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.

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.

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!

I have read a few other books by this author and often have felt like they are good but not great stories. I can't seem to figure out entirely why her writing leaves me lacking. In this particular book which I read with my ears, I loved the narrators. Felt that even when the male narrator's "female" voice tended to sound strange at times, I got used to it and didn't hate it in the end. He has a very soft spoken voice at times so there is some straining to hear but the tone of his voice is so pleasant. Now, back to the story itself. Josie is in her head WAAAAY too much and over analyzed everything to death. This left me exhausted at times. The story starts out really cute and with some cute banter between an overly grumpy hockey player who is recovering from an injury in his "murder cottage" (this phrase gets used a lot and it is a great chuckle but this is where the "fun" stops. Josie is sent to help Wyatt during his recover by her brother who has misled her about the purpose. We slowly crawl towards "thinking" about even being friends. It really takes so long to even get around to their "feelings". I'm glad it's a duel narration because without "his" version of the story, I never would have believed these two had any feelings for one another. I think this is meant to be a "clean" romance but with that genre we also get barely any contact with each other that would necessitate sparks or a build up of tension. There are a few moments of bumping accidently but Josie literally shuts down her thoughts of growing feelings from this because she either doubts he is feeling the same or she is literally talking her self out of it due to their circumstances of living in separate places. The sailing portion is filled with technical know-how's and it sorta feels unnecessary to flesh out "HOW TO SAIL". This is an okay romance novel but I'm consistently giving this author 3 stars and I think I need to make a note of this for future requests. I'm not saying it's bad but I look for a little more heat and spice and less insecurity from my main characters.

A sweet, feel-good story featuring a matchmaking brother, a grumpy hockey player, a school nurse, and an adorable rescue puppy. Josie and Wyatt’s second-chance connection was heartwarming and entertaining, but the audiobook narration made it tough to get through — the voices didn’t match the characters and often distracted from the story. I recommend reading this one in ebook or print for the best experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the free advanced copy. Review left voluntarily.
3.5 stars for the story, 2 stars for the audio.

This was a really cosy and enjoyable read. I think the author did a great job of building on our characters relationships.
The setting of the book was lovely and really easy to dive into.
The chemistry between our two characters were clear and nearly leaping from the story and their progress from acquaintances to friends to lovers felt natural.

Although spice is not needed in every romance book, I do feel like there was a gap we were missing with this that could have been solved with even some fade to black moments. The ‘I love yous’ felt rushed due to this as the characters went from kissing once to then one of them moving their life for the other without any real show of intimacy. It felt like we missed the climax of the romance novel (no pun intended).

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.

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.

This was everything I love from a romance. Slow burn, he falls first, enemies to lovers and close proximity!

I really liked both main characters and found the dual perspective chapters really great at building the tension.

The plot whilst pretty predictable, was still lots of fun and had lots of moments that had me laughing out loud and rooting for them together together!

The only reason I couldn't quite give this 5 stars was there wasn't enough action on the boat! For a book with the word "Sail" in the title I expected the boat parts to happen much sooner than over half way in.

Overall though this was a really enjoyable romance that made me feel all warm and fuzzy once I got to the end!

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

A brothers best friend romance with a hockey vibe.. say less! I really enjoyed this latest novel from Emma St Clair

I just listened to the best romcom. If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair was an enjoyable listen. Pick it up this summer.

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.

3.5 ⭐️
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Zondervan Audio for the audio copy.
Thia was a very cute romance, and I truly enjoyed it. This books follows Josie and Wyatt. Josie is a school nurse, and Wyatt is a hockey player who recently lost someone very important to him and also suffer and injury to the foot that left him in a bad mental place. That is where Jacob, Josie’s brother and Wyatt’s friend and agent, tricks Josie to go and help him get better.
This was very sweet close door romance. I liked the characters for the most part but my favourite by far was the dog and the funny costumes Josie put her in. I would say there was a little too much miscommunication for my taste, and the sailing part only came up to a third of the book, but overall it was really good.
The audio version was dual narration and both narrators were great too, and I really recommend you check it out if you enjoy audiobooks ;)

If All Else Sails has one of the cutest covers, plus add in forced proximity and a brother’s best friend trope, and I was sold on it. Elementary school nurse Josie arrives to meet her brother for a trip, but instead of Jacob, she finds Jacob’s best friend Wyatt. He’s a perpetual grump and famous hockey plater and is recovering from surgery and needs a nurse—Josie begrudgingly agrees and finds herself agreeing to help Wyatt on his sailing trip on the Intracoastal Waterway that brings them closer than she ever expected. I listened to this one, and I wish I had read it because I really didn’t enjoy the male narrator—in his defense, it could have been the Netgalley app, but the sound was so inconsistent on his chapters (volume wise) and his voice was just a little too much going on, but I did love the female narrator. Josie felt really relatable and she is so kind and has so much love in her. Wyatt is such a great grump too, and I loved how he was with Josie. The banter is so cute, and I thought the romance felt really organic. This is such a cute and fun romcom. Such a perfect summer read filled with adventure and character growth, laughs, and love!

3.5 stars rounded down

If All Else Sails had me hooked at "enemies-to-lovers in a murder cottage," but honestly? It didn’t fully stick the landing for me.

The grumpy/sunshine dynamic was fun (Wyatt was peak “emotionally constipated hockey player” and Josie was chaotic in a way I aspire to be), and the tension between them was soooooo good. BUT... some of the jokes felt like they were trying way too hard. Like, yes, we get it, the house is creepy and the boat trip is a mess but not every line needs to be a punchline. At a certain point, I felt like I was trapped in one of those “haha I'm so random” TikToks.

