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The Dating Detox

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 810 ratings · 77 reviews

If you can't date anyone nice, don't date anyone at all...Dating is a dangerous sport. So after her sixth successive failed relationship, romantically-challenged 20-something Sass decides she's had enough. The Dating Detox is born. No men, no break-ups, no problem. The result? Her life -- usually joyfully/traumatically occupied with dates, clothes and vodka -- is finally e...more

Paperback, 424 pages

Published January 6th 2011 by Avon (first published November 13th 2009)

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Aug 06, 2012 Charlie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, romance

At first, I thought that this was one of those typical chick lit with arsehole ex-boyfriends and based on the summary, maybe it would talk about the push and pull motion of Sass and Jake. Well, I'm wrong. Burgess took the plot in a different pace that was quite new to me. Though the first few chapters were boring and kinda dragging, I got used to the focus of this book. I like the funny and cheerful POV from Sass.

Unlike other books, this focused more about Sass, her failed relationships in the p...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Best Books To Read rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have been reading a few authors new to me lately and Gemma Burgess is no different. Her debut novel was released late 2009 and she has since released another book and her third is due out sometime soon. I managed to snag this on my Kindle for the bargain price of £1.99 and was looking forward to another hopefully good girlie read. I was wrong, this wasn't good...it was great!

The book is written by Sass and almost immediately I realised this was a book absolutely made for me. I almost had the f...more

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May 18, 2012 Kulsuma (sunshine and stardust) rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a classic chick-lit story. I found it quick and easy to read though I did find myself skipping bits (like descriptions of what the main character Sass was wearing) at times to get to the parts which featured Sass with her love interest. Their bantering was really funny. I particularly enjoyed their fish-song conversation and their one email exchange; there should have been more. I liked the ending but thought it could have been more dramatic.

I did find it hard at first to keep track of...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Rosie Review rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: must-read

Taken from my blog www.rosiereview.wordpress.com

I think it’s a first for me. To read a book from one author and then run straight to another. Normally if I like a author I’ll download another, but I’d read a book from a different author; in a way cleansing my reading pallet before coming back to this author. But after A Girl Like You I had to read more Gemma Burgess! This book like AGLY was excellent. It had me in stitches, it had me wanting for more. It shows really well a girl’s insecurities a...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Fresiako rated it 3 of 5 stars

The dating detox is a light, funny chicklit, written by gemma Burgess.

Sass (the lead) decides to detoxify her life from the hardships and woe of dating life, after being dumped 6 times in a row and a particularly harsh breakup. This results in a 3 month dating sabbatical. The results of the sabbatical are impressive, as Sass starts worrying less about others and focusing more on her life and what she wants.

The main character Sass, is the average clutzy and slightly ditzy heroine, but with an a...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Kevin I Heart.. Chick Lit rated it 5 of 5 stars

Review originally on I Heart.. Chick Lit.
www.chicklitkevinxx.blogspot.com

Recently, I went to a book sale in Kuala Lumpur (KL) and had the best time of my life, shopping for well, BOOKS! I had a couple of hundreds and I thought, I'll splurge it ALL on books. I know, I'm that crazy. It was a day I would remember for the rest of my life. Okay, until next year when I go again. It was probably THE BIGGEST book sale I've ever been to.

And the best part was, all fiction titles, hardback and paperback, w...more Review originally on I Heart.. Chick Lit.
www.chicklitkevinxx.blogspot.com

Recently, I went to a book sale in Kuala Lumpur (KL) and had the best time of my life, shopping for well, BOOKS! I had a couple of hundreds and I thought, I'll splurge it ALL on books. I know, I'm that crazy. It was a day I would remember for the rest of my life. Okay, until next year when I go again. It was probably THE BIGGEST book sale I've ever been to.

