I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I hadn’t read anything from A.H. Cunningham before, but I follow her on Twitter, and I was intrigued to hear she was one of the new authors picked up for the Afterglow Books imprint, and while these books have been very hit-or-miss so far, fortunately Cunningham’s offering, Out of Office, was a delight.
I love how well both leads complemented each other. Genevieve has been an overachiever her entire life, always striving for the next great thing, and she’s never really taken time for herself to have “me” time. Meanwhile, Adrian once had a similar life, until tragedy led him to change his priorities. This leads them to meeting when Adrian is serving as Gen’s driver on her vacation.
This setup made for a beautiful romance. They have great physical chemistry, of course, but I also love how they help each other grow and figure out what would make them happy in life. Ultimately, a truly fulfilling life is not purely all work or all play, and I really enjoyed how he helped open her up to fun, and she helped reconnect him with the passion he left behind due to the pain of his past.
I really enjoyed this book, and I’m interested in reading more from Cunningham in the future. If you’re interested in a steamy Black romance that takes place partly on vacation, I’d recommend checking this out!

A.H. Cunningham’s Afro-Caribbean Black romance, Out of Office, is gorgeous. The settings are lush. The emotions are lush. The story is rich in culture. Cunningham has delivered a thoughtful and spicy contemporary romance that grapples with how to live in a world that demands constant production.

Gabriella is an up and comer at a hotel/resort chain based in Miami. Her mother is well known for mentoring Black women on corporate success and she expects Gabriella to rise to the top. Adrián has already had a taste of success, and has rejected it in favor of a work life balance that favors his family and personal time. They meet when she spends 4 months in Colón, Panama getting a hotel ready to open and he is her driver. She makes a daring decision to take two weeks of solo vacation, and Adrián invites her to stay at his family’s small hotel on the beach. The vacation part of this romance only covers the first third of the book. Gabriella and Adrián then have to figure out if they should take their romance into a future together, and how they will make their very different ideas about how to live life work as a couple.

I’ve only read a couple of A.H. Cunningham’s books, but in both of them men take on a chunk of the emotional labor required to keep a relationship growing and grounded. In Out of Office, Adrián is intentional in creating routines and moments that support Gabriella and help their relationship stay grounded as they are both going through big life changes. Gabriella is caught between the life she has been working towards (with the encouragement and guidance of her mother) and the life she’s starting to see she could have. I love the way Cunningham takes her time getting Gabriella and Adrián to their happily aver after. She mixes leaps of faith with conversations and shared values.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Afterglow Books by Harlequin and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

This was my first read by this author and I don’t know if its just me but the writing just didn’t work for me. The story simply didn’t flow well, the interactions of the main characters felt awkward, stilted and outright uncomfortable for most of the book. The romance and chemistry felt forced, i had to skim most of the sex scenes.
The characters were really difficult to connect with and I found myself drifting off more times than I liked.

But it wasn’t all bad though. I loved the the cultural aspect of the book. The Panamania-Congo culture was fascinating to read about. The times where the banter between the characters worked were really enjoyable.
Overall, this was an okay read.

Thank you to Afterglow Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

This author's way with words is truly impressive. She writes heartfelt stories that celebrate diverse communities and each of her stories leaves me feeling proud and emotional. "Out of Office" maintains her high standard of passion and cultural richness. The main character, Gen, is relatable, and I found myself rooting for her throughout. Adrián is the perfect book boyfriend - attentive and patient. The story's pace is enjoyable, with breaks that let you savor it. The writing is descriptive and clean, and the chemistry between the characters is palpable. This book also brings more humor, showing the author's growth. As a big fan, I look forward to seeing more from her.

Oh my goodness 🥰 This was such a beautiful love story ! It was just full culture and love ❤️! Adrián and Genevieve they are two in the same both hard worker , family oriented and very educated! Tragedy made Adrián have a change of heart about drowning himself in his work ethic! I love how they want to make a difference in central America and the Caribbean respectively , no gentrification! I really am wanting to visit Villa Bonita lol , the way they was ranting and raving about Claudia food OMG! This book also highlighted a black traveling group ❤️❤️ I just wasn’t expecting this much culture in this love story but I’m so happy to share my experience of reading this beautiful work of art 🥰 ! * Chefs kiss *

Genevieve is a BBW THAT IS CONFIDENT, SUCCESSFUL, HARD-WORKING, GOAL-ORIENTED, AND SEXY AF! One of the things I love about this book is that the author made the lead a plus size woman, but she was a confident plus ass woman she wasn’t insecure in her body. She was confident didn’t stray away from being with her man. This love story was a easy read, This love story wasn’t filled with trauma toxic, masculinity, toxic femininity they met each other where they were. I pray to find, an Adrian that will show a love that is unconditional and attentive the way he did. This story will take you on a ride of worklife balance, and how toxic and overwhelming that could be in this day and age, where we are all set on accomplishing goes and trying to meet the salary that we want so badly, that salary that we want so badly, but neglecting what matters the most, which is family actually living life and making memories.

Sexy sweet and full of love. This author knows how to write love like no one else. She had already become and autobuy author for me and I think she should be one for everyone else too.

