Alice thrives on structure and order. But when her carefully controlled life in DC falls apart, she impulsively books an all-female, book-themed adventure tour of Great Britain. She’s expecting camaraderie with other thirty-somethings as they explore castles and literature for three weeks. Instead, she finds herself on the “young at heart” bus tour, surrounded by a group of older women who couldn’t be more different from what she envisioned. Worse, her tour guide, Robbie – who is not a woman – is insufferable, infuriatingly cheerful, and always there to needle her.
As the group travels from charming towns to historic castles, her tour guide reads passages from beloved novels, surprises them with a Dracula festival, and – much to Alice’s annoyance – brings a little magic to their journey. Slowly, Alice begins to warm to the other women on the tour, learning from their unique stories and perspectives. But her feelings about the guide? Those definitely haven’t changed. She gets immense satisfaction from needling him. And he’s not that handsome. And she doesn’t like his smile. Or his blue eyes. Or the way he makes sandwiches. Or that he might be a little thoughtful. None of that.
This book was such an absolute joy to read. The banter is off the charts. The slow-burn enemies-to-lovers was perfectly done. We get lots of character development of Alice and Robbie before they connect, which made me feel like we earned their relationship. However, the most powerful part of this book is the bond between all the tour group members. They are all richly crafted characters that add significance to Alice’s journey. It was a powerful reminder that life is a journey, and although we can’t start over, we can choose the path forward. Mackenzie wrote big, bright characters that are complex and subtle. She imbued meaning into moments and objects. I defy you to think of mayonnaise or blue thread without thinking of this book once you finish it. You know a book is wonderful when you find yourself wondering what those characters are doing now. That’s how I am about this book.
Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Book Smart Kate 