A nurse and an injured hockey player? Brother’s best friend? Forced proximity? Sign me up.
This was such a great book, and I really enjoyed this quick romance read that also had the right amount of emotional depth for the FMC and MMC. I enjoyed the dual POVs, and for the audiobook I loved the female narrator! I do agree with other reviewers that the male narrator was not my favorite, but not enough for me to mark down my review. Overall, a lovely 4 star read 📚
✨
Thank you Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

If All Else Sails follows school nurse Josie on what she thought was going to be her annual summer trip with her brother Jacob, but turns out to be babysitting his injured best friend Wyatt instead.

I read this after a huuuge ice hockey romance binge, and this was a nice segue into classic summer romances. Grumpy x sunshine, enemies to lovers and brothers best friend all in one delicious summer romance. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Christina Lauren. Cutesy summer romance (not spicy) and plenty of laugh out loud moments.

Thank you to Emma St. Clair, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio, and NetGalley for the advanced audio copy of this book.

I recently listened to the audiobook version of "If All Else Sails" by Emma St. Clair, narrated by Andi Arndt and Patrick Zeller. While I appreciated the effort of both narrators, I found that the male narrator’s delivery occasionally fluctuated between quiet and loud, which made for a somewhat jarring listening experience. It might have been beneficial for him to adopt a more consistent tone. Additionally, I felt that his voice came across as a bit older and more mature than I would have envisioned for the character. With a few adjustments, the narration could have enhanced the overall enjoyment of the story.

I liked the premise of this book as it had a lot of potential, but I found the pacing to be quite slow. The romance centres around Josie, a school nurse on summer vacation, and Wyatt, her brother's best friend, who needs medical help. I felt that the narration affected my engagement with the story, as I struggled to connect with the characters and invest in the tale being told.

If All Else Sails is a cute romcom with so many tropes thrown into one. Hockey romance, grumpy meets sunshine, enemies to lovers, close proximity and yet another boat boom which has been such a prevalent theme in 2025 romcoms. This one is about an elementary school nurse, off for summer break when her brother asks her to take care of his best friend and client, a hockey player recovering from an injury. It was so heartwarming and sweet. And I love any book with a Seinfeld quote in it. And the dog!! Oh how I loved the dog. So many funny and lovable moments.

Grinning from ear to ear!! This was such a cute read!! I absolutely loved the dynamic between Josie and Wyatt. I love a hot, grumpy guy lol The audiobook was great too! Having two different narrators really brings the story to life!!

*Thank you partner @uplitreads and @tnzfiction for the #gifted book and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

A grumpy pro hockey player and his longtime crush (his best friend’s little sister!) are forced to share a house and then so much more in this hilarious and sweet grumpy x sunshine rom com.

✨ Book Review: IF ALL ELSE SAILS by Emma St. Clair ✨

❤️‍🩹 Josie is a cash-strapped elementary school nurse on summer break and Wyatt is a grumpy pro ice hockey player with a foot injury throwing a pity party. Josie’s brother, who is also Wyatt’s agent and friend since college, tricks Josie into taking care of Wyatt mostly to get him out of his funk. Once forced to share the same space though, Josie realizes there is so much more to Wyatt than she’s yet realized. And she may just like him, even if he is a pro athlete.

🤓 My Take: I loved this book! The chemistry and the deep knowing is excellent throughout. Both characters have depth and Josie and Wyatt really do make each other better. My only complaints are that it was sometimes difficult to understand the male narrator due to his deep voice and varying levels of volume, and that therapy was mentioned but not carried out, at least that is spelled out on page. Still, the book was so cozy, joyful, and just fun. It had me squealing with delight, giggling, and rooting for Josie and Wyatt. Definitely recommend.

👩🏻‍🏫 Read Alike: The essence of the book reminds me of The Bromance Book Club series, which I absolutely love! I think the connecting thread is Wyatt’s strong emotional intelligence, plus his status as a professional athlete and almost-family-level male friendships.

