Josie arrives at the random address her brother sends her to, expecting to find him for the beginning of their (sometimes) annual Super Summer Sibling Extravaganza. What she finds is trouble in the form of his best friend and her sworn enemy, professional hockey player Wyatt. Turns out Wyatt was injured, and he needs someone to help him recover. A sacrifice for which Josie's brother is willing to pay her big money, which Josie and her school nurse's salary can't refuse. Spending time with Wyatt in his tiny, rundown cottage and his sailboat forces Josie to see sides of Wyatt she never knew existed. Could it be that he's not the grumpy enemy she's always thought him to be?

It's an unexpected combination of grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity, and somewhat of a second chance that works really well thanks to St. Clair's judicious inserting of new characters whenever we've spent too much time with just the main couple. Every new meeting changes their dynamic a little bit and shows off a new side to each of them, which makes their growing closeness even sweeter.

Both Josie and Wyatt have their issues, and reading as they both work through them to realize that they can be happy together is a very sweet and entertaining read. That Josie is able to talk about her trauma and work through it with someone's help after years of hiding herself away to avoid dealing with it is perhaps my favorite part.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the sweet romance read!

Thank you to @netgalley @thomasnelson @kikimojo for the #gifted copies of this book.

"My last name looks good on you, Rookie. Maybe we can find a way to keep it there."

Summary: Josie heads to a mysterious address her brother sent her, thinking she was going on a sibling trip with him. Instead, she discovers his best friend, Wyatt, whom she loathes, waiting for her at the small, run-down cottage. Begrudgingly, Josie agrees to stay and help Wyatt with his recovery, so he's ready for the hockey season. As they spend more time together, Josie realizes there's more to Wyatt than all of his grumpiness. Set against a summer sailing adventure, this enemies-to-lovers tale follows a hockey player and an elementary school nurse, both unwittingly thrown together for the season.

My Thoughts: I loved the Appies series, in which Wyatt was a side character, so I was extremely excited to see more of his story outside of that world. I'm always a sucker for enemies to lovers, and the vibes were strong in this one, add in the bonus of brother's best friend, and I was over the moon. Josie's brother devised a plan that was both devious and ingenious, ultimately providing them both with exactly what they needed that summer.

Josie and Wyatt's relationship grew and changed throughout the summer, which was a joy to witness. It flowed from enemies to friendship to more in a natural way for two people who had met previously but didn't know one another. Their sailing trip created a special bond, as they learned to rely on one another and spent quality time together. Jib the dog was adorable, and I could not wait to see her next outfit! My heart swelled as a beloved few characters unexpectedly joined the sailing trip; it was a truly perfect, touching connection.

If you're looking for an end-of-summer book for this month, be sure to add this one to your TBR.

Read if you love:
⛅️Grumpy/Sunshine
🏒🩺Hockey Player X Elementary School Nurse
⛵️Sailing
🔥Forced Proximity
❤️‍🔥Enemies to Lovers Vibes
🤩Brother's Best Friend

If All Else Sails is such a fun book! I was drawn right into the story and was engaged to the very end!

Wyatt is a NHL player who previously played for the Appies, and is currently injured. He is suffering mentally and physically now that he can’t play hockey. Josie is a school nurse and the sister of Jacob, Wyatt's agent and good friend. When Jacob asks Josie to take care of Wyatt and help him recover over the summer, she can’t say no because she desperately needs the money for a down payment on a house. She is not looking forward to the job because she once had a crush on Wyatt but now has a bad impression of him in her mind.

I love Emma’s books and was super excited to read her first traditionally published book. There was so much to love about this one and it had me smiling so much as I read! The book opened in such a hilarious way and the witty humor kept coming! I loved the connection and chemistry between Wyatt and Josie! I loved the glimpses we got of them in the past that helped us understand why they were currently on the wrong footing with each other. They were both such likable and relatable MCs. The sailing trip was filled with so many swoony moments and incredible heart to heart conversations. This story pulls on your heartstrings and melts your heart at the same time. It is the perfect summer read! I highly recommend picking it up!

