If All Else Sails by Emma St Clair 4.25⭐️. A school nurse agrees to help her brother’s best friend, a professional hockey player, while he’s recovering from a knee injury. This felt like such a cozy read but it also felt long for no reason. The entire first half of the book is only a two day long timeline. I also didn’t really feel the brother’s excuse to have her take care of the friend made a lot of sense. It felt like an easy, convenient way to get them together. I did enjoy the banter and I’m glad it was made clear why Josie saw Wyatt as an enemy in the beginning. The second half of the book was much better. Slow Burn. No spice. Overall it was cute!

The audiobook narrators were great! I really enjoyed their voices they fit the characters really well.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for a copy of the book!

A very sweet story in the closed door romance genre, this is my favorite Emma St. Clair book to date. The book starts out with a very funny premise, Josie is detained by the police because Wyatt thinks she is a reporter. In reality, she is his best friend‘s sister. He is recovering from an lisfranc injury, as a hockey player. Then Josie’s brother hires her, a school nurse, to help be a companion for Wyatt as he mourns his uncle’s death.

Read this one if you like;
Enemies to lovers
Hockey romance
Brothers best friend
Dogs
Sailing
Miscommunication

The audiobook is also well done, I liked both narrators. At first I found the female narrator to be a bit boring, but soon I realized that this tone matches Josie as she is a pretty strait laced person. I loved the male narrator, his performance made me laugh and made Wyatt come alive.

I love a closed door romance and the sailing aspect didn’t come into play until the third act, but it had a nice flow and pacing. There were some cute situational comedic elements. I liked the internal dialogue as Josie and Wyatt are falling for each other.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Zondervan Audio for the ALC. book to be released August 4, 2025

Wyatts POV >>> had me completely giddy, especially when he secretly obsessed with Josie, but IRL he pretends to be unaffected. I’m sure it helps that the narrator was spot on with the acting, pacing, and inflection for MMC, it was absolute perfection.

This book has one of my favorite micro tropes: When one of them is incapacitated and accidentally lets on how they really feel, fever flirting, in this case.

Yet again, begging and pleading for a nod if romance is closed door.

Thank you Net Galley for audio ARC in exchange for honest review.

This was a really sweet “enemies to lovers”, who were never really enemies in the first place. The dialogue/banter was great between the main characters. The only thing that was weird is that time didn’t flow in the story, as in it seemed like only a week or so went by but really weeks upon weeks pass in the story.

A hockey player is injured and his agent/best friend sends his sister to nurse him back to health. Instead they fall in love!

I would definitely read more from this author.

4.5 out of 5 stars!

What a fun and charming story. The author's humor is evident from the first pages of this story and continues to entertain and delight until the final page. I loved getting to meet Josie and Wyatt, learn about their brief history of knowing one another as well as the head clashing they have in the present when they reunite. The connection between them is brief and through her brother, a professional sports agent and good friend of Wyatt for several years.

Josie, a school nurse who's used to playing it safe and Wyatt who's got his walls built a mile high all around him while home recovering from an injury that's keeping him from playing on his professional hockey team, must work together in order to heal the injury Wyatt has in addition to healing the injury their relationship sustained long ago.

What a fabulous story! There's so much that happens throughout the story that keeps this fresh and unfolding with new information and new adventures with each new chapter. I enjoyed that the story had lots of reveals and lots of great moments, the synopsis doesn't come anywhere near revealing the bulk of the story or giving spoilers away although it's a good overview and lead in to what the story pertains.

If you're looking for banter, lots of tension and a slow burn romance that's worth savoring on each new page, be sure to pick up this book in the very near future!

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this story. All opinions are my own.

Thank you #NetGalley for the Audiobook ARC of #IfAllElseSails by Emma St. Clair!

This is a fun, heartwarming enemies-to-lovers (or "grumpy hockey player and sailing fanatic meets sassy adorable school nurse") story that made for a fun, easy listen. Josie and Wyatt’s reluctant summer together starts off rocky—with some hilarious one-liners and plenty of snark—but slowly builds into something genuinely sweet and believable.

I loved that their relationship didn’t feel rushed; the chemistry grew naturally as they spent time together, healing both physically and emotionally. There’s a good mix of humor, awkward moments, and just enough deeper topics like grief and trust without ever making the story feel too heavy. Plus, the setting—from a "murder cottage" to a sailboat—was a fun backdrop for their slow-burn romance. I'm also a sucker for dogs with punny names in adorable outfits.

As for the audiobook itself: Andi Arndt and Patrick Zeller bring Josie and Wyatt to life with a lot of energy. Andi’s performance was consistently great—warm, witty, and emotional when it needed to be. It did take me a few chapters to adjust to Patrick’s narration; his delivery felt a little intense at times, and he sounded like Bob from Bob's Burgers. But, once the story settled, his portrayal of Wyatt's vulnerable side grew on me.

Tropes: forced proximity, brother’s best friend, slow-burn, and swoony (closed-door) romance

Dual narration - Andi Arendt & Patrick Zeller

Great narration. Love the voices.

This a sweet and cute book. I got hallmark movie vibes. I enjoyed that the two MCs really grew to like each other and become more to each other over some time.
Great summer read/listen.

Wyatt is an injured hockey player who had shut himself off from the world. His agent sends help to get him to get better and come back to playing hockey.

Josie is a school nurse with a free summer. Her brother invites her on a siblings trip. But to her surprise she’s now taking care of Wyatt.

This was sweet. I really enjoyed it.

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.

There is so much I loved about this book! Wyatt's broodiness and his connection to the Appies (two of the Appies actually pop up in the book which made my heart sing!). Josie's upbeat sarcastic personality which hides and protects a tender and vulnerable heart. We also get to see the soft and tender side of tough guy Wyatt too.

The book starts with a hilarious "meet cute" .. although it is not their first meeting, just the first one in a long time. Two key things.. murder house and eyebrow cop.. trust me, these are hilarious! Oh and Jib who has an amazing wardrobe. I had so much fun picturing Wyatt with Jib!

If you like fun sassy reads, grab this book. If you like stories where characters work through their feelings and hangups to arrive at the truth, grab this book. Seriously.. just grab this book! Brother's friend? Enemies (even if only perceived enemies) to more? Grump vs Sunshine? Fiercely protective MMC? Sassy FMC? GRAB THIS BOOK! You won't regret it!

Note: I enjoyed the audiobook version. Very well done!

This was so so CUTE. It made me smile so much and had me giggling. Spring is the time for a SWEET romance and this book is perfect!!

It also made me tear up when Josie and Wyatt were discussing her trauma. I loved that it could make me laugh and connect with me emotionally.

The narrators were absolutely fantastic and got me through my work day!!

**Review: *If All Else Sails* by Emma St. Clair — 4⭐️**

*If All Else Sails* is a sweet, clean romance that delivers on the beloved enemies-to-lovers trope. The story centers around Josie and Wyatt, thrown together unexpectedly when Josie’s brother (also Wyatt’s friend and sports agent) tricks her into helping Wyatt recover from a foot injury at his remote cabin.

What follows is a heartwarming journey filled with witty banter, emotional healing, and quiet moments of connection. Their bond deepens through caring for a stray dog, a meaningful sailboat trip to scatter Wyatt’s uncle’s ashes, and the kind of slow-burn friendship that naturally evolves into something more.

Emma St. Clair brings charm and emotional depth to the story, and the author’s note at the end adds a thoughtful and personal touch.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson & Zondervan Fiction Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this one, but I didn’t quite love it. I went in expecting a full-on enemies-to-lovers romance, and while there was definitely some fun banter (which I really enjoyed!), it didn’t quite deliver on that trope the way I was hoping. Still, it was a solid read overall—engaging and enjoyable, just not amazing for me personally.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC!

4 stars ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

This book was so cute! Honestly it’s such a good summery beach read, it has everyone’s favourite tropes while also tackling some heavier topics like s.a. and grief while still remaining lighthearted and upbeat.

I really appreciated that their romance felt genuine as it grew over their time together, I loved that it wasn’t rushed and that there was no weird third act miscommunication or breakup for no reason.

The narrators Andi Arndt & Patrick Zeller did a great job of bringing the story to life. I had to warm up to Patrick’s narrating style because he came on kind of strong but eventually it evened 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.

ARC and ALC review
Publication date: 5 Aug 25

"If All Else Sails" by Emma St. Clair is a contemporary romance.

I received an ARC from Thomas Nelson Fiction and an ALC from Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

Josie was expecting a summer trip with her brother but he cannot get off work and askes her to help his friend Wyatt to recover after surgery.
She is a school nurse and he is a hockey player.

What you can expect:
- brother's best friend
- dual POV
- forced proximity
- witty banter
- sailing adventures
- cute dog
- slow burn
- closed door romance (kisses, mild innuendo)

The audiobook is narrated by Andi Arndt and Patrick Zeller. Most of the chapters are from Josie's POV and Andi did a great job narrating them.
I liked the way she managed to bring the characters to life with humor and emotion.
Unfortunately I did not enjoy the chapters from Wyatt's POV as much. The voice is nice but there were to many instances when he raised his voice and made the character seem mad.

The story is a mix of funny moments, emotional ones and a slow burn (closed door) romance.
Josie was sure that Wyatt hates her, but he was actually into her for many years.
She helps him at first and then they bond over sailing.
Slowly, she begins to trust him and they become friends before he admits that he has feelings for her.

This is my first book from the author and it convinced me to read more.

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

The narrators were perfect for bringing Josie and Wyatt to life. This is a cozy brother’s best friend, where the brother actually plots to get the two together.

I wouldn't call this enemies-to-lovers exactly. This is definitely more in line with the "brother's best friend" trope. Nor would I say that it's mostly about sailing. That doesn't happen until 60% into the story, although I did really like their time spent on the boat, so it was worth the wait.

Marketing aside, this was very cute. The two MCs are likeable and their bantering is playful and sweet. I also really liked when other characters, like the brother, popped in to interact with them. There are also some classic romance tropes in here that should delight people: caring for injured MC, mild jealousy, one bed and so on.

As for narrators, there's a mixed bag here. Andi Ardt is decent and capable, as usual. She's done like a billion romance narrations, so she knows what to do. But Patrick Zeller. Oof. I recently heard his narration in a thriller where his POV was from a very bad person. So at first, I thought maybe that was negatively impacting my perception of his POV in this rom com. But honestly, I don't think he was very good? I feel like every time he was trying to express humor, he just yelled his lines. He has a nice voice though, I guess. Fortunately, Andi did the heavy lifting for the narration.

It looks like this is my first Emma St. Clair book, but definitely not my last. Glad she's on my radar now. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

4.5⭐

I loved this so much ❤️❤️❤️. I smiled all the time and laughed so hard, AND it's clean!!! I honestly love ALL the characters. The story itself is so cute and heartwarming and the audiobook is amazing 😭😭

Josie is sunshine and her sense of humor is hilarious. Wyatt is a grump but he's a secret softie, he reminded me of a porcupine 🥺 Jacob is a fantastic brother and a wonderful friend

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

I heard brother's best friend and came running 🫣 Gigantic thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the eARC & ALC 💕