Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: 4.25 Stars

Read This Book If You Like:
🐢 Slow-Burn Romance
⚔️ Enemies to Lovers Trope
🇬🇧 British Vibes and Places
🗣️ Miscommunication Trope
📚 Bookish Books
👭 Female Friendships
📝 Reflective Vibes & Life Stories
🧘‍♀️ Self-Discovery

I quite liked this book. It took me forever to get through, I think because there’s a lot to digest and I really felt like I needed to pause between chapters to fully appreciate the story, so I took my time with it. That said, I appreciated the book’s focus on self-discovery and how much the characters grew throughout the novel, the emphasis on storytelling and the beautiful places we got to visit through the pages. It was a fun ride!

WHAT I LOVED:
Humor - This book made me laugh out loud so many times! I appreciated the way that this came off almost as a rom-com (with a little less rom and more self-discovery thrown in), the ladies (especially Flossie, Berrta, and Doris!), and the back-and-forth banter between Alice and Robbie. It made the book lighter in areas where heavier subjects were thrown in and added a certain charm to the book that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The Ladies - Speaking of the ladies, I really loved them. The diverse cast of characters, all with different personalities and stories, really came to life on the page and I loved the bond that grew between all of them and Alice. Helena especially, though really almost all of them were so interesting to read about and hear from throughout the book. Their advice and stories were inspiring and therapeutic to read. Getting to know their stories slowly and witness their friendships develop was wonderful!

Bookish Places & Travel - I know this book is centered around a UK bus tour, but I hadn’t expected how many historical landmarks and beautiful places were going to be thrown into the plot. The vivid descriptions and name drops of significant places (particularly in literary history) made this book feel like a fun exploration of the UL and I loved looking up images of the places along the way.

Self-Discovery - I love this theme! Alice’s journey throughout this book is amazing to watch and I feel like even without the romantic subplot, it still would have been great to read about and really resonated with me as someone in her twenties still trying to figure it all out.

The Writing Style - I really loved the Bridget Jones Tally, the lists at the beginning of the book, and the lessons in each chapter. They were pretty funny to read at times and set the tone for the feeling of the chapter, which made me curious to read more. I also loved how the author slowly fazed out the lists as Alice grew throughout the book and became more spontaneous. It was an interesting way to demonstrate character growth throughout the story.

WHAT I LIKED:
Alice’s Personality - OK, hear me out lol! I know a lot of people felt like she was too pissed off in the beginning of the book and I totally agree (more on that below), but I also loved seeing her character’s inner dialogue. She’s funny, relatable, and pretty fun to listen to provided you give her a chance to overcome her initial grumpiness.

Robbie - The MMC is quite funny and I really liked his character overall. He’s a good guy, generally respectful and kind (save for trading some barbs with Alice, though not unjustified), and pretty likeable overall.

MIXED FEELINGS:
Tristan Storyline - I have mixed feelings about Tristan. I go back and forth between whether I like that he was included because it made the story feel more real and whether I didn’t like that he was included because it introduced unnecessary tension to the story and seems to have mostly been there as a plot device to move the story along rather than as an actual side character. But I dunno! 🤷‍♀️ I think he made the story more real, but I wish he hadn’t been included later in the book and had just stayed more in the middle and faded out from there.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:
Alice’s Initial Grumpiness - When the two MCs meet for the first time, it just feels so unrealistic to me that Alice would be so upset that she would physically try to stop a man from finding a lost elderly person - that just seems like too much to me because I feel like, knowing the rest of her personality throughout the book, she would stop once she knew that. She also seems to hang on to her anger and irritation for far too long and has a personal vendetta against Robbie for a long time. In my mind, she was in the wrong there and she should have felt bad about that and let it go. Instead, it felt more like she was being portrayed as a “typical American” and was more of a caricature than a real person. This continued almost 1/3 of the way into the book and she wouldn’t let it go, which made me out the book down a few times because although it was entertaining at first, I grew tired of it. But once we got into the rest of the book and her personality grew, I got interested again and it felt like a much better read after that. I feel like it would have been better if her reaction wasn’t so overblown and she was more reasonable. She could still be irritated he was rude at certain points, but it just seems unreasonable the way it was portrayed at the beginning of the story.

