Tag: Romance

Reading Diary:: A Discovery of Witches | Deborah Harkness

My experience with A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness has been different to every other book I’ve read this year, or ever. For this reason, it doesn’t feel right to simply ‘review’ this book. Instead, I’m going to walk through my journey with it (so far). I have a feeling you other readers out there will be able to relate to something, at least, in this experience. We’re lovers of books and story, after all. But for those of you interested, yes, I gave this book five stars, no question.

It begins with…

Let’s start at the very beginning. I heard of this book when it was first popular. I even checked it out from the library, and after an incredibly long wait, I had couldn’t remember why I’d wanted to read it in the first place (I mean vampires? Really? Weren’t we passed that, as a culture?). Plus, as usual, I had a long list of other books on my list that I prioritized instead. After that, I had no intention of reading it. Ever.

and then…

Then the TV series came to Netflix in the US, and during Halloween season, too! My husband and I were looking for something new to watch, and that’s what we chose one night.

Holy crap.

Instantly I knew it was something I had to read. Not only did the story intrigue me, this ages old mystery and people who have been around through ancient history (this is what I’m always missing from other vampire tales. Oh you’re a hundred years old? Who cares. Two hundred? Snore. ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED?! Now we’re talking…), and a girl with magic who refuses to embrace it, but I was so curious about the construction of the story itself. There are so many storylines depicted in the show, I wanted to see how it was translated from the book. Yeah, I’m a book nerd and a story geek and an aspiring writer who is desperate to soak up every quirk and detail I encounter.

I had to read it. So I ordered the paperback trilogy boxed set.

We finished the first season in a few days, and we started the first few episodes of season two before I decided to stop and catch up with the books before continuing.

It begins (again)…

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness Book Cover

I tackled this thing armed with all of my tools of the trade. My copy of this book is underlined, highlighted, and page flagged to within an inch of its life. Because I already knew the plot of the story from the show, I was able to identify the details and ‘clues’ throughout the narrative that had to do with the primary conflict in one color, I used another color highlight for the romance details I liked, and a third for the magic/creatures details. I flagged every scene or micro-scene that felt important or extra meaningful.

In short, I savored it. Every word, every detail, every choice by the author.

There are some odd things about this story, from a structure point of view. It doesn’t follow a lot of the formulaic advice you heard incessantly in writing circles. It takes its time. It makes itself easy to savor. I loved it.

The story is built in layers, and though there are probably too many scenes with Matthew and Diana just sitting around talking about intense magical theory, all that information is needed by the reader and can be forgiven. It’s hard to tell if I’d have been so engaged with these sometimes-tedious conversations if I didn’t already have some understanding of where it all was leading already. I suspect it wouldn’t have been quite as enjoyable if I was reading it with no context, but it could easily be the opposite. That’s the thing about books vs adaptations. The only other time I’ve seen an adaptation before reading the books is with The Lord of the Rings, and Pride & Prejudice, and neither of those were as enjoyable to read after seeing them come to life so beautifully on screen (feel free to come at me in the comments). But if I watch something after reading the book, I usually enjoy it a great deal less.

As I said, I stopped watching the show after season two, episode two or three, so I’m actually changing my tactic going forward. I’m currently reading Shadow of Night (book two), and I’m about halfway through. I’m enjoying it just as much as A Discovery of Witches, but I’m feeling the lack of knowledge of what is coming next doubly, since I had that for book one. Such a strange experience!

So tell me — have you read this All Souls series? Have you seen the show? Have I intrigued you enough to pick it up?! Tell me all!

See ya next time!

