The Summer Job - Book Review
Genre: Fiction | Romance | Contemporary fiction
Author: Lizzy Dent
Year: 2021
Pages: 309
I’ve been on a bit of a reading hiatus, and wanted an entertaining and easy-to-read book to get me back into the swing of things. The Summer Job fits this brief perfectly. Full of comedy and romance but also touching on some deeper topics, this light-hearted book explores themes of self discovery, even if you’re pretending to be someone else.
Pretending to be your best friend for the summer, how hard could it be? Birdy Finch happens to be spending her summer in Scotland. She’s got a lovely little job lined up at a rundown Scottish hotel, giving her the perfect chance to run away from her problems. This position will be a piece of cake! But this job isn’t for her, it’s for her best friend and wine aficionado, Heather.
After a case of mistaken identity, Birdy finds herself taking Heather’s place as a sommelier. Heather’s in Italy, she doesn’t need to know. Besides, she didn’t even want the job. Birdy doesn’t know much about wine, but how hard could it be?
Soon enough, Birdy’s plan is spinning out of control. Not only is the hotel a lot more luxurious than Birdy originally thought, but she’s falling for her handsome co-worker who thinks she’s someone else. With everybody at the hotel counting on her, can Birdy survive the summer?
The Summer Job is a lovely, easy-going read. It’s full of laughs and romance, but it’s got a bit of depth to it, too. For me, the book picked up about halfway through, once the premise of the story was established. I’m a big fan of character-driven books and I like the backstory to Birdy’s character. I just wished her past was developed and explored more throughout the book. Often, it was only touched on it briefly whenever it coincided with an event in the present. But I might be feeling this way because I wanted to read something with a bit more substance, which I only realised about a third of my way into this book.
Despite this, there’s plenty to like about The Summer Job. It’s got a cast of likeable characters, a swoon-worthy romance and great character progression. It explores the notion of finding yourself, no matter what age you are. The author uses wit and punchy writing to propel the story forward. Aside from the first hundred pages or so, the pacing of the story is good. I did think the book ended a bit abruptly – it would have been nice if the conclusion was fleshed out further, but it’s still a satisfying ending to this romantic tale.
If you like Sophie Kinsella’s books or Rachael Johns (who happens to be Lizzy Dent’s cousin and inspiration for this debut adult novel!), then you’ll like The Summer Job. It’s a quick and humorous read with added depth that makes it all the more intriguing. It would have been nice if the complexities of our protagonist were explored a little further, but it’s not necessary to enjoy this book.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★