And the best part was, all fiction titles, hardback and paperback, were only RM8, which means less than £2. It was that cheap and I went completely over the top and bought about 15 chick lit titles, sadly I would buy more, but I was soon broke after picking up the last book. Sigh, so I spent about RM175 (£35) on books in a day, less than 3 hours. And... Gemma Burgess's The Dating Detox was in my pile! Hurrah! *happy dance*

Okay, so sorry for the extended preface/epilogue/complete rubbish talk, so here's the deal: The Dating Detox was the amazeballs of modern-day chick lit, where single ladies are free, independent and always on the dating scene, either pulling gorgeous men or picked up by sleazy bastardos (new word, thank you, GKB). Fed up with the perils of dating and getting her heart broken, she and her best friend Bloomie, come up with a list, all the things she shouldn't do in order to get her life around, thus, the Dating Sabbatical was born.

The Dating Detox is about Sass, or Sarah (she hates being called Sarah), who has sworn off dating men because they are all cockmonkeys (new word) and sadly, being dumped 6 times in a row by unsuitable men. Sigh. The funniest thing was, at the first few chapters, Sass tells you about all the bad men who broke her heart. I almost felt sorry for her, but of course, I was busy laughing and grinning like a loon. Okay, here's the reveal: for me, Sass was a cross between Gemma and Blake Lively (Serena van der Woodsen from Gossip Girl - ooh! You know, in the season finale of the final season, the identity of Gossip Girl was revealed. Shocking, OMG! Super shock with jaw hitting the ground!) and Jake was... Andrew Garfield. Shoot me.

All right, let's talk about Sass! Personally, I loved her, the way she carried herself in the book, the way she flirts (RAWR) and her OCD-ish behaviour when she gets ready for work. I don't know why, specifically, but I really liked her, as in, the feeling you get when you see some popular senior in school and all you think about is "I would love to hang out with her!". Yep, that's exactly how Sass was for me. She's a really funny character, in fact, hilarious! Her sarcasm is unparalleled to all the other chick lit heroines I've read about. The dialogues in the book are a bit tongue-in-cheek and it never failed to crack me up. I really adored Sass, pre- and post-Dating Sabbatical.

And of course, what kind of chick lit book would it be without the help of the wonderful best friends? *Enter Bloomie and Kate* Both of them were so supportive and caring. I'd love to have them both as best friends, strangely, the trio reminded me of the girls from Sex in the City, minus the expensive designer clothes and Cosmos. Minus the sex ("There's no sex in this city").

The flow of the book worked for me. I wasn't bored throughout the book because in every chapter, you'd definitely have something to laugh about or gasp in shock! Exciting it may seem, but there's a part, where Sass and Jake were really into each other and I thought it was really beautiful - relationships don't need sex to bond the pair together, it's all about chemistry/compatibility and the gut feeling.

The Dating Detox is the new Bridget Jones's Diary, where Sass is the HOT Bridget and Jake is Daniel Cleaver and Mark Darcy - fun, witty and utterly charming. Oops. Sorry, Helen Fielding! This book is perfect for fans of Lindsey Kelk, Lucy Robinson and Lucy-Anne Holmes. Loved it, get your copy, you won't be disappointed!

Rating : 5/5(less)

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Dec 21, 2009 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2009, for-review

After being dumped six times in a row, twenty-something Sass decides enough is enough. On a night out with her friend Bloomie, Sass decides to begin The Dating Detox. For three months Sass will abide by numerous rules including: not making any new man-friends, not flirting with any man and most importantly, not going on any dates. Will Sass be able to abide by The Dating Detox for three whole months? After the three months is up, will Sass go back to her destructive dating lifestyle or will she...more After being dumped six times in a row, twenty-something Sass decides enough is enough. On a night out with her friend Bloomie, Sass decides to begin The Dating Detox. For three months Sass will abide by numerous rules including: not making any new man-friends, not flirting with any man and most importantly, not going on any dates. Will Sass be able to abide by The Dating Detox for three whole months? After the three months is up, will Sass go back to her destructive dating lifestyle or will she decide that, actually, being on her own is a lot more fun and far less hassle?

