If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair
Writing: B-
Story: C
Characters: C
Setting: B-
Best Aspect: A few parts of the storyline were interesting.
Worst Aspect: The dual POV was not different enough and the main character was not fun to read.
Recommend: Maybe.

The first 10% was quirky and engaging, but afterwards the next 35% just repeated the same thing and I felt stuck. Like the story was going nowhere. It was by the 50ish% mark i realized the storyline hadn't even progressed to the main point (and title) of the book! I liked the banter and characters, but I think this being labled as enemies to lovers when it is very ovbiously NOT, and the bad excuse for "brother best friend" trope, both paired with the extreme slowness of this plot line made be lose interest quick.

If All Else Sails is a cozy, brother’s-best-friend/he-falls-first sweet romance. School nurse Josie can’t believe her brother tricked her into spending her summer taking care of his grumpy best friend/client. Wyatt Jacobs is the grumpiest man Josie has ever had the displeasure of meeting. Plus, he’s an athlete. A professional hockey player. Josie decided she didn’t like Wyatt the day they met. And for years Josie thought Wyatt felt the same about her. Boy was she wrong. Helping Wyatt while he recovers from foot surgery might sound like the worst summer ever. But maybe Josie was wrong about that too.
If All Else Sails is a fun, clean summer romance. Another 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read from Emma St. Clair.
Thank you to Net Galley for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book … I know absolutely nothing about hockey but have SO enjoyed this Appie team! The travelogue on the Intracoastal Waterway was awesome! All the characters were all so endearing and Jib was beyond wonderful! I would love to see a follow up story for Jacob …. Definitely give this one a try - and go back and read the rest of the Appie books!

If All Else Sails is a closed-door, slow-burn romance that is….pretty okay. I wish i had a more descriptive, less-lame opening line, but there you have it.
I did enjoy the slow burn-ness of the story because the reasons for it were solid, though underdeveloped in several ways. I can’t be more specific than that without giving spoilers. Josie is a good FMC, and we get a lot of time in her head to understand her; while it’s technically a dual-POV book, we spend about 80-90% of the time in Josie’s POV. This means Wyatt felt…somewhat less three-dimensional.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

Wyatt is grumpy but he used to be an Appie so I gave him space to growl.
Josie is a school nurse whose brother bamboozled her into helping Wyatt out during her summer break. There’s a murder cottage, an old truck, the summer sun, the Intercostal Waterway and a sailboat rounding out the cast of characters. A story of healing with the right amount of humor and the perfect slow burn romance made this a sweet read.

You don’t need to know what an Appie is to read this book but grab that series next you’ll thank me later.

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

Josie thinks she's showing up at a run-down but waterfront cabin to spend some bonding time with her brother, but it turns out her brother has other ideas: for her to spend the summer babysitting his client, professional hockey player Wyatt, who instead of doing everything he can to recover from an injury seems to be throwing himself a pity party and not taking the steps he needs to to get back on the ice. When an unfortunate misunderstanding leads to a less-than-stellar reunion between Josie and Wyatt, the summer starts off on a sour note. But a small cabin and an even smaller sailboat bring these two closer together.

I'm a huge fan of Emma St. Clair's indie books, including her Appies hockey ones, so I was SO excited to see Wyatt finally make an appearance! St. Clair is a master of closed door romance, giving us everything we need without any door slams or disappointment. I loved Josie and Wyatt (separately and together) and I really enjoyed the sailboat setting in the latter half of the book. It gave me Swept Away or The Love Haters vibes without any of the trauma or disaster of being stranded at sea. I just love ocean vibes. Anything I can do to get more hockey players on my pages, I will!

Thanks to Thomas Nelson for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

ARC/ ALC REVIEW

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Josie, an elementary school nurse, thinks she is headed for a sibling getaway. But when she discovers she will be caring for her brother’s best friend, Wyatt- a grumpy, professional hockey player who just so happens to be her mortal enemy- she gets the shock of a lifetime. Will she stick around until he fully recovers, or will the total seclusion be too much for her to handle?

Emma St Clair’s upcoming book, If All Else Sails, is set to release later this summer. This is perfect timing as it makes for the ideal travel companion. In fact, upon release it will be available in ALL formats. With endless options for consumption, reading just got a whole lot easier!

As with all of St. Clair’s writing, she hooked me right from the start. This book features popular tropes such as enemies-to-lovers, brother’s best friend, grumpy/ sunshine, forced proximity, and so much more. But don’t be fooled. While this book does have its light and fluffy moments, it also tackles heavy topics.

Being a die hard Emma St. Clair girly, I would have loved this book, no matter what. But I loved it ten times more when I found out it featuring Wyatt, a former Appie player. While it isn’t apart of the Appie Series, it is apart of the Appie Universe. You can even count on a few fan favorites to make a surprise appearance!

While I could talk about If All Else Sails for hours, I don’t want to spoil the plot. I hope I have encouraged you to give this book a read the second it comes out. Special thanks to Netgalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction, Zonder Fiction Audio, and Emma St. Clair for allowing me to read/ listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars – If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair is a sweet, closed-door romance with forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine and brother’s best friend tropes. This cute story is about Josie, an elementary school nurse, and one of her brother’s best friends and hockey player client, Wyatt.

