#FirstLine - It’s not the emails that make me panic.

"The Burnout" by Sophie Kinsella explores the life of Sasha, a woman overwhelmed by the demands of modern life, corporate responsibilities, and a lack of personal fulfillment. She reaches a breaking point, feeling disconnected from her friends, uninterested in intimacy, and unable to even cook a meal without extensive planning. Seeking solace, she returns to a seaside resort from her childhood, only to find it run-down and occupied by a grumpy man named Finn.

As Sasha and Finn navigate this off-season beachside setting, their contrasting approaches to dealing with burnout become evident. Sasha attempts to reconnect with nature through practices like manifesting and wild swimming, while Finn seeks solace in whiskey and convenience food. Their paths collide, leading to conversations about their shared burnout, forgotten passions (like surfing), and the mysterious appearance of messages seemingly addressed to them on the beach.

The novel delves into themes of rediscovery, connection, and the search for meaning in a world filled with burnout. Sophie Kinsella's "The Burnout" is a tale of self-discovery and human connection set against the backdrop of a dilapidated seaside resort. It was such a refreshing and relatable story that will resonate with readers for a long time after they close the book. It was filled with humor and heart, while still tackling other tough topics like mental exhaustion, the importance of setting boundaries and what really defines our self worth! A brilliant novel and one I HIGHLY recommend!

“Go get it.” - Terry

Sophie Kinsella is one of the best story tellers. It's hard to not instantly relate to and fall in love with her characters. I loved the story. I love when a love story works out, but even more when the lead finds themself before love. Sasha did just that.

Another fantastic book by Sophie Kinsella. This book was amazing. It was funny, sad, compelling - did I mention hilarious? I laughed so many times….it was so clever. I fell in love with both main characters. Sasha, who is burned out by her high stress job, and needs a break, takes a holiday to Rilston, a resort by the sea. Where she meets Finn who is also dealing with a stressful life. A wonderful story with quirky characters you will fall in love with. A fabulous read about life’s struggles and the burnout so many of us experience.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

"The Burnout" is a highly relatable and thought-provoking novel that delves deep into the theme of burnout. Sasha's journey from corporate fatigue to seeking solace by the seaside resonates with anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by the demands of modern life.

The book excels in its portrayal of the monotonous corporate world, where inane emails and forced employee joyfulness programs take their toll. Sasha's escape to the dilapidated seaside resort and her encounters with the grumpy but equally stressed Finn provide a refreshing contrast.

While "The Burnout" doesn't quite earn a perfect five-star rating due to some moments of predictability, it certainly deserves a solid four stars for its authenticity, relatability, and the heartfelt exploration of the burnout experience. This book serves as a reminder to us all to take a step back, rediscover our passions, and rekindle our connection with the simple pleasures in life when we find ourselves on the brink of burnout. A must-read for those seeking a dose of introspection and self-discovery.

The Burnout by

Sophie Kinsella is back with her signature quirky and funny heroine and I loved every single minute of this book. Sasha is struggling with the burnout from her job and who doesn’t relate to that?! This book had me laughing out loud and also really reflecting on my life and how I spend my day to day. If you have ever struggled with burnout from your job or your children or just life, this book is perfect for you

5 stars

I really want to ask you a question that Sasha from the Burnout asks Finn.

“Can you ever get your childhood levels of happiness back? Could we ever be as happy as we were as kids?”

I have loved Sophie Kinsella since the original Shopaholic book, and this one was another fun one from her! It had the same fun, flirty vibe as her previous books but with a heartwarming undercurrent. Sophie Kinsella's books are feel-good rom coms with a little extra flirtiness. I loved the characters in this book and the tender feelings behind the main plot. I could definitely see this as a movie or a TV miniseries. I would recommend this book to anyone who loved Shopaholic or chick lit in general. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book. I loved the quirky employees and surroundings at the hotel. I adored the ending with the celebration of Terry. I also liked how Sasha realized that she could stand up for herself and move forward in her career without Finn. I did get annoyed how far Sasha went in on the health lifestyle lies her mom told.

Any millenial that has worked in a corporate world need to read this. Every person who has been in that environment understands the struggle this book talks about, the burnout. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it

I haven’t read a book by Sophie in a while but always love them. This was cute. Sasha is burnt out and needs a break. She goes to an old childhood place to reflect. There was a serious topic to it but the author had me laughing out loud several times.

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Random House and The Dial Press for my electronic arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publish date: Oct 10, 2023

I loved the message! I loved the banter! I loved the book! Sophie Kinsella just never disappoints. When overwhelmed Sasha decides she would rather become a nun than return all the emails waiting for her at her desk, she literally hits a wall. Her mom suggests a wellness retreat of sorts at a wacky hotel with a fun cast of characters. A lot of humor, a sweet love story and the powerful theme of enjoying the ride makes this one a hit! I just reviewed The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella. #TheBurnout #NetGalley

SOPHIE KINSELLA ! I love her books, and her stories are so touching. I felt so fortunate to read "The Burnout", her books are so intriguing.

