Zoe and Greg join a weight loss competition motivated by a desire to win some money. Also there's some pressure from a toxic friend. This is the story of the effect the competition has on their lives and relationship. It was written by a man so some of the parts about Zoe are a little unrealistic. However the book is funny and entertaining. Go for it. ( )

I have previously read and loved Nick Spalding's Love series books. I was worried that I may not like his newest book since it was not going to be starring my favorite couple, Jamie and Laura. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that was not the case with this new book.

Married couple Zoe and Greg Milton decide to take part of a competition that rewards the couple with the most percentage of weight loss with $50,000.

Told in alternating chapters by Zoe and Greg we have their diary entries that are required as part of Fat Chance that discusses how they gained their weight and their sometimes hilarious struggles with trying to lose that weight for the competition and for themselves.

This book really does remind me of the Love series books with the couple discussing their woes in alternating chapters. And just like this series there are really funny moments we get to read about with both Zoe and Greg trying out new diet fads and their discussions of how much they miss bacon sandwiches. I found the writing at times to be blistering, funny, silly, poignant, and quick witted. I also think that though the alternating chapters format for two characters may get a little bit old in subsequent books it works well here. I honestly did not see any similarities to Jamie and Laura which was nice. I was worried that it would just be similar characters who were heavier.

Spalding can make you laugh one moment and make you ache for these two characters in the next especially when discussing their struggles to lose weight, how they stopped eating out because they were ashamed of their sizes, etc. I think that most people can sympathize with this since you are always hearing about a new diet craze or workout routine that will supposedly make you lose half your body weight in a month. It would be nice to follow up with these characters in the future but based on the ending I don't know how that would work.

Please note that I received this book for free via the Amazon Vine Program. ( )

This book revolves around Greg and Zoe Milton, a once-gorgeous couple who are upset with the way they have let their weight creep up through the years, to the point where they are both severely overweight. (Bear with me here, this is NOT a fat-shaming book, and if it were, I wouldn’t be giving it the time of day!) When they enter a radio competition to lose weight – named Fat Chance – they embark on all manner of diets and fitness regimes in their attempts to shift the pounds. This book is their diaries, with each chapter a new diary entry, and the narration alternates between Zoe and Greg.

There’s no doubt that there was a lot of humour in this story, and also a lot of poignancy – both diaries touch upon the fact that even though they are heavier than they used to be, they are still the same people, but yes – society does treat big people differently. Cruelly sometimes, thoughtlessly often, and sometimes downright patronisingly. Overall though, this is a comedy, and the descriptions of Nick’s unfortunate exercise attempts (wait until you get to the treadmill scene!!) and Zoe’s increasingly bizarre diets (I’d never attempt the cabbage soup diet in the first place, but if I had ever been contemplating it, this book would have put me right off!) are indeed funny.

Where I felt let down, was in the one area that wouldn’t have mattered if I had actually read the physical book of this, rather than listened to an audiobook version. The narration didn’t quite click for me. Napoleon Ryan was fine as Nick, but Heather Wilds as Zoe seemed to constantly place emphasis on odd words, and would randomly pause in the middle of a sentence. I did unfortunately find this somewhat off-putting and I think that some of the humour got lost in narration.

Overall though, it’s an enjoyable book and I would probably listen to more by Nick Spalding (or physically pick up one of his books). It may be worth mentioning that there are lots of references to sex, and lots of swearing. This doesn't bother me, but it may bother some readers. ( )