I absolutely loved the setting of this book! Scotland is always a win for me. Just imagining the accents in my head makes me swoon!

Birdy, the protagonist, decides to take on her wine-expert friend Heather’s identity and work at a Scottish hotel. You can probably guess how that goes because Birdy is definitely not a wine expert! But what I loved most was her determination to push through the challenges, making her journey a delight to read.

Birdy’s character feels so relatable. While most of us haven’t swapped identities and moved to another country, the theme of self-discovery is universal. Plus, haven’t we all wondered what it might be like to live someone else’s life for a bit?

This adorable rom com explores self-discovery, personal growth, found family (my personal favorite), deception, and romance. With a perfect mix of humor and heart, this story is a delight from start to finish.

It’s definitely a feel-good book and an ideal choice for a beach read!

Thank you @netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for an eARC copy, which I’ve read and reviewed voluntarily.

I appreciate the chance to read this book and thank the publisher for the ARC but I have since being approved discovered this author is not for me. If I choose to read this later I will amend this review.

Pulled this out of my #netgalleyarc #slushpile and was pleasantly surprised at this cute romance novel. Birdy decides to take #thesummerjob her #sommelier friend Heather no longer wants. Problem is she knows nothing about wine. Turns out Heather had a reason for finding the summer job at a small Scottish resort and now Birdy has to figure out how to make things right after screwing up Heather’s life. A ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book when you want a fun, quick #scottishromancenovel. 📚📚📚 #netgalley #netgalleyreads #my2024readingchallenge #bookstagram #bookrecommendations

I was drawn to the cover and thought this would be a fun read. I did like the concept of finally finding a place where you belong. And I thought Birdy was funny and kind of endearing in a hot mess kind of way. But overall, it was slow, predictable, and kind of boring. It probably would appeal more to you if you are a wine lover.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this eARC.

I always love a book that revolves around a strong woman trying to make something of herself by herself. The Summer Job was just that. Birdy and Heather have been best friends for a long time. When Heather decides to give up a summer job at a restaurant and a sommelier to follow her heart, Birdy decides to step in as Heather--even though she has no clue about wine other than drinking it. This story was so cute and funny, but it also showed how hard it is to find where we fit and what is right for us. Loved it!

Might have read this one at the wrong time or the subject isn't to my taste, should have known by the cover. I am not a wine drinker, don't really do relaxing well, never been to Scottland. After talking with others that read this one, they also felt it was a middle of the road beach read for them. Popular author that many will enjoy. Pass this one to those looking for a new start or taking a trip.

| BOOK REVIEW |

Title: The Summer Job
Author: Lizzy Dent
Format: 🎧(ARC received from @putnambooks)
Rating: ✩ ✩ ✩

The Summer Job was a funny rom-com with an immersive Scottlish Highland setting with all of the wine and food references!


Main character, Birdy, is someone problematic and unlikeable at times. I mean, who steals their best friend's identity in order to take a sommelier positon over the summer? And also, who thinks they can fake a career which clearly takes years and years of studying and work? But despite Birdy's shortcomings, you somehow end up rooting for her.


I actually wasn't entirely sold on the romantic relationship in the novel so I wasn't shipping it hugely. But the friendships made up for it- they were so sweet and developed well over the course of the novel.


The Summer Job was sweet, witty, and spirited me away to Scotland- a fun read!

Key Points:
• Romantic comedy of errors
• Sometimes problematic heroine who steals her best friend's identity
• Scottish setting
• All the wine!

Don't judge a book by it's cover! I put this one off because the cover had me expecting a flop with little to offer.

I was wrong.

This book is set in Scotland. Point awarded.
The story was cute, light and fun... in a good way but I definitely rolled.my eyes in a few spots.
Perfect for the summer.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience. Note: I ended up purchasing a final copy to read in the future.

The Summer Job’s premise is about a woman who pretends to be her best friend behind her back and without knowing how to do the job…I’ve never disliked a character so much from the very beginning of a book. That being said this book had a lot of emotional depth which I was not expecting and love a good Scotland backdrop.

A perfect summer read! What a fun premise - what if you could assume someone else’s identity - in the wonderful world of wine and hospitality, set in the beautiful Scottish lochs. Oh yes, ad in romance and you have a realwinner!

Wonderfully witty with a wacky premise that is somehow believable. I tore through this book - perfect tone for the summer season - about Birdy Finch, a woman whose life is a mess, who fills in for a summer sommelier job taking her best friend’s place and identity. Laughed out loud throughout but appreciated the depth of the story too. Loved the Scotland setting. Will definitely read other books from this author and am grateful to NetGalley for access to this title.

Absolutely loved this gem, which put Lizzy Dent on my radar for all of her future books. Just ridiculously delightful characters and dialogue and exactly what you want from a romcom.

What a fun, fresh, voice-y story! I loved the romance arc, the setting, and most of all, the themes of finding yourself and navigating jealousy of those who seem to have their lives more "together" than yours. A joy!

Great book! I really enjoyed this one. I have a lot of angst about “big lie” books and this was no different.

This was a fun enjoyable read about two friends Heather a young wine expert & her best friend Birdie who takes on Heathers job at a swank 🏨 hotel while Heather is finding love in Italy 🇮🇹 the girls have been bonded since they were young in kindergarten , but can Birdie pull it off & will she fall in love, I had at times thought about having a Chardonnay at times during this novel made me want to drink red wine 🍷 also.

I loved my first read by this author it was well written had loveable characters & connected with Heather & Birdie straight away their friendship lasts forever a strong 4 stars ⭐️

This book just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t connect with the main character and that makes it really hard for me. I felt like it was unbelievable, and while I’m all for a good story line and getting creative this just stretched it too much for me.

This book just wasn't for me mostly because the premise made me so anxious. When I started reading and I just couldn't get past that the main character had flown to Scotland and was pretending to be someone else and do a job she had no idea doing. I think if I was a much less anxious person I could have liked this so I fully blame myself and not the author!

This took me a long time to get into, but I ended up mostly enjoying it. It was a little hard to cheer for Birdy when you know she’s commuting this major fraud pretending to be her friend the sommelier. It was hard to believe that no one thought to look into her since she had no knowledge of wine. The inn/restaurant was charming. I really enjoyed James and all of her interactions with him. There were lots of hilarious situations that Birdy got into. I also thought maybe the ending wrapped up a little quickly/too neatly.

I ended up listening to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narration.

2.5 ⭐️

This was a cute and light, easy read for the most part (there are a few heavier scenes throughout). However when I have a harder time connecting with any of the main characters in the book, it tends to be less enjoyable and memorable for me, but it would still be a quick beach day read.