Rachel, Out of Office
by
Christina Hovland
Out of reach, out of touch, out of her mind.
Single mom, Rachel Gibson seriously needs a break. Between an absent ex-husband, rowdy twin boys, managing the PTA, and running her own business, her candle isn't burning at both ends, it's a full-blown puddle of wax. She's the go-to girl for other entrepreneurs, handling all the tasks they dread. Social media posts? She's got it. Website updates? She's on it. Light bookkeeping? Oh, yes.
Thank goodness she's about to get a reprieve when her in-laws plan to whisk her boys away for a summer of fun at the family lake house. But when her ex backs out of the family retreat, and her former inlaws insist she attend their yearly vacation summit with her munchkins, she finds herself in a pickle. Even though she's drowning in to-dos, she's horrible at saying no -- especially when it comes to her kids.
Once Rachel arrives at the lake house, she struggles to keep up with work and balance the demands of family all the while fending off pesky new feelings about her ex-brother-in-law. Which makes her start to wonder... Is falling for her ex-husband's brother just one more messy complication added to the dumpster fire? Or is anything possible when she's out of office...
My Thoughts
‘Are you really that good of a guy, Travis Frank?’
That is the big question in Rachel, Out of Office by Christina Hovland. Rachel Gibson concedes her ex brother-in-law is one good looker. But he’s also immature and irresponsible. As a single mum to twin boys, a woman trying to keep a business running, plus having an ex husband who is not pulling his weight in the parenting stakes, any attraction she feels for Travis is way, way down the list of things to think about.
I think Hovland has done a great job in portraying life as a single parent. Rachel’s family turned their back on her when she became pregnant, so it’s just her, her ex and his family. And while the Frank family offer help, it’s not something Rachel can regularly rely on; it’s not their responsibility and Rachel dislikes feeling obligated. Is it any wonder her way of coping involves trying to control as much as she can?
A romance between Rachel and Travis does develop. They are certainly hot together, and I like how both Rachel and Travis grew as individuals and certainly as a couple as they began to navigate what a relationship between them might look like. I often found myself nodding my head and laughing at some of the interruptions they experience.
I would categorise this book more as women’s fiction than a straight-up romance. There is plenty of time spent learning about Rachel’s life, her relationship with her friends, and her relationship with all members of the Frank family.
April’s story is up next, and I am looking forward to learning more about this ‘Calm Mom’.
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