The Dating Detox first came to my attention a while back when it was due to be released under the title of The Dating Sabbatical. I heard the synopsis and thought it sounded incredibly interesting and, most importantly, rather unique. I love a unique chick lit book. Gemma Burgess very kindly offered to send me this to review and I couldn’t wait for it to arrive so I could get started on it straight away. It’s taken me a few days (football/X Factor got in the way it seems!) but I have finally finished The Dating Detox. And, boy, did I love it.

The plot, as I mentioned, is a very unique one. Not in the fact that Sass is a regular twenty-something who gets drunk/dates a lot, but in the fact that Sass decides to quit men for good. Well, three months anyway. No book I’ve read has ever, out-and-out, had it’s main character stop dating full stop… until now! I wondered how the romance would come into the book since Sass has sworn off men for good, and I knew the romance aspect would undoubtedly be a big part to the storyline, as the book is essentially a rom-com so it was great to see the book unfold in it’s entirety. I was immediately sucked into Sass’s world and I thought Gemma tapped into the mind of a twenty-something serial dater pretty well. We learn early on about Sass’s six break-ups which have caused her to start her Detox and they were equally amusing and cringe-worthy in the way in which they happened. I could sympathise with Sass as we learn of each of her break-ups but, wow, she hadn’t half dated some losers. It made the Detox make sense, I must say!

The book actually skips over the three-months of the actual Detox and I thought I’d missed something out, as the blurb makes it appear as if after the three months, Sass will immediately give it all up. I actually love the fact she embraced her new single status and went out of her way to not go out on dates. It was actually quite a refreshing experience to see Sass want to stay single, rather than go back on all of her hard work throughout the detox and begin dating losers again. I could see completely why Sass was terrified of entering back into the dating world and did wonder if she would ever make that leap again.

All of the characters in The Dating Detox are fantastic. Sass is the perfect heroine as she has her flaws and, unlike most twenty-somethings, she doesn’t have the perfect life and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. I loved her from the get-go and any twenty-something will find it easy to relate to Sass. What makes the book though are the ensemble cast around Sass. Her best friends Bloomie and Kate were fantastic and the relationship between the three of them was portrayed very realistically. They had their moments, did the three friends, but when it all came down to it, they all pulled together regardless of all of the problems they all had to face. I adored Bloomie and would love to have her as a friend. In fact I’d love all three of the girls to be my friend. While the book is about love and finding the right man, albeit with a Dating Detox thrown in, it’s also about female friendships and that was an aspect of the book I loved. I loved Jake, who Sass meets one night and keeps bumping into with alarming regularity. I kept waiting and hoping he would appear throughout the book and I was so pleased when he did. There were a few more characters throughout the book, Sass’s friends and Sass’s ex-boyfriends but it’s mainly Sass, Bloomie, Kate and Jake who are our main focus.

The Dating Detox isn’t written in a spectacular way and I don’t mean that as a criticism. The writing style is easy and relaxed and it’s as if Sass is talking to me throughout the book, rather than myself reading about Sass – if that makes sense. It must be a difficult writing style to keep up considering it’s written in the present tense (which I think is probably the most difficult tense to write in as you have to keep yourself from slipping back into the past tense) as well as being written in first-person. I applaud Gemma for going with that writing combo for her debut novel, she really pulled it off and made reading the book an utter pleasure.

The Dating Detox is just a fantastic read and I can’t wax lyrical about it enough. It’s humourous, it’s warm and it’s witty and I really recommend that you give this book a read. I could have read about Sass all day long, she was that enjoyable a character. Gemma has hit a winner here with her debut novel and I truly loved it. Not only is the plot unique but the characters are ones you really care about and only want the best for. A true must-read.(less)

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Jun 17, 2012 albregia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: brilliant, chick-lit, fave-sassy-gals, fiction, fun, london-love, laughing-out-loud, more-please, swoon, beloved-books, authors-i-love, actual-review

Gemma Burgess is, essentially, the kind of author I worship blindly.

