Ms. Kinsella has an unerring feel for the way angst, anxiety, young adulthood, and absurdity intersect. Her compassion for her bright, overworked protagonist and her adventure in personal growth are perfectly wrapped up in a winter seaside vacation. It comes complete with run-down resort hotel, an eccentric cast of characters, an iconic surfing instructor, a bit of a mystery—and a sweetly realized romance. When Sasha and Finn meet it’s clear that their dislike for each other is probably destined to flip over into love—but getting there is delightful.

The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella is an easy read that follows two working professionals that have hit their limits and retreat to the seaside for some rest and recovery. Filled with true words of wisdom, life lessons, and of course a bit of romance. If you've ever felt burned out or in desperate need of a vacation, pick up The Burnout and escape with Sasha and Finn.

This was such a cute book. The main character was burned out with work and life and decided to visit her childhood vacation spot and get her life back on track.

I loved the quirky setting and characters. It was a great story of finding happiness and celebrating the life changing people along the way.

Sasha is overwhelmed and overworked and has a bit of a crisis that culminates with her running into a brick wall... literally. Forced to take a break, she returns to the beach resort where she spent so many happy summers as a child, but now it's mid-winter, the resort is... struggling, and there is a man with anger issues sitting on her special rock.

"The Burnout" is full of the gentle humor and self deprecation that characterizes author Sophie Kinsella, but I actually think this is one of her best. It somehow contains a maturity not found in some of her other books. I enjoyed it.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. #TheBurnout

Sasha is at the end of her rope, the dream job is taking everything out of her and she can't think about anything else, not cooking, not friends, not even sex. When she finally snaps she finds herself shipped off to recuperate along the coast at a hotel she dreamed of staying at as a kid and the intention to eat healthy and follow a wellness plan. But when she arrives things are not what she remembered and why did she decide a wellness plan would help. Plus there is an extremely grumpy guest that seems to be everywhere she is. Can Sasha find her way back to herself? What is up with the grumpy guest, Finn?

This was just what I needed! Some of the burnout stuff hit a little to close but that just made Sasha's story resonate even more.

This is classic zany Sophie Kinsella with it's woman on the verge, a great meet cute, fun banter and a cozy British setting. I love this stuff! However the book had no real zing between the characters.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sophie Kinsella is back! THE BURNOUT contains all the hallmarks of a classic Kinsella book, including delightful banter and humor, lovable characters, a swoon-worthy romance, and a story so compelling, you can‘t help but read long after you promised yourself you‘d stop. However, it also touches on a very relatable topic for so many of us that oftentimes goes overlooked: burnout.

Sasha, after a pretty spectacular break down, for lack of a better phrase, retreats to her childhood vacation spot to follow a 20-step wellness program in the hopes of relieving the constant stress she’s been battling at her job. And though things aren’t exactly as they were when she was last there, Sasha is determined to rediscover joy. Even if she does feel as if she’s being judged by the rude, but equally good-looking, man she has to share the beach with.

I loved the dynamic between Sasha and Finn, especially all the serendipitous moments in their lives, and couldn’t help but fly through this book just to see how their story would end. I also really enjoyed the antics of the quirky skeleton crew at the Rilston, as well as sweet, inspirational surf instructor Terry. All of these things combined create a novel absolutely filled with heart, humor, and a lot of unfinished kale smoothies. Sophie Kinsella has once again written a winner.

I haven't read much by Sophie Kinsella but now I see why she's so popular. This book was so fun and funny. Who hasn't been so burned out from work that they just want to get away to a beach resort for a couple of weeks? I love how the heroine was so desperate for escape that she tried to join a convent, even though she doesn't go to church. And how she sneaked cookies and chips and wine because the resort staff believed she was on a wellness vacation. And of course we knew who the love interest/hero would be the moment she noticed a handsome guy on the train, but that's ok, it was fun watching them meet, snarl at each other, and eventually become buddies and then lovers. I'm definitely going to read this again, maybe this weekend, just for the dopamine hit!

I've loved Sophie Kinsella's books since the Shopaholic series came out so many years ago. This was no different, typical of Ms. Kinsella's writing. It's light, fun and quick read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for opportunity read and review.

