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Quick Breakdown

Vacation Romance
Set in the UK
Forced Proximity
Enemies to Lovers
Female Friendships
Banter & Humor
Self Discovery & Growth
Single POV
Open Door - Mild

In a wild attempt to break out of her six month long, post breakup funk, Alice impulsively books a non refundable, three week long literary tour of the UK. In a true testament to Murphy’s law, everything that could go wrong, absolutely will. It starts with a bus full of octogenarians instead of the young, hip population she was expecting & a tour guide that can’t seem to help but irritate her to no end.

I was completely enchanted by this one!

Forever a sucker for vacation romances, especially anything set in Scotland, it’s no surprise I had difficulty putting this down. The romance between Alice & Robbie had to grow on me - their animosity toward each other was a lot at first. But, eventually I was completely enchanted. The bickering slowly turning to playful banter & palpable tension. The ending grand gesture had me swooning into a puddle of joy.

I fully believe all the other women’s fiction elements only helped to enhance my enjoyment here. I traveled England & Scotland right along with our MCs, constantly googling the destinations & planning out my own future trip. The other women on the trip with Alice, the genuine friendships formed & the unique wisdom each imparted to her warmed me from the inside out.

Kat Mackenzie wrote the perfect debut!! With a setting so rich and fantastically flawed by lovable characters, I devoured this. I can’t wait to see where she goes next!

This was a cute sweet easy read that was better than I hoped. I found myself smiling whilst reading which is always a good thing! Thansk to NetGalley and the publisher!

Work in Progress is a lighthearted and inspiring story of self-discovery, second chances, and learning to live for today. The novel follows Alice Cooper, whose life seems to fall apart all at once—her engagement ends, she her jobid a dead end and she has nowhere to live. In a moment of desperation (and a bit too much alcohol), Alice books a women’s literary tour across Europe, not knowing this impulsive decision will completely change her life.

Alice’s journey begins in chaos. After enduring a nightmare of a flight, she finds herself in an airport tangle with Robbie, the man standing between her and her lost luggage. Things take an awkward turn when Alice discovers Robbie is not only part of her tour group but is also the guide. To make matters worse, the tour group consists entirely of quirky elderly women and a dog, leaving Alice less than thrilled about the experience.

As they travel through the picturesque European countryside, Alice begins to reluctantly embrace her new reality. Her relationship with Robbie starts off combative, filled with what feels like high school-level bickering. However, as they spend more time together, their dynamic shifts—especially after Alice gets injured and Robbie’s protective side comes out. Their whirlwind romance develops against the backdrop of beautiful European scenery, but it comes with an expiration date. Alice knows she must eventually return to the U.S. to start fresh, leaving Robbie and her European adventure behind.

What makes Work in Progress especially meaningful is Alice’s transformation. Inspired by the stories of the elderly women on the tour—women who have lived bold, fulfilling lives—Alice learns to let go of fear and take risks. After returning to the U.S. and putting her life back together, she realizes she can’t ignore her heart. With a renewed attitude of living for today, she takes a leap of faith and heads back to Scotland, ready to embrace both love and adventure.

This novel is both fun and heartfelt, blending humor, romance, and meaningful life lessons. Alice’s journey from rock bottom to self-discovery is relatable and inspiring, while the colorful cast of characters adds charm and depth to the story. Work in Progress reminds readers that sometimes life’s biggest challenges lead to the most rewarding adventures—and that it’s never too late to start living fully.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I absolutely loved this book! This was my first romcom, and I devoured it. The banter, found friendship, adventure and the cute, witty headings with the short chapters were all perfect. I can’t wait to read more of her books in the future. Thank you net galley for the advanced reader copy!

For me, this book started off so strong. The main character was annoying, but in the way that I would be when I'm hungry and exhausted and also a little heartbroken. But then, she just stays stagnant. Like, you've slept and had some food, so can you have more of a personality than just bantering with the tour guide? No? Okay. And then there's the HP reference and as an HP girlie, I get it, but also, we don't like JKR now and so we don't really need to bring it up when there is no reason to do so. Anyway, I made it 37% in and having to pick it up is making me not want to read anything, so I'm just going to go ahead and call it quits.

This book was a delight. I am absolutely in love with this sweet, caring, sort of cuckoo group of old ladies and how supportive and open-hearted they were. The romance was also quite sweet, and I enjoyed the story of the FMC’s discovery of both love and herself. I was a bit frustrated of how central miscommunication was to the plot and some of the FMC’s behavior was a bit childish/cringe, but overall it was a great read.