This was a fun tropical Afro-Latinx romance from A.H. Cunningham! I really enjoy seeing all the multicultural influences in her novel, and seeing the intersection of her characters' Black and Latinx identities. Adrian and Gen had great chemistry and I loved seeing them fall swiftly in love! I do wish we got to see more of the development of their relationship, since the book starts with them already having a bunch of tension and chemistry from before the beginning of the story. I also feel like at times, their relationship was rushed, but I think that was also the point of their whirlwind romance. Overall, I don't think this was my favorite AH Cunningham book, but it was still an enjoyable read.

Wow…such a sensual, romantic, and amazing ride with these two characters. The author showed the many layers of love and growth within in a long distance relationship. I enjoyed the flow of the story and how it got better and better as the story progressed. Just an amazing book and the realism in this fictional story was the best.

There are so many ways I could start this review. Let me start by saying I have been reading Harlequin since the days of Kimani Romance. I am happy that since the Kimani imprint has been discontinued, Black authors still have a place in their publishing house.

With that said, I enjoyed this book. The idea of two people (Genevieve and Adrían) just living life and love comes out of nowhere, leaving both shell-shocked, is a story I will always go for.

I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

What an adventure! Genevieve and Adrian’s story was filled with loads of culture, complexities and passionate romance. So many themes were touched. I loved how love opened up Gen’s eyes and changed her perspective when it came to her career and the dreams her mom had for her. I loved Adrian’s honesty. He was very courageous and went to great lengths to prove and show his love. I loved the awkwardness and relatability. Beautifully written!

Overall: 3
Spice: 2

He was her driver while she was on assignment and shot, his shot on her last day. He asked for two weeks at his family resort. Against her better judgement and much to her mother disapproval, she accepts and has the time of her life. This reminds me of an updated version of "How Stella Got her Groove Back". This is the fifth book I've read from the author and a totally different genre and theme from what they have written in the past. Since most of this author books borderline on R-Rate or Erotica coming into the PG book as a little surprising. I think had I fully know it was more closed door romance and PG, It would have hit differently. I honestly don't know if this was the first book I read, if it would make want to read the rest of their books.

All lovely things!

The scenery of this book, and that most of it is set in Panama, just very lush and everything I want it to be. I love the representation we get in this book with queer rep, Carribean island rep, mental health rep with the burnout, and the grief rep as well.

I loved the connection between Gen & Adrian, it was so real and you were rooting for them the whole time.

I am so thrilled that A. H. Cunningham was picked up by Harelquin for this book. It is a delight to see indie Black romance authors get their flowers.

Thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for an e-copy,

AH Cunningham has written some of my favorite steamy romances, and this one did not disappoint. Bisexual Black men represented?! We need more of this please! Gosh, this was both tender and steamy/delectable, and I will continue to read from AH Cunningham *drools* *feral*

A.H. Cunningham continues to produce amazing books with such in depth characters, highlights on emotional discussions and wraps it up with sensual spicy scenes. I really loved the development of their relationships and this went beyond what I have personally read with vacation romances we see Gen and Adrián beyond paradise in the longing for each other and eventually reuniting. I loved the opposites attract of this story where Adrián wanted to make sure their life together was balanced and perfect for them. The discussions of a work/life balance were super important and I enjoyed how those panned out over the novel. Overall, just another great read from this author!

The way this woman weaves words. The way she writes these love letters to fat women, to Black women, to the Diaspora, to the queer community and disguises them as books, is a gift. I always feel a deep sense of pride and well of emotion after every A.H. Cunningham story I have had the pleasure of reading (which is all of them). Out of Office is just as passionate, fun, culturally rich, and written with the care I have come to expect from her work. Gen was so real and relatable. I was rooting for her from start to finish. Adrián is top tier book boyfriend material. I enjoyed the pace of the story, it has natural breaks that allowed you to take your time and savor the story. The writing was descriptive and clean. The chemistry between the characters was palpable and made my heart race. This had more humor than other works by the author and as an ultra fan I am encouraged by the continued growth in her work!

OUT OF OFFICE is a heartfelt and spicy romance read, perfect for the beach. Genevieve's used to her life being consumed for her work and in the past living life by her mom's high standards. Genevieve allows herself to relax and enjoy life on a two-week vacation in the Tropics. Best part, is her handsome driver will also be there to show her around. I liked how the story didn't just focus on their time on vacation but how they navigate their lives and with each other after the trip is over. Can Genevieve and Adrián work it out where they both get what they want and still be together? Especially when Adrián is hiding a secret... The writing is very sensual, and it is easy to be drawn into Genevieve and Adrián's world. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

One of the things I love about A.H. Cunningham's books is that she builds so well on the relationship dynamics especially when they go from friends/acquaintances to lovers and this is another one of those times. This was an emotional read as well and touched on topics beyond the romance like work life balance, family dynamics and boundaries, gentrification and ethical modernization. I just really enjoyed this book. I loved that Adrien and and Genevieve fought for their relationship without compromising who they were. Such a beautiful and sensual story!

Thank you so muchhh for this arc!!!!!

I will be back for a longer review but A.H. Cunningham can write a BDE man and a beautiful thick woman. What I would do to be a fly on their wall!!!

Wow, this book was such a reality check for workaholics. To work in a tourist destination and not see anything but the four walls for 4 months is saying alot. However Genevieve meets her driver Adrian and things start looking hopeful. It's lovely how their love for eachother helped them to find a balance.