A fun, light read about a directionless 30-something trying to find her way in this world!

Synopsis:
Birdy's best friend Heather, has decided to abandon her summer job as a sommelier at a run-down Scottish hotel. to instead go away with her (scum of a ) boyfriend. Birdy has pretended to be Heather before... so when Birdy is homeless, and in desperate need of a job, she decides to show up in Scotland and pretend to be Heather. What Birdy didn't know though was how hard Heather's job was, and that the hotel restaurant is in jeopardy of failing if she cannot make an amazing impression on the guests. Can Birdy fake her knowledge of 100+ wines and their pairings? Can she BE Heather? What about when she falls for the Chef knowing she can't commit long-term as Heather?

Thoughts:
This story was fun, funny, cute, and a perfect quick summer eread While there were definitely some holes in the story and some pretty non-realistic aspects, I think the escapism, light-heartedness, and humor of the book make for a great vacation or beach read.

Elizabeth “Birdy” Finch always felt a bit adrift. She floated from one dead end job to another never finding something that set her soul on fire. Unlike her lifelong best friend.

Heather inherited a love of wine and a little bit of money from her late father. She dedicated herself to becoming the most sought-after sommelier around. And just when her hard work starts to payoff, she decides to blow off a summer assignment in Scotland and spend time with her current boyfriend instead.

Feeling lost, Birdy decides to take Heather’s job at Loch Dorn. It’s only for the summer and she could talk her way through anything, right? But she never imagines that she would find everything that she’s been longing for within its weathered walls. Now if only it wouldn’t all disappear the moment that she reveals her true identity.

“And now I cry. At first it’s a few tears that slip out and roll gently down my cheeks, but after a few moments it becomes a deep, visceral wail. A cathartic exorcism of grief and anger and self-loathing. I look down at my hands, nails bitten to the quick. And I bury my face in my hands, switching between feeling fascinated by how much liquid my eyes can produce and wondering if there is any way back to the place where I made my choices - but this time I make them right.”

I first thought that Lizzy Dent was just going to take me on a whimsical holiday through Scotland. But in The Summer Job, she gives readers something far more poignant and meaningful.

I simply adored the character of Birdy. She’s feisty and loyal. She clearly knows that her deception is wrong on every level. Yet somehow, she can’t stop herself from falling under the spell of Loch Dorn. From its lush easy charm right down to the dedicated warm-hearted staff, she desperately yearns to be a part of such a wonderful place.

It’s here where she finally learns some hard lessons about friendship, family, and love, and starts down the path to becoming the person that she always wanted to be. I was equal amounts mesmerized and anxious watching her unfold with every chapter because I wanted an ending that was as tender as Birdy’s heart. And I can truly say that I wasn’t disappointed at all….

⛱ The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent

Who doesn’t love a good story about friendship & finding yourself?

Birdy realizes she is way over her head pretending to be her sommelier BFF at a resort in the Scottish Highlands. All she wanted was a fresh start, and an enjoyable summer with amazing food and wine.

I really enjoyed this one! I loved reading about all of the food/wine pairings, mouth watering 😋

Overall review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley & G.P. Putnam’s Sons for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Summer Job is a fun light read which played out like a movie in my mind while I was reading it. There are some laughs, some eye rolling and fun. Birdy will have you rooting for her as she stumbles along, gaining confidence and forming a community of sorts with her co-workers. Along the way some secrets will come out which only add to the heartwarming feel of the book.

Sometimes a new beginning is all that you need. Even if that new beginning starts with deception.

I enjoyed the themes of friendship, belonging, community, starting over, and hard work.

Escapism reading, which is charming, cute, and captivating.

If you had an opportunity to be someone else just for one summer, would you? While her best friend Heather, a world class wine-expert is in Italy, Birdy pretends to be the wine expert and travels to a highland Scottish hotel for a summer job. But she knows nothing about wine! Can she turn into a Sommelier overnight? With a lot of coaching and new friendships, she starts to find herself and understand the business yet matching the right wines with the right meals remains an obstacle. Plus, she’s falling for James, the first guy she’s ever really loved. What if her boss finds out? Or her best friend Heather? Dent’s debut novel is funny and romantic. A wonderful weekend read filled with laughter, bad decisions and good wine.

Funny and crazy, but a little heartbreaking too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think great story is one that contains so many different elements that keeps you on your toes. Just like this one.

There’s a blend of wonderful characters with rich personalities. A storyline that is unique, powerful, and a little heart breaking too.

Conversations that are in-depth, witty, fun. And to top it off, a setting that is rustic and the descriptions jump off the page right at you.

This is the type of book that you hunker down and read until you can’t stop. It’s sprinkled with some poor choices, some great choices, a little bit of shock value, and a lot of feel good, and even a touch of romance.

