The Summer Job
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3.5 • 36 Ratings
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- £7.99
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- £7.99
Publisher Description
Brought to you by Penguin.
Have you ever imagined running away from your life?
Well Birdy Finch didn't just imagine it. She did it. Which might've been an error. And the life she's run into? Her best friend, Heather's.
The only problem is, she hasn't told Heather. Actually there are a few other problems...
Can Birdy carry off a summer at a luxury Scottish hotel pretending to be her best friend (who incidentally is a world-class wine expert)?
And can she stop herself from falling for the first man she's ever actually liked (but who thinks she's someone else)?
If you're looking to replace that Fleabag or Bridesmaids sized hole in your life, look no further: Birdy Finch is here. A snort-out-loud romcom with a heart of gold, The Summer Job is THE debut to lose yourself in this year.
WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING ABOUT THE SUMMER JOB
'Witty and funny and packs an emotional punch...it's marvellous' JOSIE SILVER
'Loved it, I'm in the queue for more Lizzy' Josie Silver, author of ONE DAY IN DECEMBER
'Fresh, funny and oh so relatable - the perfect tonic' Abbie Greaves, author of THE SILENT TREATMENT
© Lizzy Dent 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The opening of Lizzy Dent’s debut novel The Summer Job is likely to prompt a certain kind of low-level anxiety—the sort you might feel during a stress dream about taking an exam you forgot to revise for. Our heroine, Birdy, has just started a new job as the sommelier at a luxury hotel in Scotland. The problem? Birdy only has a “bluffable amount” of knowledge about wines. And this fine-dining establishment—with its twice Michelin-starred chef and daily changing menu—expects her expertise to be world-class. Oh, then there’s the fact that Birdy is pretending to be best friend Heather, who does actually have an impeccable CV fit for the role, but who decided she didn’t want the job. We couldn’t help but fall for Birdy—a chaotic, messy character you’ll root for (and probably relate to)—brought to life by British actor Emma Sidi’s warm narration. You can, of course, expect an irresistible love story to develop, alongside plenty of self-discovery as Birdy reflects on her (sometimes questionable) life choices. The Summer Job is an endearing and escapist listen—and a true treat of a debut.
Customer Reviews
*Someone Else’s Shoes*
Two close friends Heather is a trained Sommelier the other is Elizabeth Finch aka ‘Birdy’.. Heather has just taken a job in Scotland and at the last minute she decides to drop out. She asks Birdy to cancel the job as Heather is going abroad with her so called not single boyfriend.
Birdy has lost her way and is lacking direction so she asks Heather not to post anything on her social network platforms and she decides to pretend to be Heather. After all it is only for the summer and as she has posed as Heather on some social gatherings that Heather cannot attend with Heather’s blessing, How hard can it be? After all this is a small affair and she believes she can wing it….. what could go wrong? Can Birdy pull it off? Will she confess all to Heather? Will she find out the real reason why Heather was so reluctant to take the job. Lots of laughs and emotional moments too
A delightful romantic comedy
My thanks to Penguin Random House U.K. Audio for a review copy of the unabridged audiobook via NetGalley of ‘The Summer Job’ by Lizzy Dent in exchange for an honest review. The audiobook is narrated by Emma Sidi and has a running time of 11 hours, 13 minutes at 1x speed.
This proved a delightful romantic comedy. Elizabeth ‘Birdie’ Finch is between jobs. Her best friend, Heather, has accepted a summer job at Loch Dorn, a hotel in Scotland. Yet Heather decides instead to go to Italy with her new boyfriend and asks Birdie to call and tell the hotel that she wouldn’t be coming.
Heather describes Loch Dorn as being a “rundown old place in the middle of nowhere”, and as Birdie has some experience of bar and waitressing work, she adopts Heather’s identity and takes the job. What could possibly go wrong? Well first off Heather is a world class wine expert and the hotel has recently been extensively renovated and is now hoping to gain a Michelin Star rating with its new fine dining menu and wine list. As the restaurant’s sommelier, Birdie is expected to suggest suitable wines to customers and also pair wines with the daily menu.
Birdie didn’t tell Heather what she was going to do and certainly doesn’t want to ruin her friend’s professional reputation. In addition, she really likes other members of the staff. Whoops! Can she bluff her way through the summer? What about her attraction to James, the handsome chef who is the manager’s son?
This was great fun and everything that I look for in a romantic comedy: great escapism, light-hearted, and heartwarming. In her acknowledgments Lizzy Dent writes that the novel is a love letter to her time living and working in hospitality in Scotland. She also invests the novel with a vivid sense of its Highland locations.
With respect to the audiobook edition, Emma Sidi is an established British actor and comedian. Her voice was light and warm and was a delight to listen to. She also did a wonderful job with the wide variety of accents spoken by the novel’s supporting characters.
Following my enjoyment of this appealing novel I will look forward to news of Lizzy Dent’s future projects.