Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - The Burnout

Thank you to NetGalley, The Dial Press, & Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷

Ahhhh, Sophie Kinsella. Love it or hate it, there’s no in between (for me). This wasn’t one of my more recent favs (see: Party Crasher, which I LOVED), but I think for some of her die hard fans it’ll be just fine.

A couple notes:

The first 10% is classic Kinsella and I loved that

There’s a tiny bit of instalove, meh

A big part of the subplot is just that … sub(par)

This would make a fantastic movie but novelization didn’t hit right

If this gets made into a movie I will watch it for Herbert alone and that is not a lie

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sariereads's review

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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abby2207's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was so good! I really loved all of the characters. They were all so quirky and lovable and realistic. Sasha was an awesome FMC and I thought she was super relatable. There were some parts of this book that made me laugh out loud, which is not something that I do often when I’m reading. Sasha’s self-improvement journey was lovely, and I loved the depictions of father daughter relationships. Adding in some romance and a dash of mystery made this a super enjoyable and comforting read.

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC! The Burnout is out on Tuesday October 10th!

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theespressoedition's review against another edition

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4.0

My love for Sophie Kinsella books started with the Shopaholic series and has only grown over the years as I've continued to read and enjoy many of her stand-alone romcoms. They never cease to put me in a "giggling as I kick my feet" kind of mood.

The Burnout is no exception. The only way this novel differed was that in addition to those happy vibes, it also had me pondering life and--I'll admit it right now--tearing up a couple of times too. I wasn't expecting the level of depth that was woven into this book, but it was truly the most pleasant surprise. I absolutely love learning from romance novels, just as much as I love experiencing the cute and cheery elements.

This book starts out in a manner that had me laughing so hard I almost peed myself. No joke! Not only did I totally associate with Sasha's work predicament (I think we've nearly all been in positions where our jobs become overwhelming to the point of brain melt), but I could practically feel her frustration in my very bones. The way that it all led up to her eventual burnout breakdown was hilariously relatable. I also completely understood why she'd want to fully escape to a place that reminded her of happier times in her life.

Of course, that "escape" would lead to yet another bizarre encounter and experience, which--while predictable--was equally amusing. I could vividly picture the resort in my mind and see what it might have once been and also what it had become. The author did a phenomenal job painting a very detailed image of everything Sasha was encountering. This includes her very entertaining run-in with Finn.

The romance in this book is so much fun! It's filled with flirty banter that had me laughing aloud while simultaneously swooning just a little bit. While these two start off in opposition (not quite enemies, but certainly not on even ground), their growth over the course of the story is really precious. In fact, the ending took me by surprise (in a good way)! I really liked how the author gave each of them time to sort through their mutual and separate struggles, endearing them to each other while also giving them the opportunity to bloom due to the influence they had on one another. It made their relationship even more charming and it also made them incredibly easy to root for.

I would absolutely read this book again. I picked it up at a time in my life when I was personally going through a lot of really challenging things and it was just the mood boost I needed. I can see myself gravitating towards it again in the future when I'm craving an extra dose of cheer. It's very comforting, cute, and clever!

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