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."

This book was an utter delight. The perfect summer beach read, and probably my favorite Emma St. Clair book yet. From the funny shenanigans and adorable dog to the grumpy hero and quirky heroine, I loved it all. If you need a lighthearted story with soul right now, this book is it!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

If All Else Sails is a delightful enemies-to-lovers romance featuring a grumpy hockey player and a school nurse thrown together under hilarious and unexpected circumstances. When Josie arrives expecting her “Super Summer Sibling Extravaganza,” she instead finds herself at a rundown "murder cottage" with Wyatt Jacobs—her brother’s injured best friend and her sworn nemesis—who needs her help to recover

The initial meet-cute is both awkward and charming, instantly setting the stage for a summer filled with tension, witty banter, and emotional surprises. I could not put this book down—I read whenever I could, even when adult responsibilities were calling!

Josie’s sunny personality and Wyatt’s grumpy exterior play beautifully against each other, and I loved their slow-burn chemistry, especially during the forced proximity of shared spaces and a sailing trip.

. The blend of humor, heartfelt growth, and that memorable cottage and boat setting made it impossible to step away until the last page.

Overall, this charming, clean (closed-door) romance is a perfect summer escape—complete with delightful banter, a sweet emotional arc, and characters that will stay with you long after the story ends. Highly recommend!

I really liked this book. It was written from the POV of Josie, the FMC. She does a trip with her brother each year (or tries to ...), but this year is so much different.
She has to help her brother's best friend, Wyatt. He hates her, or she just thinks this?
It's a beautiful romance about friends to lovers!

₊˚⊹☆— 4 stars

“my last name looks good on you, rookie. maybe we can find a way to keep it there.”

➜ general thoughts:
i really liked this book! it’s giving becky dean but make it adult~ the characters’ voices had their odd moments, but they were funny and very entertaining lol. the romance was sweet and slowwww (no third act breakup!!) and while there was some miscommunication, it wasn’t annoying at all. the pacing was pretty good, but i wish the sailing part was a little more…more? like it began at or around 50% at least. not to say i didn’t enjoy the murder cottage, but still.

➜tropes:
-bothers best friend
-forced proximity
-one sided “enemies to lovers”
-only one bed
-fever scene
-nightmare scene

➜ characters!
₊˚⊹☆— josie
i don’t have much to say for her honestly 😭 she was a good mc. i didn’t dislike her—i didn’t LOVE her. she’s not exactly my cup of tea personality wise, and being in her head most of the time was like woah, but i liked her well enough! and she wasn’t annoying me lol. i really liked her and wyatt together—they’re a great pair haha. and that leads me to…

₊˚⊹☆— wyatt
AHH THIS GUYY. the only shirts he wears are made of husband material. josie complained about the bed and was sleeping on being squeaky—HE BOUGHT NEW FURNITURE, EVEN A BOOKSHELF FOR HER BOOKS. she stressed about not having boat shoes for their trip—HE HAD THEM EXPRESS SHIPPED. he brought her breakfast when she woke up—WITH HER COFFEE BEING HER EXACT FAVORITE ORDER. okay i just realized his love language is definitely gift giving and physical touch 😭😭 but like, anytime josie wasn’t feeling good, he was just there to protect and comfort her 😭 he was great. i literally have no qualms with him. and don’t even get me started on his delirious feverish state—it was absolutely hilarious.

absolute slay side characters:
₊˚⊹☆—jacob, josie’s brother
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THROWN OVERBOARD JACOB!?💀 no but i loved him actually ✋ like, i need a book from his pov this instant. without him, this book wouldn’t exist lets be real. he was the mastermind behind everything

₊˚⊹☆—van and eli, wyatt’s besties
i loved them too🤭 for the small amount of time they were there, they were so silly goofy. the way they immediately started teasing wyatt when josie left 😭

₊˚⊹☆— josie’s friend
i forgot her name…she didn’t really do much except tell josie to kiss wyatt so yeah lol

➜ misc
I ALSO LOVED WYATT’S MOM
and you can’t tell me wyatt didnt inherit his mom’s love of shopping sprees since he literally told josie “stop putting things back. put them at the register” 🤭🤭

nothing can be funnier than uncle tom being in a cool whip container. if i had a nickel for each time i encountered a character put their loved one’s ashes in the most random place ever, i would have two nickels, which isnt a lot, but its strange it happened twice. and i honestly hope it keeps happening idk why its so hilarious but it is

anyways, this was so fun—i definitely recommend!!