Miscommunication Trope - This trope isn’t my favorite, but it can be pulled off effectively. However, I don’t feel like it was really necessary here and was more used to add drama to the story. A simple, straightforward conversation would have resolved everything much sooner without people (specifically Alice) making so many assumptions. Granted, they weren’t all unwarranted - but again, why skip around the issue when you could just talk about it? I also didn’t like that she was basically still falling for him while she thought all of this was going on. I would’ve liked it more if she confronted him directly about it, especially because that feels more respectful <spoiler>to the supposed “other girl.”</spoiler>

Alice & Robbie’s Mom’s Similarities - <spoiler>Am I the only one who found it kind of weird or creepy that they had so much in common down to even her appearance? I know this was probably meant to be cute, and it was a minor mention, but I found that kind of weird/icky. I forgot about it since it was a quick mention in passing, but that made the miscommunication trope all the more weirder when finally revealed.</spoiler>

The Timeline - It’s hard to shove a bunch of self-discovery into three weeks, but this author managed to do it. The thing is - I kind of forgot about the timeline until the end of the book and then was thrown off guard - like, they got this close in THREE WEEKS? It seems unrealistic to me, even if they’re spending all that time together. But maybe I’m wrong, I dunno. 🤔 I think a two-month timeline or three month timeline would have been more realistic, particularly for the level of change and self-discovery that Alice experienced throughout the book. Three weeks just doesn’t seem like enough time for that to me.

Overall, I really loved this book! It was funny, charming, reflective, and relaxing to read. I related to a lot of Alice’s struggles to find herself and release planning and perfectionism. I loved seeing her grow and the ladies giving her advice to take more risks and become her own person. It was inspiring to me, even though I know it’s somewhat unrealistic (lol it’s a rom-com), and I feel like it was a book that made me think about the bigger questions in my life and how I want to live it. It’s reflective in a way that makes you think about it even after you finish reading, which to me makes it a great book. I’ll be excited to see more releases from this author soon, particularly if I’m in the mood for a slow burn romance with some travel vibes thrown in! 😊

crying the happiest of tears as i write this review because this book was such a sweet reminder of how good life can be. the cast of characters in this story are so special and provide such an insight into the myriad of ways life can look, i feel so connected to each of them. never would have thought a trip through the scottish countryside could have me crying at every turn.

work in progress is a book lovers dream, every moment is imbued with the feeling of falling for a good book. this story is romantic and butterfly inducing but deeply thoughtful. the platonic relationships also shine so brightly and kat mackenzie wove such a beautiful tale of womanhood and friendship. it truly takes a look at all the different ways to live life and how to learn from those around you.

this book feels like a warm hug and also a push to dig deeper into what brings you happiness. i know i will be revisiting this story, and these women frequently when i need a little pick me up!

🧳 Her POV
💚 Scottish & American
🧳 Bad First Impression
💚 Hate to Love
🧳 Force Promixty
💚 Banter
🧳 Slow Burn
💚 Bus Tour🚎

Alice took a trip to Edinburgh when she needed a change of scenery. Alice had a tough time when a lot of mishaps throughout her travels. Until she finally made it to the tour she signed up for. Alice signed up for a bus tour around the UK with all women tour. Alice was surprised with elderly women besides herself.

The worst encounter was the guy she interacted with at the airport. Very bad first impressions! Guess who Alice saw again. Yep! The guy from the airport. Alice and Robbie didn't get along at first until the force promixty changed that.

Alice found love and new friends in her travels. Alice was able to find herself again after everything that happened before her trip.

The ladies in the bus tour are hilarious and great cast of characters. They had some life experiences to share with Alice. The bonds they created during their bus tour were amazing!

Robbie is my favorite character in this story! The cute scenes that Robbie did for Alice are so sweet!
Like when:
He took care of her when she was drunk.
He carried her when she got injured.
He bought her the book she wanted for her birthday. (My favorite scene was her birthday gift from him). 🎁

I went in not expecting to love Work in Progress because it’s not the typical book I like but boy was I wrong. Work in Progress is laugh out loud good. Th banter between the main characters had me laughing, they really did hate each other and ended up together. The elderly side characters were my absolute favorites, they were sage and full of advice that one could reflect on. The ending shocked me in a way because it was not what I expected in a romance but it fit the story perfectly.

This was a cute, quick read. I went into it thinking it would be just that and was not surprised. It was funny at parts, making it a solid 3 star for me.

Work in Progress felt like it was written for those who find joy and love in travel. It’s so hard to describe, but it felt like a warm hug and contained a lot of lovely humor.
Alice is needing a break from life so she spontaneously books a bus tour of Scotland and England and meets a group of great characters throughout the novel. This book was a little less romance heavy than I thought it was going to be, but over all I really enjoyed it. As a romance reader, I still enjoy the themes of a good women's fiction. As for me as a romance reader, I typically like a dual POV, but still enjoyed Alice’s point of view.
The setting of this novel alone had me speed reading and wanting to book a trip!

