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! 🙏

This was such a fun rom-com, even if sometimes it felt a bit too cliche/expected. I love a Scottish love interest and this one was definitely a favorite for me. The little old ladies were funny and the chemistry between Alice and Robbie was excellent (didn't love his name though- personal preference issue). Will definitely read more from this author in the future.

A cute romance set in a picturesque landscape, Work in Progress is a fun read! While the book could be a little ridiculous and cutesy at times, it had a lot of funny and touching moments. The highlight is the banter between the main character Alice and the tour leader, Scotsman Robbie. They were always at each others's throats in the funniest and pettiest ways. They are true opposites and make for a great couple. Thanks Avon and Harper for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kat Mackenzie, Avon, and Harper Voyager for this ARC of Work In Progress in exchange for my honest review. It was an amazing read and I'm grateful I got to read it!

Alice is my kind of girl! A girl who loves lists. So it only makes sense that her whole life has fallen apart! I loved Alice and found her quirky and funny. She decides to go on a women-only three-week literary tour in the UK only to find that the women on the tour are older than her... by A LOT!

Robbie, the Scottish no time for B.S. tour guide, is the perfect male leader for this romance. He is a little hot-headed and quick to judge Alice. They become enemies at first sight.

I loved all the older women on the tour with Alice. They are all fully formed characters with witty retorts and wisdom. Alice creates beautiful friendships with these ladies and I love them.

The format of this book gives off Bridget Jones' Diary vibes in the best way. Kat Mackenzie starts each chapter with lists that make you giggle or excited for the upcoming chapter.

Gosh I loved this book! This would be great for fans of Kilt Trip, Last Call at the Local, Bridget Jones' Diary, or the Lovelight Farms series. This book had been laughing out loud and crying. Alice is a very relatable character on the precipice of her 30th birthday and realized that she hasn't been living a life she likes. She makes an impulsive trip to Scotland for a literary tour and forms unlikely friendships with the elder women on the trip. Alice has to decide if she allows herself to fall in love. All of the women on the bus were such great characters! It was easy to see how everyone fell in love with Alice, including Alice herself. The romance in this book was realistic and based on friendship, so the quickness did not bother me.

I can't believe this cozy romance is a debut novel! It was beautiful, funny, romantic, and heart-warming. I related so much to Alice. I fell for Robbie and their banter. I can't wait to read her next book! 4.5 stars. Thanks to Net Galley and Harper for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Kind of rounding this up to a four, but I loved the old ladies on the bus trip so much, they deserve it. Especially Helena and Doris, but they’re all stars.

Alice is an engaging protagonist. She’s floundering, like so many of us, and it’s nice to see her get the support she needs to grow. Robbie is smart and charming and funny. I liked them a lot together. They had chemistry and just worked well together.

My only issue was I thought the writing at the beginning and end sort of bogged down the rest of the book. It’s mostly a pacing issue, and a little bit of just breezing through huge chunks of time with an overview of what was happening instead of living it with Rose. But the middle is really fun and really strong, and totally worth the read.

WORK IN PROGRESS by Kat Mackenzie was an incredible read -- by turns hilarious, informative, moving, passionate and throughout the entire beautifully written story, I ached and yearned and enjoyed a detailed, whole-bodied immersion in an unlikely and yet perfect tour of the British isles. I enjoyed the scones, the fantastic conversations between heartbroken and lost young Alice and the others she initially dismissed as ancient, white-haired biddies, the encounters and discoveries made on a tour directed by the irascible and kind Robbie. I was transported by the places they visited, heartened by the changes in Alice, and the relationships that erupted between strangers thrown together on adventure. Romantic and level-headed, this story is one I savored the entire way through. I received a copy of this book and these are my own, unbiased opinions.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a wonderful book that I ended up pre-ordering a copy of it so that I could read it again!

While I understand enemies-to-lovers and bickering, the main character in this novel was outright mean to the love interest, and I couldn’t get past it. However, I think the premise of a Scottish bus tour was super fun, so this might be a good fit for the enemies-to-lovers girlies who dream of touring around the UK!

I am sorry that I can't make my review for this book as complimentary as I had hoped prior to starting. While I sympathize with the plight of the FMC, relate to having a van tour of scotland, and enjoy the same media as her, I found her insufferable TBH. And I think that was because of the writing and not because of the character. I did not enjoy this book until about 70% in, at which point I had read nearly all of it in one sitting and I think got desensitized to the poor writing. I felt like the MMC was shallowly written until like 80% of the way through. I don't enjoy writing a review like this but since my disappointment ran deep I think I need to share.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I thank NetGalley for offering me the e-ARC of this title.

