Three and a half stars

Rachel, Out of Office was my first book by Christine Hovland. The book is romantic comedy -kind of book. The book is about Rachel, who is a single-mom with a business. Rachel struggles with her life, she wants to be a perfect mom and she really wants to make her work perfectly.

I think that the most of the moms out there recognize these same problems. Every mom wants what's best for her children and they do their absolute best to provide it to their children. Rachel has some problems with his ex-husband. She has problems with her work. She has the same problems we, the moms in real world, have. It made Rachel very likable and I could easily relate to her.

I liked how the book had very little drama. I liked how the family worked, it felt real family. The tension and passion between Rachel and Travis was believable. I liked the twins and I really, really liked Travis.

There were moments I found a little unbelievable, but nothing major. My main problem was the fact that the book was written in third POV, but that's just my problem.

I really liked the ending and the fact that Rachel learned something that we all need to learn, no one is perfect and no one needs to be perfect.

This was a nice read with likable characters and plot. I can recommend this.

Rachel has it all under control. Until you take a peek behind the curtain. Single mom to twin 8 year old boys, Rachel is a pro at managing chaos. She employs these skills in her virtual personal assistant company. However, everyone wants more of Rachel. When her annual guaranteed break via her ex’s family summer vacation is taken away from her, Rachel has to decide what to prioritize.

Rachel joins her ex’s family for a summer that no one will forget. A snarky, yet kind hearted, ex-brother-in-law, a meddling ex-mother-in-law, and a whole lot of time for things to get shaken up, this summer will drag Rachel out of her comfort zone. Isn’t that where we find all the best things?

This romantic comedy is utterly relatable. It’s also a refreshing reminder that we all deserve to be cherished and feel sexy, no matter our age, parental status, or baggage. There’s a bit of steaminess, but it never felt too much.

I really enjoyed Rachel, Out Of Office.

Rachel is a single mom of twins who kept her on her toes and also has a crazier professional life.
She manages to deal with everything, her ex husband who seems to be an absentee and the cool and laid back parent, her in-laws and her ex-mother in law, mama bear who likes to interfere and her two sons who are always there for the kids, when their father cannot.

But in the middle of this organized mess, Rachel needs somehow a break even if she has never once complained about her choices and embracing it.
Suddenly she comes to notice some things who are in front of her and never paying attention or more in denial I guess, like really noticing her brother in law, Travis who was more than people described him, that it was okay to let people in and help.

It takes one summer at her in-laws usual vacation spot to make her see things in a different perspective. Plenty of sarcasm, colorful characters and some hilarious situations. I appreciated that Rachel understood that she could manage everything but letting people somehow helping her could make things easier. That she wasn’t that alone.

The author manages to capture a single mom drama that some readers can relate to. The cast of characters are endearing, Rachel and Travis made me smile a lot, swoony tons and their chemistry… off the charts!

A feel good book, a kind of warm and heartfelt.

Today we're talking about a mom rom-com. A mom-com? A rom-mom-com?

This genre of romance is not typical for me. I am not a mom. But, it turns out, you don't have to be a mom to know what it feels like to feel overwhelmed by work, obligations, and family relationships.

What I liked most about this read was that it reminded me of a feel-good movie. Like a Nora Ephron film. You allow yourself to feel comforted by the promise of a happy ending as mishap over comedic mishap gets ladled on to your divorced, career-focused lead who isn't looking for love but finds it anyway. You know that in your own life you would draw boundaries sooner, or that you wouldn't react in quite the same way, but, like with any good rom-com, you release that anxiety and let the story unfold.

I think this book will resonate with some people more than others. (You're not going to pick it up for plot or writing style.) Even with my suspended disbelief, there were moments and situations that felt a little too much. But this is a light-hearted read.

It's best to leave your expectations of self-advocacy at the door, and let the familiar beats of a romantic comedy distract you for a few hours.

As a mom of twins myself that aspect of the book had me reeled in from the jump. This was my first Christina Hovland book so other than the blurb (twins!) I wasn’t sure what to expect going in. This book felt current, fresh and fun! Just the right mix of chaos and steam. Definitely recommending this to all moms. 4 stars and I look forward to checking out more of her work. Thank you to the publishers via NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

This is my first experience reading something by this author and I was very pleasantly surprised. I'm a sucker for romantic comedies, and this one really fit the bill. I loved the character of Rachel. So down-to-earth, relatable, and totally endearing. I can especially relate to her inability to say no when someone needs help. I liked that the book was written in dual perspective. I always enjoy reading the story and seeing both points of view. Rachel and Travis were both wonderful characters and their road to happiness wasn't an easy one, but it was an interesting one. This book had romance, love, and fun and had me laughing out loud or smiling the whole way through. A sweet and adorable story you do not want to miss!

