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.

This was a breath of fresh air and you know why? No miscommunication trope. No noble idiocy third part break up. These lovely characters communicated!! They actually talked with each other and at each other and about each other and I am 100% here for it.

Really loved Josie. Some of her character traits hit very close to home and I felt called out multiple times but the way Wyatt handled her and had patience and understanding was just heart-melting, and yes, thank you to the author for writing them this way. Loooooved Jib and the outfits!

I genuinely had a good time - this is definitely a beach read but a heartfelt one to curl up with in the afternoon that will make you smile and giggle and maybe even swing your feet happily.

I loved Wyatt and Josie’s story so much! This one starts with Josie’s meddling brother sending her to help nurse Wyatt back to health after an injury keeps him from playing hockey. As soon as she shows up, the shenanigans begin. It turns out, some of Wyatt’s grumpiness comes from dealing with loss, and Josie steps in to help him recover and heal. When they set sail on a healing trip, the forced proximity was electric. I loved their journey and how they worked through their feelings. This was such a sweet story.

I also loved how this one was Appies-adjacent since Wyatt used to be part of the team. I was excited to see what happened to him after he moved on.

My official rating for this book is 4.75 and honestly I wish there was something between that and 5 stars. Emma St Claire is one of my favorite authors and that is precisely the reason I can’t give this 5 stars. I know what she is capable of and there were just a few things that had me thinking “come on Emma, you’re better than that.” Overall this was a fluffy, cozy romantic read where Emma does a wonderful job of making us hate the MMC, as always. And by the end of the book, I’m closing it and looking forward to what happens next. I just wish this was releasing sooner because it is the PERFECT beach read.

Such a fun and sweet read! I’ve really enjoyed Emma’s books over the last few years, especially her Appies hockey series (and was so bummed that they had come to an end). So imagine my joyful surprise and excitement to learn this story featured not only Wyatt from the team, but also some great cameos of my favorite players.

This brother’’s best friend, enemies to more romance had all the swoon and charm I’ve come to love from Emma St Clair. She never fails to entertain. There were so many great heartfelt and comical moments between Wyatt and Josie.

I’m excited to see what other books Emma will bring to Thomas Nelson in the future.

Thank you Netgalley, Thomas Nelson, and Zondervan Fiction for the listening copy. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book! Such a nice, cosy romance. The chemistry and tension was so well written!

It’s marketed as Emilie’s to lovers but it’s obvious from the beginning that Wyatt has always loved Josie - more of a he falls first and brothers best friend trope.

such a sweet story on how two people who have loved each other for so long come together and find love

I loved the first half of the book with the banter back and forth between the two main characters. The second half of the book was slow moving and not as fun. It lost a lot of momentum.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the advanced copy.

This book was absolutely amazing!! Like i was hooked from beginning to end😍 Josie and Wyatt where so beautiful together🥹 i do love a guy who falls first and Wyatt fell hardddd🥰 honestly the chemistry was instant and so🔥🔥 they were the sweetest! And im not ashamed to admit i didnt want it to end!🫶🏻 the side characters were all amazing too and I loved how they all gave help and advise🩷This is my first book of Emma's but it certainly wont be my last! This book was a 5⭐️ for me! Thank you to Emma and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

★★★★ (4/5 Stars)

**IF ALL ELSE SAILS** by Emma St. Clair is an utterly charming nautical romance that captured my heart from the first chapter. As someone with a deep affection for maritime settings, I was predisposed to enjoy this novel, but St. Clair's skillful storytelling and character development exceeded my expectations.

The story centers around engaging protagonists whose chemistry feels authentic rather than forced. Their interactions are layered with sweetness and humor, creating a reading experience that feels like a warm embrace. St. Clair crafts characters who are relatable and endearing, making it easy to become invested in their journey.

While marketed partially as a sports romance due to one character's hockey background, readers should note that actual hockey content is minimal. Instead, the nautical elements take center stage, with beautiful descriptions of life on the water that transport you directly to sun-drenched docks and salt-sprayed decks.

What I particularly appreciated was the novel's low-stakes approach to romance. Not every love story needs world-ending drama, and St. Clair demonstrates how everyday obstacles can create sufficient tension without manufactured crises. The result is a refreshingly genuine narrative that feels both satisfying and believable.

