I went into this book hoping to read a light rom com that would cheer me up but instead got a book that tries too hard and fails. I don’t know if it was just me failing to get British humor or if it was the book itself but all it managed to make me was a bit more melancholy and sad for the characters, especially Birdie. The romance also failed to evoke any strong feelings in me. It was over all just meh.
Rating: 2.5

The summer job is about this girl, Birdy, who on a dare pretends to be her best friend and takes the summer job that was offered to her.
Birdy is a really problematic girl and doesn't believe in herself anymore, she's bit difficult to like but you still grow fond of her and as for me I saw a bit of myself in her.
It took me a while to really get into this novel, but I enjoyed it in the end and I'd say it's definitely worth reading if, like Birdy and myself, you sometimes feel lost and don't know where you life is going.

Elizabeth or Birdy as she is known to her friends, found herself in a predicament, she doesn't have a job, she doesn't have a place to stay, since her best friend and roomate, Heather is off to Italy for the summer and has to rent the appartment.

When an opportunity to work for the whole summer at a Scottish hotel as a sommelier presents itself, she takes it. The problem is, the job was her roommate's and has to pretend to be her in order to make it work, the thing the only experience she has with wine is from drinking it.

She soon realizes that in order to pull it off and keep her friend's reputation intact she has to work harder than ever and do a fast course in wines.

The hotel and it's people are becoming her friends and the more she cares about them and her job the more guilty she feels. She can't be herself and she definitely can't start a relationship with the cute, sweet chef while he thinks she is Heather.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I understood how Birdy found herself in a very difficult situation due to a misunderstanding and even if pretending to be someone else, isn't right, she did the best she could. The romance was especially sweet and made me want to see more of it. The people of the hotel created a beautiful environment and it made me care about them and their stories. The book has a number of lovely pictures of Scotland which adds a unique tone to the story.

*I received an ARC from the publisher.

So much charm, and lighthearted-wit that I fell in love with the characters and binge-read this in 2 days. Nothing ever goes right for Birdy but she has tons of personality and boldness and this seems to get her through her directionless life. A drunken evening and a crazy idea, and she finds herself impersonating her best friend at a renovated, luxury Scottish hotel. By the time she realises she has completely underestimated the situation, she is in too deep and cant turn back. Plus she is falling for the handsome chef who will not take her lies lightly. And don't even think about how her best friend will view the betrayal.

There is so much to love about the book. Lovely full funny characters that come to life and whom you want to befriend. Gorgeous descriptions of the Scottish lochs and countryside. Impending disaster that is just a chapter away. Deliciously slow building physical attraction, that feels natural and real. And surprisingly deep back-stories that give insight into the different characters and their choices. Romcom at its best.

This book would be a perfect cheesy chick-flick. The writing wasn’t spectacular but the plot was fast-paced enough to keep me turning pages.

Elizabeth (or Birdy, as she’s known by friends) steals her best friend’s summer job as a sommelier (wine expert) while that best friend, Heather (the real sommelier), goes on an Italian fling.

In a very predictable way, Birdy quickly fits in perfectly at the Scottish Inn, falls in love with the job, and the staff, but by then she’s wrapped up in this hectic tangle of false identity and lies.

My enthusiasm for this book was actually quite similar to that of Birdy’s in the bedroom. Spoiler alert: “let’s watch Netflix instead.”

It really would make a great movie, but as a book, I just wanted to rush to the finish.

Favourite quote:

“It’s that deep, ever-present voice telling me that if he’s interested in me, there has to be something wrong with him.”

The Summer Job will be out on 15th April 2021, thank you Penguin UK and NetGalley for the arc.

This was a great, lighthearted read with some more serious undertones. The characters were well-written and the descriptions of Scotland and the countryside made me want to visit. Really enjoyable.

Birdy Finch is at a low point in her life; a series of pointless jobs from which she is usually fired for lack of dedication as she cannot take them seriously; a pointless boyfriend who just wants to party to his own agenda; and nowhere to live as her best friend Heather is rushing off to Italy with her latest squeeze. Heather asks her to ring the hotel in Scotland where she is supposed to be starting work as sommelier and explain she is withdrawing her acceptance.

And somehow Birdy doesn't do that, and takes the opportunity of finding somewhere to live by accepting Heather's role, even though she knows less than nothing about wines. When she arrives the hotel is not the run-down country hotel she expected, and suddenly her ruse becomes serious and she finds herself taking the job very seriously. Not to mention falling for the chef.

The plot is as frothy as the champagne Birdy is learning all about; and I expected it to be of as little substance. However, it drew me in and I really enjoyed it. The storyline probably isn't very credible - that someone could successfully pass themselves off as a trained sommelier - but the author does make a plausible case. Birdy does come over as someone who does not take any aspect of her life seriously, whilst complaining that nothing works out for her and not realising she has to put in the effort herself. But the reader is rooting for her, and the twists and turns make for a great read. I think there are some really funny moments in the book, and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An ok chicklit, though rather far fetched at times.