cws: kissing, talk of almost sexual assault, slight grief, mc is anxious and occasionally spirals, that’s about it

➜ i received a complimentary copy of this book. opinions expressed in this review are completely my own! :))

Many laughs, a cute pupper, and one of my favorite tropes: brother's best friend! This book is a fun summer trip on a sailboat mixed with St Clair's trademark banter. I enjoyed this read immensely. This book is absolutely a stand alone, however fans of the Appies series will enjoy knowing a few of the characters (including Wyatt, the MMC) from previous books. I adored the way Josie attacked learning to sail, because it was absolutely something I could see myself doing: read everything possible to try to be prepared. Enjoy this book wherever books are sold ASAP!

If you haven’t read the hockey series by Emma & Jenny then you should. Not that this book hinges on anything that’s happened in those but bc they’re soooo good. This story starts off with a hilarious bang of a scene and keeps hitting with all the humor and sweet moments. There are wayward pigs, a stray dog, swoony sailing scenes, a scheming sibling, and I could continue but won’t. Just pick it up and read it yourself!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for the ALC and ARC

Narration 4 1/2⭐️ rounded up
Story 4 ⭐️

I was lucky enough to get both the ARC and ALC, and loved being able to go back and read this after listening to the audio. This was such a fun listen, the narration was hilarious. Andi Arndt was perfect as Josie, and Patrick Zeller definitely has the gruffness down for Wyatt. I’ve read many of Emma St. Clair’s books and have always loved them. They’re that perfect cozy read that gives you all the happy warm romcom movie feels. I loved getting a little glimpse of Eli and Van from the Appies series too, it just made me love it even more.

This was a cute spinoff of the very sweet and fun Appies series so I liked it and the tone and the other characters returning. It took a little too long to get to the romance, or even the flirting and then ended too soon

I loved this story! Josie is a school nurse and her brother Jacob is a sports agent. His friend/client is Wyatt, a pro hockey player who is injured (from frisbee golf) and is tucked away at his cottage, not complying with rehab. Jacob tricks Josie into going to Wyatt's house to be his helper/nurse.
As it turns out, Wyatt has always had feelings for Josie and she thought he didn't like her. She needs to catch up to his feelings.
They sail Wyatt's deceased uncle's sailboat and their relationship develops. It was a really sweet and heart-warming story.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for access to this eARC.

I love Emma St. Clair and this book is just a new installment of why. Her Light hearted banter and love of a grump is through out the pages. I love Jib so much. The Appies are one of My favorite series and each book becomes my new favorite. I really need to Binge reread this series since I have purchased each book. I can't wait for the next book. Yes I am along for this ride and all the new stories she wants to tell.

This was a really sweet slow burn summer romance!
I thought the writing and character development was fantastic, and I could see exactly why Wyatt and Josie were so muddled.

I laughed a LOT at their miscommunication and grinned with glee when they started opening up to each other.

There are some truly beautiful moments in the book which I don't want to spoil. Hearing Wyatt call Josie pretty, or seeing Josie start to soften towards Wyatt despite her instincts was heartwarming.

I love that Jacob was clearly trying to set them up and dropped out of the super sibling summer extravaganza because of "client issues." It was really cute and it felt very cupid-like.

It's a great story. Easy to read, fun to explore, and genuinely made me feel like I was sailing right alongisde Josie and Wyatt.

well no, Josie really doesn't fancy spending her time helping someone she loathes recover from injury. thanks for that Josie's brother!
but as a reader thank you to Josie's brother from us because it meant we got a fab bit of reading with a pair we cant wait to get involved with.
we come to this book with Josie who is looking forward to her sibling holiday. but when she gets there, there appears to be something miss. and that something is her brother! in his place is the last person she wants to see in his place, and thats the grump of a hockey players who recently been injured. its Wyatt her brother best friend. great. just great.
but Josie is tempted to stay by her brother offer of a more than reasonable amount of money for using her nursing skills to look after Wyatt and get him back on track. she doesn't want to accept. but of course shes going to. and of course she does.
but Josie cant hide her feelings for Wyatt. she knows he dislikes her and so dislikes him just as much in return. this is going to be fun.NOT.
whats becoming clear though is that Wyatt didn't dislike Josie. far from it and that is his whole problem.
we were all involved in these two. and boy were we cheering them on. take the blinkers off guys. let yourselves love! the chemistry and banter was on point. the way they were with each other as their bond slowly grew was a joy to read.
this book was fab. cute, fun and full of all those squishy love feelings.


