# Fat Chance

By Nick Spalding

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/fat-chance-ca048405/

When her friend Elise pitches a new radio contest, Zoe Milton talks her husband Greg into signing up. Six couples have six months to lose weight, and the winners take home £50,000. Zoe and Greg have a shot at the money if they can stick it out together.

## What makes it funny?

An entire week of cabbage sounds almost sensible by the time electrical pads enter the picture. The Miltons give the industry's promises of an easy fix an embarrassing amount of field testing.

### The comedy at work

Spalding alternates between Zoe’s and Greg’s journals. The couple gets to tell its own story, so the people selling diets and fitness routines never get to put a glossy finish on what actually happens when someone tries them.

### Try this if…

Readers drawn to comedies about married life will find a couple with years of shared history and enough affection to rediscover what they like about each other.

### Good to know

Weight and public embarrassment supply much of the humor. The book includes profanity, homophobic insults, and a subplot about difficulty getting pregnant.

## What to expect

- Genre: Contemporary
- On the shelf: Diary & letters
- Kind of humor: Satire · Situational comedy
- The atmosphere: Irreverent
- Audience: Adult
- Format: Novel
- Published: 2014

## A few distinguishing details

- Two weight-loss diaries and £50,000 on the line

## Sources & further reading

- Review: [The Book Ramble review](https://thebookramble.wordpress.com/2014/09/30/review-fat-chance-by-nick-spalding)
- Book information: [Barnes & Noble paperback record](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fat-chance-nick-spalding/1119394648)
- Publisher: [Lake Union Publishing listing on NetGalley](https://www.netgalley.co.uk/catalog/book/52020)
- Review: [Gregg Borodaty’s review](https://greggborodaty.com/book-review-fat-chance)
- Review: [The Write Edge Bookshelf review](https://thewriteedgebookshelf.wordpress.com/2020/10/28/brand-new-review-fat-chance-by-nick-spalding)