4.25 stars

Ever feel like your work is getting you down? You are so exhausted and feel like it is never ending? No energy to really care about yourself or really anything else besides your work? If you are feeling this way, you may have burnout.

Sasha Worth is at her breaking point. She is burned out and hits a wall (I’m mean literally hits a wall) so she takes a couple weeks break and visits Rilston Bay a wondrous place from her younger years to have some R&R. She meets grumpy pants, Finn Birchall who becomes her “burnout buddy” and they stay at the unconventionally run Rilston hotel.

There is a lot more to the book but let me just start with the very beginning. Sasha is describing her typical day and I was laughing so hard I was crying because it was so relatable. As someone who has had burnout several times over the years, it was spot on. I felt so bad for her but she is just stuck in a rut and she NEEDS a break. Also the beginning describes clearly how not to run a company.

I like that this book was more than just romance. It does have romance but it isn’t the main focus. It really is about her experience with burnout and the results from her stay at Rilston Bay. I really liked how Finn and Sasha could bond over their stress and challenges, I mean misery loves company right?

Then you have the staff at the hotel which are something else. They are eccentric and trying oh so hard to make your stay the best it can be. I love the workers there and they bring so much character to her stay.

There were some tender moments as well that made me tear up a bit. Everything with Terry made me so emotional. The lovely moments between characters and how Sasha finally let’s go of her stress and takes control of her life was nice to see.

The ending was satisfying and sweet. I really liked how Sasha and Finn were not just head over heels in love and it seemed realistic that they had their own separate issues to resolve but were there for each other. Overall, a really great read and I enjoyed my time at Rilston Bay.


*Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Sophie Kinsella does it again! Her writing is so witty and laugh out loud funny. This one did not disappoint. The cast of characters was phenomenal. None felt out of place or like their character didn't add anything to the story. I loved seeing the character development with Sasha and Finn, both individually, and as friends. I wanted to scream at Sasha "JUST SPEAK UP! STAND UP FOR YOURSELF!" I can relate to Sasha as a constant people-pleaser-- always looking out for others more than for yourself. Now, I want to go on a winter holiday to a beach in England. It all sounded so dreamy. Especially if I could stay at a place as quirky as the Rilston. I loved this book so much that it was hard to put down.

The Burnout felt, like, a bit of a departure for Sophie Kinsella -- but I liked it that way. This novel feels like less of a romance and more like a women's fiction read. It's told with such rich, compelling language that is true to her style and I couldn't help but get caught up in the story. There's also a bit of a mystery that adds intrigue, turning it into a total page-turner.

4.25/5⭐️

I always enjoy Sophie Kinsella’s books, some more than others. While this one is not top of my Kinsella list, it’s (as all of her offerings are) filled with humor, wonderfully-drawn characters, a compelling storyline and just an overall feel-good vibe.

Sasha is overworked, underappreciated and frustrated with her job as Director of Special Promotions at Zoose…too many inane “urgent” emails, a corporate employee joyfulness program that she has no time to be “joyful” about and the helpless feeling when no one listens to her advice/concerns. When she flips out and literally runs away from work, her mother books her into a hotel at the seaside vacation spot that she grew up visiting for many summers as a child with her family.

She has not been there since her father’s passing 20 years ago and finds the Rilston Bay Hotel anything but the elegant, upper crust enclave that she remembers. She meets a menagerie of HILARIOUS employees there (simply divine characters who need their own book!) and begins a healing, self-discovery sojourn. Finn, a grumpy but attractive fellow hotel guest, is also suffering job burnout, and they slowly begin to aid each other on their journeys back to enjoying life. They discover a shared love of surfing and reconnect with their surfing instructor Terry, a wise and wonderful fixture from their youth.

I loved this slow-burn romance and not just for the romance. It had a lot to say about the hecticness of everyday modern life and the need to reconnect with one’s self for mental/physical wellbeing.

