WORK IN PROGRESS by Kat Mackenzie is a very light, romance novel which features glimpses of a tour around the United Kingdom, complete with a reading list (see below) associated with each of the stops. That alone would be great fun, but readers observe the bickering turned attraction between a recently jilted young American woman named Alice Cooper (who loves lists) and the tour bus driver and organizer, Scotsman Robbie Brodie. Their adventures in castle ruins and local pubs are often funny and somewhat absurd, but that just adds to the escapist appeal of this debut travelogue rom-com. WORK IN PROGRESS received a starred review from Booklist ("Readers will enjoy the abundant gentle humor, intergenerational friendships, and armchair travel—as well as the slow burn of a tasteful romance.") Suggested for fans of Katherine Center and Beth O'Leary. **4.5 stars overall**

READING LIST: Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson; The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown; The Waverly Novels by Sir Walter Scott; Dracula by Bram Stoker; Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte; A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare; The Liar by Stephen Fry; The Adventures of the Second Stain by Arthur Conan Doyle; Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome; Persuasion by Jane Austen; Sixpence House: Lost in a Town of Books by Paul Collins; Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas; Selected Poems by Robert Burns; Whisky Galore by Compton Mackenzie; To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf; Outlander by Diana Gabaldon; 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith; With numerous references to Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding; And a couple of bonus titles: Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray and Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen.

Work in Progress was a cute read! I loved all of the Bridget Jones references and the relationships with the older women. It was so fun and had a lot of funny moments. Should I book a UK bus tour with a bunch of old ladies?

I would recommend to friends who want a light-hearted and funny read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Work in Progress by Kat Mackenzie is the first book in a while that had me giggling out loud, I realized I had to be careful where and at what time I was reading. The story follows Alice as she decides to go to Scotland after losing both her job and fiance within a short period of time. She goes on an all women, three-week bus tour with stops at literary locations. The women turn out to be elderly, not quite the fun girl group Alice had in mind and to top that off, the tour guide is a Scotsman named Robbie that is incredibly annoying. The bus, which Alice pictured as a luxury ride, was in reality an old, broken down repurposed school bus-type. The debacles in the story begin as soon as Alice lands in the UK, she wasn't even out of the airport before the laughter began.

Another day, another book that makes me dream of traveling across the British Isles. And I really enjoyed the twists this book had to offer! Alice was an entirely relatable character-and I particularly appreciated that the story was truly about her finding happiness-and that doesn’t just mean finding romantic love. Her connection with each of the women on the tour was the highlight for me.

While I did grow to love the relationship between Alice and Robbie, I found the antagonism they had for each other in the beginning to be hard to get over. They were quite awful to each other and it was as hard to get past that so quickly.

Overall I thought this was a beautiful story of finding happiness in unexpected places and people. I enjoyed the rich descriptions of setting, the detailed character building, and the internal conflict resolved on a realistic timeline.

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Format: Kindle
Length: 377 pages
Pub date: January 14 (OUT NOW!!!)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎:
💙uk settings
🚐dislike to love
💙slow burn
🚐forced proximity
💙banter
🚐roadtrips
💙book references
🚐closed door romance
💙found family

Work in Progress is about more than just a romance. It's the inspiring story of one woman's self-discovery and healing after heartbreak. ❤️‍🩹

It reminded me of books like “the last love note” and “float plan”, where you can’t help but root for the main character to navigate their way through the darkness.

I adored the found family dynamic between Alice, Robbie, and the older women. Initially, Alice is hesitant to open up to the group, but once she does, they create deeply meaningful and unbreakable bonds.

If you’re reading this for the romance, you’re gonna be waiting awhile because it is a SLOW BURNNNN. 🔥 I love slow burns because the romance just feels SO much more believable when they start off as friends - or in this case, dislike to friends to lovers.