A tender, heartwarming, laugh-out-loud rom-com that explores a woman's journey of self-discovery a la Bridget Jones Diary.

Specific details that I absolutely loved: I love that each chapter starts off with a score-sheet or a list. It's like a mini table of contents for each chapter, providing you a hint of what you're about to get into.
I absolutely cackled every time Alice called Robbie something other than his name- the standout that made me LOL was Voldermort. The whip-smart banter between the characters is tasteful, realistic, and quite funny. The tertiary characters are hilarious and lovable and added so much depth to the plot and to Alice's growth as a person. They weren't just there to serve as comedic relief; they were also integral to the story (S/O to Helen the English rose). The slow burn of these enemies to lovers was so satisfying and executed perfectly.

Do you need to read this? ABSOLUTELY. I will be picking this book up again to reread from time to time. This is a story of a woman who learns how to grab life with both hands and stop waiting for life to happen to her. I cannot wait to buy a physical copy once it's published to add to my bookshelf! Congratulations to Kat Mackenzie for writing an impressive and memorable debut. Can't wait to read what you write next <3

This book was exactly what I wanted it to be: a light-hearted, cute romance with detailed descriptions of places across England and Scotland. This author hit the ball out of the park when it comes to making the location a character. She seamlessly wove her descriptions into the plot and I challenge someone to read this and not want to travel the same route as this fictional tour bus.

The enemies part of this enemies-to-lovers was a bit forced but you I just went with it and decided not to overthink it. And there is a pretty big, very avoidable, miscommunication situation but it didn't bother me too much. I could see how it could've happened so it wasn't completely unbelievable.

We get a great cast of quirky, loveable characters as our main character embarks on a three-week tour of Scotland and England. Turns out, this is a women's only tour and all of the other customers are women 65+ and the tour bus driver / owner is a handsome, rugged Scotsman.

I definitely recommend this for anyone who has been or wants to visit England and Scotland. I honestly think this is worth the read for the location ambience alone. But it's also a legitimately feel-good story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
1 like

I enjoyed this book so much! It grabs you right from the beginning with our harried, American FMC having a meet cute with the quintessential romcom Scotsman asshole. Of course, he ends up being the tour guide on this whirlwind, last-minute trip. With bad luck only the lovable Bridget Jones could have, Alice Cooper (yes, Alice Cooper) is taken for an excursion with the most likable septuagenarians and octogenarians, learning life lessons only someone of a certain age can teach you and find friendships she didn't know she needed. Filled with so much enemies to lovers snark, you'll be entertained throughout, and just enough warmth to keep it sweet, Work in Progress needs no work at all. No Notes. 5 Stars. It is laugh out loud funny and endearing in the best possible way. Tell your friends.

I received an advanced copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

This was very entertaining and a cute read. I didn’t love it, it did feel a little cheesy at points but I did like it. The journey through healing and self discovery made this book so much better, it was great to read.

Work in Progress was a wonderful, if not predictable at times, story of finding yourself in unlikely places and people. Some of the characters were a little too on-the-nose (the no-nonsense, German bird-watcher or the well-meaning but chaotic grandmother), but they were all comforting, to the reader and our main character Alice Cooper, and full of wisdom. They tended to find themselves in the perfect position to give Alice well-timed advice throughout the duration of our three-week bus tour of Scotland. I did enjoy the history of Scotland we readers learned throughout the book, but it became a little repetitive as the majority of the story took place on four wheels.

The romance between Alice and her love interest, Robbie, was fun to watch. Robbie, the tour guide and only man on this all-women bus tour, is quick witted and ready to meet Alice at every verbal sparring they share together. He is charming and everything you would want a Scottish man to look and sound like.

⭐️
🔥🔥

Quick Breakdown

Vacation Romance
Set in the UK
Forced Proximity
Enemies to Lovers
Female Friendships
Banter & Humor
Self Discovery & Growth
Single POV
Open Door - Mild

In a wild attempt to break out of her six month long, post breakup funk, Alice impulsively books a non refundable, three week long literary tour of the UK. In a true testament to Murphy’s law, everything that could go wrong, absolutely will. It starts with a bus full of octogenarians instead of the young, hip population she was expecting & a tour guide that can’t seem to help but irritate her to no end.

I was completely enchanted by this one!

Forever a sucker for vacation romances, especially anything set in Scotland, it’s no surprise I had difficulty putting this down. The romance between Alice & Robbie had to grow on me - their animosity toward each other was a lot at first. But, eventually I was completely enchanted. The bickering slowly turning to playful banter & palpable tension. The ending grand gesture had me swooning into a puddle of joy.

