This is a delight - a slow-burn closed door romance that doesn't suffer at all from the lack of spice. There's a real chemistry between Josie and Wyatt, and Emma St Clair is excellent at capturing the tension of all the misunderstandings and misconceptions and how it's informed their past dynamic, and also how that energy shifts as Josie, in particular, recalibrates and gets to know Wyatt better. Throughout, the banter is witty and pacy, and I was fully invested in their story. While this is very much about the central pair, mostly isolated and in close proximity, there's plenty to enjoy about the cameos from the secondary characters: notably Josie's brother (and Wyatt's best friend and agent) Jacob, Wyatt's mother, and a fun reunion with a couple of Wyatt's old Appies teammates. While you definitely will get a kick out of the latter if you've read the Appies series, it's certainly not a requirement; this is perfectly enjoyable as a standalone, and should make perfect summer reading for anyone wanting emotional depth and pathos with their romantic comedy.

4.5 stars

This was a light, fun read with some of my favorite tropes—forced proximity and brother’s best friend. I absolutely loved the sailing aspect; it added such a unique backdrop for the story and really allowed the romance to blossom naturally as Josie and Wyatt navigated both the waters and their growing feelings for each other. Their underlying miscommunication/lack of communication drove me nuts—it felt so unnecessary and could’ve easily been resolved early on. The pacing was a bit slow, but once they set sail, the slow burn romance found its stride, and watching their connection deepen amidst the waves was a highlight.

Overall, it’s a cute easy read perfect for a slow burn and clean romance lovers, but it was missing that extra spark to make it truly memorable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another awesome book from Emma St. Clair. It was so fun to be back in her Appies Hockey World and it was fun being out on the open water instead of the frozen rink. Wyatt was such a grump and I loved that Josie brought him out of his grumpiness. And the history they shared was fun also. I couldn’t with Jib!!!! I’m not a boater but after reading this I want to take a water trip. Ha! Having some the Appies back was fun too. You can never go wrong with they are around. lol.

I love this book so much. I listened/read it while I was camping and I finished the whole thing at the lake.

I also got the ebook and the audio copy and the narration was incredible. They perfectly fit the characters and I didn’t want to book to end.

A big thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for both copies of this book!

I love the brothers best friend trope so I was excited to read If All Else Sails. 

Nurse Josie is recruited by her brother to help his best friend and hockey player Wyatt recover from an injury. When Josie learns that his uncle has recently passed away and a sailing trip he used to take with his uncle is upcoming, she volunteers to go along. As they sail, the two get closer.

I was lucky enough to listen to the audiobook (superbly narrayed!) while reading along with my ebook copy. While it was a good storyline, I felt it was a little slow moving. Both characters had feelings for the other but neither communicated well enough to voice this, despite multiple side characters telling them they had chemistry or that they already acted like a couple. If you're a fan of slow burn romance, you may enjoy this one.

⭐⭐⭐ = 3.5/5 stars!

If All Else Sails was a cute closed-door romance. The audiobook had great narrators too! The story is about Josie, a sweet and humorous school nurse, who spends her summer helping her brother’s friend, Wyatt, a grumpy NHL player who’s recovering from a foot injury. Josie stays with Wyatt in his run-down cottage and they end up going on a sailing trip where sparks begin to fly. This story was full of fun tropes and a light hearted cozy escape that many will be sure to enjoy!

Grumpy – sunshine
Forced proximity
Brother’s friend

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the audio arc and eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Really cute summer read. Zero spice. Brother's best friend (hockey player!). Josie is a school nurse tricked by her brother to help get his hockey player best friend literally back on his feet after an injury to his foot. Romance develops after living in the "murder house" and on a sailboat. I did immersive reading with this one. Narrater was great. The majority of the time the story was told from Josie's perspective. The narrater's voice for Wyatt was a little hard to understand, but I slowed down the speed for those chapters.

And ... Emma wrote some of the Appies hockey books. There are some cameos that were SUPER fun!

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

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair. This book was an absolute delight from start to finish—a charming, feel-good read that had me smiling the whole way through.

St. Clair masterfully delivers on all the tropes romance lovers crave: “he falls first,” brother’s best friend, grumpy/sunshine and close proximity. The chemistry between the main characters practically sizzles off the page, and the banter is witty, playful, and endlessly entertaining.

If you love romances with fun dialogue, chemistry, and all the right tropes, If All Else Sails is a must-read. Emma St. Clair has crafted a story that’s as sweet as it is satisfying.

Fun! light and silly romcom. I usually hate a miscommunication plot propellor, and I didn't love it here either, but the story stayed fun and easy through it so I didn't pull out too much hair. And easy and very enjoyable read. Recommend!

This was such a fun and refreshing read! I’m a sucker for a good grumpy sunshine pairing, and Emma St. Clair nailed it with this one. I really loved both main characters—not only their chemistry, but the way they showed up for each other. She takes care of him in such a heartfelt way, and he helps her work through her own struggles too. It felt like a true partnership, which made their relationship that much more satisfying to read.

The sailboat setting was such a cool twist! I haven’t read many romances that take place mostly on the water, so it felt unique and added a lot of charm. (As someone who loves sailing, I especially appreciated those details!)

And if you're a fan of the Apies Hockey series by Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor, you're in for a treat—there are some fun familiar faces that pop in, which made the book even better.

Romantic, feel-good, and just different enough to stand out—this one’s definitely going on my favorites list.

