I’m a big fan of Emma’s novels. This one hit differently. In a good way. I truly enjoyed it and it was exactly what I needed to suck me in and distract me.

I didn’t read the burb and went into it without knowing anything. I enjoyed the two perspectives. It’s interesting how a shared experience can be so different for different characters.

I loved the humorous beginning. I loved the moments of introspection and growth for the characters. I loved the longing and the easiness of the relationship as they became friends and then more. I loved that it made me laugh.

While I’ve seen some criticism of this being marketed as enemies to lovers, I think I can agree it wasn’t the usual enemies to lovers, however Josie thought they were enemies and their past had “evidence” that they weren’t friendly. This definitely had elements of grumpy guy, optimistic sunny girl, brother’s best friend, and he falls first. I also love the close proximity trope and it definitely had this.

I loved joining these two on an adventure as they learned more about themselves and each other. I loved the humorous moments, as well as the deeper ones. Definitely a book I couldn’t stop listening to.

3.25 ⭐️

This was cute and fluffy but it felt like it was lacking any depth. I didn’t feel invested in the characters until right before the end, and I didn’t really feel compelled to root for them. I wish the trip had happened a little earlier on, because that was when things starting to get more interesting.

I loved this book so much! The author crafted characters that are so lovable and relatable. The relationship dynamic and banter is so fun. I also really enjoyed the change of format once the sailing trip begins. Such a great summer read. I will be going back to read St. Clair’s books. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

. ݁₊ ⊹ — 4.25 ⭐️ — . ݁˖ . ݁
started may 17th | finished may 29th
ˋ°•*⁀➷ tropes: brother‘s best friend, best friend‘s sister, forced proximity, slow burn, audiobook, summer read

ˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 ♡
so first of all, i freaking adore the characters and the character development in this book. that‘s so important to me and emma st. clair did such a good job. i don‘t like grumpy x sunshine tbh and wyatt WAS slightly irritating in the beginning but i started loving him slowly. i really need to start taking notes about the books i‘m reading because i don‘t remember shit 😭 i don‘t think i read a lot of boats that were about sailing and the plot felt unique. also there weren‘t unnecessary scenes and there wasn‘t too much or too little of anything, it was perfectly balanced and i love that. now let‘s be real, the miscommunication trope is annoying because like JUST FUCKING TALK TO EACH OTHER, you know what i mean, but this might be the first time i liked it. and the TENSION guys.

ˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 ♡
jacob. i didn‘t like jacob. i don‘t really like people like him, they piss me off. there few other things i didn‘t like tho. first of all, the beginning was SO boring, like the first few chapters made me scared i‘m gonna get myself into another reading slump. and it did get better but i still feel like the time they spend in the murder cottage was so long, like half the book and it felt so stretched out, even tho the stuff that happened was hilarious, like the hockey stick scene was gold. also the narrator sounded like my chemistry teacher and made me sleepy. but i actually really started liking her throughout the book. i feel like the narrators fit the characters so perfectly. but when i heard wyatt‘s narrator‘s voice for the first time i had a little (big) jumpscare, i was REALLY not expecting that.

── .✦

⌞ 𝐣𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐞 ⌝ she is a really amazing character and i love her sm. she felt so…real.

⌞ 𝐰𝐲𝐚𝐭𝐭 ⌝ BOYFRIEND MATERIAL RIGHT HERE. i love him guys. i love him sm

────୨ৎ────

ˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ♡
i really liked this and i‘m definitely gonna be reading emma st. clair‘s books in the future.

⤷ thank you to netgalley and thomas nelson and zondervan fiction aufio for providing me this audiobook in exchange for an honest review <3




ˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
oh how i love audiobooks. just made two powerpoint presentations for school while listening to this. that’s what i call multitasking and habit stacking guys.

This book was such a cute romance book. I love that it has to do with a hockey player and an elementary school nurse.
It’s an annual siblings trip turned into taking care for her brothers best friend who she thought hated her.
I absolutely loved how it also was a smut free book. Even though I love it, at times it’s nice to have that break and just have a cute rom-com. I also loved that the author used real life stories that she’s experienced to help make this book.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book before it’s published.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio I received the audiobook ARC!
This was seriously such a cute, clean romance. The banter had me laughing out loud and the narrators did an excellent job. Josie’s retelling of what happened to her in high school hit so close to home and the things Wyatt said to comfort her I definitely needed to hear too.
This was a good palette cleanser from the books I usually read.

ARC/ ALC REVIEW

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Josie, an elementary school nurse, thinks she is headed for a sibling getaway. But when she discovers she will be caring for her brother’s best friend, Wyatt- a grumpy, professional hockey player who just so happens to be her mortal enemy- she gets the shock of a lifetime. Will she stick around until he fully recovers, or will the total seclusion be too much for her to handle?

Emma St Clair’s upcoming book, If All Else Sails, is set to release later this summer. This is perfect timing as it makes for the ideal travel companion. In fact, upon release it will be available in ALL formats. With endless options for consumption, reading just got a whole lot easier!

As with all of St. Clair’s writing, she hooked me right from the start. This book features popular tropes such as enemies-to-lovers, brother’s best friend, grumpy/ sunshine, forced proximity, and so much more. But don’t be fooled. While this book does have its light and fluffy moments, it also tackles heavy topics.

Being a die hard Emma St. Clair girly, I would have loved this book, no matter what. But I loved it ten times more when I found out it featuring Wyatt, a former Appie player. While it isn’t apart of the Appie Series, it is apart of the Appie Universe. You can even count on a few fan favorites to make a surprise appearance!

While I could talk about If All Else Sails for hours, I don’t want to spoil the plot. I hope I have encouraged you to give this book a read the second it comes out. Special thanks to Netgalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction, Zonder Fiction Audio, and Emma St. Clair for allowing me to read/ listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

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.