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donnareadathon2021's review
4.0
The story
Rachel is a single mom of 8 year old twin boys. A one night stand that definitely wasn’t going to be anything else turned into twins, followed by a short marriage to Gavin and an amicable divorce. Rachel is also a virtual PA working non-stop when she isn’t parenting, and it’s exhausting. When it turns out Gavin won’t be taking the boys to his family’s holiday house for the summer, his two brothers ask her to join the kids and work from the lake. Rachel has never been a fan of Gavin’s brother Travis, but the close proximity leads to other things on this trip.
My thoughts
This is such a feel good read. Rachel is stressed and has a really busy life, so I appreciated how the two uncles stepped up when their brother wasn’t available to be male figures in their lives. Travis’s feelings for Rachel surprise him, as Rachel’s feelings surprise her. Despite the likelihood of things getting really complicated in the family, I loved the reactions of the family members who kept things civil and supportive. Such a sweet read with the real warts and all mommy-reality shining through. ☺️
I read a copy courtesy of the publisher.
Rachel is a single mom of 8 year old twin boys. A one night stand that definitely wasn’t going to be anything else turned into twins, followed by a short marriage to Gavin and an amicable divorce. Rachel is also a virtual PA working non-stop when she isn’t parenting, and it’s exhausting. When it turns out Gavin won’t be taking the boys to his family’s holiday house for the summer, his two brothers ask her to join the kids and work from the lake. Rachel has never been a fan of Gavin’s brother Travis, but the close proximity leads to other things on this trip.
My thoughts
This is such a feel good read. Rachel is stressed and has a really busy life, so I appreciated how the two uncles stepped up when their brother wasn’t available to be male figures in their lives. Travis’s feelings for Rachel surprise him, as Rachel’s feelings surprise her. Despite the likelihood of things getting really complicated in the family, I loved the reactions of the family members who kept things civil and supportive. Such a sweet read with the real warts and all mommy-reality shining through. ☺️
I read a copy courtesy of the publisher.
mindfullibrarian's review
4.0
I LOVED this mommy romance ❤️ That’s the genre I created for those single mom romances that focus just as much on the momming as the kissing
savncheese's review
2.0
I think I need to take a long break from rom coms... they keep blurring into one another... but I won't :)
This was my first mom romance and my first by Christina Hovland. I think that a lot of my disconnect with this one is that I'm not a mom. I didn't connect with Rachel on that level. As a small business owner that works with a Virtual Assistant, I could connect with her on the business boundaries and entrepreneur aspects of her life though. That can be overwhelming in and of itself, so I can't even imagine what it'd be like to add twins boys AND doing it alone. I shudder to think...
I loved the fact that Evelyn finally got on board by the end, because gdamn she was so annoying. And I loved that Dakota was gone by the end because I was not a fan. The family dynamics were definitely well written in this case.
I might just try the next book in line...
This was my first mom romance and my first by Christina Hovland. I think that a lot of my disconnect with this one is that I'm not a mom. I didn't connect with Rachel on that level. As a small business owner that works with a Virtual Assistant, I could connect with her on the business boundaries and entrepreneur aspects of her life though. That can be overwhelming in and of itself, so I can't even imagine what it'd be like to add twins boys AND doing it alone. I shudder to think...
I loved the fact that Evelyn finally got on board by the end, because gdamn she was so annoying. And I loved that Dakota was gone by the end because I was not a fan. The family dynamics were definitely well written in this case.
I might just try the next book in line...
raebrock's review
4.0
I’m not a mom but I absolutely loved the first book in this Mommy Wars series. The characters are so relatable. You can’t help but love Rachel while wanting to simultaneously hug her and shake a little sense into her at the same time. And Travis was just so ridiculously into her in the best way. I did think the monster-in-law stuff was over the top and I didn’t really understand Gavin as a character-everything about him seemed contradictory and he just didn’t really make sense. Other than that this book was adorable.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
rashmitha_books's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
ashleyreads713's review
4.0
Rachel, the character who feels like she’s lost her touch in life as a single mother of eight year old twin boys. Her one night stand turned children’s father can’t bother to be there for important moments in the boy’s lives and she needs a break. Luckily, Rachel feels she has this break... the children will be gone on a summer long vacation with their grandparents. But, as luck would have it, Rachel winds up having to go. Christina Hovland takes readers in a journey to discover who Rachel is and how she can let her hair down.
This novel allows readers to realize that there is sunshine on gloomy days and what you may need is actually right in front of you. Full of romance and laughter, “Rachel, Out of Office” is one I will recommend to anyone needing a break and the mom who needs a laugh. Christina Hovland does a fantastic job of inserting mom quotes into every chapter’s heading. As a reader, I wish I discovered more from the setting and boys characters. However, maybe there will be a follow up so we can see how Rachel is doing in five years, twenty. Christina, if you are spreading, I hope you build Rachel into just a glimpse of a future tale.
