The Dating Detox

Sass (real name Sarah) is a 20-something copywriter in a London advertising agency who has just been dumped for the sixth time in a row. What's wrong with her? Why can't she make a relationship last? And why is she always the one getting dumped, even when she doesn't like the guy all that much either? After several drinks and talks with her best friends, Bloomie and Kate, Sass decides she's had enough of heartbreak and rejection: she's going on a dating sabbatical. For three months, she won't flirt, date, or sleep with any men. Almost immediately, Sass begins to notice improvements in her life. She's more confident at work, she's more productive in her free time, and she's not distracted by men all the time. But when she meets Jake, a show more handsome and charming man who shares her offbeat sense of humor, she must decide whether to risk everything she's achieved through her dating sabbatical and take a chance on a new relationship.

What a fun book! Yes, it's chick lit and thus inherently predictable, but Sass' original voice makes it a lot more interesting than the usual fare in this genre. Sass narrates the book in present tense, which is usually something I hate, but in this case it really emphasizes Sass' upbeat, live-in-the-moment character. However, this is a book in which you really have to like the heroine, so if detailed descriptions of outfits (yes, she loves clothes) and the bar scene in London put you off, then you may not enjoy the book as much as I did. I also really liked the fact that the other characters in this book are fleshed-out individuals with their own problems and concerns. Bloomie and Kate, for example, both grow and change throughout the course of the novel as they navigate problems at work and in their relationships. Many chick-lit books can feel like a one-woman show, but that was definitely not the case here! Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys British chick lit, and I look forward to reading more by Burgess. show less

After being dumped six times in a row, 28 year old Sass decides that dating and relationships aren’t worth the trouble and goes on a dating sabbatical, which means that she can’t date (obviously), kiss or flirt with men. To her surprise she finds it enjoyable, and becomes more assertive and proactive in her life. The only problem is the rather gorgeous and funny Jake, who Sass keeps running into and against all her own rules, finds very sexy.

Now, chicklit is not really my favourite genre, but I like it sometimes if I fancy a nice easy read. However, this is the second book I’ve read by Gemma Burgess (although The Dating Detox was the first one to be published), and I have really enjoyed both of them.

Sass’s experience was less show more about waiting for any half-decent man to come along, and more about growing as a person and deciding what she wants from life. The story is told in first-person present-tense, and Sass is an engaging and likeable narrator. I also loved her totally believable friendships with best mates Bloomie and Kate, who are dealing with their own personal and professional problems. The characters – Sass particularly – are very relatable. We all know people like Bloomie and Kate. (And yes, Jake is rather lovely!)

The story moves along nicely, with some genuinely funny moments. It makes a pleasant change to read a book about dating and relationships, that also focuses on the positive side of being single and learning to stand on your own two feet. It’s definitely aimed at female readers, and yes it is very ‘chicklitty’ but it’s fresh and pacy, and gave me lots to smile at. show less

I needed something light and fun to read and The Dating Detox fitted that bill perfectly. the characters are classic chick lit, Sass is a twenty something babe who works in advertising (apparently every single girl in London works in advertising), tired of her love life never quite working out she declares herself a date free zone. Predictably she meets the perfect guy practically the day after, whom she has to beat off with a stick for the next three months.While the plot is fairly transparent, there is a positive message about the benefits of being single which I liked. I don't get the whole need for immediate intimacy thing (ie sex on the first date - and I'm not that old), so to have a character in this genre step back and examine show more that is original.Sass is amusing, fun, bright and yet flawed. She has a strong voice which makes her easy to relate to and is less superficial than I expected.The secondary characters are appealing and believable. We all know a cockmonkey like Dean or have a best friend like Bloomie or Kate. Jake, as Prince Charming, of course is irresistable.I really enjoyed the sense of humor, Burgess's style is warm (if profane) but so readable.Entertaining and witty, Dating Detox is a great read. show less

I have been missing old-school Jane Green, Sophie Kinsella, and others who used to write what I considered some of the best British chick-lit. I love chick-lit novels but they have seemed to fall out of favor over the past couple of years. More and more we have writers either for straight romance or it becomes a women's fiction book.

I really love the tale of one woman taking a detox from dating after having six disastrous break-ups in a row. The main character, Sass, still recovering over her fifth break-up that temporarily scrambled her brains and then dealing with her sixth boyfriend dumping her too has made her call a time-out from dating for at least three months. I could definitely feel the main character as I was reading this show more since heaven knows I and millions of other women would probably do very well with declaring a dating detox ourselves.

Taking place in London and New York we have Sass trying to be assertive at work as well as in her personal life. With three best friends (Kate, Bloomie,and Mitch) there are several laugh out loud moments that I really enjoyed (I loved the idea of every Mitch party involving a signature drink with blenders).

Having Sass provide readers with details about what went wrong with each guy who has broken up with her and having all of these same guys pop up throughout the entire novel I thought was really good. show less

I thought it would have been similar to "A Girl Like You" but I found this one to be a bit slow-going. Basically, I felt that the story was sluggish at time. Too much clothes descriptions, too much sabbaticals, not enough Jake (though I did love Sass' bunny-hopping/skipping. Kept putting a smile on my face)

By the mid point of the book, I barrelled through to finish it and delve into another novel.

The story, nevertheless, is well written, the characters very well fleshed out... It just was not particularly my cup of tea.

Meh. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it.
The predictable-happy finale was good and earned it its third star.
However this book didn’t capture me very much, the plot was a bit flat… it lacked tension. Definitely wasn’t gripping. Really, half of the book was practically the narration of useless day-to-day activities; the author spent too many words describing the surroundings, the group dynamics, the preparation and development of the parties or weekends. I felt that the Love Story, which for me should be the focal point in a chick-lit novel, was left with a meagre 20% of the book at most. I didn’t have to move to next chapter or die; I just sort of did because, unless a book is truly horrendous, I usually finish what I’ve begun show more to read.
The writing style was similar to the other book I’ve read from Burgess, which was a plus. You really feel like you’re in the head of the protagonist and she’s often funny and witty. However, the overall book was definitely inferior by far to ‘A Girl Like You’, which, unlike this one, I loved. show less

It is a refreshing change to read something that is so different in the story plot. It tell the story of Sass, who vowed to take a break from dating after a consecutive six breakups and to her surprise, she totally enjoying her sabbatical time off. So much so, she rejected Jake's courtship. It was a fun reading seeing how she transformed to a happier person. However, she seems to have a mixed up over her feeling and thus making a mistake in rejecting Jake. I feel bad for her when she finally realised her mistake and trying to find ways to make amen with Jake.