Like his other novels, this one is easy to read and full of humor, but parts of the story are far-fetched and push the limits of realism. It was a worthy attempt, but his other novels are more enjoyable.

I had high hopes for this book but I really couldn't emphasize with it's central characters. The premise sounded good, a couple entering a weight loss competition, but for me the characters fell flat.

Nick Spalding is an author where I’ve heard only good things about, and despite owning quite a few of his books on kindle, it’s only now that I decided to take the plunge and read one. I thought the premise of this would be something I could connect with since I am trying to lose weight myself, so thought it would be a good laugh that could accompany me through my own weight loss attempt.

Told in viewpoints of both Greg and Zoe, we see their struggles and also their triumphs as they attempt to win the weight loss competition. The writing was funny and some of the situations they get themselves into are hilarious and cringe-worthy at the same time.

At times, the book felt like a collection of essays/stories that Nick Spalding had previously wrote about weight loss, be it a humorous look at the cost of weight loss and exercise or what certain diets do to people. Then added the competition plot in order to make it into one story. I generally enjoyed it, but I would have loved it to feel more like a complete novel rather than a essay collection.

I would have loved to get to know the other contestants more, other than their caricatures of the stereotypes that they were designated when written.

On a similar note, and more integral to the story than the smaller roles in the book, I would also have liked to know Zoe and Greg more, outside of them trying to lose weight and their dilemmas surrounding that. The book talks a lot that people only see them as fat, but other than one small sub-plot which I feel could have been written about much more in depth, we, the reader, only get to see them as fat as we don’t get to know the other sides to them.

I didn’t hate Greg and Zoe, but at times I didn’t like them very much either. Zoe was the instigator of this weight loss regime, and seemed the least committed to it at times, maybe because I don’t think we got to see her realisation of making it work like we did with Greg, with Zoe the only attempts that stuck with me until over very far into the book was one fad diet and her selling her gym passes, which, lets face it could help with trying to lose weight. Other than this issue, there was also her friendship with Elise. They were best friends and then Elise done something that I know I would find tough to forgive quickly, and Zoe did so easily. Obviously they’re best friends, but that’s something we’re told, I didn’t feel it between them so don’t understand why Zoe was so forgiving.

Greg, despite being against entering this competition, clearly loved Zoe and really started to try for her, to keep her happy. He gets a personal trainer, and even though it’s hell, he keeps going and really tries his hardest. I don’t feel we really got that realisation with Zoe. The main problem I had with Greg was his desperate attempts at assuring us that HE’S NOT GAY AND IS MOST DEFINITELY MACHO. Seemingly every time he might have been doing something that could be considered by some as camp or feminine, such as attending musicals without a girlfriend, he made sure to put to rest any doubts about his masculinity that we may have had in our minds, even though, most likely we wouldn’t be having those doubts anyway.

The basic feeling is simple, I’m just really disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this book.

This book features Zoe and Greg Milton, a couple who have gained weight over the past years and are selected to be in a weight loss competition hosted by a radio station. These two learn much about themselves over the next six months and some of their priorities are challenged.

Fat Chance had wonderful characters, a very interesting storyline, and was fun to read. Loved it!