Ginny manages a hotel in Seattle. Her boss is a hard and demanding woman who received the hotel in a divorce settlement. Jacqueline manages a fishing lodge in Idaho. Her boss is her loving grandfather, who owns the resort. Jacqueline is most unhappy with her duties, but it was the only job she could get after graduating with a hospitality degree. Ginny is burning out from the day to day stress of trying to please her boss when nothing really ever pleases her. An website offering to connect people who want to swap jobs for a couple of months catches the eyes of these two managers, and a contract completes the deal, just for the summer. Jacqueline has overstated her abilities and gets in over her head. She is too taken with the big city to really concentrate on her job. Ginny loves the new people she has met, the duties she now has, and the opportunity to put her creativity to good use. Alas, things go awry. This lovely and sweet story is a great summer read. The characters come alive on the page, and readers may find themselves wanting to offer advice, especially to Jacqueline! Well written, with great characters in an imaginative plot, this story is entertaining and delightful. ( )

I ended up liking this book more than I thought because I'm not a big fan of what I call "chick lit" or the contemporary romance, whether Christian or not. Although Ginny says some prayers, the Christian aspect of this novel is pretty light.
Like some of the other reviewers, I kept thinking I didn't care for Jacqueline and was glad most of the story was focused on Ginny.
I will read books by Melody Carlson, especially her Christmas stories. ( )

A light hearted and enjoyable summer read about two women who decide to swap jobs for the summer. Ginny is the manager of a high end hotel in Seattle and is in dire need of a break. Her job is demanding and her boss is a tyrant. Jacqueline is sick of running her grandfather's fishing lodge and is ready for the finer things in life. The two women both reply to an ad about a job swap and then the two switch places. Jacqueline is in awe of the glitz and the glamour but is in way over her head; she may have lied a bit about her managerial experience. Ginny on the other hand is happy for the first time in years. The scenery is beautiful, the job is less stress and more rewarding, and the hunky fishing guide is starting to win her over. This is a sweet clean read with a happy ending. I do feel the ending was a little rushed and that Jacqueline was a little two dimensional; but other than that I really enjoyed it. I loved the hotel management aspects of the book - it sounded fun! ( )

The Grass is Greener….

Ginny manages an upscale boutique hotel in Seattle, and she can do her job in her sleep. Everything runs like a well-oiled machine unless her boss, Diana, steps in. She is famous for causing problems, blaming them on Ginny, and expecting her to fix them.

After Diana's latest escapade, Ginny is ready for a change, and she just found it--a site where people swap jobs for sixty days.

Jacqueline manages her grandfather's run-down fishing lodge. It is in the backwoods, and she hates every part of it. When Jacqueline stumbles on the job swap site, she knows this is her way out.

Both women connect, and immediately make arraignments to trade jobs.

Although Jacqueline lied about the condition of the lodge, Ginny is thrilled to be in such a beautiful location. She immediately rolls up her sleeves to get to work improving the lodge.
Ginny finds herself fitting in well with everyone, especially the handsome fishing guide. She never wants to leave.

Despite pulling out all the stops, Jacqueline's plan to catch the attention of Diana's son has barely gotten off the ground. Additionally, she is not used to working as hard as Ginny. It doesn't take Diana long to demand that Ginny come back.

Jacqueline creates a bunch of lies designed to get Ginny to leave the fishing lodge. Will it work?

This entertaining story is a page-turner, and the job swapping idea is a great twist. It is fun to read about the ideas Ginny has, along with wondering if the lies Jacqueline has told will catch up with her. I highly recommend this clean tale. It will be enjoyed by fans of DIY, stories of starting over, and well-written books.

Thank you, Revell Books, for providing Tickmenot with a book to review. Opinions are my own. ( )

Just for the Summer by Melody Carlson has a cute premise. A job can get humdrum after a number of years. It would be a nice change of pace to be able switch positions with someone for two months. You get to go to a different state, meet new people, and experience new challenges. I like Ginny, but I really did not like Jackie. There was little change in Jackie’s character. I doubt this leopard would change her spots for long. I did not like that Ginny was labeled a workaholic (what is wrong with someone who enjoys their job and most of the people at their workplace). It was suggested to Ginny that she have fun and needed a man in her life. I did not like the implication that Ginny (or any person) needed a man (or woman) for her life to be complete. I enjoyed Ginny’s time at the fishing camp. There were some interesting characters and scenes as well as humor. One of the relationships did not make sense considering how the female manipulated the man for most of the story. Just for the Summer has a feel-good ending. Just for the Summer is a nice story, but I did not enjoy it as much as other books by this author. ( )