This was a heart warming story of a woman names Alice who escaping her life with books a literary bus tour across the UK. This trip from day 1 has not gone right for Alice, but in the moments of moments of disaster and pure chaos becomes something beautiful and fun for Alice with the help of lively group of elderly ladies and an infuriatingly handsome Scottish driver. There were so many beautiful moments in this book that were healing for Alice. Great story, fun characters and beautiful settings.

🖤🖤🖤🖤✨
4.5/5

This book was absolutely lovely. I just adored it so much!! And I am still in shock that it is Kat Mackenzie’s DEBUT book. Like WHAT?! HOW. The writing in this is phenomenal. I was hooked from the first page. Probably more like first paragraph.

This journey starts with Alice brashly booking a UK bus tour after her fiancé cheated on her, proposed with her ring to the home wrecker, and losing her job. I mean, I don’t blame her. This seems like it was the right call. Until the airport crushes her bag. Yes, crushes. And then all of a sudden, there’s this grading voice…a man that interrupts her already unlucky events appears. She thinks she’s rid of him after he finds his lost airport friend….until she shows up at the bus for the tour. Yes, he’s her tour guide, Robbie. And the bus tour…it’s a bunch of (absolutely lovely I literally adored them) ladies in their golden years.

I loved…

💼 This trip is about growth, love, finding yourself…I felt like I did all these things, just as Alice did, while reading this book.

📚 the history is this is amazing. I love visiting historical places & Mackenzie really did so well in making you feel like you were literally right there with Alice.

👯‍♀️ the ladies in this were AMAZING. I love when a book has great supporting characters.

📺 I grew up watching BBC shows and movies. So, the references to this were so fun for me!

✍🏻 I also grew up watching and reading Bridget Jones…the tally on each chapter a la Bridget Jones was like having a little bit of an old friend there with me.

📖 the tour focused on a book theme!

✨ when I tell you I love witty writing…this book has it. I loved the wit and charm!!

🖌️ the amount of annotations I had reading this.

🩷 I loved Alice and I really related to her in so many ways.

👀 Robbie was also an amazing MMC

Review of Work in Progress – A hilarious and heartfelt romantic comedy

Work in Progress is an absolute gem of a romantic comedy that had me laughing out loud from the very first chapter. The story follows an American woman in her thirties who finds herself on a tour of the UK, where she meets the charmingly attractive Scottish tour bus host, and OH MY do those two start off quarrelsome (but sparks FLY!!) If you’re a fan of witty banter, heartwarming moments, and swoon-worthy romance, this book is for you.

As a die hard fan of anything set in the United Kingdom, particularly Scotland- this book checked all the boxes for me. As someone who has traveled through both Scotland and England, I absolutely loved being able to visualize my memories of the iconic locations mentioned throughout the story. The author paints each setting with such vivid detail that it made me long to revisit those places again (is it May yet?!) This book is also a love letter to the UK that anyone who’s traveled there will appreciate.

What truly makes Work in Progress stand out is the relationship between the two main characters. Their chemistry is electric, and the witty back and forth banter is pure gold! I found myself laughing out loud at the hilarious insults and comebacks that flew between them. The evolution of their relationship, from playful rivalry to deep connection, is perfectly paced and incredibly engaging.

The book’s structure is also delightful! Each chapter kicks off with a clever lesson, a book recommendation and a Bridget Jones-style entry, which added an extra layer of charm and excitement to the story. With every new chapter, I couldn’t help but wonder, “What’s going to happen next?” It’s the kind of format that hooks you instantly and keeps you turning pages at lightning speed.

As the characters grow throughout the story, we also get to know the rest of the tour group, and I loved seeing how everyone met as strangers at the beginning and ends up becoming lifelong friends by the end. The twists and turns were unexpected and kept me on my toes, and I found myself becoming deeply invested in the journey of each character on this tour.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! I’ll absolutely be purchasing a copy of Work in Progress to add to my shelf and will no doubt revisit it often. This book is a must read for anyone who loves a unique romantic comedy—one that breaks the mold of the typical, predictable rom-com. It’s fresh, fun, and full of heart. I’m already planning to gift it to my friends who will be traveling with me back to Scotland this year—I know they’ll love it as much as I did!

Work in Progress is a truly special read and I can’t recommend it enough.

I need this tour to be real.

It is my ideal tour of the UK.

