The Burnout
A Novel
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4.1 • 124 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Sparks fly in this delightful novel about two burned out professionals who meet at a ramshackle resort on the British seaside—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Party Crasher.
“I devoured The Burnout in one greedy gulp. It’s funny, sad, relatable, and brilliantly done. Sophie Kinsella is the queen of romantic comedy.”—Jojo Moyes
She can do anything . . . just not everything.
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?
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In this sweet, saucy rom-com, two burned-out thirtysomethings attempt to find themselves—and end up finding each other. Sasha is so done with her stressful job at a tech start-up that she briefly considers joining a convent. Instead, she opts to escape to the seaside resort she visited growing up, only to discover that the once-luxe hotel has fallen into disrepair. The only other guest staying there is a cute but cranky guy named Finn who’s just as miserably burned out as Sasha, but both of their moods begin to lift once when the two start talking…and talking…and talking! Confessions of a Shopaholic author Sophie Kinsella’s feel-good read is a heartwarming and hilarious tale of love and mental health. We loved the snappy banter as much as the underlying message about carving out time for life’s simple pleasures.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The giddy latest from bestseller Kinsella (Confessions of a Shopaholic) pairs two workaholics on vacation. Sasha has reached a breaking point in her tech startup job: her crowded email inbox makes her "chest spasm" and "left eye start twitching" and she finds no relief from her company's "employee joyfulness program." Instead, she heads to a British seaside resort hoping for some much-needed relaxation time. It's the offseason, so she's sharing the beach with only one other guest, Finn, who turns out to be just as cranky and burned-out as Sasha and, in her mind, not handling it half as well. The two are initially intent on avoiding each other, but they're brought together by mysterious, anonymous messages written in the sand on the beach and addressed to them. As they investigate—and commiserate about their jobs—sparks fly and a relationship blossoms. The slow pace may frustrate some romance fans, but Kinsella peppers in plenty of humor as the protagonists share childhood memories and reach for happiness together. The banter is snappy, but what really sets this romance apart is its message of carving out time for life's simple pleasures. Kinsella's fans will not be disappointed.
Customer Reviews
Great Beach Read
This book was an enjoyable, fairly light read. The characters were well formed and dynamic. The setting was well described but not overly heavy. It was humorous. The romance was sweet and the spice is a 0.5/10.
The perspective of two people dealing with severe burn out was interesting and handled with knowledge. I liked that they grow and change and heal.
My only thing with this book is I didn’t not feel overly invested or emotionally attached to the characters or the story. I think this is just because of the tone of the novel. Although it has emotion it’s somehow written with an onlooker feel. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It makes it a great, easy beach read that has some value. It’s more than fluff but less than heart.
I would recommend this to someone who isn’t an invested reader with a 5/5 rating( because I think it does what it does well)but it’s not going in my favourite list.
Must read
A perfect summer read.
The Burnout
Honest and real regarding burnout from 2 different aspects. Funny and engaging.