Sass, the main character -- outfit creative and mastermind behind the Dating Sabbatical, is simply lovable. As a fictional girl, she's incredibly relatable. She's real, she's funny, she's a smart-ass even though she's not so smart when it comes to relationships.

After six consecutive break-ups, she's had enough. Each of these exes brings something different to the table, yet it all adds up: Sass needs to stop dating men who fanc...more

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Jun 22, 2010 Philippa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2010

Loved it, loved it, loved it. The characters are well drawn, believable and hilarious. I loved how most of it was set in parts of London I consider my "stomping ground" (I kept thinking "oh my God, I went there last week!" LOL) and Sass's dating history actually reminded me a bit of my own too! If you haven't seen the trailer for it, check it out: http://www.thedatingdetoxtrailer.com/, it's so, so funny. It was the kind of book I just couldn't put down, and I found myself making little "high fiv...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Lyv rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 20s to 30s something girls, londoners, anybody feeling a bit low after a shitty relationship

Shelves: 2012, about-break-up, chick-lit, british-lit, owned-london, favourites, if-you-had-one-chicklit-to-read-it, rereviewd

I absolutely loved this book!
I realise I said this for many chick-lits before, but this one is truly different from what I'm used to read in this category.
I bought this book on a purchase impulse, doing my shopping in Tesco's and intrigued by the title. By the cover I thought it would just be a light fun book, that would suit my current state of mind, but it was much much more.
Sass is in her late 20's. She hasn't been lucky in her relationships, and got dumped six times in a row, over seven y...more I absolutely loved this book!
I realise I said this for many chick-lits before, but this one is truly different from what I'm used to read in this category.
I bought this book on a purchase impulse, doing my shopping in Tesco's and intrigued by the title. By the cover I thought it would just be a light fun book, that would suit my current state of mind, but it was much much more.
Sass is in her late 20's. She hasn't been lucky in her relationships, and got dumped six times in a row, over seven year.
She thinks she's making the wrong decisions regarding men - or no decision at all, as she usually gives out her number without even wondering if she likes the guy. As she put it, she often doesn't like the guy that much, but once he likes her, well, she likes him to.
But that was before.
Before the dating sabbatical. Sass makes the strong decision not to go on any date for a period of (at least) three months. She can't give out her number, she can't make new male friends, and she can't "accidently" date.
At first it's a bit tricky, but it worked out quite well for her. She got more focused at work, more confident, and accomplished things that she never thought she would have before.
Sass is a strong-minded person, but still full of uncertainties. She goes from unsecure to very balanced, and Gemma Burgess describes her journey perfectly.
Sass is also fun, full of life, and an amazing friend. It's so easy to relate to her.
Why is this book different? It's not as predictable as other chick-lits, the plot is not as linear, and the side characters are well-developed and equally interesting in their relationships, and the way they handle things.
Sass has two close friends, Katie and Bloomie. Both of them have a very different take on life which gives some more depth to the novel.
Another thing that I loved about this book? London! If you've lived in London, you totally gets her when she talks about a "Fulham rugby man" or when she says that Covent Garden is an awful place to go out in the week-end! I even took note of all the bars she mentioned.
London is definitely a key character in this book, with nothing to envy to other often-showcased cities like NYC and Paris (where I'm from, so I'm neutral here!)
Now you're wondering, it's a chick lit, where is the guy? Jake *sigh* *pink cheeks* *sigh*. That's the guy! Sass meets him at the beginning of her sabbatical. He is tall, handsome, funny, and she likes him, BUT, what tells her he'll be different from the others? Should she break her sabbatical for him? Or hold on to it?
That's for you to find out now, I will not spoil it for you!
This book is a lot about inside out happiness,and also true love which manifests itself in different ways. Truly romantic, but still quite realistic, and I think young women around mid-20 to late 30s, having been through many painful relationships and met a few "bastardos" of their own will definitely relate to it.