The Summer Job is a unique and an all encompassing story that leaves you smiling. There’s something to be said for good friends and coming to your senses. A refreshing read, best served with wine!

A story filled with comedic relief. Birdy decides to take the place of her friend Heather on a job. It leads to misunderstandings and mishaps. Most of all it almost destroys their friendship. The character development is great as we see how she has to take responsibility for everything she has done wrong and grow. Falling in love is the reward she gets for becoming a better person.

Birdy Finch’s life is in shambles. When Birdy’s best friend, Heather, a wine expert, turns down a summer sommelier job in Scotland, Birdy pretends she is Heather and takes the job. How hard is it to learn about wine? Will Birdy be able to get away with being someone else the entire summer?

This is a fun read! Birdy’s character has bad judgement, but her heart is in the right place. She’s funny, she’s determined to learn about the all 125 wines that are served at the restaurant and she’s just trying to be the best Heather she can be. It’s fun to see how she navigates the dilemmas she encounters and witness her finding love.

It is the perfect read for this summer,

A huge thank to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Birdy has no job and nowhere to live when her best friend Heather, a sommelier, decides not to take a job in Scotland. Instead of telling them Heather will not be coming, Birdy takes the job and poses as Heather the wine expert.
The first half of this comedy of errors book, I was just nervous that Birdy would be found out. She knows nothing about wine but is great at covering. I began to really like Birdy and to understand how a fresh start is sometimes just what is needed. I began to forgive her sin of lying about who she was. I also loved some of the supporting characters and the setting of a revamped hotel and restaurant in Scotland. This isn't really a rom com but rather a fish out of water story and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance readers copy for review.

There were some things I really enjoyed about this one, and then things that had me tilting my head, confused dog style.

Is Birdy really 31? It was great to see her get her shit together throughout the novel, but my gosh!! Who acts like that at her age? I’m mostly referring to what led up to her pretending to be someone else for a job, because once she got there, she instantly grew up. Weird, I know.

I loved seeing her put everything she had into learning the wines and doing her best for the hotel/restaurant. However...she went from not caring about anything to caring immensely about helping people she didn’t even know. It was hard to wrap my head around. Also, I know pressure gets to people in different ways, but when Birdy cracked and lost it, that just felt like an entirely different character possessed her body. Like, holy hell, someone give this woman a snickers. After saying all of that, I did love her personality 😂 see! It doesn’t make complete sense!

Overall, I loved the setting, the humor, the love story, and the growth of Birdy’s character. There were just holes I wanted filled.

Thank you to @netgalley and @putnambooks for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

This was a light, easy read and while I enjoyed the food/wine aspect of it, I thought the storyline was a bit too far fetched and Birdy was pretty annoying. I loved reading about the setting and the side characters were entertaining as well, but I don't think I'll miss this book.

This book was very well-written in the sense that it was easy to consume, had great pacing, and several compelling subplots. It was totally consumable and easy to cut through like butter. While some of the subplots were less engaging than others for the most part they all made sense within the story and worked to enrich the characters they work through.

With that said, you might be wondering why I gave this book 2-stars.

Well, it's because I cannot stand Birdy - her privilege, her disrespect, and her utter (fictional) being. I am not against to unlikable characters. In fact, I find their arcs to be among the most compelling to read in both genre fiction and literary fiction. However, that's the problem with Birdy...she had no arc. While the characters around her changed, grew, and went through things...Birdy just continually self-congratulated and skated by on pure dumb luck. While so much work was put into the other characters, its almost as if Birdy herself was forgotten.

Because of the inability to relate, respect, or grow with the narrator and main character it was difficult for me personally to get through this book, despite all of its many interesting points. I almost wish the novel was in James' perspective!

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy for review*

I truly liked this one. It started of a bit slow, but soon picked up and I couldn't put it down.

Elizabeth "Birdy" Finch is pretty much a disaster in life and in love. She feels as if there's nothing better for her than the cards she's been dealt. Her best friend Heather is an accomplished sommelier and gets invited to loads of wine events. She lets Birdy take her place at a wine awards night and Birdy ends up running into Heather's new boss who thinks that Birdy is Heather. She plays it off cooly.

Heather doesn't want to take the job so she asks Birdy to call them for her and get her out of it, but Birdy has other plans. She decides that since Heather's new boss already thinks she's Heather she will just take her place at the new job. How hard is it to be a sommelier anyway? Turns out, it's pretty hard and Birdy has to really buckle down and get her act together or ruin her and Heather's reputations. It can't last forever though.

Birdy truly grows as a character through the book. She is very unreliable in the beginning and not very likeable. She definitely grows on you and grows up also. She makes mistakes, but watching her find her way through them makes this a fun read.

This was a light read that many readers will probably enjoy due to the plot themes of escapism, wine and travel. If you are a foodie/wine-drinker you will find the storyline refreshing. It was like sitting on a porch in a rocking chair with some ice-cold lemonade. Rhythmic, predictable and sweet. I found the plot/storyline to be too simplistic and a bit bland. It would be a good pick for a beach read for someone looking for a simple and straightforward romcom.

