3.75 - I read this book in 3 hours! Super quick and easy read. Enjoyable, but not life changing. Loved the tension/chemistry between the two characters.

If All Else Sails is a funny, sweet, brother's best friend romance. The perfect summer read!

Wyatt is a hockey player who has become a little bit of a recluse after getting injured. Josie, a school nurse on summer vacation, is supposed to go on a trip with her brother Jacob who just happens to be Wyatt's agent and his best friend, and Josie's least favorite person. But Jacob has other plans and soon Josie is stuck taking care of Wyatt, who is a grump about his recovery.

This book is full of hilarious moments that had me laughing out loud. I loved the way that some chapters were from Josie's perspective and others were from Wyatt's.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Josie and Wyatt’s story is so full of emotions, laugh, tension, sweetness, misunderstanding and so much more. They each other for mor Ethan ten years but there is no relationship whatsoever. He is a famous hockey player. She is his best friend and sport agent’s little sister and she can’t stand athletes. But when Josie is send by her brother to take care of injured Wyatt, their feelings, their interactions, seems to bring them together. Can they have a future together? Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. this is my, honest review.

I have been obsessed with Emma St. Clair for a hot minute now and while I haven't yet read her entire backlist, this book right here is my favorite so far. I absolutely loved Josie and Wyatt and the entire premise of the book is awesome. Throw in the adorable animal escapades found in any work by Emma and it's no wonder that her first trad publish is a winner! I am so thankful for the stories Emma continues to share and I hope she never stops! You should absolutely pick this one up.

Josie...The sarcasm of this girl makes me smile so big. Her dialogue was on point and I loved every bit of it. Josie had some big things to work through and it was a joy to have a front row seat to that journey for her. She is such an authentic and down-to-earth FMC. I wish I could just call and chat with her so bad! It was beautiful seeing her get the HEA she deserved so very much.

Wyatt...Oh boy, I'm such a sucker for a grump. They are of course almost always misunderstood, with hearts of gold and all the gooeyness in the world on the inside. Wyatt was no exception. He absolutely has that tough and distanced exterior, but in reality, he was one hundred percent gone for Josie. And he has been from the start. The absolute pining of this guy for Josie was the swooniest. His incredible patience was such a testament to how true his feelings were. This guy is seriously top tier, ladies!

Things I loved:

❤️murder cottage
❤️Jacob (the charming and frustrating parts)
❤️Wyatt's fever state/honesty
❤️fighting off zombie pigs
❤️poison oak reaction
❤️splinters
❤️new furniture
❤️nightmare/kicking Wyatt (bless him)
❤️Susan (aka "High Society Steamroller")
❤️Dr. Dimples
❤️sailing lessons
❤️Josie's sailing research (100% something I would do!)
❤️Jib and all her outfits
❤️"Rookie"
❤️Wanda and Greg
❤️boat shoes
❤️morning coffee and route planning
❤️one room/bed
❤️watching HGTV/sharing truths
❤️visit from Jacob, Eli, and Van (gotta love an Appies appearance!)
❤️Toni ("You should just kiss the man.")
❤️Jacob's gift for Josie and Jib
❤️the storm
❤️epilogue (perfection!)
❤️author's note (I adore all that Emma drew from real-life experiences within her family - how special!)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🚪

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

I couldn’t put this down!! This book had everything from brother’s best friend to he falls first to slow burn to forced proximity to one bed!!! Wyatt Jacobs has easily joined the rankings of favorite book boyfriends. Grumpy, but secretly sweet and thoughtful? Sign me up. Sure - he may be the king of the miscommunication trope with his foot in mouth disease, but he would move mountains for Josie. 😍

I loved their banter and both characters’ growth throughout the story. I especially loved Jib and all her fantastic outfits. She was a main character all on her own.

If you like closed door romance between a grumpy hockey player and a sunshine elementary school nurse, don’t miss this release!

Absolutely adored this book! Emma St Clair has hit a home run with me, this book was sweet; romantic and at times heartwarming

This was a cute read! It had a lot of tropes I love - forced proximity and brother's best friend, but the overall plot had me wanting a little more! I enjoyed the start of the book, and couldn't help but laugh at the first interaction between our two characters (and how it was referenced throughout the entire book), I however felt that the second half of the book was a bit slower and doesn't give off the same vibes.