2.5, rounded up to 3

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

I thoroughly enjoyed ready this. It was a lovely heart warming story and even though sometimes a little predictable I still didn’t want to put it down

I originally struggled with the beginning of this book, to be honest, I just don’t think I was in the reading frame of mind. I carried on reading and I’m so glad I did.

Heather is a talented sommelier who flits to Italy with her boyfriend instead of going to a wine event and asks her best friend, Elizabeth Finch or Birdy to turn down the job offer she had received from a run-down hotel in Scotland. Birdy attends the event using Heather’s nametag and her on-off-unofficial-boyfriend Tim went along as her plus 1. Things take a turn when Birdy meets Irene, Heather’s new boss at the job Birdy was meant to turn down!

That is where the lying starts. Birdy is such a lost soul, estranged from her parents, had an extremely unhappy childhood and the only person she can rely on is her best friend, whom she is impersonating.

Who hard can pretending to be a Sommelier be? Birdy is about to find out!

All of the characters in this book are so likeable and all have their own hidden depth.

I’m going to keep this brief as I’m going off to find myself a James.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Loved this book. For anyone that enjoys a bit of comedy, romance and food writing. What a combination! I usually find the protagonists of rom coms totally unrelatable and dull, but Birdy Finch is a lovable failure who comes across as realistic. I also totally fancied James. Probably my favourite love interest of all time.

I absolutely loved this book. It was quirky and fun and full of love, romance and slap stick comedy.

This was readable but not really enough original material to grip me so I read it very slowly over a period of 2 weeks. I liked the setting; the writing was fine, but I found the premise irritatingly contrived. As a romcom movie this might work better in terms of pace.

The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent a fantastic five-star read. This one will have you wanting to run away to Skye, it’s a place in Scotland I have wanted to visit and somehow never managed, despite spending much time in Scotland over the years, this has just reinvigorated my push to visit once I am able. There are some crazy but likeable and funny characters in this story, especially Birdy, I didn’t always like her but there was something about her. If you are looking for laugh out loud funny, with a heart then pick this one up.

This wasn't my usual kind of book, it was more chick lit or holiday read than I would usually choose but I found it hard to put down in a will they wont they kind of way. Some of the story lines and the premise behind it I found a little unbelievable and the ending felt as though it was awaiting a sequel but on a rainy lockdown 2 weekend it provided a perfect level of escapism and easy enjoyment and I would definitely recommend it to friends who like these kind of books.

If you are looking for a book that will make you laugh, but also reflect, this is the book for you.

Have you ever thought about starting over somewhere new, a second chance? Birdy not only thought about it, she acted on it and took Heather's sommelier summer job in Scotland, as Heather had decided to decline it and go to Italy instead with her 'boyfriend'. Surely this is a recipe for disaster, as Birdy doesn't know anything about wines?!!

A really fun read, but at the same time will address topics such as alcoholism, trust in friendship and finding one's path.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin/ Viking for my digital ARC in exchange of a honest review.

I loved this book! An unusual storyline set in beautiful scenery - I want to stay in that hotel.
I was cringing in anticipation of Birdy’s next mishap. Brilliant

While the premise is charming, the setting beautiful, I found myself wishing for more at the beginning. The latter half of the book, however, when Birdy really takes it upon herself to step up, saves me and this book. The writing really steps into its own, and the plot really breathes.

Tim is unlikeable, but I love that he is. It shows the progression of Birdy from settling to actually going for what she wants. Which is nice, and made the book more enjoyable as we really saw a true arc of a character.

The writer balances light and airy, with serious tones. The alcoholism is dealt with cautiously with care, and I found a credit to the author for exploring those themes.

I think the book had scenes which did nothing to the plot, particularly at the beginning, and had a effect on my enjoyment and my rating. However, it’s a fun holiday read, and didn’t enter “too-serious” waters it couldn’t get out of.

I rated this 3 out of 5.

I’m so grateful for NetGalley and Penguin for allowing me the chance to read.

This book was OK. Not great but readable. There is nothing wrong with the books but I just didn't find it that gripping.

Birdy flits through life by the seat of her pants; never fully committing to a relationship, never sticking with a job and never taking anything too seriously. The only anchor in her life is her best friend Heather, who has uncharacteristically decided to turn down a job and head off to Italy with her boyfriend. This leaves Birdy in a jam; she has nowhere to live over the Summer, no job and no money. She decides to impersonate Heather and take up her role as a sommelier at a remote Scottish hotel. She knows nothing about wine, has no clothes for the Scottish weather but it can't be that hard, can it?

This light-hearted and somewhat comical start belies the emotional core at the heart of this book. It's a story about love, loyalty, friendship, family and trust. It made me laugh, cringe in embarrassment, cry and ultimately filled me with hope. Birdy is a great character, and although her attitude that 'it's easier to ask for forgiveness than seek permission' at the start infuriated me, as I learned more about her I just wanted to give her a big hug and some words of encouragement.

I really loved this book and would like to thank the publishers and Net Galley for the advance copy in return for an honest review.