Member Reviews
I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sweet relatable novel about two thirty somethings who are both experiencing burnout from their jobs.
I was lucky enough to receive this ARC from NetGalley. I was patiently waiting for the Burnout’s release since I’m a big fan of Ms. Kinsella’s previous works. This was a great story about when life gives you lemons… you start afresh. In this case you head to the beach and reassess how you were just treading water before! Sasha realized she needed a change having been burnt out from her workload. Needing a place to clear her head she returns to her childhood vacation beach. Similar story with Finn. I loved the quirky staff and the retired surf instructor. Terry had all life’s lessons through his surfing tutorials. I really enjoyed reading this. There was a great romance and a message in finding yourself within these pages. These are my personal opinions. Another great book to add to the collection.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love Sophie Kinsella!
The Burnout was such a fun read. I absolutely loved the storyline, the setting, the characters, and the sweet, sweet ending. I adore books about women in their 30s that are still figuring out their lives. There's absolutely nothing wrong with someone just because they aren't married by 28. You can be 30 years old and still not know what you want to do with your life. You can love your career but still feel incredibly burnt out.
This book was so refreshing and fun. Kinsella has been writing these charming, plucky heroines since I was in high school and they still feel fresh and entertaining. I loved absolutely everything about this book and am genuinely sad that it is over.
Sasha buys the same dinner every night, turns on Legally Blonde, and answers work emails. She's been toiling away at a travel app start-up for years, and when she's finally pushed too far, and ends up in the hospital (after running away from a nun), she decides it's time for a break. With the help of her mom and sister, she ends up in Rilston Bay, site of her childhood summer vacations, and while it might not look quite as she remembers, she's determined to find balance with the help of a 20-steps app. What's not included in the app is a romance with fellow burnout, Finn, and Sasha has to decided whether to stick to her plan or go for what she really wants for the first time in years.
Sophie Kinsella's trademark humor was on full display in this latest book, causing me to laugh out loud at multiple scenes. The staff at the Rilston were hilarious, especially as they tried to meet all of Sasha's PA's demands. I found myself relating more to Sasha than I anticipated, even in the exaggerated scenarios, and the book became a nice little reminder that there's more to life than work. While I don't think I would classify this book as strictly romance, I enjoyed Sasha and Finn's blossoming relationship, and how everything worked out in the end.
It’s hard to believe this is my first Sophie Kinsella read! I’ve seen both of her book-to-film adaptations, so the tone and dialogue sounded familiar straight off the bat. With that said, this would be a cute movie.
Anyway. I’d definitely categorize this more as contemporary fiction more than a romance, because really, the focus is on Sasha. And that’s alright. (Me too, girly — I am also burnt out!) This is a book that is silly and doesn’t take itself too seriously and is overall a relatable, lighthearted read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
This is classic Sophie Kinsella — adorable, witty, and funny!
Sasha is suffering from burnout at her job. After a minor mental breakdown, she decides to take a holiday at the beach her family used to go to when she was a child. Unfortunately, everything seems to be going wrong on her trip there, including running into a grumpy man on the train — Finn. As it turns out, Finn ends up staying at the same hotel she is staying at, and they kept getting put into awkward situations together.
I absolutely loved the deadpan banter between Sasha and Finn. I laughed out loud several times at the awkward encounters with the hotel staff. This is a fun read that also reminds you to take care of yourself and to enjoy the ride that is life ❤️
Thank you Penguin Random House Publishing for this ARC!
I really enjoyed this book. It was certainly a way to "escape" my burnout as well as Sasha's. The relationship with Finn was expected, but I thought it played out well. Two things bothered me though. *** Spoiler alert*** The recognition the two of them suddenly received for something that happened years ago was over the top and practically a joke. The other thing was the explanation Finn gave about his issues and his relationship with Anna. I would have liked to have seen this end with Sasha and Finn ending up apart. I think too many times we think all happy endings mean the couple ends up together. Sometimes the happy ending is that both people have healed and end up friends.
I would recommend this book to friends who like Hallmark movies.
I haven't had the opportunity to read anything by Sophie Kinsella, so I thought this book with a very appealing title and description would be a good opportunity to try out one of her titles.
