WORK IN PROGRESS - Kat Mackenzie
Blackstone Publishing
ISBN: 979-8874873523
January 2025
Fiction
United Kingdom - Present Day
Lately, life for Alice Cooper has been anything but grand. Her fiancé, whom she'd been dating for six years, dumps her shortly before their wedding, so she's been sending "do not attend" notes to the guests, and returning gifts. Then Alice loses her job, leaving her crushed and confused. So, what else can she do but something the normally organized and common sense Alice would never do, she books a three-week literary tour of the UK. Her love of books, especially British based ones, thanks to her English grandmother, brought her to the decision. But after an agonizingly long series of flights to Edinburgh, then handed her crushed, taped together suitcase, Alice has but a few minutes to get into the city and meet the tour bus. And the rude Scotsman who is picking up an elderly woman at the airport sends Alice into angry and frustrated tirades. What else could happen?
Exhausted, Alice finally arrives where the tour is gathering only to discover that the man at the airport is, in fact, the tour guide! And it also looks as though Alice is the only passenger under seventy! It also is pointed out to her that this is a non-refundable tour, so her "discussions" with the seemingly arrogant tour guide will go nowhere. Too tired to continue arguing, Alice boards the bus, and wonders what she got herself into.
Alice's initial frustrations and anger at first keep her from getting to know her fellow passengers. But she soon learns that many have toured with Robbie, the driver/guide before, and that he literally dotes on them. He doesn't come across that way to Alice, but will she discover another side of him?
WORK IN PROGRESS is a fun and entertaining read filled with wickedly humorous and interesting characters. It takes Alice a bit of time to unwind, but once she opens her mind and heart, and releases some of the pain she's feeling, she begins to see and enjoy the beautiful countryside, the history, and the people she's traveling with. There are bumps along the way, and readers will wonder if Alice will ever warm up to Robbie. So, sit back and enjoy the tour.
Jani Brooks
