If All Else Sails
by Emma St. Clair · 2025
"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."
Rating: 3.00/5 from 1 ratings · Heat: 2 · Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Sports, Travel
Reviews
Woodland Reviews — 3/5
With all due respect to whoever gave this book (on this site) the one-flame rating, they're incorrect. There's a good bit of lust in this book. *My Review* This book is full of humor. From a case of mistaken identity, to "zombie" pigs that are so big one could supply enough bacon for a Bacon Lover's Festival, to poison oak and a dog named Jab Jabberwoky, If All Else Sails kept me laughing. There are some touching themes as well. Just because someone doesn't smile much doesn't mean they're angry, and just because you grow up doesn't mean you need to lose every aspect that makes you unique (like nail polish. If you know, you know.) Family is also an important theme, as is the slow healing from grief. Josie and Wyatt were enjoyable main characters. Wyatt was my favorite of the two, but I identified with Josie as well...like in the instance of book. Books are life, my friends. I really liked how Wyatt wasn't a player and how determined Josie was to help him, after she recovered from an incident that involved being locked in the back of a police car. I have absolutely zero cares for anything to do with sailing and the ocean, but St. Clair made it all sound so nice that I actually wanted to visit and maybe sail a bit myself. The continued emphasis on Wyatt's abs was not to my preference. I don't mind characters noticing each other's appearance, but mentioning that a fellow coworker licked a picture of Wyatt's abs did not thrill me. Content Warning: mentions of an attempted s.exual assault, a secondary character is a player, and the loss of a loved one. If All Else Sails contains a boatload of humor (pun intended), a dog so cute you'll want to take her home (and that's coming from someone who's allergic to dogs), a fun premise, and heartfelt themes. *I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in conjunction with NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.