I enjoyed this book for so many reasons, the groups of elder women on the tour were awesome and made part of the growth of the couple and I liked the two lead characters

Thanks to HarperAudio Adult for giving me access to the audiobook of this novel for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Alice Cooper (a name she is much-mocked for) needs this three-week bus tour of England, Scotland and Wales to shake up the misery that has been her life lately. She's wallowed in the loss of her relationship and her carefully laid plans for months and is beyond ready for an adventure that will kickstart her new life. She is not prepared for the bus to be filled with several much older women, a wily terrier and one extremely antagonistic, if annoyingly handsome Scotsman driver.

Work in Progress promises a tour through literary and historical sites of the UK while bonding with like-minded women and a little romance along the way. It delivers. It is in every way a cozy, endearing read for anyone who has ever lost themselves in a romantic book with a British setting.

For me, this book stayed firmly in the low-stakes, lighthearted category. A lot of the suspense and conflict comes from small misunderstandings and well-loved tropes that force Alice and her love interest together and apart. The penultimate conflict to cause them problems seemed a little too simple and somehow also dizzying (it depended heavily on Alice being irrational). Portions of their journey together were easy to predict, but because of how charmingly they were both written, I didn't mind much.

We hear about the situation Alice is running from (the ex and the life that fell apart), but the story stays firmly in the present moment. I do wish that that previous life was a bit more developed. I wanted to see more of capable pre-trip Alice and understand better how she'd gotten there.

I loved the group of women on the tour. It was a little difficult to learn all the names and personalities early on, but eventually I grew to love them the way the main character did. Multigenerational friendships are some of my favorite in life and in books, and I felt the comfort Alice felt in learning about their quirks and wisdom.

The audio narration was warm and colorful. Angela Dawe presented Alice with a voice filled with self-deprecation and delight, and hit each other character's dialogue with their own unique voice and accent, aiding in the identification of each character and making them feel all the more real. I was surprised to discover Dawe is from the US due to the slightly more British way she would pronounce some words during Alice's narration. Regardless, I enjoyed her rendition of the story.

All this to say, this book is a great bit of escapism into scones, love, and British landmarks that while not perfect, certainly filled a void in my reading life. And added a few sites to my UK visit wish-list.

Alice has just gone through a brutal breakup and drunkenly decides to purchase a non-refundable ticket for an all female three week literary bus tour of the UK. The tour promised young thirtysomething women bonding over the scenic countryside, laughing and drinking wine. When Alice arrives she finds that the bus is full of feisty elderly women. However, the tour guide is a broodish hottie. This book had good potential and I love a woman starting over and finding love, but Alice was very unlikeable. The trope is enemies to lovers but the enemy portion of the book is way too long. Their back and forth arguing gets old and isn't that cute or flirty, especially because Alice is just a mean, rude lady. Robbie, and the old lady companions on the bus tour were charming and I enjoyed the tour. Didn't really work for me.

Although slightly stereotypical in terms of characterization, I found this book to be an enjoyable read. A few times I wanted to shake the FMC for making assumptions and just not communicating effectively, but overall the story was well done and I loved learning more about areas in the United Kingdom.

This was a beautiful novel that is inspiring and heartfelt. It captures one women's journey to discovering who she really is, and without even knowing it, she finds out how resilient she is. Mackenzie is able to craft an inspiring novel with relatable characters and an engaging narrative.

Many readers can find themselves identifying with the main character, or even some of her "friends" she finds out she actually has more in common with than she thought. Mackenzie is able to balance depth while keeping the emotional reality of life and hope. It is a relatable story that you won't regret.

Work in Progress by Kat Mackenzie is an absolute delight—warm, witty, and packed with charm. This romantic comedy had me laughing out loud from the very first chapter! The story follows a woman looking for a fresh start, who books a literary bus tour across the UK, only to find herself surrounded by a lively and unpredictable group of elderly ladies and one infuriatingly handsome Scottish driver. What could possibly go wrong?

The chemistry between the protagonist and the Scottish driver is electric, full of sparks and delicious tension. Their banter is hilarious, and their slow-burn relationship had me hooked every step of the way. What I loved about this book was how the quirky, fun setting of the bus tour brought together a cast of unforgettable characters, each with their own charm and wisdom. The elderly ladies are particularly wonderful, adding a layer of heart and humor to the story.