Elementary school nurse Josie is on her way to a random address for their annual Super Summer Sibling Extravaganza only to find that her brother isn't there, but his best friend is. Hockey-player Wyatt is not only Josie's sworn enemy, but also her brother's best-friend (and client). Josie has been lured there under false pretenses, her brother wants her to work with Wyatt and help her recover from an injury. I really enjoyed the set-up, knowing that Josie's brother has alterior motives for sending her sister to take care of Wyatt for the summer.

In my opinion, I didn't really see this as an enemies-to-lovers, there was a bit of tension between our characters, but it was clear that Wyatt had feeling for Josie. A lot of the tension was due to miscommunications between them when they were younger! The plot was really interesting, and I loved why the sailing trip was so important to Wyatt, it added so much vulnerability to his character, and I'm glad that he had Josie to go on the trip with him.

I think this makes a pretty cozy read, but I also feel like the book was slow, we don't get introduced to the sailing aspect until about halfway through the book, and their trip was a little rushed, but overall it was a cute read and the perfect read for a nice summer day.
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I would like to thank Thomas Nelson Fiction | Thomas Nelson, Emma St. Clair, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of If All Else Sails in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. If All Else Sails is scheduled to publish on August 5th, 2025, you can pre-order your copy today!

I've always enjoyed books written by Emma St Clair and this one was no different. The heroine's humor was endearing and likeable. The back and forth between the two was smooth, natural, easy and believable. I liked each character and each added to the story very nicely! That brother could be frustrating, lol, but he was great in the end. I loved how this author incorporated a bit of her other series, the Appies, into this. However, the other series does not need to be read to enjoy this title. Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read with a good flow to the story and solid dialogue. I think this story was light and enjoyable but did also have deeper and hard real life situations. I like they both acted like adults. I only wasn't a fan of when someone gets tossed in the water at the marina when one person was annoyed at that person. That struck me as immature and not cool at all.
content info: clean, kissing, no language
I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher and netgalley. All opinions are completely my own.

If All Else Sails is a perfect summer read! This is my 4th book by Emma St. Clair, and dare I say it may be my favorite of hers. Josie and Wyatt were such fun characters to follow. I really enjoyed their banter and seeing them overcome some personal struggles together. It was also a fun surprise to have a connection with the Appies series.

If you enjoy "enemies" to lovers, brother's best friend, forced proximity, and "he falls first" tropes then this is definitely the book for you. This is also a clean romance with no spice or language. There is a short mention of sexual assault (groping), so be mindful if that is a trigger for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson, and Emma St. Clair for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I have a new book boyfriend! Wyatt is not only a fit athlete, but a loyal, caring man who carries family burdens on his broad shoulders. I enjoyed reading this novel told in dual point of view between Wyatt and Josie which allowed me to learn more about each character and his/her perspective and past.

I never wanted to stop reading and always looked forward to getting back to this book. The witty banter kept me smiling and laughing throughout and the chemistry is swoon-worthy. The tropes of forced proximity, enemies to friends to more, brother's best friend, and miscommunication were all woven together so well they felt authentic and never forced. I also loved "my time" sailing and eating all the delicious fresh seafood.

I always love when fictional characters care for and love animals and both Wyatt and Josie fall head over heels in love at first sight for a stray dog found on the property. This is just one of the shared experiences that starts opening their hearts to a growing friendship that showed me how much they cared about the other person. Wyatt is fiercely protective of Josie and out of his feelings for her and want for her to feel safe with him, he patiently waits for Josie to take the lead in the relationship, especially after he learns more about her painful past.

This is so romantic and I appreciated the sizzling chemistry, yet closed bedroom door scenes. This novel is filled with humor and so much heart and I will be reading more of this author's work. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my early e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute, lighthearted read. The author created likeable characters who had great banter. I really enjoyed the story however do not feel that it should have been labeled enemies to lovers as they were never truly enemies. Overall good story though.

If All Else Sails is what my Emma St. Clair dreams are made of. I truly love the way emma writes, and having read a lot of her backlist, this one might be my favorite. She's funny, witty, emotional, all while keeping the profanity low, and the spice nonexistant. We watch Wyatt and Josie fall in love and theres very little physical intimacy. I think that takes a great talent. A few things, I wanted Josie's whole family to be read the riot act, and bb girl Josie needs therapy and probably some medicine. She showcased that women will downplay their trauma because someone else has it worse, and that's not okay.

I also live in Richmond and it was fun seeing my city in a book in a positive light. It was fun for me.

Josie is convinced that Wyatt doesn’t like her, and well, she’s skittish around athletic kinds, like Wyatt.

So, when Jacob asks her to play nurse to Wyatt because he is refusing to go to the doctor and undergo the rehab he needs to return to hockey. Josie goes because it’s Jacob; he’s the life of the party, well, and he can get anyone and anything done.

