Work in Progress by Katie MacKenzie: Romance, Banter & Bookish Travel

A cozy rom-com that’s equal parts funny and heartfelt.

Synopsis

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.

UK Bus Trip Goals:

1. Crawl out of pajamas.
2. Get over cheating bastard and his stupid ironed jeans.
3. Have my first real adventure!
4. Achieve stability, strength, and growth.
5. Definitely do NOT kiss any British men.

Alice loves a good list. But careful planning didn’t stop her from losing her job and her fiance in one fell swoop. With her dreaded 30th birthday looming on the horizon, Alice makes the first impulsive decision of her life – booking a flight to the UK for a three-week, all-female, literary bus tour. What could possibly go wrong?

Turns out – everything.

Alice arrives to discover that this tour isn’t what she expected. At all. Instead of cool, globe-trotting thirtysomethings with meaningful tattoos, she finds a rickety, antique bus full of fluffy-haired octogenarians. And to make matters infinitely worse, the tour guide makes her blood boil! And that devilish grin of his tells her he’s dead set on making her trip a misery.

But as they travel from castle ruins to cozy pubs, Alice may just find that she’s got it all wrong. The ladies are vivacious. The book club chat is on fire. And damn if that mischievous smile doesn’t threaten to turn her world upside down – and her beloved list right along with it!

Audiobook Review

4.5 stars!

First things first—Angela Dawe was PERFECT for this narration! She voices Lindsey Donovan too, and she never fails to make me grin. If I had to sum her up in one word: vivacious.

I picked up this audiobook after seeing a fellow blogger rave about it (yes, Sam, I’m looking at you), and because I desperately needed something light and funny to pull me out of a reading slump. And it delivered—not just laughs, but a surprising amount of heart.

Alice Cooper arrives in Edinburgh completely lost. She’s lost her dream job, her fiancé, and spent six months drowning in depression. Armed with a list of goals scribbled on a plane, she joins what she thinks will be a fun, women’s literary tour of the UK. What she doesn’t expect? That “all women” actually means “all women… between sixty and nearly one hundred.” Nor does she expect the handsome, cheeky Scottish tour guide she can’t stop bickering with.

Along the way, Alice finds wisdom in her elderly travel companions, a new perspective on life, and the realization that the “perfect timeline” doesn’t matter. Thirty is not too late to live, adventure, and yes—maybe fall in love. Especially when a certain Scottish guide makes her heart beat just a little faster.

What I loved (in no particular order):
 The virtual sightseeing – Having visited London, Cambridge, Oxford, and Bath myself, Kat Mackenzie’s writing brought those places alive again. And it made me want to visit the ones I haven’t yet!
The food cravings – Between scones, clotted cream, tea, and crumpets… my stomach was rumbling.
 Alice’s American POV – Her bafflement at British taps, showers, and “bad teeth” jokes had me laughing out loud.
 The old ladies – A hilarious, bold, and wise bunch (delighting in every cheeky town name they stumbled across).
 The romance – A slow burn done right! Just when I feared it was rushing, the author pulled back and made the payoff even sweeter.
 The banter – Smart, fast, witty, and never overdone. I swear authors must test these lines out in front of a mirror, because the dialogue was perfection.

This might be Kat Mackenzie’s debut, but what a success!
If you love witty romance, strong character growth, cozy sightseeing across Britain, and plenty of heart, this book is absolutely for you.

Thanks for reading.

Sophie