To start out, I have to say I have loved every book I have read by Emma St. Clair. But this one is probably my favorite one of all! It was such a cute romcom and I loved every minute of it.
I definitely recommend you give this a read especially if you love an enemies to lovers romance between a handsome famous hockey player and a kind-hearted school nurse. If you like sailing, there is a lot of that mixed in too. Plus the witty banter and the swoony kisses, this book is sure to make you smile.
This is a closed door romance featuring just kisses and lots of fun flirting. My favorite kind of romance.

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

*Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Emma St Clair for this Digital Arc Copy*

Okay so, I actually really enjoyed this book. The setting felt realistic and immersive, I found myself constantly wanting to escape into this book and join Josie and Wyatt.

I loved Susan, and how she basically treated Josie like a daughter the minute they met. And she was so funny???? I love when side characters aren’t just there simply for the plot. However, there was one person in this book that annoyed me like no other, no matter what he did; Josie’s brother. Your best friend is recovering from a series injury and you’re more bothered about the career aspect of it??? Please…And the way he treated Josie actually enraged me. That man was so selfish, it was gross.

Loved Josie and Wyatt’s relationship and their banter, I found myself laughing out loud at some points. However, I didn’t quite understand why they were enemies?? But overall this was a cute, funny read, that I would 100% read again.

This book was an unexpected delight. A slow-burn romance that builds tension without crossing into spice territory, it’s sweet, wholesome, and full of charm.

Add in clever chapter titles and well-paced humor, and you’ve got a story that knows how to warm your heart while keeping a smile on your face. Perfect for fans of clean romance that still hits all the right emotional beats.

cute & lovely read! i love the writing style and the characters were super super cute!

definitely recommended for anyone who wants to read a cute romance, it reads easily and you just fly through the book!

DNF at 29% - as much as i really would’ve loved to love this, i think my gut was telling me something when i didn’t feel motivated to pick this up for a good month. the concept was alright… but not interesting enough that i could continue without falling into a slump. i’m sure there are people out there who would enjoy this but i unfortunately wasn’t one of them 😔

If All Else Sails releases on august 5, 2025. thank you to netgalley and thomas nelson fiction for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. i received a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you Emma St. Clair & NetGalley for this ARC. First of all, I absolutely loved this book. Every trope that I love was in this book. Also, I love Wyatt and Josie. Their chemistry and banter is so good. Also, Jib is so cute. I absolutely loved the direction this book took. If you're seeking a heartwarming romance set behind closed doors, complete with an adorable dog and a sports microtrope, this book is for you!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

If All Else Sails is a great slow burn rom com without any spice. Josie is an extremely relatable main character, down to earth with a little baggage from the past. Wyatt is the grumpy, injured hockey player whose agent is Josie’s brother. Their relationship develops over time, concluding with a sailing trip down the Intercoastal.

While I thought there was room for more spice, I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. I thought the book ended a little abruptly, and I would have loved to see more of their sailing journey. Overall, this was a great summer read that made me want to head out on a boat myself.

fun read!!! loved this one some of my favorite tropes, brothers best friend will always get me! perfect read for summer coming up & closed door romance done beautifully

“You couldn’t be more wrong when it comes to how I feel about you,” Wyatt says, then leans closer, pressing his wet forehead to mine. “How I’ve always felt about you.”

This book was so good and Josie & Wyatt were adorable! I loved how their relationship slowly progressed and it was a delight to see Wyatt go from being a grump to a total goner for Josie. Every side character was wholesome, especially Jacob. I was so glad that he wasn't the typical cliche brother who forbade his bestfriend from dating his sister. He was so fun and chill and so were Wyatt's friends! The beginning and end were truly good but in the middle, the pacing had become somewhat slow and because of it, the book felt long. Still, I enjoyed reading this book and the tension and chemistry between Wyatt & Josie was fabulous and made me root for them right since the beginning! Overall, I'll definitely recommend this book. It was a sweet, easy and light hearted!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review

To begin with, this book is marketed as an enemies-to-lovers romance — but let’s be honest, it’s not. There were always feelings simmering between the characters; it was more about ego and miscommunication than actual rivalry. When I pick up an enemies-to-lovers story, I expect real tension and conflict before the romance, not just stubborn characters with a past.

I really liked the plot idea, but the book felt overly long. Most of the story is carried by the characters’ inner monologues, which isn’t really my thing. Because of that, I didn’t connect with it as much as I hoped.

Honestly, I was a bit disappointed. I expected something with a bit more punch, but it ended up feeling like a typical romantic comedy — just without that extra spark that makes it memorable.

First of all, love the title of the book (I love puns, I am supremely biased)
The premise of the book was fun so I requested it on NetGalley and it made for a breezy read.
Josie, a school nurse is fooled by her brother into cohabitating with his friend, an injured hockey player Wyatt, under the guise of a a siblings trip.

After a comedy of errors in the first half (the banter and the incidents I enjoyed reading through, they were fun and I think the author’s strength is in individual scenes being so hilarious)
But overall the story was in the bag from the get-go.

It wasn’t an enemies to lovers trope since Wyatt was always in love with her!!!


The unravelling was fun to read but the plot had some minute loopholes (the timings were all over the place in the first few chapters. It was daytime when Josie arrives but suddenly it was dinnertime - something Wyatt pointed out when Josie said she was going to nap, but then her nap lasted longer and it was 5 AM?) If this wasn’t a loophole it was still unnecessarily confusing. Esp in the initial chapters when most readers consider all details crucial and pay attention to, in case it becomes important later. There were a few other instances where overexplanation wasn’t needed.