All the side characters added so much heart to the story, especially Jacob. And Jib? Completely stole the show. Such an adorable addition!

This could have easily been a 5 ⭐ read if not for the pacing that felt a little slow, especially toward the end. I wish we had more time with Josie and Wyatt as a couple. Also, it’s marketed as enemies to lovers, but honestly... it’s not. Wyatt liked her from the very beginning, and it was super obvious! They were never really enemies—she was just mad at him while he quietly adored her the whole time (which was cute, but not quite enemies to lovers).


Overall I really enjoyed this, and it had some of my favorite tropes (forced proximity, brother’s best friend). I felt there was a bit too much telling and not showing when it came to how the characters felt, especially about each other. Like they were just explaining everything away in their inner monologues rather than with each other. I plan on checking out more books by this author to see if it was just this instance or if it’s a consistency in her writing.
It did get better toward the end and I was really able to enjoy the slow burn. It felt like their relationship really took time to grow and the characters were really really likable. MMC is also a professional hockey player!

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Elle G. Reads
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July 11, 2025
I’ve enjoyed many of Emma St. Clair’s novels, so I was excited to read an early copy of If All Else Sails. In this one, our FMC Josie is tasked with taking care of her brother’s best friend Wyatt over the summer after his hockey injury. Only problem? These two don’t like each other. But as summer progresses and the two set sail together they start to let their guard down and soon they start to wonder why they didn’t like each other in the first place.

I really enjoyed this one! Emma St. Clair does a wonderful job at bringing the characters emotions and struggles to the table. I also loved how their newfound relationship progressed, and everything just felt so right to me. If you’re looking for a summer romance that will leave you with a mega smile on your face, then you won’t want to miss Wyatt and Josie’s story. I had a great time reading it!
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙
❥ Summer Romance
❥ Enemies-to-lovers
❥ Brother’s Best Friend
❥ Forced Proximity

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A romcom that opens with a bang—but unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons.

With a stunning cover and a reliably fun author, I went into If All Else Sails expecting an upbeat, charming closed-door romance. Sadly, this one didn’t land the way I’d hoped.

The opening chapters set a jarring tone that coloured the rest of the book. Our heroine, Josie—a school nurse—is falsely arrested outside the hero’s property (Wyatt, a grumpy hockey player). She’s locked in a police car in scorching heat, without AC or an open window, until she passes out from heatstroke. The moment is played with a light, almost comedic tone—but I found it genuinely upsetting. The cops not only refuse to take her seriously but laugh off her threat to sue, calling her “honey” and brushing off her distress. Wyatt, who caused the misunderstanding, offers no apology or real accountability. It left me struggling to root for him as a romantic lead—and disappointed that the narrative never gave Josie the dignity or resolution she deserved.

From there, the enemies-to-lovers setup unfolds as Josie is forced to share a cottage—and then a boat—with Wyatt, helping him recover from an injury and honour his uncle’s final wishes. The setting had potential (the Virginia coast! sailing adventures! forced proximity!), and the idea of two prickly people learning to soften toward each other should have been endearing. But the chemistry never quite sparked for me, likely because I never fully recovered from the sour beginning.

The pacing also faltered in the second half. While the first few chapters had some energy, I found myself skimming more and more toward the end. The emotional beats felt rushed, and Wyatt’s character development didn’t fully convince me. I wanted more vulnerability, more meaningful apology, and a stronger sense that the relationship was built on mutual growth—not just time spent together in close quarters.

That said, there are bright spots: the setting is summery and transportive, the banter occasionally hits the mark, and readers looking for low-angst, closed-door romance might find it hits the right tone for a beach read—especially if they aren’t as sensitive to the opening premise.

In the end, If All Else Sails just didn’t work for me. I’m still a fan of Emma St. Clair’s previous books, but this one felt uneven, emotionally off-kilter, and left me more frustrated than swooning.

Loved the story. The slowest of burns but worth it. I thought the characters had good chemistry and rapport. I really enjoyed the banter back and forth.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own