Stress, surfing and not-so-sexual healing

The perfect romcom

10/10

I love love LOVED Sophie Kinsella’s ‘The Burnout’ and totally get why the bestseller is always front and centre in any airport WH Smith’s book display. While the romance and dialogue are definitely entertaining, the main draw for me – and likely many other readers in my age group – is the mental health journey that Sasha embarks upon. I felt truly seen - the story is definitely something that many stressed young professionals can relate to, and the way that Sasha’s breakdown and subsequent recovery unfolds is in equal measures raw and hilarious.

Now onto the hunky heartthrob, the beefcake, the sexy boi... am I objectifying a bit? Well, have no fear because Kinsella does NOT. Her romantic hero Finn is as well-rounded as he is dreamy, comes with his very own emotional background and motivations and everything - a real meat and potatoes kind of literary soulmate, as opposed to some flimsy cardboard cutout dreamboat. His and Sasha's enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance ticks all the boxes, even a few I didn't realise I had...

Alongside the personal growth and bloom of new love runs a deeply moving story of an older man experiencing one of life’s more harrowing inevitabilities: age. Sasha and Finn’s old mentor and surfing instructor, Terry, makes a reappearance in their lives as an elderly man clearly suffering from a form of dementia or Alzheimer’s. As someone who has had a similar experience with their grandparents, the way Kinsella wrote this storyline really resonated with me, and the ending moved me to tears (on the train, mortifying).

I really enjoyed ‘The Burnout’. I have already recommended it to several of my friends. It is more than a traditional romcom and has mystery, romance, self-discovery, heartbreak and grief, and some really solid advice for anyone feeling just a bit overwhelmed by life. The novel deals with some heavy topics, but always manages to keep it light and is just a brilliant feel-good book. It is guaranteed to make you laugh (and cry) out loud.