I cannot even begin to describe how happy I am that I pre-ordered this book the MINUTE Emma mentioned it in her weekly emails. So moving, touching and wonderful and immediately grabbed your attention in the first 2 chapters. I was 70% in after a 2 hour plane ride cause I couldn't put it down haha.

I love Emma's writing style and was so happy to see some Appies players make an appearance too. Do yourself a favor and grab a copy!

Pub date: August 5, 2025

What you’ll find in If All Else Sails:
-dual POV
-elementary school nurse x grumpy injured pro hockey player
-caretaking
-forced proximity
-brother’s best friend
-dislike to lovers
-closed door romance
-a sailing trip (he also buys her boat shoes hehe)
-he calls her “Rookie”
-a happily ever after

First, the cover is STUNNING!

Josie (FMC) is a school nurse hired by her brother Jacob who’s a sports agent to take care of his client/best friend and injured hockey player, Wyatt (MMC). It all begins as a well-fare check because Wyatt isn’t going to his doctor’s appointments. I love when a book has funny and cute little chapter titles. The beginning scene wasn’t the best in my opinion because part of it couldn’t even cut as it was a little out of pocket. It really took me for a loop. However, I still chose to keep reading and I’m so glad that I did. All in all, If All Else Sails was definitely an easy and mindless read, which I liked. I do wish there was a little more dialogue. I found myself craving more interaction between our main characters. And for this reason, I gave it 4 stars. This would’ve been a solid 5 star read for me if there had been more showing instead of telling. I still highly recommend checking this one out, especially if you’re looking for a cute and cozy summer romcom! I will most definitely be checking out Emma St. Clair’s other novels!

Trigger warnings: anxiety, medical PTSD, mention of a deceased loved one, mention of a near death experience of a sibling, trauma

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy!

Emma St. Clair knows just how to hook a reader, and the first chapter of If All Else Sails had me cracking up and completely sucked in. From then on, it was a wild ride of physical comedy, hijinks, classic Emma laugh out loud humor, and slow burn romance.

Wyatt is an injured pro-hockey player who used to play for the Appies (if you haven’t read that series, what are you waiting for?!) Josie is a financially struggling nurse and Wyatt’s best friend/agent’s little sister. And they have a little bit of a history. When Josie shows up for a sibling vacation and finds Wyatt instead of her brother, she’s given a financially beneficial proposal from her brother, and ends up being nurse for injured Wyatt. Throw in animal hijinks, sickness, and a sailing trip with the swooniest first kiss, and this book has all the ingredients for the perfect summer romcom and new favorite Emma St. Clair book!

If All Else Sails releases on August 5th in all formats, so make sure to preorder your copy so you can read it as soon as it releases!

Intimacy: Kisses only
Language: None
Content Considerations: Family dynamics, mild innuendo

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas Nelson and Emma St. Clair for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

4.5 ★

Emma St. Clair remains a must-read author for me. "If All Else Sails" is a super cute slow burn, with the fun and witty banter I've come to expect from this author. She also includes some funny animal encounters that appear in many of her books.

A few of the characters from her Appies series make a brief appearance, but you do not have to read that series before reading this book. However, if you haven't read that series, I also highly recommend you read those too (and the rest of her back catalogue).

Emma St. Clair is a clean closed-door romance author. I don't usually specifically seek out closed-door romance books, as I don't mind reading books with spice, but every time this author releases a new book, I'm quick to read it.

I immersively read this book by reading and listening to the audio book simultaneously (though there were times I didn't want to put the book down, so I listened while cooking dinner). The narrators Andi Arndt and Patrick Zeller did a great job. I was able to easily understand them even when listening at a 2.5x speed (I prefer to listen to audiobooks at a 2-2.5x speed).

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and Zondervan Fiction Audio for the arcs. All opinions are my own.

I loved everything about this book, except that Josie’s brother’s scheme to make her and Wyatt do what he wanted was horrible. I was not a fan of his. Other than that, I loved the characters, the story, the setting, and the hilarity throughout. This was such a fun read.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. Not only is the romance built organically and not without struggle, I was also laughing out loud on a regular basis. It's a rom-com that's more on the romance side, but also tackles deep issues of grief and trauma, as well as the way our own inabilities to express ourselves can have both dark and hilarious results.

