Sneak Peek: If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair

Sometimes finding the right words to say is a struggle… and it, unfortunately, ends up defining your entire relationship. When words fail, take to sea! Take a serene sail through the Inter-coastal Waterway (or at least get a nice little introduction to sailing, if you prefer to stay on land) with Wyatt and Josie.

I’m grateful to have received an advanced copy of the If All Else Sails audiobook via NetGalley!

The Sneak Peek

Wyatt and Josie have known each other for years when her brother, Jacob, brought him home over a college break. A not-so meet cute Josie would happily forget given Wyatt’s ungraceful stumble of words claiming he wasn’t hitting on her when Jacob stumbled upon them in a compromising position. Naturally, to Josie, it sounded like pure disgust and she bolted.

Unfortunately for her, she and Wyatt remained in each other’s orbit for the decade that followed given his friendship and professional relationship with Jacob. But when Wyatt finds himself injured and unwilling to take proper care of him, Jacob hires Josie to leverage her skills as a middle school nurse to wrangle Wyatt and hold him accountable to his recovery.

Unfortunately for Josie, this means she’s stuck moving into his incognito “murder cottage” where the tension and proximity is as stifling as the summer heat. Fortunately for Wyatt, the proximity might actually allow him enough time to find his footing around Josie… at least enough to untangle his tongue so he can finally speak to her without stumbling on his words. He’s spent far too long struggling to dig himself out of the hole he found himself in after their first meeting. And he’s desperate to get in her good graces. 

What Victoria Loved

VICTORIA’S RATING: 3.5/5

You know what they say about assumptions… that if you make them, you end up with this book. I don’t mean that in a bad way, but I feel like it’s important to be upfront about the miscommunication trope because it’s such a hot button topic. But the characters are aware of their “foot in mouth” disease, so at least there’s that.

We love a grumpy hockey star, don’t we?  And Wyatt is every bit the trope as you’d expect. Mix that in with forced proximity and sibling taboo, and we’ve got ourselves a winner! But this leading man gets better the further we get into the book. As Josie says, getting to know Wyatt is like unwrapping a present and finding another one to unwrap within it, meeting the different parts of him is a pleasant surprise.

The unexpected soft underbelly of this romance lies in Wyatt’s love for sailing, the relationship he had with his uncle, and how excitedly he shares this passion with Josie. She has always held an unflattering view of the grump with a hard exterior, but this little piece of Wyatt is all it takes for her to truly see him. If you didn’t have any interest in sailing, you might after this intro.

I love that everyone we meet throughout the book can so clearly see a connection between Josie and Wyatt. Or rather, at least see that Wyatt is so clearly gone for her. But it’s the slow dismantling of her blinders that’ll trigger the butterflies in your belly.

I had the fortune of listening to this audiobook and the narrators knocked it out of the park!

Pre-order your copy of If All Else Sails (Amazon) and read with me!

Favorite Scene

“What I want, what I’ve always wanted with you, is everything.”

-IF ALL ELSE SAILS by Emma St. Clair

Similar Reads & Recommendations

• BROTHER’S BEST FRIEND: PS: I Hate You by Lauren Connolly (Amazon)

  I couldn’t put this book down from the second I started it. I finished it in a single seating and I’m already looking forward to rereading it. Lauren Connolly shows us the strength of found family and demonstrates different manifestations of grief through the loss of a sibling, a child, a best friend, a partner. But it’s the second-chance love story that will simultaneously fill your heart up and rip it to shreds with each turn of the page. 

  VICTORIA’S RATING: 4.5/5

• SHE HELPS HIM THROUGH AN INJURY: Pucking Wild (Jacksonville Rays #2) by Emily Rath (Amazon)

  A reverse age gap, forced proximity (aka roommate) romance! A hockey player ends up sharing a house with his team’s trainer’s best friend, who just happens to be the woman he’s been pining after. Fair warning: the sauna scene is forever stuck in my mind, so proceed with caution (or not). Also, I love a strong FMC who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid of her sexuality.

  VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5

• THERE’S A BOAT: These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean (Amazon)

  Upcoming release! Read my full Sneak Peek.

  VICTORIA’S RATING: X/5

• BY THE AUTHOR: This is the first of Emma’s books that I have read; stay tuned!

Until the next chapter!

xo, Victoria

P.S. Craving more books featuring these sub-genres, tropes, and themes? Tap the links below.