Review: RACHEL, OUT OF OFFICE by Christina Hovland

Title: Rachel, Out of Office

Author: Christina Hovland

Mommy Wars #1
Publisher: Entangled Amara
Publication Date: January 25, 2021

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Single mom Rachel Gibson seriously needs a break. Between an absent ex-husband, rowdy twin boys, and running her own work-from-home business, her candle isn't just 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? She loves it.

Thank goodness Rachel's about to get a reprieve, as her former in-laws plan to whisk her boys away for a summer of fun at the family lake house. But when her ex backs out at the last minute, 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 providing some stability for 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 for her ex-brother-in-law. Which makers her wonder... is falling for her ex-husband's brother just one more messy complication added to the dumpster fire of her life? Or is anything possible when she's out of office...?

"Limits don't mean you're weak... They actually mean you're strong enough to 

recognize the importance of the other things in your life."

Where do I start?? I loved this book very much! It's one of my favourite reads of 2021. Rachel, Out of Office featured many of my favourite tropes including single parent, second chances, close proximity and the biggie "you picked the right sibling this time" (does this count as a trope? anywho..). More so than the romance which was so darn sweet, I greatly enjoyed and related to Rachel's character development. You go, Rachel! I'm rooting for all the people struggling to balance work and family (and self-care). We are in the same boat.

Waiting on Wednesday (22)

Waiting on Wednesday was a weekly meme created by Jill at Breaking The Spine, 

for sharing upcoming releases we're highly anticipating.
Now, Tressa at Wishful Endings hosts Can't Wait Wednesday that is based off of WoW to continue the fun!

Hello, New Year: My 2021 in Review

2021 was a year of great losses and great gains. We've had a number of deaths in our community but my greatest loss last year was the passing of my bestpup Tidus. Anyone who knows me or speaks to me on socials know Tidus was the king of our household. He was my IG book model and lone audience of my singing serenades. He had a huge and calming presence in our home. It's been a hard year adjusting to his absence but I'm fortunate to have so many memories, photos and videos of him to reminisce over. You are forever in our hearts, Tidus!

The rest of the year flew by after that. My days consisted of working, reading, eating and sleeping. You know... the basics. When I mentioned great gains, I meant that I gained a boatload of work experience and confidence in my nursing capabilities. Many of my seniors have commented that they've noticed how I've grown professionally. I take the praise with such gratitude for my team's guidance and support in my first year working as an RN. Shout-out to the ACE Team woo~ Honestly, to every single person just trying to get through to the next day during this pandemic... I applaud you and am cheering for you. May 2022 be a better and healthier year for us all.

Dual Review: THE WORD IS MURDER + THE WHISPER MAN

I keep telling myself I want to read more Mystery/Thriller books that don't include the In Death series. I've read three last year, and that's including these two up for review. 2021 will be the year I try to incorporate more into my reading! I have quite the little to-be-read collection piling up. Both Anthony Horowitz and Alex North were new authors to me. One blew my socks off and the other left me conflicted. It goes to show how much my mood and impressions of a character can greatly affect my enjoyment of a story. Both books have this minimalist cover-look though that I absolutely am a fan of.