This was my first experience with Emma St. Clair's writing, and based on the strength of this novel, I'm eagerly looking forward to exploring more of her work. *If All Else Sails* is perfect for readers seeking a feel-good romance with maritime charm and characters who'll linger in your thoughts long after the final page.

Really cute and predictable. The tension and banter was way better at the beginning and when they left for the sailing trip, everything vanished. The ending felt rushed with how fast their relationship happened.

If All Else Sails is such a cute romantic comedy that had me in stitches all throughout. It is heartwarming and hilarious. The dog, Jib, stole the show. Wyatt, a grumpy hockey player sidelined by an injury, is tricked by his best friend into letting his sister, Josie, an elementary school nurse, help out. They travel the inner coastal waterway on Wyatt's boat as a memorial trip to honor his uncle's memory and spread his ashes. The banter, hysterical situations, and cute dog make this romantic comedy a fun and enjoyable read.
*I was given a copy of this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers, and this is my honest opinion.

Thank you Thomas Nelson and Emma St Clair for my gifted copy and audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

How exciting for Emma as this is her first traditionally published novel and perfect time for summer! This was full of so many of my favorite tropes: brothers best friend, hockey romance, forced proximity, he falls first.

I loved listening to the narrators in this and the dual pov.

This is really cute and really sweet, bonus for being partly set in my home state of Virginia. The banter was really fun. This is a really, really slow burn and squeaky clean, which I know is important to a lot of people. By the end, Josie got on my nerves for being so completely clueless. I prefer zero mentions of poop in my romance books, full stop. Overall, I liked it, didn't love it. I won't preorder this author's books but I certainly wouldn't rule out reading her work again. Thank you, NetGalley, for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of Emma St. Clair’s newest release. I’ve been a part of her arc reading time for quite awhile and am su ch a fan of her closed door yet still swoony romances that are full of fun and heart. This was no exception.

School nurse Josie is going to meet her workalohic brother for a sibling trip but when she arrives she finds herself at his best friend’s house and Wyatt is clearly going through it. Even though she was lured there under false pretenses she agrees to stay on and help him during his sports injury recovery. This is brother's best friend, forced proximity, grumpy sunshine. Just a fun read overall.

Oh I loved this book! It’s a hockey romance that doesn’t completely center on being on the ice, which I found so refreshing!

There are lots of fun details to love:
- wielding a hockey stick against an animal
- scheming older brother
- the ER incident
- recovering from an injury
- WAG
- Appies shout out
- Sailing
- The storm 😍

I’ve come to love Emma St. Clair’s writing, and I’ve always depended on her books to be romantic, funny, and very low spice. I’m so happy to see that her writing trends continued in a traditionally published book. You can count on this one to be clean and wholesome! Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the advance copy of this book. A review was not required.

This was a quick fun read! A good ol grumpy/sunshine, brother’s friend, hockey player romance. I was fortunate enough to get both the eARC and the ALC so I could do my preferred immersive read which just elevated the experience.

If you’re looking for a fun summer read with plenty of sarcasm, angst, and humour, definitely pick this one up!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I am a big fan of a good Rom Com. And while this was not a favorite of mine, there is nothing wrong with this book. It is a cozy story and perfectly lovely, it just did not hit me as a fantastic story.

The premise is that Josie's brother sets her up with grumpy Wyatt, his best friend. Again, cozy, sweet overall good book. It was categorized a few places as friends to enemies, but I disagree. This is more of a forced proximity or grumpy-sunshine story.

Is it a great summer read, absolutely.
3 Stars.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: closed door, just kissing
Tropes:
* Enemies to lovers
* Brother’s best friend
* Hockey player romance
* Forced proximity
* Summer romance
* Funny rom com
* Grump x sunshine

Thank you to NetGalley, Emma St. Clair, and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this eARC!

I enjoyed this book, and it started out very funny, and progressed into a heartfelt summer romance that had Wyatt and Josie change each other for the better. Both seemed closed off from relationships, despite different personalities (him such a grump, her such a ray of sunshine).

This was definitely a slower romance, where they don’t truly act on their feelings til the last 3 or so chapters of the book. But their journey together, with lots of banter and sweet moments, makes up for that.

My only ask of the author is to extend the ending a little more! I wanted to see more of how they made things work before the ending or included in the epilogue. It felt somewhat rushed and I wanted more of their love story there at the end.