3.5 stars

I really like this story. I liked Rachel and although it was love-hate relationship between me and her sometimes with her being a hot-headed frustrating woman I understood her in the end and end up really enjoying her as our main character.
Travis was amazing, I loved him since the moment he showed up. I liked how he complemented Rachel's life and their relationship developed.
I really liked this but my complaint is the way it was written. If this was first or dual person pov would have been much better and I feel the story would have flow better because sometimes I lost track on who was talking and that was confusing but anyway overall, this was great!

Rachel is a woman who is determined to show that she is capable of balancing all areas of her life which include being a mother, a career and her family. Her experiences show that like everyone else sometimes it works and sometimes it is chaos. With her kids about to spend some time with their father she makes arrangements to fill her time with all the things she needs to do only to find out he is distracted by the new future he is building and now she finds herself vacationing with his family which includes her sexy ex brother in-law Travis.

Travis is exactly who Rachel needs in her life as he tends to take whatever life throws at him without a second thought. He is sweet when it comes to her kids and sexy when it comes to her so it leaves her wondering why something that should be wrong feels so right.

Humor and heat combined with realistic characters and situations add up to a fun story that you can’t help but enjoy.

Loved this story!

So the topic of falling for your ex's brother (i.e. your ex-brother-in-law) can be tricky. It can be a little ewwww if not done right. As expected, Christina Hovland - DID IT UP RIGHT!!

Rachel and Travis are attracted to each other, but doing their best to deny it to themselves. In addition, Travis doesn't seem like the settling down type and what his family has said about him (including Rachel's ex) makes her wary.

"He looked...okay, well, the first word that came to mind was yummy."

Seeing these two gravitate towards each other while Rachel is navigating the single mom life, working from home almost 24/7 and co-parenting (sort of) with her ex - made for some hilarious moments and real-life craziness. I really enjoyed this story and these two as a couple!!

Travis is totally worth the risk! Yummy, a little dreamy, and has just enough return sass to make this the best match of the Frank brothers!

I voluntarily requested and read an uncorrected advance reader copy.

This adorable story will have you identifying with Rachel and all her drama. She is a divorced mother of twins who just can’t say no. She is trying to juggle so many roles and take care of the needs of her children. I loved her character. I find myself connecting with her on so many levels. This is a well written story that draws you in and have you cheering Rachel on for her chance to find happiness. I voluntarily agreed to receive an Arc of this book for an honest review.

Rachel is a single mom of twin boys and is also a virtual personal assistant who is at her wit's end. Her clients contact her at all hours of the day for work on top of everything she needs to do for her sons. The father, Gavin, is mostly absent through the story caught up with his new fiancé. Travis, Gavin's brother, is a misunderstood but good guy.

This book is totally relatable for anyone that has a kid in their life even if it isn't their own. I got angry with her when the boys' birthday present from their father showed up. I got mad at Gavin a few other times in the book, frustrated all around. But there were still plenty of fun and swoony moments in the book.

I look forward to reading other books from this author!

Perhaps because of the amount of time writer-mothers have been spending time with their off-spring lately, we seem to have a proliferation of single mother, chaos romances. Of the two “romances” I’ve read this year, both have followed this trend. At least, however, Christina Hovland’s Rachel, Out of Office has some actual romance amidst the chaos and some genuine laugh-out-loud moments.

Rachel is trying to do it all: run a business at home as a virtual executive assistant (who knew there was such a thing?!) and raise two rowdy twin boys and mostly she’s achieving it by working at all hours and finding an hour or two of sleep where she can. Her ex-husband, Gavin, is rarely in evidence buts sends his brothers Travis and Dave to stand in for him for sports events, etc. And, while Rachel gets along just fine with Dave, it’s Travis that’s the issue. Gavin told her all about worthless Travis, but despite that she finds herself thinking about him far too much.

All-in-all, I enjoyed Rachel, Out of Office. At the beginning though, I had a little whiplash as the narrator moved from the use overly cutesy-cutesy words, which had me pulling a face, to dropping sh*t and the f-bomb randomly. Fortunately, both vocabulary choices drifted away and a normal voice took over (mostly). I very much appreciated that.

The romance moved very quickly, which made me wish that it had stayed in the slow burn realm a little while longer. Anticipation’s half the thing. But I did like Rachel and Travis together. I liked Travis who seemed like he was finally deciding who he wanted to be in his life, perhaps because of his feelings for Rachel.

