3.5
The Burnout
ByPublisher 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?
“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?
Download the free Fable app
Stay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
Rate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
Curate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesStay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building toolRate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tagsCurate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe Burnout Reviews
3.5
“A slow but relatable read. Sophie Kinsella captured burnout, and emotional exhaustion in a way that felt very real. I enjoyed Sasha’s growth and healing journey, and Finn was a lovely addition. My only issue was the ending. It felt incredibly abrupt. After all that buildup, I wanted more than a declaration of love and a walk on the beach. Give me an epilogue!”“Oh, how I had missed reading Sophie Kinsella. There was a time when I would finish one of her books in two days, return it to the library, and immediately borrow the next one. Reading The Burnout took me right back to those days. I finished this one in four days... and that's only because work kept getting in the way. 😄
When I started the book, I honestly felt like Sasha had somehow found my journal and was reading it out loud. The burnout, the stress, the constant feeling of being overwhelmed... it all felt so accurate that it was almost scary. At one point, I even turned to my partner and asked, "Why can't doctors in India prescribe three weeks of leave for burnout like they did for Sasha? I think a lot of us would benefit from it."
The story follows Sasha, who's completely burned out by her job and decides to take a break, hoping to return as a different person. What follows at the beach is a lovely mix of humour, healing, self-discovery, a little romance, and the kind of warmth that Sophie Kinsella writes so effortlessly.
The book also leans quite a bit into manifestation. Whether you believe in it or not, by the end I found myself thinking... maybe I should start manifesting a few things too.
It was such a sweet, comforting read, and it reminded me why I fell in love with Sophie Kinsella's books in the first place. I'll definitely be picking up the rest of her books again.
Some books find you exactly when you need them. This was one of those books for me. 💛”
“Will review later”
“The book was downright boring until around 45% in. Glad I finished it, but the way I got there could have been better.”
About Sophie Kinsella
Sophie Kinsella was a writer and financial journalist. She was the #1 bestselling author of Can You Keep a Secret?, The Undomestic Goddess, Remember Me?, Twenties Girl, I’ve Got Your Number, Wedding Night, My Not So Perfect Life, Surprise Me, The Burnout, What Does It Feel Like?, the hugely popular Shopaholic novels, and the young adult novel Finding Audrey. She passed away in 2025.
Other books by Sophie Kinsella
Start a Book Club
Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!FAQ
Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?
Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?
How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?
Do you sell physical books too?
Are book clubs free to join on Fable?
How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?
