In Work in Progress by Kat Mackenzie, Avid reader Alice Cooper (no, not the rock singer) is in desperate need of a vacation. Somewhere, anywhere other than 
Washington D.C. would be fabulous after the way her life has imploded over the past several months. So, when Alice sees an ad for Boadicea Adventures book tour which rambles around the UK going to literary and historical sites, she knows it’s the chance to clear her head and hopefully fix everything that fell apart. But right from the get-go Alice’s trip sets off on the wrong foot. And after a day and a half of delays, problems, and nearly losing her luggage completely, she’s in no mood to deal with a mouthy entitled Scotsman at the airport in Edinburgh. Even if he is stunningly handsome.
“You see? You’re warming to me already.”
“The only way I’d warm up to you is if I set you on fire first.” I mumbled, too quietly for the others to hear. His smile stretched in gratification.
Things go from bad to worse when Alice realizes the very same man who gave her trouble at the airport is the owner and tour guide for Boadicea Adventures. She seriously can’t catch a break. And then there’s her fellow travelers who are a little on the more…mature side. Meaning they are anywhere from thirty to sixty years her senior. But Alice is pleasantly surprised by the ladies and their candor. As she trades barbs with their guide Robbie who loves to torment her all while competently looking out for everyone on board the bus, she can feel some of the stress finally lifting. Then things get a bit warmer between Alice and Robbie. Something she wasn’t expecting. And soon not only is she picking up the pieces of her old life, but she also has some soul searching to do in regard to a sweet, sexy Scotsman who has made her trip unforgettable.
‘He had helped me to feel more like myself than I had in a long time, perhaps more than I ever had. Still healing–yes. Still a mess–maybe. But a beautiful mess who was learning to adapt.’
A sparkling debut rom-com that had as many touching moments as it did laughs, WORK IN PROGRESS encompassed everything from romance to friendship, loss to newfound joy, and a whole lot of love for the written word.
‘I was building myself again–becoming stronger by weaving their shared wisdom into my threadbare spots.’
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As if the backdrop itself of WORK IN PROGRESS wasn’t impressive enough–Scotland, Wales, and England, oh my!–the adorably quirky cast will have readers laughing out loud and wanting to spend time with them in person. Author Kat Mackenzie brought together an amazing bunch of women (and one seriously sexy Scotsman) to trek around the UK visiting famous historical literary locations. Which I’m sure a lot of readers would love to do. And not only did our heroine Alice have the trip of a lifetime visiting Oxford, Canterbury, Rosslyn Chapel, and the Yorkshire moors among other sites, she learned a lot about herself. Something that helped her heal from a devastating series of events six months prior to her trip.
I was very much impressed with the witty, quick dialogue Mackenzie created between all of the characters–the elderly travelers, all women, were an absolute riot–but particularly with Alice and Robbie. The way they teased and bickered and cajoled and made each other laugh was one of the highlights of the book for me. But to put it mildly, they got off on the wrong foot. I thought Robbie and Alice were *made* for each other, though. And not just because they both were helpers who loved nothing more than to assist and lift up others. Everything about them meshed together. Their knowledge of history and literature, music, and even the loneliness they’d both experienced, it all worked.
Alice and Robbie’s slow burn romance paired with the collective rowdiness and camaraderie between their fellow travelers was perfection. But it was also realistic. Not everything was roses and sunsets. There were quite a few poignant moments as well as some uproariously funny scenes where everything went sideways. If anything, though, it brought them all together. And it was a chance for the more, ahem, seasoned members of the group to pass along wisdom and great advice to Alice as she sorted out her life.
QOTD: Would you go on a literary tour? If so, any particular country or city you’d visit?
Book Info:
Publication: Published: January 14th, 2025 | Avon |
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.
Falling in Love was not on her to-do list.
The last six months of Alice Cooper’s life have been, in her own words, “a poop tornado.” So, in a desperate attempt to pull herself out of the emotional quicksand threatening to swallow her whole, she books a three-week bus tour of literary and historical British sites.
Alice arrives in Edinburgh after a hellish trip involving multiple layovers, crushed luggage, and an epic row with an insolent Scotsman at the lost baggage counter. After a mad dash to catch the tour bus, she discovers that instead of globe-trotting thirtysomethings, the bus is full of cheerful octogenarians, and that the aforementioned arrogant Scot is the bus driver. Alice is sure he will make the nonrefundable trip a misery.
He is arrogant and rude. He also has beautiful blue eyes and dotes on his elderly charges. The ladies are vivacious and full of stories. The historical sites are entrancing. The book club chat is on fire. And, it’s possible that Alice’s battered heart is starting to beat again.
Amy R
QOTD: Would you go on a literary tour? Yes
If so, any particular country or city you’d visit? Pacific NW