The Frank family was a hoot and it would have been fun to spend a little more time with those family dynamics. While matriarch Evelyn could have come off as a real–shall we go with– unpleasant woman, I liked that Hovland created her as a real person, which made her much more relatable.

A fun funny romance, Rachel, Out of Office would be very appreciated by young mothers who might see themselves in Rachel’s position; for others, your mileage may vary.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel, Out of Office should be made into a movie. It is a fun read with easy to get to know characters. I have enjoyed many of Ms. Hovland's novels and this book is a welcome addition to her offerings.

Rachel is a single mom to eight-year-old twin boys. In addition, she is the sole proprietor of her virtual assistant company. Needless to say, she is one very busy lady. She loves her boys and her job, however, she never says no to a client request. In addition, her ex-mother-in-law continues to be a thorn in her side. She believes that Rachel will eventually get back together with her son Gavin, even though he is engaged to another woman. Rachel and Gavin have a very amicable relationship, however, Gavin tends to be a bit hands-off when it comes to the child rearing. Gavin's family is quite wealthy, thanks to their very successful pop-tart company.

Travis is Gavin's brother and Rachel's former brother-in-law. He and his other brother Dave spend a lot of time with the twins, thus, Rachel as well. Rachel ends up spending the summer at her ex-in-laws lake house when Gavin bows out at the last minute. Travis and Rachel share a spark that evolves into much more.

I liked this book, however, I could not understand why Rachel was under such financial stress. Gavin and his family could have easily helped her make ends meet, especially since they all got along. The twins had some very realistic and funny moments. Overall, this dual point-of-view romantic comedy should be added to your TBR list.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

Happy #PubDay to RACHEL, OUT OF OFFICE by Christina Hovland -- and thank you to @netgalley and @entangled_publishing! Rachel is an over-worked, under-appreciated single mom just trying to get by with her own small, business and be present for her two twin boys. Their father was a one-night stand turned failed marriage turned absent parent. This summer, her exes family invites her on a two-month vacation at their family lake house, so they can spend quality time with the boys. While hesitant at first, Rachel is drawn in by the promise of free-child care, uninterrupted hours to work, and free Wifi. However...is she starting to develop feelings for her ex-brother-in-law...?

This is just a cute, quintessential romance with such a relatable heroine. While I can't relate to motherhood, I can definitely relate to having ridiculously high standards for myself - both personally and professionally - and putting undue stress on myself when I don't perform. And while this book was sweet and relatable, it is also steamy and had some fun banter between Rachel and her leading man!

Rachel is a single mom of 8-year-old twin boys from a one-night stand. She gave it a go with Gavin, the father, but they decided long ago they were better off as friends and co-parents. Her in-laws and Gavin’s brothers are incredibly supportive and have adopted Rachel into the family. One problem, she has started to notice something strange between her and Travis, one of Gain’s brothers (and her boy's uncle). She thinks he hates her, so she is stand offish towards him. But when she joins the family on their annual two-month holiday (who takes that long of a holiday, but I’m in!!), Gavin is absent, but Travis is there. Things start to heat up between the two, but can it go any further than a summer fling?

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. It was funny and light. At first, I thought it could be a little strange that Rachel and her former brother-in-law were hooking up. However, it is clearly explained that her marriage to Gavin was truly short lived and he was engaged to another woman. Once I got over that, smooth sailing with a little heat factor added in!

Okay, I LOVED this book.

Rachel is a single parent to bright and boisterous eight year old twin boys. She strives for perfection in everything she does. As a single mum, with the father not always the most reliable person, I really identified with Rachel. The missed football games, the last minute cancellations of plans? Yup, it's all perfectly captured in this book. But this story is so much more than that.

This is about Rachel learning balance. And respect fof her boundaries (in work and family life). And perhaps most impossible, what true love really looks like, and how to navigate that with children. The love interest comes in the form of Rachel's ex's (and not exactly reliable father of her children) brother.

At first glance this seems wrought with problems. There's an overbearing mother-in-law who loves to get her own way. When she doesn't, she gets an attack of the vapours and starts on about how upset her (imaginary) cat will be. This makes for some hilarious interactions. And then, of course, there's the familial connections. But the chemistry is tangible between Rachel and Travis. A chemistry that was never ever really there between her ex-husband and her. Still, there'sa lot to navigate in their pursuit of happiness. The point in the story when the extended family discover their relationship is equal parts hilarious and heartfelt.

