The Summer Job

this book was AMAZING. I couldn’t put it down. I would feel so excited to come home and pick up this book. You grow attached to the characters, especially Birdy. The book is full of twists and the ending is amazing. Made me laugh out loud a lot of times also, 10/10 recommend

3.5 Emily Henry is one of the cover quotes for this book, not to mention her 5-star goodreads review, which made me want to read this. I could easily see this as low-budget, romcom movie for Netflix and I mean that in the best way. It is a classic small-town isolated romance trope with some extras added in. Birdy is a 30-year-old just trying to figure out her life (relatable) and in doing so somehow ends up impersonating her best friend in the Scottish highlands as a renowned sommelier for a newly renovated restaurant. There are a lot of shenanigans, heartfelt moments, and of course sexual tension with James, the chef. It wasn’t quite perfect for me, I really didn’t like the almost cheating plotline (even though Tim was useless) and how Birdy really abuses her friendship with Heather, not just the impersonation but overall. To be fair, Heather it seems to take Birdy’s love for granted often seeking out unsustainable romances. Still a fun, limited cast, romance book that would be good for a holiday. It wasn’t quite perfect for me, I really didn’t like the almost cheating plotline (even though Tim useless) and how Birdy really abuses her friendship with Heather, not just the impersonation but overall. To be fair, Heather it seems to take Birdy’s love for granted often seeking out unsustainable romances. Still a fun, limited cast, romance book that would be good for a holiday.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for providing an advanced copy! This has been sitting on my shelf for a while and I put off reading it because I wanted to wait until closer to the summer but then as the time came I found myself in a massive reading slump and just couldn't find the motivation to get through it but that's definitely a reflection on me right now and not on the book itself! It took me a while to get into and at the beginning, a lot of the characters blended together a bit but as the story progressed I found I actually enjoyed it a lot and all of the characters were actually important to the story. I really enjoyed the conclusion and it actually took me by surprise which was a nice change. Generally, just a lovely read which had I been in a better reading mood at the time might have had a bigger impact on me.

slow and uninteresting

this was very different from most of the things i would choose to read. i can't even remember what made me buy it in the first place but guess what!! i liked it!! birdy was so funny and quirky even if she did stupid things sometimes. (okay she literally did stupid things for the entirety of this book) its no surprise that i wish the romance would've been more deeply explored but i understand that this book was more about birdy herself, not birdy in a relationship. which yeah i would usually hate but i was too busy laughing my ass off the whole time. also, i usually don't like books where the main character is practically obsessed with their best friend but in this circumstance i could understand why birdy was so dependent on heather considering they practically raised each-other. i just remembered that i bought this book because emily henry is recommending it on the back cover and i trust her with my life.

Emily Henry is one of the cover quotes for this book, not to mention her 5-star goodreads review, which made me want to read this. I could easily see this as low-budget, romcom movie for Netflix and I mean that in the best way. It is a classic small-town isolated romance trope with some extras added in. Birdy is a 30-year-old just trying to figure out her life (relatable) and in doing so somehow ends up impersonating her best friend in the Scottish highlands as a renowned sommelier for a newly renovated restaurant. There are a lot of shenanigans, heartfelt moments, and of course sexual tension with James, the chef. It wasn’t quite perfect for me, I really didn’t like the almost cheating plotline (even though Tim useless) and how Birdy really abuses her friendship with Heather, not just the impersonation but overall. To be fair, Heather it seems to take Birdy’s love for granted often seeking out unsustainable romances. Still a fun, limited cast, romance book that would be good for a holiday.

*3.5 ⭐️ I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley. Birdy has never been someone who's sure about what she wants to do in life. But when she accidentally ends up impersonating her best friend, Heather, Birdy sees it as an opportunity for some fun. However Birdy is out of her depth. She must pretend be a wine expert at a hotel in Scotland, all while trying to be someone else. She also finds herself falling for the chef, when he doesn't even know her real name. Can Birdy convince the staff she's a different person without Heather finding out? I really enjoyed Birdy as a main character. She's definitely lost when we first meet her. She has a rough family life so her best friend Heather is all she's really got. I loved seeing her grow in confidence throughout the book. She's quite a funny and charming character. I really enjoy the premise of the book and think it was well delivered for the most part. The overall pacing of the story was good in my opinion, until the ending. I found it not very satisfying and a bit rushed. Please take my review with a grain of salt as while I have read women's fiction that I enjoyed, I don't tend to gravitate towards it. Therefore I found the romance to be cute, but ultimately not very exciting as there's more of a focus on Birdy and her development. This is in on way a critique or a bad thing. I have just come to realise that I prefer to read contemporary romance than this kind of book. From the small bits we saw of it, I liked how the nature was written. I felt transported to the Scottish countryside. As for the rest of the characters, they were well done in my opinion. I loved the rapport that Birdy had with the rest of the staff. I felt very natural and like she found somewhere she belonged. All in all, I thought this was a decent read, perfect for the summertime. Having said that I personally can't rate it more than 3.5/5 as I will forget it soon enough. I do think it's good for it's genre though.

