If All Else Sails is a stand-alone novel by Emma St. Clair that will be released in August. Based on the side characters, it does have the potential to become a series.

"That's the thing with family-they're like a bunch of stubborn splinters. Really difficult to remove, even if you sometimes want to."

Josie and Wyatt are the perfect example of opposites attract. It is obvious that Wyatt cares for Josie from the very beginning, but she thinks he hates her. They don't do well with communicating at first, but it is fun to watch their relationship develop. There is plenty of witty banter, St. Clair's renowned animal adventures, and depth to the story.

Read for:

⛵brother's best friend

⛵sailing adventure

⛵Jib and her outfits

⛵He falls first

⛵forced proximity

⛵witty banter

⛵slow-burn romance

⛵the pigs

⛵Josie's sassiness

Thank you to Net Galley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Absolutely loved this book! I love a good brothers friend romance! No spice, all romance. Overall very enjoyable!! I devoured this in one day, no regrets!

If you like the brother’s best friend, enemies-to-lovers and/or the “he fell first” tropes this is the book for you!! Wyatt and Josie’s dynamic is electric from the start!! Wyatt is such a green flag book boyfriend. The way he fumbles over words when he’s around Josie is absolutely adorable! Josie is so sassy and funny, I’d want to be her friend in real life! As someone who grew up sailing and loving hockey this was the best combination to read! I’ve honestly never read something that married my two passions together and I loved every second!!

This book had me actually laughing out loud multiple times. It is definitely a good beach/summer read if you are looking for something wholesome and fun! There is barely any spice but not every romance book needs spice to be great.

This book pretty much combined all my favourite things into one. Enemies to lovers? Check. Grumpy sunshine? Check. Hot hockey player? Check. We especially love a MMC who's secretly been in love with the FMC forever.. hehe! I was giggling over and over!

The story follows Josie-a school nurse, and Wyatt-a grumpy hockey player down bad from an injury, as they are kind of tricked into spending the summer together. The book is well paced and kept me hooked. I binge read this in a day and loved every minute of it!

Every once in a while it's nice to take a break from some smuttier books, and this was a nice, closed-door rom-com that fans of Sarah Adams and Katherine Center would definitely enjoy!
If you’re looking for a fun, mostly lighthearted romance with all the best tropes, this one’s for you.



I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own <3

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I was so happy to get another small taste of the Appies! Wyatt and Josie are the perfect grumpy sunshine. The banter was golden. The dog outfits, the cute sailing terms, I loved it all! Emma proves herself an expert in closed door romance again and again.

This book was the perfect room com!!!! From the beginning which was laugh out loud hysterical, to the grumpy vs sunshine. The Dogs outfits, and their HEA. I loved every second of this book!! And the Appies showed up! Even better!!

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc. I really enjoyed it and it was such a cute romance novel. I highly recommend it to others to read.

Thank you to NetGalley UK and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for a review.
If all else sails is probably a great read for someone who is looking for a book full of tropes: one bed, he fell first, hurt/comfort, brother’s best friend, kind of sports romance, small town… there’s a lot going on. For me, I found it to be a few too many and that the relationship between the two main characters to be a little too close to an insta-love vibe. While I enjoyed parts, I wouldn’t read again - but I am sure it would be a great fit for other readers who are looking for that!

I really liked how simple this Romance was. There was no last minute argument or any unnecessary conflict.
I think the characters really complimented each other. It wasnt an enemies to lovers story but it was a brothers grumpy bestie tale.
I think it was quite clear on both of their feelings from the get go to be honest the main issue was communication.

I really liked the boat trip but it did limit the amount of development in the relationship

3.75 stars

First of all, thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for offering me an ARC of this novel. All opinions in this review are my own :)

tropes:
- grumpy x sunshine
- brother's best friend
- famous hockey player
- he falls first
- fine line between hate and love

This story started off strong with a lot of flirty tension between Wyatt and Josie, who are thrust together in an unfortunate series of events (read: her brother is a self-involved meddler/matchmaker). The premise was incredibly fun and I loved the unique spin on it all. The pig and poison ivy moment had me falling off of my seat in laughter! Overall, this story definitely had the rom com balance down.

During the sailing trip, however and somewhere between 70% and 90% of the book, however, I began to get a little frustrated with Josie, mostly due to her unwillingness to talk about her panic. The fact the first kiss isn't till 90-95% of the book just caused the pacing to be a bit on the slow side for me. Also, for how big of a build up Josie's panic was, the climax where they discussed her panic and issues was a little too... underwhelming for me. And then there was the epilogue and it was all happily ever after. A bit anti-climactic for me personally.

