A review by bookrecsbyjess
If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for the ARC of If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair. All opinions are my own. 

I’ll honestly read anything this author writes, but wow does this book stand out as one of my favorites from her. I read the book in two days because I just didn’t want to put it down. 

If I had to describe this book with one word, it would be tender. I don’t use this word a lot, but the character interactions and romantic moments were so tender, and It really made me love this story. 

This book follows Wyatt, a professional hockey player that is supposed to be recovering from an injury. Instead, he has become reclusive and is staying in a beach house left to him by his late uncle. His agent Jacob is worried about his mental and physical health, so he decides to send his own sister to go stay with Wyatt. Jacob’s sister Josie is an elementary school nurse, and she has no idea that she’s been sent to get Wyatt back on his feet. She thinks she’s going on a sibling summer vacation with her brother. 

Because Wyatt and Josie aren’t expecting to see each other, their first interaction is hilarious. There’s also so many other funny moments between them (especially the pigs!). Besides the humor in this book, the author did a fantastic job creating emotional depth between these characters. 

Each of these characters is dealing with different issues, so it was beautiful to see how each character grew to not only accept themselves but to not settle for the situations they found themselves in. I loved the vulnerability these characters shared with each other, and it was so nice to see them lean on each other through their difficult circumstances. 

This story has a slow burn romance that is so sweet because the characters build a friendship before they’re finally ready to share their feelings with each other. I loved seeing Josie and Wyatt learn from each other, and their sailing trip was such a fun part of the plot. 

Overall, I can’t recommend this book enough! If you want a heartfelt and tender romance between two hurting people, this is the book for you. 
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