I love this author. I have read a lot by this author and have loved every book I have come across. I was sucked into this book from the first page and wished I had more story to read.

If Emma St Clair writes it, I will read it. I loved this story with deep characters, real emotions and wonderful banter. Plus, it's just great writing, with evocative descriptions and great pacing.

I loved how, despite the wrong impression Josie and Wyatt had of each other at the beginning of the book, we saw how they got to know each other and both grew and changed. Josie thought Wyatt hated her, and she wasn't his biggest fan, but then we got to his POV! I really enjoyed how in Wyatt's POV chapters early on, he never outright admits to himself/the reader how he feels about Josie, but we pick it up pretty quickly in his emotional reactions to her, the details about her that he observes, and his memories from the past. That is writing mastery!

These two got into some hilarious situations (the fever honesty, the poison ivy, the dog outfits), which made for a great balance with the deeper emotions that were expressed and explored. I loved their chemistry! I also thoroughly enjoyed the cameos from Eli and Van from the Appies series.

Tropes:
*forced proximity
*brother's best friend
*past miscommunication
*second chance
*grumpy x sunshine
*flashbacks
*injured hockey player MMC
*nurse FMC
*dual POV

Content warning: estranged relationship with father and brother, emotional manipulation and neglect of father (past), recounting of past attempted sexual assault, light innuendo
Intimacy rating: 2 (makeouts)

Thank you Emma St Clair, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the copy of the book. I received a complimentary copy, and all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

If All Else Sails: A Novel
Thomas Nelson (August 5, 2025)

A 5 🌟 read for me
🏒 Wyatt embodies the qualities I admire in a man: he is strong, self-controlled, protective, loving, and sensitive to his partner's needs. Plus, he’s also a hockey player, which adds to his charm!
👩‍⚕️ Josie is truly wonderful. She’s independent and capable of handling life on her own, yet she also embraces the support and comfort her partner offers. I appreciate her nurturing spirit as a caregiver; it adds depth to her character.

I absolutely loved the setting and was captivated by the chemistry between Josie and Wyatt. Their “meet cute” at the “Murder Cottage,” where she almost got arrested, was both original and entertaining. The story is filled with hilarious moments that kept me laughing. The witty banter was outstanding, and I’ve even adopted the phrase “fever flirting” into my everyday vocabulary! This book is truly fabulous, and I can't recommend it highly enough. This is a delightful, clean romance that you can enjoy alongside your teens and young adults. Both leads showed remarkable respect for each other, presenting a great example of the qualities young girls should seek in a partner.

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book and read it with pleasure. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review. Thank you, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.
#NetGalley #ifallelsesails

If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair should be an automatic read for fans of fun, sweet, clean romances. It is a fast paced read with quick, witty banter between the main characters. It would be a great summer read. I give this book a 5 star read!

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

WOW! Another fantastic book by Emma St Clair, I absolutely loved this enemies to more story! So happy to see Wyatt (a former Appie) get his story, and Josie, a nurse at an elementary school. I laughed at the funny meet-cute that they had, so hilarious. Wyatt is grumpy and Josie is sweet and spunky. I loved the fun, witty banter between them, made for some good laughs. I loved the storyline and how it moved along, the slow burn built perfectly and kept me entertained all the way. Wonderful characters, even the side characters who added so much to the story. Fantastic story you don’t want to miss.

Thanks NetGalley & Thomas Nelson Publishing for the ARC!!
This was such a cute closed-door romance! I really enjoyed the characters. They were so fun, lots of cute banter between the main characters and some ridiculous moments that brought humor to it as well. Definitely worth the read!!
Wyatt is a grumpy hockey player who is dealing with an injury and is refusing to go to appointments or do his physical therapy. Although Wyatt is a grumpy character, he is very likable. I love that he realizes, he just struggles to talk to Josie and it always comes out worse. So, although Josie thought he hated her, the reader has an understanding of where Wyatt stands. I really like Josie, too! She was a fun character. She's an elementary school nurse and as she's trying to help. Wyatt. They joke about him being similar to the kids she helps. I really enjoyed this story and read it so quickly!

I was intrigued by the sailing premise and excited to dive into another Emma St. Clair title.

It started off strong and had good energy and then something shifted. I was bored and struggling to get through it. unfortunately, I didn’t connect with either character.

His mom showing up and randomly taking her for a shopping spree before going to the country club was shown as a positive “pretty woman” kind of experience - when really it read like what she’d brought to wear wasn’t good enough and she manipulated our FMC into changing just to go to lunch. Bizarre.

It was great to see some cameos from characters from the Appies series!

I skimmed much of the last half of the book and have decided to DNF at 87%.

I will continue to read Emma St. Clair - but this one wasn’t for me

Thank you to Net Galley and Thomas Nelson for the chance to read this eArc of If All Else Sails in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 stars. This was so cute! Perfect summery vibes, great banter and so many of my favorite tropes. I highly recommend this one for the summer. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc

If you love playful banter and shenanigans in your romcom, you will enjoy this story about a brother’s best friend who is a hockey player and the sister who is a nurse. I thought the setting of a coastal town and taking a trip on the intracoastal waterway was really unique!

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.

Loved it! Fans of slow burn, laugh out loud moments, he is grumpy, enemies to lovers (at least she thinks so), kisses in the rain
TV Rating: PG (disturbing themes-sexual harassment (brief) in past)