This book was so warm and comforting while still having a great story and characters. This might be a perfect beach read/listen. The narrators were great (I loved their counterpart falsetto voices lol) and the love story between Josie and Wyatt is sweet beyond belief.

🎧 AUDIOBOOK review 🎧
5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Zondervan and NetGalley for also letting me listen to the Audio ARC.

So the audio was sooo good for sure 5 stars for the audio alone! Andi Arndt is my fav female narrator so I was excited to see she was the one narrating this! Both narrators did an awesome job. It flowed well and they really brought the characters to live. So much so I changed my rating to a 5! Also if you haven’t read Emma St. Clair you’re so missing out

Emma St. Clair has officially become an auto-buy author for me after If All Else Sails!
Following Josie and Wyatt’s sailing adventures was an absolute delight. This book is pure joy—honestly, give me forced proximity and a furry sidekick, and I’m sold. Wyatt might start off as a grump, but by the end? I was both laughing and swooning over this MMC.

If All Else Sails is the perfect summer or vacation read: breezy, heartwarming, and full of charm. Highly recommend for fans of feel-good romance with a salty twist of sea breeze.

The narrators are amazing and I love the story I did read the book before I got the chance to listen to the book. I am so thankful I got to read and listen to this book.

The story itself is so cute and heartwarming and the audiobook is amazing. It took me a little while to get used to the male voice, it sounded older (vintage) than what I was picturing. Great story by an amazing author. The author notes at the end made the story even better. Fun characters, quick listen.

It been awhile since I’ve read an Emma St. Clair book, I almost forgot the easy humor and feel good romance. A grumpy injured hockey player and his best friend’s sister alone in a cottage by the water, who happen to hate each other and heal together.

I say this all the time and I’m going to continue to say it I always love me a good enemies to lovers story but this one is hands down one of my favorites now. I laughed a lot during this entire book, cried when she explained what happened to her in the past and smiled the entire way through this book. I just ate this story right up! I have not gotten into the sports romance book craz that everyone else has but it wasn’t the fore front of this book and I loved that. I loved wow real and honest this book felt, with the misunderstandings and Josie getting into her own head (because girl same )!!! I truly loved the writing, story and narrating of the entire book. This hands down is a 5/5 stars had me from the beginning and loving it throughout the whole book. I was actually really sad when the book ended! Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for allowing me the ability to read and listen to this book!! These thoughts and opinions are of my own.

A gorgeous fun romance! Full of warmth, humour as sass! This one is going to be so popular and the audiobook was such a good listen, it brought it all to life!
Themes:
- enemies to lovers
- grumpy x sunshine
- forced proximity

Brothers best friend? Say less.
But also he fell first and harder. Obsessed. We love a secret golden retriever man hidden under a tough exterior.

If All Else Sails is a fun, flirty and heartwarming story of Josie and Wyatt - who are basically two shipping passing in the night (pun intended). When circumstances bring them together and they set sail on a special quest, the sparks fly. I loved all the characters, especially Josie’s brother who definitely brings humor to the story. I also enjoyed a few cameos from characters that star in other Emma St. Clair novels. (Hint: read those, too - they are great). Andi Arndt and Patrick Zeller were excellent narrators and Zeller knocked it out of the park with the tickle scene. Thanks to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for the ALC - all opinions are my own.

This was such a great enemies to lovers rom com! It had tons of snarky banter and forved proximity while being fun and flirty. Josie and Wyatt had me hooked from the moment she landed at the “murder cottage” and realized she was stuck with her least favorite hockey player. Their slow burn chemistry builds perfectly, and I adored watching Josie challenge Wyatt while he begrudgingly melted for her. I listened to the audiobook and highly recommend it. The narrator nailed both the humor and the emotional parts. I enjoyed this heartwarming summer adventure!

Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, and Brothers Best Friend all filled into one book. I loved the female mc in this book. Great storyline with really good dialog. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing this book to life! 5 stars

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If All Else Sails is the quintessential summer rom-com! At her brother's behest (and the promise of a much-needed summer paycheck), school nurse Josie finds herself nursing his best friend and client, hockey player Wyatt, back to health as he recovers from an injury. I loved that Josie and Wyatt had some history together but their shared summer brought a lot of clarity, a tempestuous sailing trip, and lots of top-notch humor and closed-door heat. I enjoyed the audiobook and thought the female narrator (Andi Arndt) in particular was perfectly suited to the character. I highly recommend this book, as well as anything this author writes because you can't go wrong with Emma St. Clair!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for gifting me with an ALC to review. All opinions are my own.

