4 For Real Stars
* * * * 
This is a quick love letter to Christina Hovland. She happens to have the ability to take readers on a journey that can feel personal. It doesn't matter I haven't had a set of twins or divorced and have to deal with inlaws and a sexy ex-brother in law. I will still be able to relate to some of the issues these people are experiencing and love the journey I am taking with them. 

Rachel, Out of Office is an ode to all Mothers who attempt to do it all. Our lives are not always of our making and it is our job to figure out everything not only for us but for those who depend on us. We do this every single day and with all of the current issues we are juggling, it has never been more of an issue.

Bravo to Ms. Hovland for looking hard at this and giving us a giggle, swoon, or two.

Rachel is single mom of twins, she can't relay on her ex too much, but his brothers always try to help, especially, Travis. Why oh why she is attracted to him.
This book is wonderful and funny.
Enjoyed storyline and all characters in this book.

Rachel,Out of Office by Christina Hovland was like standing in front of the mirror and looking into my own life as a modern day woman. This is the story for all of us women juggling and excelling at 1001 things and pushing ourselves to the last limits. This is the story giving that sweet relief and happy escape while giving a heavy dose of reality!

Rachel is many things in her life. Virtual personal assistant available to her clients and catering to their needs all the time. Mother of twin boys. An ex who is not bad, just absent mostly. Her ex husband's brother Travis was always a helping and caring hand. And someone she cannot absolutely get involved with. But everyone needs a happy place and Travis is more than willing. With all complications.

This story belongs to a subgenre I don't read much. But I loved it nevertheless. Rachel is amazing. She is witty. Smart. Hard working. Independent. Spine of steel. A big heart. A real boss lady taking down the world's issues one at a time. I could relate to her ( I am not a mom though) instantly. How many times we say yes to things to please others even when our body and mind simply refuse? How many times we ignore all signals that our sytem is breaking down? Too many times, I guess. And Travis stepped in before Rachel lose her mind. Gah I love this man. Genuinely good guy with such a delicious naughty and sinful side. This story was so hilarious sometimes and sometimes rightfully serious. They have insane chemistry. But they have more amazing banter! I was living for those one liners and those smouldering hot moments. The family and friends all provided some elements of drama, action, sweetness and hotness.


Rachel, Out of Office by Christina Hovland is that kind of warm and heartfelt story that makes me stop and breathe all the heartwarming goodness in the pages.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

You know, I really do get surprised when I start loving a book once I start reading it. I always get this feeling when I am still unsure about a book because the book summary does not do it justice but I still read it because I want to know. And I am glad that I do because I love it. Just like Rachel, Out of the Office.
Rachel is doing it all. And I condemn her for that. Being a single parent is hard work. But lately Rachel is feeling the end of her rope especially when her ex is no help at all when it comes about the kids. Lucky, she has help from his sibling, especially sexy ex brother-in-law, Travis.
Travis may admit that he has great attraction for Rachel but he is not willing to go for it until she is ready. He knows that Rachel needs to be comfortable about anything she does because she will always need to be prepared for anything. And he loves that about her. She is one of a kind, and he is more than willing to go for it. It may be sticky at first since she was married with his brother but it truly did not mean anything especially with her end. That's what matters the most.

I absolutely loved this book! I loved seeing how Rachel grew not only in herself but her relationship as well! As a single mom working full time I could understand her struggle. I couldn’t put this book down because I wanted to see where Rachel and Travis ended up but also see how Gavin played into the whole thing! Great book!

A good friend recommended Rachel, Out of Office and said she knew I would be able to relate and connect.  She was not kidding.  I loved Rachel and watching her take control of her life.  I cheered for her so hard as she navigated advocating for herself and finding happiness and not feeling like she was letting people down.  The enemies to lovers/brother in law trope was so great for creating tension and emotional connection between Travis and Rachel.  I am probably adding this to books I am pressing on my friends.  lol.  Thank you so much for letting me read!

Possibly one of my favorite books for a series starter or series, in particular. Loved all the characters, especially the two main protagonists. Can't wait for the side characters to get their own books. So much happens and yet at its core this book is simply about a couple who find love and make it work. Kids, exes, friends and family play a big role with the two main protagonists and I was really happy about that.

4.5 stars

I have read - and loved - every one of Christina Hovland's books. Rachel Out of Office is another wonderful read!

Though I am not a single mom like Rachel, her struggles felt relatable. She puts her kids above all else, has issues with her ex and his new fiancé, and is burning the candle at both ends to keep up with work and family life. Add a new and inconvenient attraction to her ex's brother and things get really complicated.

Travis was not who I expected him to be even from the first chapter or two from his perspective. He was a genuinely good guy who really cared about Rachel. I loved the way he looked out for her and that her well being mattered so much.

