Thank you NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC of this book. I've read a lot of Scottish escapist romance and, frankly, most of it is like poorly written fanfic. So I picked up Work in Progress without too high of hopes, even though I liked the synopsis. I was really pleasantly surprised with this one. It took me a moment to get into because Alice, the main character, was so negative at first and pretty dislikable. It was the other characters and the banter with the 'hot Scot' tour director that kept me going. There is a lot of humor throughout the book, but it was pretty critical to keep me reading at first.

The story might have felt overwritten were it not for the fact that Alice was on a literary history tour of the UK. The language and descriptions were more reminiscent of the Bröntes and Austen and Scott's Waverley novels which was completely fitting and definitely put me in the mind space of what Alice was feeling (and being swept away by) at these stunning locations. Being both a bibliophile and an anglophile, the story felt authentic to me. There were enough of the 'hot Scot' moments to feed the hoards of Jamie Fraser groupies while also plenty of thoughtful and thought provoking moments that added more depth. I also appreciated the fact that Alice was mature enough to know she had been through some crap but had to get herself right before embarking on her true romantic adventure.

After losing her fiancé and her job, Alice makes a spontaneous decision to take a tour of the UK's most famous literary places. After a harrowing trip, she almost turns around and gives up when she meets the obnoxious tour guide and realizes all the other women on the tour are 70 and above. But with nothing to go back to, she gives in and joins the tour which ends up being the catalyst she needs to embolden herself and move forward. It doesn't hurt that the guide is a handsome Scotsman who enjoys the barbwire banter and can give as well as he receives.

4.5 ⭐
.25 🌶️
Tropes/themes: hate to love, road trip, starting over, fade to black, Scottish romance
Single POV 3rd person
Wow. Just wow. This book was SO good. I got so caught up in the story I didn’t take many notes, and definitely stayed up way past my bedtime several nights to read this.
Sarcasm is my love language and this book is my soulmate. I also really enjoy the snarky names she comes up with for Robbie. This story is so well written and you can just feel the tension between Alice and Robbie. I felt like I was on the trip with them.
My only complaint is the miscommunication trope, but that’s a “it’s not you it’s me”. I feel like I’ve read so many books with this trope and it’s getting old. This one just seemed a little too unrealistic.

I was excited to dive into Work in Progress by Kat Mackenzie because I loved the idea of a literary tour throughout the UK while a woman gets back to discovering herself and what she wants out of life. This book had me laughing out loud; the humor was excellent.

Alice, our FMC, needs a fresh start. After losing her job and breaking up with her cheating fiancé, she impulsively books a three-week literary bus tour across the UK. Her goal? Adventure, growth, and definitely no British men. But when she arrives, nothing is as expected. Instead of trendy travelers, her companions are elderly ladies with big personalities, and her Scottish tour guide is infuriatingly handsome—and determined to get under her skin.

As the group journeys from castles to cozy pubs, Alice starts to see things differently. The ladies are lively, the book discussions are hilarious, and that charming tour guide might not be so bad after all. Could this be the adventure she didn’t know she needed?

I was looking forward to some spicy scenes in this book, but it wasn't there. I felt like the steam was so great leading up to the act, but then the door closed on the actual spice, leaving me wanting more.

If you're looking for a funny, closed-door romcom, check this out. Thank you, NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager, for the e-ARC!

The plot really enticed me, and there was definitely a lot of banter, great characters, and a lovely setting. However, the male and female romantic characters' early interactions were drawn out and a little too exaggerated for my liking. Really had a tough time getting into it.

This one was funny and sweet and cozy. I really enjoyed watching Alice’s progression through the book. Seeing her develop a bond with the other women on her tour, and using their advice to reassess her plans. The banter between Alice and Robbie is funny and ridiculous at times. But their tension is obviously a precursor to more. I think my favorite part of this book was seeing the camaraderie between all the women on the trip. They were octogenarians, but they will all spunky and fun.

This is just a fun one and I had a great time reading.

Thx Avon for the early copy.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun plot!! I would love to experience this. The characters had great chemistry too.

Alice was absolutely relatable! I am a lover of lists and carefully plan my life like Alice. When her life pans out nothing like she had planned for, she embarks on a three-week bus tour of the UK. She had hoped to find girlhood and herself on this trip, but it is nothing like she had planned. I absolutely loved the cast of loving elderly ladies. They added so much joy into my reading. The destinations featured in the book has me wanting to go on a bus tour of the UK myself. This was a perfect balance of romance and comedy. I saw a lot of myself in Ailce as I approach 30 (I am a spry 28 right now). I look forward to more works by this author! Thank you to the author, and publisher for a free ARC. All opinions in this review are my own.

Instagram post will be live on 13Jan25.

As a protagonist, Alice is… a lot. Some may not enjoy her childish outbursts and obsession with having a life plan, but I did. Add in a dreamy Scottish love interest, a million sightseeing stops, and gaggle of elderly ladies, and this was an incredibly enjoyable read.

📖 read this one if you want to go on a vacay!

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Work in Progress has re-activated my desire to go on a tour of Great Britain 🏰 🇬🇧 🍺.

Alice Cooper puts her supposed mess of a life on pause to go on a bus tour, not realizing until she gets there that (1) she is the youngest tourer by far &, (2) the hottie jerk Scot who royally made her mad at the airport is the tour leader.