If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair was cute - the banter was cute, the story was cute. This was a closed-door, no strong language easy read. I am an absolute SUCKER for an enemies-to-lovers tale that spans back to childhood.

School nurse Josie is off for the summer and she goes to meet her brother, Jacob, for their annual summer trip. But, it's not Jacob that meets her there, but Jacob's grumpy friend, professional hockey player Wyatt. He's on the mend after an accident, and Josie gets talked into being his nurse/handler until he heals.

Wyatt planned to sail down the East coast via the Intercoastal Waterway, so Josie agrees to help him out. What can go wrong on a closed ship with your nemesis? Josie's amazing sense of humor allows her to peel back some of Wyatt's tough outer layers, and we end up learning that things aren't always as they seem. Also, dopey Wyatt is soooo precious!

Andi Arndt and Patrick Zeller both did an amazing job with the narration - they really made the book that much more enjoyable! This would be a great vacation read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Publishing, and author Emma St. Clair for the chance to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh. My. Goodness, this audiobook (and book — I read and listened) was absolutely adorable and had me feeling ALL the feelings! I finished it in a day because I couldn’t put it down!

5⭐️

**Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for the audio ARC**

School nurse Josie and hockey star Wyatt are forced together for the summer by Josie’s brother and best friend to Wyatt. Josie is enlisted to help Wyatt recover form a foot injury so that he can get back on the ice when pre season training hits. The enemies come to a truce and Josie agrees to help him on his intercostal sailing voyage while he heals.

Loved this enemy to lovers romance. Closed door, witty banter. St. Clair creates characters with depth and humor. The story has good development and pace. The progression for enemies to lovers felt more natural and not forced. Really liked this story!

For anyone who is against sports romance, I would describe it as sports romance adjacent. Wyatt is just a man that happens to be a hockey player—the story doesn’t revolve around his sport. More heavily an enemies to lovers trope

I don’t even have the words to express how much I love and adore this book! I was giddy to discover that Wyatt (a former Appie) was the lead in this story and his meet-cute with Josie was utterly hilarious. I had both an ALC and an ARC and the narrators were fantastic!!!!

Wyatt is recovering from a hockey injury and Josie, a school nurse, is sent by her brother to care for him–in a m*rder cottage. This book is the perfect summer escape and it’s full of adventure, sailing, a cool whip container, Jib–the best-dressed dog ever, misconceptions, healing, swoony romance, and connection.

Emma St Clair is a favorite author of mine, as she never fails to incorporate a few unbelievable animal instances with her perfect combination of closed door spice, banter, humor, and emotion. The recipes of her books are everything that satisfies and satiates my love for this genre.

This is definitely a book I plan to re-read and has all the feels for an ideal summertime indulgence.

Content: mild romance; off-page vague talk of a near attack

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for the review copy. I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given*

I have never read a book by this author but she is definitely going be a new favorite! This book was so funny that I laughed out loud several times. I was actually disappointed when the audiobook was finished because it was so engaging. Andi Arndt always has an amazing delivery! The only thing that I would criticize was the ending - it was very abrupt.

This book was awesome from the first page! I truly enjoyed the journey of this romance! The connection between the two main characters was a perfect slow burn. I also enjoyed learning about sailing and working things out together! Such a fun story! The narration was perfect!

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

I loved this book!
Emma St. Clair - I am now a big fan!
This book had so many things that made me love it - enemies to lovers, hockey romance (eeeek!), brothers best friend, dogs, sailing, touch her and die, and she is a nurse!
I connected so well to the FMC, Josie. She is every woman who is trying to get her life to a place they can finally relax. She also has baggage and some trauma from an experience when she was younger that made her swear off dating athletes.
Wyatt was so fun. He was so grumpy until Josie came around started changing his life.
The spicy times are closed door which I really enjoyed, there was much more plot than just spicy scenes.
The characters were very well-developed. They had such great banter and I laughed out loud several times.
The plot was well structured and the pace was perfect for the plot.
Also - the meet-cute in this book.... hilarious! I loved it.
This story has healing, adventure, learning to love again, and learning to trust.
Again - this is a clean romance which is a nice break from the usual spicy nature of a sports romance.
I also love that hockey wasn't the main content in the plot. This was more story than sport and spicy scenes.
If you want a sweet, humorous, sports romcom, this is an excellent book for you.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Emma St. Clair for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Add this to your summer TBR friends! This book would be an excellent beach read!
Happy Reading!