Details

Title:: A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1)
Author:: Deborah Harkness
Genre:: Paranormal Romance
Publisher:: Viking Penguin
Length:: 592 pages
Audio Length:: 23h 59m
Audiobook Narrator:: Jennifer Ikeda
Audiobook Publisher:: Penguin Audio
Published:: February 2011
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Rating:: 1

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Author Website
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[Hardcover] [Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]
[trilogy boxed set]

If you liked this book, check out…

The Familiar | Leigh Bardugo
Burn for Me | Ilona Andrews

Book Review:: All the Missing Pieces | Catherine Cowles

So, like, romantic suspense is a thing?! If this book is good representation of that, this might be my new favorite genre! Oh my gosh, the mystery, the danger, the intrigue! I was hooked in early on and I was happy to let it reel me all the way in.

All the Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles Book Cover

When Ridley’s sister disappeared, she started living double. She had to experience the world twice as much, in honor of the life her sister didn’t get to live. She lives life out of the back of her van, traveling the country recording true crime podcasts. She’s good at her job because she can empathize with the grieving family’s and has a bone-deep interest in finding sickos and getting justice for their crimes.

Of course she has been researching the disappearance of her own sister, and she believes it wasn’t just an isolated incident. Her next project is investigating the failed kidnapping of a woman Ridley believes was her sister’s killer’s first victim. When she rolls into town, she finds the victim’s brother is a sheriff, and overprotective at that, which won’t make things easy for her.

First of all, the construction. When an author crafts her characters to fundamentally fit, and then throws in a dramatic question that not only justifies but also inherently creates conflict for story between them, it’s like friggin magic, and Cowles has done it in All the Missing Pieces.

Come on! A crime podcaster and a cop? Both with family members who were victims of the same type of crime? Their goals don’t only align, they’re exactly the same, but there’s so much room for tension and conflict and that’s👏🏼what👏🏼we👏🏼live👏🏼for👏🏼

It’s spicy too, did I mention? *blushes*

We’ve got an active investigation, plenty of suspects, old secrets resurfacing, hot bods, sexual tension, and sparks a-flying. There is real danger, protective instincts, and cute animal sidekicks with quirks that make you go aww. Seriously, I loved every word, and I can’t wait to read more exactly like this. Everyone drop me some recs!

I am so grateful I got to listen to an advanced copy of this title through the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.

Details

Title:: All the Missing Pieces (Shady Cove #1)
Author:: Catherine Cowles
Genre:: Romantic Suspense
Publisher:: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Length:: 384 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 50m
Audiobook Narrator:: Andi Arndt, Sebastian York
Audiobook Publisher:: Dreamscape Media
Published:: January 7th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Rating:: 3

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If you liked this book, check out…

Burn for Me | Ilona Andrews
In the Likely Event | Rebecca Yarros
The Reappearance of Rachel Price | Holly Jackson

Book Review:: Not in My Book | Katie Holt

Oh, this is a good one. You want a yummy, rivals-to-lovers modern romance that’ll take your breath away? Grab Not in My Book, a phenomenal debut by Katie Holt, and thank me later.

Not in My Book by Katie Holt Book Cover

Rosie and Aiden have been in the same NYU writing workshop for the past two years. He writes lit fic, she writes romance. And they got off on the wrong foot. They both take enormous pleasure in critiquing each other’s work to within an inch of its life, until it comes to a breaking point and they’re forced to write something together or get kicked out of the class.

They’re marketing this book with a comp for Beach Read, my favorite Emily Henry book, and I have to say…I see that. It’s Gus and January: the college years. The romance, once it gets popping, is electric, and it gets spicy as hell. It isn’t a fast thing though. I wouldn’t exactly call it a slow burn, but she makes us wait for the good stuff, and I loved every minute of it!

This book has a story within a story, with excerpts of the book the two characters are tasked with writing between all the chapters. At first I didn’t think it added much to the experience, but by the middle I was eating those up too.

Both Rosie and Aiden are great characters. They have depth and history and goals and desires…I really found myself caring about them early on, and I love how their story ended *swoon*. Rosie had quite a big group of friends, and I wonder if this will turn into a stand-alone style series.

I am so thankful to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to review this one. It was a pleasure!

