If All Else Sails is a charming, feel-good romance that blends humor, heart, and just the right amount of swoon. Emma St. Clair crafts lovable characters and witty banter that make the story impossible to put down. It’s a delightful escape full of warmth, second chances, and the kind of chemistry that leaves you smiling long after the final page.

it is a slower romance than my go-tos, with a lot of internalised conflict mostly from Josie’s end. I thought it was handled really well in this book, but it does slow the pace down a bit in the last quarter Still enjoyed this book!

I love Emma St.Clair books because they are always a series of moments that are so cute to read + just plain fun! Josie & Wyatt’s love story is no different!

Poor guy is down bad for her the moment he meets her and can’t think straight/ always ends up saying the wrong thing. 🫣🤭 she on the other hand thinks he can’t stand her… and is disgusted at the thought of dating her…

I LOVE when her brother comes to visits + brings Eli and Van! They are seeing straight through the pair and calling this romance. 🥰

The dog 🐶 so cute! & Josie constantly dressing the dog and matching the dog plus his reactions are priceless.

I loved the sailing/ adventures in this book it makes it the perfect summer read!

The death of Wyatt’s uncle and the spreading of his ashes along the sail trip give this romance an added emotional depth plus allow the pair to talk about deeper things.

“If All Else Sails” by Emma St. Clair is an absolute delight! The witty banter between Josie and Wyatt had me grinning from ear to ear. Josie, a school nurse, finds herself roped into helping her brother’s best friend, Wyatt—a grumpy hockey player—recover from an injury. Their forced proximity on a sailing trip leads to hilarious mishaps, unexpected chemistry, and heartfelt moments. It’s an easy, fun read that perfectly blends humor and romance. If you’re looking for a feel-good story with engaging characters and sparkling dialogue, this one’s for you!

Wyatt and Josie are one of my favorite book couples! They have great banter and I was seruisly laughing at times. -I loved how when they began traveling together everything just got better. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this I loved it.

Once again, Emma delivers an adorable romcom! I loved Wyatt’s story and that Emma gave it as a side story to the Appies series. In my opinion you can never get enough Appies romcoms! Wyatt is a big grump at first but actually ends up being really sweet and charming, especially to Josie. I didn’t guess in the beginning of the novel that he was actually in love with her; his communication skills need some work. ;) This was a fun read that easily kept me engaged and wanting to know how those two finally ended up together.

Thank you to Netgalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Emma St Clair for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Perfect mix of swoon-worthy romance, laugh-out-loud humor, and just the right amount of heartfelt emotion. From the very first page, I was completely swept away (pun totally intended) by the charming characters, witty banter, and undeniable chemistry.

The romance? Pure chef’s kiss perfection—slow burn with all the tension and just the right amount of angst. The humor? Absolutely spot-on, with moments that had me laughing out loud. And the emotional depth? Sneaks up on you in the best way, making the love story even more satisfying.

If you love stories that feel like a warm hug with a side of hilarious chaos and all the swoons, If All Else Sails is a must-read. Trust me, you’ll be grinning from start to finish! ⛵💕😂

Thank you NetGalley & publisher for this eARC.

My very first book from Emma St. Clair.

Okay, just one thing - this is not exactly enemies to lovers trope - if one of them has already developed a crush and kinda yearns for them for a period of time.

But anyways, it's ;

☸ forced proximity
☸ grumpy x sunshine
☸ slow burn romance x closed-door romance
☸ dual pov (mostly it was Josie's POV)

Overall, there were no dull moment throughout the story, and the banter was hilarious from chapter 1.

Recommended!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Kinda mad that people keep advertising things as “enemies to lovers” when they are absolutely NOT lol… marketing, please get it together. This just pisses people off, but I’m choosing to not let it affect my rating because that was likely not the author’s decision.

It’s a cute fluffy book but definitely felt like it was longer than it needed to be. There was so much extra detail and backstory that honestly didn’t add much to the story. The banter was cute but some of the book felt forcibly “quirky”. The licking of the photo…? Plz. I wasn’t really feeling the chemistry between the characters, and it didn’t seem like they really... grew? I usually love a good brother’s best friend romance, but this just wasn’t the book for me.

But I will say, as someone who couldn’t care less about sailing and the ocean, it wasn’t hard to get into that world. So if that is a concern of yours, don’t let that stop you!

I won't be posting a public review of this until at least a month after the pub date, due to the low rating and out of respect for the author. I will edit the feedback once I've posted the reviews.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for allowing me to review this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

If you’re in the mood for an adorable beach read look no further than If All Else Sails. Josie expects to meet her brother Jacob for a summer trip only to find his best friend Wyatt instead. Wyatt is a total grump who needs someone to help him out after a foot injury and Jacob couldn’t get off work to do it. Only problem is Wyatt hates her. Or does he….But she still agrees to help out. One week becomes two becomes a sailing trip of struggles. This book had me giggling constantly. It was just so sweet you can’t help but love it.

This was a cute, cozy & clean romance with several fun tropes: grumpy/sunshine, brother’s best friend, forced proximity, misunderstanding, also a sports theme with a hockey player as the MMC. The banter made me laugh out loud & swoon, but I appreciated that it didn’t get spicy. The sailing trip was fun & different than anything I’ve read before. I did get a bit frustrated with Josie taking too long to talk about her relationship, which caused the middle to drag a bit. Overall, a fun & easy read!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley & Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC!