I loved this plot so much and the characters were extremely likable. My only issue was the audiobook itself, I felt like I could barely hear the male narrator. I didn’t have the issue with Josie’s chapters at all,

This contains an audiobook review.

This is a standalone, kisses only romcom by Emma St Clair. It features a character that was first introduced in a previous series of hers, but it is absolutely not necessary to have read that series to thoroughly enjoy this book.

Wyatt and Josie have chemistry out the wazoo. The banter between them is humorous. I appreciated the deeper touches of the story as well. There is healing achieved throughout the story for both characters. It was fun to take that journey with them.

One thing that I do want to mention, is that I did not read the blurb and am very glad that I didn't. It contains information that happens over halfway through the story. From the cover and title, some events could be guessed, but I personally hate being spoiled by blurbs. That's why I've stopped reading them, especially for authors I am familiar with their content or for books recommended to my by friends. That is another reason why my reviews are more vague than maybe other's are.

I listened to this book and enjoyed the narrators. It is a dual point of view book and has a male and female narrator for each point of view. They do not read as a duet, where each narrator reads all of the dialogue for their respective gender. They each read the entire chapter of the corresponding character's point of view. I found both of them easy to listen to and neither had annoying voices for the opposite gender.

I did receive an advanced copy of this audiobook from Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio via Netgalley. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This book was so good! I absolutely loved it! In this grumpy sunshine romance we meet Josie and Wyatt. Misunderstandings and years later they come together by Josie’s brother’s scheming. Josie accepts to help Wyatt as he recovers from an injury. They spend time and eventually go on a boat ride together, all the while sparks flying! The romance in this book was top notch! A clean read with great chemistry. The story was sweet, romantic, and funny, with just enough sizzle. I highly recommend this book and will be trying other books by this author! I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in trade for my honest opinion. My thoughts are my own.

☀️ grumpy x sunshine
⛵ enemies to lovers
🐶 brothers best friend
💛 clean romance

Josie is on her way for the annual Super Summer Sibling Extravaganza, but when she arrives at the address she is shocked. Her brother is nowhere to be seen and now she is alone at the creepy cottage. When she calls her brother Jacob to ask what's going on, he tells her it was all a ploy to get her to care for his client and best friend, Wyatt.

Wyatt is a famous hockey player and is now recovering from an injury on his foot. Josie has always hated Wyatt from the first time her brother took him home years ago. After some negotiations and money, Josie is persuaded to care for Wyatt for a few weeks.

After these few weeks, Josie started to like caring for Wyatt and decided to go with him on a sailing trip he was planning. This trip wasn’t smooth sailing. Every step of the way something went wrong, but with every step, or rather misstep they learned more about each other and got to know each other better.
Will they still hate each other after this trip or has this trip changed their feelings?

OMG! I loved this book so much. It was funny, cute and sweet but sometimes it was also serious. This book has everything I want in a book.
It felt like I was flying through the book. There was always something happening and there was never a dull moment.
I’m absolutely in love with the characters. I liked them all so much. The banter and the chemistry between Josie and Wyatt was amazing.
This is my first book by Emma St. Clair but I will definitely be reading more of her book. I recommend this book to anyone.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Absolutely loved. Characters with depth and growth. NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP OR TENSION BECAUSE OF MISCOMMUNICATION. A brother’s best friend, enemies (sort of) to lovers, HE FALLS FIRST story. A ONE BED MOMENT. I loved this one so much. Josie was such a a fantastic female main character. I loved her quiet strength, her tenacity, and how she was able to face her fears. Wyatt was the most lovable grump. And I am not one for nicknames, but Rookie is my new favorite.
Both narrators were fantastic!

*There is mention of sexual assault if this is a trigger for anyone.

*I received an arc of this book through NetGalley. All my opinions are my own.

I adored this! It was very cute and fun. The narration was wonderful. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook.

Classic Emma St Clair humor! Loved the emotional aspects of this romance! Definitely a great summer rom-com to add to your tbr!