Details

Title:: Not in My Book
Author:: Katie Holt
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Alcove Press
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 30m
Audiobook Narrator:: Frankie Corzo
Audiobook Publisher:: Recorded Books
Published:: December 10th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Rating:: 4

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Author Website (book reporter)
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: Part of Your World | Abby Jimenez

There are good contemporary romance novels, and then there are novels like this one that blow the rest of them out of the water. This is the only Abby Jimenez title I’ve read so far, but it is clear that she is on a level with Emily Henry and Katherine Center (the two queens, as far as I’m concerned).

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez Book Cover

This book finds Alexis stranded in a tiny town on her way home from a family funeral. There she meets a helpful (and handsome) stranger who helps her, and they spend an unexpected night of bliss together. She’s in the middle of the fallout of a messy breakup at home, and she’s not in a good place to start anything new, especially not with the small town bumpkin she has fireworks with. She is a Montgomery, and an heir to their ultra-posh reputation of medical patrons in her big city hospital. She can’t abandon that. She and Daniel have no future. She knows this, he knows this, but she keeps showing up in town every spare moment she has.

Oh, the well-structured drama! Every single complication in this book is justified and used to the greatest dramatic degree. This book had me gripped from chapter one and it was an emotional roller coaster from there. If you’re looking for a book to really get swept up in, this is the one I would recommend.

I think a part of why it works so well is that Alexis and Daniel are kind of the same. They both have these extensive family histories they are tied to, and though Daniel isn’t as concerned with leaving his behind, Alexis can’t ask him to do it since she knows what it means.

The romance in this book is hot and steamy and sizzling and what’s another word for hot? Sexy. And magnetic. The pull between these two is undeniable and heartbreaking and hopeful and lovely.

Did I mention the audiobook is narrated by another queen – Julia Whelan? Yeah. Just, yeah.

As an aspiring writer myself, this book is awe-inspiring. I can only hope to write a book so immaculately structured myself someday. Incredible, Abby. I can’t wait to read more!

Details

Title:: Part of Your World
Author:: Abby Jimenez
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Forever
Length:: 389 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 5m
Audiobook Narrator:: Julia Whelan & Zachary Webber
Audiobook Publisher:: Forever
Published:: April 19th, 2022
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Rating:: 3

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If you liked this book, check out…

The Rom-Commers | Katherine Center
Funny Story | Emily Henry
How to Hide in Plain Sight | Emma Noyes

Book Review:: Better Than Friends | Jill Shalvis

Better Than Friends by Jill Shalvis has all the ingredients for a real romance banger. Second-chance romance, enemies-to-lovers, (kind of) forbidden romance, mystery, drama, accidents, freakish storms that move in to leave the characters stranded…the pages are jam packed with tropey delight, but it doesn’t feel all that tropey. It feels like a beautiful story of real heartbreak and crisis and healing and falling in love, even when you don’t mean to.

Better Than Friends by Jill Shalvis Book Cover

The only home Olive ever really knew was with the Turner family. Her own parents were flaky at best, and she found real connection with her best friend Katie, and even her twin brother Noah. But after a tragic accident after graduation, Olive fled her hometown in a rush of shame and guilt. Now years later, her best friend needs her. Her husband was in a terrible accident that’s left him in a coma. Despite wanting to keep as far away from Noah as possible, she returns home and naturally, runs into him constantly.

This story really drew me in from the beginning with such a complex and intriguing backstory between all of the characters that had be turning pages for more. Turns out Olive and Noah had a little bit of history back in the day, and the sparks are still smoldering! The two main characters are MFEO (made for each other). Their conflicts complement one another and their traumas can really only be healed by each other, too.

It’s not only a romance, but a novel of self-discovery. Olive has a complicated history with her own parents, and it turns out they’re actually missing, which adds an interesting plot element to all the sparks trying to ignite all over the place. There are some deep themes that tug at your heart strings and keep your mind turning over them long after you finish reading.

