Heather has fallen in love… again. She’s off to Italy to try and make things work, leaving behind her best friend Elizabeth Finch, aka Birdy, to deal with telling her job she won’t be making it after all. After a case of mistaken identity at the Wine Awards, Birdy decides it wouldn’t be so big a deal to head out to the run-down Loch Dorn Hotel and take Heather’s spot for the summer. How hard can it really be to be a sommelier - you just have to like wine, right?

She arrives at Loch Dorn to find it newly renovated and run by a fancy chef with not one, but two, Michelin stars. As you can imagine, hijinks ensue as she tries to fake-it-til-she-makes-it. Birdy’s story is less of a romance and more of a coming-of-age novel for all those women in their early 30’s who haven’t really figured things out yet. The beautiful Scottish setting, lovable characters, touch of romance, and some excellent wine make this a fabulous read, although not necessarily the “light and fluffy” beach read I was expecting.

This book is a delight. It seems like it will be a light and fluffy romcom but it has substance and is about more than the romance. It's also about family, friendship, acceptance and forgiveness (for yourself most of all). As a bonus, the descriptions of food, wine, and Scotland made for a perfect trip when we can't really travel! Highly recommend.

What is not to love about The Summer Job? A novel filled with half-stolen identities, lots and lots of wine, impeccable food and set on the coast in Scotland, with a hot chef, The Summer Job was a delightful read. Birdy is lost. She’s in London, kind-of dating, no job and suddenly without a home when her bff, Heather heads out with her current fling. On a whim, Birdy decides to pretend to “be” Heather, a renowned Sommelier, at an inn and restaurant in Scotland, Loch Dorn. Birdy knows next to nothing about wine and finds that Loch Dorn is a lot more swanky than she imagined and they are depending on her pulling her weight. Determined not to be distracted by the chef’s looks or charm, Birdy can’t help but gravitate towards James. The Summer Job really has it all. I was both super frustrated and also sympathetic to Birdy and her “situation.” Her tenacious personality was certainly commendable and her heart made her a loveable character. I wish we had a little more depth into the “real” Heather and am actually hoping that author Lizzy Dent gives us her own story one day! The Summer Job easily earns 4 stars from me!!

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lying with good intentions, is the premise of this book. It is good fun though. I enjoyed Scotland and Birdy figuring her life out. It definitely kept me engaged. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

Fun read. A bit predictable, but right now I want nice, light books that are fun to read and have happy endings. This book hit those requirements for me.

This is a story based on a lie but filled with good intentions. This meant that more layers of lies had to be laid down to cover the big one and before too long Birdy finds herself immersed in an alternative reality.

Heather can’t attend a wi e event so she gives her ticket to her roommate Birdy. What could go wrong? Birdy is mistaken for Heather and ends up taking a job meant for Heather in the Scottish highland. But, she hasn’t told Heather. Can she get away with it for the summer? Can she pass herself off as a sommelier? Could she really escape her life and be someone else for awhile? A story of friendship and Birdy’s journey to find herself.

The Summer Job was a really fun read. This would be a great beach read or even escapist read during the Covid-19 pandemic. Birdy is a really likable character who has no options left and has to lie her way into a job that she is in no way qualified for. The setting of this book is terrific, it is always fun to read about the behind the scenes of the restaurant industry. I am not sure how realistic it is that she would have been able to pass for this position due to her absolute lack of knowledge re: wines. Yet it made for a fun read.
In some areas, the book could have been better edited, it was a bit long.
However it really was a fun read and would be an easy hand sell/book talk to readers.

Thanks for the opportunity to preview this book
3 1/2 stars

Thank you Putnam Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC and the opportunity to read and review early.

Have you ever envisioned swapping lives with a friend – and then done it? But… your friend doesn’t know you’ve swapped. You’ve just gone and accepted a job offer – as a sommelier – at a Scottish hotel. So, this book 😂 I had a lot of feelings while reading this one, but I ended up loving it. (As a wine enthusiast, I was shouting at the protagonist Birdy for the first third of the book.)

Content warnings: this book does unpack some heavier topics such as abandonment, childhood trauma, gaslighting, and abuse.

Utterly charming and escapist. A recommended purchase for collections where lighter women's fiction is popular.

I love this premise and the author delivered on it so well. Such an engaging, funny, and real read! Would definitely recommend!

How hard could it be to be a sommelier? Turns out it's a lot more difficult than you might think. Birdy's barely making rent when her friend Heather tells her that she's ditching a sommelier gig in Scotland to spend the summer with her new boyfriend. Birdy is supposed to call and cancel for her - but where's the fun in that? So Birdy decides to masquerade as Heather for this summer job, resulting in comedy, romance and even some personal growth.

This book is being marketed as Beach Read meets Sweetbitter, and those comparisons are pretty accurate. The Summer Job takes readers behind the curtain of the upscale restaurant business through a young protagonist learning the ropes, like Sweetbitter did, but the story here is lighter in tone, like Beach Read. Birdy was a great character to get to know - with some hilarious one-liners - and I liked seeing her grow and succeed in the job as she put her mind to it. The other characters in Scotland rounded out the story well with a bit of romance and intrigue. I can tell a lot of people will enjoy this book on their summer vacations next year.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to have the opportunity to review an advanced copy of The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent. This book was as fun and bubbly as Champagne with the depth of a fancy red wine that your parents have on special occasions. This cover really sums up the book beautifully! Let me back up and give some background. Birdy is living in London trying to figure out she's doing with her life and facing the prospect of having to move back home with her parents or trying to stay with a cousin who hates her because she can't afford London living. When her best friend since childhood, Heather, decides to blow off a summer job to follow love to Italy. Heather hates disappointing people and asks Birdy to cancel the job for her. Instead of canceling Birdy does what every woman who has watched a romcom would do and decides to become Heather for the summer and take this job in Scotland. There's just one problem with this plan; Heather is a trained sommelier and Birdy doesn't even like wine.

I loved seeing Birdy find herself in Scotland and figure out how to do this job. As one would hope, there was a wonderful love interest. I really enjoyed seeing Birdy work through her own issues and self doubts with the help of her hotel family. There was even a tiny bit of mystery at the end which I always love. Dent is a really funny writer and gave a special voice to Birdy. She feels relatable and hair-brained in the most fun way.

TL;DR: This book is great definitely buy when you want something GOOD to read.

Normally I find myself getting annoyed at novels with this kind of premise, but I found myself mostly empathetic for Birdy and her situation. What she did was obviously wrong, but she tried her hardest once she realized what was at stake. I also liked the descriptions of the Scottish countryside.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun book to read!
When I read the description I must had to read this.
The more you dive into this book the better you'll love it.
This was a cute, funny, romance novel.
I enjoyed so much!
Thanks NetGalley Publisher and Author for this E-arc!