Things to love:
•Hockey
•Brother’s Best Friend
•Duel POV
•He Falls First
•Grumpy/Sunshine
•She takes care of him
•Jib and all the outfits
•Oscar the Grouch shirt
•Rookie
•The sailing trip
•Appies Cameo

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

This book was so cute and fun, I loved it! I started listening and the next thing I knew, it was almost done.

I loved Josie. She was so sweet and funny. She was willing to help her brother’s friend, Wyatt, even though she believed that he hated her. She also isn’t his biggest fan and she doesn’t like athletes due to a traumatic experience in her past. I loved how funny she was. Her inner monologue and comments had me cracking up.

Wyatt showed so much growth in this book. He started out as a huge grump who wanted nothing to do with Josie to letting his walls down and being such a sweetheart to her. I love how he wanted to be around her and would do things for her to stick around. I also loved the fact that he wasn’t a playboy.

I loved Josie and Wyatt together. Their banter was so good and they were just so cute. The way Wyatt let Josie take their relationship at her pace was so sweet.

I really liked Wyatt’s mother. I did not expect her to be as sweet as she was to her. Josie’s brother, Jacob, was such a great brother and I love how he played a role in her and Wyatt starting a relationship.

I really enjoyed the narration! The female narrator did such a fantastic job! While I enjoyed the male narrator’s voice, I felt like there were times where his parts were a bit loud and caught me off guard. Either way, I loved the audiobook, especially because I felt like it brought an extra something to their banter.

Thank you to Emma St. Clair, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio, Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC for an honest review!

If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair
Releasing August 5th
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I loved Josie and Wyatt’s story. It starts out with hilarity and lightheartedness I’ve come to expect from an ESC rom com. It melds into a sweet, slow burn that had my heart melting. Wyatt is a grouchy, injured hockey player who can never say the right thing around Josie. Josie is a sunny, elementary school nurse who thinks the worst about Wyatt due to his constant foot-in-mouth disease around her. Even though they were brought together unwillingly, as Josie sees Wyatt’s softer side, her perception of him shifts and they fall into an easy friendship. Wyatt has been gone for Joise from the beginning but she needs more time to reshape her original thoughts about him. Wyatt was so gentle and patient with Josie. She struggled with anxiety and overwhelm. He could read her so well and was able to help her settle. He made her feel safe.

I loved Jacob’s role throughout the book. I hope we get his story soon! And an appearance from some of my favorite Appies was a pleasant surprise. I would have liked the story to continue and reveal more of Wyatt and Josie’s time together as a couple. The ending felt a little abrupt and the epilogue skipped over some details I really wanted to know. I would love a bonus chapter or epilogue that fills in the gaps a little. You know it’s a great book when you’re only “complaint” is that you want more!

🩷Enemies To More
🩷Brother’s Best Friend
🩷Witty Banter
🩷Forced Proximity
🩷She Takes Care Of Him
🩷Grumpy/ Sunshine
🩷”murder cottage”
🩷”zombie pigs”
🩷Slow Burn
🩷He Falls First
🩷She Struggles With Anxiety
🩷He’s Dealing With Grief

⚠️CW: off page assault is discussed, dealing with grief over death of a relative, difficult family relationships

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was able to get an ARC for this book, and it was so cute!! I loved the character dynamics and the plot as well! I’m a sucker for a cute romcom and this one did not disappoint 😆

thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

5⭐️ An absolutely funny and adorable story. My favorite so far by Emma for sure and that was already a high bar. There are so many good lines and moments in here. You won’t want to miss it on Aug. 5th!!
5⭐️ Narration from Andi Arndt and Patrick Zeller. Andi gave Josie so much spunk, and I was here for it. While Patrick brought out the broody/moody and jealous vibes of Wyatt so well too. Loved every second of it.

