A. H. Cunningham can do no wrong. This book was soooo stinking cute. She has a knack for writing feel good romances.

This was such a cute read! I definitely recommend this book as your next beach read. It is such a vibe.

This book has very minimal drama and it sort of falls in the "insta-love" category but I didn't mind at all.

Genevieve Raymond is all about her career and climbing the ladder of success. Her next goal is to get promoted and be able to take the lead on all the international projects at the hotel chain she works for. She has just wrapped up a project in Panama and is in need of a vacation. When her personal driver, Adrian hears about this vacation he finally decides to let his attraction be known. It is absolutely crazy but Genevieve decides to go away for two weeks with Adrian and see what happens (YOLO! lol).

These two have had this easy connection from the start and once the barrier of professionalism is lifted things really start to heat up!

I can admit I was definitely skeptical of Genevieve's choices but I was rooting for this couple the entire time. Sometimes you just know! and that instinct took Genevieve and Adrian on a wild ride.

I love that Genevieve was forced to take stock of the things she held important in life and really assess if she wanted to work her life away for some goal that maybe wasn't even hers. She was in love but she wasn't foolish, she just needed time to figure out who and where she wanted to be in life. I thought Adrian was a breath of fresh air. he really took everything in stride and he was patient with Genevieve. He didn't just give up when things got tough. It made me root for them even more.

A.H Cunningham told a beautiful story. I'm in love with her writing and the way she illustrates Black Love.

I don’t know who the people on the cover are but they are not the characters in this book.

I almost DNFd this it was moving to slow.
A vacation romance insta love( kind of). There is chemistry, mutual pining, and two weeks of togetherness. She is a success driven workaholic. He used to be but has now found balance in entrepreneurship and family. This story was sensual and wholesome at the same time, make it make sense.
He had one too many secrets for my liking, one of which ( very important) he didn’t reveal until Five minutes before he proposed. She had no boundaries at work or with her mother. Can they make this vacation love full time.
The characters are full and well written. This story is full of Panamanian culture. This is a story about self care and love. I recommend if you like a lusty vacation romance that doesn’t end when vacation is over.

3.5 stars

Initially this book didn't quite grab me. After switching to audio format, I was able to get through it and I'm glad I did. It teaches an important lesson on work/ife balance and how it's okay for goals to shift. Also loved the Afro-Panamanian history lessons as well as the community in Miami.

Real rating 3.5

This was good, but also weird. I KNOW its a Harlequin Afterglow book so it was going to be like instalovey, but Lordt, this was like as soon as I opened the book. But because I was prepared for it, it wasn’t as annoying if I hadn’t. Idk, this was good but I would have prefered it to have been longer.

I say longer because I wanted more back story, BEFORE they get down to business. Like the book starts with her being excited that they don’t work “together” anymore so that they can finally get together. But we don’t get any of that angst or romance, or small looks, hand brushes, none of that. I KNOW we get some of that info throughout the book, but it’s only the words as someone recounts it if that makes sense. We don’t get to experience it in real time. I KNOW Afterglow is mainly them getting to the business, but it was still a little weird lol

Everything else was cool tho. I liked Cunningham’s writing style, but I did wish we got more scenery lol But that was for my own personal thing. I’ve never been to Panama so I was hoping to “go there” that way lol The food sounded banging tho. It was amazing. I also laughed out loud after talking to my homegirl lol We both agreed we thought she wanted too add some more stuff to this book. I just read her other book about a “vacation” and I can confirm, this one was mild compared to that one. So yes, I think she wanted to add more but had to cut some stuff because it was trad pubbed. (But uh, if you have some deleted scenes and you want to maybe drop them somewhere, go ahead and let me know lmao I will read them expeditiously lol Respectfully of course)

I do wish I had read this with my eyeballs tho. I wasn’t a fan of the narrators. It was like they were just reading, no emotion or anything. Like I could have read it out loud to myself? Idk how to explain it. But once I got over it and just sped it up, I finished it in a day and I overall enjoyed it.

I enjoyed this book and I hope to see more from her coming from Harlequin. I want to Harlequin pick up more of these as we go on. Cunningham deserves it and more!