I loved this story because it touches a nerve in so many people, family, friends and neighbors. For some people this can be a slippery-slope.

There are days you just want to pull the covers over you head and stay in bed! With the lights off!

Sasha is at her wit's end with her job, and decides to go to Devon Beach, where she went as a child and found it very charming at that time, now it is falling into shambles (can you ever turn the clock back) and runs into Finn another misfortunate who also there to rejuvenate , they have alot in common, and they both just want to be left alone with their misery, but fate steps in and make a quirky, offbeat romance.

I love this story and recommend it to anyone who feels below par. It will brighten your day!

An easy read, that is fun and funny - both.

Buy it for a friend and do them a favor.

Thank you Netflix!

also posted on Goodreads!

ARC Review

3.5/5 ⭐

A heartwarming story of a burnt out marketing professional who runs away to a rediscover herself at a rundown beachside resort where she meets a fellow burnt out buddy also looking to rediscover himself. They eventually fall for each other and the rest is history. While a cute story and endearing and chuckle worthy at points, it was pretty predictable and dragged on a little bit too much in some points. All together an easy read and a B-list romcom if that's what you're into.

This may be my favourite book from this author. I’ve always generally enjoyed Kinsella’s books, but none really resonated with me……until reading this one.
Absolutely adored this read! Add to your fall TBR folks!

4.5 stars
It was a slow start to the book but I really ended up enjoying the premise and characters! Finn and Sasha were adorable and I relayed to the characters! I wish we could’ve gotten more of them as a couple at the end, a bonus epilogue but I enjoyed the book! X

“How am I supposed to have time to reflect? How can I feel joyful when I’m constantly gripped by panic? How am I supposed to write down my aspirations when my only aspiration is stay on top of life and I’m failing at that?”

When we first meet Sasha she’s overworked in an understaffed department that keeps piling on projects. Her inbox is out of control, she can’t keep up, faces crippling panic and runs out - and straight into a brick wall. When her complete breakdown lands her in the hospital her company gives her on a three leave to recover (both physically and mentally).

While on her break Sasha takes a holiday to Rilston Bay, the place her family summered in as a child. The glamorous hotel of her childhood is crumbling to the ground, and her “seafront” view room is completely obstructed by scaffolding. She is one of 2 guests in the hotel and the other grumbling guest is experiencing just as much, if not more burnout than she is. When notes start showing up on the beach these 2 characters form a friendship to uncover the secrets of where the mysterious notes come from.

This was a quick read - I read it in one day - and I had anxiety right along with Sasha in the beginning of the book. Quite honestly once she left London for the beach I enjoyed the quirky, surrounding characters that worked in the hotel more than the heroine. I also had a soft spot in my heart for the aging surfing instructor. In my opinion there were just way too many subplots.

Thank you to Netgalley for an early copy of this book.

The Burnout came into my life at the perfect time! Tis’ the season where I start to feel pretty burnout and I found myself relating a lot to Sasha’s struggles. I feel as though she’s a great depiction of something who could very well exist in modern day with what the economy is like in America right now.
This story felt cozy and the romance between Sasha and Finn developed gracefully.
Thank you Random House and NetGalley for this arc in return for an honest review <3

The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.

4/5 stars

I have not read all of Sophie Kinsella’s books but I’ve enjoyed the ones I’ve read.

This one had me laughing at the very beginning. As someone who knows what burnout feels like, I can relate to how the main character felt when she literally ran from her job and tried to escape to a convent. I was in tears laughing.

Some of the characters were a bit over-the-too for me, but I am obsessed with the love story and the main characters, Sasha and Finn.

Read this book if you like enemies to lovers and slow burn romances.

i’m sorry i couldn’t finish this book. not to be funny but i’m 100% experiencing burnout right now so it’s been hard to get through books 🥲 this book didnt keep me interested enough to keep reading. i’ll definitely give it another try in the future though.

Thank you to the publisher for a Netgalley.

Though I can never get into the shopahlic books, I love all of the stand-alones by Sophie Kinsella. Was this predictable at times? Yes. Was it cheesy at times? Yes. Was it the book I needed at this moment? Also yes.

In a year where I am feeling major burnout myself in my own job, this book came at the perfect time. It was enjoyable, the main characters were well written, and though miscommunication pokes its awful tropey self in, it's so small it didn't bother me. I read this book in a day as I found the story easy to relate to, as I think many people will nowadays.

This was a very cute read. Very on point with burning out at work, when it feels like we are all going through that. Maybe just not as comically as in the book. It was a fun read, very typical of what you have come to expect from Sophie Kinsella.