Elizabeth "Birdy" Finch takes a summer job at a luxury Scottish hotel pretending to be her best friend, Heather. But Heather is an up-and-coming sommelier while Birdy can barely tell the difference between a Merlot and a Cabernet. Still, she gives it a go. But as she keep up the pretence, she finds herself falling for James, a chef at the hotel, and falling further from the truth.

This book is a fun one, as a case of mistaken identity usually always is. I knew from the premise alone that it would be the kind of rom-com that's ideal for the summertime. And after reading, I'm sure this is also the kind of book that would be just as fun on the screen. The story starts straight away, no page is wasted as Birdy arrives at the hotel and is thrown into the chaos of a chef's kitchen.

The Summer Job has a nice depth that grounds its fluffier parts. Birdy is a relatable and likeable character, so it’s very easy to connect with her and her challenges. Her friendship with Heather is also really uplifting, and balances really well with the darker layers of Birdy’s past.

However, I did struggle with the pace and repetitiveness. Especially in the lighter, more comedic, parts of the book. I found myself constantly cringing at the way Birdy handled a lot of situations. Some parts felt awkward rather than suspenseful. Sadly, this meant I wanted to skip whole paragraphs to avoid reading. Similarly, I didn't sense chemistry between Birdy and James, so love romantic narrative fell quite flat. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't swoon-worthy. It’s easy to invest in Birdy, but not so much her love story.

Still, The Summer Job a fun dive into the chaotic world of hospitality, and a funny fictional distraction. With an amusing plot, likable characters and an idyllic setting, it would make the perfect poolside read.

The Summer Job is a summer read with heart and plenty of humour.

Birdy really grew on me as a main protagonist. Sure, she's mouthy and reckless, but in her own way she is intent on trying her best. I think on some level we can all relate to imposter-syndrome (although hopefully not to the extent of stealing your best friend's identity!), so I couldn't help but root for her as she desperately tried to keep those plates spinning.

The Summer Job is fun and flirty but far more than just a rom-com - it's a millennial bildungsroman and a touching portrayal of the importance of found family.

Birdy Finch (Elizabeth) has a family but not an inheritance, and nor a steady job. Her friend, Heather, a trained sommelier, seems to have everything she doesn't have. She occasionally poses as Heather to paries or concerts that Heather can't attend. But when Heather decides to not take up a job in Scotland and instead go to Europe with her boyfriend, Birdy decides to be Heather and live her life. She know nothing about wines, she has a lot of responsibilities and she also seems to be falling for a handsome man who know her as — well — Heather!

What I enjoyed :
The food scenes! Lots of cooking, setting up tables, wine talk, memorising wines. Quite a lovely vacation read because the laid back life made me crave a holiday trip and some reading on sunny days. The book also deals with heavier topics of alcoholism and neglect.

What I didn't enjoy:
This is marketed as the next The Flatshare — don't think so. It isn't as funny or lively but it does tell a good story. Readers should go into the book expecting a good story, and not with a bias that it will be like The Flatshare.I also wish this was edited to a shorter length — which definitely would've made it a crisper read — because some scenes did not contribute to the plot or character development

This author was not known to me when I saw this book advertised. The cover didn’t really grab my attention, but we all know the age-old advice of not judging books by covers!

I started reading and was immediately hooked. The author’s writing style was brilliant. I loved her descriptions and character traits. I absolutely loved Birdy. Finally, a main female character who is normal, a bit of a failure with a history of rubbish jobs and rubbish men. Her dialogue was quite coarse, but this really emphasised her character and personality.

The storyline was good. I’ve read a few similar stories of ‘pretending to be someone else’ etc, but this was great. The Scottish backdrop was lovely, and I enjoyed the chemistry between Birdy and James.

Many books now claim to be ‘laugh out loud funny’ and simply raise a smile from the reader. However, this is the first book that I’ve actually laughed out loud at. I won’t do spoilers, but it was near the start of the book when Birdy was remembering insults she’d received!

