Work in Progress

At the start of MacKenzie’s cute debut rom-com, stubborn, list-loving Alice Cooper loses her job and her fiancé, sending her into a six month tailspin that she tries to get out of by booking a women-only three-week literary bus tour through England, Wales, and Scotland. Unfortunately, her plans go awry as soon as she arrives. The tour turns out to be for elderly retirees, and the tour guide and bus driver, Robbie Brodie, is none other than the rude Scotsman who shoved Alice out of the way at an airport service desk when she was trying to find her crushed suitcase. Alice declares Robbie her enemy, but Robbie delights in Alice’s antagonism—which swiftly turns to attraction. Though the goofy misunderstanding keeping Alice and Robbie apart undermines Alice’s supposed intelligence, the kooky backstories of Alice’s traveling companions and her growing bonds with them are a real treat. Anglophiles and armchair travelers will adore this. Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Jan.)