This novel allows readers to realize that there is sunshine on gloomy days and what you may need is actually right in front of you. Full of romance and laughter, “Rachel, Out of Office” is one I will recommend to anyone needing a break and the mom who needs a laugh. Christina Hovland does a fantastic job of inserting mom quotes into every chapter’s heading. As a reader, I wish I discovered more from the setting and boys characters. However, maybe there will be a follow up so we can see how Rachel is doing in five years, twenty. Christina, if you are spreading, I hope you build Rachel into just a glimpse of a future tale.
berls's review
4.0
I am so glad I decided to pick up this series! While I enjoy the books with the young new love, it's nice to get into a book that feels more familiar to my life. This was so relatable and fun!
I loved Rachel. I GOT Rachel. She's a single mom of Twins (that part I can only imagine) who is trying to do it all. By herself --> that's the part I really got. There's this scene where it's time to cleanup from the twins birthday party and people are offering to help her clean up and she's resistant. Because if she does it, it will be done right. Otherwise, it might be done wrong. And I am SO guilty of that. But she grows so much over the course of this book and I really enjoyed watching Travis help bring that growth out of her.
The relationships -- the friendships, the ex, his family, the mom-in-law, the twins -- were what made this book. The interactions were so fun and I laughed out loud quite a bit. The mom-in-law with her fake cat was particularly hilarious. You have to read it to understand but OMG.
Just a really sweet, fun, funny story and I'm really looking forward to reading the next book.
The narration by Petrea Burchard was really good - she delivered solid, distinct character voices. I listened at my normal 2x speed and it was a really enjoyable listen.
I loved Rachel. I GOT Rachel. She's a single mom of Twins (that part I can only imagine) who is trying to do it all. By herself --> that's the part I really got. There's this scene where it's time to cleanup from the twins birthday party and people are offering to help her clean up and she's resistant. Because if she does it, it will be done right. Otherwise, it might be done wrong. And I am SO guilty of that. But she grows so much over the course of this book and I really enjoyed watching Travis help bring that growth out of her.
The relationships -- the friendships, the ex, his family, the mom-in-law, the twins -- were what made this book. The interactions were so fun and I laughed out loud quite a bit. The mom-in-law with her fake cat was particularly hilarious. You have to read it to understand but OMG.
Just a really sweet, fun, funny story and I'm really looking forward to reading the next book.
The narration by Petrea Burchard was really good - she delivered solid, distinct character voices. I listened at my normal 2x speed and it was a really enjoyable listen.
nomomstayandread's review
4.0
This was charming.
She’s a busy, single mom of twins and has a surprisingly solid coparenting relationship considering how flaky he is. You know who isn’t flaky and always shows up for her boys though? The hot ex-brother in law. Whoopsie.
Ok so the remix where she took another brother out for a spin was grand. He helped her set boundaries, thought she was awesome, and has a whole slew of abs considering he works for the family pop tart business.
God I love romances.
She’s a busy, single mom of twins and has a surprisingly solid coparenting relationship considering how flaky he is. You know who isn’t flaky and always shows up for her boys though? The hot ex-brother in law. Whoopsie.
Ok so the remix where she took another brother out for a spin was grand. He helped her set boundaries, thought she was awesome, and has a whole slew of abs considering he works for the family pop tart business.
God I love romances.
storieswithsoul's review
5.0
What a delightful little read. I loved every minute. The story is interesting, characters are amazing, and it has enough drama and romance to keep the readers wanting more. I'd definitely recommend this book to all romance lovers. As far as I'm concerned, this is a must-read.
Rachel is a single mom who is trying to raise her twin sons well. Her ex-husband shares custody, but the truth is he isn't much help. However, his brothers help whenever possible, because she's considered a part of the family. Her kids are a handful, her job is a headache, and she's having difficulty juggling everything. So when her ex's family insists that she go with them to their summer house, she is reluctant. And it seems that her ex is going to let her down once again.
Then Travis swoops in like a prince and promises he would do everything to make her life easier. She isn't ready to accept his help, as tempting as it is. But in the end, she relents, and that's how their story takes a turn for the better. One thing leads to another, and now Travis has become far more important to her than he should be. What will happen when her ex finds out that she has fallen for his brother? Even worse, what if they didn't work, and it affected her twins? There is too much at stake, but for the first time she feels she has met someone worth the risk.
This is an adorable story, and I loved all the characters so much.
I recieved a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley.
Rachel is a single mom who is trying to raise her twin sons well. Her ex-husband shares custody, but the truth is he isn't much help. However, his brothers help whenever possible, because she's considered a part of the family. Her kids are a handful, her job is a headache, and she's having difficulty juggling everything. So when her ex's family insists that she go with them to their summer house, she is reluctant. And it seems that her ex is going to let her down once again.
Then Travis swoops in like a prince and promises he would do everything to make her life easier. She isn't ready to accept his help, as tempting as it is. But in the end, she relents, and that's how their story takes a turn for the better. One thing leads to another, and now Travis has become far more important to her than he should be. What will happen when her ex finds out that she has fallen for his brother? Even worse, what if they didn't work, and it affected her twins? There is too much at stake, but for the first time she feels she has met someone worth the risk.
This is an adorable story, and I loved all the characters so much.
I recieved a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley.