In this enemies-to-lovers romance, school nurse Josie and her brother's best friend--hockey player Wyatt Jacobs--are tricked into spending a summer together that's anything but smooth sailing.
When Josie's brother sends her to a random address for their (sometimes) annual Super Summer Sibling Extravaganza, she finds neither siblings nor extravaganzas. Instead, ends up at a run-down cottage on the Northern Neck of Virginia occupied by a hockey player she knows and loathes.
A hockey player who isn't just one of her sports agent brother's clients. He's also his best friend. And Josie's sworn enemy.
Oh--and her brother wants Josie to help Wyatt recover from his injury.
Dragging grumpy hockey players to physical therapy is a far cry from bandaging skinned knees, but for the price her brother offers to pay, Josie is willing to try.
Even if it means sharing what she dubs the quaint little murder cottage with Wyatt.
Begrudgingly, Josie starts to see a little more of the man behind the grumpy exterior. And when she finds out he was supposed to sail the Intracoastal Waterway south to Savannah scattering his uncle's ashes, Josie surprises even herself by offering to be Wyatt's first mate.
Smooth sailing is nowhere to be found, and Josie begins to wonder if they'll be able to make it home without killing--or kissing?--each other.
And yet, the longer they share cramped quarters and canned food, the more of Wyatt's layers she peels back until Josie realizes she misunderstood him, their shared history, and perhaps herself as well.
Title: If All Else Sails
Author: Emma St. Clair
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Fiction
Expected Publication Date: August 5, 2025
Review:
Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction/Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for supplying me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I love a good enemies to lovers story. Pair that with some close proximity and you have the makings of the perfect chemistry that builds to a true love story. Emma St. Clair managed this flawlessly. This was my first book by this author but it certainly won't be my last.
Josie finds herself in a pickle. Her brother lied to her and told her they were going on a sibling vacation. But what he was really doing was inserting her into Wyatt's life to try get his best friend to heal and get back to hockey. Josie and Wyatt have spent their lives hating each other, or at least that's what Josie thinks. But as the two spend more and more time together, they both learn about the miscommunication that has happened during their course of knowing each other, and their chemistry blooms into something undeniable.
I will say, I was expecting spice with this story. I have not read St. Clair before so I'm not sure if clean romance is her norm but there was zero spice. And, while that's the level I'm used to reading when I read romance, not having it did not detract in any way from the story for me. If anything, it made the chemistry even more steamy. I loved the slow burn connection Josie and Wyatt experienced. I'm not a huge fan of the miscommunication trope, and there were so many times during this story the two could have fully disclosed everything and gotten on with their lives. But then there would not have been a story.
The plot takes a turn when the two go off on a sailing trip together. I loved this portion of the book more than any other part. Their experiences during the trip were really great and helped build their relationship. Clair did well with the sailing language, as well. I was impressed with the level that was used. Perhaps because I have a sailboat and understand the words. But it was great to watch Josie eagerly learn what she needed to in order to be helpful for their trip.
I did not realize Wyatt has appeared in St. Clair's other books and now I'm anxious to read the other stories of the Appies players! I've now added all her titles to my TBR and I cannot wait to read them!
St. Clair infused witty banter with a good amount of emotional turmoil and growth. The characters were well fleshed out and developed. The author made me fall in love with them almost immediately. If you're looking for a clean romance read with tons of chemistry, wit, and emotional growth, pick this one up and give it a try!
Author:
Want a free novella? Grab Upping the Ante here: https://emmastclair.com/ante
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