Kat Mackenzie please tell me something like this actually exists. I am due for a vacation abroad. 😘

Tour stops that correspond with UK writers and literary locations? That also has a recommended reading list? Sign me up. Throw in a handsome Scot and some retired ladies to help me get my life on track and it is the PERFECT tour. 😍

I loved this debut from Kat (and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it)! If you like travel, and shenanigans, and bickering and teasing, and enemies to lovers, and dancing, and deep heart to hearts then this book is for you. ♥️

This book was so fun to read! The history, the journey across the U.K., and the group of quirky older women along for the ride made this book even better. Not to mention how relatable Alice was as a character whose life wasn’t going exactly how she’d planned. The way her relationship with Robbie develops over time from bickering to bantering was top tier! Overall, I really enjoyed this read and would recommend it for anyone looking for a light, quirky romcom!

This is a delightful read for anyone seeking a heartwarming and humorous romance that will transport them on a journey of self-discovery, love, and laughter, as they join Alice on her transformative adventure of finding herself and love in the unlikeliest of places.

This is going on my must read/top recommendation list. Why, you ask?

Because having new experiences and traveling are some of the highlights of my life, and this book brings me that feel of exploring a new place! It’s *that* well written.

Alice arrives in Edinburgh (my favorite city on the planet) with crushed luggage and jet lag. Then she realizes her tour is for elderly folks— she’s the youngest!

She gives Robbie, the tour guide, such a hard time, but it just rolls off him.. which was super cute to read about. (Also, while Alice was grumpy, I think she handled herself well given the circumstances.)

This group embarks on trip from Edinburgh around the UK, and it’s an atmospheric, romantic joy to read!

With hilarious and sweet side characters, nods to Bridget Jones— and matching funny moments— and Robbie being his adorable self, this is such a solid book!

I really felt like I was back in the UK, and I’ve spent a lot of time there.

The romance was my favorite (obviously) but I loved seeing Alice’s growth and quirky lists.

Sometimes, us type-A folks need to be told to live a little, and this book is all about that. I could gush more, and I know this will resonate with so many friends here.

Pick up this book to take your next adventure!

Desperate for a fresh start, Alice books a literary bus tour across the UK, but when she arrives she is surprised to find all the other guests are a group of lively elderly ladies and led by a remarkably handsome Scottish driver.

This was a fun ride as we join the tour group in cozy pubs and castle ruins. This novel was filled with genuinely laugh out loud funny moments and some heartwarming ones as Alice tries to make the most of her trip. While the romance was good, Alice’s friendship with the elderly ladies was the true highlight for me. Pick this up next if you’re looking for a little escape to the UK!

Thank you to @netgalley and @avonbooks for my advanced review copy.

"I sighed and kept my eyes closed as a supernova gathered in my tummy"

I liked the writing in Work in Progress, I feel like this was a book that is made for those who find romance in travel and it gave me the warm fuzzies at times. as well as making me laugh.
This book is about Alice who, needing a break from life, spontaneously books a bus tour of Scotland and England and meets a lovely cast of characters. I don't think this book was as romance heavy as I would've liked which is okay but with the women's fiction themes, I don't feel it went deep enough for me to connect. As far as the romance goes, I would've liked this to be dual POV as I honestly felt a little stuck in Alice's POV which, as stated previously, I didn't connect to.
The book really shines in its use of the scenery as another character in the story and I found myself googling "bus tours England"
3.25 stars!

My sincere thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager as well as NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read Work In Progress by Kat Mackenzie. I give my unbiased opinion of it in the following review.

Alice Cooper (yes, that is her name) impulsively books a trip to the UK for a literary bus tour. She's always wanted to go there, and she really needs to get away after finding out her boyfriend has been cheating, and her job is no more. Little does she know that the bus tour is for women only and not just any women, but women of the grey haired and full of wisdom variety. There is also the tour director and bus driver Robbie who she had an altercation with at the airport. Let's just say it was pretty much hate at first sight. But since the money has already been spent, Alice decides to go with it and make Robbie's job more difficult every chance she gets. Who knows, it could be fun. Right?

This was a cute book. I loved how Alice became friends with all the ladies and how a few of them kind of took her under their wing. While the banter between Robbie and Alice got too be a little snarky and mean at times, it was fun to see them learn how to be friends while keeping their humor most of the time. There were a lot of literary references, with each chapter heading stating the book the bus tour was exploring at the time and if Alice had read it or not. I was wishing I had photos of the places they were touring. I was not familiar with all of the books referenced so sometimes I felt a little disconnected from the story because I wasn't able to relate to the tour the characters were on. All in all, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to friends who enjoy a rom com with Scottish or UK setting, or who just love a good rom com.