Overall, though, it was an enjoyable book and was a page-turner with funny and romantic moments!

"If All Else Sails" by Emma St. Clair is a delightful romantic comedy that navigates the choppy waters of enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes.

The story follows Josie, a spirited school nurse, and Wyatt, her brother's grumpy best friend and a professional hockey player sidelined by injury. When circumstances force them to share a "quaint little murder cottage," their mutual irritation sets sail toward unexpected chemistry.
A spontaneous sailing trip down the Intracoastal Waterway further tightens their close quarters, leading to humorous mishaps and heartfelt moments.

St. Clair masterfully crafts witty banter and slow-burning romance, making this novel a refreshing and enjoyable read for fans of clean, contemporary romance.

Well, this was a delight. Perfect spring break read and I loved all the Easter eggs from the authors previous books. I can always count on Emma St. Clair.

This was cute but not for me. I enjoyed the idea of the story but felt it could have been developed more. Characters were likable but lacking dimension.

This adorable rom-com with all the tropes had me giggling and swooning throughout! I loved the unique and swoon-worthy flirting moments for them to connect. This was my first from Emma St. Clair, but won’t be my last!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

This was a good story. My personal preference would have been less words to describe a situation. But then as the book went on it helped to understand the characters later. I would have liked a better explanation of the Dad and what his status was. I am so glad I was able to read this book

This is definitely a summer read.

When I read the blurb of the book, I was very excited because I have a lot in common with the character, Josie. She is an elementary school nurse who loves to read, dreams of being a librarian, and is sometimes a little too obsessive. When her brother's best friend is injured, Josie helps him recover. As time goes by, she begins to see the young man she thought she hated for years for what he is. I really enjoyed the first half of the book, I read it with great pleasure. But in the second half of the book, although I enjoyed it as well, my excitement waned a bit. I would have liked a little more emphasis on Josie's trauma and Wyatt's family issues.

Ultimately, I recommend adding this book to your summer reading list.

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

This book was full of tropes I love, and I was a great easy read, with closed door romance. My only complaint was the plot felt very divided between two parts—the first half in the cottage and the second on the boat, which felt a bit odd in terms of pacing to me, although I liked both parts quite a bit. I liked that there was not really a third act break up/conflict.

Read this book if you like:
⛵️slow burn
⛵️brother’s best friend
⛵️hockey romance
⛵️forced proximity (especially only one bed)

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

3.75/5
“What I want — what I’ve always wanted with you — is everything.”
This book is about Wyatt, a hockey player who’s recently injured and won’t take care of himself. So his best friend/agent sends his sister ( a nurse) to help him out of his funk. So they spend a month together on a sail boat once he’s feeling up to it. What can go wrong with all of the tension and misunderstanding from years prior👀 aye aye captain😛🫡
-
This was such a cozy summer read. Didn’t really get the enemies to lovers vibe but it definitely was a slow burn! It had plenty of “laugh out loud” moments in the beginning. I was literally giggling😂
-
Overall I felt like this book was mostly inner monologue rather than dialogue and feelings being discussed. Don’t get me wrong though, it was a refreshing palette cleanser after being in a bit of a rut. I just would’ve preferred a bit more of communication from the get go. Run on inner monologues can get a little 🥱
This author’s writing gives Emily Henry/Carley Fortune with the sweet Summer vibes and the way it’s written. I definitely want to check out more from this author!
-
This book releases AUGUST 5!!
Thank you to net galley and the publisher for this ARC!

This was so funny, like every book she writes its a gold mine of funny stories and hilarious animals and the grumpy hockey player who softens to josie. One meddling brother who we love also. If you read her appies books you get a couple players as a cameo.

"My last name looks good on you, Rookie.
Maybe we can find a way to keep it there." ⛵️🌊🛟☀️
if all else sails ARC 4/5⭐️
Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC! This was the second book i’ve read by Emma St Clair and I enjoyed this book so much! This book will make the perfect summer read! I did not want this book to end! I loved the beach cottage and the sail boat and the forced proximity! This book is about Josie and Wyatt. Josie agrees to help her brother’s best friend recover from his injury and they sail down the intercostal waterway together. Definitely read this if you like enemies to lovers, a fun beach read, and no spice! This book comes out August 5th, 2025! Be sure to check it out!!

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