Such a beautiful love story. I was engaged will this couple from their first interaction. I loved the message of this story and prioritizing what really matters. Adrian was the most incredibly patient, sensual and level headed man. Genevieve was a straight forward, hardworking woman that just needed the right man to let her softer side come out. My favorite thing about their relationship is that there was no miscommunication, when there was an issue they addressed them up front and nipped it in the bud. Even though they had their own things going on, they prioritized each other and their relationship. I really like that Genevieve's mom supported her decision and Genevieve made the right choice in the end. This was a quick read that satisfied all my romance needs. The spice was spicing just the way I needed too. A.H. Cunningham's work always speak for itself and I look forward to diving into more of her work.

I mean can we all go to Panama and meet a sexy cab driver who wants nothing more than to support and love us! A.H. knocks another one out of the part. 10/10 no notes, it was sexy engaging and fun!!

This is a sexy Hallmark movie in novel form. At times it felt rushed. The author did a good job having the main characters gave realistic conversations about long distance relationships, falling in love quickly and possible different career paths and goals. I enjoyed this book.

4 stars!

"Out of Office" by A.H. Cunningham is a sexy, sizzling, whirlwind romance between Gen, a workaholic who has hustled hard for her career but knows no downtime, and Adrián, who shifted his focus to enjoy a reasonable work/life balance after tragedy struck his family. I found myself immersed in their love story, entranced by their strong, indelible connection, and loving the vibes of the story. I really enjoyed watching how Gen and Adrián change each other for the better slowly over time. Gen learns the value of connection, closeness, and taking a break to evaluate what is important in life, and Adrián shows her how to slow down while allowing her to still do what she does best. Another author might have done wrong by these two characters, but A.H. Cunningham's expert prose allowed me to be fully engrossed and transported to Panama and into this relationship with two people who feel natural together, who feel like they belong together, who breathe easier when they are around each other. Effortless and realistic. I do think the timeline is a little muddled here and there as it skips over months of time on occasion, but not so much that it detracted from this lovely story. More people should read books like "Out of Office." It might do some of us some good because so many of us are worked to the bone and will never experience life and connection like this! A wonderful book!

Thank you to NetGalley, A.H. Cunningham, Harlequin - Romance, and Afterglow Books by Harlequin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

A.H. Cunningham crafts a beautiful, relaxing, vacation in Out of Office. Genevieve is a stressed overachiever, that puts her work over everything, especially with a major promotion on the way. On a well-deserved two-week vacation, she falls in love with the city of Colón and her former driver, Adrián Nicolas.

Adrián and Gen's relationship was hot from the start, and eventually unraveled with emotional depth, including complex family stories. I really enjoyed watching them reach their happy ending, and I recommend this to anyone who knows they need a break.

Thank you to NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was a little insta lovey but i enjoyed it. It was rich in culture and in spice. Like the spice was whew. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🥵🥵 this was cute and a nice fun read.

I liked Genevieve and how gradually she empowered herself to start living by her own rules. I also really enjoyed Adrian. His backstory helped me to understand him and empathize with his choices. I also appreciated the LGBTQ representation and the culture experience that was provided within the story.

At times I felt like the circumstances were a little too convenient to be realistic, and their communication was often awkward. It was difficult for me to connect with them and see how their connection and chemistry was sufficient to make them feel a need to be together, outside of their heated passion.

3.5 Stars

I received an e-ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A sensual, beachy romance featuring two endearing, mature protagonists trying to make their connection work. It was well-written, quite sexy, and filled with compelling background and environments and side characters, but a bit lacking in fun conflict for my taste.

Genevieve is a hardcore career woman. On the edge of burnout, she decides to take two weeks off in Panama, and spends that time falling head over heels for her freewheeling driver, Adrián. He falls just as hard. But how do they make a relationship work when their priorities are so different and they literally came from different countries?

I found a lot of Genevieve’s struggles relatable. The book delves into Black Excellence as both a driving motivation and as an obstacle to happiness. Genevieve at first scoffs at the idea of a work-life balance, but grows to see its value and tries to grasp it. She also has to grapple with her overbearing, workaholic mother, who measures life in how it can progress Genevieve up the corporate mother.

Adrián, meanwhile, is a chronic people-pleaser. He constantly prioritizes his family and Genevieve over himself. Honestly, this doesn’t really change throughout the book. He does set some boundaries, but they don’t really ever go against his big character flaw. Structurally, his biggest obstacle in the relationship is him failing to impart critical information about himself in a timely fashion. There are some interesting aspects about how being a Black bisexual man affects how he moves through the world, though.