Hmm, I tried my best but I could not get into The Summer Job. From the book summary, it sounded appealing to read. But I could not get over Birdy's personality. She sounds so annoying most of the time. Like why women? What is the problem with you? She makes a mess of everything, and it's totally your fault. Own up to it. Stop making excuses for things. But no, Birdy will keep doing so until it blows over her face.

Birdy is lost. No career to speak of, no permanent home and a sucky boyfriend who only seems to call when he needs something. So when the opportunity comes to go to Scotland and work as a sommelier in a rural Scottish restaurant, Birdy jumps at the chance. But there’s one thing that could blow it up all. Birdy is pretending to be her best friend Heather, a licensed sommelier… but that won’t matter right? How hard can it be to serve some wine in a tiny little restaurant in the middle of Scotland? Turns out… much harder than Birdy could imagine. I really enjoyed this story, I loved the premise and really enjoyed the tension with Birdy possibly being found out at any given moment. But I had to take off a star because I didn’t actually like Birdy. She annoyed me and she was too outspoken. She just needed to shut up at times and do the job she was being paid for rather than starting arguments with customers, staff and her boss. Overall this was an enjoyable experience, but it turns out that I need to like characters more than I realised!

The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent is about Birdy, who always screws up her jobs, and chooses the wrong man.  Heather, her best friend, is a sommelier, and chooses to follow a man to Italy, instead of taking up a position in a Scottish hotel and restaurant that she was due to start.  Birdy is currently penniless and homeless, and so she winds up taking the job.  After all, how hard could the job be? Hard, as it turns out.  There are cringeworthy moments, but this is written so well, with such an enjoyable story that I raced through the book. If you like Beth O'Leary or Laura Jane Williams, then you'll enjoy this book!  The Summer Job  was published on 15th April 2021, and is available on  Amazon ,  Waterstones  and  Bookshop.org . You can follow Lizzy Dent on  Twitter ,  Facebook ,  Instagram  and her  website . I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, and so my thanks to NetGalley and to  Penguin .

** spoiler alert ** I so enjoyed this.. AND THEN THE ENDING. SPOILERS: Heather is a bloody terribly friend. Totally awful. She disappears for months to travel with a terrible boyfriend, leaving her (only?) friend to deal with the mess she leaves behind with her job, honestly she didn’t even have the balls to call and say thanks but now. Then when she comes back she has the AUDACITY to bang on about how Birdy(!) needs to get help and how BIRDY’S life is a mess. Like hello??? Pot meet kettle ... Fair enough, what birdy did wasn’t cool but neither is ditching your friend to deal with your life while you swan off with someone else’s boyfriend. Yea. Sure. Birdy is the one who needs therapy. Right. Heather deserved to get just as much trouble. Grow a spine Birdy, you owe her nothing. Honestly would have been a 4 star book without the last 2 chapter. So disappointed.

Elizabeth "Birdy" Finch takes a summer job at a luxury Scottish hotel pretending to be her best friend, Heather. But Heather is an up-and-coming sommelier while Birdy can barely tell the difference between a Merlot and a Cabernet. Still, she gives it a go. But as she keep up the pretence, she finds herself falling for James, a chef at the hotel, and falling further from the truth. This book is a fun one, as a case of mistaken identity usually always is. I knew from the premise alone that it would be the kind of rom-com that's ideal for the summertime. And after reading, I'm sure this is also the kind of book that would be just as fun on the screen. The story starts straight away, no page is wasted as Birdy arrives at the hotel and is thrown into the chaos of a chef's kitchen. The Summer Job has a nice depth that grounds its fluffier parts. Birdy is a relatable and likeable character, so it’s very easy to connect with her and her challenges. Her friendship with Heather is also really uplifting, and balances really well with the darker layers of Birdy’s past. However, I did struggle with the pace and repetitiveness. Especially in the lighter, more comedic, parts of the book. I found myself constantly cringing at the way Birdy handled a lot of situations. Some parts felt awkward rather than suspenseful. Sadly, this meant I wanted to skip whole paragraphs to avoid reading. Similarly, I didn't sense chemistry between Birdy and James, so love romantic narrative fell quite flat. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't swoon-worthy. It’s easy to invest in Birdy, but not so much her love story. Still, The Summer Job a fun dive into the chaotic world of hospitality, and a funny fictional distraction. With an amusing plot, likable characters and an idyllic setting, it would make the perfect poolside read. For more book reviews and posts, check out my blog or follow along on Instagram 📚✨

Fun summer beach read. Essentially a classic rom com in a modern book! I loved the main characters sense of humor but the first bit was a little cringe

AD - PR Product. I was very kindly gifted a proof of this book by Viking for an honest review. What a fun book! 🦞 From the get-go I was hooked on this one and didn’t want to put it down! It’s such a feel good, funny and charming read with a fab storyline. This might be one of the first books that I found myself actually loving all of the characters. Everyone was so unique and each one had their own traits and personality that I really enjoyed about them! 💕 If you’re in need of a book that will lift your spirits and make you feel happy then I highly recommend The Summer Job to do just that!