This is the book that I have been wanting from Sophia Kinsella. Thank you so very much. The old humor is back. The characters are just so much fun to get lost in. You have the romance that is strife with humor and back and forth. This book is just everything that I love about a Sophia Kinsella book. I can’t wait to recommend it and if they don’t like it well, I am so sorry this is not the standards that The Ralston hopes to achieve. Trust me you are going to love this book. It will be a joy to recommend.
Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group, The Dial Press, and Netgalley for allowing me to review this joy of a book.

I get why people like this story and think it's cute, but it stressed me out? Maybe I am just in the wrong headspace and I will like it at a later date but it wasn't for me. It was not the escapism I was hoping for.

Sophie Kinsella tends to be a hit-or-miss author for me. When her stories click, they really stick with me. "The Burnout" was a big hit for me.

Sasha and Finn are two characters who, on the surface, may not seem like they belong together. But when they meet, both exhausted and completely drained, a delicious tension arises between them. Their chemistry is immediate, and their slow fall into love was so sweet.

Not only was the romance expertly crafted, but the humor in this story is some of Kinsella's best. From the ridiculous situations the characters find themselves in to the characters and their antics themselves, I was giggling nonstop while reading this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced ecopy in exchange for review.
Sasha is a marketing manager for a popular, fast-growing company that has its issues. Burnt-out and in desperate need of a break and a change in her life, Sasha goes for a break to the sea-side town of her childhood holidays, staying at the swanky, posh hotel she always yearned for as a kid. Time has not been kind to the hotel that is now nearly derelict, operating with a skeleton staff and a plethora of issues. Lots of traditional Kinsella hijinks ensue. I so enjoyed this book and of course the characters and their little quirks and quips.

I just adored this sweet story of two kind, smart, talented people who had come to the end of their ropes at work. When Sasha literally hits a wall after a meltdown caused by five hundred too many emails, she’s ordered to take a break. So she heads to a place that holds fond memories of her youth when her family was intact.

But, despite it being the off season, there’s one other guest at the old hotel that was once too posh for her family. And he’s a grump who keeps taking her “spot” on the big rock on the beach. Why does this man have to ruin her recovery?

Filled with a colorful cast of quirky characters, The Burnout brims with personality. Each person is absolutely endearing, and the story unfolds in Kinsella’s easy-to-read, often humorous style.

With themes of self-care versus conscientiousness, memories versus reality, the value of friendship versus romantic love, and how first impressions can be so, so wrong, The Burnout excels in its genre. Kinsella is a master at the rom-com—I’d love to see this on NetFlix!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance review copy.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Sonya is a competent, overworked employee that just continues to get more work with no relief. No one from management listens to her pleas for help or supports her. Work has become her entire existence until she finally hits the wall. In her attempt to quit and move on, she even tries to join a convent! Realizing her need to completely get away, her mother arranges for her to spend time at the luxury hotel near where the family vacationed when Sonya was young. On the way, Sonya encounters a fellow train passenger who is both rude and mean. Upon arrival, the once prestigious hotel is in ruins but the staff is still trying to pretend it isn’t crumbling around them. Sonya’s journey to recovery and balance begins.

I enjoyed this book. Sonys was totally relatable as she is coping with her burnout in the best way she can. It was enjoyable seeing her development and change. At times, this book was so funny with its quirky side characters and the situations Sonya got into. While doing that, other times it dealt very sensitively with the real issue of mental health often caused by our accelerated work situations and personal commitments. I found this book funny, yet thought provoking.

Sasha has had it. After a breakdown at work, her doctor forces her to take a much needed vacation. At her mother's insistence, she returns to the seaside resort she visited as a child and, much to her dismay, finds it in a state of disrepair. She attempts yoga on the beach,meditation, and more, but is thwarted by the weather and, more importantly, by a grumpy fellow resort goer named Finn. Sasha's battles with Finn go much the way you expect, but it's a fun journey as we watch the two fight through their mutual burnouts to finding some common ground.

Sophie Kinsella has done it again! This book was everything I was looking for. It is funny, sentimental, romantic and endearing. Sasha and Finn were great characters. By the end I wanted to read more of their journey.

The title and cause of this heart warming rom-com is something most of us can relate to at one point or another for one reason or another -- burnout. I have to admit I was intrigued to see what happened because I have at times felt burned out and it was a subject that resonated with me!