Recommended.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley and The Dial Press for providing the free early arc of The Burnout for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I have always been curious about the books I see written by Sophie Kinsella and I am so glad I decided to try one. What a great writer. Her tone is totally refreshing, funny, and real. The Burnout is a book worth reading. I loved both Sasha and Finn as characters and the eccentricities of the hotel and the hotel’s cast of characters. This is a fun book with meaningful and thoughtful relationships. A must read.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

Who hasn't felt on the verge of a total breakdown with too much work, insane expectations and often lunatics at the helm. This is where Sasha finds herself. After a complete meltdown at work, finding herself with no interest in sex or fun or life in general. Her mother arranges a beach getaway to a childhood favorite resort hotel that they have not been to since her father died many years ago, Upon arriving at Rilston Bay, Sasha finds it to be less of the utopian grand hotel and more Fawlty Towers.
Doing her best to make the most of it, she befriends the quirky staff and community and begins to try to better herself, despite another guest who could not be more annoying if he tried. Looking at what has become the once lovely beach town of her childhood memories, it too seems to have crashed and burned.

Sasha learns to help and rebuild herself as well as the the crazy and sometimes irritating inhabitants of Rilston Bay. Although your will have to go with a couple of plot points that seem far fetched, it is a fun ride and you will find yourself rooting for Sasha and the crew all the way.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House, The Dial Press for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Readers Copy of The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella!

You know that feeling you get when you read a book that is so relatable that you know it was written specifically for you?

That was The Burnout for me.

This is about Sasha and Finn, two overworked, overstressed individuals who either need or have been forced to take some time off due to “losing it” at the workplace. They both escape to an old family vacation spot that is filled with quirky, generous characters that you can’t help but love to decompress in their own way.

I absolutely adored the cast of this book. Each with their over the top need to help, generosity, and unique personalities. The two main characters, aside from the burnout symptoms we shared, were exceptionally relatable. The dialog between them was fun and witty. And the message that was imparted upon them by the wise one was on point. While the book may not have removed the 500 emails from my inbox or decreased my ever growing to-do list, it did make me stop, pause and laugh a little. It may not be a quirky coastal retreat, but it did allow me to escape for a moment to reset and recharge. Don’t start this book too late at night, sleep is important, especially if you are Burned-out, and you’re going to want to read this one straight through!

3.5/5
Sweetly predictable and predictably sweet. The main characters were likable and writing was solid.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. I actually cannot wait to hear this novel on audio. I bet it is going to be so funny!
What can I say, Sophie Kinsella delivered! This book was so much fun! I actually laughed out loud so many times, that I don't remember every laughing that much from a book before. All the characters are great! I loved loved loved the entire hotel staff and how quirky they are. A lot of authors in the past try to make quirky characters but they just fall short. This is very much Gilmore Girls quirk. My favorite character was Cassidy... I think I could just read a whole stand alone novel based on her.
You will not be disappointed! Such a great light fuzzy read!

The Burnout is just as adorable and witty as the Shopaholic series. Sasha is so cute and sweet and just looking to get away from it all. She is having a burnt out moment and takes off to find the peace and quiet she needs. While away she meets Finn and their chemistry is fabulous.

Some fun and curious things happen while relaxing at the resort. I am very pleased with the joy this book brought while trying to read and relax myself! I definitely recommend this book to those who love quick, witty and fun reads.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for the ARC of this book.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for the ARC for my honest review.

I've been reading SK books since Shopaholic came out back in the day. The Burnout is definitely better than her most recent books, but it still did not catch my fancy, especially compared to the far superior Undomestic Goddess which had a similar character experiencing burnout. I wasn't a fan of the quirky side characters nor did the romance give me the swoons.

The Burnout follows Sasha, the overworked and unappreciated employee of a tech startup who has a mental break and then recovers in her childhood seaside holiday town. Her recovery finds her staying at a rundown hotel with a cast of quirky characters, in the company of a tall and dark haired man who’s also looking for respite from work stress. Together they discover they have shared history in many different ways.

The Burnout was a quick and easy read, and I liked the set up (feeling pretty realistic from my experience working in tech). It’s a classic Kinsella book with the same humour and same main character as you might’ve read in the past. That was both comforting and a little boring, and I found some of it a bit cringey (maybe my changing tastes over the decades). I didn’t love Finn’s backstory - there wasn’t enough of it but what we did get of it was weird and didn’t make sense or endear him to me (violent outbursts at work, ex girlfriend drama, then no ex girlfriend drama?). I hoped that we’d see them team up to improve the hotel or something, or the town would get a feature on the travel app Sasha worked on, but that wasn’t part of the plot.