Jill Shalvis is a new author for me, but it looks like she’s quite prolific! I’m really looking forward to reading more of her work, because this one was a major win for me!

Note:: I was given a copy of this book by the publisher & netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.

Details

Title:: Better Than Friends (Sunrise Cove #7)
Author:: Jill Shalvis
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Avon
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 15m
Audiobook Narrator:: Andi Arndt
Audiobook Publisher:: Harper Audio
Published:: January 21st, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

Linky Links!!

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If you liked this book, check out…

Hate Mail | Donna Marchetti
Summertime Punchline | Betty Corrello
Business Casual | BK Borison
Wild Love | Elsie Silver
How to Hide in Plain Sight | Emma Noyes

Book Review:: A Five Letter Word for Love | Amy James

Let’s get this out of the way up front. This book was rated entirely on *vibes*. Is it perfect? No (and it has more faults than most of my five star reads). But should you read it? Absolutely, yes.

A Five Letter Word for Love by Amy James Book Cover. Cute world word puzzle with the could embracing to the side

Emily is having a quarter life crisis. She’s finished college in a degree she regrets, and is working in a small town on Prince Edward Island because the rent is cheap and she found a job in an auto shop that pays her just enough to make some progress on those pesky student loans. But she’s not passionate about anything. She wants to find passion. She wants to find her dream job.

The thing is, she’s entirely insufferable. Her attitude is perpetually under-satisfied, always looking for the greener grass, no matter what is in front of her. She sees her college friend group thriving on their individual paths, but she’s floundering and has no direction, and she doesn’t even like those friends that much anymore.

BUT — starting from a place of discontentedness leaves lots of room for growth, and the more room for growth, the more powerful an impact for the ending. Even though some of the threads of this story got kind of muddled from the 50-75% point (ish), the resolution made up for every other complaint I was holding onto as I read. The opening was also awesome, you just have to have a little faith that things will pay off by the time all is said and done.

It may also help that John is essentially my husband. Car guy, mechanic, racer, (yes those are all different), not a big talker, hunky, sweet when it counts, confident, steadfast, funny. I loved their relationship, but it’s a little hard to see his side of it with how misaligned they appear to be.

The most sand-chewing part for me is that she’s creating this life she actually really really loves in PEI, with or without John, but she’s still just got it lodged in her head that she needs something better, that there’s always something better. It may be the plight of Gen Z, at least a little bit. The idealistic social media generation. Y’all. Take a big breath and say it with me *gratitude*.

Like I said, in the end this book was absolutely worth it, with valuable themes I think many will embrace or relate to. I was sure this was going to be three stars, but then it just blew me away in the end. I cried several well-earned tears. Sleeper hit! Surprise gem! Diamond in the rough! Five stars from me!

This was a netgalley arc read. I was provided a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Details

Title:: A Five Letter Word for Love
Author:: Amy James
Genre:: Romance
Publisher:: Avon
Length:: 368 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 33m
Audiobook Narrator:: Kate Koster
Audiobook Publisher:: Harper Audio
Published:: December 3rd, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Rating:: 1

Linky Links!!

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Author Website
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If you liked this book, check out…

Let’s Call A Truce | Amy Buchanan
Adam & Evie’s Matchmaking Tour | Nore Nguyen
Summertime Punchline | Betty Corrello

Book Review:: Christmas is All Around | Martha Waters

One of the common ingredients in a holiday romance is a character who doesn’t like Christmas. Well Charlotte takes that to the extreme. As a young child she starred in a holiday romance film that continues to haunt her as an adult. This year, with talks of a reboot, she flies off to the UK to spend the holiday season with her sister.

