What do you think?
The Fat Chance Guide to Dieting
Think nothing tastes as good as slim feels? You're obviously not eating the right food . . .Holly, Naomi and Kate are determined to win the battle of the bulge. So it's down to the local slimming club, where carbs are strictly off the menu and there's no escaping the scales. But calorie-counting isn't the only thing on their minds.Newly engaged Holly should be over the moon. So why does she blush every time her sexy boss walks into the room? Curvaceous Naomi finds herself the object of a very unusual fetish and a shocking secret is revealed when an unexpected visitor arrives on Kate's doorstep. Yet with a little group support (and a particularly brutal weight loss boot camp) the women manage to stick to their regime, in time for the glamorous Slimmer of the Year Awards. But with tempting buffet tables, highly competitive contestants and even the odd fat fetishist lurking, it's anyone's guess as to what will happen . . .
383 pages, Paperback
First published December 29, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 5, 2012
Three women are battling the bulge at the local "Fat Chance" slimming club. Holly lives with Rob but has to deal with the far too frequent visits from his overbearing mother. Naomi is a wedding photographer who finds unusual perks to the job and recently widowed Kate has been seeking solace in the fridge. The three become firm friends and support each other through the strict diet regime, a boot camp and their own personal dilemmas.
I just loved the cover and even though I know you shouldn't judge by that alone, I probably am a marketer's dream and yes, I do fall for the trap! But I didn't realise (should have checked the blurb on the back) until I'd bought the book that Claudia Pattison also writes as Leonie Fox. I read one of those a couple of years back and wasn't overly enthusiastic.
As a parody of the horrors of slimming clubs, there was a couple of points where I smiled, but Amanda the club leader is beyond horrific (and at times makes Marjorie Dawes look empathetic!) so it might be funny, at first, but is completely unbelievable that anyone, particularly a professor of psychology, would pay for the privilege of being harangued by such a person. And that's my main problem with this book, it seemed over the top, cartoonish at times with such bizarre situations that I just couldn't enjoy it.
I really didn't like or care for anyone throughout the story. Without giving spoilers, Naomi was the most unreliable character as I not only disliked her life choices but there was no indication as to why, and as Naomi apparently weighs in at 11 stone is she really likely to be attractive to Toby's "interesting" predilections?
On the plus side, it does rattle along and I still love the cover!
I just loved the cover and even though I know you shouldn't judge by that alone, I probably am a marketer's dream and yes, I do fall for the trap! But I didn't realise (should have checked the blurb on the back) until I'd bought the book that Claudia Pattison also writes as Leonie Fox. I read one of those a couple of years back and wasn't overly enthusiastic.
As a parody of the horrors of slimming clubs, there was a couple of points where I smiled, but Amanda the club leader is beyond horrific (and at times makes Marjorie Dawes look empathetic!) so it might be funny, at first, but is completely unbelievable that anyone, particularly a professor of psychology, would pay for the privilege of being harangued by such a person. And that's my main problem with this book, it seemed over the top, cartoonish at times with such bizarre situations that I just couldn't enjoy it.
I really didn't like or care for anyone throughout the story. Without giving spoilers, Naomi was the most unreliable character as I not only disliked her life choices but there was no indication as to why, and as Naomi apparently weighs in at 11 stone is she really likely to be attractive to Toby's "interesting" predilections?
On the plus side, it does rattle along and I still love the cover!
July 31, 2018
Took me a while to get into but once I did I quite enjoyed it. Nice light hearted read.
November 17, 2018
Easy read
December 11, 2018
The fat chance guide to dieting is a good light-hearted book. I enjoyed it .
January 23, 2020
This book is such a great read! Really hope Claudia Pattison writes more books, because all her books are seriously brilliant.
December 9, 2011
Think nothing tastes as good as slim feels? You're obviously not eating the right food . . .
Holly, Naomi and Kate are determined to win the battle of the bulge. So it's down to the local slimming club, where carbs are strictly off the menu and there's no escaping the scales. But calorie-counting isn't the only thing on their minds.
Newly engaged Holly should be over the moon. So why does she blush every time her sexy boss walks into the room? Curvaceous Naomi finds herself the object of a very unusual fetish and a shocking secret is revealed when an unexpected visitor arrives on Kate's doorstep.