I thought the story moved at a good pace and I couldn't put it down, especially as Rachel and Travis grew closer. They were so sweet together. Also, if you've read the Mile High Matched series there are a couple fun easter eggs in the story as well!

5 Fabulous Stars!
Rachel is the single mom who does whatever it takes to hold it all together.  Working from home, juggling twin boys, her ex and his family is a lot, but she grits her teeth and makes it happen.  But whenever you are juggling plates, it is only a matter of time before something has to give.  Rachel learns that to be happy, she must let go of her perfectionism and ideas of what is right or wrong.  Instead, she must embrace all that brings her joy, even if that means embracing Travis, her former brother-in-law.
Most moms will be able to relate to Rachel and the chaos that is her life.  I appreciated her insecurities and her stoicism to do whatever she needs to do for her boys.  Travis was a delightful surprise.  His charm, the feelings he has, and his desire to care for Rachel is evident from the beginning.  I was obvious to me that he had harbored deep feelings for Rachel for a long time.  I love how he put her happiness at the forefront and was willing to stand up to anyone who got it the way of that- even Rachel herself.  I appreciated Rachel’s, ex, Gavin, who was trying to do the right thing, even when he failed miserably.  I love the communication that Rachel and Gavin have as co-parents and the friendship they share for their twins.  I really appreciated the physical chemistry between Rachel and Travis as well as the swoon-y feelings they share. Those feelings swelled from my e-reader screen and enveloped me in a warm and fluttery hug.  There is humor woven into the story as well as sage mom advice leading each chapter.
I was not sure how the author was going to overcome the hurdles that Travis and Rachel faced to be together.  I love it when a book keeps me guessing.  I was incredibly pleased with the HEA and how it was accomplished.  This book brought all the feelings out in me and I loved it.  It is well-written in third person from a dual POV.  The pacing is perfect and the characters well-developed and likable.   I recommend that readers add it to their TBR and read this book as soon as they can for the good feelings it brings.

From the characters to the storyline, this was a very enjoyable read! The humor, stress, situations, and feelings all blend together to make this a single mom an entertaining romance book. Rachel Out of Office by Christina Hovland was a great ex-husband’s brother/meddling mother-in-law read! 4.5 stars!

RACHEL, OUT OF OFFICE - CHRISTINA HOVLAND 3/5 ⭐️

Managing a growing business and raising twin boys, Rachel tries to do it all. Juggling her boys, her flaky ex-husband and his handful of a mother, two new puppies (not by choice, and an ex-brother-in-law that keeps looking better and better, Rachel is at wits end. Which is why when she is invited to go on a trip with her ex-in-law’s, she finally agrees in hopes that the boys will have some fun on the lake, and she will have the chance to catch up with her demanding clients. Only, things don’t go as planned when she starts to fall for Travis, who is totally off limits.

The book is told from the perspectives of both Rachel and Travis. While Rachel offers a more practical view of the trip, Travis gives a fun twist with more comedic insights. Travis and Rachel learn that in order to test out this new crush, they have significant obstacles lying ahead of them.

Although this was definitely a sweet and funny read, I think this book would be more suitable for someone who is a mom, or really even women in their 30s or 40s. Sometimes Rachel’s struggle didn’t really connect with me, as she talks quite a bit about motherhood. However, I did enjoy when Travis was narrating the story- it was fun to see the trip through someone a bit more immature.

RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 25

Thank you very much to Christina Hovland, Entangled Publishing & NetGalley for an ARC!

This was such a great read! It is funny and light while still exploring the dynamics of life. I am not single nor am I a mom, yet I still connected with this book and the characters. I recommend to anyone needing a little book pick me up!

"I'm comfortable. I'm a place you can relax. And you're a place I can be serious. Don't take that away."

Rachel, Out of Office is my first Christina Hovland novel, and it did not disappoint. It has all the elements I love in any romantic comedy book - witty, funny characters, closely knit family ties, steamy romance, and great story-telling from start to finish. With the amusing blurb and adorable cover, it definitely screams an amazing rom-com already.

One of my favorite underrated romance trope is the single parent trope. This novel totally nailed that trope to the T with workaholic single mom Rachel juggling to taking care of her twin boys, their dogs, and maintain a social life. Rachel was just a joy of a character because she embodied a lot of dilemmas and sacrifices mothers make in order to maintain a home and take care of her family. She also just screams a perfectionist Pinterest mom which made her even more endearing. The twins were also such a pleasure to read as they wrecked havoc and chaos together, and with their dogs. On the other hand, Travis is the perfect uncle and gentleman to them, and you can't help but swoon and fall in love with him, especially with how he took care of everyone despite their prejudices against him. Rachel and Travis' relationship was just full of fluff and steam, and I enjoyed it slowly develop within the pages.