Plot-wise, this isn’t really structured like a traditional romance novel. It’s more of a slow progression through these two’s relationship over several months. It gives it more of a laid-back vibe than many romances I’ve read. Definitely more focused on internal conflict than external conflict.

I was quite interested in the side characters. Anita, Anibal, and Julín were all compelling. I imagine Cunningham’s upcoming Afterglow books might follow them, and I’m excited about seeing their stories.

Both the settings of Panama and the Black side of Miami were interesting environments that I hadn’t read before. And I appreciated getting to read about two characters who are in their upper thirties. It added to the maturity factor. And the smut is wonderful, too. Both in person and from a distance, these two bring the spice. It’s well-described and fun.

Overall, this was a pleasant read, though lacking in the chaos that I look for. But if any of this sounds interesting to you, give it a shot!

Also, the cover is gorgeous!

This story encompasses everything you want from a romance, it's tender, loving, and set in a beautiful location. The writing is tight and the story hits all the high points. Each character has a growth arc, Gen's is larger than Adrian's but still both of them grow outside and with each other.

AH hit this one out of the park!

Out of Office by AH Cunningham is a romance between Black career woman Genevieve and local Panamanian driver and hostel owner Adrian. This book begins on Gen’s last day of work in Panama before taking two weeks of vacation and her return to her home and work in Florida. By this time, Gen and Adrian have known each other for four months as Adrian drove Gen to and from work, getting to know each other from awkward small talk to deep, meaningful conversations. Adrian proposes Gen stay at his family’s hostel for her vacation, so they can take the time to explore the intimacy between each other. Subsequently, almost everything against them are external obstacles that they must figure how to navigate through together.

Adrian. Goddamn. How do I find me a man like Adrian. He is the dream. He is, by no means, perfect. He has his secrets. But as those are revealed, his motivations, his drive, his desire to live a balanced life make *sense.* He knows that he has been and is working past the trauma that is so intrinsically tied with the career he left behind, but I absolutely admire his tenacity and utmost belief that his love for and with Gen can and will conquer any and everything. His steadfastness in attaining the life he wants to live for himself, his family, and for Gen while still being the foundation of support for all of the above is absolute GOALS.

Genevieve is a high achieving workaholic who works extra hard for her own illustrious goals for success, all while paving the way to make opportunities for more folks who look like her at the behest of herself and her motherr/mentor. Gen has made it to her late 30s with growing her life via her career, aka her career *was* her life. In being with Adrian, her life goals change as she slowly realizes where her priorities have changed to as she finds that having a softer life with a balance between life *and* work is what she seeks. I was positively cheering her on as she took steps towards the life she wanted—all without ever compromising her life and love with Adrian.

Reading Gen and Adrian complement each other is sheer beauty on page. These characters are *grown,* and it shows in the way approach life and each other. Admittedly, their story ran a little too slow and insta-lovey for my taste, but I still absolutely appreciate their individual developments as they helped each other through life changes, Gen with her life and career goals and Adrian with finding his way back to himself and what he wants in the aftermath of his career-related trauma. I had to remind myself a good few times that their story lies in the obstacles against them and how they grow individually and with each other through them. Despite this, I still loved reading their love.

Additionally, one of my favorite parts of this story is the absolute love, appreciate, and adoration for plus sized Genevieve. She is only ever written about as stunning and beautiful with all her curves and softness, and that is absolutely what every fat reader deserves to see written on page and experience in their own lives if love is something that they want. (Me, it’s what I want and deserve, and reading stories like this one contributes to my hope that I will one day find a great love like theirs for myself.)

AH Cunningham has been on my TBR for a hot minute, and I’m looking forward to reading more of her books! Thank you, Netgalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin, for the ARC!

This was a steamy insta love, dual POV, vacation romance between Genevieve, an African American workaholic and Adrian, a local bisexual Panamanian man she meets while taking a break after a work trip and ends up spending two hot weeks in forced proximity with him at his family resort. When Gen returns to the States, the two find themselves missing each other deeply and decide on a hasty marriage, moving into Gen's apartment together.

While I wasn't a huge fan of how fast the two fell for one another and decided on big life decisions, I did enjoy the focus on finding work-life balance and learning to move on after grief. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and #gifted finished copy in exchange for my honest review! This was my first book by A. H. Cunningham but definitely won't be my last!