Josie has been called to what basically looks like a haunted cottage. Oh and she’s arrested shortly after arrival. So much for a fun time with her brother. Come to find out Josie isn’t there for a trip to see her brother, Jacob. She’s there to help his best friend, Wyatt. He’s injured and not taking care of himself by any stretch of the imagination. Since Josie is a nurse and could use the money, Jacob pays her to make sure he goes to physical therapy and doesn’t die in the murder cottage.

Wyatt has a problem. He doesn’t want help and he really doesn’t know how to deal with Josie being with him. He’s liked her for years but she always seemed to hate him. Maybe this is his chance to finally win her over. But she seems to have an issue with jocks. They agree to go on a mission at sea to spread Wyatt’s uncles ashes. Will this be the straw that broke the camels back or will Wyatt win Josie over with his very subtle charm behind the grumpy exterior?

Thank you so much to @thomasnelson @netgalley and @kikimojo for the advanced reader and listener copy.

Emma St. Clair can be relied on to deliver imperfect people who aren’t just grumpy for the sake of grumpiness—they have reasons for the way they are. It’s those reasons and past hurts that get in the way of their HEAs until they can be acknowledged and worked on.

That is the case in this book. Wyatt’s family dynamic has made him shun the spotlight, despite his fame. Josie has past trauma with athletes, which has led her to misjudge Wyatt from the very first time they met. Which is too bad, because for him, it was pretty close to love at first sight.

So when Josie’s over-the-top charming brother coerces her into looking after Wyatt’s recovery from an off-the-rink injury, she’s not exactly happy about it. But she recognize that Wyatt is in a vulnerable place, so she stays.

As they both work through their vulnerabilities, they end up confessing past traumas and hurts and finally (and it takes some time) work through just how much Josie has misjudged Wyatt over the years. She has to be willing to look at all their past interactions through a new lens.

Of course, there are obstacles. They don’t live in the same city. Josie has a lot of insecurity about fitting the mold of a famous athlete’s girlfriend…if Wyatt even thinks of her that way. Those insecurities are an obstacle, but Josie is self-aware enough that they avoid the third-act breakup.

Though this is billed as a standalone, it does have a connection to the Appies series, cowritten by St. Clair and Jenny Proctor (reviewed here). This is completely a good thing.

This is petty, but the most annoying thing to me about this book is the way Josie goes all in on dressing up the dog. I just…don’t get the appeal.

All told, this is another entertaining read from St. Clair, with all the banter, feelings, and character development that we’ve come to expect.

Also—St. Clair is working on a playlist for the book. Keep your eyes peeled!

Possible objectionable material:
Past death of a family member, including spreading their ashes. Family disfunction. Josie’s older brother is a “player”. Past sexual assault. Kissing. Unmarried people share a bed.

Who might like this book:
There’s not really any hockey in this book, though the male protagonist is a hockey player. If you like books with cameos from familiar characters, this has it. It’s classic closed-door romance.

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

#BookReview #NetGalley #ClosedDoorRomance #Appies #EmmaStClair #IfAllElseSails #RomCom @emmastclairauthor

This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2025/08/hockey-but-not.html

Another amazing book by Emma St. Claire. I love how easy it is to get into the story and feel like you are living the story with Wyatt and Josie. This was a story full of humorous mishaps, matching outfits, and swoony abs. Of course, the icing on the top is the Appies connection. Loved so much that I'm sad this is a stand-alone book.

I absolutely loved this book! If you read any of this authors previous hockey romance series about the Appies then you will recognize Wyatt the mmc. Josie the mfc is Wyatt’s agent/best friend’s sister and she does not like Wyatt the grump. These two are forced together for the summer. Josie learns Wyatt isn’t as grumpy as he seems and maybe her first impression wasn’t correct. There are so many laugh out loud scenes in this book that I adored. The banter between Josie and Wyatt is some of the best I have read. I wish this book never ended and it is one I will for sure read over and over again.