Yet with a little group support (and a particularly brutal weight loss boot camp) the women manage to stick to their regime, in time for the glamorous Slimmer of the Year Awards. But with tempting buffet tables, highly competitive contestants and even the odd fat fetishist lurking, it's anyone's guess as to what will happen . . .
This is a book that immediately caught my eye when I was sent a copy for review, mainly because of the cover if I'm honest! It made the book look really fun, and certainly like something I would enjoy reading! Claudia Pattison hasn't released a book for a while, but has also published under the pen name of Leonie Fox, so you may have read some of her novels under that name too. Weirdly, I tried reading her books under this name but couldn't get into them, yet this one had me hooked from the start and I really enjoyed every single page of this book. It probably isn't the sort of thing you *need* to read after stuffing your face at Christmas with god knows how many calories, but it is a fun and fantastic read that will have you laughing along as you turn the pages!
There are three main characters in this book; Kate, Naomi and Holly. Each of them are very different, and have major things going on in their lives, as well as their desperate need to lose weight. Each of them joins Fat Chance, a slimming club to lose a few pounds but didn't expect to make some great friends too. Kate is a bit of a workaholic, a widow after losing her husband in an accident, and is about to get a huge surprise that will turn her world upside down. Meanwhile, Naomi is a talented photographer but her relationships with men leave much to be desired, and the other girls aren't sure about their friends' ideas either. Finally, Holly is happy as a PA and in her relationship but soon begins to question where she is going with her life. They were three great characters, I have to confess to liking Holly and Kate a lot more than Naomi, I just couldn't agree with her choices, but it certainly made for interesting reading, especially when things about Kate's relationship come to light, it does shed a whole new light on it! However, each of the women seem very real and I liked that as I read about them, I could imagine myself thinking like them, and worrying about things like they did, they were really great characters, and I like that the book chopped and changed who it followed so each of the women got equal time in the book.
Fat Chance isn't a slimming club based on any particular one that is out there, it seems to be a bit of a mix of all of them, but it's done in a really funny way! The club leader is hilariously awful, patronising and cruel rather than friendly and inspiring, but it does make for some very funny reading I have to say! However, despite the book's title, I found that the weight loss idea seemed to be secondary to the main story which were the life events of the three main ladies and I liked this, that they didn't make the weight loss the be all and end all of everything. The boot camp scenes are rather funny, and provide a good change of scenery towards the end of the book to keep your attention piqued. There is a lot going on throughout to keep you entertained and I found Pattison's writing was really easy to read, and really gets you interested in the characters and wanting to know what they are going to do next.
Overall, I thought this was a really great book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading, and will certainly look out for more books by Claudia Pattison after reading this! It's a fun and light-hearted look at weight loss, yet she manages to throw in some more serious issues there too, ones that really make you think and I thought they added a deeper element to the book that I really enjoyed. There are three main characters that a lot of women will be able to relate to in some way, and the funny moments at the 'Fat Chance' slimming club are worth reading it for alone! I think the publishers have done a really good job with the cover too, it really suits the book and I'm sure a lot of people would be tempted to pick it up and find out more! I really enjoyed every page of this book, and definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a really great read full of fun and great characters.
Holly, Naomi and Kate are determined to win the battle of the bulge. So it's down to the local slimming club, where carbs are strictly off the menu and there's no escaping the scales. But calorie-counting isn't the only thing on their minds.
Newly engaged Holly should be over the moon. So why does she blush every time her sexy boss walks into the room? Curvaceous Naomi finds herself the object of a very unusual fetish and a shocking secret is revealed when an unexpected visitor arrives on Kate's doorstep.
Yet with a little group support (and a particularly brutal weight loss boot camp) the women manage to stick to their regime, in time for the glamorous Slimmer of the Year Awards. But with tempting buffet tables, highly competitive contestants and even the odd fat fetishist lurking, it's anyone's guess as to what will happen . . .
