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!

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.

Thank you to Christina, Entangled Publishing, NetGalley, and Grey’s Promotions for the opportunity to receive this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I’m already a big fan of Christina’s style of writing, she’s got this romantic comedy stuff down pat! Rachel, Out of Office is no different. I love Rachel and Travis! As a high strung mom with OCD and a tendency to lose my $h!t if EVERYTHING isn’t perfect, Rachel resonated deep inside my soul. I’m guilty of micromanaging my whole world within an inch of its life, so Rachel is such a relatable character. Travis is oh so yummy! In the beginning he had that devil may care, floating through life stereotype that made him seem so flighty (no pun intended). I was pleasantly surprised to see he had this deep emotional side, he really wanted what was best for Rachel. Pair that with his abs, drawl, smirk and love for his nephews... and you’ve got yourself your next book boyfriend! I loved their chemistry, they were so fun to watch fall for each other. I really wasn’t Team Evelyn or Team Gavin/Dakota, but they mostly made up for their actions by the end of the book. This was such a fun read with far less angst than I assumed there was going to be. Very sweet with some very nice sizzle, an amazing family, two cute boys, and some very fun laugh out loud moments. I’m curious to see if we see more from some of the secondary characters, I fell in love with all of them as well. Great job Christina, I couldn’t put it down!

Loved this book! As a mom of two young boys myself, I laughed out loud at some of the similarities between my life and Rachel’s life. Some of the mom quotes at the beginning of each chapter were so funny and truthful, it’s like I could have written them myself. I loved how the story wasn’t just a romance, but it showed the main character of Rachel who is truly trying to be the best mom she can be. I completely relate with Rachel’s struggle of trying be a mom but also still have a romantic and personal life. Rachel is a realistic character who has some flaws, and I totally related. I will definitely read other books by this author!

Overall I enjoyed this story. Travis had the patience of a saint when it came to Rachel. And while Gavin had his flaws, it was nice to see an ex who wasn't 100% villain. For me this was more of a story about a woman learning to put herself first and that it wouldn't be the end of the world if she set some boundaries and accepted help. The book also showed the importance of having a support network. I wish the author had placed Rachel's realization about why she really distanced herself from Travis slightly earlier in the story because eight years is a long time to 'dislike' someone and then seemingly have an about-face. Just my opinion though.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Rachel has way too much on her plate! She's a single mom of twins, managing their schedules, and her own online company with entirely too demanding clients. And toss in a nosey ex-mom-in-law and new puppies for the boys. She makes you love her spunk and tenacity, but want to tell her to back up and take the help that's being offered. She agrees to go on the 2 month family vacation with her ex-husband's family, without him. He's in Boston getting ready for his next marriage - he doesn't seem to be in the picture much, but by the end you understand his thoughts and don't hate him lol On this vacation, she gives into feelings she's had for her ex-brother-in-law, which is a little unplausible but it works out. A lot of laugh out loud moments and margaritas - you can't hate a book with those! Be sure to check out the mom quotes at the chapter beginnings!

Funny romantic comedy!

Rachel Gibson was the single mom of twins thought she could so it all especially being available all hours of the days being a virtual assistant. Rachel knew she wasn’t super mom but when her ex-husband cancelled out on taking the kids on the Frank family vacation to be with his fiancé in Boston for her work. Rachel was persuaded to go along giving her a chance to see Travis Frank, her former brother-in-law.

Rachel knew her former mother-in-law would like her to get back with her ex-husband, but that relationship has passed. Rachel would rather get together with Travis who was being an awesome uncle to her twins, but he was a better date if everyone would leave them alone to figure it out.

I can totally relate to Rachel and I loved the quotes at the beginning of each chapter making me laugh because they are so true!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book; I really enjoyed it.

I could really relate to Rachel, the heroine in this book: perfectionist, not able to set boundaries with no clue that she's even doing it. The supporting characters were also great --- most of them started out despicable but generally turned out to be okay. There were some moments that literally made me laugh out loud (can you imagine dealing with your ex-mother-in-law's imaginary cat??). The twin boys, their energy, and the mischief they got into were endearing. The romance was a slow burn, with a satisfying ending. I hope there are additional books to tell the stories of the supporting characters.

Rachel Out of the Office follows single mom, Rachel, who is trying to do it all. She loves her twin boys and is just barely holding her life together. Rachel has some very preconceived ideas about her ex-brother-in-law Travis there is a slow burn happening as she sees him in a new light. This was an enjoyable read, I like how Rachel and Travis balance each other out and the quotes at the beginning of each chapter are a great addition.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. All spelling and grammar errors in this review are totally my own.

Seriously profound, heartwarmingly funny. Rachel, Out of Office puts the heart on notice. From heartbreaking to hilarious, Hovland gives emotions a reason to stand up and cheer. It's only fitting that as Rachel find herself she stole my heart. With wit and emotion, Hovland uplifts the soul.

Funny as heck. Rachel reminds me of every overachieving single mom. She is dedicated to her children, her friends and her job. Travis is her hot former brother-in-law who revs her engines. There are some very hilarious moments as she tries to hold it all together and not tear her hair out. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter are genius. Her friend Molly is an added bonus as is Evelyn. I truly enjoyed this story from start to finish.

I was granted the chance to read this as an advanced reader copy through netgalley.

This is the first book of Christina's that I have read and I'm ready to read some more!