This book was better than I expected. I've read a few books by this author before, and now I'm wondering why I haven't read more! I don't know how many times I caught myself smiling while listening. Andi Arnt is one of my favorite narrators, so that was a big selling point for me. The male narrator was new to me. And not bad, but I won't seek him out specifically. I'm not sure how his delivery will be with other characters, but it mostly worked for grumpy Wyatt. He came off as almost aggressive sounding. And his version of Josie didn't match Andi Arnt's portrayal, so they almost sounded like 2 different characters. The dog was too freaking funny, without spoiling, stole the show. I just loved how real and normal it all felt, even with the silly stuff mixed in. Because that's life. Unbelievable things happen, and that's where the best stories and memories come from. I loved the evolution of their relationship, when Josie sees things in a whole new light. I really enjoyed the story.

I couldn’t stop listening to this book! I finished it in just a couple days I fell in love with the setting and the characters. I found myself smiling and just really being immersed in their rampart and flirting and miscommunication I just absolutely loved it. If you like quick wit, misunderstood grumpy hockey men and ugly dogs you can’t help but love and dress up with book is for you! Seriously though pick this one up you won’t regret it perfect summer read. I’m very thankful for the audio book from NetGalley this is my honest thoughts and review.

If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair was such a fun and heartfelt read, and EXACTLY what I needed after reading a more solemn and serious book!

Josie and Wyatt’s first meeting was a total disaster and one that Josie is not going to forget anytime soon! I thoroughly enjoyed watching their relationship shift from tension and misunderstandings to something full of real connection and quiet support.

The setting on the water added such a peaceful, adventurous vibe that made me want to keep turning pages.

What stood out most was how both characters were dealing with their own struggles, but somehow managed to help each other heal without even meaning to at first. The mix of humor, awkward moments, family chaos, and personal growth made this story feel honest and refreshing!

If you’re looking for something light but meaningful, and full of fun this is a great one to pick up!… or listen to the audio! It’s amazing!

⛵️☀️Watch for its release this summer!☀️⛵️

Huge thank you to @netgalley and @thomasnelson and @zondervan for the opportunity to listen to the advanced audiobook!

If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair should be an automatic read for fans of fun, sweet, clean romances. It is a fast paced read with quick, witty banter between the main characters. It would be a great summer read. The narrator of this audiobook is great and adds so much to the overall enjoyment of the book. I give this book a 5 star read!

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

If All Else Sails: A Novel
Thomas Nelson (August 5, 2025)

A 5 🌟 read for me
🏒 Wyatt embodies the qualities I admire in a man: he is strong, self-controlled, protective, loving, and sensitive to his partner's needs. Plus, he’s also a hockey player, which adds to his charm!
👩‍⚕️ Josie is truly wonderful. She’s independent and capable of handling life on her own, yet she also embraces the support and comfort her partner offers. I appreciate her nurturing spirit as a caregiver; it adds depth to her character.

I absolutely loved the setting and was captivated by the chemistry between Josie and Wyatt. Their “meet cute” at the “Murder Cottage,” where she almost got arrested, was both original and entertaining. The story is filled with hilarious moments that kept me laughing. The witty banter was outstanding, and I’ve even adopted the phrase “fever flirting” into my everyday vocabulary! This book is truly fabulous, and I can't recommend it highly enough. The narrators were exceptional and brought the characters to life. This is a delightful, clean romance that you can enjoy alongside your teens and young adults. Both leads showed remarkable respect for each other, presenting a great example of the qualities young girls should seek in a partner.

I received a complimentary e-copy and audiobook copy of this book and read it and listened to it with pleasure. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review. Thank you, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.
#NetGalley #ifallelsesails

If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair is a delightful romance that is both heartfelt and funny.

Told from dual POV, but primarily from the female POV, this story has great momentum and intrigue. The misunderstandings between the two feel real, and add to the desire to keep turning pages. This story explores more than romance—it dives into familial relationships, sibling relationships, career growth and happiness, and even depression.

This romance is a closed door romance, but there’s plenty of on the page chemistry that makes it sexy without the actual sex.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story, which was performed by two narrators. It was an enjoyable listen, and I especially loved the female narrator. I listened to this audiobook at 1.75x speed (this is my normal audiobook listening speed).

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for this advanced listening copy.

Emma St. Clair? Ohhh YES. Andi Arndt?! TRIPPED OVER MYSELF to request this one.