However, this IS a closed door romance. Although, we get SOME spice, we don’t get everything. BUT…. The LOOKS. The slight TOUCHES. The ANGST. Ahhh so GOOD! 🥵

ALSO, sign me up for a book tour of the UK please and thank you !?! 🙋🏽‍♀️

Lastly, thank you to @netgalley , @avonbooks , @harpervoyagerus + @katmackenziewrites for this arc in exchange for an honest review!! 🫶🏽

Alice Cooper (not that Alice Cooper!) is almost 30 and her carefully planned life has gone off the rails. Her fiancee dumped her, she lost her job, and she's never done anything on her bucket list. So she signs up for a 3 week bus tour through the UK.

The banter between Alice and Robbie builds from frustration and irritation to serious sparks. I loved the Bridget Jones-like tallies, the observations of UK vs US customs and idioms. I especially loved the other ladies on the bus tour and their wonderful chats in tea houses and pubs. Sign me up for one of these tours, please!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. I am required by law to disclose this. #WorkinProgress #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this story so much! This story was very funny and well written I was shocked this was the author’s debut novel. I enjoyed seeing Alice grow as a character and her bonds form with the older ladies and Robbie.

I really enjoyed this book. I found the story both something I resonated with on a deeper level but something that was also very light and funny. The writing was very descriptive and I found myself wanting to book myself a trip. I wish the miscommunication trope hadn't been drug out so long, but I enjoyed the experience anyway.

Work in Progress by Kat Mackenzie is a delightful exploration of life, love, and the messiness of figuring it all out. With sharp humor and heartfelt moments, this novel introduces relatable characters navigating personal growth and unexpected romance. Mackenzie’s fresh voice makes this story shine, leaving readers eager for more. A perfect pick for fans of contemporary romance with emotional depth and charm!

I wanted to love this debut novel so much but sadly it fell short for me. I found the FMC to be extremely immature and irritating and just could not bring myself to care about her and her outcome. I also felt like the whole enemies to lovers bit just went on for WAY to long and I started to almost hope they would not work out. Many of the scenarios were also way too over the top and completely ridiculous and unbelievable.

Work in Progress is Kat Mackenzie’s Women’s Fiction/romantic comedy about an American woman who sets off for a three-week literary bus tour of Scotland. The trip is her gift to herself for her thirtieth birthday, since she recently discovered that her fiancé was cheating on her. Unfortunately she doesn’t realize that she will be the only member of the group who isn’t elderly.

Alice has a hilarious confrontation with a man in the Glasgow airport and is dismayed to discover an hour later that he’s the driver on her bus tour. Alice and Robbie are like oil-and-water, and their interactions are hysterically funny. Readers will enjoy Alice’s character development as the tour group works on her Type-A personality.

I absolutely loved Work in Progress and can’t wait to read more books by this author. The chemistry and banter between Alice and Robbie are off the charts, and the elderly bus passengers add even more flavor to this wonderful story. It really should be made into a Hallmark movie.

I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4.5 stars! I adored this one. I had the best time on a bus trip through the UK with Alice, Robbie, and all the ladies on the bookish tour! I loved watching Alice find herself and allow herself to have fun; to open herself up to new possibilities. Robbie had me wishing he was my tour guide with how much fun his tours sound, and I loved getting to know all the ladies who made up the tour group. I loved the banter, the laughs and all the life lessons from the older ladies. This was such a fun read that had me wishing for a European adventure and wanting to find ways to step out of my comfort zone more often!

Alice is crawling out of a depression and hopes a change of scenery is the key to jumpstarting her life.

She lost her job and her fiance simultaneously and desperately needs something to go right in her life. Unfortunately, the trip she sets off on doesn't start most positively.

Airline issues and a complete meltdown in the airport led to a comedy of errors before she's stuck on a 3-week bus trip with a driver she hates and a bunch of older ladies-- but is that exactly what she needs?

We watch Alice grow through this trip as she learns more about herself and learns lessons from the ladies as they travel. It's a funny trip with some lessons for all of us along the way.

3.5⭐️

I mean can you go wrong with a Scottish man….no never. I really enjoyed this book! So funny, also so fun to read as well! Loved the Bridget Jones references, also enjoyed the writing style of this book!

Loved all the side characters and all the bookish history and adventures!

