⭐3.75/5 Rating

OUT ON: AUGUST 5, 2025

Review: I recently discovered Emma St.Clair as an author and have enjoyed her books thus far so I was super excited to receive this book and to read it early (thank you so much @thomasnelson | @netgalley for the advanced digital and audio copies 🤍🥹)

This book was very cute! I thought that the main characters Josie and Wyatt embodied the grumpy/sunshine trope perfectly. It took me a little while to get into this book because I just felt so bad for Josie and was frustrated on her behalf by how everyone treated her in the beginning of the book! However, I will say that once Wyatt and Josie embarked on their sailing trip I was much more invested in seeing where their relationship headed!

The sailing trip was 100% my favorite part of the book, but who are we even kidding? I am a sucker for a forced proximity in a romance book, so this was right up my alley. I also love when the grumpy is sunshiney for the sunshine character – LOVE IT!

Overall, if you’re looking for a great summer romance read, this could be the book for you!

📖Genres: Romance | Contemporary | Contemporary Romance

I found this story so endearing and filled with heart and laughter. I’m a sucker for an enemies to lovers trope and this was that, almost in a better way. The audiobook female narration was great but the volume for the male was really soft to really loud making it an erratic listening experience and hopefully be resolved before release for other listeners. Will definitely be reading more of Emma St. Clair’s books!

I this this was the cutest summer read (technically listen) but it was amazing in every way. Hockey always gets me, and the fact that she thought she was going on a trip with her brother was wild to me.

I love this book SO much! I didn’t know it would be closed door but honestly it was kind of refreshing after reading so much spice and to have so much angst and longing? 😮‍💨

These characters were everything. Josie is the perfect sunshine to Wyatt’s grump and I love the way these two navigated everything together 🤍

I can’t say it was an enemies to lovers because neither of them disliked the other, it was all miscommunication

❣️brothers best friend
❣️grumpy x sunshine



The narrators were perfect for this but I will listen to literally ANYTHING Andi Arndt narrates

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for an audio arc of this book.

I really enjoyed this one - it made for a solid summer read. We had a bit of a grumpy-sunshine trope with the main characters, Josie and Wyatt, who had great chemistry…after their messy reunion. They had great banter, and the humour wasn’t too cheesy.

This gave me Carley Fortune vibes in the best way. Summer care-free vibes with a touch of emotion and conflict.

The narrators were great - Andi Arndt can do no wrong, and Patrick Zeller fit the character well

This story brings together some of my favorite tropes - grumpy/sunshine(ish), enemies to lovers, brother’s best friend, and one bed - all wrapped up in a heartfelt, closed-door hockey romcom that struck just the right balance between humor, heart, and slow-burn tension.

He’s injured, grumpy, and stuck in the off-season with more attitude than plans. She’s a school nurse, a little lonely, and trying to get her footing again after life threw her off balance. When their paths collide, sparks fly in the worst (and eventually best) kind of way.

I loved how both characters were layered and complex. On the surface, they’re opposites who can’t seem to agree on anything but beneath that friction are two people quietly hurting and hiding behind their own walls. Watching those walls slowly come down felt honest, hopeful, and so satisfying. It’s a story that shows how our perceptions of people can shift, how healing can happen in the most unexpected ways, and how love often grows when you're not looking for it.

The humor was just the right kind of chaotic - with runaway pigs, a bikini-wearing dog, and an unfortunate police incident that kept me turning the pages (or in this case, listening) to see what could possibly happen next. And then there’s the sailboat - such a perfect setting for some of the most tender, vulnerable moments in the book.

With dual POV that lets you see both sides of their story, strong emotional beats, and an ending that absolutely delivered, this one is a standout. Equal parts sweet, funny, and heartfelt, I think its a perfect summer read.

4.5/5
I flew through this sweet, funny summer romance! Heartwarming and laugh out loud funny without being cheesy. Loved the characters and setting!

the female narrator was great but I had a tough time with the male narrator.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC ebook and audiobook!

Andi and Patrick were perfect for this book! I had no problems jumping in and listening to them. If you have a chance to listen to the audio, do it! The narrators were both amazing and I enjoyed listening to them. They fit the characters well and were easy to enjoy. I've been reading a bout Wyatt with the Appies and he was exactly as I pictured him. Andi gives Josie just the right about amount of sass and caring, especially when talking about Jib.

Oh my gosh, in true Kiki/Emma fashion this book is full of the wit, humor, banter and tension of all her books. I absolutely loved getting to see Wyatt in the future after he leaves the Appies. His backstory with his family and uncle was tender and delightful. We all know Wyatt’s been pining but clearly in the brothers best friend zone. He’s just a grumpy, sad, injured hockey player, who needs a push.

Josie just wants to hang with her brother, not nurse/babysit Wyatt. I loved Josie’s character growth and there is some deep stuff. She has an entire narrative in her head about all the years she’s spent knowing Wyatt and each day a little more slips and unravels as she really gets to know him. She is funny, sassy and buys matching outfits for her and Jib. I adore her!

The entire sailing trip was moment after moment of crazy, fun, and unpredictable events.

