I thought this premise sounded so outlandish, I had to request it. It was a greet story. Very cute and pretty funny. I really enjoyed it!

🌟Book Review🌟

“Work in Progress” by Kat Mackenzie is “My Life in Ruins” meets “Leap Year” in this Scottish Bus Tour romance.

This is an adult contemporary romance following Alice Cooper, a woman struggling to rebuild her life after a series of setbacks, including being dumped by her ex-fiancé Hunter and losing her job six months ago. Looking for a change of scenery, Alice embarks on a three-week literary bus tour across the U.K. Upon arrival in Edinburgh, she’s frazzled by lost luggage and an infuriating encounter with Robbie Brodie, a rugged and rude Scotsman—who, to her dismay, turns out to be the tour guide. To make matters worse, the tour group is composed entirely of women in their eighties, it’s a bit far from the lively, empowering trip she envisioned.

While the story boasts a strong premise—classic rom-com misunderstandings in a picturesque setting—the execution falls short in certain areas. The humor is undeniably a highlight, with laugh-out-loud moments early on that capture Alice’s chaotic life, from her “colossal poop tornado” self-assessments to her frantic, slapstick dash to make the bus. The inclusion of Bridget Jones-style tally entries at the beginning of each chapter adds to the quirky charm.

Thank you so much to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

While I liked this book, I felt it was too long and the main character wasn’t super likable. It was a fun read but could maybe use some editing.

I never thought I would say that a closed door romance was spicy but I didn’t need to use my imagination all that much with this one which I liked! But what made it even better was the banter!

The setting of this story sold me instantly. What I didn’t expect was the hilariousness that would ensue. I laughed out loud more times than I ever imagined I would. There were quite a few references to Bridget Jones, which I’ve never read, so those were lost on me. I did really enjoy the lists that Alice made. I also loved the progression from the meet ugly (far from a meet cute) between Alice and Robbie, the kilt wearing tour guide, to something more.

This story was exactly what I wanted it to be. A romance set in the UK, a Scottish MMC and a group of elderly women with all the opinions, sign me up. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the E-ARC.

I absolutely loved this book! The setting and premise are great! I loved learning more about Scotland and England. The friendships between all of the women were so heartwarming, and I loved getting their backstories and life advice. I will admit that I didn't love the romance at the beginning. I still cannot wrap my head around why Alice was so adamant about being enemies with Robbie. Like yes, he was rude. Extremely rude. Circumstance aside, you can't just push somebody out of the way when they're standing at a front desk. However, after that scene, he did a complete 180 and seemed to be trying pretty hard to win her over. At some point, I was left thinking "Alice, WHAT ARE YOU DOING??". That being said, I thought their banter was hilarious, and after they became friends, their romance was so sweet. I can't describe how heartwarming the last 40% of the book was. AHH I just love the couple so much and all of the ladies! I'll definitely be looking for a physical copy next time I'm at a bookstore! <3

I was lucky enough to get arc ebook of this book. It’s a fun romantic adventure. I laughed. I fell in love. I want to move to Scotland.

After Alice’s well planned life is derailed when her fiance leaves her and she loses her job, she spontaneously books a literary bus tour across the UK. Things continue not to go as planned when she realizes that the rest of the tour is comprised of all elderly women, and led by a handsome, yet infuriating tour guide.

This book started out rough for me, but I loved it by the end. When the book started out, I really didn’t think I was going to like the main character, Alice. It was obvious that she was going through a rough patch, but I still found her to be judgmental toward the older ladies on the tour, and bit immature in her interactions with Robbie, the tour guide. Eventually, as I learned more about her, and as she began to bond with the rest of the characters, her personality began to shine through.

One of the things I loved most was the backdrop of each of the places they visited along the tour, making me wish I was along for the ride. I also absolutely loved the supporting cast of characters. It was wonderful to learn about their unique personalities and to see how they connected with and inspired Alice throughout her journey of self discovery.

It was also fun to watch the romance blossom between Alice and Robbie. It was a slow and satisfying build that perfectly rounded out the story.

Overall, I loved it! Thank you so much to Net Galley and Harper Collins for an advanced copy of this book!

This is an entertaining tour of the United Kingdom with emphasis on literature. Wonderful group of characters. Many chuckles throughout. Enjoyed all the time spent reading. This may be the author's first published book but I certainly hope it is not her one and only. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Alice just went through a bad break up and escapes to the UK for a 3-week literary tour. The tour ends up being full of elderly ladies and a prickly Scottish driver who gets under Alice's skin from moment one. While the trip wasn't what she pictured, it was exactly what she needed.

The romance between Alice and Robbie was fine but predictable. My favorite part of the book was the friendships formed between Alice and the other women on this trip. They were so sweet. The book references and location descriptions made me feel like I was on the trip with them. I didn't really understand the Bridget Jones references, but I'm sure some people appreciated them.

Tropes
* Enemies to lovers
* Female friendships
* Clumsy FMC
* Caretaking scene
* Kilts!

4 stars

In this engaging read, recently single and unemployed Alice decides to give her life a jump-start by taking a literary bus tour across the UK. After a rough start, she settles into the trip and learns lessons, makes friends, and might possibly fall in love.

