While this was a fun and enjoyable book from start to finish, there are some issues with the plot coming across as overly contrived. The basic premise, for instance, asks us to assume a good friend would assume your identity and take a job originally offered to you, but then the reader is still expected to root for this particular friend. I learned quite a bit about the hospitality and restaurant industry (as does the main character) and found the tidbits to be fascinating while also adding to the story's validity. A perfect summer read!

3.5 stars

The best part - Ive always wanted to visit Skye in Scotland and this was a good introduction. And the wine talk. Otherwise, eh.

Very mixed feelings on Birdy - wanting to find purpose and do her best, but really just screwing up. James and all the hotel staff, also doing their best but not sticking up for the changes of the place and against Russell.

Fantastic final page.

Fantastic romantic read that gives readers knowledge of various wines and delicious Scottish meals. Love how Elizabeth steps in for her friend to work at the job Heather turns down and discovers things about herself that she didn’t know about before. Also enjoyed the chemistry between James and Elizabeth. Kudos to Lizzy Dent for this stupendous read.

The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent was such a fun read. It was on the lighter side and did not explore a ton of in depth themes, which was fine with me. It transported me to a new place every time I picked it up. I know little about wine country in Scotland and the imagery that Dent was able to create made me feel like I was there. I do love wine and that was an added bonus. I read this book with my in person bookclub and the discussion were mostly centered around the plot and also the relatability of the characters.

I would be SO curious to have a book from Heather (the friend's) point of view while she is in Italy with her sleezy boyfriend. If that is something Dent wrote, I would definitely pick it up.

This was a perfectly acceptable book. No long term feelings attached, I just happened to read better books at the same time.

This was such a fun romcom and I enjoyed these characters so much. The setting was adorable and added so much more to this story. I loved the comedy in this book, there were so many laugh out loud moments and I had an absolute blast reading this by the pool. This book was a fun and excellent read!

A delightful book full of adventure, action, and thrills. Fun to read, engrossing world building, and very descriptive imagery made it feel like it was cinematic. It's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. Would recommend.

I tried to read this book but it just didnt hold my attention. I thought the premise was a great one but I ended up skimming a lot of it.

This book was an entertaining escape! While there were definitely some cringy elements (the main character is pretty selfish and also seemed to make her new coworkers uncomfortable with innuendos and flirting) , I couldn’t help but become invested in her story and already miss the whole cast of characters. A perfect summer read (or cozy winter read on the couch)! I will definitely check out Lizzy Dent’s next book. Thanks to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
3.5

I love fake relationships in romance but this has a friend swap which is fun! Love the restaurant aspect and rom com vibes as well

I’m sorry, DNF. I couldn’t get into the book and didn’t really like the heroine. Didn’t want to know what was going to happen when everyone found out she was lying to them the whole time.

I enjoyed this one! I was drawn to the cover but the pages kept me entertained. I struggled a bit to connect to the characters, but the overall depth and storyline (and wine) was great.

This was just really lovely and summery and flowery! Can never imagine being in that scenario, but it was a good example of how to prove to yourself you can do something.

This was the perfect summer escape. Not only did I learn about wine, but also got to escape for a few hours into the countryside.

The characters were fun and loveable. I look forward to see what the author writes tackles next.

Wouldn’t we all like to run away and pretend to be someone else for awhile? Birdy does exactly this. Impersonating a sommelier is pretty harmless. It was fun to see the main character begin to take her responsibilities seriously and really try to learn about wine. There’s a bit of romance, some fun characters, some personal development and growing up for a few characters - overall it was a fun read that would make perfect beach reading. I was even motivated to pick up one of my wine books to do a little research. I definitely recommend having a nice glass of wine nearby while reading this one!

Author Emily Henry recommend this book so I just knew I had to read it myself! It was fun and the perfect summer read!

I love a good summer beach read, and this book has so many of the qualities that make a great one. Escaping to a Scottish estate? Yes please.

Many folks are going to love this one. I just couldn't stop wanting to yell at the main character Lizzie's choices in the deception she chose in taking her friend's job as a sommelier without telling her.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

This was a cute and fun read. A super easy beach read. I liked the characters and enjoyed the banter. I would read another book by Lizzy Dent.

I loved every second of reading this book, honestly couldn't put it down. It was just the kind of entertaining read I needed.

This book was the perfect summer read. I love the premise, the hijinks of pretending to be a sommelier. This book was a delight. The audio was excellent.