Josie and Wyatt originally met when they were in college through her brother. Josie didn’t like jocks, and Wyatt was told she was off limits as Jacob’s sister. So, nothing but awkward conversations happened then. Fast forward several years, and Josie is planning to meet her brother Jacob at some random address he texted her. Surprise, surprise, Wyatt is there needing her help and Jacob isn’t coming. Josie and Wyatt manage to get his medical recovery back on track and learn more about each other in the process. Their banter is fun, and their chemistry increases as the story moves along. This book is a very slow burn. Sometimes it is a little too slow. Their first kiss is 92% of the way through the book. But the characters are likeable, and I wanted to keep reading more to see what happened.

A big “Thank You” to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for allowing me to receive a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#NetGalley

— 3.8 ★

! Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the copy of the book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own !

⤷ this one was so cute omg. I loved it so much and it’s a perfect read for summer I swear. I love the story and the dynamic they have like a enemies to lovers but not a enemies to lovers but close enough that made every interaction to make me kick my feet bc of the tension between them and in addition of all that the grumpy x sunshine trope got me every time smiling. And the storyline was so entertaining??? like for some reason all the things that happened make the perfect sense and they are so funny at the same time like I smiled so much reading all the things that happened to them and that’s something I don’t usually do with romance book. Plus, even if there’s a miscommunication is the first time I actually liked it, or at least make sense in the story and leads the plot well.
Talking about the characters, even if It's not that throughout the story they have a very big development, not at all but that makes it even easier between them and it's nice to read because they don't really change to be together but they are themselves only with more communication and trust and that's something I've loved, in addition their backstories make so much sense as they are, although I would have liked Josie's to be treated more deeply, but even so it makes you more familiar with the characters and with how they are and act. Apart from complementing each other so well that it is so satisfying to read their interactions that more than once I have been smiling at the book

Also, I loved the ending so much!!

So a big yes if you are asking me about read this book!!!

This is a great feel-good summer read. It has dual POV, lots of banter, fun chapter titles, and some really funny moments. I had a great time reading it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Josie is an elementary school nurse expecting to be taking a summer trip with her brother Jacob. When she arrives at her destination, and instead of Jacob she finds Wyatt, a hockey player, her brother’s client and best friend. She calls Jacob and he tells her Wyatt needs a nurse for both physical and emotional trauma after injuring his foot. She believes Wyatt hates her and has the same feelings for him until they spend time together. Wyatt’s uncle died and he has the ashes. Wyatt agrees to do the physical therapy and doctor’s visits if Josie sails with him on the trip he took with his uncle. This book is full of humor and new experiences as Josie learns to sail, finds a dog, and learns Wyatt is not as grumpy as she thought. I loved the dog, their sailing trip, Josie’s positive attitude and Wyatt’s patience with her.

All Else Sails had the makings of a great grumpy-sunshine, enemies-to-lovers romance, but the execution didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

I appreciated the overall sweetness of the story and how easy it was to read, but the slow burn felt a little too slow. It almost read like two separate books—Wyatt’s recovery arc and then the sailing trip with Josie—which made the pacing feel uneven.

The dual POV was a nice touch, but the character development felt a bit undercooked, and I kept waiting for more depth, especially given their backstories. I also expected to see more of Jacob, since he was the reason their lives intersected in the first place, but he faded into the background quickly.

That said, if you're looking for a light, heartwarming read with a coastal vibe and some emotional healing, this could be your next comfort pick.

I wanted to read Emma St. Clair’s If All Else Sails, because its description and cover reminded me of Float Plan, a Trish Doller novel that I absolutely love! While If All Else Sails didn’t win me over quite to that extent, I enjoyed this sweet romance overall.
If All Else Sails features Josie, a school nurse tricked by her brother into taking care of his best friend, grumpy professional hockey player Wyatt Jacobs, during summer vacation. Wyatt is injured and living in a dilapidated cabin left to him by his uncle, feeling sorry for himself and skipping out on his medical care. These two characters have a history of seemingly hating one another, a past that gets re-visited during their time together.

Once Josie’s brother says he’ll pay her, she goes into caretaker overdrive, and she and Wyatt begin to bond and open up. Eventually, they go sailing on a trip Wyatt planned to take in honor of his late uncle.

It is a romance novel, so sparks fly and truths are revealed as Josie begins to see another side of Wyatt and Wyatt confesses his true feelings. There’s a lot of humor in this book and it’s a good summer read for those who prefer a wholesome romance. There are some darker issues addressed, such as Josie’s trauma from a past assault attempt and Wyatt’s broken family due to an overbearing and controlling parent.