This was my first book written by A.H Cunningham that I’ve read & I really loved it. I love romance books that take place on vacation or better yet on an island. I loved the cultural aspects placed in the book & how work and having a balanced life was one of the main focuses. Experiencing Genevieve & Adrian quick whirlwind of a love story was exciting and fun. The way the author describes the setting of the land made me feel like I was right there with them. The book also touched on how you can lose sight on what makes you happy if you are living up to your parents dream or what society deems as important. This black romance was sexy and fulfilling & honestly a true favorite that I’ve read so far this year. I wish we got a bit more back story on both of the main characters but other than that I really enjoyed this book and wouldn’t mind if we see them return in another story in the future. Thankful for this complimentary copy of this book and all opinions stated are my own.

thank you to NetGalley and Afterglow for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review 🩵
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these characters were not expecting to fall in love. both had plans and were on paths that they believed would not work together. but love doesn’t really seem to care about all of that lol.

a workaholic and an ex-workaholic may not seem like the best match but these two were so obviously made for each other. the love, care, patience, and understanding that they show each other…yeah 🥹

I wasn’t a fan of Adri holding back on Gen for as long as he did with that “secret” but I can understand that he is on his healing journey and wasn’t quite okay with talking about it just yet. I do like that it didn’t lead to a third act breakup. if you know me, you may know how much I strongly dislike those lol. yay for not having one in this 🥰

make sure you take care of yourself so that you can be the best you for everyone/everything else. love on you. show up for yourself first. thank you @ A.H. for the reminder to prioritize yourself and what you need.

the history lessons were also nice to have. if you aren’t familiar with either place, be ready to learn some pretty cool and interesting information!

This book was amazing from the culture it provided of Panama and the history. Then the love these characters showed for each other throughout the two weeks and after the two weeks was a breath of fresh air.

One of the first things that drew me to Out of Office is that it’s set in Panamá. Until now, I’d only read one other book set there (The Great Divide, which came out just last month). I love exploring the world through the books I read, and that can be especially joyful in reading romances like this one.

Genevieve Raymond is a workaholic who’s devoted her whole life to her career, in part to appease her demanding mother. After spending four months on a business trip in Panamá, she decides to extend her stay by two weeks, hoping to soak in the culture during some much-needed leisure time. Gen has formed a mutual attraction with her driver during the past four months, Adrián. When she tells him of her plans to stay a couple more weeks, he invites her to the hostel he runs with his family. Their time spent together allows a romance to blossom… but can this turn into more than just a vacation fling? Do they have what it takes to build a whole life together, despite the physical distance between them and Gen’s demanding career?

More than most contemporary romances I’ve read, Out of Office really does highlight career ambitions, workaholism, and burnout. Gen’s job is tied up in all of her decisions, but Adrián has also had his own ongoing journey with his career and family. Brought up to be diligent, ambitious, and driven, Gen has made little room for love in her 37 years, and she’s this close to achieving a milestone goal at the company she works for. I enjoyed how this novel works to find the balance between a job and a new relationship, the compromises that may need to be made, and how a vacation can change the course of your life in numerous ways.

I also appreciated the attention to culture, heritage, and race throughout Out of Office. While staying in Aguimar, Adrián is happy to show Gen around his home country and teach her about its history, customs, and cuisine. Likewise, when he goes to Miami, Gen shows him the parts of the city that matter most to her. Both discuss race openly, and indeed, a Black travel account on Instagram is an important part of the story and the journey.

In spite of her socially demanding profession, Gen is also an introvert. As an introvert myself, I fully identified with her need for alone time, recharging her social battery, and taking time to open up to others. She quickly gets over her shyness around Adrián, though, allowing a romance to unfold quickly once she’s with him in Aguimar. And for Adrián’s part, it was wonderful to see a bisexual male lead. There isn’t extensive discussion of his sexuality, but I did like that this aspect of him was included.

Most romances only go so far as to get a couple together, but I like how Out of Office takes readers through a longer relationship arc. This isn’t just about starting a relationship; it’s about navigating how to keep it going when the characters are from two different countries. What steps must they take to stay together? As someone whose husband needed visas and green cards until only a few years ago, I saw a lot of familiarity in the path Genevieve and Adrián embarked on here.

Out of Office is a great romance that highlights Panamanian culture, career-driven characters, and a fuller relationship arc than I normally see in one novel. It looks like it could be the start of a series? Either way, I will be happy to read more from A. H. Cunningham.