SPOILERS - STOP READING NOW
Loved loved the end!
Doesn't this book made you feel like "Eat, Pray, Love" - especially the love part?(less)

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Mar 24, 2013 Apen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Ok, I am in love with A Girl Like You So I thought I was love this one as well, that wasn't the case. There was too much description of clothes that bored me, and as it wasn't my style of dressing, I found it weird. Also, the love story didn't hook me, I don't know but it isn't like A girl like you, were I was totally in love with how the relantionship grow and the many details that you could read about it (he folding the paper for her, that kind of stuff).
Maybe I had so many expectations becau...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Kat Maher rated it 5 of 5 stars

I cannot say enough about how much I LOVE this book. It kicks ass, it slaps other chick lit round the face and says 'eat that', because quite frankly, Burgess has got sass (please excuse the terrible pun on the protagonist's name) and style and a wit that tastes like a dirty martini and warms like a hug from a good friend. I laughed my head off, and i felt like i was reading about someone i know. I truly feel that the majority of chick lit out there is generic, bland, and essentially all the sam...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Rachna R rated it 3 of 5 stars

Nowhere near as charming as A Girl Like You (Burgess' 2nd, and probably - on rereads - going higher and higher up on my romance favourites, that book is wonderful). I liked what came of it - what the heroine ended up realising the point of it was and how she moved past it - but I didn't get enough time as I wanted with the main 'ship, and since even her job began to get better by the midway point I didn't know what was left in the book! The second half felt draggy and a little lost. Decent read,...more

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Oct 14, 2010 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it 4 of 5 stars

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,...more

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Oct 14, 2011 Judy Jarvie rated it 5 of 5 stars

To say I loved this book is an understatement. Before finishing it I'd recommended it to friends who lapped it up too with equal relish. This even involved reading the kindle on the window ledge during dinner prep. It's that good. She's witty, she's sassy and she does write a book with cojones. I will be making sure I read Gemma Burgess from now on - and I will be praying hard for a film of this book. This one so deserves it. (By the way, Jake is to die for and the line of hapless wrong-boyfrien...more

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Jun 15, 2010 annelise rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is a lot of fun. Sass is a great character, the kind of person you could imagine yourself being friends with. The plot was great, all the characters were believable, the only thing I found annoying (and it's such a picky-picky thing) is that there were perhaps a few too many f-bombs. It kind of detracted from what the characters were saying, as well as an overuse of the words cockmonkey and bastardo. Funny the first few times, twenty times later, not so funny. Other than that, would hi...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

After reading (and loving) A Girl Like You by Gemma Burgess, I was keen to read more by her so when I spotted this book in my local Tesco I just had to buy it.

The start of the book is kind of an explanation as to why Sass is off men (I have to admit that if the same thing happened to me I’d probably feel the same way), it also gives detailed background information on her previous relationships (again not a pretty picture).

I love the conversational style of writing, it made it very easy to read,...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Elena rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh well. Honestly.. not as good as I expected.
I happen to have read A Girl Like You first (Gemma Burgess' second book) and actually that one was great. I love GB's style of writing and the storyline was so nice it became one of my favorite books.
This one, though.. well I admit I wasn't really interested when I first read the synopsis on goodreads. But I was dying for some good chick-lit to read, and Gemma B. had proven herself to be a pretty awesome writer, so I decided to give it a try.
I should...more

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Oct 06, 2011 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chicklit, kobo

Sass is a strong character. She has flaws and strength, she has good personality, straight talking, and very likeable.

Had been in about 70 first dates, half of them continued to second dates, being dumped 6 times in in a row in the last 7 years, she believed she had bad luck on dating. So she created 'Dating Sabbatical', complete with rules etc. It's kind of 'detox' for her dating life. No man, no sex, no kissing, no flirting, no 'bastardo'. And it worked well so far. Her life turns completely...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Janice (Janicu) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review from my book blog (wordpress / livejournal)

The Dating Detox was an impulse buy on Bookcloseouts. I've really enjoyed the British chick lit/ contemporary romances I've read this year, and I want to read more. This looked like a good candidate, and a quick search said that my go-to-girl on this topic, (Sabrina of About Happy Books), liked it, so in the cart it went!

