If All Else Sails was a sweet romcom. It’s a perfect summer read for something light and sweet. I enjoyed the characters and their back stories, as well as their sunshine and grumpy energies. These two already have a history, so it’s interesting to see how it plays out.
I did think the description of the brother was a little off… like he’s selfish and rude, but also everyone loves him because he always thinks of others… small thing, but it just felt off every time he was mentioned. The narration was good, though the voice for the male pov sounded older than I would have anticipated.
Overall, I enjoyed this romance and it was a quick read.

Ok- first things first: I did like the story, the characters were good and overall- yes, four stars seems like a decent and accurate rating. There is a grumpy injured hockey player, and an anxiety ridden nurse who just happens to be his best friend/ agents sister. Lots of misunderstandings, trauma, misadventures, and though it did feel like it could’ve been a bit quicker to get where it was going, the story was sweet.
My only misgivings would be that this is the audio version of the story & here I did have a slight problem with one of the narrators. Mr. Zeller had a tendency to raising his voice or to drag it like he was bored. I know he was trying to capture some of Wyatt’s anger and frustration, but dear lord was it disconcerting! Up and down up and down, just unbelievably distracting. Then when doing Josie’s voice, he’d drag it like it was half asleep or bored. Fortunately, Andi Ardnt was the other narrator and carried a majority of the story or I honestly would have dnf’d the audiobook altogether and tried the ebook copy. However, as always, this is just my opinion and others might really enjoy it this way! 😉
**Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this audiobook!**

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for this ALC.
I love a good brother’s best friend. Especially when one of them has been pining after the other for years. In secret.
This audio was done well. The narrators were clear and it was acted out well. I think my issue here is with the story itself. Though “issue” makes it sound harsh. I just didn’t love it. I wasn’t pulled into the story. There was nothing that captivating to keep me wanting to come back for more. If anything it felt like a chore having to finish reading it. I always love when a MMC is obsessed, but our FMC barely showed any personality or longing so it made it hard to care as well.
I really do usually enjoy Emma’s work and will continue to read what she puts out.
(Alc given for review. All thoughts are my own.)

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.

As for the audiobook, I really wish the production had stuck with the female narrator. The male narrator felt out of place, and his attempts at female voices were honestly hard to listen to.

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.

This book was such a fun read with so many of my favorite tropes! Forced proximity, enemies(ish) to lovers, it’s always been you, grumpy sunshine, brother’s best friend…bring it on!

Elementary school nurse Josie gets tricked into showing up at her nemesis’ (who’s also her brother’s best friend) lakefront cottage to help him recover from an injury. Said nemesis, Wyatt, is taking the injury and the possibility of ending his hockey career pretty hard. When Josie shows up, it might not be his finest moment….but he’s going to figure it out, right?

After their inauspicious start, they’re forced to spend time together, learn about each other, and see past the walls on the outside. The feelings start emerging, and then they go on a sailing trip down the intracoastal…

I absolutely LOVE a good forced proximity romance, and this was all that! Josie is forced to see Wyatt in a different light and re-evaluate their previous interactions, and he’s learning to get his feelings across without constantly putting his foot in his mouth. And they’re both figuring out what really matters. This was a sweet, well-written book (no steam) with all the love and feelings!

The audio version was really well done! Andi Arndt and Patrick Zeller were excellent and brought so much to the characters.

This was so sweet and precious! The perfect mix of giggles and feet kicking and also breath catching moments.
It was my first book from this author and I can’t wait for more!

This was cute! A solid 3.5 stars for me. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat or anything, but it had plenty of charm and a few laugh-out-loud moments (the MMC throwing a side character overboard? Comedy gold). I listened to the audiobook and absolutely loved the male narrator—he brought so much personality to the story. The tropes were doing their job: brother’s best friend, forced proximity, enemies to friends to lovers, he falls first, and yes... one bed. The chemistry was sweet, the tension was mild, and while the plot didn’t totally grip me, it was still a fun, feel-good romcom with a maritime twist. Definitely a cozy, easy listen when you want something light and tropey.

Read: June 1st - June 6th
Format: E-book
Rating: No rating, DNF @ 56

I feel bad DNF-ing this one because there's nothing horrible about it. It's FINE, but, like... It's been fine for the last 45% or so. I'm a bit tired of just listening to FINE, you know?

I think most of my issue is that nothing really happens. 56% of the way through, and they're just recently talking about a boat. And as much as the "he's only awkward around her so she thinks he hates her" thing can be fun, it just doesn't feel pulled off the best here. May be because it's just feeling repetitive at this point. The FMC is at least changing some.

I can see this being a very enjoyable read for others. Maybe less picky romance readers. For whatever reason, I'm SOOOO picky about the style and voice, and this just isn't scratching that itch.

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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And listening to the characters after reading the book was a great success, the work of Andy Arndt and Patrick Zeller, the intention they put into the characters, I could really see the scene in my mind.
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Thanks to Emma St. Clair and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction audio team for give me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion.