Will definitely be recommending this book!

I do believe it dragged on a bit a certain spots and was a little long. But I did enjoy Alice’s story and her journey to learning herself better.

Thank you Harper Collins for the arc!

An addictingly adorable rom-com with slow-burn, angsty chemistry, and phenomenal enemies to lovers banter! Alice Cooper (actually her name) books a last minute, women-only literary bus tour around Scotland & the UK after a breakup with her long-term boyfriend and losing her job. So begins a chaotic comedy of errors in traveling, complete with a grumpy Scottish bus driver and guide. She sets out to heal and find herself, but she finds so much more, including friendship, comradery, found family, and new love. So many LOL moments and saucy quips. Having been to the UK & Scotland many times, the setting and stops along the tour totally resonated with me in the best way. This was my first book from Kat Mackenzie, but definitely won't be my last! Loved everything about this entertaining romance, and highly recommend! Thank you so much to Kat Mackenzie, the publisher, & NetGalley for the opportunity to review this e-ARC.

Work in Progress by Kat MacKenzie is a wonderfully entertaining story of friendship and finding oneself again.

I love a good romance and I enjoyed the connection between Alice and Robbie but what stole my heart in this story were the relationships Alice formed with the older women on her journey, the connections made were so beautiful and heartfelt.

I adored Work in Progress. It is a perfect travel romance full of fun banter, lots of mishaps and the sweetest happily ever after.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this advance copy!

Ugh, I would have punched that woman.

Kind of a meet-cute there.

She didn't leave the country for six years because of a man-child?!

He has a point.

Ha, her descriptions of the women are hilarious.

At least she's a fun drunk!

Those sandwiches sound delicious.

Maybe he has a daughter?

Wow, Doris has had such an interesting life.

Blech, poor thing.

And now I'm hungry.

I would definitely go on a wheelchair tour.

I love a man that pays attention.

Ohhh...He heavily implied things, though. I'm on her side.

They do put average people on television.

Wow, and the British think we are perverse.

AWWW.

I agree with Robbie. Sid obviously did well at some point; he could have looked up Flossie.

Why is Tristan still around?

Meep. Great ending.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Alice is in a bit of a rut in life due to losing her relationship, her job and letting her friendships fall to the background of her grief. She decided last minute to go on the adventure of her dreams.

She finds herself on a no refundable tour across Great Britain, with old ladies when she expected to meet all new girlfriends her own age. The tour guide and Alice has a sour start and she’s dreading her three week long trip with strangers now. What was she thinking??

This story is full of laughter, wonderful character development, and encouraging life lessons. The details that went into writing this book are so appreciated. I felt like I traveled to each of their tour stops with the group as they went around Britain. There wasn’t much spice, so if you like a tamer romance new book this one is for you! I bet the audiobook version will be beautiful with that Scottish accent 😏

When Alice lost her job and her boyfriend of six years, she rashly booked a 3-week female only tour of England, Scotland and Wales. Then her plane was rerouted and her luggage pulverized. Naturally she was a little stressed. But reading it I found myself actively disliking her character and agreeing with the tour bus leader when he asked when she planned to schedule her next tantrum. She does redeem herself by the end. The best part of the story was not the romance, but the other women on the bus and their stories.

⅘ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Work In Progress
Author: Kat Mackenzie
Romance

Thank you so much Netgalley, Harper Audio and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC/ALC! I absolutely loved this book. It was the sweetest story and made me feel giddy inside the entire time reading it. Alice decides to take a tour of the UK with a fun cast of elderly women and a hot Scottish driver. It’s actually a literary tour so there are lots of book references, outlander, etc throughout the whole trip. I felt like I was on the tour myself which was super fun. The banter between all of the characters was hilarious. The narration on the audio was perfection. Not much spice but you don’t really care because the book is just so cute. Definitely think this will be a hit! It just released on 1/14! This is Kats first novel, and after reading the authors bio I really hope she will bring us more fun reads from an American living abroad’s perspective. Can’t recommend it enough! Thank you again Netgalley! 🙏