The Premise: Sass is a twenty-something girl, living in London and struggling with her love life. After getting dumped six time...more Review from my book blog (wordpress / livejournal)

The Dating Detox was an impulse buy on Bookcloseouts. I've really enjoyed the British chick lit/ contemporary romances I've read this year, and I want to read more. This looked like a good candidate, and a quick search said that my go-to-girl on this topic, (Sabrina of About Happy Books), liked it, so in the cart it went!

The Premise: Sass is a twenty-something girl, living in London and struggling with her love life. After getting dumped six times in a row, the latest the most humiliating (walking in on her boyfriend Rick and some other woman going at it at a Halloween party), she decides that she's not going to date at all - why go through all the trouble, only to be severely disappointed in the end? The solution is to cut herself off dating for a little while. Go on a sabbatical, if you will. Sass and her friend draw up some rules to live by ("3. Obvious flirting is not allowed") that Sass decides to follow for three months. Suddenly her life is looking up. Men are interested. Work is going great. Sass is more confident and happy than she has been in a long time. Three months begins to look too short. Maybe she should extend the Sabbatical to six months. Or indefinitely. The problem is, Sass keeps running into A New Guy, who seems like a great guy. Is he too good to be true and not worth breaking the sabbatical over, or is Sass cutting herself off from a good thing?

My Thoughts: This is a story narrated by Sass herself, and she has a very casual voice that is fun and full of the pop culture references you'd expect of someone who grew up in the eighties and nineties. Sass is also a girl who doesn't lack for friends. She has a tightknit relationship with her girlfriends Bloomie and Kate (calling and emailing them to keep in touch throughout the work day), and then there's a gaggle of other friends that she's known since university, and satellite friends-of-friends that she sees at parties and nights on the town. For someone as social as Sass is, she is a girl surprisingly loathe to rock the boat. As a result, while she has a great relationship with her friends, when it comes to work and love, Sass has let others take the reins. This has led to disastrous relationships, a bully at work, and a salary that forces her to be extremely strict with her finances.

The premise of a dating sabbatical is very simple, but Sass' active life provides plenty of meat. She's someone who more social than anyone I personally know, but it's fun to read about someone who goes out and sees her friends a lot. And there are plenty of amusing anecdotes, from the disasters that were her past six relationships, to the mental adjustment Sass has to go through to keep herself from going back to old habits. I found Sass to be a regular kind of girl - one who is a little creative (every morning she dresses in an outfit, which she names), a little dorky (she likes to get a little silly with her humor sometimes), and one who goes out A LOT (doesn't she get tired?), but otherwise, she has a good head on her shoulders. I liked her. When the sabbatical gives her the excuse to say no and stay firm to her convictions, I cheered at the positive effect it had on her life, from learning how to be firm while still being polite, to getting to know the men she meets before becoming involved with them.

So when new men entered the story, knowing that Sass is on a dating sabbatical was kind of delicious. I knew that I would get a romance that was a slower moving one. The new contenders could make her laugh or seemed nice, but with Sass's new rules, she actually gets to know the guys before moving forward. She meets a few of the same men over again on different occasions and It was nice that by the time Sass was ready, her choice was clear, not because the only man standing, but because he is the best fit for her. And because Sass had her rules and had to abide by them, the romance was about an emotional connection, and is pretty cute. I adored the banter involved in this story with the guy she ends up with. Particularly adorable was a shared sense of humor, to the point where they were the only two laughing at their own jokes, while everyone else stared at them.

The only thing I would warn readers about ( I personally liked it but I could see others finding it draggy), is that the narrative goes into a lot of detail about things like Sass's clothes and blow-by-blow accounts of the parties and nights out Sass enjoys. There is one section where a weekend party probably takes about 100 pages of the book. I LOVED that through dialogue and significant looks, I learned a lot about Sass's friends and their relationships with each other. I'd say there was something like 15 people to keep track of at this party, and the book manages to make their personalities and general reputation within the group very clear. There are secondary and tertiary (and quaternary, quinary, senary?) relationships as Sass's friends fall in and out of love around her, and the weekend party is a turning point in a lot of these. It was refreshing that it wasn't all about Sass. And I laughed a lot.