Read IF ALL ELSE SAILS for
✌️ Dual POV
🌊 He falls first
😍 It’s always been you
⛵️ Forced proximity
💕 Brother’s best friend
🏒 Pro hockey player
☀️ Grumpy x sunshine
⏳ Slow burn
🤣 Foot-in-mouth slip-ups
🐾 Rescue pup fashion

😘 Thanks to @TNZFiction and #NetGalley for the gifted advance listening copy (ALC) of this book. All opinions are my own.

What a delightful read! The characters had such fun banter, and the mmc was truly a sweetheart! The narrators were great - minus the volume on some of the male narrator’s part. You could tell the author put so much love into this story, and it made it even better!

If All Else Sails is a slow burn romance that will have you LOL at the banter between Josie and Wyatt.

Read if you like:
~grumpy/sunshine
~brother’s best friend
~school nurse/hockey player
~closed door romance
~close proximity

Overall, I really thought this book was fun and cute! I would highly recommend it.

This was the first novel I have read by Emma St. Clair and it will not be my last.

If you are an audiobook lover, the narrators do a fantastic job bringing these characters to life.

⚠️ Please check TW⚠️

If All Else Sails AUDIO by Emma St. Claire is a very cute rom-com featuring a lot of misunderstanding and poor communication. Wyatt is a professional hockey player and a college friend of her brother, who is now his very rich agent. Her brother had called Josie to meet him for an impromptu vacation, which they had done before so Josie went to the address he had sent. It was a run-down cottage, kind of scary, prompting her to dub it the “murder cottage.” She walked around and took some pictures, just for fun, when the police showed up and were about to haul her of to jail for trespassing, when her accuser, on crutches, came out of the house. Wyatt? Why was he having her arrested? To be fair, he hadn’t seen her in a while and she looked different. No one had told him she was coming. As soon as that mess got straightened out, she called her brother. Wyatt needed a keeper, he explained. He was not going to the doctor and not doing his physical therapy. He would pay her, and after all, she was a nurse, albeit an elementary school nurse, but all the same. She made him pay her plenty. He could afford it.

As Wyatt and Josie spent the summer together, eventually on his sail boat, what had been obvious to him for years, became obvious to her. It was jolting. Wyatt was a grumpy guy, nearly always, and his injury wasn’t helping that. Josie was the opposite, except when threatening to kill her brother. She did have some baggage, though, and they got past it. It was a cute, feel-good story with the end never in question. I enjoyed it.

It was narrated by Andi Arndt; Patrick Zeller who were perfect, alternating chapters, always in sync with their respective characters. Good choices, especially Andi.

I was invited to listen to If All Else Sails by Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #ThomasNelson #ZondervanFictionAudio. #EmmaStClaire #IfAllElseSails

📚 3/5
🎧 5/5
🌶️ 0/5

Thank you for the author and publisher for this ALC from NetGalley!

Tropes:
⭐️ hockey player
⭐️ brother’s best friend
⭐️ forced proximity
⭐️ enemies to lovers
⭐️ slow burn

This is a very sweet love story between Josie and Wyatt. Injured professional hockey player that just so happens to be her brother’s best friend. This is a verrrrrry slow burn. I did like their chemistry and relationship development, however, I wish their relationship would have actually developed way earlier in the book than it did.

The audiobook performance was phenomenal. Both narrators did a great job bringing the characters to life.

This book was charming. The slow - burn was very real in this book. There was some chemistry between the characters but due to the repeated inner monologue, the sparks fizzled out at times.

"Sometimes the most turbulent storms happen not on the ocean, but within the human heart". This line certainly captured the emotional core of the story.

Josie the FMC - I liked her wit and her trauma was handled with care. But, her indecision often felt excessive and the constant stalling really took away from the plot. Her relationship with Jib though was downright cute and adorable.
Wyatt the MMC - A grumpy hockey player with some family trauma. His emotional arc was compelling. The audio narrator for Wyatt often mumbled or was too quiet which took away from the experience.