I absolutely adored this book!! And the narrators did a fantastic job!

Josie's brother is Wyatt's agent. Josie and Wyatt have known each other for years, but have never really gotten along. Josie has an opinion of Wyatt based on their first meeting, and she doesn't really like athletes anyway. Wyatt is a grump, and Josie's convinced he doesn't like her. So when her brothers sends her to take care of Wyatt while he heals from an injury - neither of them are too pleased.

Over time, they realize they can get along, and actually enjoy each other. So when Wyatt invites her to go sailing with him, she says yes. And they find they really enjoy each others company. But how can this last? Wyatt will go back to hockey, and Josie will go back to being a nurse. Can they make something work? Maybe with a little help from Josie's brother and 2 of Wyatt's ex teammates, they'll realize their feelings and that they belong together.

I LOVED seeing Wyatt outside of the hockey world. I've read and loved all of the Appies books, and it was fun to have an Appies player outside of that world. I enjoyed the little cameo from Van and Eli, too. Wyatt and Josie were delightful (even when he's grumpy he's likable!) This was such a fun read!

This one sounded so cute but unfortunately for me it was a fail. The beginning was so slow and I was truly bored. I was not able to push through. I just didn't find any appeal in continuing and I had to DNF.

Perfectly cute rom-com: perfectly clean, perfectly likable characters, fun forced proximity, enemies to lovers trope. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had an audio ARC and I definitely preferred the female narrator for Josie over the male narrator for Wyatt. I will be looking for more books to read by Emma St Clair.
Big thanks to #Netgalley and #ThomasNelson and #ZondervanFictionAudio for the ARC of this book

Cozy romance between Josie a school nurse and Wyatt a professional hockey player. Josie is unknowingly sent by her sports agent brother to make sure Wyatt heals properly after a sport accident. Since they originally met back in college they have had a rough relationship. Forced by circumstance these enemies quickly turn to close friends. On the verge of healing they decide to take a boat trip. This was a super cute boon that made me laugh out loud. Nothing to overthink here, just enjoy the story and the laughs. The dog was the perfect addition!

Wyatt has been secretly in crush/ love with his best friend little sister since forever, but warned to stay away from her. And now years later Jacob has set up his sister Josie to meet him for their so called annual vacation that is always a joke. And this time is no exception, he is a no show! Josie shows up and is shock at the rundown cottage, but more surprising is to see Wyatt the hockey star sweetheart on crutches. After a few, ok several misunderstandings they find out that Jacob has tricked Josie into nursing Wyatt back to health since she is a school nurse. She is a happy go lucky type and he is a grump so the challenge is on.
As that author was hoping she excelled in being joy to the story and a few laughs. Love the journey of Wyatt and Josie finding their HEA. The narrators were excellent! I throughly enjoyed listening to them bring the story to life. A plus for me was finding a new author, well done and will be looking forward to reading more of your books. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this enjoyable eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I wish Goodreads did half stars. This would be a solid 3.5 ⭐️ for me.

If All Else Sails is the second book I have read written by Emma St. Clair. I do enjoy Emma’s stories and look forward to reading some more.

The character development was ok. Josie had some issues she was dealing with.

The storyline was just ok. Josie was sent as a nurse helper to help Wyatt return to the ice. In the meantime, Wyatt is trying to live out his uncle’s last wishes on a sailing trip. There is some fun banter and flirtiness. I just felt like some things were lacking. The authors' note at the end helped tie things together for me.

The romance is a forced proximity, brother’s friends-to-lovers, romance. It was low spice, kisses only, clean overall.

There is no faith element. Overall, it is clean. Though I was a little bummed when I saw Thomas Nelson and didn’t get that faith aspect. This is my personal opinion.

My opinion: This book was a little long and slow to get into. It seemed like not really a lot went on, and it dragged on. It was a cute little story, but I probably won’t read it again. If you just want a fun brother’s friend-to-lovers, summer story, then this is for you.

*I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.

This was so cute! My first ever Emma St. Clair book and it did not disappoint.

There were a few heavier topics that maybe need a trigger warning at the beginning, but other than that it was fun and lighthearted. A feel-good summer read.

I enjoyed both narrators, but wish the male narrator was less grumpy sounding, specifically when talking about Josie. I get the whole grumpy/sunshine trope, but Patrick Zeller took the grump to another level. I’ve listened to quite a few books narrated by Andi Arndt, and she did a fabulous job, per usual. She’s got just enough grit to her voice for the character of Josie and I felt like she was a really good fit.

I enjoyed the story, even though there wasn’t much tension and/or much of a twist/third act break up, like most romances seem to have — and maybe that’s not St. Clair’s writing style.

I enjoyed the whole “enemies to lovers” trope, but he was obviously in love with her the whole time, so that bit seems a bit misleading. Always love a good brother’s best friend trope though. And loved that her brother was in their corner.

All in all, I enjoyed this but wouldn’t rush out and by it for myself. It was a cute and fun read. Thank you to Net Galley for this ALC! 🎧

3 stars for IF ALL ELSE SAILS ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for allowing me an advanced listeners copy of this book!