The denouement is extremely satisfying and the epilogue? *chefs kiss*

A new writer to me, there's an ease to Christina Hovland's storytelling that immediately envelops you, draws you in and puts you at ease I will definitely be reading more of her work.

One final note: the chapter quotes from readers about motherhood are HILARIOUS and painfully accurate!

Favourite Quotes:

* “Limits don’t mean you’re weak.” He traced his fingertip down her forehead, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. She hadn’t bothered taking out the knot she’d put it in when he came into the room. “They actually mean you’re strong enough to recognize the importance of the other things in your life.”

* The thing about perfection, she realized, staring at that damn scale, was that it didn’t really exist. It’s a phantom that drove her to try to do better when she was doing her very best to begin with. Turned out, sometimes making a mess of things actually made her happier.

Rated: ❤❤❤❤❤
Heat rated: 🔥🔥🔥
Emotional rated: 💓💓💓

(Review also submitted to Amazon UK and Barnes and Noble - but awaiting moderation)

I really liked all the Christina Hovland novels I’ve read and I have to say that I was very curious to start a whole new story!

Rachel didn’t have an easy life so far. Divorced and mother of twins, an absent ex-husband and a job that takes up a lot of her time… She’s handling it all as well as she can, even if it’s far from easy. So it’s all the more panicky when, for the twins birthday, Gavin, Rachel’s ex, gives them two puppies without even talking to her about it! Rachel’s already complicated life will become even more complicated! But she sees a glimmer of hope when her ex in-laws offer to take the children for the holidays. But Gavin had to be there, and at the last minute he ducks out, forcing Rachel to follow her boys. This is also where Gavin’s handsome brother, Travis, is. And if things haven’t gone so well between them so far, it looks like this trip is going to change everything.

It was a really nice novel and I loved following Rachel and Travis. Our heroine has to fend for herself and people take advantage of her all the time. So when her feelings for Travis get complicated, she doesn’t know how to start dealing with it.

As I was saying, I had a great time with this novel and I am thrilled to have discovered a new novel by this author. I’d be happy to recommend it to you!

Wow! This book is fun and funny and made me take a closer look at my own life. As a fourth-generation perfectionist, it was very easy for me to sympathise with all of Rachel’s control freak tendencies. Looking in from the outside, it was also really easy for me to see all the ways they weren’t working for her. The family and client dramas added extra layers of difficulty to her already over-loaded plate and made my heart break for Rachel at the same time as I wanted to smack her for letting things get so very out of hand. Travis was sweet and charming, and I hurt for him every time we saw somebody judge him for who he used to be rather than the man he had become. I think I’ve gone and fallen in love with this whole family and all their friends and I’m desperately hoping there will be more books with them in the future.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the author through NetGalley.

Perfection takes a break to find happiness and love
Rachel, Out of Office by Christina Hovland is a very well written, entertaining romance full of humor, heart, twin boy shenanigans and a little bit of steamy, forbidden, off-limits attraction. Rachel, super mom extraordinaire, is a confident yet vulnerable workaholic, striving for perfection in all things in her life. Travis is her opposite, and in the romance world, that means he’s her perfect, she just doesn’t know it yet. Travis is sweet with a bad boy vibe, lots of misunderstanding about him and his life, but he’s truly an all around great guy!
The plot explores, with humor and tons of heart, Rachel and Travis really learning about one another and finally taking action. The uncertainty of Rachel’s thoughts and feelings made this book ’unputdownable’. Not to mention Travis’s determination, understanding and persistence if meeting Rachel where she was, encouraging where she needed to go and accepting what she needed in every moment. Swoon worthy hottie and then some!
Overall an exceptionally well written romance I thoroughly enjoyed. Rachel and Travis’s love story is full of emotional discovery, life/work balance, humor, family and a new kind of perfection just right for their HEA.
I read an ARC of this book via NetGalley and voluntarily share my review.

Once again, Christina Hovland gives you laugh out loud, in a new series. Seriously, anytime I read her books, I am usually bursting out laughing and getting looks from anyone around. Rachel is a single mom, to twin boys (you can imagine how crazy that is), and eventually twin puppies (thanks to a clueless dad). She’s a stay at home mom, runs her own business, and pretty much does it all by herself. Gavin, the boys’ dad, isn’t around as much as he should be, so his brothers step in when he can’t. Travis, one of his brothers, shows up a lot, and gets under Rachel’s skin in quite a few ways. But when she has to take Gavin’s place at the family vacation get away for the summer, things between her and Travis start really heating up. There are lots of laughs here, lots of sweet & tender moments, and lots of love. I’m so looking forward to more of this series!!