This book was an absolute gem—a clean adult romance that hits all the right notes with heart, humor, and just the right amount of tension. From the first page, the story sails forward at a fast, refreshing pace, making it nearly impossible to put down.

Whether you're a die-hard hockey fan or just love a great “misunderstood enemies to lovers” or grumpy/sunshine trope story, this book delivers. The sports backdrop adds depth without overwhelming the romance, striking a perfect balance that makes the world feel real. But what truly sets this book apart is the character development. The female and male main characters grow in such a meaningful way, you can't help but root for them every step of the way. Emma St. Clair continues to shine in closed door romance, crafting a story that’s both swoon-worthy and emotionally grounded. If All Else Sails is a five-star winner that will leave you smiling long after the final page. Highly recommended!

If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair

Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If All Else Sails is absolutely amazing from start to finish! A closed-door romance with truly likable MCs, incredible chemistry, top notch banter, lots of humor, and so many great tropes! A lovely contemporary romance that demonstrates the power of overcoming the past, discovering your true self, and being open to finding love in entirely unanticipated places.

Josie's brother sends her to a random address for their sibling extravaganza, but she finds herself at a cottage belonging to a hockey player she doesn’t want to be around. Wyatt, her sports agent brother's client and best friend, is Josie's enemy. She finds out her brother wants her to help Wyatt recover from his injury and is willing to pay her, so Josie decides to give it a try. As they share the cottage and spend more time together, Josie starts to discover that Wyatt is much different than she initially thought. She learns that he was supposed to sail to Savannah to scatter his uncle's ashes, so she offers to be his first mate. As they go on their sailing trip full of adventure, tenderness, and hilarious moments, Josie finds herself growing closer to Wyatt with each and every day.

If All Else Sails is an all-around sweet, heartfelt, and entertaining summer read! Emma St. Clair excellently highlights Josie and Wyatt’s feelings and struggles, while also ensuring that the story is hopeful and lighthearted. Josie and Wyatt are such a great couple and seeing their relationship grow was so special. The story’s setting, especially as they were sailing, was so picturesque and well written! Also, the supporting characters were wonderful. Overall, a delightfully swoon-worthy read with lots of adventure, adorableness, and love!

Tropes:
- He falls first
- Brother’s best friend
- Hockey player MMC
- Grumpy x sunshine
- Forced proximity
- Enemies to lovers
- Slow burn

So this one's not enemies to lovers, he has liked her all along and their conflict is because she was angry at him for one misunderstanding years prior, but it does have some good tropes; grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, brother's best friend and only one bed. Now with that last one this is a SQUEAKY clean, GLACIAL slow burn so if you're a fan of spice I'd look elsewhere. The one bed trope did not hit the spot as the sexual tension was not there.

The first half was definitely better than the latter as there was more chemistry and build up, once we got sailing things really slowed down.

It was fun to imagine Jib in all her outfits and very relatable that Josie would spoil her rotten and buy so many outfits.

I did love that we didn't have a third act break up to insert tension and although it was very slowly built I did like Josie and Wyatt together even if the ending felt very abrupt like a full stop, we didn't see much of them actually in a relationship as a couple.

This was a light, low stakes romance and perfect if you're looking for something wholesome.

“Never leave the house without your underwear or your boundaries.”

This book had me cackling throughout the whole story. The chemistry between Wyatt and Josie was so good, that by the end of the book, I was ready to push them together. Josie is a school nurse, who is sent by her brother, a sports agent, to help care for Wyatt, a hockey player. He is the definition of a grump. But he harbors a secret: he has been in love with Josie for years, ever since they met, but a series of misunderstandings and a painful past led to Josie believing there was mutual hate between them.

There are so many parts of the book that I just loved so much. For one, Josie calls the house a quaint little murder cottage, which I thought set the whole tone for the book. Then, there is a scene with a pig stampede. I mean, who doesn’t love to read about a pig stampede?