Mackenzie does an amazing job of blending romance, humor, and the beauty of new beginnings. The journey across the UK is the perfect backdrop for self-discovery, laughter, and of course, a little bit of love. This book is a perfect escape if you're looking for something lighthearted, funny, and ultimately heartwarming.

Work in Progress is a rom-com that’s full of heart, humor, and the kind of romance that makes you smile long after you finish the book. It’s a fun, feel-good read that I highly recommend for anyone in need of a pick-me-up!

Thank you to #Netgalley and #HarperAudio for an advance listening copy of this book. I loved every minute. Funny and charming with wonderful characters. Five stars.

This is the best rom-com that I have read in a while. I found the enemies-to-lovers plus miscommunication trope to be so funny and swoon-worthy. The audiobook narration was fantastic. Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperAudio for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook; I loved it!

Cute and escapist. A recommended purchase for collections where contemporary romance and light WF is popular.

A charming, if run-of-the-mill holiday romance. This follows a fairly predictable pattern. Girl's life falls apart, girl books once in a lifetime trip, girl meets boy in messy meet cute, He's the tour guide for her trip. Will they won't they ensues with misunderstandings, of course! This one even includes a band of pensioners who give our FMC all sorts of sage life advice and help her get the guy. This is pure brain candy and utterly charming. I would not describe it as life-changing and that's okay, not every book needs to be, sometimes they can just be a bit of fun!

PS. I am a big fan of Angela Dawe (narrator of the Finlay Donovan series) and she does a delightful turn as Alice and the her older friends. I would have loved to have dual narration here since the MMC is Scottish and a Scottish narrator would have really sold this!

Work in Progress by Kat Mackenzie is like a cozy cup of tea spiked with just enough whiskey to make you blush. I mean, what’s not to love? A woman on the verge of a life crisis, a literary-themed bus tour, and a grumpy-yet-irresistible Scottish man? Sign me up.

Alice, our main character, is the kind of person who thrives on lists—except her life has recently turned into a chaotic mess no bullet journal could fix. So, in a bold act of rebellion (for her, at least), she signs up for what she thinks is a girls’ getaway with fellow young, bookish women. Instead, she ends up on a bus full of sassy, tea-drinking, wisdom-dropping octogenarians and one maddeningly handsome Scottish tour guide who seems to live for making her flustered.

The banter? Perfection. The chemistry? Off the charts. The tour group? Absolute icons. These elderly ladies are out here living their best lives, and honestly, I want to be them when I grow up. Between hilarious book club discussions, questionable bus mechanics, and Alice’s stubborn refusal to admit she’s falling for a man in a kilt, this book kept me grinning from start to finish.

If you love laugh-out-loud rom-coms with just the right amount of heart and heat, this one’s a must-read. Just be warned: you might start Googling "UK literary bus tours" by the time you’re done. (And yes, I checked. They exist.)

When travel abroad seems to have a million and one bad steps before the bus tour even starts Alice doubs this trip will get her out of her funk. A bus trip she thought would bond her to other young light heart women does not look like it in the cards when Alice finally gets to the pick up location for her literary bus tour around the UK. Filled with elderly ladies then add in one infuriatingly handsome Scottish driver/ tour guide this trip is doomed, or is it? Friendship , laughter, stories and love all await Alice on this magical trip.

I DNF this audiobook. I listened to 36 of 46 chapters. Enough for the enemies to lovers to finally get together. I felt that Alice, the female protagonist was just too negative and mean. The whole enemies to lovers trope just lasted too long for me. Robbie on the other hand, while also going along with the trope showed signs of kindness during the, shall we say, fighting phase. Additionally, I did not like the "Bridget Jones" tally that was included in the book.

I did enjoy all of the other characters in the book; they were lovely and added a ray of sunshine to the book. I was going to try and go through to the end, but then just decided that it would be too much of a slog and why waste my time on something that I was not enjoying at all anymore.

Every aspect of both of the lead characters are obnoxious. He is abhorrent. He uses 'tantrum' over and over and over again to describe her legitimate frustrations. He never apologizes even when he is clearly in the wrong. He's rude and wildly unpleasant. She's tired and hungry and has just been dumped, BUT instead of taking a nap and eating a Snickers, she repeatedly Karens her way through a foreign country. She's rude and disdainful of her octogenarian travel companions for no reason. She ignores street signs and traffic laws and then gets mad at the drivers who don't kill her for honking when she doesn't get out of the way. 10% in, I was actually sympathizimg with her cheating ex, because I'm certain she made his life miserable and good for him escaping a horrible future.