4 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this story. It's a good plot and incredibly funny. One line choked me and I spit wine on myself., laughed out loud. Lots of one-liners and snappy remarks as you would find in an old movie. Our heroine and her hero are, as the name implies, are both works in progress. Coming to understand yourself, coming to like yourself, readjusting expectations and plans. All done in an interesting and believable way. Romance is always a plus and there's more than one. Alice learns that older ladies have lots of life experiences that make for good advice. Becoming friends that last beyond the tour. I can whole heartedly recommend Work in Progress as a terrific enjoyable read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon publishers

#NetGalley #WorkinProgress #KatMackenzie #Avon #romance #contemporaryromance #adventure #bustour #Scotland #England #Wales

Work in progress was a cute travel based romcom set across the UK. Not gonna lie, at first it felt like the author was trying a little too hard for the characters to be witty, bantery, have funny one liners and quips. But after continuing through the book and getting to know the characters tones a bit more, you start to fall in love with each of the characters, main as well as side.

This is the book you need to read if you need to bring some laughter and happiness into your day. Alice lives by her lists. I so relate to that. When her life implodes, she decides to throw caution to the wind and makes an impulsive decision. What she didn’t do was read the fine print. What could go wrong? Um, everything and it is pretty darn funny. I enjoyed this from start to finish and all along the way I was rooting for her. It is smart, witty and filled with lots of snarky banter. A t times some of her tour-mates are a bit too campy, but still funny. Quick easy read that ultimately leads to Alice finding herself and her happiness.

A romance mixed with coming-of-age story, this novel follows Alice Cooper, an American adrift from the life she'd planned. With a well-rounded cast of supporting characters and a moody Scotsman love interest, the book charts their tour through the UK along with Alice's growth. It was an enjoyable read, with some truly funny banter, and I look forward to more from this author.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for early access to Work in Progress in exchange for my honest opinion. The book is available now. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this book, but I think it just wasn’t the right time for me to read this one and I tried to force it. Big takeaway - read what makes you happy! I’ll tell you what SHOULD have made me happy, because this book had a lot of positives going for it.
In Work in Progress, the MC is about to turn 30 and recently went through a rough breakup, while also leaving the job she had loved. On a whim, Alice books a last minute women-only three week UK tour focused on literary sites, as she’s always wanted to travel but her relationship previously held her back. Of course there are problems from the get-go, including issues with her flight and her suitcase getting smashed, and when she arrives, Alice realizes the other participants are decades older than she is. The tour is led by a cute guy, however, even if he comes across as a jerk from their first meeting.
I enjoyed the descriptions of the sites around the UK, and I enjoyed the way Alice got to know both the tour director and the other participants, but for some reason it took me forever to finish. Maybe it was just too cutesy? Alice’s character compares herself to Bridget Jones, and I am not a fan of Bridget Jones’ Diary, either, so maybe that could also be to blame for my dislike. I’m still sharing this, though, because I think these are me-specific issues, and I have read other rave reviews. So don’t only take my opinion on this one, and maybe it would work for you.

Work in Progress is a debut romance novel about Alice who is approaching her 30th birthday and feeling lost. After her losing both her job and her boyfriend, Alice decides to book a last minute trip on a literary tour to figure out what is next. When she arrives, Alice finds two unexpected things: a tour group composed solely of older ladies and a maddening, yet handsome Scottish tour guide.

I am unabashedly a lover of feel-good stories in any form. So it is no surprise that I love books that feel like a warm hug. And I was happy to find Work in Progress is just that, although things start off on the wrong foot for Alice.

While she initially scoffs at joining a tour group of elderly ladies, they embrace Alice and help guide her on her journey back to confidence. This was one of my favorite aspects of the novel. As someone who grew up spending more time with my elderly neighbors than kids my own age, I reveled in a story that put life’s bumps and curves into perspective through some sage advise from wise older women.

For a debut author, Kat Mackenzie did an excellent job developing distinct characters. As I mentioned, I loved the older ladies in this book. It was easy to do so when they each had clear, unique personalities (and were supportive and sweet). And Robbie is as sweet as can be. While Alice is definitely a bit of a grumpy character, she really grew as a person over the course of the book. I do think Alice may rub some people the wrong way initially.

I must applaud Mackenzie for writing dialogue and prose that actually made me laugh out loud, which is no small feat. The witty, stinging banter in the first portion of the book is fantastic and fun. I just wish that the sizzle of the banter continued throughout the novel. In addition, I found the elaborate descriptions of locations to be too long. I rarely skim when I read, but I had to do so for my eyes not to glaze over reading about the Scottish countryside. It also felt very out of place when the rest of the novel was not written as descriptively.

I must also point out that among the many literary references sprinkled through Work in Progress are HP references. There was absolutely no need for these and automatically drops the star rating for me. Moreover, the plot does hinge on the miscommunication trope. Although it is not used in a completely unreasonable manner, I was still screaming at the Alice to just speak to Robbie like a grown adult. Finally, I think that the lists were a bit over done and did not add to the narrative.