Overall: This was a British chick lit that falls on the fun side of things, but at the same time is a dense story with plenty of characters. Sass's social lifestyle is pretty removed from mine, but I loved the glimpse I got. It was a nice change to laugh at (and with) Sass and her friends: a mostly single group unfettered by life's responsibilities, who spend their free time out drinking and having fun, but are for the most part, very likable. Sass fits right in as a working girl with a string of bad relationships under her belt and trying to break the cycle of disappointment. Her trials and tribulations are fun to follow, but I cheered for her as she overcame her 'pleaser' tendencies. I liked that she became stronger and happier (and got the guy), because she stuck to her guns.(less)

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May 06, 2011 Nikki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, read-in-2011

Reviewed at JudgingCovers.co.uk

I totally fell in love with A Girl Like You, the second book by Gemma Burgess, and gave it a well-deserved 5 star review a couple of months ago. So when Burgess offered me a copy of her debut novel, The Dating Detox, I couldn’t wait to see if it was as fabulous as its successor.

The Dating Detox is the story of Sass, a 28-year-old copywriter in London. She’s been dumped a few too many times, by men that she can only describe as “bastardos”, and has decided that the...more Reviewed at JudgingCovers.co.uk

I totally fell in love with A Girl Like You, the second book by Gemma Burgess, and gave it a well-deserved 5 star review a couple of months ago. So when Burgess offered me a copy of her debut novel, The Dating Detox, I couldn’t wait to see if it was as fabulous as its successor.

The Dating Detox is the story of Sass, a 28-year-old copywriter in London. She’s been dumped a few too many times, by men that she can only describe as “bastardos”, and has decided that the only way to avoid future heartache is to completely remove herself from the dating scene. With the help of her best friends, Bloomie and Kate, she embarks on a Dating Sabbatical – promising that for three months, Sass shall not indulge in romance of any kind. And she finds that without men in her life, everything becomes wonderfully simple…

I didn’t power through this book at quite the same speed as I did A Girl Like You, but it’s still an extremely entertaining read. Burgess has an ability to create characters so believable they could well be your friends in real life – the dialogue, thoughts and actions seem so familiar that I do wonder if she’s met any of my own friends. And Jake, the charming stranger threatening to shake Sass’ commitment to the detox, is just lovely.

Sass is a cool character with some great one-liners, and her life (despite the string of failed relationships) comes across as a lot of fun. The friendship between Sass, Bloomie and Kate was a particularly nice touch, as although the story is told from Sass’ viewpoint, the lives of the other two girls feature a lot by way of subplots. Each of the three friends have completely different personalities, so they have their ups and downs, but their support for each other creates some touching moments. Plus their social lives are fantastic; it kind of makes you want to join them for a cocktail and a good gossip.

There are a lot of other characters introduced throughout the book. Aside from each of Sass’ ex-boyfriends, we also meet many of her other friends and colleagues – but at times, I did lose track of who people were. The sheer number of friends Sass has around her is relevant to her character (and makes for some particularly wild house party scenes – brilliant) so this is only a small negative, but I did find myself checking back a few pages to remind myself of who a certain person was.

The only other minor criticism I have is, on a handful of occasions, I got a bit irritated by Sass. In true chick lit style, it is totally obvious who she should end up with… and as I got further into the story, I increasingly just wanted her to give up on the detox and snog his face off. Perhaps that was just me getting ahead of myself.

Either way, I am still thoroughly convinced that Gemma Burgess is my favourite chick lit author, and I am impatiently waiting for her next release.(less)

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Oct 13, 2011 Danielle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: red-from-the-library

Wow! What an amazing read, I have waited a long time for this book to come out in my Library!