THe last half of the book is about sailing, hence the name of the book. Wyatt, who is also mourning the death of his uncle, wants to do a sailing trip that his uncle used to take him on. He can’t go alone, so he asks Josie to come with him. This is where things really get good, and feelings change, and just so much goodness to read about. 5/5 stars.

I just finished catching up on the Appies series where Wyatt, a former teammate who transferred to the Boston NHL team, is mentioned several times in their group chat. And surprise, surprise I already had his story in my Netgalley arcs!! I just had to find out why he's nicknamed Oscar the hockey grouch lol.
Wyatt is a serious guy, a man of few words, but everything he says to his best friend's sister, Josie, comes out wrong. He's liked her from the first but she thinks he hates her. But then her brother Jacob plans a sibling trip that's actually a trick for her to nurse Wyatt back to health. Forced proximity for the summer in a remote cabin, a sailing trip for two, and a quirky stray dog bring them together so she sees a different side to the quiet gruff man.
Oh my God, sick Wyatt was just the sweetest! I loved this story! Wyatt is just such a tortured hero type with a tragic past, grumpy with everyone but her, and Josie is the bubbly sunny personality to make him smile. This writer creates sweet clean romance with all the emotional highs and lows. I can't wait to read what she writes next.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Absolutely loved! Another amazing book from Emma St. Clair!! The anxiety and depression reps were tastefully done, and I thought brought some good attention to the way people, and especially women, can downplay their trauma because "it wasn't as bad as other people go through " and "other people have it worse", or "its not anxiety, I just have anxious thoughts sometimes". Add in the hilarious dog, and the swoony moments, and its just beautiful! Can't wait to read more books by this author!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters. Wyatt is a big softy wrapped in a grumpy/doesn't know how to express himself outer shell. Josie is a bright and vivacious outside but is insecure on the inside. Josie butted heads with Wyatt from the beginning. Mostly due to misunderstandings and some past experiences of both Wyatt and Josie.
I loved Jacob and Wyatt's other friends that help move Josie and Wyatt in the right direction.
There were several laugh out loud moments and witty dialogue between Wyatt and Josie as well. This is a sweet, enemies to more romance.

3.5 stars

This enemies to lovers, brother’s best friend romcom had me laughing out loud and enjoying the light hearted moments.

Josie and Wyatt had good chemistry, and I enjoyed their character development throughout the story. I did find that there was a heavy focus on visual detailing of the characters instead of describing their communication and feelings. Although a light hearted story, it does briefly get into some more serious topics like parental neglect and sexual assault and readers should be aware. Overall, the story was a no spice read romcom.

My favourite character by far was Jib the dog! The OUTFITS were hilarious!

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

*As a side note, the publisher Thomas Nelson is a Christian fiction publisher. This book (and other recent publications) have been no-spice or closed door fiction but without any overt faith content.

This is my new favorite by this author!

The perfect clean summer romcom!

Tropes include brother’s best friend, enemies to lovers (then friends to lovers), and forced proximity.

He’s a famous hockey player and has what could be a career ending injury if he doesn’t take care of himself. He’s not in a good place and has refused both doctor visits and therapy. She’s a nurse that just happens to be the off limits little sister of his best friend. She arrives and things start looking up…even though she think he hates her.

They make a bargain that if he does therapy she will help him go on a sailing trip. There’s a cute dog, random pigs, and sunscreen…the word “our” also keeps popping up!

This one is just adorable.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this as an ARC! So fun!

If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair was a spectacular enemies-to-lovers romance.
Looking for a great summer read? Look no further than!
This is the one!
I enjoy reading Emma St. Clair’s books!
She knocked it out of the park with this sweet story.
A fun and heartwarming romantic comedy that is perfect for fans of the genre. The writing is witty and engaging, and the characters are lovable and memorable. If you're looking for a lighthearted and enjoyable read that will leave you feeling good, then this book is definitely worth checking out.

Thank You NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!