Right after I started this book there were laugh out loud moments as well as moments where I related way too much with what Josie was saying. For example, when she was spiraling about her brother not answering her phone calls and jumping to the worst case scenario. This book really pulled me in and made me invested in Josie and Wyatt’s story.

Tropes/Plot: In the description it markets itself as an enemies to lovers romance however, I would say it’s much more of a slow burn, grumpy-sunshine, “I’ve always been pining for you” type of romance. I would argue that they were truly never enemies, just acquaintances with misunderstandings between them. Besides that discrepancy, I enjoyed the summer vibes of this book and the other tropes.

Being in healthcare I tend to dislike the nurse/PT/doctor to lovers trope but I do feel like this one was done well without making me feel gross about the lack of professionalism/ power imbalance.

I really enjoyed all the elements about the sailing trip, Wyatt’s recovery, co-parting a cute clothes wearing dog, and their connection in general however I do feel like the story was a little slow for my liking. There was definitely the slow burn but I was wanting a little more a little earlier in the plot.

Audiobook: Overall,I enjoyed the narrators Andi Arndt and Patrick Zeller however, I found myself at times having to turn up the volume for the male narrator as I wasn’t always able to understand him. I really enjoyed the female narrator and loved that there were separate narrators for both perspectives.


*** Overall I would give it 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4)it was a very enjoyable listen and a cozy read for the summer and I loved hearing about Josie, Wyatt, and Jib’s story.

If All Else Sails is a funny, sweet, brother's best friend romance. The perfect summer read!

Wyatt is a hockey player who has become a little bit of a recluse after getting injured. Josie, a school nurse on summer vacation, is supposed to go on a trip with her brother Jacob who just happens to be Wyatt's agent and his best friend, and Josie's least favorite person. But Jacob has other plans and soon Josie is stuck taking care of Wyatt, who is a grump about his recovery.

This book is full of hilarious moments that had me laughing out loud. I loved the way that some chapters were from Josie's perspective and others were from Wyatt's.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Josie and Wyatt’s story is so full of emotions, laugh, tension, sweetness, misunderstanding and so much more. They each other for mor Ethan ten years but there is no relationship whatsoever. He is a famous hockey player. She is his best friend and sport agent’s little sister and she can’t stand athletes. But when Josie is send by her brother to take care of injured Wyatt, their feelings, their interactions, seems to bring them together. Can they have a future together? The audiobook with Andi Arnt and Patrick Zeller makes a great story in an even better one. Thanks to NetGaleey for the ALc. this is my, honest review.

This book was everything I wanted in a summer romance. Josie and Wyatt had the perfect enemies-to-lovers tension, and I especially loved how well Emma St. Clair balanced sarcasm and heart. Josie’s voice was so sharp and relatable, and her journey felt honest. She was funny and flawed in the best way, and watching her slowly open up was one of the highlights of the story. The dialogue was snappy without feeling forced, and the humor never undercut the emotional moments.

Wyatt was such a classic grump with a soft heart. I’m a sucker for a character who’s quietly been pining, and Wyatt was completely gone for Josie from the start. It made their slow-burn connection that much sweeter. Even when he was awkward or accidentally saying the wrong thing, you could feel how much he cared. I liked how he never pushed her, just waited until she caught on. Their chemistry built gradually, and I never got bored watching it unfold.

The boat element was such a fun twist. Forced proximity always works well for tension, and being stuck together in a slightly questionable cottage and then on a sailboat really brought out their personalities. There were some ridiculous moments with animals and sailing mishaps that kept the energy up, and the mix of humor, tension, and real emotional growth was spot on. It hit that perfect blend of light and meaningful.

While I absolutely loved the story, I didn’t totally love the audiobook. Andi Arndt was great as always, but the male narrator’s performance felt inconsistent. His pacing jumped around a bit and the volume shifts were distracting. It didn’t ruin the book for me, but I think I would've liked the print version a little more.

Thanks to the author, narrators, publisher and Net Galley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I did enjoy this book, but I don't think it's an 'enemies to lovers' trope - they weren't enemies, just barely knew each other. Another case of - JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER. Sorry, that's just a pet peeve of mine in so many books. I'd really like to see authors explore people having the tough conversations or how to bring up a topic rather than just endless racing thoughts of 'will we or won't we'. And this Female Main Character - wow, there's a LOT of that internal dialog.

Also, as this was an audiobook, I need to mention - the male narrator was really awful. He was hard to listen to, did a terrible job voicing the female character, and the 'whisper/tickle/fight' scene was awful to listen to. Maybe as a non-fiction author or serious topics he'd do better.

And, since the title has 'sails' in it, I had expected to find more boat time, but even the topic of boats and sailing didn't come up until well past the halfway mark. It was just an odd experience.

Other than all that ... this is a cute, clean romance. Very slow on the romance! But the characters were ok, though not really developed as much as I expected.

I think this is my first book by the author, and I would try them again. Just not that male narrator.

3 solid stars for an enjoyable read. Recommend to anyone looking for a cute, clean romance.