Birdy pretends to be her friend Heather and impersonates her at her summer job. I wish we knew Heather a little more. We learn .ore of Birdys reasoning and issues she's had in her life as the story goes on. The writing was good, the book just wasn't fully what I was expecting. Birdy wasn't a likeable character.

Thanks you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest Review

This book was a no go for me, I did not like the main character Birdy at all. She was in need of some serious therapy and help, and had disfunction in everything she did and thought about.
This book was not a romance at all. I didn’t even think that she deserved James, who seemed so sweet and kind. We didn’t see any relationship really at all, and all of the heavier topics that were brought up were not fully developed which did them a disservice.
Also, the big plot twist/reveal fell very flat for me and was not convincing at all.
It did however keep me reading and I finished it in a day, so I would be interested to read something else by this author.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy of “The Summer Job.”

This one wasn't for me, and that's fine. I thought the writing was very good, but the plot (admittedly I wasn't completely sold upon requesting) left me feeling...icky? Secondhand shame? I do love an unlikable lead. I think my issue was that in this case, I couldn't find anything to empathize with. And that's okay! I think some readers will really vibe with this, and I'll still check out this author's work in the future.

I went into this book hoping to read a light rom com that would cheer me up but instead got a book that tries too hard and fails. I don’t know if it was just me failing to get British humor or if it was the book itself but all it managed to make me was a bit more melancholy and sad for the characters, especially Birdie. The romance also failed to evoke any strong feelings in me. It was over all just meh.
Rating: 2.5

I absolutely love this romcom of a book. I absolutely pictured the main character is a Reese Witherspoon type. This book is funny laugh out loud and full of charm.

2.5 / 5 stars

I really wish women's fiction books that only have the tiniest amount of romance would stop being marketed as romances. It gives me high expectations that constantly fall flat.

The Summer Job follows Birdy as she decides to take her best friend's spot at a Scottish hotel's sommelier job. She's in way over her head and spends the entire summer trying to not ruin her friends reputation as she's pretending t0 be her. Birdy was just such an unlikable main character. The way she talked about her best friend, Heather, was so sad and she showed such little respect for her. There was also a romance that had zero chemistry and I couldn't even tell who she was supposed to be romancing until 20% into the book, after they had had several scenes together. This book wasnt badly written, I just couldn't get past my dislike of Birdy and how slow the plot moved. Nothing exciting happened until the very end when it all started to unravel. I thought all of the wine and restaurant scenes were well done, but there was almost too many descriptions compared to how little plot and story we got. I also liked the side characters and wish we got more of them along with the romance.

Advance Copy Received through NetGalley.

The Summer Job is a fun book centering on a fantasy we've all probably dreamed about--swapping lives with someone else--add in the life swapping centered around wine, and count me in! While there were some parts of the plot that required suspending some disbelief, this was a fun summer read that fans of romance or anyone who's wanted to escape their own life for a bit, will find enjoyment in.

Out of work and homeless, Birdy secretly impersonates her BFF when Heather flakes out on her new job as a wine expert to go to Italy with her boyfriend. Looking at the website, the Scottish inn is not all that impressive. How hard can the job be? But when Birdy gets there, the inn has been revamped, a Michelin star chef has taken over, and the wine list has 124 entries. The manager is counting on Birdy to help establish the inn as a destination so they can recoup the renovation costs.

Desperately needing the money, Birdy continues the charade and learns all she can about the restaurant's wines. How long can she get away with the deception—especially once she falls for the manager's son? And what will happen if Heather finds out?

I loved this book (although it's not a romance—it's chick lit, or humorous women's fiction). The characters (especially Birdy) and the location really came alive. The author didn't downplay Birdy's betrayal of Heather and everyone at the restaurant. Yet Birdy remains likable and relatable throughout. Her heart is in the right place, and her upbringing explains some of her poor choices. Ultimately, this is a book about Birdy coming to terms with herself and her past so she can trust in herself and build a better future.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The Summer Job by Lizzie Dent is the perfect sophisticated rom-com for readers who love the mistaken identity tropes and are searching for some armchair travel in the midst of our current pandemic. After pretending to be her sommelier best friend in order to enjoy a summer at an elite resort in the Scottish Highlands, Birdy realizes she is WAY over her head. Not only can she barely avoid the advances of a sexy Scottish chef, she cannot keep up with the wine list. Naturally romance and hijinks ensue. I found this book to be the perfect summer rom com for all varieties of readers and a sweet heartwarming read. It is mouth-watering in its descriptions of lush meals and fine wines as well as wanderlust inducing.