First off, I will say that the beginning may be triggering to anyone who has or is currently experiencing burnout. So just a warning about that. I guess that is a good sign that the author is really good at their job! :D Once the story is set, I found myself really enjoying the book. Did I find it to be completely comical as was described? No. But I did find it to be a very sweet story with some very enjoyable, fun, and uplifting moments.
Extremely relatable. Highly recommend.
Sophie Kinsella is one of my favorite comfort book authors. When I pick up a book by Ms Kinsella, I know exactly what to expect. I settle in for a warm story, light but with heart. The Burnout was no different and I just thoroughly enjoyed it. In reading The Burnout, you can expect to find the classic elements of a romping romantic comedy, some moments that will make you pause and think, and a satisfying if somewhat predictable (in the best way) ending.
I don't have a long list of must-read authors, but Sophie Kinsella is on that list and has been for many years. A warm blanket, a cup of cocoa and The Burnout- that's pretty perfect!
A solid 4 happy stars from me!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher (The Dial Press) for an ARC of The Burnout in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Burnout. Within the first 5% of the book I was hooked. The writing was welcoming and engaging and REAL, the premise concerningly relatable. The first chapter’s every paragraph made me feel so, so seen.
As someone who has been suffering burnout for…. I don’t want to think how long, and someone who has been going though a long book slump making me grouchy and overly picky for the past few months, THIS is the book I’ve been looking for.
Suffering from work induced burnout, Sasha goes a bit off the rails in her attempt to flee work and ends up running into a literal wall. Concerned by her actions, her GP gets her excused from work due to said burnout so Sasha travels to the seaside to the holiday spot of her childhood for R&R. Unfortunately when she arrives she realizes quickly the little town isn’t doing quite so well. Shortly after another man, who she had a bit of an argument on the train up, arrives. (Note - where had he gone in the days between the train and arriving?). While originally antagonistic, they soon bond over the mess of their lives. General romance ensues. The book was quite predictable in terms of plot but I didn’t mind as the characters felt fresh and realistic; I enjoyed seeing them on their journey.
One additional note: in other books I often struggle with second hand embarrassment/cringe when reading an author’s attempts to make a scene funny. There were a few scenes in the book that, had they been written by someone else, would have easily tipped into that territory, but managed to steer clear of that flaw for me. I haven’t read anything else by this author before but this fact alone makes me want to read more!
Long story short : READ THIS BOOK! Especially if you like engaging, witty writing that isn’t over the top “try hard”, if you are suffering burnout or imposter syndrome for not having your whole life together, or if you just want to read a story that feels like a bit of a flight of fancy but is still grounded in real life. 5/5 hands down.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for sharing this ARC with me!
I haven't read a Sophie Kinsella book in a while so it took me a minute to get into the writing style, especially with it being a UK book.
I appreciated the humor found in the story as well as the heart behind all the characters you meet. The whole thing with Terry was very sweet and I really liked how it wrapped up in the end. I found Sasha's feelings too relatable and it got me thinking about my own burnout which...we'll just ignore for now lol.
While I kept reading, I found that the story got a little jumbled in the middle there. I wasn't too invested and found myself skimming through (many) of the boring bits. I didn't really find there to be much chemistry between Finn and Sasha for a romance; they were great as friends.
Overall, entertaining in some bits, and dragged in others.
I originally requested this book because (unfortunately) many of us have experienced burnout, and/or are still experiencing burnout and we’re not sure how to fix it. Sasha, our main character, has helped me realize how to give yourself grace and remind myself how hard we are on ourselves as humans. This story was precious; revisiting a childhood beach town to get back to her roots while making endless discoveries. It also had just the right amount of romance. Thank you Net Galley for this needed read!
I’ve been a fan of Sophie Kinsella’s books since reading the first book in the Confessions of a Shopaholic series and always look forward to her new book, The Burnout was incredibly relatable in the beginning with how Sasha felt at work, but I then felt a bit of a disconnection once she got to the beach. While the story was funny, it was slow for me for a while and I kept thinking who would stay at a hotel giving them more stress when they came to relax? Kinsella’s usual charm is here in this book, it just wasn’t a favorite of mine.