If All Else Sails was a super cute story about forced proximity, and it worked well for me. I liked that Wyatt was from the Appies series, but he gets his spotlight with Josie. Wyatt is grumpy but I have to admit that grumpy can also be mixed up with quiet. I thought Wyatt knew exactly what he wanted, and that was Josie, and as he indicated, he was patient, which he needed to be with Josie. It was sweet.

My gratitude to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson. All opinions expressed are mine and honest.

I really enjoyed this book which was enemies to lovers, brother's best friend, caretaker trope. The spice level was very low.

I really enjoyed this book! It was genuinely funny at times while also tackling some tough themes with care. The romance did feel a little unbelievable in moments, but it leans heavily into the “it’s always been you” trope, which many readers will find satisfying.

Nonetheless, this is a cute and heartwarming summer read, perfect for those who love romance but prefer stories without spice.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4 Stars.

⛵️ The vibes:
- Dual pov
- Brother’s best friend/client
- Grumpy x sunshine
- Slow burn
- She takes care of him
- Closed door

⛵️ My thoughts:
When Wyatt is injured and unable to bounce back physically or mentally, his best friend sends his little sister Josie to help Wyatt get back on his feet. With Wyatt pushing away anyone who tries to help, Josie has her work cut out for her.

⛵️ The friendship between Josie and Wyatt felt so organic to me. It was such a slow burn process that I enjoyed so much.

⛵️ This was so adorable. I loved seeing Wyatt’s love shine through his reserved personality. I loved the sailing elements so much. I thought Jib the dog was also a cute element in the story.

⛵️ There were some moments that the humor didn’t fully connect with me- like the pigs and the allergic reaction specifically, however- I did think this one stayed mostly in a non-silly lane which I really appreciated.

⛵️ There’s a lot of self doubt and lack of communication going on with Josie- and I did want to shake her a few times. Mainly because I felt like Wyatt was doing all the right things and even telling her all the right things and she was still like “does he like me for real?” And I was like. JOSIEEEEEE, my girl. Why?

⛵️ I also felt like the wrap up was so fast. I loved the story overall, but the ending felt so rushed that I really wanted more there. There were a few things in the characters’ backstories that I felt could have used a bit more closure (Josie’s anxiety and more about the logistics / occupations involved in Wyatt and Josie’s future). I just liked them so much together throughout the journey that I wanted to see what they would actually be like on page as a couple.

⛵️ Overall- if you’re looking for a fun, light summer read - this is one I def recommend.

Note- closed door
Releases Aug 5, 2025.

Thank you so much to Emma St. Clair, Thomas Nelson, and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

*note- posted on bookbub, Instagram, goodreads, Storygraph, and barnes and noble. Links provided. Will be posted on Amazon after release date when Amazon allows me to.

This is a cute romance with brothers best friend and forced proximity. While I wish there was more of a connection between the mcs, I liked the unique sailing storyline.

I was so excited to be granted this ARC from NetGalley! Having just finished the Appies Series, I couldn’t wait to see which familiar faces might show up in this one—and let’s just say, I was pleasantly surprised. No spoilers, but the cameos were definitely a fun touch!

If All Else Sails follows Wyatt, a hockey player trying to recover after an injury pulls him off the ice. Enter the one person he’s secretly loved for years—his best friend’s sister. With a complicated history, some serious communication struggles, and a whole lot of unresolved tension, their forced proximity (yes, there’s only one bed!) sets the stage for an emotional and heartfelt journey.

I actually learned quite a bit about sailing in this one, which added a fresh twist. While it wasn’t my favorite of hers, it was still a solid and enjoyable read. The character development stood out with rich backstories, though the ending felt a little rushed for me. That said, fans of her work will still find a lot to love here!

I absolutely loved this book. It was the perfect blend of sweet, funny, and heartwarming. The sailing premise was such a fun and unique backdrop for a love story, and it gave the whole thing this breezy, summery feel I couldn’t get enough of. The chemistry between the characters was so good—I was smiling like an idiot through most of it and fully rooting for them the entire time. Just super cute from start to finish, and exactly the kind of feel-good romance I love to escape into.

Emma St. Clair nailed it with this one. Add it to your TBR immediately if you want something light, charming, and full of heart.

If All Else Sails is such a cute closed door love story. Do yourself a favor and read this as soon as it comes out on August 4, 2025. Josie, Wyatt, and Jib are such a sweet trio.
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC. Definitely recommending this to my friends.