2025 Release Archives - The Litertarian

A gaggle of (mostly) old ladies traveling around all the hot tourist spots in the UK with a hunky Scottish tour guide: comedy gold with the promise of many shenanigans, or the perfect place for a young American woman to come heal her heart? Turns out, both! Work in Progress is a debut romance by Kat Mackenzie, and it lived up to all my expectations.

Work In Progress by Kat Mackenzie Book Cover

Alice Cooper is in a bit of a rut. She’s lost the job that gave her purpose and her boyfriend is suddenly engaged to someone else. After six months of wallowing, she gets fed up and books a spunky looking women’s tour in Scotland, refusing to put her dreams on hold any longer. Unfortunately the trip is a disaster from the get. Her bag is lost (and completely destroyed by the time she gets it back), she’s nearly so late she misses the bus, and the tour guide turns out to be the man she just cussed out at the airport for not waiting his turn. And did I mention the old ladies? Here Alice was expecting to bond with a bunch of twenty-somethings on the top of scenic mountain vistas and wind-blown moors, and instead there are a bunch of arthritic mother hens ready to talk your ear off. This was not the rejuvenating getaway she’d imagined.

But it turns out it was the one she needed. Funny how that works.

The banter in this book is top tier, and it starts immediately. No time is wasted as we’re thrust into this book of constant misfortunes and comedic relief. Alice and Robbie are both little sparklers and they love poking dangerously at one another, seeing just how far they can push it. But it turns out Alice is really good at getting herself into unfortunate situations, and Robbie not only has a hero’s heart, he’s also legally responsible for her as the tour guide, so that makes for some fun moments 🙂

It’s a romantic comedy, but this book is mostly about self-discovery and healing the soul. Why is it so easy for us to be blinded by the relationships right in front of us? When they’re gone they leave us with gaping holes that we humbly must realize we’ve created ourselves. Alice went to Scottland to heal hers, and though it is a bumpy road to get there, it works.

I loved this book. It’s everything you want in a romantic comedy, and as a UK vacation novel, it has a really interesting backdrop (…if you don’t already live there?). Though there are some steamy scenes, it never gets full explicit open-door. Full of heart and banter and swoon-worthy romance, this early 2025 release should not be missed!

Details

Title:: Work in Progress
Author:: Kat Mackenzie
Genre:: Romantic Comedy
Publisher:: Avon
Length:: 384 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 15m
Audiobook Narrator:: Angela Dawe
Audiobook Publisher:: Harper Audio
Published:: January 14th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Rating:: 2

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If you liked this book, check out…

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The Last Love Note | Emma Grey
The Unhoneymooners | Christina Lauren

Y’all, I needed an indulgent five-star read, and Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan delivered! I absolutely loved this early 2025 release, so go don’t wait to add it to your goodreads TBR to keep it on your radar!

When Juliana returns to work after her husband unexpectedly passes away, she gets off on the wrong foot with one of the department heads at the office. She works in HR and of course has to work with him whenever his department has hiring needs, and they develop a (mostly innocent) frienemy schtick whenever they have to interact. Turns out they have a friend in common and end up at the same wedding one night, and kind of hit it off in a what-are-you-doing-here kind of way 😉 Then, at work, she and Ben are assigned to the same project and have to work together more closely than ever before. In order to be successful, they have to call a truce.

This book is such a winner. This is a complex story with real, deep conflicts that inform the decisions each character makes. I kind of love it when characters are falling hard, but don’t completely lose their heads. In this case, they both have young children and are very thoughtful about how their actions are going to affect them. The chemistry is there – it is so there – but falling in love, especially when kids are involved, is messy, and this novel really honors that.

That being said, when these two do finally indulge in their primal urges, they really go for it. There is some spice here folks, and some of it is at the office. *wipes brow nervously*

I am so grateful to St. Martin’s Griffin and netgalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of this book. The narrator, Charlotte North, did a great job with this one.

If you’re looking for a great romance to really sink into during the bleak winter weather this year, this one is a great choice!

Details

Title:: Let’s Call A Truce
Author:: Amy Buchanan
Genre:: Romance
Publisher:: St. Martin’s Griffin
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 3m
Audiobook Narrator:: Charlotte North
Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio
Published:: January 14th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Rating:: 3