Josie and Wyatt have chemistry, but are both convinced that one hates the other. Josie doesn't know why Wyatt dislikes her, and Wyatt is fully aware that he can't stop making a butt of himself in front of Josie and thinks her dislike is completely justified. Wyatt just can't seem to stop making mistakes, and big ones, but they also give Josie the time to realize she likes Wyatt even when he's an idiot. Wyatt on the other hand helps Josie see that her muchness is an asset, not something to hide or bury, and the things she thinks are negatives about herself are what he notices and enjoys the most.

I devoured this in a single day, I could not stop reading. This is a closed door/low spice romance that's mostly about tension and the early days of a relationship that goes from enemies to friendship to more.

Right off the bat, the title and cover totally caught my eye, and I’m happy to say the story delivered something just as fun and unique. This book felt so fresh and different from other romances I’ve read. It had such a cute vibe overall, and I found myself laughing out loud more than once, especially in the beginning!

The tension and banter between Josie and Wyatt were so well done! Everything about their dynamic felt natural and easy to root for. The forced proximity really gave them space to grow closer, and watching that shift from enemies to something more was super satisfying! Their chemistry was sweet and steady, and I loved how their connection built over time.

It’s definitely a slow burn, but it makes sense since it’s a clean romance. Honestly, the flirting and lingering glances were enough to keep me smiling through it all! If anything, I just wished there were a few more romantic moments once they finally got together. I wasn’t ready to let go of them yet!

I also really loved the sailing setting. It gave the story something special, like I could feel the breeze and the tension on the boat right along with them. It made the whole experience more immersive and memorable!

The side characters were great too, especially Jacob. I can’t really explain it, but his energy brought something fun to the story and balanced the more emotional moments so well. I’m kind of hoping he gets his own book!

Overall, I’d definitely love to see more of Josie and Wyatt, and fingers crossed for Jacob’s story too!

Stars: 3.75

If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair is a humorous, heartfelt, and enjoyable dual point of view rom com! Josie is an elementary school nurse who is comfortable in her comfort zone. She’s sunshine, witty, bookish and a little anxious. Wyatt is a professional hockey player who is recovering from an injury and processing grief over the loss of his uncle. He’s perceived as grumpy, but he’s patient and protective and a big softy. Josie and Wyatt have history together that they each remember differently; it was interesting to see both sides of the story and refreshing for them to talk through it. They are also both working through some heavy stuff, and I like how they support each other.

I really enjoyed the humor in this story – the murder cottage, fever induced confessions, the pig incident, Jib’s outfits, the sarcastic comments, and more!

The plot felt a little jumpy at times like I was waiting for more from an event, but the story jumped to the next thing. I also wanted more from the ending – it felt a little abrupt. I would have liked more with the story’s resolution and conclusion. At times, the characters’ internal monologues felt long and repetitive. I still enjoyed this story though!

Overall, this is a cute he falls first, brother’s best friend sweet and clean romance.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really struggled with finishing this one. The cover is super cute and I love the title, but I do feel like the name was a little misleading since “sailing” didn’t really become a big part of this book until 50% in.

This was the slowest of slow burn romances, and the main characters had zero chemistry. They literally didn’t even kiss until the 90% mark. They were barely even nice to one another and yet we are led to believe they are in love? Nope, not buying it. We aren’t shown much of their previous experiences with each other, and the few that we are shown would not lead to a romance.

Overall this was a painfully boring read, and I would not recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my free copy in exchange for my honest review.

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

Enemies to lovers and brother’s best friend romcom set on a boat? I loved this book. Josie’s brother recruits her to help hockey player and best friend, Wyatt, recover from an injury. After spending time with him, she learns that he planned to take a boating trip to honor is late uncle and agrees to go with him. I loved the romance in this book, and it was an enjoyable, quick read. I will definitely be checking out more books by this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I loved this story so much. I was actually surprised the sailing part didn’t happen until halfway through. I love how the grumpy guy was actually in love with her the whole time. And the development of the characters was wonderful to read. I was laughing so much in this book thanks to the audiobook…especially in the tickling scene. 😍

I've just finished a perfect summer read! Thank you Uplit reads, Thomas Nelson, and netgalley for the book to read & review! The first thing I loved about this was that Josie is a nurse(giving props to all the nurses out there)! When her brother tricks her into checking in on his injured friend Wyatt at his "murder cottage," Josie's words not mine, her life changes almost immediately. She gets roped in to taking care of him for the summer cue the grumpy/sunshine and enemies/lovers trope. After agreeing to accompany Wyatt & learn how to sail the sparks start to fly cue the forced proximity! This one is just a plain cute feel good romance!