If All Else Sails by Emma St Claire

A BIG thank you to #NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio, and the author for sending me this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

About the book: Josie, a school nurse, reluctantly agrees to help her brothers best friend Wyatt, recover from a hockey injury during the summer. Oh and also sail down the international waterway, I mean what could go wrong? Let me tell you…
First of all, Wyatt has no clue that Josie is coming, and Josie doesn’t know that Wyatt doesn’t know she’s coming. Josie is tricked there by her brother into thinking they are taking an annual summer siblings trip.
When she arrives, Wyatt thinks she’s a reporter sneaking around the house and calls the police to have her arrested! Wyatt has always been a grump, and they have never particularly liked each other. He’s also a terrible patient but he’s in pretty bad shape, so Josie reluctantly agrees to stay for a week or 2. When she finds out that Wyatt’s injury has ruined his chance to sail down the east coast of the international waterway, she agrees to be his second hands and help him. But it’s definitely not smooth sailing due to Wyatt’s cranky attitude, and one disaster after another slowing their progress. The longer they are together and in such cramped corners, the more Josie begins to peak back layers of Wyatt to learn more and more about him. Perhaps she judges him wrong, and she has misunderstood him all these years. Will they end up killing or kissing each other before this trip is over?

What I thought: This books started off absolutely hilariously. I was actually cackling. So definitely a great start. Then it slowed up some, and at times I was honestly slightly bored. It does pick up and I ended up really enjoying it. I’m always a sucker for a good enemies to lovers trope. And for anyone wondering, this book has zero spice. Just a good clean story. All in all I’d rate this book 4/5 stars and I would and will definitely recommend it to others.

The narrators Andi Arndt and Patrick Zeller do greats jobs bringing the characters of Josie and Wyatt to life!

This book will release Aug 4, 2024

If All Else Sails 📕

This started strong and I was intrigued. However by 66% in it had lost my attention and I was no longer enjoying listening to it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for access to the audiobook.

2 star ⭐️

Andi Arndt was the perfect voice for Josie and I highly recommend listening. This was a delightful romcom and kept me giggling and kicking my feet from start to finish. It'll make for the perfect summer read this year.

Love, love, loved this book!!! I have read other Appies books and enjoyed the call backs. You definitely don’t need to read the others to understand what is going on. This is a perfect grumpy x sunshine romance book. It does touch on unwanted sexual advances in a very tactful way. I will add Wyatt to my list of book boyfriends! And the dog! I was dying over the outfits.

After successively reading a couple of books with heavier themes, this listen was exactly what I needed. The audio narrators were both phenomenal. I honestly think they made this book even better by the way their voices brought to life the characters.

Funny and lighthearted, this is a dual POV with a sunshiny female lead (Josie) who is tricked into taking care of her brother's best friend (Wyatt), a grumpy injured hockey player. Little does she know said hockey player has been secretly interested in her for years but respectfully keeping his distance. I loved Wyatt's patience and gentleness with Josie, the mutual support and cheering on of one another, and the setting of a sailboat trip down the intercoastal highway. How cool!

This book is published by Thomas Nelson, a leading publisher of Christian books. I have read a few recent releases from TN and I have been surprised by the increasing amount of suggestive dialogue & innuendo to sexual content that they contain. There is nothing explicit & it may be perceived 'clean' by society's standards, but I think it's misleading for Christians who are called to a set-apart holiness. I have also been disappointed by the absence of any clear faith content or gospel themes in these recent releases.

😇: Christian publisher (ThomasNelson); no faith activity nor any clear religious themes
🤐: no language
😍: sweet kisses, a high amount of visual ogling, suggestive dialogue, and innuendo

If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair - is a first by this author for me. This is a "cute" "Rom-Com" feel of a read that would be a fun movie too - wink-wink

Years worth of misunderstandings find Josie at Wyatt's doorstop and in a police car. When more misunderstandings occur Josie finds herself taking care of Wyatt - her brother's best friend and client. Wyatt, who has loved Josie since his first look many moons ago, has always had a hard time talking around her and everything comes out wrong. Wyatt is a "big-time" hockey player who is injured is in need of help and who better, Josie - a school nurse with her summer free.

They are thrown together - out in the sea and learn the truths of the past and the present. Such a fun read that left me with smiles all the way through!

A slow-burn romance that leans more cozy than passionate. While it’s marketed as an “enemies to lovers” story, I’d argue that’s a bit misleading… there’s tension, yes, but the characters never truly feel like adversaries.

The plot takes its time to get moving, almost too much time. The sailing element, which I expected to be central, doesn’t really show up until halfway through the book. That said, once it does, the setting and dynamics shift in a satisfying way, especially with the classic forced proximity trope coming into play.

One of the unexpected highlights was Jib, the dog, who honestly stole every scene she was in.

If you’re looking for spice, this might not be your pick. But it has some sharp banter and it is a sweet, easy-to-read story. At times the pacing felt a little drawn out, but the overall tone was charming and low-stakes, perfect for a relaxing weekend read.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for this advanced audiobook

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Audio, NetGalley and Emma St. Clair for an ALC 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.

Narration: I LOVED the narration between these two. I thought the chemistry between the characters was so palpable and the opening up to one another sounded so honest and real. I would definitely read something narrated by them again.

Love this story. I love the development of Wyatt and Josie's friendship than a relationship. Clean, sweet romcom. I enjoyed the banter. I also enjoyed the little links to the Appies.

This was super cute. I loved the grumpy sunshine vibes and the matchmaker surprise, even if it was a bit cheeky.

Both POV were delightful, the dog was the perfect twist and I found myself giggling quite often. Loved the pace, and the unexpected twist around his family and past.