Thank you NetGalley, HarperAudio Adult and Kat Mackenzie for this ARC audiobook. Angela Dawe, the narrator, did a great job brining all these characters to life, well worth a listen. This is a fun romp through England, Wales and Scotland, to purge Alice of the funk of depression and the facing her daunting 30th birthday after loosing her fiance and her job. The bus full of spunky elderly women was cathartic and healing. The snarky bus driver and their sexual tension was just the kick in the pants she needed to restart her life. I enjoyed being along for the trip of her life!

A literary bus tour through the UK with a Scottish tour guide? Where do I sign up? Since I can’t actually go (at least for now), reading Work in Progress by @katmackenziewrites is absolutely the next best thing. I adored this enemies (or at least annoy-i-mies) to lovers romcom, and I’m so grateful to @avonbooks for this gorgeous copy (the cover only makes me want to plan a trip more) and to Harper Audio for an ALC.

Alice is at a crossroads in her life. She’s getting over a breakup and having a career crisis. To get out of her funk, she makes the first spontaneous decision of her life. She books an all-women literary bus tour through the UK for “the young at heart,” but she’s upset to discover she’s the only one on the tour under 80 years old. Except for the tour guide, Robbie, who is definitely not a woman and makes Alice’s blood boil. But as the tour goes on, Alice realizes her first impressions about everything might be completely wrong.

This book was absolutely delightful. I loved the setting and the food and the road trip aspect of the book. I loved the banter and the lists and the unexpected characters. Every one of the ladies on the trip was unique and well-drawn and they all had moments in the story that made them memorable. Robbie is absolutely book boyfriend material, and I loved Alice’s journey to figuring out what she really wants out of life. There was a “misunderstanding” in the book that could have been cleared up more quickly, but it provided some funny moments and I’m not sure I would have handled it better. And there was a moment in the third act where I was screaming at the book, but that just shows how invested I was.

Angela Dawe narrates, and, while I’m familiar with her work from books like the Finlay Donovan series, I was not expecting how amazing her Scottish accent would be. I loved listening to the book and felt especially swoony hearing her performance of Robbie. I’d definitely recommend the audiobook!

A feel good treat for the romantic optimist at heart!
Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and HarperAudio for the AudioARC in return for an honest review.

I left this book feeling so thoroughly uplifted! I had the absolute pleasure of traveling to Scotland in 2015 and I felt like I was able to be transported back as I went with Alice on her journey to find herself after a terrible breakup. During a 3-week epic adventure through England and Scotland, we (the reader) get to have a hilarious side seat to Alice the MFC who rocky start after a bad breakup makes for some epic laughs and even better heartwarming memories. Between the life lessons learned within the strangers-to-friends tour group, and the enemies -to-lovers relationship between Alice and her HOT tour guide, there was not one dull moment to be had. The bus septic scene/chapter...literally made me LOL!!!
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!

Definitely recommend
No Regrets!!!!
5 out of 5 stars

Work in Progress by Kat Mackenzie is a charming, feel-good romance that’s perfect for fans of lighthearted love stories. The book takes readers on a delightful journey of self-discovery and starting over, wrapped in a cozy blanket of humor and heart.

The story follows a lovable protagonist navigating life’s twists and turns as she tries to rebuild her life. The characters are relatable and endearing, with witty banter and adorable moments that keep the pages turning. The romance is sweet and wholesome, with just the right balance of tension and playfulness to make you root for the couple.

What I loved most was how Mackenzie’s writing effortlessly captures the essence of finding joy in new beginnings. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the hardest parts of life can lead to the sweetest surprises. While the story leans more on the lighter side, its themes of resilience and hope give it depth.

If you’re looking for a cute, fun read to brighten your day, Work in Progress is definitely worth picking up. It’s a delightful escape into a world where love, laughter, and fresh starts truly shine.

The narrator was lively and gave the character just the right amount of lightheartedness and joy.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy! It was such a fun listen.

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! 🙏

I love multi-generational titles and this one was no exception. I need a ticket for these tours! I could picture the bus, the driver, and all the hijinks. It was a great story and I loved every word!