Sophie Kinsella was one of my first auto-buy author. The shopaholic series literally shaped my young adult years.
When I saw that she had a new book, about a woman experiencing burnout, I thought "wow, how does she know how to right book that fit perfectly into my life?"
Suffice it to say that I was hyped. and I was not disappointed.
This story is funny, heart warming, real and charming.
I highly recommend!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
While this wasn't my favorite Sophie Kinsella book, I definitely found the burnout from a demanding job aspect completely relatable. It had lots of laugh out loud moments but overall I wasn't as fully invested in the enemies to lovers, forced proximity, vacation romance as I had wanted to be. Good but not great and enjoyable on audio. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!!
Sophie Kinsella you've dont it again!! This book! The quirky hotel staff, the beach setting, the surf lessons that apply to life. I loved this! I needed a "beach read" to break up a few thrillers and lo and behold I got way more than a simple little beach read. The amount of times I highlighted sections of my kindle to save for later, the poignant life lessons, the profound simplicity found in nature and the constant ebb and flow of the ocean. Can you tell I loved this?! The growth that our two main characters experienced, was a bit of a surprise. I expected flighty rom com, but I got depth and grit and real life challenges. This was so good and such a pleasant surprise having so much more to it than an easy beach read!
The Burnout has the happy go lucky, whimsical character trademark of a Kinsella novel.
Sasha is having a breakdown. She's through answering emails that others deem necessary to answer now and working with a boss who thinks he's the best. She's done with sex and sees no pleasure in it. She's not cooking meals as it's too much hassle. She needs a break.
Taking her mum's advice, she's on vacation at a place of her past. Alas, once arriving she sees the hotel is a mess and doesn't match up to memory. The only person out there on the beach is Finn, another stressed out worker.
When mysterous messages start popping up on the beach addressed to "two lovers", both Sasha and Finn must speak and address ghosts in their closets. What in their lives is making everything seem so bleak? What can both find joy in together? And why can they not ignore the pulling chemistry between one another?
I enjoyed reading Sophie KInsella's latest novel, The Burnout, but found myself unable to see myself at the hotel with the crew. I could relate to the characters, especially Finn and his want to continously avoid everyone's advice to go to therapy. Some scenes were hilarious however; I found the first half of the book to drag on. I would recommend this novel to those who enjoy Sophie Kinsella books or want a laugh when it feels like everything around them may be falling apart.
Sophie Kinsella has been one of my favorite authors since the Shopaholic Series and my all time fave Can You Keep a Secret? Some of her recent books had lost their spark for me. I still loved the writing, but I thought maybe I aged out of her writing. Well here along comes The Burnout and Sasha. Boy oh boy, can I relate! Work stress, life stress and wanting to just find that place in life where you were happy. That's Sasha goes on a journey for, and along the way is Finn. This enemy to lovers trope is great and had me giggling. Thank you Sophie Kinsella for reigniting my spark. I love your writing! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this sweet, sweet book!
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review
This is my first Kinsella book , it was good wasn't bad .Alot of characters but it didn't over whelm me nor did i feel like I was always trying to remember who was who. IT was a MMC of the Grumpy kind . The FMC is very relatable I will say being burnt out with work and needing to get a way to unwind. I gave the book 2.5/3
Rounded up from 3.5
Sasha has had enough with her job. She decides to take a break at a seaside resort. But things don't go as planned and she has to share the beach with a grump, Finn, who is as burned out as she is. Neither are happy about it, until they are forced to talk.
Sophie Kinsella is the queen at writing light and fluffy romances, many of her characters are overly bubbly, quirky, airheads and/or annoying, that can talk/thing a million words a minute. This romcom was no exception. Even the hotel's app had a mind of it's own and kept on sending 10 notifications at a time for things that were inexistant or out of date. It was exhausting and now I'm burned-out, but I still had fun with it. The ending felt a bit rushed. There were a few heartfelt and heart warming moments, and overall, it was entertaining with its touch of mystery, and the beachside setting was great.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.