What in the messy main character? I partially blame myself for only briefly skimming the synopsis before going into this, but to be fair, I saw a comp to Beach Read and thought that another romance with some hard-hitting elements would be worth my while (I also firmly stand by comps being very important to marketing a book, and a bad comp is bound to leave the reader disappointed).

But identity theft, dubious cheating, IDENTITY THEFT (if Heather had found out about Birdy's actions sooner and consented I would feel differently about this point) ... there were some cute parts in here and I love wine, but the main character constantly acts in her own self interest to the detriment of others and instead of apologizing and owning up for her choices, low-key gaslights and comes up with excuses for her behavior. Let's just say - if I had a friend do to me what Birdy does to Heather, maybe I'd help them get help but I certainly wouldn't forgive them as easily as she did (and yes, it's subjective, but we don't see nearly enough of their relationship for me to be convinced that Heather could forgive her). I think this could have been a vastly different and actually fun book had Heather known about what Birdy was doing and consented. I get that her not knowing created tension but ... what Birdy did was at best highly unethical, and at worst, highly illegal. I don't mind reading about a "bad" character who makes poor choices, but in a book that seems to be a light romantic comedy, it doesn't match the energy. And I'll also add that my logical brain thought even after reading the synopsis that Heather had to know early on (because what friend wouldn't own up to their friend about something like this).

In sum, some of my issues with the book arise from the mis-marketing, but I think a lot of it comes from it just being poorly plotted, leaving no room for character growth that could have been satisfying.

I really enjoyed this perfect summer vacation read. Would 100% pick up another book from this author.

This book just was not for me, truthfully. In my opinion, a successful and enjoyable book puts us in the head of the main character properly enough to where we understand his or her motivations and accept any faults due to our appreciation of the main character. This book failed to do that. Birdy is unlikable and selfish. It's impossible to enjoy reading about Birdy's scheme when the more you read, the more you hate her for how reckless and self-centered her plan is. And the sub-plot of Birdy's budding romance is also hard to swallow when she has a boyfriend/boy toy back home. Unfortunately, I just can't enjoy a book in which I hate the main character and am rooting against her. But in addition to my dislike of Birdy, I found the plot slow and repetitive, which ultimately led to my rating of 2 out of 5. Nonetheless, I am extremely grateful to NetGalley and Penguin Putnam for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a quick, easy read. the characters were so easy to connect with. I really would love to part of their group. Add to that a swoon worthy setting, and you have a win. The story was fun, though predictable. I really found myself rooting for Birdy, while also cringing at all of her bad decisions.

This started off strong but unraveled along the way, mostly because the heroine is not a good person. I found the writing style to be highly readable and a lot of fun, with an upbeat vibe and a unique storyline. I was drawn in from the start, and was looking forward to this hot mess of a heroine falling for a cinnamon roll chef. It didn't quite play out that way in the end, but I was already emotionally invested when the red flags started popping up. While this is billed as a rom com, it's much more chick lit with a side of (unsatisfying) romance. Our heroine is the star here, and she's not only lying, but she's also cheating and in full-on deception mode for most of the story. I liked her less and less as the story progressed, and the romance took a backseat to Birdy's journey to find her happy. This didn't turn out to be what I was hoping for, but there were some good moments along the way.

The story follows Birdy, a woman who hasn't gotten her life together yet. When her best friend announces that she's heading to Europe rather than the summer job she had lined up, Birdy makes the spur-of-the-moment decision to take the job herself. Sure, she'll have to pretend to be Heather. And, sure, she wouldn't call herself a wine expert. But it's only a summer job, and no one needs to know either of those things. The trouble is, once Birdy settles in, she realizes that she's enjoying the experience more than she ever expected. There's also a sweet chef who makes her summer even better. What started as a "harmless" lie has snowballed into a huge deception, and Birdy isn't sure what to do.