Christmas is All Around Martha Waters Book Cover

Graham doesn’t care much about Christmas one way or the other, he is only focused on keeping his ancestral home running, and the holidays are a big part of that. It’s an old English estate, and every dollar since his father died has been a struggle. They meet when Charlotte and her sister visit an event at the place, Eden Priory, and Charlotte realizes it is the place her formative movie was filmed. Rom-Com magic happens and Graham is giving Charlotte a ride home. Now an artist, they strike a deal that she will paint a few landscapes for their giftshop.

I feel like the summary of this book doesn’t really do it justice. I’ve been trying to come up with ways to spruce it up for ten minutes, but the plot just is what it is. It’s a vehicle for these two awesome characters to fall in love. That’s not to say it’s a throw away plot, just that it’s hard to summarize concisely.

The best part of this book is the easy banter. Oh goodness, I found myself smiling so much during this book. Charlotte is unapologetic in her disgruntled holiday persona, and Graham is happy to oblige her. The romance that builds between them is so satisfying and natural. Perfect rom-com material!

The story goes deeper than that though. Both of them have old wounds to heal, Graham’s about his father and his responsibility/hero complex, Charlotte about her holiday past and even past relationships. Nothing feels forced (except maybe the inciting incident), it’s just really good storytelling.

This is absolutely a holiday romance you can get lost in this season. There is something special about the genre of holiday romance, and I really recommend this one! My other favorites are linked below! I hope you find something so yummy to escape into this holiday season!

Details

Title:: Christmas is All Around
Author:: Martha Waters
Genre:: Holiday Romance
Publisher:: Atria Books
Length:: 304 pages
Audio Length:: 8h 56m
Audiobook Narrator:: Nikki Massoud
Audiobook Publisher:: Simon & Schuster Audio
Published:: October 22nd, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

Emergency Contact | Lauren Layne & Anthony LeDonne
The Christmas Inn | Pamela Kelley

Book Review:: Under Loch and Key | Lana Ferguson

Under Loch and Key is a new Berkley paranormal romance release that will have you wrapped up in so many elements that are intrinsically interesting: family secrets, Celtic mythology, cryptids, curses, a generations-old family feud… Then you add in some really well executed romance ‘ingredients’, and you’ve got yourself a damn good book.

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson Book Cover

Keyanna MacKay travels to her father’s homeland of Scotland to spread his ashes and to meet her family on his side for the first time. A falling-out occurred when he moved to America before Key was born, so she isn’t sure what to expect. What she finds is a grumpy farmhand who calls her stupid two-seconds after meeting her (when he saves her from falling into the loch) and an unwelcoming grandmother. Key is all but ready to give up on her hope of connecting with her family when she does fall in the loch, and discovers an ancient, impossible secret about both herself, and the hunky farmhand, Lachlan. After that, she can’t leave until she gets to the bottom of the generations-old mystery.

First of all, bravo to the title. What a play on words while directly including the names of the two main characters. Color me impressed. There’s something special about a good title, and this one has it.

Let’s start with the romance.

Keyanna and Lachlan don’t get off to the best start (see above). And with their constant run-ins and a harmless prank, it gets close to EtL (enemies to lovers) territory. And ladies and gentlemen, these two have chemistry! Steamy, sexy chemistry. The force pulling them together is kinetic and so satisfying. Be forewarned that it does creep a little over the line into monster porn (lol) in two of the scenes, but the rest of them are everything, so I can forgive 😉

what about the plot?

Behind the romance is a mystery. We know Lachlan is hiding something early on through his POV chapters, but we don’t find out what it is until Keyanna does. Layers unfold just enough at a time to keep us readers tantalized with new facets to the story. There are secrets being kept on all sides, and Key is…you guessed it, the key to fitting all the pieces together (see what I mean about word play?). This is so much more than a romance, it’s a family saga, a mystery, and a literal legend.

If you’re looking for a new romance to escape into, this one is well worth your time!