I fully believe all the other women’s fiction elements only helped to enhance my enjoyment here. I traveled England & Scotland right along with our MCs, constantly googling the destinations & planning out my own future trip. The other women on the trip with Alice, the genuine friendships formed & the unique wisdom each imparted to her warmed me from the inside out.

Kat Mackenzie wrote the perfect debut!! With a setting so rich and fantastically flawed by lovable characters, I devoured this. I can’t wait to see where she goes next!

This was a cute sweet easy read that was better than I hoped. I found myself smiling whilst reading which is always a good thing! Thansk to NetGalley and the publisher!

Work in Progress is a lighthearted and inspiring story of self-discovery, second chances, and learning to live for today. The novel follows Alice Cooper, whose life seems to fall apart all at once—her engagement ends, she her jobid a dead end and she has nowhere to live. In a moment of desperation (and a bit too much alcohol), Alice books a women’s literary tour across Europe, not knowing this impulsive decision will completely change her life.

Alice’s journey begins in chaos. After enduring a nightmare of a flight, she finds herself in an airport tangle with Robbie, the man standing between her and her lost luggage. Things take an awkward turn when Alice discovers Robbie is not only part of her tour group but is also the guide. To make matters worse, the tour group consists entirely of quirky elderly women and a dog, leaving Alice less than thrilled about the experience.

As they travel through the picturesque European countryside, Alice begins to reluctantly embrace her new reality. Her relationship with Robbie starts off combative, filled with what feels like high school-level bickering. However, as they spend more time together, their dynamic shifts—especially after Alice gets injured and Robbie’s protective side comes out. Their whirlwind romance develops against the backdrop of beautiful European scenery, but it comes with an expiration date. Alice knows she must eventually return to the U.S. to start fresh, leaving Robbie and her European adventure behind.

What makes Work in Progress especially meaningful is Alice’s transformation. Inspired by the stories of the elderly women on the tour—women who have lived bold, fulfilling lives—Alice learns to let go of fear and take risks. After returning to the U.S. and putting her life back together, she realizes she can’t ignore her heart. With a renewed attitude of living for today, she takes a leap of faith and heads back to Scotland, ready to embrace both love and adventure.

This novel is both fun and heartfelt, blending humor, romance, and meaningful life lessons. Alice’s journey from rock bottom to self-discovery is relatable and inspiring, while the colorful cast of characters adds charm and depth to the story. Work in Progress reminds readers that sometimes life’s biggest challenges lead to the most rewarding adventures—and that it’s never too late to start living fully.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I absolutely loved this book! This was my first romcom, and I devoured it. The banter, found friendship, adventure and the cute, witty headings with the short chapters were all perfect. I can’t wait to read more of her books in the future. Thank you net galley for the advanced reader copy!

For me, this book started off so strong. The main character was annoying, but in the way that I would be when I'm hungry and exhausted and also a little heartbroken. But then, she just stays stagnant. Like, you've slept and had some food, so can you have more of a personality than just bantering with the tour guide? No? Okay. And then there's the HP reference and as an HP girlie, I get it, but also, we don't like JKR now and so we don't really need to bring it up when there is no reason to do so. Anyway, I made it 37% in and having to pick it up is making me not want to read anything, so I'm just going to go ahead and call it quits.

This book was a delight. I am absolutely in love with this sweet, caring, sort of cuckoo group of old ladies and how supportive and open-hearted they were. The romance was also quite sweet, and I enjoyed the story of the FMC’s discovery of both love and herself. I was a bit frustrated of how central miscommunication was to the plot and some of the FMC’s behavior was a bit childish/cringe, but overall it was a great read.

4 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this story. It's a good plot and incredibly funny. One line choked me and I spit wine on myself., laughed out loud. Lots of one-liners and snappy remarks as you would find in an old movie. Our heroine and her hero are, as the name implies, are both works in progress. Coming to understand yourself, coming to like yourself, readjusting expectations and plans. All done in an interesting and believable way. Romance is always a plus and there's more than one. Alice learns that older ladies have lots of life experiences that make for good advice. Becoming friends that last beyond the tour. I can whole heartedly recommend Work in Progress as a terrific enjoyable read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon publishers

#NetGalley #WorkinProgress #KatMackenzie #Avon #romance #contemporaryromance #adventure #bustour #Scotland #England #Wales

Work in progress was a cute travel based romcom set across the UK. Not gonna lie, at first it felt like the author was trying a little too hard for the characters to be witty, bantery, have funny one liners and quips. But after continuing through the book and getting to know the characters tones a bit more, you start to fall in love with each of the characters, main as well as side.