hilarious from chapter 1.

Recommended!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Kinda mad that people keep advertising things as “enemies to lovers” when they are absolutely NOT lol… marketing, please get it together. This just pisses people off, but I’m choosing to not let it affect my rating because that was likely not the author’s decision.

It’s a cute fluffy book but definitely felt like it was longer than it needed to be. There was so much extra detail and backstory that honestly didn’t add much to the story. The banter was cute but some of the book felt forcibly “quirky”. The licking of the photo…? Plz. I wasn’t really feeling the chemistry between the characters, and it didn’t seem like they really... grew? I usually love a good brother’s best friend romance, but this just wasn’t the book for me.

But I will say, as someone who couldn’t care less about sailing and the ocean, it wasn’t hard to get into that world. So if that is a concern of yours, don’t let that stop you!

I won't be posting a public review of this until at least a month after the pub date, due to the low rating and out of respect for the author. I will edit the feedback once I've posted the reviews.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for allowing me to review this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

If you’re in the mood for an adorable beach read look no further than If All Else Sails. Josie expects to meet her brother Jacob for a summer trip only to find his best friend Wyatt instead. Wyatt is a total grump who needs someone to help him out after a foot injury and Jacob couldn’t get off work to do it. Only problem is Wyatt hates her. Or does he….But she still agrees to help out. One week becomes two becomes a sailing trip of struggles. This book had me giggling constantly. It was just so sweet you can’t help but love it.

This was a cute, cozy & clean romance with several fun tropes: grumpy/sunshine, brother’s best friend, forced proximity, misunderstanding, also a sports theme with a hockey player as the MMC. The banter made me laugh out loud & swoon, but I appreciated that it didn’t get spicy. The sailing trip was fun & different than anything I’ve read before. I did get a bit frustrated with Josie taking too long to talk about her relationship, which caused the middle to drag a bit. Overall, a fun & easy read!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley & Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC!

The cover, the author and the description pulled me in - and the story hooked me! Emma St. Clair has written a witty, sweet and cozy, slow burn romance with some of my favorite tropes - annoyed to lovers, brother's best friend, close proximity, and ONE BED! This book also delivers on two of my favorite side characters....a meddling family member/friend and pet that charms the reader. And then there was the little sneaky surprise that sealed the deal for me, this is Wyatt from the Appies! If you’ve read the Sweater Weather series and the Appie’s series that followed, we get Wyatt’s story (he was on the Appies and was drafted to the NHL) and have some cameos from other Appies players!

I don’t know how they do it, but some of my favorite closed door romance authors really nail the funny/memorable details and Emma St. Clair is one of those authors. Some of my favorite details:

-Super Sibling Extravaganza
-mutant pigs
-poison oak (at the most convenient time)
-Jib Jabberwocky the dog
-the boat shoes
-murder cottage
-cool whip container
-Wyatt’s mom
-foot in mouth disease

If All Else Sails is the perfect cute, clean summer read. It is a swoony slowburn and will leave you smiling. Grab it for a poolside or beachside read.

There are some deeper topics, but they are kept very surface level. So if you are looking for emotional depth, this book wouldn’t be for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for a chance to read the ARC.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but all opinions expressed are completely my own.

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair, and let me tell you—it made my little hockey romance heart so happy! If I have one guilty pleasure (okay, more than one, but I digress), it’s my love for hockey romances. I honestly don’t know how it started, but for some reason, they always hit the spot. Sure, they’re filled with familiar tropes and guaranteed HEAs, but honestly, what’s wrong with that? In my book (pun intended), absolutely nothing. And let’s be clear—there should never be any guilt in reading what you love!

This story follows Wyatt, a former Appie (IYKYK) player, and Josie, an elementary school nurse—and the sister of his best friend, Jacob. Josie heads to a small cottage expecting a sibling getaway, only to find Jacob missing and Wyatt—her supposed enemy—living there while recovering from an off-season injury. Grumpier than ever, Wyatt isn’t exactly thrilled about unexpected company. But after some convincing (and a little bribery), Josie stays to help him out. Forced into close quarters, she quickly realizes that everything she thought she knew about Wyatt might just be wrong.

I really enjoyed this book! While there’s no on-the-ice hockey action, that’s no drawback—the story flows so well that you don’t miss it. It’s the perfect mix of humor and romance, unrequited love, and hidden secrets. If you’re a fan of heartfelt, slow-burn love stories with just the right amount of tension and warmth, If All Else Sails is definitely worth the read!

It was a cute little book. Very predictable from start to finish though. None of the characters were real stand outs. However I liked the fact they the sailing trip and the relationship to his uncle.