The Burnout

Very cute plot and story. The characters are very relatable. If you need some happiness in your life, this book will do the trick.

As someone who was struggling with burnout, this was the perfect book to pick up. I laughed so hard as she navigated finding herself again and creating healthy boundaries. How Sasha ended up in the drs. office had me getting strange looks from around me as I bursted into laughed and was blushing from second hand embarrassment. Her struggles with emails was relatable. Finn delivered just as many laughs as Sasha. I love how they both found each other and navigated realistic problems and worked on healing themselves. The side story with their old surf instructor melted my heart and had me sobbing with happiness. What an inspiration of how one’s passion for life can have a lasting impact on so many lives! That was such an unexpected and beautiful storyline in such a hilarious romantic comedy.

Loved The Burnout. It made me laugh out loud smile and sigh. A great summer read for anytime of the year.

When I first picked it up, I wasn’t sure how I would get through 400+ pages, but the story flowed more easily than I expected. Sophie Kinsella’s biggest strength here is her ability to take ordinary situations and stretch them into outrageously funny moments. She has a knack for exaggeration—the kind that makes you shake your head and think, “yes, work really can feel this ridiculous.” The humor consistently worked for me, especially in the way she describes Sasha’s spiraling work stress and the absurdity of corporate wellness programs. The burnout theme also resonated. Not in a heavy, emotional way, but in the “I’ve been there” sense. Most of us have experienced some flavor of modern work stress, and Kinsella brings out its funny, exaggerated corners without trivializing it. Some parts didn’t work as well. Sasha’s tendency to leap to conclusions without talking to anyone felt a bit stereotypical and occasionally predictable. But the humor carried the story forward. The romance between the two leads was…fine. Not the strongest part of the book, not the weakest either. What intrigued me more was how the story plays with the idea of people crossing paths without realizing it. That feeling of looking at someone and wondering, Have we unknowingly intersected before? Kinsella uses this idea beautifully—it adds a layer of charm without spoiling the plot. Overall, this is a light, humorous read—perfect if you want something that blends workplace comedy, gentle romance, nostalgia, and a quirky escape to the seaside.

This book resonated with me on so many levels. I fully identify with Sasha & her burnout. Sophie Kinsella was writing directly to me/about me when describing Sasha’s state of mind about work & how it was affecting her mental health & personal life. Have I tried to join a convent & run into a brick wall while escaping my horrible office & coworkers? No, no I haven’t. But the landslide of emails, the constant inescapable workload & the irritation with useless colleagues/upper management? Yup. The lack of desire to cook, see friends & have fun? Yes, 100%. Nail on the head. On top of all that, the beach is my happy place, so right off the bat I thought this was going to be a 5-star read. Come on, reading about how work can overtake your life, ruin it, chew you up & spit you out? And then going to the beach to recuperate & heal? SIGN. ME. UP. And this was a 5-star read, until about the 85% mark. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still loved it. Finn was adorable & lovable & the perfect MMC for this story. The mystery of the messages left on the beach, Terry & his wisdom, & the side characters at the hotel. All perfection. I laughed out loud, I cried, and then I laughed again through tears. So why wasn’t it 5 stars? The ending. I expected the 3rd act breakup. My heart was prepared. And sure, Sasha & Finn got their HEA. And I am nothing if not a HEA girl. But their reconciliation felt rushed, and then the book just ended. On a fantastic callback line, I might add. But I wanted more Finn & Sophie. I needed a hefty, happy epilogue, or a couple more chapters about them reuniting & their life together after burnout. The whole book felt like eating a delicious ice cream sundae with all my favorite toppings. Then right at the end, I was left with nothing but excess hot fudge & nuts at the bottom of an empty bowl. The ratio was wrong. I needed one more bite of ice cream to balance everything out & make it perfect. I guess I’m nitpicking though. I’ll definitely read this book again to be reminded of Terry’s infinite & awesome wisdom about surfing, which somehow relates wholly to everything in life.

Their author UNDERSTANDS and omfg I am just beside myself I really feel like I needed this book and I loved the characters the town and everything about it. I didn’t like the blip in the middle where Sasha felt she was in the midst of Finn’s blip but getting to the end I really appreciate that they did the right thing. It’s nice to have main characters in their 30s who realized it wasn’t right what they were doing with or in their lives and took TIME to fix it Like every time I was like who’s this book is longer than I thought I’d be like no, this is important, the point is time. Also love terry. It really goes to show that there are so many people we meet in our lives and one person can make a difference in immeasurable ways.

Sasha Worth is in a serious funk. She's so bogged down by her job that she can barely function. Making dinner seems like an insurmountable task, she has no energy for friends, and the only thing that comforts her is watching Legally Blonde. So when a cashier asks her out, she tells him she's not interested in sex because it's just "genitals rubbing together." (14) Pretty cringe, right? But also hilarious and charming and stranger-than-fiction real. Because this is Sophie Kinsella and her second-latest book, The Burnout. That said, it's bizarre but not surprising when Sasha tears out of her office in a burst of can't-take-it-anymore anxiety and runs into a brick wall. Emotionally spent, she takes a leave of absence and holes up at the seaside resort where she vacationed as a kid. All Sasha wants is to be left alone. But the universe has other plans. Soon she befriends the quirky hotel staff, delves into a twenty-year-old mystery, and asks herself what she really wants. And she does it all with a man who seemed awful but turns out to be just what she needs. Every time Sasha stumbles or has a wish-the-earth-would-swallow-her moment, I feel like it's happening to me, and I bet other readers do too. That's the magic of Kinsella. She shows us the dark in the light and the light in the dark through the eyes of relatable heroines. In a world where self care is often just a buzz word, Sasha asserts her worth and puts herself first, making The Burnout a standout. So thank you, Sophie Kinsella, for giving us yet another wonderful read. There's no one I'd rather have a breakdown -- er, burnout -- with.

Definitely a beach read filled with an array of emotions. Burned out quirky characters engaging with each other to find attraction, hope, and resolution to their problems .

Loved it! Sophie Kinsella is the best, always, but I think it is one of her best! I really enjoyed the storyline, the places, the characters... Funny, sensitive and sexy! Perfect read!

I’m a huge Sophie Kinsella fan. She’s the only author I buy novels from and I’m never disappointed when I read. I personally recommend any Sophie Kinsella novel. Excited to sink into the blankets to read this novel❣️

As well written and hilarious as all her books. Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop until it was over. I completely recommend It!

Uma das características que eu mais aprecio nos livros da autora é o humor, que não é forçado e consegue divertir e fazer qualquer leitor dar boas risadas. Esse não é diferente. O tema central do enredo é sério e até um pouco tenso, já que a personagem principal acaba de passar por uma estafa física e mental originada pelo trabalho e volta ao local em que passava férias na infância para se recuperar. No entanto, tudo é abordado de forma leve e muito realista, com algumas passagens tristes, outras muito engraçadas e até emocionantes. Além disso, há a construção gradativa de uma amizade entre duas pessoas que se ajudam mutuamente na superação, que se torna um lindo romance. Ótima história!

Beautiful story of family and friends and work and love. So much better than I expected from other reviews. Truly heart warming and a keeper. Well worth the wait. Just excellent. And hilarious in parts.