The Burnout

August 1, 2023

Sasha has reached a level of burnout that most modern workers can commiserate with: a bone-deep exhaustion courtesy of an endlessly pinging email inbox and forced employee-wellness programs that feign compassion; her sole sustenance comes from the prepared-food section of the local market. Sasha finally reaches her limit and has a not-so-private breakdown in front of her colleagues at Zoose, the hottest new travel app. To recuperate, her family sends her to Rilston Bay, the beach town where she vacationed as a child, which holds Sasha's fondest memories of her late father. She meets a surly, brooding man on the train to Rilston Bay and is shocked and dismayed to see that he's bunking at the same formerly luxurious (but now completely run-down) resort she used to idealize as a child. But Sasha and Finn soon go from enemies to friends, thanks to mysterious messages that keep appearing on the beach, and discover their futures along the way. VERDICT Kinsella's latest (following The Party Crasher) is a light and easy read, with a predictable plot that's perfect for a summer day. The relationship's growth and the novel's nostalgic small-town vibe recall Emily Henry's Book Lovers.--Chelsie Harris

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2023
When her job drives her bonkers, an overworked 30-something briefly considers the convent. You didn't use Zoose? That's the advertising slogan of a successful travel app called Zoose, where Sasha is director of special promotions. But as the title of Kinsella's latest rom-com suggests, Sasha's burgeoning inbox, her massive responsibilities, and her evil overlords--Joanne, the "empowerment and well-being officer," and Asher, the nepotistically chosen department head--have all passed the outer limits of tolerability some time ago. She's so far down she can't even respond to the overtures of the handsome counter man at the takeout place where she buys the exact same dinner every night. She flips out and races to the convent across the street from her flat to sign up, and when they reject her application, runs out of the building and into a literal brick wall. When she wakes up, her mother has arranged for her to take a health and wellness break at a seaside hotel the family used to visit annually in Sasha's childhood. On the train there, she meets her hot, nasty Mr. Darcy, also a corporate burnout, also a longtime visitor to the area, and an enemies-to-lovers plot clicks into play. It's hard to know the absolute maximum number of rundown hotel jokes and disgusting kale smoothie jokes that would be funny, but this number is definitely exceeded in the pages that follow. When the enemies finally turn into lovers, the obstacle produced to throw them off course one last time is annoyingly familiar and silly. It's not even worth having an obstacle if it's not going to be a little better than this. We had the bang, don't need the whimper. This book can be read on autopilot, as it was likely written, but it does get you there.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 7, 2023
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. Agent: Kim Witherspoon, InkWell Management.

September 15, 2023
Rom-com queen Kinsella (Party Crasher, 2021) introduces Sasha Worth, a marketing director at a travel start-up who is feeling beyond overwhelmed at work. After Sasha impulsively flees the office and makes an ill-advised attempt to join a nunnery, her mother and sister convince her to take a vacation. Sasha decides to revisit Rilston Bay, a seaside resort town where she made many happy memories as a child. But when she arrives at the Rilston Hotel, she finds it seriously underpopulated, save for a handsome but gruff fellow guest, Finn, who seems thoroughly unpleasant for no good reason, until Sasha overhears him dictating several apology emails and thinks that he might be at the resort for the same reason she is. Once Sasha and Finn's respective walls start coming down, they realize they have more in common than they thought, including visiting the resort at the same time as kids. Kinsella's latest is full of her trademark wit and charm, and many readers will find themselves relating to the work-burnout her characters are combating.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.