Overall, a fab read, one that kept me hooked from start to finish.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚

This was a cute read, although it did spike my stress levels quite a few times! While being incredibly predictable, the story was still able to remain frothy and enjoyable. This book is sure to appeal to readers of Beth O'Leary and Sophie Kinsella.

‘Heather’ who is really Elizabeth Finch, aka Birdy, stands in for best friend sommelier Heather while she finds ‘ true love’ in Italy. I mean, how hard can it be???!!! Birdy expects to finds a run down no hopes of a hotel in Scotland where she can easily blag her way through but instead finds a swanky two star Michelin turreted dream. Help!!!

The premise is crazy, right??? Birdy takes a crash course in wine and blunders around and you can’t help but love her! She has her issues growing up so there’s much more to her character than meets the eye. There are some fantastic characters in this entertaining and easy read such as easy on the eye chef James and his mother Irene and there’s a couple to loathe in odious Tim, Birdy’s ex who irritates and annoys the life out of me. The Scottish setting is gorgeous and makes a wonderful picture in my minds eye. There are some lovely descriptions to match the landscape. The storytelling has some good elements to it, it’s funny at times with some witty banter and it’s poignant at others. As it progresses it is clear it’s a search for belonging, to find a place and people to whom you belong and just be you. I love the ending which is really feel good.

Overall, it’s the character of Birdy that elevates this read. She’s smart, she’s funny, she’s a blagger, she’s a very hard worker and she cares! James isn’t half bad either!!! An enjoyable book.

3.5 rounded up.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House/Viking for the arc for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It described Scotland beautifully and made me want to go there. The characters were well portrayed. I would recommend it.

I would describe this book as a holiday read. Unfortunately I read it in the lockdown of November 2020!
It took me a while to get in to it. Birdy annoyed me. What made her think she could pull off pretending to be a highly acclaimed sommelier when I am sure she doesn’t know her Lambrini from her Chateauneuf Du Pape - fortunately I stuck with the book and it became more about the supporting characters and the beautiful scenery and food descriptions.
This book certainly wasn’t what I expected and I think that has had an influence on how I have reviewed it. I think it would be more suited to a teen/young adult audience than women’s fiction.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

The Summer Job is like a giant stress dream - but with added humour and the perfect romance. I loved it.

I started this book thinking it would be a light read but found it hard to get into at first, with an annoying main character Birdy, who was immature, silly and had very few redeeming qualities. The character arc was good though as she developed into a character you could sympathise with. I still had issues with how little she knew about wine and food, although that was probably because, although no expert, I know enough about those two subjects that her lack of knowledge made me cringe. I had to push that aside to enjoy the book, which I did by the end. Perhaps a younger person would be able to identify with her more easily!

I initially thought this book was a fluffy chick lit that would be a quick and easy read. It was definitely all of those things, and I did enjoy it once I had accepted that the set of events would never happen (at least I hope not...!) in real life. Character development was a little on the slower side for me, and I felt some characters had so much more to give (Bill, for example), but my heart was in my mouth towards the end. I would give this book 3.5 stars if half stars were possible, but I've rounded up :) The biggest sticking point for me was the improbability of the whole thing, and the suggestion that googling could replace years of training did annoy me a little, but I could picture the setting perfectly, and, although I don't think I'd read it again, I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a fluffy holiday read.

As usual in my reviews I won't go into the finer details of the plot - you'll have to read it for yourself!

This is apparently Lizzy Dent's debut novel - I wouldn't have guessed that as she's produced an entertaining read with some great characters. Birdy is an intriguing mixture of crazy extrovert and hidden soft centre; I also really liked Irene, Bill and Roxy.

Plot-wise, well some sections are definitely a little unlikely, but once you suspend your disbelief at the level of deception, it works just fine.

From reading the first part of the book, you expect a light and fluffy read (which would be fine, it's great to read some lighter novels in these dark times!), but the writing in the later sections of the book goes over and above that and draws you in so that you care what happens to the cast of characters (well most of them anyway!)

