This book is touted as a romance and felt more like women's fiction than a romance, truly. I wasn't wowed by the plot or the main character. I thought the story telling was a bit chaotic just like the main character. And I couldn't relate all that well with her. The book was very long and I felt some things could have skipped on as they didn't add much. There were a few bright spots and a twist that I enjoyed making this just okay for me.

I received a digital advance copy of The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent through NetGalley. The Summer Job is scheduled for release on May 18, 2021.

The Summer Job is the story of Birdy, a woman who is struggling to find herself. She has no job, no plan for her future, and with the decision of her roommate/ best friend Heather to run away to Italy with her new, very questionable, boyfriend, no place to live. On the eve of her escape to Italy, Birdy’s best friend asks her to call the job she is supposed to take for the summer to let them know she won’t be there.

Birdy fully intends to make the call, but a series of events makes her change her mind. Instead, she heads off to take the job in Heather’s place. Luckily for Birdy, no one at the hotel knows what Heather looks like. Unluckily for Birdy, they all expect her to be the expert sommelier depicted in Heather’s CV. Especially unluckily for Birdy, all she knows about wine is that she likes to drink it.

Once at the hotel, Birdy struggles to maintain the ruse. In the course of pretending to be Heather, she begins to find herself, finally learning what really has meaning for her.

For me, the strength of this novel was the setting and characters. Dent does a great job of depicting this small hotel in Scotland with its dream of being something more. Dent made me dream of visiting the hotel, wandering around the loch, and chatting with the band of lost souls the hotel has taken on as employees. While we get to know Birdy best, the characters around her are well developed, each with their own desires and set of quirky flaws.

Most of the plot worked for me, as long as I suspended my questions about the ability of one person to assume the identify of another as easily as Birdy is able to step into Heather’s job and reputation. Where I hit a bump was the resolution of novel. Dent makes a couple of big jumps forward in time to tie up some of the plot lines developed in the novel. As a writer, I understand what Dent was trying to do here. As a reader, however, those jumps made the ending of the story feel like a series of epilogues rather than one resolution. I would have enjoyed the ending more if Dent had found a way to tie things together in a different way, giving us one true resolution.

Overall, The Summer Job was a fun read backed up with a deeper emotional journey. While the ending was a bit bumpy, I enjoyed my summer in Scotland and would gladly travel with Dent again.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book! I enjoyed reading The Summer Job but was not blown away by it. I loved the idea/concept of the book and was able to learn a bit about sommeliers and escape to the woods of Scotland! This book wasn't my favorite and didn't seem to capture my attention 100% but I am glad I picked it up. Also this cover is just gorgeous!

Realistic Adult Fiction. Birdy needs to escape her current life; she decides to pose as her best friend, Heather by taking a job in Scotland for the summer. Heather had made it clear that she didn't want this particular job--so Birdy hopped on a plane--how difficult could the job of a sommelier be anyway?! Birdy would just study the wine list and fake the rest--she had been a food server back in the day! Of course, Birdy/Heather really didn't expect the job to be as difficult as it turned out to be--should she fake an injury and bow out gracefully, or could her ruse really work?!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: May 18, 2021

Pretending to be your best friend to capitalize on the summer job she ditched out on...what could go wrong?! This is a fast and fun read with a fantastic cast of characters, set in Scotland and focused around wine! This will be a great book club read with many food and wine pairing options!

I think we have all fibbed a little here and there on our resume to get a job that they want. Birdy, a thirty-one year old that can't seem to get it together, takes it one step further when she pretends to be her friend...who is a top-notch sommelier! To be fair, this is a job that will A) provide income and B) give her a place to live for the summer. What could possibly go wrong?

This was such a cute read! It even gets bonus points for the Scotland setting and for the sexy chef love interest.

I've never read a book about a sommelier before, let alone a fake sommelier. Elizabeth, "Birdy" Finch is a pretty fun character. She doesn't have her life together at all and she tends to enjoy stepping into the persona of her best friend, Heather. Heather has allowed her to attend fancy wine parties in her place, as her, several times, so when Heather decides to swan off to Italy with her scumbag boyfriend instead of taking a summer job as a sommelier in Scotland, Birdy ends up filling in. She doesn't mean to do it. She'd planned to call the hotel and politely cancel on Heather's behalf, but things snowball out of control for Birdy until she finds herself in a newly renovated hotel and restaurant gunning for a Michelin star. Oops!
The characters who work alongside Birdy provide a wonderful dose of life to the book as well.
An interesting, unique, and enjoyable story of finding oneself...with a nice side of romance as well.