The Summer Job is very light on romance, but it is a fun and frothy read. Thirty-year-old Birdy is somewhat lost in life. She doesn’t have a passion or a calling and flits from one failed job to another, just making ends meet. When her more sophisticated and accomplished best friend decides to follow her heart and spend the summer in Italy instead of working at the job she took at a remote hotel in Scotland, Birdy volunteers to call the hotel and break the news. When she forgets to do so, she jumps in to “save” her friend’s reputation. The only problem being that Birdy knows nothing about wine or being a sommelier.

While Birdy and Heather left me wanting in terms of primary characters, I did truly enjoy the staff of the Loch Dorn hotel. Birdy and Heather are opposites, but they’ve been best friends since childhood. They’re very different, but they have one thing in common, both are searching for love and a sense of belonging to a community. James, Irene, Anis and Roxy round out the staff of the Loch Dorn, and each are grounded, interesting characters.

I enjoyed this fun and frothy read, but I didn’t love it. Birdy's mishaps provide plenty of humor. The plot premise is fun, the pace and character growth is good, but in terms of journey fulfillment, it is soft.

I loved this book! Birdy was such a relatable and complex main character. I loved that she got angry when she was uncomfortable and plunged into things unprepared. And I was so proud of her when she buckled down and started to learn all of the wines. There's something so satisfying about getting to be a part of someone's personal development like that. That being said, the best part about this book was that it was an escape! It was so fun to imagine running off and living someone else's life for a while. If, like me, you sometimes get tired of always having to be yourself, this is the book for you!

This book starts off in an interesting, yet not uncommon way. Two 30ish something women, friends in London, one successful, one wondering where she's going to sleep that night. I almost stopped right there. I. was looking for something that captivated me instantly, and so far, this wasn't it.

Then we are introduced to one of the main characters of the book, a country hotel on the West Coast of Scotland, and I'm kind of hooked. I'm a sucker for a good hotel story!

Overall, I'm glad I finished this book and liked the way the stories ended, but it isn't something I'd gravitate to again, just because of all of the shenanigans that go on in the book. I am not one to enjoy a story that involves so much trickery. That's just me, and my preferences.

I thought it was well written, and would read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Birdy ends up at Loch Doon, pretending to be her best friend, Heather, who was hired to be their sommelier. Birdy soon finds that the hotel and the situation are a lot more complicated than she expected. After fumbling through the first few days, she tries to learn enough to make it through the rest of the summer.
The book was not as funny as I expected based on the description. The majority of the characters had big flaws, and some were downright awful. The book dragged through the first half, spending a lot of time on Birdy trying to learn the wines and lengthy descriptions of the food from the restaurant. The end of the book felt rushed, so I would have preferred a better balance to the pacing. There was a romance but it was a more minor element. The book was just ok for me.

3.5 stars

It took me a bit to bond with this story but ultimately it was a good read. The main character, early 30s Birdy, is a hot mess and readers will be exasperated by her general cluelessness for a while. Birdy comes from an emotionally and physically neglectful household with an alcoholic father and an emotionally distant mother in denial. This explains the fact that Birdy has no self-confidence, jokes and slides her way through life, and whose best friend Heather is her only real relationship.

Birdy lurches from job to job and apartment to apartment. In the middle of one of these cycles, Heather (also with some childhood scars) uncharacteristically skates out on her latest sommelier job and heads to Italy with her most recent unsuitable boyfriend. Birdy, in a truly unbelievable but mostly entertaining plot twist, decides to impersonate Heather at the Scottish restaurant.

We watch Birdy dodging questions at her new job while she madly scrambles to learn her job and be responsible -- a new experience for her. And she's also lying to Heather, of course. There is a romantic complication in the form of chef James.

Of course all the deceptions cause several jarring incidents and while Birdy becomes more serious and more competent, her web of lies threaten to topple the whole scenario. Eventually we begin to root for Birdy to come clean and succeed and experience what it feels like to work hard and be rewarded. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I so enjoyed this wonderful and warm summer read from Lizzy Dent! Our protagonist Birdy is adrift in her life in London. She is estranged from her parents, and the only person she has ever really cared about, or who as loved her as family, is giving up the opportunity of a lifetime as a sommelier at a hotel in Scotland to travel to Italy with a new love interest. Birdy decides to assume her friend Heather's identity for the summer. How hard can wine tasting and hospitality be? VERY DIFFICULT, as it turns out. This is a novel about friendship, found family and love. There is an endearing cast of memorable, quirky characters, and the sense of place is stunning. I rooted so hard for Birdy, and for her coworkers, and for Heather. I am so grateful for the ARC of this one--I loved it!