This is quite simply, the best "chick lit" i've ever read, as well as being the funniest book i've ever read. I didn't really know what i was in for when i started the book and was overwhelmed by how much i enjoyed it. Sass is a hilarious character whose decisions and insights mirror my own in a scarily accurate way- her paranoias and quirks are so relatable that this book feels less of a book and more...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Asia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Couldn't put this one down:)
Awesome descriptions of my favourite places in London and a great story behind it all. Characters were very likeable even though at thimes you felt like you just want to scream 'WHAT ARE YOU THINKING???' to the protagonist. More laugh out loud moments than expected. And most of all... Finally a book about a 28 year-old that is still looking for love! THEY EXIST PEOPLE!!!

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Feb 21, 2013 Wendy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned

It took me a year, but I finally finished this book! The first two chapters were very difficult to get through, so I didn't bother rereading them and just pushed through to the end. It's not a bad novel, but the writing style is very awkward. There is a lot of character thoughts quoted in parentheses that interrupt the flow of the writing, which you have to get used to. The book is also incredibly long - it's about 30+ chapters, I think - but thankfully there are some laugh-aloud jokes that keep...more

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Feb 01, 2013 Manea Alexandra rated it 4 of 5 stars

I can’t say that I loved this book from the beginning. The first chapters were boring, hard to read. I found myself wondering if it’s worth my time, and I was almost ready to drop it off and start another book. But it’s not my habit to leave a book unfinished, so I wanted to discover the Dating Sabattical story. I have to admit that in the end, this book was amazing. It made stay awake until 3 o’clock in the morning, without realizing how the time passed!

It’s a story about trust, feelings, conf...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Tracy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found this book quite slow to start off with and can honestly say I really did not care about the main character or the supporting characters. After a bit the pace of the book picked up and i enjoyed the book a lot more. It was a fun read in the end, very silly but perfect if you are in the mood for something light, fluffy and that doesn't make you think too much!

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Aug 02, 2012 Jessie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, romance

Regardless of the number of Stars. I really liked the book but there were parts of the book that were way too unrealistic for me. I mean, I love chick-lits and I know there is usually all these cute-meets in between, which make them dreamy in nature. The book itself is an interesting read and the only other thing that ticked me off was the use of 'bastardo'.

I like the book but I wish it was more realistic. Things just do NOT happen that way. If I'd never been to London before, I would have thou...more

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Mar 26, 2011 Agi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Bought this book having read the second one of Gemma. But even if I have read this book as first, I'd go for the second as well. Light and funny - my kind of book:) There are too many serious stuff and problems in real life and I just like reading about... let's say, nothing:) But nothing in a positive way. A little to many "fuck offs" for me personally but perhaps I'm too old already:) It was easy to read, although it was hard for me to concentrate and read through the characters. But I liked a...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Paula Sealey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit-romance

I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I might given the excellent reviews it has received.

Although the characters are good, I never connected with any of them and wondered why they weren't all suffering with liver failure considering the amount of drinking they did!

I might have enjoyed it a bit more if it had been shorter too, it just dragged on about 40 pages too much.

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Sep 12, 2011 Maureen Reil rated it 5 of 5 stars

It took me back to be honest, for I was 'Sass' in a former life (when I still had one before I met my husband, settled down and had kids) and frankly, I'm glad not to have to put up with any 'cockmonkeys' or 'bastardos' anymore since I don't think my liver could take it. This book was hugely enjoyable and written from the main character's 'POV', being easily read/relate-able with plenty of intelligent observations thrown in for good measure and I liked the wordplay bits too. This is totally one...more

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About Gemma Burgess

Gemma started writing anti-romantic comedies for girls who like chicklit that comforts and charms without the silly fluffy bits. She lives in Notting Hill in London, but grew up all over the place – mostly Hong Kong. She loves talking and writing, not necessarily in that order.

She also loves burgers, vodka, white-tipped Marlboro Lights, OK GO, Sixteen Candles, Lucky Jim, anything from Nora Ephron...more

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