I have some thoughts about things in the book that did not work for me. First, there is a scene regarding a severe allergic reaction. It’s played for humor, but as a parent of a child with a life-threatening allergy, I never find this funny as a plot device. And second, Josie’s brother is named - wait for it - Jacob. So yes, there is Jacob and there is his best friend Wyatt Jacobs. At first, I thought there was a mistake in the book since I was reading an advanced copy; I was so confused. However, that seems to be done in order to make one joke about his name becoming Jacob Jacobs if Wyatt’s mom had ever adopted him. Anyway, I thought that was quite silly and something that distracted from the quality of the story.

If you enjoy a clean romance with such tropes as: grumpy/sunshine, brother’s best friend, just one bed, etc., you will appreciate this light and entertaining story. My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

If All Else Sails will be released on August 5, 2025 by Thomas Nelson Fiction.

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Thank you for the opportunity to review this eBook. I wanted to love the audio but couldn't get past the second chapter due to the narrator. It's a shame because this book is really good! The witty banter between the two main characters had me laughing out loud often. I have highlighted so many parts of their dialogue. The story develops slower than I'd like, but I still enjoyed it. I love a good grumpy/sunshine romance and this one hit all of those marks. Also, this is the first closed door hockey romance I've read and it was surprisingly refreshing. I enjoy spicy and non-spicy books and sometimes I wonder if the spice is there to try to lift up the story a bit. It's nice to see a love unfold without all of that. Overall, a great read and I'll be recommending to my followers.

I just finished reading If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair and I gave it 4 stars.

Many thanks to the author - Emma St. Clair, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and Net Galley for the ARC.

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

The story follows Josie and her brother’s best friend, Wyatt—who also happens to be a famous hockey player. It features some of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and the classic one-bed situation.

Josie thought she was going on a fun, adventurous summer trip with her brother, but she was tricked into becoming Wyatt’s “in-house nurse” as he recovered from an injury. Her brother’s true intention? Playing matchmaker while also helping Wyatt heal. With Josie and Wyatt suddenly stuck under the same roof, they’re forced to confront their past—an awkward not-so-meet-cute and years of miscommunication.

As the story unfolds, we get to see them slowly open up about their shared history, personal traumas, and complicated family dynamics. The real turning point comes when they take a sailing trip together with their newly adopted dog. The tension between them builds beautifully, and the chemistry is undeniable. It’s one of those slow-burn romances where you can’t help but long for the moment they finally face their feelings and confess.

It’s sweet, filled with delicious tension, and makes for a perfect, quick, and easy summer beach read. Highly recommend it!

This was a great summer rom-com!! I loved the characters and their stories. Josie and Wyatt made such a cute couple. This book had it all - a summer cottage, sailing along the intercoastal Atlantic, and even hockey. Such a fun book!!!

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

I had so much fun with this book, I jumped in without reading the blurb because it's Emma St. Clair, and I knew whatever she had planned to surprise the reader was going to be a hit. And I wasn't disappointed.

From the moment Josie arrives at the destination her brother texted her until the very end, it was one surprise after another that had me on the edge of my seat and smiling the whole time.

I don't know if it was the fact that Wyatt was a hockey player—my absolute weakness—that had any influence in my opinion because they barely talk or do something hockey related. I think it was the fact that I felt like Emma was being completely free when she wrote this book, the feeling of her rare small towns the odds and quirky characters that make you think twice and even the most irreverent things made so much sense.

I really enjoyed the journey of these two characters as they got to know each other better and made sense of all the misunderstandings that led them to be enemies for years. A beautiful and fun romcom with a little bit of sport romance.
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Thanks to Emma St. Clair and her team for give me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion.

This is a sweet, non-spicy romance that combines a few different tropes with some strong characters and good dialogue. School nurse Josie gets tricked by her brother to to helping his best friend, hockey player Wyatt, recover from an injury. Josie has always assumed Wyatt dislikes her, and the forced proximity as they stay in an old family cabin in Virginia forces her to learn more about him and her assumptions. Some emotional developments with Wyatt’s family push them even closer, but they still face some misunderstandings and confusion about where they stand with each other. It’s an enjoyable read with enough emotional depth to avoid being cliched or cloying. The miscommunication element just isn’t my favorite, but that’s a personal preference and not a deep flaw in the book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. All views are entirely my own and offered voluntarily.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction, NetGalley and Emma St. Clair for an eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

5 out of 5 stars

Emma St. Clair did it again! I absolutely loved this book. Since starting the Appies series I have wanted Wyatt's story and I'm so glad I finally have it. This enemies to lovers, forced proximity book proved to add all of the right tension. Wyatt self sabotaging his recovery made so much sense with the grief he was experiencing. Josie being a nurse and in need of money was just what was needed to get Wyatt back on track with his recovery. The only issue... they are NOT big fans of each other. Josie thinks Wyatt hates her... not to mention the fact that she hates hockey players, but she really needs the money so she takes care of Wyatt (despite his many protests). They grow closer and we get to know each character more as they get to know one another. Overall, this book was so good and it is definitely one of my favorites by Emma St. Clair. I have a soft spot for Wyatt and he's definitely one of my favorite MMC's. A man who can sail? YES PLEASE. However, I will never look at Cool Whip the same way again lol. iykyk.