The cover, the author and the description pulled me in - and the story hooked me! Emma St. Clair has written a witty, sweet and cozy, slow burn romance with some of my favorite tropes - annoyed to lovers, brother's best friend, close proximity, and ONE BED! This book also delivers on two of my favorite side characters....a meddling family member/friend and pet that charms the reader. And then there was the little sneaky surprise that sealed the deal for me, this is Wyatt from the Appies! If you’ve read the Sweater Weather series and the Appie’s series that followed, we get Wyatt’s story (he was on the Appies and was drafted to the NHL) and have some cameos from other Appies players!

I don’t know how they do it, but some of my favorite closed door romance authors really nail the funny/memorable details and Emma St. Clair is one of those authors. Some of my favorite details:

-Super Sibling Extravaganza
-mutant pigs
-poison oak (at the most convenient time)
-Jib Jabberwocky the dog
-the boat shoes
-murder cottage
-cool whip container
-Wyatt’s mom
-foot in mouth disease

If All Else Sails is the perfect cute, clean summer read. It is a swoony slowburn and will leave you smiling. Grab it for a poolside or beachside read.

There are some deeper topics, but they are kept very surface level. So if you are looking for emotional depth, this book wouldn’t be for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for a chance to read the ARC.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but all opinions expressed are completely my own.

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair, and let me tell you—it made my little hockey romance heart so happy! If I have one guilty pleasure (okay, more than one, but I digress), it’s my love for hockey romances. I honestly don’t know how it started, but for some reason, they always hit the spot. Sure, they’re filled with familiar tropes and guaranteed HEAs, but honestly, what’s wrong with that? In my book (pun intended), absolutely nothing. And let’s be clear—there should never be any guilt in reading what you love!

This story follows Wyatt, a former Appie (IYKYK) player, and Josie, an elementary school nurse—and the sister of his best friend, Jacob. Josie heads to a small cottage expecting a sibling getaway, only to find Jacob missing and Wyatt—her supposed enemy—living there while recovering from an off-season injury. Grumpier than ever, Wyatt isn’t exactly thrilled about unexpected company. But after some convincing (and a little bribery), Josie stays to help him out. Forced into close quarters, she quickly realizes that everything she thought she knew about Wyatt might just be wrong.

I really enjoyed this book! While there’s no on-the-ice hockey action, that’s no drawback—the story flows so well that you don’t miss it. It’s the perfect mix of humor and romance, unrequited love, and hidden secrets. If you’re a fan of heartfelt, slow-burn love stories with just the right amount of tension and warmth, If All Else Sails is definitely worth the read!

It was a cute little book. Very predictable from start to finish though. None of the characters were real stand outs. However I liked the fact they the sailing trip and the relationship to his uncle.

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute, closed-door brother-best-friend romance. It felt like a YA novel with chemistry but not too much depth. It follows Josie (FMC) and Wyatt (MMC). Wyatt gets injured and refuses to care for himself until his agent (Josie's brother) tricks her into helping him recover and get him out of the mud. The two eventually go on a month-long sailing trip because what could go wrong...or right? The chemistry between the two was undeniable, and I loved how they took time to make their relationship feel more authentic. There were plenty of moments where I giggled but would have preferred more communication between the two rather than reading and having it feel "inner-monologue-y".


Read if you like:
- Brothers best friend
- He falls first and harder
- Forced proximity
- Dual POV
- Closed door

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

Holy moly, this book was just perfect. The main characters had their own history, as well as their own personal issues and it all came together so beautifully into this story. The dual perspective was great and enjoyable. The plot and storyline were set at a nice pace. There were even a few events I didn't see coming that made me want to cry! Can't recommend this book enough!

Delightful rom-com from St. Clair. As an indie author, her works have been so fun and I also loved reading this first traditionally published title. Recently I read a book where the introductory "meet-cute" was so terrible that I ranted about it for days. Wyatt and Josie, however, are fun and enjoyable from page 1!

I knew Emma St. Clair and had enjoyed a few of her books before; to me, "All Else Sails" confirms her talent.

I loved the premise: Josie turns her at a strange little cottage for her brother's Super Summer Sibling Extravaganza, only to find that the only person there is hockey player Wyatt, her brother's best friend but someone Josie loathes. She hates athletes, and this one in particular. When he calls the police on her, he certainly doesn't arrange his case. But he's injured, and feeling a little depressed, and Josie feels forced to stay and look after him. Slowly, they develop a friendship, and Josie soon accepts to go sailing with Wyatt in memory of his late uncle.

This was a very sweet story, with two well-developed characters with some chemistry. I enjoyed their witty banter and the way they could show their real self to each other. I enjoyed the different settings where the story took place, I only wish more of the story happened on the sailboat.

*I received a free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion*

This is a very sweet Enemies to lovers closed book romance. She's a school nurse and he's an injured hockey player and they've never seen eye to eye. He's her brother best friend and he offended her once as a teenager so she's never forgiven him.

At times both characters were frustrating and could have cleared all their issues up if they just talked to one another. I loved the sailing trip and Jib's endless array of outfits (she stole the show). Jacob was an interesting side character and I hope he gets his own book one day too.

All in all it was sweet and very easy read for summer!

I loved this book!!!! If All Else Sails, is the perfect combination of cozy and humor. I fell in love with the main characters as they navigate their way through what was, while trying to make sense of all that they are feeling now. Because of the playful dialog and beautiful setting, I really think this would make a great movie, too!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the advanced copy. All reviews are my own.