Cover Image: The Summer Job

The Summer Job

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Member Reviews

Loved this book for all the wine references, the insight into how a posh hotel really works and the sassy main character. A brilliant story!

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A fun easy read perfect for a summer holiday. I really enjoyed reading about Birdy, a normal everyday woman, who decides to pretend to be her best friend at an upmarket Scottish hotel. Birdy takes on the role of sommelier, knowing absolutely nothing about wine, and also manages to catch the eye of the chef at the hotel. Sweet, fun and not too cutesy, a really enjoyable read.

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I think we can all identify with the main character, Birdy, and the feeling of just getting out of here when life takes an inevitable downward slope. But most of us don’t actually jump, even when we really want to. And even more most of us don’t then impersonate our best friend doing a job that requires skill and talent on the back of zero training! (And then pull it off)
So if you can suspend your disbelief and just emerge yourself in the story, letting the joyful writing and required love story wrap you in joy, you will love this easy ready book and its lovely characters.

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A really solid addition to the genre; reliable, if a little predictable in places. Would recommend if you know what you want from this sort of book, as it definitely delivers that.

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I'm sorry for the delay in this review- I had started it and wasn't enjoying it so put it on hold until I was in a better mindset.
I then tried the book again, and although I enjoyed it slightly more, I still wasn't really keen and ultimately DNFed it. I found Birdy to be very unlikeable and although I don't mind not liking a character, I found her to be very irritating and a bit of a chancer. I thought her friend was a bit ridiculous too (having Birdy turn down her job)- but I still found the deception storyline a bit much.

I liked Lizzy Dent's writing style so I would happily read another book by her, but ultimately this was a no from me.

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A laugh out loud story with a heartwarming cast of characters. Birdy pretends to be someone else to have a break and start a new job in a hotel in the highlands but she hasn’t told her best friend Heather. Can she survive the summer pretending to be Heather?
The hotel is meant to be run down and a summer jaunt but this is not what Birdy finds.
Instead she finds an upmarket, exclusive place with big ambitions.. The story had a lot more depth then I expected and we find out all about Birdys childhood.
Birdy begins to feel part of the family’ but how long will it take to get caught?
This is such a great debut novel and I’ll definitely be looking out for this authors new books.

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The Summer Job was an enjoyable and easy read, filled with warmth and humour. I loved the setting and the character of Birdy. However, while it was a fun read it wasn't a stand out for me in this genre.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

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This was a fun easy read and I liked it most of the time - well written, fund characters and good storyline. But for me there was just too much swearing and it spoilt the story for me - less is more and the majority of it was totally unnecessary. .

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I thought this book was fun and lighthearted. It definitely meets the romcom mindset expectations but somehow it still fell short for me. Can’t pinpoint what exactly, because I really enjoyed the beginning, especially seeing Birdy struggle with her double life, but it took me longer to go through the chapters and eventually finish it. I just didn’t feel too invested in the characters either. Still a nice fun read overall.

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Great fun book I loved the main character Birdy and all the scrapes she got into by living a lie! Warmhearted and humorous it is the perfect book for whiling away a summer's afternoon especially with the lovely Scottish setting

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I know I'm late to the 'Summer Job' party but I'm here eventually!

This was a bit different from what I was expecting tbh but despite this it was an okay read and definitely filled a few dreich hours.

With this in mind, Lizzie Dent is certainly on my 'to look out for' author list.

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When Birdy’s best friend pulls out of a job opportunity in the beautiful Scotland Highlands she has an idea. What if she were to go in Heather’s place for the summer. The question is can she pretend to be her best friend for the summer without anyone noticing?

Overall I found it a light-hearted, slow burn, easy to read story that kept me engaged throughout and at times had me laughing out loud. It was such a fun read and I learnt so many lessons on how to think on your feet.

I want to thank Penguin UK and Netgalley for generously providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Birdy takes her best friends place as a sommelier in a beautiful picturesque location.

I found this to be written very well, clever and comedic and I am keen to read more from this author in the future.

I liked the chemistry and heat between leads.

This book found me at a time when I was unable to be fully present with this story, so check it out for yourself.

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Absolutely loved this book - so feel good and uplifting with a great cast of characters. Will definitely be reading more from this author!

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I loved The Summer Job! It was the perfect escapist read - enough detail about the location and the job to really transport you and the characters are loveable, with just enough believability and warmth to have you rooting for them all! I want to go to Scotland and drink wine! All books should be this uplifting - 100 stars!

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Marvellous, fun, hilarious and filled with brilliant and lovely characters. Plus a lobster or two and a lot of wine.

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Great read! Funny and light with juicy twists. A great book to take on holiday or for a spot of light reading, great mood lifter.

Would highly recommend giving it a go if you have a few hours.

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This was a fun read for most of the time. The frequent use of swear words added nothing to the story and spoilt it for me..

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This is a story of a girl and her best friend, family, relationships and growing up, The majority of the story is set on the West coast of Scotland at a new luxury hotel. You are immediately thrown into the plot. I never quite grew to like the characters very much as they seemed to be a little indulgent or self-loathing, and I couldn’t connect much with them. Overall, it was a decent story with some predictable twists.

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Ever dig a hole for yourself that just got deeper and deeper? Well, Birdy Finch did that when she decided to impersonate her best friend Heather.
After sommelier Heather decides that she wants to go to Europe with her boyfriend instead of starting a new job in Scotland, Birdy decides to take the job instead, without Heather's knowledge. Birdy pretends to be a reknowned sommelier despite having no knowledge of wine.
This book was more than just funny, cringe-worthy antics and situations. It was also a journey of Birdy's self-discovery after having a fractured past and flitting from one job to another.

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