I'll happily read future novels by this author - well done on a great debut!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

I’ve seen so much hype for this book on social media so I was thrilled to get my hands on an advance copy. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but I will say it was incredible! It lived up to the hype, was quirky and 100% a page turner. This book has best seller written all over it.

A great story so full of lies and deceit but in a really good way. Thoroughly enjoyable, very predictable ending but it didn't take away from how great the story was

Elizabeth 'Birdy' Finch and Heather Jones have been best friends since they were children. When Heather turns down a job offer as a sommelier in a run-down Scottish hotel, Birdy sees no problem in taking the job herself...as Heather. How long can she keep up the charade, especially as she gets to know the staff and becomes more invested in the hotel's success.

I laughed, I cried and I fell in love with the Scottish West Coast. The characterisation was excellent, all the characters were well-rounded and relatable. The book felt like a light, easy read but there was enough romance, humour, suspense and 'real' issues to keep me turning the pages.

I would definitely recommend this one and read more by the same author.

I really enjoyed this book. It’ tells of Birdy who pretends to be her best friend, so that she can get a summer, rent free in remote Scotland.
Of course, there is a love interest and some quirky characters along the way but I love the authors use of their past to see what was missing in their lives.
A sense of belonging is so important, and you can see how the group of people come together and help each other along.
What I really liked about it, was the last four or five chapters. Some books, you know there will be an uncomfortable crescendo before the happy ending, but this avoided that cliche I think.
Honesty wins through and it’s a very satisfying end.
I would highly recommend this book as a good novel, easy to read and light.

Set in Scotland, The Summer Job revels in that space of awkward comedy - it's been compared to Fleabag and Bridesmaids - that at times made me laugh, and at others made me cringe. If you're interested in wine or what a Sommelier does, then this might be the contemporary rom-com you're looking for. I was underwhelmed - for me it was missing that pop, that fizz, that sparkle - but it would make a great beach read.

I was instantly reminded of comedy films where the main character masquerades as someone else to comical effect. In such a film the masquerade always becomes more complicated and you know it’s going to backfire! This felt very similar! Birdy Finch is jobless and soon to be homeless and her boyfriend is definitely not even a friend. Heather is a highly regarded sommelier and Becky’s childhood friend. Heather asks Becky to turn down a summer job offer she has received as she hasn’t got time to make the call and she’s dashing off to Italy with her flaky boyfriend! Birdy sees an instant remedy for her current problems. How hard can it be to be a sommelier for 3 months at a tacky hotel? Only it isn’t tacky, it’s relaunching as a swanky stay and a long wine list and a degustation menu will be part of the attraction. Birdy masquerading as Heather knows nothing of wine! This is a really lovely and enjoyable read! Birdy is a fascinating and entertaining character with a sharp sense of humour, a big heart, a tendency to scrapes and a family history which has left her vulnerable, lacking confidence and painfully hard on herself. I really wasn’t sure about this at the start - some of Birdy’s comedy was a little crude for me, but I’m so glad I kept going because I loved it! This is really such an original read - the Scottish setting, the cast of characters, the lovely humour combined with a deeply poignant reflection on alcoholism, abusive childhood and the power of friendship. There’s also a beautifully plotted emerging romance, with chemistry that jumps off the page. Birdy Finch draws the reader right in, fascinated to discover how she is going to carry this off! I felt myself rooting for her and willing her a happy ending! Cheers! Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin General U.K. for a great read.

I really enjoyed this book, perfect length and kept me wanting to read more. I really liked how the characters were portrayed all with their own quirks

I thoroughly enjoyed this light-hearted escapist novel, particularly due to the wonderfully hilarious main character, Birdy. I didn't remember much about the synopsis going in and so didn't have much expectations for it, but I think this just helped me to enjoy it even more. It was predictable (apart from one twist at the end) but it would be the perfect summer holiday read.