Work in Progress by Kat Mackenzie is a delightful exploration of life, love, and the messiness of figuring it all out. With sharp humor and heartfelt moments, this novel introduces relatable characters navigating personal growth and unexpected romance. Mackenzie’s fresh voice makes this story shine, leaving readers eager for more. A perfect pick for fans of contemporary romance with emotional depth and charm!

I wanted to love this debut novel so much but sadly it fell short for me. I found the FMC to be extremely immature and irritating and just could not bring myself to care about her and her outcome. I also felt like the whole enemies to lovers bit just went on for WAY to long and I started to almost hope they would not work out. Many of the scenarios were also way too over the top and completely ridiculous and unbelievable.

Work in Progress is Kat Mackenzie’s Women’s Fiction/romantic comedy about an American woman who sets off for a three-week literary bus tour of Scotland. The trip is her gift to herself for her thirtieth birthday, since she recently discovered that her fiancé was cheating on her. Unfortunately she doesn’t realize that she will be the only member of the group who isn’t elderly.

Alice has a hilarious confrontation with a man in the Glasgow airport and is dismayed to discover an hour later that he’s the driver on her bus tour. Alice and Robbie are like oil-and-water, and their interactions are hysterically funny. Readers will enjoy Alice’s character development as the tour group works on her Type-A personality.

I absolutely loved Work in Progress and can’t wait to read more books by this author. The chemistry and banter between Alice and Robbie are off the charts, and the elderly bus passengers add even more flavor to this wonderful story. It really should be made into a Hallmark movie.

I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4.5 stars! I adored this one. I had the best time on a bus trip through the UK with Alice, Robbie, and all the ladies on the bookish tour! I loved watching Alice find herself and allow herself to have fun; to open herself up to new possibilities. Robbie had me wishing he was my tour guide with how much fun his tours sound, and I loved getting to know all the ladies who made up the tour group. I loved the banter, the laughs and all the life lessons from the older ladies. This was such a fun read that had me wishing for a European adventure and wanting to find ways to step out of my comfort zone more often!

Alice is crawling out of a depression and hopes a change of scenery is the key to jumpstarting her life.

She lost her job and her fiance simultaneously and desperately needs something to go right in her life. Unfortunately, the trip she sets off on doesn't start most positively.

Airline issues and a complete meltdown in the airport led to a comedy of errors before she's stuck on a 3-week bus trip with a driver she hates and a bunch of older ladies-- but is that exactly what she needs?

We watch Alice grow through this trip as she learns more about herself and learns lessons from the ladies as they travel. It's a funny trip with some lessons for all of us along the way.

3.5⭐️

I mean can you go wrong with a Scottish man….no never. I really enjoyed this book! So funny, also so fun to read as well! Loved the Bridget Jones references, also enjoyed the writing style of this book!

Loved all the side characters and all the bookish history and adventures!

Will definitely be recommending this book!

I do believe it dragged on a bit a certain spots and was a little long. But I did enjoy Alice’s story and her journey to learning herself better.

Thank you Harper Collins for the arc!

An addictingly adorable rom-com with slow-burn, angsty chemistry, and phenomenal enemies to lovers banter! Alice Cooper (actually her name) books a last minute, women-only literary bus tour around Scotland & the UK after a breakup with her long-term boyfriend and losing her job. So begins a chaotic comedy of errors in traveling, complete with a grumpy Scottish bus driver and guide. She sets out to heal and find herself, but she finds so much more, including friendship, comradery, found family, and new love. So many LOL moments and saucy quips. Having been to the UK & Scotland many times, the setting and stops along the tour totally resonated with me in the best way. This was my first book from Kat Mackenzie, but definitely won't be my last! Loved everything about this entertaining romance, and highly recommend! Thank you so much to Kat Mackenzie, the publisher, & NetGalley for the opportunity to review this e-ARC.

Work in Progress by Kat MacKenzie is a wonderfully entertaining story of friendship and finding oneself again.

I love a good romance and I enjoyed the connection between Alice and Robbie but what stole my heart in this story were the relationships Alice formed with the older women on her journey, the connections made were so beautiful and heartfelt.

I adored Work in Progress. It is a perfect travel romance full of fun banter, lots of mishaps and the sweetest happily ever after.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this advance copy!

Ugh, I would have punched that woman.

Kind of a meet-cute there.

She didn't leave the country for six years because of a man-child?!

He has a point.

Ha, her descriptions of the women are hilarious.

At least she's a fun drunk!

Those sandwiches sound delicious.

Maybe he has a daughter?

Wow, Doris has had such an interesting life.

Blech, poor thing.

And now I'm hungry.

I would definitely go on a wheelchair tour.

I love a man that pays attention.

Ohhh...He heavily implied things, though. I'm on her side.

They do put average people on television.

Wow, and the British think we are perverse.

AWWW.

I agree with Robbie. Sid obviously did well at some point; he could have looked up Flossie.

Why is Tristan still around?

Meep. Great ending.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Alice is in a bit of a rut in life due to losing her relationship, her job and letting her friendships fall to the background of her grief. She decided last minute to go on the adventure of her dreams.

She finds herself on a no refundable tour across Great Britain, with old ladies when she expected to meet all new girlfriends her own age. The tour guide and Alice has a sour start and she’s dreading her three week long trip with strangers now. What was she thinking??

This story is full of laughter, wonderful character development, and encouraging life lessons. The details that went into writing this book are so appreciated. I felt like I traveled to each of their tour stops with the group as they went around Britain. There wasn’t much spice, so if you like a tamer romance new book this one is for you! I bet the audiobook version will be beautiful with that Scottish accent 😏

When Alice lost her job and her boyfriend of six years, she rashly booked a 3-week female only tour of England, Scotland and Wales. Then her plane was rerouted and her luggage pulverized. Naturally she was a little stressed. But reading it I found myself actively disliking her character and agreeing with the tour bus leader when he asked when she planned to schedule her next tantrum. She does redeem herself by the end. The best part of the story was not the romance, but the other women on the bus and their stories.

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!