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.

‘The Summer Job’ was an awesome read — exactly what I needed to get me out of my reading slump! It was thoughtful and so enjoyable. The concept was entirely unique, I’ve not read anything like it before.

Lizzy Dent writes amazingly well, I quickly found myself immersed in the world of “Heather” and found myself not wanting to leave it, even after the story ended! One thing I’ll mention is that I did find myself forgetting the real name of the main character (even now it escapes me), but I think that is sort of the point because as a reader, even I was convinced at times that she was a real sommelier.

‘The Summer Job’ is the perfect novel to take you away from mundane normal life. It’s part winter warmer and part beach read. I can’t fault it really.

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.

Ideal escapist reading.

Birdy Finch is twenty-nine years old, newly jobless, and soon to be homeless when her life long friend announces she had sublet their shared flat for the summer. Heather had planned to spend the summer working in a Scottish hotel, instead, she runs off to Italy with her boyfriend.

When mistaken for Heather, a highly trained and respected sommelier, Birdy thinks that the abandoned job in Scotland will provide her with work and somewhere to live while Heather is in Italy.

Without telling Heather and anticipating the time she worked in a bar be enough experience for this summer job, she arrives to find the expected rundown hotel at Loch Dorn is in fact a newly renovated luxury country house with high dining catering for wealthy clientèle.

Unfortunately taking on Heather's identity means having an expert knowledge of all wines and Birdie only seems to know white from red. It's only Birdie's excellent people skills that prevent her from discovery as disaster follows disaster. Being unmasked as a fraud will even put the hotel at risk in their first season. Plus the real Heather's professional reputation is at stake,

Very funny, sometimes embarrassingly, perfect escapist reading during lockdown times.

ARC generously supplied by NetGalley, this review is my honest opinion and completely unbiased.

If you didn’t know this was a debut novel for Lizzy Dent you would never know.
The Summer Job takes us on a journey of lies and deceit built around a cunning plan created by main character Birdy. Little does Birdy know though that this journey of deceit will open a Pandora’s box of truths and secrets.
The first third of the book was light and almost fluffy however as the book progresses what we get is a solid, well written work of fiction. It’s an easy read but that in no way means it lacks substance. From about 35% I was hooked and had to get to the end. A brilliant debut offering from Lizzy Dent.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for this arc copy.

Birdy is a bit adrift in life, her career and love life stalling, so she pretends to be her hugely successful Sommelier friend Heather for the summer in a Scottish restaurant. Birdy is a fun, likeable character who you root for to come out on top! Is this book going to set the literary world alight? No. But it’s still an easy, enjoyable read with the required happy ending.

The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent

Birdy pretends to be her best friend Heather in order to take up a summer job at a luxury Scottish hotel but soon finds out she's bitten off a bit more than she can chew!

I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down! It's witty and fresh, filled with fabulously drawn characters, and so entertaining that I didn't want it to end. The author manages to interweave some very serious subjects into the story, along with romance, humour and a really good plot. In fact the book is so vivid I could imagine it as a film. Very highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I decided to read this book because it said that it is for fans of The Flatshare and I can definitely say, if you like that book, then you most likely to enjoy this one too.
This story for me didn't keep me that engaged at the beginning. The writing felt a little strained at the beginning but did settle down fairly quickly.
I think Dent did an amazing job of creating her characters. Everyone was developed very well and I would say that the characters are the main reason that I enjoyed this book.
I would say that where it fell a bit flat for me was the main character, Birdy. She just kept making awful decisions. While this is in keeping with her character, there was almost no respite. Due to this, I felt rather stressed throughout the majority of the book, wondering when she was going to do something else that was going to land her in trouble or wondering when everyone was going to find out that she wasn't who she said she was.
The ending also felt a little rushed. I did love the ending and I think that Dent worked everything together very well. It just needed a bit more time spent on it in my opinion because it would have been nice to see a little bit of the work that Birdy did to redeem all the things that she did. It felt rather strange after all the worrying that everything just suddenly cleared up and everyone seemed to like her again.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book. It was nice to read about such an interesting premise, even if I was worrying about Birdy the whole time!

*Review will be posted on my blog closer to publication*

The Summer Job offers the perfect dose of escapism, striking the ideal balance of lighthearted humour, mistaken identity hijinks as well as moments with real heart which brings it all together. If you’re looking for a quick, absorbing read and feel like doing a little armchair travelling to the beautiful Scottish coast then look no further. I think books like this one are what we need in tough times and with the whole lockdown in the UK, I have to say this book took me away for an evening and it was a welcome little journey.

This is the first time I’ve read any of Lizzy Dent’s work, after doing a little research I found that she’s written some Y/A novels before but this is her first adult novel and I for one, loved her writing style. The story is very easy to get into and this is largely to do with Birdy being an earnest and likeable if slightly scattered protagonist. There were definitely times where I suffered some serious second hand embarrassment on her behalf and had to read through my fingers but I couldn’t stop reading despite this. I liked that Birdy is a character who doesn’t have her life together, and feels like a real, flawed person and also goes through demonstrable growth and change. I always root for an underdog and when we first meet her, she’s down on her luck and needs something to change so I was rooting for her.

The bulk of the plot centers around Birdy faking it till she makes it at the newly renovated Scottish hotel, where she has a lot on her plate and pretending to be a world renowned wine expert is the least of her problems. As well as having to pretend she knows what she’s doing, a baptism of fire if you will, she has a burgeoning attraction to James, a sensitive and attractive chef working at the restaurant. I thought the romance was cute enough in this book but not something which was a major draw for me, I was more into Birdy’s journey as a character and on edge wondering when her lies would catch up with her.

As well as the more lighthearted parts of the novel, where there are jokes and innuendos aplenty, the novel also had moments of unexpected depth which added another layer to the book. In particular there are depictions of Birdy’s neglectful parents, her father’s substance abuse issues and the gaslighting she faced which was so well done. I feel like Dent did a good job at interweaving these more serious issues into the plot and helps a reader understand Birdy’s struggles with relationships and intimacy so much. I also appreciated that unlike many other books I’ve read where the protagonist has abusive parents, Birdy chooses to stop contact with them and recognises that they don’t actually deserve another chance due to their continuing harmful influence.. I think too often in books and other media, abusive characters get a magic pass and get forgiven too easily which irks me so much.

Overall, The Summer Job was an ultimately enjoyable and touching read, which will be sure to take you away from the hum drum for a little while. I would recommend this to fans of other contemporary romances like The Flatshare or Beach Read.