In Work in Progress, Alice loves order, lists, and knowing what’s in front of her. It’s always worked for her, until her fiancé dumps her and gives her ring to another woman, and she’s out of a job. After letting herself wallow for a while, she suddenly signs up for the adventure she’s always wanted: a 3-week literary tour in the UK. An all-female tour, no pesky men to ruin the fun. Only it’s all elderly women and Robbie, one very grumpy, very hot Scottish man…

And the loathing is ON from the moment they meet, enemies vibe in full force. Yes!

I LOVED Work In Progress! I would read it for the hilarious lists and alliteration alone—the writing is superb and so much fun. In the enemies stage, Alice gives Robbie so many venomous descriptions like the “contemptuous Caledonian cretin” and “detestable driver” among many others (read and see the rest) that made me laugh so hard.

There’s a lot of sweetness in Work in Progress too, especially in the friendships that develop between Alice and the elderly ladies (who are so wise and funny). If you love literature, history, and/or geography, you’ll find great references and descriptions—I wish I could book this exact tour (especially if there’s a hot Scot leading it)!

Alice and Robbie’s chemistry was strong; a bit of a slow burn and letting the relationship grow naturally. And so worth it when they get together! Only one downer for me: the dreaded miscommunication trope when the problem could be resolved with a basic grown-up conversation. But it didn’t ruin Work In Progress for me—everything else was so good that I could deal with it.

Available January 14, 2025. Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

Rating: 4
Themes and Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Proximity, Bus Tour, Female Friendship, Slow Burn, Road Trip
Steam: Low to Medium
Pair With: Your favorite drink from the UK

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