While the book starts off in a cutesy way of explaining Sasha's burnout and definitely had me chuckling at times, I felt for her when she finally had to go on a forced vacation for 3 weeks to a beach town, Rilston Bay, she had gone to regularly as a child with her family. The trip doesn't quite turn out the way she thought when she stays at The Rilston, but it adds to the charm of the entire story and Sasha taking back control of her life.

I enjoyed Sasha, especially near the end with her budding relationship with Finn. Yes, most rom-coms have the miscommunication trope and this has it, kind of, but it didn't bother me as much as it could have because I think, in ways, that climax made sense with their mental states when they met. I liked how Sasha took back control of her life after being able to step away to see what was wrong with her position to begin with. Her relationship with her sister and mother make for some great comedy moments!

Finn was your typical rom-com guy. Hot, a little aloof, has a few interactions that send sparks flying, and then he thaws and you see that nice guy underneath. We don't learn a lot about Finn through the book, which is somewhat intentional as he is kind of closed off. It's the one thing I didn't particularly enjoy about the book. While the plot tries to explain it later on, this is a standalone book so I already struggle connecting and him being closed off intentionally made my connection to him harder.

I loved all the side characters and, really, this is a small-town romance because everyone in Rilston Bay knows each other and ends up involved in Sasha's and Finn's stay.

This is a cute, clean (fade to black), rom-com and I highly recommend you read it for a light read, especially if you like Kinsella's other books!

The Burnout
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
From Random House Publishing:
Sasha has had it. She cannot bring herself to respond to another inane, “urgent” (but obviously not at all urgent) email or participate in the corporate employee joyfulness program. She hasn’t seen her friends in months. Sex? Seems like a lot of effort. Even cooking dinner takes far too much planning. Sasha has hit a wall.

Armed with good intentions to drink kale smoothies, try yoga, and find peace, she heads to the seaside resort she loved as a child. But it’s the off season, the hotel is in a dilapidated shambles, and she has to share the beach with the only other occupant: a grumpy guy named Finn, who seems as stressed as Sasha. How can she commune with nature when he’s sitting on her favorite rock, watching her? Nor can they agree on how best to alleviate their burnout (Sasha: manifesting, wild swimming; Finn: drinking whisky, getting pizza delivered to the beach).

When curious messages, seemingly addressed to Sasha and Finn, begin to appear on the beach, the two are forced to talk—about everything. How did they get so burned out? Can either of them remember something they used to love? (Answer: surfing!) And the question they try and fail to ignore: what does the energy between them—flaring even in the face of their bone-deep exhaustion—signify?
***********************
My review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Being overwrought is a common trope but I liked this version. Sasha is trapped in a crazy job and she tries to escape with the support of her mom, sister and best friend. Finn is cranky and mysterious and also trying to escape. They wind up at a run down resort that wasn’t any longer like they remembered from childhood.
I seriously laughed out loud many times. Poor Sasha. She tries to manifest calm and health. It’s just not that easy! As she becomes more interested in Finn, I did too. Her build up from burnt out to burning is slow, fun, and realistic.
The messages on the beach are mysterious and intriguing. It was fun to piece it together. Good story, heart warming tropes and a bunch of laughs. And like all surfers know "the ride is it!"

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advance digital copy in exchange for me review.

“The ride is it!”
The Burnout by @sophiekinsellawriter was an absolute charm.
Sasha Worth is completely burnt out and needs a mental health break. She has a 22-step motivational app and a vacation to her favourite childhood resort, The Rilston. Kale smoothies, yoga, communing with nature and noni juice will solve it all!
She didn’t expect The Rilston to be a dive, or compete for beach time with Finn Birchall. She definitely wasn’t expecting some sleuthing involved in her vacation but what her and Finn uncover is life changing and memorable.

💙 I expected such great humour from this author as always and this didn’t disappoint.
💙The characters at The Rilston were unforgettable, especially Cassidy and Terry who are probably my favourite characters other than Sasha.
💙The story is so relatable and I love how it’s not gender specific in the area of mental health.
💙 It was fast paced, colourful, engaging.

What could Have Been Improved:
💙 The ending with Sasha and Finn was a bit abrupt.
💙 A couple of characters weren’t really necessary to keep the theme and humour alive.
Absolutely recommend this book! It’s going to be a great read guaranteed.

Thank you @netgalley and @thedialpress for the eARC