The inner monologue-led progress of the plot isn’t usually my wavelength, so this one did not quite land for me. Overall an enjoyable premise and fun characters. (Loved it when Jacob, Josie’s brother finally made an appearance in person) all in all, I would watch a movie based on this story, but won’t re-read the book.

The Appies definitely hold a special place in my heart and it was so lovely to get Wyatt’s story! There were so many things to love in this story. I loved the adventures they have together, I loved some of the Appies teammate returns, the slow burn romance was beautiful, Wyatt’s character was awesome as well as Josie’s. I loved Wyatt’s patience too!
The only thing I would’ve loved to have seen is more from Wyatt’s POV. And also a scene where he finds Josie’s Grouchie tshirt!

Top moments & info
⚓️ grumpy / sunshine
⚓️ sailing adventure
⚓️ human stress ball lol
⚓️ Wyatt’s devoted attention
⚓️ crocodile tooth
⚓️ dog outfits
⚓️ Appies return
⚓️ “maybe I want to be overwhelmed”

I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves clean romance, brother's best friend, light enemies to lovers, just one bed, forced proximity, and grumpy/sunshine. It is a feel-good summer romance with both depth and humor.

This book hooked me right away with the dramatic way these main characters were introduced, the hints of a rocky history between the two MC's, and the mystery of their individual traumas. Josie is a likable, sunny school nurse on summer break looking forward to a trip with her brother. Unfortunately for her, her brother has other plans for her: to help his best friend recover from an injury and possible depression. Jacob is a grumpy hockey player dealing with grief and questioning his future in the sport. It is obvious to us, but not to Josie, that he has liked Josie since they met years before. However, due to misunderstandings and poor communication, Josie only sees his grumpy side.

Several amusing, swoony, and sweet forced proximity scenarios bring these two characters closer together. And thanks to the dual POV we see them falling for each other more and more as the weeks go on and Jacob recovers. The last half that takes place on the sailboat was especially fun as they are forced ever closer and Josie blossoms in her new adventure. They both work through their past hurts on their own and with the support of the other. And there isn't any spice but plenty of romance.

My only complaint is that it could have been a little shorter to get to the sailing trip faster. However, there were so many fun scenes that I don't know what I would have skipped over.

This was such a breath of fresh air! Josie was so witty and funny and had such a great personality. Wyatt is so grouchy but you could tell that underneath that grump, he was soft and sweet!

I didn't want the book to end as the characters were so much fun. I loved how Wyatt honored his uncle Tom throughout the book.

Jib was the cutest and I could almost picture all of his outfits!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

If All Else Sails is so cute! It’s a funny rom-com that will have you laughing out loud one moment and tearing up during a heartwarming portion the next moment. I couldn’t put it down because it was too cute and captivating. Emma St. Clair was quickly added to my must read list of authors with this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for that E-Arc.

Emma St. Clair is a new-to-me author and I’m really enjoying her novels and writing style. This book revolves around Wyatt and Josie. Wyatt is a grumpy hockey player who also happens to be Josie’s brother’s best friend. He gets injured before a big summer sailing trip and ends up stuck with Josie at their summer house. Josie, expecting to find her brother at the house is met by Wyatt, who now has no choice but to seek her help in order to go on the trip. Their struggles to get along and stubbornness had me giggling as one week together turned into many. I half expected one of them to throw the other into the ocean! Haha I love a forced proximity theme and seeing two opposites fall in love. This is a perfect spring to summer time read!

If All Else Sails by Emma St Clair

I loved this book so much! The beginning hooked me immediately, the tropes were troping, and I had a great time while reading it! The beginning was so funny and then it turned tender and swoony.

Josie's brother tricks her into nursing his biggest professional hockey client back to health. Too bad it's Wyatt Jacobs and they do not get along. On top of that, he tries to have her arrested for trespassing on his property. Now she's stuck in a murder cottage with a hulking, grumpy athlete in the middle of nowhere. But there might be more to him than the grump she thinks she knows!

If you like the "taking care of him when he's sick" trope, you'll love this. It is also a super slow burn with good communication! Swipe for a quote from our man Wyatt Jacobs on the third slide. 🔥

If you loved the Appies hockey series by Emma St Clair and Jenny Proctor, pick this one up! But you definitely don't have to read those first. This is a standalone!

I felt impatient for the next plot point to happen a couple times in the book, so that's why I would give it 4.5 stars instead of the full five. But I have no other complaints for this sweet, mature romance with a road trip (but make it sailing) and an animal sidekick!

The vibes:
Grumpy x sunshine
Brother's best friend
Hockey player but injured
She's a nurse
Tiny dog in lots of cute outfits
No spice

The only bad news I have is that this isn't available until August! But put it on your TBR immediately!

I really enjoyed this book! I thought the pacing was good and I was interested from the beginning and there was no break up or dragging out this big communication. Wyatt was so patient and just quietly showed Josie how he felt. It also had some good humor. An easy fun read!

I hade read so many Emma St. Clair books and don’t plan to stop any time soon. This book was amazing and had me hooked from the very first word.

This was such a cute book!! I really enjoyed the characters. Wyatt is a grumpy hockey player who is dealing with an injury and is refusing to go to appointments or do his physical therapy. Sometimes I don't enjoy a grumpy character in a book because they aren't written well and they are just mean, but Wyatt is very likable. I love that he realizes he just struggles to talk to Josie and it always comes out worse. So, although Josie thought he hated her, the reader has an understanding of where Wyatt stands. I really like Josie, too! She was a fun character. She's an elementary school nurse and as she's trying to help Wyatt they joke about him being similar to the kids she helps. I really enjoyed this story and read it so quickly! There was so fun, cute banter between the main characters and some kind of ridiculous moments that brought humor to it as well. Definitely worth the read!!