Also, serious note: there’s a subplot involving sexual assault and the way it was handled felt super off. It was just thrown in there and hinted at so much you could see it coming from a mile away but then it felt brushed past like a weird plot point they didn’t really want to deal with, and it made me way uncomfy (as someone that has personally gone through similar experiences). Like, if you’re gonna go there, actually go there and don't just slap a bandaid on it and call it character development. I also hate when books that use S.A. as a plot point act like the only way women cope from that trauma is to swear off all men because it is such an uneducated assumption.

Okay, rant over. Now, the love story itself? Adorable. I loved the slow burn... until it wasn’t. One second they’re ready to throw each other overboard, she quite literally believes they hate each other, and the next they’re basically picking out china patterns. I’m sorry but HOW did we go from enemies to tolerating each other to lots of tension and hints but no follow through to "let’s sail into our joint retirement plan" in like three chapters?? Make it make sense.

Overall: super cute in a "brain-off summer read" kind of way. Great tension, good banter (when it didn’t feel forced), but not something that’s gonna live rent-free in my mind forever. Would recommend if you like grumpy athletes, chaotic girlies, and boat disasters... but maybe lower your expectations a little.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this ARC

have been listening to a lot od audiobooks recently.
are my comfort zone when I am at home. One thing I wasn't a fan of was male narrator. His voice changes were too sudden- he goes from whispering to yelling very fast. Maybe the sound should be a little bit better balanced. I understand that this character feels anger, but still.
For some people it's a bonus, but for me it felt disrupting a bit. Female narrator did amazing job with it.
This book is such a fun easy beach read. I laughed out loud during some parts which doesn't happen very often.
The story line was really good. I expected more sailing, but overall it was very well balanced. You can easily get transported to nice, and not so nice haha, places with it.
Main characters were great. They had their own background stories that nicely connected. Maybe I would like male main character if I read the book instead of listening to IT, but it's such a minor thing. I releate to female main character a lot. What a great woman.
Overall, it's just a perfect easy beach read!

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.

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.

First off, thank you @NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for the ALC.

4 ⭐️ - I really enjoyed this audiobook and found myself smiling like a fool for a lot of it. The banter was excellent.

The hook:
Josie, an elementary school nurse, is tricked into showing up to a what appears to be an abandoned cottage on the coast of Virginia. Instead of her brother waiting for her for their annual sibling trip, she finds Wyatt - her brother’s best friend and current hockey star. Turns out her brother wants her to help Wyatt recover from an injury. Josie and Wyatt have always “hated” each other - so a summer spent together sailing down the ICW turns brings them immensely closer until they discover they never truly hated each other at all.

Tropes:
Slow burn
Forced proximity
Brother’s best friend
One bed
Beach read
A super cute dog
No spice but plenty of butterflies and yearning

My general thoughts:
I really had such a great time with this one. I was instantly drawn to a sailing story - I have not read anything contemporary that took place mostly on the water so I really loved it. It’s also a romance with a hockey player, but the hockey subplot was rather minimal which I really appreciated. I loved that this story focused on their relationship building and learning to trust each other to be exactly what they need. It has no spice but sometimes I prefer that because it lends so much more to the romance rather than lust. Their back and forth banter that they can turn on and off in their relationship made me giggle and feel my own butterflies. It was SO sweet and gentle. Wyatt is such a gentle grump and he perfectly balances Josie’s anxious but sunshine personality. Bounds of chemistry and comfort - this book felt like a big hug.

I will say despite some funny over-the-top moments at the start of the book, it definitely takes a second to get sucked into the story. I LOVE a slow burn so I wasn’t super worried, but there was definitely a bit of a slump in the first 20% of the book. After about 30-40% in, I was fully in though.

I loved the simple representation of a lot of real topics that complemented the story nicely without it taking away from the plot itself. There’s anxiety representation, family trauma, some history of SA, etc. The SA mentions in particular (brief and off page of course) were handled very well. Women often unknowingly downplay experiences and seeing the MMC recognize that and handle the conversation so well - made this even better. Felt incredibly relatable and just real.

I loved all the side characters! Wyatt’s mom, Josie’s brother, etc. But the biggest shoutout I have is for JIB! And all the doggie clothes and how begrudgingly Wyatt loved it.It was sooooooo precious!!! I absolutely MELTED when Wyatt accidentally refers to Jib as “our dog”. That’s when it felt things just CLICKED for their relationship and made me love every single second. And don’t get me started on the BOAT SHOES. Wyatt’s acts of service had me just MELTING. Your honor, I love him!!

On a separate note, as someone who only recently moved to northern VA from California, I absolutely loved learning a bit more about the state I live in and all these towns just a few hours south of where I live. It has such a comforting feeling, cozy, and fun and has me so excited for a DC summer again.

Audiobook specific notes:
-This is dual POV and dual narration
-Patrick Zeller and Andi Arndt both give incredible performances. The POV was probably 70% Josie and 30% Wyatt which I think was a really nice breakdown. Andi was stunning as usual, not surprised here at all.
-My note on production was Patrick’s performance. I am a big fan of him and generally enjoy anything he narrates. However, in this particular title I felt the audio volumes were a bit off. Patrick’s inflection and the actual voice acting was great, but it became a bit tough with the audio. The dialogue was often way louder than the rest of his narration so it caused me to increase and decrease the volume a lot during his chapters. It wasn’t super distracting since I would still say it’s majority POV of the FMC, but it’s what took this down to 4 stars for me personally. But truly - I am usually overly picking on audio so if this doesn’t seem like a big deal, you likely won’t even notice!