Note:: I received an arc copy of this title from the publisher & netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Details

Title:: Under Loch and Key
Author:: Lana Ferguson
Genre:: Paranormal Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 416 pages
Audio Length:: 13h
Audiobook Narrator:: Samantha Summers & Flint Park
Audiobook Publisher:: Penguin Audio
Published:: December 3rd, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
Spice Rating:: 3

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

Burn for Me | Ilona Andrews
Haunted Ever After | Jen DeLuca
Wish I Were Here | Mellisa Wiesner

Book Review:: Mistletoe & Mr. Right | Sarah Morgenthaler

Moose Springs is a magical place of hearty hometown comfort, constant hilarious (and sometimes nefarious) antics, and the kind of romance that will melt your heart into a puddle and snow-pack it back into working order with a little more tenderness than you had before. Gosh dang Sarah Morgenthaler, you’ve done it again.

Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Sarah Morgenthaler Book Cover

Lana Montgomery is trying to fiddle her way out of the huge mess she’s made of Moose Springs. She’s bought up the whole town in hopes to save them from bankruptcy and ruin, but her family’s ultra-international-real-estate-conglomerate thinks it’s nothing but a waste of time and one of them is trying to use it as leverage to steal some of the prodigal light away from Lana for himself. Also, the town hates her for it. She’s catching heat from all sides, but she’s a Montgomery, and Montgomery’s don’t show weakness. Or stress. Or anything at all. And she’s good at hiding it, she really is, but for her hands shaking so badly she can’t apply her own makeup most days.

Rick? Rick is a simple man trying to keep his bar afloat in the locals-only culture of Moose Springs. He’s mostly a shell of a man after his wife left him years ago with her nephew Diego to raise and the bar that’s essentially falling apart at this point. He’s got a grumpy cat, a mean cereal habit, and an adorable hedgehog for company. He’s got so much love to share, and his eye is on Ms. Montgomery, though he’s far too reserved to act on it.

Fortunately, Lana isn’t.

After a misconstrued ‘hey baby’ and an accidental fly-by moose darting, the start of their (official) romance is when Lana finally asks him on an official date. You don’t want to know where they end up, but you do want to know not to try their house sausage.

Okay, the santa moose was a little obnoxious, but that’s part of the beauty of the Moose Springs we know and love. Our ultimate favs from The Tourist Attraction, Graham and Zoey, feature prominently in this book, satisfying an itch I didn’t realize needed scratching. And the dynamic of our two new love birds is everything. Rick has whatever the opposite of Graham’s outgoing personality is. Lana is far more confident and driven than our wandering doe-eyed Zoey. And the town of Moose Springs hangs in the balance.

This book is good, but the series…the series is must-read material. If you haven’t read The Tourist Attraction yet, seriously, you need to. Then you can read this gem of a book. And yes, I recommend reading them in order, though technically you don’t have to.

Get yourself the gift of Moose Springs this holiday season. The worst you’ll get is a giant smile on your face the entire time and the memories of the laugh-out-loud humor and heart-warming moments haunting you for the rest of time. In a good way though 🙂

(Also, the narrator, Elise Arsenault, is a genius. If you enjoy audiobooks, I recommend these!)

Details

Title:: Mistletoe and Mr. Right (Moose Springs, Alaska #2)
Author:: Sarah Morgenthaler
Genre:: Romantic Comedy
Publisher:: SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca
Length:: 400 pages
Audio Length:: 12h 5m
Audiobook Narrator:: Elise Arsenault
Audiobook Publisher:: Tantor Audio
Published:: October 6th, 2020
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
Spice Rating:: 2

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

The Tourist Attraction | Sarah Morgenthaler
The Paradise Problem | Christina Lauren
Work in Progress | Kat Mackenzie

Book Review:: Work in Progress | Kat Mackenzie

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

Linky Links!!

Goodreads
Author Website
Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

PS I Hate You | Lauren Connolly
The Last Love Note | Emma Grey
The Unhoneymooners | Christina Lauren