If All Else Sails is a new release from author Emma St. Clair. The story follows FMC Josie and MMC Wyatt who find themselves stuck together after Jacob (Josie’s brother/Wyatt’s friend and agent) tricks them into staying together at a dilapidated cottage in Maine.

Tropes:
⛵️Enemies to lovers
⛵️Forced proximity
⛵️Dual POV
⛵️Hockey player / teacher
⛵️Grumpy x Sunshine
⛵️Closed door

Things I loved:
-The chapters have titles! This seems to be a forgotten storytelling technique and I think it adds a lot.
-Diction is fantastic. The writing is snappy and unique. It made me want to read every paragraph word for word.
-Josie is a fun character. She is technically the sunshine in this grumpy x sunshine story, but she’s not blindly optimistic or toxically positive. She feels like someone I’d actually know IRL.

Why I rated 4 stars:
-I really liked Josie and Wyatt’s personalities and slow burn.
-The beginning pulled me in but then felt a bit slow for the next 30-40%. I wish they set sea a little sooner!

If All Else Sails is out out August 5th! Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Josie arrives at the address that her sports agent brother has given to her to find what she dubs "the murder cottage". This is where she is supposed to meet her brother for their annual sibling trip. When she sees the house and her brother is nowhere in sight, she has visions of a serial killer awaiting inside, so she decides to wander around outside. That was a big mistake as you will soon learn.

Pro hockey player Wyatt Jacobs is actually in the house hiding from the public while he recovers. When Josie learns that the house is inhabited by the man she loathes, she is not a happy camper. Her brother has set her up to use her nursing skills to take care of Wyatt as he rehabs his foot. Only the promise of lots of money makes her give in and stay to care for this man she considers an enemy and oaf.

I am a sucker for a well written romance, especially one with comedy and witty banter between the characters. Wyatt was definitely grumpy, and Josie was sunshiny, except Wyatt seem to bring out her dark side, so to speak. Since they are stuck together, they learn to co-exist. Somewhere along the way, Josie sees a side to Wyatt that she never knew existed. Wyatt was like an onion that you had to peel back layer by layer to find the sweet spot. I knew it was there under that gruff, man child exterior.

This was a romance, with some comedy, but it was also a story of healing and revealing vulnerabilities that have been hidden for a long time. I really got into the story when they started sailing down to Savannah. After all, if you are stuck on a boat with someone, there are not many places you can hide. It was witty, charming, sweet and a little sassy. The author did a phenomenal job of building the characters slowly so that you can more fully relate to their little idiosyncrasies. This slow burn romance captured my heart and left me with a smile on my face.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was fun, but I was bored at some point. It is somewhat cute, and that first kiss was so beautiful, but I didnt really connect with the characters.

Also, what was that plan Jacob and Wyatt were on almost at the end? They talk about it, but the book doesnt clarify what was their plan..... or at least I didnt saw it.

4⭐️/5

This was a fun, cute and silly read. The beginning was my favorite part and I wish I could read and experience it again for the first time.

This was my first Emma St. Clair book and it definitely won’t be my last. While it was really cute and I had a blast reading it I did feel towards the end it was repetitive and Josie’s nuances got a little annoying.

Josie is a school nurse with summers off who finds herself at a random cottage her brother sent her too. They planned a Summer Sibling Extravaganza trip only her brother doesn’t show. And she finds herself helping someone recover who hasn’t liked her since the first time they met. She had an incident in her past that left her not trusting of athletes.

Wyatt is in a pretty dark place after losing his uncle and getting injured. He’s not taking care of himself and is scaring all the nurses away who are sent to help. He’s broody, grumpy, and stubborn. He has a complicated past with family and he isn’t fond of the attention that comes with being a pro athlete.