The chemistry between Alice & Robbie is zesty, & their romance arc is fun, satisfying, & bittersweet to watch bc Alice is only visiting. But this is at least partially a romance, thank goodness, & that ending really packs the sweetness.

With that being said, this is also women’s fiction, with emphasis on Alice’s considerable growth as she wanders historic literary sites. Alice can come across as judgmental, & this is something that she is sometimes aware of, sometimes not. The journey that she goes on wakes her up, shaking loose some of her ideas about life & introducing her to the wondrous stories we carry around, & her journey to love is not straightforward, but it is there.

In the end, this book feels like Casey McQuiston’s The Pairing for me—the romance is there & it’s flawed but good, but I’m mainly reading for the gorgeous European adventure.

4.25 ⭐️, out 01/14.

Please see a list of CWs collected by a trusted reviewer.

[ID: Jess holds the ebook in front of a meadow of orange & pink flowers.]

I had so much fun reading Kat Mackenzie’s debut, WORK IN PROGRESS!

“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.”

This book had all the things I love! A genuine enemies-to-lovers storyline with biting banter and so much tension, hilarious side characters, a gorgeous setting, and a sexy Scottish man! I loved all of the literary facts we got as Alice and Robbje explored the UK! Their transition from hatred to respect to love felt so earned, and I can’t wait to see what Kat comes up with next!

Dnf at 16%. The bantering was just so contrived and Alice’s vendetta with the MMC was just so over the top and childish. I couldn’t really get into the story for these reasons. She’s only just met the guy, and already act like they’ve been archnemesis since childhood.

I did like the cozy aspect of her doing a literary tour with an older group of women on a green bus, and learning about the different historical sites at each stop was interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

I really enjoyed Work in Progress! Alice books a trip to the UK after she goes through a break up and loses her job. She thinks she will be joining people her own age, but finds that the group she is on the tour with are 3x her age. Also, she connects with the handsome bus driver of the tour bus. I loved watching Alice's relationship with Robbie develop and her connections with the women on the tour. This was a really strong read but I thought the story could have been condensed a bit more to leave more of an impact on me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this advanced copy. Work in Progress hits shelves on January 14, 2025.

Gave up in chapter 3. Way too frantic, trying too hard, her bad luck too exaggerated. I didn't care about anyone here, although I was vaguely curious what books would have been featured on the bus tour.

Work in Progress by Kat Mackenzie follows Alice, a heartbroken woman who, after a difficult breakup, decides to take a spontaneous literary bus tour across the UK. What she expects to be a fun trip with young travelers turns out to be a journey with a group of older women, offering wisdom and life lessons. The story unfolds as Alice grows through self-discovery and healing, with moments of humor, heartwarming bonding, and a slow-burn romance with the charming but sarcastic bus driver, Robbie. While some readers may find Alice's initial judgmental attitude frustrating, her character growth and the lively personalities of the women on the bus shine through. The historical tidbits are a nice touch but can feel overwhelming at times, and though the romance is present, the story focuses more on Alice's personal journey. Despite a few pacing issues, this book is a sweet, heartwarming read for fans of character-driven stories and light romance.

I think any woman who has gone through a break up can understand the need for spontaneity that Alice has. This was such a joy to read and I think romance readers will enjoy this for sure!

this was such a fun book! very entertaining and cute but I would’ve appreciated a bit more of a conclusion and epilogue.

The premise of this book spoke to me and I was excited to read it! Ultimately I DNF'd it at 10% because the plot was outrageous, the humor didn't land, and FMC and the MMC were both insufferable. I suspect there will be an audience that appreciates this, but I just couldn't force myself through it.

“You are turning my sand to pearl”. ⏳

What a way to kickoff 2025! Funny banter, a travel troupe of grandmas, the beauty and allure of Scotland.

I really resonated with Alice Cooper (cause you can’t just call her Alice) and admired how she connected, reset, and forged forward. Social platitudes can be draining to constantly hear when you’re going through something. But sometimes you need to treat them like mantras and motivation. That’s the mindset I hope to have this year. Side note, this book will also definitely give you the travel itch, and seriously has good food moments.

Work in Progress is out on Jan. 14th! My thanks to the team at Avon for getting a digital arc to me.

This book was such a cute story. It was easy to tell that the enemies would become lovers, but I couldn't have predicted the cute side stories or the number of times I would literally laugh out loud. My only complaint about this book was that the FMC was so incredibly immature in the beginning that I almost couldn't stand it. But she grew up throughout the story and grew on me. Such a cute story with so much humor!

Synopsis: Alice is in a bit of a funk so she impulsively books a three week, all female, literary bus tour around the UK. When Alice arrives, she soon learns that the tour is not what she was expecting. The group consists entirely of elderly women, the bus is ancient, and the tour guide is an infuriating but very sexy Scottish man! Along the way Alice makes the most unlikely friendships with the women and there are many laugh out loud moments.

This book was perfection!!! I absolutely loved everything about it. The banter was top notch! I haven't laughed out loud that much reading a book ever. The characters were so well written that I was thinking of them long after finishing the book. I adored each and every one of them. The elderly women on the trip had the best stories and advice. I highlighted so many of their quotes. The chemistry between Alice and Robbie was 🔥. A sexy Scottish man in a kilt...need I say more? This book made me want to immediately plan a trip to Scotland.

I can't recommend this book enough! I just loved everything about it.