I think I’d go back to the Undomestic Goddess or Can You Keep a Secret rather than read this one again.

Sophie Kinsella has a formula for fun and meaningful books, there is always a loveable yet slightly unhinged female protagonist, there is lots of laughs, a few teary moments and an awesome love interest, all of that is here and I enjoyed it in the moment.

I loved the idea of the dilapidated hotel, the mystery around the beach messages and the general relatability to “burn out” culture loads of lessons in the mix.

Slightly forgettable but perfect for a lighter,
palette cleansing read.

This book had all the layers of an onion and I LOVED IT!
Each of the main characters had their own personal struggles going on that were being worked through, as well as a budding romance, as well as a "small town story" going on in the background. The characters were so well developed, I just kept waiting and waiting for them to get together. The ending had me teary eyed, and I love a good happily ever after story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was really cute and funny. This was my first book from this author and I’m excited to read more from her. Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this book. #TheBurnout #NetGalley

The sleepy seaside town and hotel with it's near abandoned state were a great setting. The way this book is written I could really picture the location and feel the cold breeze from the winter sea. I loved the awkward moments in the hotel when Sasha first arrives and finds everything to be quite different than what she expected, with the creepy tiles, furniture for sale, the staff hovering while she dines, and their over apologetic gestures. It really set the scene of the hotel. Sashas burnout from work felt so real and relateable, but there was also some humour added there with the nuns and the wall. I enjoyed reading her journey back to herself and the discoveries she makes while on her break. Finn and Sasha's development from absolutley loathing each other to being each others support was written in a believable way and had me frustrated for them both, then laughing and smiling with them both. Especially when Sashas manifestations written on paper flys into Finns hands and he reads what she's written, that was hilarious, I loved it! All up it was an entertaining story that I enjoyed reading and would recommend. :-)

I genuinely like Kinsella and have been a fan of her books since the first Shopaholic, but even I can admit that she has been a bit hit or miss of late. The last few that I read that I didn't like turned me off of her books so I have been avoiding picking up any of the more recent ones. But when The Burnout was available via NetGalley as an ARC, I thought that the premise sounded interesting enough to give Kinsella another try.

This was a very enjoyable book and took me back to some of her earlier writing, especially the first few Shopaholics. Although the running away scene at the start is a bit too much and too cute - I was thinking oh oh, maybe I will be disappointed again - once Sasha gets to the beach town, settles in, and starts to interact with Finn, the book hit its groove. Both Finn and Sasha were likeable characters. Heck, the whole town was pretty much likeable, albeit quirky, characters. Sure, some of the folks were a little much, and the hotel gave off vibes of uninhabitable, but for whatever reason it all worked together to present a solid story. What I truly appreciated most was that this wasn't necessarily an enemies to lovers, despite the initial distaste for each other, and there was no insta love. Sasha and Finn hung out and became friends. Sure, they were attracted to each other but it wasn't a fall into bed after a single touch. I actually felt like they had been at the beach town for a lot longer than they had, so the book pace was good but gave the impression of the two leads taking the time to get acquainted.

I don't want to spoil anything, but the way that the book wrapped up and then continued to wrap up fully was lovely.

All in all, a good read. If you like Kinsella, this one will definitely appeal. If you are looking for a holiday romance (even though this holiday is in February) also a nice read. And if you, like me, feel burned by Kinsella lately, this may be the one to renew your faith in her as a writer.

Sophie Kinsella is one of my favorites authors. This one was really cute. My favorite characters were the hotel staff. They were laugh out loud funny.


Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for my honest opinion

I normally adore Sophie Kinsella's books. I've been reading her books since the first Shopaholic book was released and they are such a comfort read for me. I usually love her characters and the dialog between the protagonist and her love interest. That being said this book is just...weird? It doesn't really feel like a Kinsella book to me. The zip her dialog normally has just wasn't there for me, and I felt like there were a lot of questions that never get resolved (why is this famous hotel in such disarray?!).

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book.