I was fully prepared for Birdy to be a liar (because that's the name of the game here), but she definitely took it a few steps further than I anticipated. Not only is she pretending to be Heather for... uh, most of the book... but she also has a boyfriend back home. He's clearly not the kind of guy she'll be with forever, but she's with him now - and that makes the whole sweet chef romance turn sour. There's also a revelation towards the end that makes it SO much worse. The romance isn't really the focus here though; it's Birdy's journey of self-discovery and her missteps along the way that shine the brightest. There's some hidden depth in the back half, though the beach read vibes are there the whole way through. Ultimately, this did not end up being the rom com that it seemed to be at the start, but I'll admit to liking the writing style. With a better heroine (and a shorter length), I'm sure my rating would've been higher. I received an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this lighthearted story.

Who doesn't wish they could just be someone else sometimes? Birdy is down on her luck, while her friend Heather, a young sommelier, is thriving. Heather decides to pack up and follow a crappy love interest, leaving Birdy to turn down a new job she was offered at a recently renovated estate. Weeell, Birdy decides to pretend to be Heather, although Birdy knows nothing about wine. You can just tell this is going to go well, right? Will Heather find out Birdy betrayed her trust and put her good name on the line or will everything go as well as Birdy planned?
4 out of 5 stars

A good, fun, genuine read. The characters are likeable and I found myself routing for Birdy and her success. The book was not too generic and didn't have the sickly sweet romance that I'm starting to hate. I would definitely recommend this read!

Birdy Finch isn't someone you would say has it all together. Her best friend Heather is off to Italy with a suitor, and Birdy is homeless for the summer. She can't go home to her awful parents in Plymouth, and her cousin absolutely abhors her. So instead, she whisks off to Scotland to "pretend" she is Heather and takes the job of a sommelier at a run down hotel for the summer. There's just one problem...Birdy has no idea what she's doing, and the hotel is not so run down.

There is so much to love about this novel. The Scottish setting is wonderfully described and transports the readers to the banks of the loch, foraging for herbs. Birdy is eccentric. You fall in love with her wit, her nerves, and her longing to belong. The staff of the hotel is quirky in their own right. Each character endears themselves to the reader, adding humor in all the right places. And of course, there's always a villain or two.

Lizzy Dent hooks the reader early, and keeps you swimming along to find out how Birdy will work her way out of the pickle she finds herself in, or will she have to. This is a great story of friendship, family, and finding yourself in the places you least expect it.

The only negative I would express is the language. I guess that is how people these days talk, but it is really a turn off to me. It wasn't prolific through the entire book, so I was able to skim over it and still enjoy this read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Overall this was an enjoyable read; fun cast of characters, but felt a bit long at times. I also feel the cover/description is a bit deceiving that this is being marketed as a romance but is a bit more serious. Nonetheless, I would check out more from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun, light-hearted read! Lizzy Dent did a great job of taking the typical "30-something figuring out her life" and setting the story against a beautiful backdrop. What I most enjoyed about this story was following along as Birdy pretends to be a sommelier at an up-and-coming Scottish hotel in the highlands. I loved the foodie scenes and the wine knowledge that came with reading this book.

I also enjoyed that the romance in this story was part of the story, but not the main part. The relationships that Birdy forms with the other staff members at the hotel, and her relationship with her best friend, shine just as much as the love interest.

Highly recommend it for a heartwarming story that will totally sweep you away. This book truly felt like a vacation.

This book is about Birdy Finch. Birdy met Heather when they were very young and they have been best friends ever since. Birdy is not close with her parents at all and Heather’s parents passed away when she was younger, so they have been each other’s family. Heather is a very accomplished sommelier and Birdy is always doing odd jobs and trying to find a place to crash. When Heather decides to spend the summer in Italy with a new man, she knows she has to quit the sommelier job she has lined up at Loch adorn and she asks Birdy to do it for her. Occasionally Birdy will stand in as Heather at fancy wine events and on this one occasion she meets the woman who is to be Heather’s new boss and she was caught in a web of lies. Next thing she knows, she’s going to Loch Dorn to pretend to be Heather and a sommelier even though she knows nothing about wine.

First of all, I really liked the concept of the book and was so so excited to get to the big reveal at the end and I must say it was quite satisfying! I loved the scenery and the small hotel setting and all the different side characters. I was a little confused with the romance aspect. I just was not really feeling the romance between them, but that could have just been me. If you like wine, this is definitely a good one for you!

A fun summer read for you! This was a cute duck out of water type novel. I would highly recommend this for a weekend read or something to take to the pool this summer. You will love it! #TheSummerJob #NetGalley