If All Else Sails is a heartwarming voyage of healing and unexpected connection. With tender banter, coastal charm, and just enough emotional depth to anchor the story, it’s a feel good romance that leaves you quietly smiling.

If All Else Sails was a cute, charming, and delightful enemies to lovers story. I listened to the audiobook and adored the dual narration. They really brought the story to life and made the characters feel much more real. Josie and Wyatt’s banter was very enjoyable and I listened to this one pretty quickly.
Who doesn't love a good pun in a title? That alone made me want to listen to it! So, if you're looking for a quick beachy read that's close proximity, enemies to lovers, sports romance, grumpy x sunshine, and a closed door kind of read - then I surely do recommend giving this one a try.

This was a really fun and heartwarming story. I felt the pacing of the overall story was slow at times but the pacing of the romance was perfect. I really enjoyed seeing the relationship between Josie & Wyatt evolve and change over time, it was really something beautiful. There were so many times I laughed and swooned. The ending was great and very satisfying, so happy with that epilogue!

My only gripe is that during the audiobook, Wyatt’s chapters were often so low volume wise that it was difficult and frustrating to listen to.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!

3.5 stars. I love the promise of a good enemies-to-lovers romance. When I saw Andi Arndt was half of the duet narration, I requested a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley for review. This book was fine, though I felt Patrick Zeller’s narration for the male lead seemed a bit older/mature than I would have personally cast. I was surprised that the sailing didn’t really start until like 60% of the way through the book. This book had some great moments but as a whole fell short of my expectations.

I enjoyed this story when I read it earlier this year, and I enjoyed it just as much, if not more, when I listened to it.

I enjoyed the female narrator, but I struggled with the male narrator. As Wyatt, sometimes he would yell. The volume would get really loud, then you would turn it down, and then he would get soft, almost like he was whispering or mumbling, and you had to turn it back up. It was very distracting. A more consistent volume would have made a world of difference.

Read for:

⛵brother's best friend

⛵sailing adventure

⛵Jib and her outfits

⛵matching outfits

⛵He falls first

⛵forced proximity

⛵witty banter

⛵slow-burn romance

⛵enemies to more

⛵hockey romance

⛵fever-induced conversations

⛵cameos from the Appies

Despite the inconsistencies with the male narrator, this was still an enjoyable story, not only to listen to, but to read. While it is a rom-com, it has a deeper storyline as well. Wyatt and Josie both have struggles and things they need to overcome. They talk about their issues, which brings them closer together. While they have known each other for years, they have never truly known each other. Their character growth as they let go of their preconceived ideas and actually get to know each other is great. They don't jump from enemies to more, they become friends before stepping into that more category, and I really appreciated it.

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.

Lovers of hockey romance may find this title too hockey-lite, but those looking for a creative, gradually developed romance with a lot of sailing details thrown in for good measure will be happy with If All Else Sails. It’s characterized as an enemies-to-lovers title, but Wyatt has never seen Josie as an “enemy”—just his best friend’s sister to whom he’s always been attracted and confused as to why she dislikes him so much, aside for his ability to say the wrong thing more often than not, of course. Now he’s hiding away in a summer cottage, mourning his recently deceased beloved uncle and NOT rehabbing his recent injury the way he should in order to return to hockey. Josie’s brother tricks her into showing up at the cottage, and once there, she reluctantly takes up the role of motivator. I found some of the backstory presented with an overly heavy hand, and readers whose eyes roll at little dogs dressed in ridiculous outfits will quickly tire of the (sidekick) canine’s sartorial descriptions. The only real action Wyatt’s hockey stick sees is directed at a band of wild pigs which the author insists in an endnote is based on her own real experiences in Virginia’s Northern Neck. Andi Arndt narrates flawlessly, as always, but I found Patrick Zeller’s performance—even though I’ve appreciated his work in the past—very annoying. He zigzagged between yelling and whispering, and his delivery reminded me of Alan Tudyk in “Resident Alien.”