Family is a big theme in this novel, and while it was dysfunctional, they all made adjustments to take care and respect one another. The book definitely nailed its goal on exploring the different sides of every family's relationship, and how to overcome each other's differences. The amount of love and care in this story just made it even more fluffy and sweet - even though I wanted to hurt Evelyn so badly at some point lol.

Over-all, this book is a great and highly amusing read. I definitely recommend this to anyone (not just to single moms) if you are looking for something light and funny to pass the time.

A terrific romantic comedy. While I would be happier without intimate details, the vomit, slime and other other stuff was fine. Twin boys, I cannot imagine how challenging that would be for any parent, and especially for a single one. Interesting friends, family dynamics and occupations.

I was so engaged with Rachel and Travis throughout the entire book! The storyline was well written and the characters were so well defined that I was totally enthralled until the very end!

Thank you NetGalley, Christina Hovland and Entangled Publishing, LLC for the ARC of Rachel, Out of Office. This is my personal review.
This is a book that many women will relate to with raising kids alone, busy with her job, family love and family issues, friends who are there for her and all this Rachel wants to do it herself.
It was a book that I started and before I knew it several hours were gone and the last page was there!
The quotes at the beginning of each chapter were great!

This book was one of those rare books where I battled with myself while reading it: I wanted to slow down and properly savor it, but at the same time, I couldn’t read it fast enough and was completely immersed in the story.  I found myself smiling throughout much of the book, and even perhaps squealing a bit at Rachel and Travis’ first kiss. 

This was really a perfect romance- just enough hesitation and reserve from Rachel to make it believable. I also loved the elements of parenthood, co-parenting, and crazy in-law dramatics. It made this so much more than just a romance. There were side plots that didn’t play into the love story, which gave this book depth and layers that other romances don’t always have. 

I highly recommend this book, even if romance is generally not your cup of tea- I feel like this book could change a person’s entire perspective of the romance genre!

3.5/5

Rachel, Out Of Office by Christina Hovland took a bit to sink it’s teeth into me, but when I was hooked, I was REALLY hooked. Which is an interesting comparison to the relationship of Travis and Rachel. It was slow to start but when it started, there was no holding back.

Rachel is a single mom to twin 8 year old boys. On top of that she is runs her own business while trying to maintain some sort of balance in her life. The boys father, Gavin, is in the picture… but he’s also not. He comes and goes as he pleases, following around his new fiancé like a puppy dog. Speaking of puppy dogs, he surprises the twins with 2 puppies for their birthday (of all offenses he commits throughout the novel this enraged me the most!). 

There has been a long brewing flirtation between Rachel and Gavin’s brother Travis. Yes, complicated is an understatement. When Gavin cancels on his family’s summer vacation, Rachel finds herself taking the boys in his place. Despite both of their guard’s being up, their romance takes off and so does the drama and fun in Rachel, Out of Office.

Few takeaways from this book, the “Romance” aspect in it was refreshing. The bedroom scenes were absolutely adult in nature, but it was just that, two consenting adults stumbling into newfound territory. Also, the reader may not want to like Travis but just like Rachel, you can’t help it. He brings out the best in her and brings balance into her life. The drama in this novel doesn’t come from the two main characters but everyone else around them. 

But will Travis and Gavin work it out? Will their family dynamic survive? Does Rachel still have a place in the family? Definitely check out Rachel, Out of Office to find out!

The writing - ⭐⭐⭐
The story - ⭐⭐⭐
Overall - ⭐⭐⭐

This is some feel good, semi steamy, light hearted romance. Honest with the post pregnancy body issues (mega plus points for that) and an honestly distressing depiction of a single mum trying to do it all and burning out. Thankfully the (not so) bad boy ex brother in law drops on the scene and starts gently showing Rachel that sometimes supermums need to put themselves first, and to accept a bit of help.

Fave Quote - 'You know you're a good mom when you sacrifice your vibrator batteries for your kids toy.'

Fave Moment - There's a moment when the twin boys start fighting with one another and 'This, this right here? This is why twins were hard on a single mom. Sometimes you needed two full adults - or more - to deal with the conflict.'  as I have twin boys myself I can concur that this is accurate, and not just for single mums. Parenting twins is incredibly difficult, and it's not the same as other siblings, finally having the family swoop in and actually HELP Rachel was a relief.

LOVED! Such a fun and entertaining read, I loved the fun family relationships and getting to know all the characters from the girl/mom gang to Rachel's ex's family . This is the first book I'm reading by this author and I seriously cannot wait to read more! 

Reading RomCom/ChickLit books I don't typically read too many books about moms/mom with kids, this one was AMAZING! Such a great believable contemporary romance.

ALSO... the quotes at the beginning of the chapters were also HILARIOUS! What a fun touch from the author.