Together they decide to set sail down the Intracoastal on the trip Wyatt and his uncle planned before he passed. They avoid having important conversations and the tension and chemistry start to thicken the farther they journey. Jib is their cute little found furry friend who Josie dresses up in ridiculous outfits. The sailing aspect was really fun and unique. There were so many sweet moments. Moments full of patient love, longing, and quiet touches. I love how long and patient Wyatt was. I love how Josie pulled Wyatt out of his dark place. Their story was so sweet.


Favorite things:
🚨🚔👮🏻‍♂️📸First meeting
😆Delirious compliments
🐷X-men pigs
👗High society steamroller
🐶Jib
⛵️Sailing
🥿Boat shoes
🖤Truths in the dark
🪶Bird feather touches
⛈️Storm confessional
🫠He feel the first day

Favorite Quotes:

“You okay there, pig wrangler?”

If there were a combo quiz on sailing and men’s muscle groups, I’d get an A plus.

“But a successful marriage isn’t about aligning on all points. Just the ones that matter. Which is fewer than you might think,”

A successful marriage is one that works even in those gaps. It’s all about navigating and bridging the gaps, even if they never close.

“I’m a patient man. I won’t push you,” Wyatt says then. “At least, not too hard. Hopefully, just hard enough.”

“Just know that you’re in charge,” he says. “If I push too much or if you want me to stop or if you don’t feel safe, say the word. Do you understand? It’s about when you’re ready.”

“I’m not interested in games. When I know what I want, I don’t settle for less. I don’t waver. And I’m really, really good at waiting.”

“Telling the truth is easier in the dark, don’t you think?”

Butterfly kisses were immortalized in song, but someone should really write a banger about bird-feather touches. Wyatt’s contact is hummingbird fast—there and gone. Whispers of warm skin disappearing before I can lean in for more. He leaves goose bumps and shortness of breath in his wake.

“You couldn’t be more wrong when it comes to how I feel about you,” Wyatt says, then leans closer, pressing his wet forehead to mine. “How I’ve always felt about you.”

But perhaps love is being the exact right size of drill bit to tighten the other person’s very specific loose screws.

I'm fairly convinced at this point that Emma St. Clair is incapable of writing a bad book. I loved If All Else Sails from the first page. The romance was swoony with all the feels, the story was solid, and the characters were perfection.

I can't wait for the next Emma St. Clair book!

Enemies to lovers, brothers best friend, style romance with a rich buildup and lots of great plot points! The setting, in Tappahannock, VA, is so close to where I live and it was delightful to see a setting that isn’t the normal locations for these types of books! Virginians, this book is for US! A stubborn hockey player needs medical help and hilarity and romance ensue. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing any other books written by this author!

{Thank you to @netgalley and Thomas Nelson for my gifted copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.}

I absolutely love Emma St. Clair and the Appies! When I heard there would be a traditionally published book featuring Wyatt, a former Appies player whom we only know from the infamous group-chat, I was thrilled.

This book started out a bit slow for me, but I ultimately really enjoyed it! Josie was such a fun FMC, and I loved that her occupation was as a school nurse, though we don’t see her working in that capacity. I’ve never read an FMC in that field! Wyatt was so sweet, and I loved getting to see him briefly with Vance and Eli–two faves from the Appies series.

If you love enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and MMCs who know what they want without wavering, I would definitely recommend this title to you!

4.5☆ A clean, slow burn enemies-to-lovers forced proximity brother's best friend romance...

I think that covers most of the tropes! 😉🤣

I'm an Emma St Clair fan and have read her books since I discovered her in the 2010s, so I've followed her writing career from Christian fiction into closed door romcoms. It was fun and quite the honour to read an ARC of her first tradpub book!

I loved Josie and Wyatt and their hilarious (and sometimes serious) moments in the "murder cottage" and whilst sailing. While Josie is less sunshiny and more shy, her happiness highlighted Wyatt's abrupt grumpiness, but her bravery and sassiness added depth to this typical trope. And in usual Emma St Clair style, this story was littered with fabulous banter, many hilarious moments, but some underlying depth and realness.

While this novel has been published by a publisher known for Christian fiction, this is a clean, closed door General Market story.

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