I’m so excited to be in the home stretch as we near the launch date for If All Else Sails! This is my first book with a traditional publisher, and it’s been a dream to work with Thomas Nelson, who also publish books from authors I love like Courtney Walsh, Melissa Ferguson, Bethany Turner, Rachel Hauck, Pepper Basham, and Rachel Magee (among many others!).
Here are some of the things YOU want to know about If All Else Sails!
WHAT IS IF ALL ELSE SAILS ABOUT?
What happens when an elementary school nurse is tricked into helping an injured hockey player she can’t stand and then somehow gets roped into being the first mate on a sailing trip with him?
If All Else Sails is what happens.
Here’s the official blurb:
In this grumpy-sunshine 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.
If you’re a fan of closed-door romance with sizzling chemistry, laugh-out-loud banter, and relatable characters, this romance with enemies-to-lovers vibes is your perfect escape. Dive into the irresistible story of Wyatt and Josie as they navigate the rocky waters of their past, uncover hidden depths, and discover that sometimes love is found in the most unexpected places. With the delightful grumpy-sunshine dynamic and the swoon-worthy he-falls-first trope, If All Else Sails by USA TODAY bestselling author Emma St. Clair will keep you turning the pages late into the night.
WHEN DOES IF ALL ELSE SAILS RELEASE AND WHERE CAN YOU PURCHASE?
I’m SO excIted that If All Else Sails will be releasing in ebook, audio, and paperback on August 5th! It will ALSO be in Kindle Unlimited for all of you KU readers out there!
As for where to purchase, you can snag the paperback on all major retailers. Many of them are having sales right now, and I’ve seen it as low as $11.19 (at the time of posting). It’s also been a part of Target’s 2-for-1 sale and the Barnes and Noble preorder sale, if those are still going on when you see this.
Here are a few links to retailers, but don’t miss my note below about the special SIGNED preorder!
IS THIS BOOK IN THE SAME VEIN AS OTHER EMMA BOOKS IN TERMS OF CONTENT?
Yes! If All Else Sails is right in line with all my other books with mild to no language and just kissing on the page. This is something I’ve committed to and feel very strongly about. I want to be someone who writes relatable, swoony books that hit you right in the feels but WITHOUT the “adult” content.
If you’re someone who reads spicy books, you can absolutely still enjoy If All Else Sails and my other books. But it’s helpful to go in with the expectation that you’re not going to get any steamy bits.
I don’t plan to make any changes in terms of my content and heat levels in my traditional books, so all of my books will be consistent in that way.
Like my other books, this is also a rom-com. It also touches on some more serious themes, as many of my books do. You’ll definitely laugh and you *might* cry, but hopefully happy tears. I love to keep things light but also want to make sure there is some depth and things to make you think.
DOES IF ALL ELSE SAILS CONNECT TO ANY PREVIOUS EMMA BOOKS?
While you do NOT need to read any other Emma books before If All Else Sails, you’ll see some connections. Wyatt played for the Appies, so you see glimpses of him in the Appies Romance series. And you’ll get to see some familiar faces in If All Else Sails, but I won’t reveal who yet.
Rest assured, you will not feel lost if this is your first Emma book! But there are connections that will be fun to discover if you ARE an Emma fan already, and if you continue on in my world, you’ll see Wyatt again.
WHAT PERSONAL CONNECTIONS DOES THIS BOOK HAVE?
I might write a longer post about this (and plan to have some info in the bonus content about this), but If All Else Sails has some VERY personal connections. My Aunt Jo and Uncle Tom bought a property in Kilmarnock when I was 14. The little murder cottage in If All Else Sails is based on their little house–though theirs was in much better shape!
They eventually tore the original house down and my uncle BUILT a new house on the property, where he and Jo retired. They went down the Intracoastal a few times, and each time, there were misadventures.
Before the first time, I gifted Jo a journal she kept the whole time. She passed away a few years ago, and I borrowed the journal from my cousin Rich, her son, so I could read about their travels. I based Wyatt and Josie’s trip on theirs, using a sailing chart as well.
While the town of Kilmarnock in the book has mostly fictionalized businesses, it’s an adorable place to visit! I’d highly recommend stopping in to shop or grab a bite to eat! There’s also a lovely little bookstore called Bookshelf on Church.
I got to visit Uncle Tom while writing and got to get on his sailboat–which was terrifying as the boat was NOT in the water. It was dry-docked for repairs and this involved climbing a rickety ladder and facing my fear of heights. (Spoiler alert: I made it.)
So this book is deeply personal and special to me, and I feel like it honors my family and some wonderful memories!
THAT’S ALL, FOLKS!
I’m so completely pumped to have If All Else Sails out on August 5! It was a joy to write, wonderful to work with the team at Thomas Nelson, and the book is GORGEOUS. It’s one of my favorite books I’ve written, hands down.
I cannot wait for you to have it in your hands!
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