When the real Heather decides not to take a job as a sommelier at a Scottish hotel, Birdie, who needs a job and a place to live, stumbles her way into impersonating her friend. Through study, memorization, and con games, Birdie/Heather mostly passes. But what happens when the guy she falls for finds out she’s been lying about who she is?

This is a fun book, and I love Scotland. It’s not a light-hearted rom-com, but it deals with heavier topics with a deft touch.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES MAY 18, 2021.

I really liked this story when it started. It's a fun concept, and I had been looking forward to reading it. However, eventually the story gets very repetitive, and I had a hard time staying invested. I found myself getting frustrated with the characters, and I was hoping the read would be more fun.

First, this cover is absolutely amazing and is a perfect representation of what a mess Birdy gets herself into! Birdy lands a DREAM job - standing in for her best friend sommelier, Heather - she pretends to be Heather and runs off to Scotland to be a wine expert at a posh Scottish resort..... only Birdy knows nothing about wines and has to fake it. She soon realizes this sommelier position is extremely important and the resort is counting on her to do a great job, but also run a major wine event, and Birdy finds herself extremely attracted to the chef, who is dreamy and nice and everything she has never had in a boyfriend. Loved the insaneness of this entire plot - who would ever fake being their best friend and try to be a wine expert on the fly!?! - Highly recommend reading with a glass of your favorite Riesling or Rose! Loved loved loved it!

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was cute, a nice summertime read. Quick, easy, and enjoyable. A decent cast of characters (although I couldn’t stand Tim and often found myself wondering what his purpose was).

I’d recommend this for someone looking for a light, fun read.

Well this book turned out to be a very pleasant surprise! I went into this rom-com expecting the usual but found it to actually be quite reflective and profound. I truly enjoyed so many aspects, from the magical seaside castle in Scotland, to the intricate food and wine pairings.

I chose this book for something a little more lighthearted and it was just the ticket! There were some really beautiful moments written into what was, for me, a stressful situation the female protagonist put herself in. The Author balanced this beautiful tale with tiny droplets of romance mixed in. I was never annoyed or distracted by an overly dramatic romantic story line. Give me substance over drama—always! I also found the flaws of the characters to be endearing, making the story more realistic and spectacular in its honesty.

If you’re looking for a super steamy book, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking for an enjoyable chick lit that brings depth and contemplation, look no further!

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the e-ARC!

In the tradition of Sophie Kinsella....The premise of the story is good - young woman pretends to be her friend and accepts her summer job as a sommelier in the Scottish Highlands. A little far fetched but an easy vacation read.

I only read about 15% of The Summer Job before deciding that it’s just not for me. I’m not usually a fan of adult romances, and this one was a little too steamy for me, and I didn’t get why all of the lies had to happen. I won’t be reviewing this on retailer sites because I can’t provide a full, honest review since this just wasn’t my kind of book.

Thank you to NetGalley and GP Putnam’s Sons for a free e-copy of The Summer Job by Lizzie Dent in exchange for an honest review.

Oh I loved this book! And although it’s very much its own story, I definitely see why it’s advertised as for fans of Beach Read. There’s some romance, but it’s mostly about Birdy trying to find her way. I really connected with her character and the fact even as a thirty-something year-old, she was kind of a mess, and didn’t have anything figured out. Despite that, she was a boisterous and funny character, who just wants a sense of belonging.

I loved James, the Scottish chef. He was the calm to Birdy’s storm, quiet and a little serious. Birdy doesn’t normally like silences- they make her uncomfortable, but she likes the silence with him.

I also really liked the minor characters (although they really weren’t so minor!). I’m still a little hurt that I don’t fully know what happened to one character. We get a brief mention but then later, nothing? I was invested, I need to know!

This book is also great for anyone who wants to travel virtually. I wanted to snap pictures of the images that sprang to mind as I read the descriptive imagery of the inn’s grounds and other little local spots in Scotland. (With all of our advanced technology, why have we not figured out how to do this yet?) I’m crossing my fingers that this one turns into a movie! (Also, maybe I need to make my first-ever Pinterest mood board for this book?!)