I definitely enjoyed this book; I found the Bridget Jones references to be cute and the story to be well-paced and well-written. I loved the character development of the quirky older women on the tour. But I the main character was a bit of a cipher; we never really saw her in her "real life" or knew anything about her friends, family, or career. I wanted to root for Alice and Robbie's relationship and for Alice's personal growth, but without knowing who she was I felt at loose ends while reading.

3.75 stars for a good read that could have been great.

Kat Mackenzie delivers a heartfelt story in Work in Progress, blending themes of self-growth, friendship, and a slow-burn romance that will leave readers rooting for the characters. The protagonist’s journey of finding herself is both relatable and inspiring, and the authentic friendships add depth and warmth to the narrative. The slow-burn romance is beautifully written, with just the right mix of tension and payoff.

That said, I felt the protagonist’s personal struggles were drawn out a bit too long, which occasionally slowed the pacing. A more concise resolution to some of these issues might have made the story even stronger.

Overall, Work in Progress is an engaging, character-driven novel perfect for readers who enjoy stories of personal growth and heartfelt connections. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

A cozy, enemies to lovers with a splash of Bridget Jones vibes book. This was full of unique characters and witty comedy. Overall a good book about the main character making a shotgun decision to take an overseas bus tour, all while re-discovering herself along the way.

Thank you so much to Avon, Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this ARC!

Everything about the premise of this book sounded fabulous and like just what I wanted to read:
"A warm, sexy, laugh-out-loud rom-com about a woman who, desperate for a fresh start, books a literary bus tour across the UK that consists of a lively group of elderly ladies plus one infuriatingly handsome Scottish driver." I am always excited for a place based story, older supporting or main characters, humor and banter, and the enemies to lovers trope.

The setting was absolutely delightful. I was charmed by the trip premise and by the women on the tour, and if it had been a general fiction novel without a romance plot I probably would have loved it. Unfortunately though it is a romance, and I found the MCs insufferable. I never understood their intense reaction to each other from the very first meeting. Alice was rude and even nasty at times with little cause (it entirely crossed the banter line) and felt generally immature, and Robbie was stilted and unbelievable. It didn't come across as cute snark (which I usually love) but more of a disproportionate meanness. I saw no reason for the two of them to be attracted to each other. At 31 I'm very close to Alice in age, but felt like I was reading about someone more than a decade younger.

That said, I would try another book by this author. The writing itself was engaging and immersive and it had moments that felt like an Emily Henry novel, which is always a positive for me.

4+ stars for the setting and supporting characters, 1 star for both MMC and FMC.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Such a fun cute read!! This is a perfect summer romcom. I LOVED the banter between the two main characters! And if you're a fan of Bridget Jones, this book is for you!!

Alice Cooper needs to make some changes as she has hit a bit of a rut in her personal and work life. She books a last minute Literary Book Tour in the UK, buys expensive luggage, and flies to Edinburgh to begin her journey of self discovery. She was hoping to spend her time on the bus, not engaging with the other guests, exploring some fantastic places, and certainly not falling for her handsome tour guide, but all things happen for a reason, right? It all begins rather comically and the laughs, second hand embarassment, and flirting that follows is downright engaging and charming. Anyone who has been to Scotland will find themselves nodding along and agreeing with the authors very accurate depictions of first time observations about traveling in the country.

I truly enjoyed this story and now I want to go on a literary book tour, drink copious amounts of tea, spend my evenings in the local pubs with a pint, and find an amazing group of women to bond with. You will not be disappointed when you pick up this book and perhaps you'll soon be booking your own trip! Slainte!

I would have given this book higher stars if the heroine was not such a dolt. She whines, she assumes, she cannot communicate. Poor Robbie, he was such a doll. And the old ladies added so much flair to the entire story. I loved the whole premise and how it was described, wanted to get on a bus your myself.

A solid 3 stars

The idea of this book excited me a lot more than the actual execution of it did. I was so intrigued by the synopsis and wish I had loved the book itself.

On the positive side, I very much enjoyed the women Alice found herself traveling across Europe with. They had so many stories and life experiences to share, and I think they had a wonderful impact on Alice and her life. I also enjoyed the travel and tourism settings and descriptions throughout the book.

The romance side of things didn’t work so well for me. Alice was downright mean to Robbie in the beginning and he wasn’t much better in return. The two of them came across as immature for much of the first half of the book and it made it difficult for me to feel invested in their relationship the rest of the way through. I was much more interested in Alice’s friendships with her fellow travelers than her romance with their guide.

All in all, this one unfortunately just didn’t work all that well for me personally. Based on other reviews, many others did enjoy it and I hope it finds more of the audience who will love it. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 WORK IN PROGRESS ✨️

"You're an unholy terror, but we're friends, and there's nothing I can do to stop that now."

"She's no lady, ma - she's a stinging nettle."

My gosh! This book was such an escape. As a Brit, I found reading about the UK through the eyes of our American FMC Alice absolutely hilarious. Yes our teeth are bad, yes we like fish n chips and yes we have very old buildings. Sorry but the two taps make sense and baked beans ARE a breakfast food 😅

WIP is a cosy adventure in book form. Go on a tour of the UK with these vivacious characters (ala gorgeous descriptive writing by Kat) and watch Alice learn so much from her elderley co-travellers. Add in the steamy scenes, and hilarious banter, with sexy Scottish Robbie and this book is utterly splendid! 🔥🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿💕

Out Jan 14th 2025 👌