Aww these two! Wyatt is Josie's brother's friend (and eventually client). When they first meet there is an attraction but also a BIG misunderstanding. This leads to years of animosity until Josie's brother tricks them into spending time together. Josie is a nurse and Wyatt is recovering from a surgery that he needs to heal from before he can get back to his professional hockey career. After Wyatt's beloved uncle passed away he is just not that motivated to get to PT and take care of himself.

I really enjoyed this story. These two were fun and funny and so in love.

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson, and the author for the opportunity to listen to and review this story.

I love this book so much. I listened/read it while I was camping and I finished the whole thing at the lake.

I also got the ebook and the audio copy and the narration was incredible. They perfectly fit the characters and I didn’t want to book to end.

A big thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for both copies of this book!

Another awesome book from Emma St. Clair. It was so fun to be back in her Appies Hockey World and it was fun being out on the open water instead of the frozen rink. Wyatt was such a grump and I loved that Josie brought him out of his grumpiness. And the history they shared was fun also. I couldn’t with Jib!!!! I’m not a boater but after reading this I want to take a water trip. Ha! Having some the Appies back was fun too. You can never go wrong with they are around. lol.
The narrators did a great job bringing the story to life. I felt like I was right next to them sailing away.

My first Emma St. Clair book and it definitely won’t be my last. I’ve heard her name bandied about on social media but clearly I wasn’t taking all the banter seriously enough. Now I’m on a mission to read her entire backlist! Because this author knows how write a rom/com. Pacing perfection and the comedy beats are brilliantly executed. I howled with laughter so many times. (The meet-cute was beyond hysterical!) But there’s also a lot of heart and solid ‘real life’ stuff too and that anchors the story, making it both believable and relatable.

So, enemies to more, with sparks flying and electrical undercurrents sizzling from the very beginning. Love the snappy inner dialogue of our heroine and the more contemplative (though occasionally agitated) thoughts of our hero. Wyatt and Josie are made for each other, they just don’t know it…yet.

And what fun to go along on that journey of discovery with them. He’s a tad (understatement) cranky to her cheery (mostly) glass half full outlook. Of course they clash. And they have a back story – not a romantic one – but they’ve known each other for years courtesy of Josie’s brother who is also Wyatt’s best friend. So, lots of favourite romantic tropes here that made me absolutely giddy with bibliophile delight.

‘If All Else Sails’ is destined to be a blockbuster summer read (it releases on August 5, 2025.) Definitely a rom/com to look forward to with great anticipation.

I really enjoyed listening to the audio edition courtesy of Thomas Nelson, Zondervan Fiction Audio and Net Galley. This one is a dual narration which was highly entertaining. Andi Arndt and Patrick Zeller portrayed Josie and Wyatt’s personalties to perfection. Increased by ‘reading’ pleasure and really brought the whole story to life for me.

Wyatt and Josie are sweet, lovable characters. It’s a classic grumpy x sunshine - my favorite trope. A hockey romance with no hockey. I definitely recommend reading this sweet story. My only complaint is the classic refusal to just have a conversation, but that’s a common plot point for books with heavy character development. I love all of Andi Arndts narrations, and Patrick Zeller’s expressive voice is special. I fell right into the story from the start because of their take on Emma St. Clair’s novel. It’s full of laughter and sweet heat. Also, always love a dog wearing clothes.

Thank you @NetGalley and @ThomasNelsonandZondervanFictionAudio for the ALC. I loved this audio. The story was great and so were the narrators. Josie is sent to help care for her brothers client, Wyatt the hockey player. Wyatt is grumpy but when he and Josie set sail on a two week trip, close quarters set fireworks flying. A great summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for this ARC audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: August 5, 2025

I absolutely adored Josie and Wyatt in this enemies to lovers story. Josie is a school nurse who arrives at Wyatt’s run down cottage to meet her brother, who had other plans for Josie. Her brother didn’t arrive for their trip, instead asking Josie to help Wyatt heal after a hockey injury. They end up sailing together and of course fall in love.

I loved the female narrator but struggled to understand the male narrator. His voice at times sounded like he was mumbling and would get quieter.

Overall, very cute and fun story that I couldn’t stop listening to.

This was my first Emma St. Claire novel and it did not disappoint! I loved it!

This was a hilarious story!!! St. Claire sprinkles little sparkles of lovely all throughout from the police to the cool whip container to Jib.

I thoroughly adored this book! I love how it unfolded. The narrators even did a great job connecting!