4 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review will also soon be posted on Amazon and my bookstagram (@bookishlee_kaci)

In “The Summer Job”, our protagonist, Birdy, starts off her new gig as a sommelier with a lie: She isn’t who she says she is. The highland Scottish hotel she’s begun working at actually hired Heather, Birdy’s best friend, but when Heather decides to ditch the job so she can travel to Italy to pursue a relationship with a taken man, Birdy decides to secretly take her friend’s place. The problem? Well, besides the fact that she’s lying about just about everything, she also knows nothing about wine.

This was such a delightful little read. Birdy was certainly flawed, but she was also so, so fun. The whole premise of the book sounds absurd, but Lizzie Dent manages to make the storyline feel not only plausible but actually pretty natural. And it was easy to root for Birdy, along with the rest of the cast of quirky characters. This is definitely the perfect summer read, full of heart, great food, and a beautiful Scottish setting you’ll long to see for yourself.

Loved, loved, loved "The Summer Job" by Lizzy Dent. Birdy Finch doesn't have a lot going for her, except for her best friend Heather. Heather is a well-known, English sommelier who is offered a job in Scotland for the summer, except she doesn't want to take the job. Through a series of events, and unknown to Heather, Birdy steps into Heather's job and heads off to Scotland to try to fill Heather's shoes. Birdy has never really been serious about any job, or any career. She is quite unfocused, and not dedicated to anything or anyone in her life (except maybe Heather). In the process of stepping into Heather's role, she finally starts to feel like she belongs somewhere. She trains, she studies, and makes a success of herself.....but what will happen when everyone around her finds out that she is not who she says she is. This was a laugh-out-loud romcom...more on the com then on the rom. Steam level is very mild. Main focus of this story is the relationship development between the main character and the supporting cast and watching the MC grow in this novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

Our lead protagonist, Birdy, is a failure at every job she tries, and yet her best friend Heather has developed a highly successful career as a sommelier...a wine expert. When Heather decides to blow off a job in Scotland, she asks Birdy to handle the cancellation of this job so Heather can travel to Italy for the summer with her new beau. Instead, Birdy decides to go to Scotland and pretend to be Heather and take over the job. What? Birdy expects a crummy backwoods hotel and instead finds it to be an exclusive chateau/venue. She decides to continue the charade, but Birdy soon realizes that she is significantly in over her head (she tries to read Wine For Dummies) and doesn’t know what wines to pair with food wines to recommend to diners, etc. In the end, her friend Heather does arrive in Scotland and finds out that Birdy has been impersonating her. While Birdy has found love at the chateau and a modest amount of success, Heather is devastated at her friend's deception and the risk to Heather‘s outstanding career. This is where I have a problem, and I know people think this book is charming and it is funny in parts, but I don’t see how anybody would risk a friend’s reputation by impersonating them. I can’t get past it. People love this book, but I found Birdy’s irresponsibility and her deception unacceptable. Maybe it’s my age, but I didn’t find it funny at all. Serious issues are resolved, love is found, surprise birth mothers appear, but it's a 2.5 star read rounded up to 3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC but my opinions and review are my own and without bias. #thesummerjob @netgalley #netgalley #sommelier #wine #job #impersonation #prettybookcover

I absolutely enjoyed this book from start to finish, and the main reason is Birdy. I loved all of Birdy’s perfectly imperfect qualities, and I especially loved that she didn’t have it all figured out from the first page. So many times, books present us with an unrelatable, picture perfect MC. Birdy is everything I want in a friend AND in a main character- relatable, honest, fun, true, and down to earth. She doesn’t have everything figured out, and that’s okay. She gives the reader faith that she will get there! Birdy was compelling and endearing, and she was so easy to root for. I loved where this story took me, and even though Birdy embellished along the way, the ending was worth every lie she told to get there. Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book. If you haven’t preordered this one yet, what are you waiting for??? You will love this story and Birdy as much as I do!

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons for my gifted copy through NetGalley!

Elizabeth "Birdy" Finch has run away from her life, and into that of her best friend Heather. She rode the crazy train straight into a job as Sommelier at Loch Dorn on the Western coast of Scotland where she finds new love, that her coworker is an alcoholic, and maybe even herself as her life spirals out of control!

This started out sort of slow for me- I don't mind mistaken identity shenanigans, but Birdy says she does this for a lark, which I didn't respect and I hated Tim. However, 40% in I had actual anxiety- I cared that much about the characters. I devoured this book in a day and I think it'd be great for fans of SweetBitter, Sally Thorne, and Emily Henry.