3.25 stars
This was a cute classic Grump x Sunshine no spice romcom read ☁️☀️ The set up of our MMC being an injured hockey player and our FMC being a school nurse and putting them in a forced proximity setting was so good!

I listened to the audiobook version of this story and enjoyed the life the narrators added to the story. My only qualm was that the mixing of the audio for the male narrator was off so at times he got really quiet and then really loud and it was jarring to listen to. Definitely wish it was duet style narration but that’s just my preference. A cute summer read for sure!

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for the ALC and the opportunity to read and review honestly.

Enemies to lovers is always a top trope for me and If All Else Sails brought a fun spin to the storyline! Showing up at the mysterious address her brother gave her for what is supposed to be their Super Summer Sibling Extravaganza, Josie finds herself being "detained" by the police for trespassing on none other than her sworn enemies property. Wyatt is a hockey player hiding out at his cottage after an injury sidelined his career. Josie's brother is also his manager and he tricks Josie into showing up so he can convince her to be his handler for the summer and make sure he gets on the track to recovery.

As Josie spends more time with Wyatt, she starts to see his grumpy exterior crack open and both start to realize that they may have been wrong about the other. The forced proximity and banter in this one, make for a fun ride as we watch their romance unfold. Emma St. Clair does closed door romance really well, this is a sloooww burn and angsty and she keeps you on the edge of your seat with these two.

Andi Arndt and Patrick Zeller were fabulous narrators. Josie is all sass and spunk and Andi brought her personality to life. Patrick has the perfect voice for Wyatt's broody, grumpy personality and this was a great listen!

(3.75 stars)

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for the ALC! All opinions are my own.

This is a cute, closed-door romcom, perfect for readers who love no-spice contemporary romance and/or those looking for a light, summery palate cleanser. I thought the author did a great job making this a sweet, heartfelt story without crossing over into cloying, overly cheesy territory.

This grumpy-sunshine romance features Josie, an elementary school nurse, and Wyatt, an injured professional hockey player. They're connected through her brother Jacob, Wyatt's best friend and, more recently, sports agent. Through Jacob's machinations (perhaps manipulation), Josie and Wyatt end up on a sailing trip down the Intracoastal Waterway after starting out near Kilmarnock, Virginia. Hijinks ensue! They get a dog! There's one bed! And while Josie thought Wyatt hated her for many years, she learns that she was mistaken and finds the heart of gold hidden behind his gruff persona.

I had fun recognizing several places I've been and/or lived in this story: Virginia's Northern Neck region, Savannah, Carolina Beach, and the frustrating stretch of road known as I-95 between Northern Virginia and Richmond (IYKYK). I also have personal experience with sailing thanks to my parents' many years spent sailing starting when I was a teen.

I did have a couple small issues, a couple of which related to the audio narration. This book features dual, rather than duet narration. While I thought the female narrator Andi Arndt did a great job, I was not a fan of the male narrator's female voice for Josie. It sounded a little over the top in a distracting way for me. At times I also felt the audio quality made it obvious when there were pickups inserted in the track, and especially toward the beginning I felt the male narrator varied between too quiet and too loud as he modulated his voice to show emotion.

I think my opinion may have also suffered a bit from me simultaneously/recently reading at least two other romances, which can result in unintentional comparisons. I'm learning that I should spread out my romances more, which is of course a me thing and not the book's fault.

Overall, as I said, a good pick if you want a sweet, low-stakes no-spice romance that only includes kissing. Given my issues with some of the narration though, I might recommend reading with your eyes!

This is such a cute story!

I loved the progression of Josie and Wyatt and his grumpiness. This man was YEARNING, and I loved every second of it.

The added quirks of Josie dressing their dog Jib in cute outfits were a fun addition to the story and her character. I also love how everyone secretly hoped and schemed for them to be together.

I liked that this book wasn’t just lighthearted; it touched on real-life issues like grief and took great care doing so.

This was such a fun read and listen—the narrators did a fantastic job!