Overall, Work in Progress is a strong debut novel but not without a few faults. I recommend it if you love a sweet male protagonist, revel in found family, or are planning a U.K. literary adventure.

Alice is having a terrible day. Her direct flight to Scotland turned into a 30 hour ordeal, her luggage has fallen apart, some rude man cut in front of her at the luggage counter, and if she can't find a ride, she's going to miss the literal bus. This all-woman bus tour around the UK is supposed to rejuvenate her and help her climb out of the depression hole she has been in on the ladder of sisterhood. But when she finally finds the bus, she discovers that her new sisters are all over 65, and that rude guy from the airport? He's the driver.

This was a charming jaunt around the UK with a bus full of quirky old ladies and a couple of young'ns who can't decide if they like or hate each other. I enjoyed the tour around the UK and thought we got enough detail without it feeling like a travel journal. I thought the Bridget Jones stuff felt a little dated, especially for the age of the character, but it was ultimately a tiny detail. The banter between Alice and Robbie is pretty good, but the spice in this book is low, it's basically closed door.

Overall I enjoyed this read and would pick up another book by Kat Mackenzie.

This book was such a really cute read. The headings of the short chapters were so insanely hilarious and just really add to the reading. I enjoy the fact that there were so many tidbits of actual UK landmarks and sites. The banter between the main character, Alice, and the bus driver/tour driver, Robbie was so well done and just incredible. There was a lot of miscommunication which drives me insane and really was what missed the mark for me. Otherwise this is just a really cute and fun read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Literary bus tour across Britain. Rom-com and and annoying hot Scottish hunk that the main character hates to love? These choices will always be a win for me!

This is a sweet and captivating romance. Alice and Robbie have the opposite of a meet cute but even as enemies, they are adorable together. Even their angry banter is delightfully engaging, Plus, there is always an undercurrent of attraction between them even when they allegedly can't stand each other. The hating is always more on Alice's part anyway. Even when she allegedly hates him Robbie seems to be charmed and amused by her.

Robbie is such a great guy, manly but kind. He is so caring and helpful to the elderly woman on his tour and Alice too even when she is difficult. He is always a gentleman. When his mother shows up, it is clear that his warm and loving relationship with her has positively influenced his attitude and behavior toward other women.

Alice and the women on the bus come to care for each other as well. It is touching how their relationships develop. They are like a busload of grandmothers to her who help her in different ways, and she in turn helps them too. They all become like family to each other even the women who don't seem as friendly at first.

The book is also a bit of a travelogue. It is descriptive enough about the famous places the women visit on their tour. Yet, it is not so overly descriptive as to get bogged down in the details of the setting and lose sight of the story. Whether you love good enemies to lovers stories, you are a fan of found family and/or you want to learn a little about some of the sights of the UK, this book is a great choice.

I desperately needed an easy book to get lost into, to go away from the gloomy weather and my anxious life.
This one was perfect for it.
The moment I started to read, I got transported into a different country, was surrounded with new friends, learnt their stories. I could almost hear the surrounding and smell their food and see people on the streets.
With this book, I saw two main characters hating each other and fall in love, slowly. Both of them were so perfect for each other. I also got a reminder that it's never too late to start over- it's exactly where I am right now to be honest. The old ladies characters were perfect addition. They reminded me so much of my aunt and grandma.
I am usually not a fan of longer descriptions in the books, but with this one, I didn't mind. Short chapters helped a lot.
This book would be a perfect movie, too! It felt like a one.
Dear Kat, thank you for a great escape. Can't wait to read more.

Thank you to the author and net gallery for being able to read this book.

I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. I didn’t think that this book was bad, but I found myself having a hard time getting into the characters.

I too would like to go on a literary bus tour of the UK with a gaggle of old ladies and fall in love with the Scottish tour guide.

3.5 stars

This was a solid debut and a solid romcom! I think authors often struggle with balancing the humor and the romance and I think Kat MacKenzie gets it just right.

I also loved that she very naturally interspersed the novel with actual tidbits of information about the places they were visiting, it heightened my desire to travel back to the UK!

But, my absolute favorite part was our gaggle of old ladies. The camaraderie was so much fun to read and I love every single character. 💗

Also, while the banter was fun, I do think it could be over the top sometimes. To the point of it being less banter and more just plain annoying. 😅

The romance wasn’t too steamy, but I would say it’s kind of cracked door? Not quite open, not quite closed but easy to skim or skip over if that’s not your thing.

Overall, I laughed and had a great time and look forward to seeing what else MacKenzie will write!

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.