Rachel, Out of Office is a romance about a single mom of twin boys, who works from home, and gets talked into a 2 month family vacation with her ex-husband/baby daddy's family.

I could relate with Rachel's character right away. I'm not a mom, but I certainly can understand where she is coming from with the perfectionism and burning both ends of a candle.

I loved the fact that Rachel and Travis had chemistry from the very beginning, and it was almost just natural that they would start something up given the right circumstances. I found the author did a really fantastic job on all of the relationships in the book. The friendly and platonic co-parenting between Rachel and Gavin to Rachel and mama's.

It was really refreshing to have a romance without all the conflict being between the two lovers. Rachel already had so much going on and then the issues with her ex-mother in law was enough to keep the story going. Having such a supportive male figure to help her and be there for her was wonderful. He really helped her start to grow into all that she can be. I love a well brought up man like that, and he's exactly what Rachel needed.

5/5 🌟 highly recommend. I will be looking for her other books!

Rachel is managing just fine, thanks. Between her virtual personal assistant business, her boisterous eight-year-old twins, and all the obligations life throws her way, she's got it all handled. As long as absolutely nothing goes wrong. So when her ex-husband breaks the news that he can't accompany the kids on their summer trip to the family lake house, Rachel isn't thrilled to be asked to go along instead. She does not have time for vacation, especially with her former in-laws who are still hoping she'll reconcile with her ex.

Further complicating things are the new and inconvenient feelings she's having for her ex-husband's brother. Travis is a great uncle and apparently a better man than she thought, but getting involved with him would be an absolutely terrible idea. Right?

This was an entertaining book, sometimes funny, often heartfelt. The ending seemed a little rushed, but Travis and Rachel were fun to watch together. The pushy in-laws felt all too real.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

***4.5 ‘Team Travis’ Stars***

I swear I felt like I needed a Xanax with a whiskey chaser while reading this book...actually, I kinda feel like I still might need it because...whoa. These characters definitely took some getting used to. Not that they were unlikable, well...maybe a couplefew started off on my not so likeable list but things did sort themselves out and I’m crossing my toes that we’ll get to spend more time with this crazy crew because they all have stories to tell.

But on to Rachel and Travis.

I kinda adored Travis. He has his moments where you want to Gibbs smack him, but in all reality he is a lot more aware of what’s going on around him than people give him credit for. He’s charming and when he deems something important, he doesn’t mince words.

Rachel. This woman. Ok. Here’s the thing. I loved her, I did and I admired the heck out of her for juggling work, kids, her crazy family and her crazy friends, but I also wanted to reach out and shake some sense into her because of it.

Their journey to their HEA was definitely an interesting one considering all the crazy that was going on around them, but I really enjoyed how it all played out. They are opposites, but they balanced each other out in the right way and once they moved past a few things, I really liked their flow. Their bantering was a lot of fun, the chemistry between them hot and I loved how everything worked out for them in the end.

I realize that stating at the beginning of this review that I needed Xanax and a shot of whiskey may put some of you off reading this book, but the crazy, chaotic ride is totally worth it in the end. The characters are all unique (and I really only wanted to put duct tape over one of their mouths and then duct tape ‘em to a chair and leave ‘em there until Rachel and Travis got their HEA *BSEG*) and I’m totally crossing my toes that the remaining singletons get their own books and HEA’s at some point down the road.


~ Copy provided by the publisher/author via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~

Rachel, divorced mother of twin boys treads a rocky path. Life is hard. Not only is she trying to progress as an

independent working woman and raise her children, she also really fancies Travis, her ex-brother in law.!

This is an energetic and happy story testing family and conventionally accepted customs to the limit. Life is a

balancing act which Rachel pulls off in a humorous and optimistic way surrounded by friends and family..

Rachel is the single mom of twin 8 YO sons, who were accidentally conceived on a one-night stand with Gavin, Rachel's ex. They ended up getting married even though initially, Rachel hadn't even planned to see him again. At the start of the book, they've been amicably divorced for years and are co-parenting their sons.

it was obvious that Rachel was a people pleaser and a bit of a pushover. Initially, I had a hard time with the book as pretty much everyone seemed to be taking advantage of her - Gavin, his family (especially his mother) and her clients. It soon became clear that this wasn't only due to her good nature, but also because she struggled with trying to be perfect in every situation, all the time. As a result, she was reluctant to accept any help and pushed herself too hard to try to meet all of her self-imposed obligations.

However, once Rachel ends up at Gavin's family's lake house for the summer after Gavin decides to go to Boston with his fiancee instead of staying to take care of his sons, Rachel slowly starts growing a spine, She also starts to see her former brother in law, Travis, as he really is rather than her perceptions of him being filtered through Gavin's negative opinion, resulting in her admitting an attraction that has always been present but buried. By the end of the book, I felt that Rachel was in a much better place, both personally and professional, with Travis, who turns out to be a really sweet and supporting guy, with her clients, and even with Gavin's pushy mother.

Cute

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Dual POVs
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I look forward to reading the other Frank brothers' stories.

This book it's such an easy and fun ready. I loved it. I identified myself in the main character, she's someone who wants everything to be always perfect, tries to make everyone happy at all costs. It was great watching her grow to let herself live a little and not worry about the things that don't matter at all. I loved the romantic interest, Travis, he was always on top of everything, wanted to make her fell safe and happy. It was such a heartwarming read and so funny too. Talks about maternity, body positivity, family relationships, love and friends. Loved it.