This is a book that immediately caught my eye when I was sent a copy for review, mainly because of the cover if I'm honest! It made the book look really fun, and certainly like something I would enjoy reading! Claudia Pattison hasn't released a book for a while, but has also published under the pen name of Leonie Fox, so you may have read some of her novels under that name too. Weirdly, I tried reading her books under this name but couldn't get into them, yet this one had me hooked from the start and I really enjoyed every single page of this book. It probably isn't the sort of thing you *need* to read after stuffing your face at Christmas with god knows how many calories, but it is a fun and fantastic read that will have you laughing along as you turn the pages!
There are three main characters in this book; Kate, Naomi and Holly. Each of them are very different, and have major things going on in their lives, as well as their desperate need to lose weight. Each of them joins Fat Chance, a slimming club to lose a few pounds but didn't expect to make some great friends too. Kate is a bit of a workaholic, a widow after losing her husband in an accident, and is about to get a huge surprise that will turn her world upside down. Meanwhile, Naomi is a talented photographer but her relationships with men leave much to be desired, and the other girls aren't sure about their friends' ideas either. Finally, Holly is happy as a PA and in her relationship but soon begins to question where she is going with her life. They were three great characters, I have to confess to liking Holly and Kate a lot more than Naomi, I just couldn't agree with her choices, but it certainly made for interesting reading, especially when things about Kate's relationship come to light, it does shed a whole new light on it! However, each of the women seem very real and I liked that as I read about them, I could imagine myself thinking like them, and worrying about things like they did, they were really great characters, and I like that the book chopped and changed who it followed so each of the women got equal time in the book.
Fat Chance isn't a slimming club based on any particular one that is out there, it seems to be a bit of a mix of all of them, but it's done in a really funny way! The club leader is hilariously awful, patronising and cruel rather than friendly and inspiring, but it does make for some very funny reading I have to say! However, despite the book's title, I found that the weight loss idea seemed to be secondary to the main story which were the life events of the three main ladies and I liked this, that they didn't make the weight loss the be all and end all of everything. The boot camp scenes are rather funny, and provide a good change of scenery towards the end of the book to keep your attention piqued. There is a lot going on throughout to keep you entertained and I found Pattison's writing was really easy to read, and really gets you interested in the characters and wanting to know what they are going to do next.
Overall, I thought this was a really great book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading, and will certainly look out for more books by Claudia Pattison after reading this! It's a fun and light-hearted look at weight loss, yet she manages to throw in some more serious issues there too, ones that really make you think and I thought they added a deeper element to the book that I really enjoyed. There are three main characters that a lot of women will be able to relate to in some way, and the funny moments at the 'Fat Chance' slimming club are worth reading it for alone! I think the publishers have done a really good job with the cover too, it really suits the book and I'm sure a lot of people would be tempted to pick it up and find out more! I really enjoyed every page of this book, and definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a really great read full of fun and great characters.
December 28, 2011
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What could be a more entertaining read than the perils of a group of women at a slimming club? After all, you always hear such horror stories about diet groups; they couldn't possibly all be true, right?! And what a fantastic time, around the New Year to have released a book focused around diets, even if completely fiction, it is still the time we are all trying to lose a few pounds after gorging ourselves over the Christmas period.
Holly, Naomi and Kate, all join a slimming club desperate to lose those last few pounds and get healthy. With chocolate and pizza definatly off the menu, the girls form a bond trying to reach their all important goals. With a little push from their team leader Amanda, the women are determined to win the Slimmer of the Year Awards this year. Will the temptations prove too much, with buffet table, ruthless competitiors and many other suprises lurking around the corner?
If you have ever attended a slimming club with the resolve to lose weight, be it Weight Watchers or Slimming World, you will be laughing out loud at Fat Chance Guide To Dieting. While the diet group in the novel is purely fictional, and a little extreme, with all the worst parts of slimming clubs thrown in, anyone who has ever been on a diet will be able to relate in some way. While there are some extremely funny moments within the novel, especially during boot camp, I really enjoyed the way in which Claudia Pattison also dealt with the distress that being overweight can cause to women. Holly, Naomi and Kate, are clearly unhappy in their lives, even though they may put up an affront to the outside world, and I enjoyed reading the events that led them to their weight gain, as is usually the case with women piling on the pounds.
Naomi, Holly and Kate are all three very different women, who are thrown together each trying to reach similar goals. While I liked all the characters, admittedly Holly and Kate a little more than Naomi due to her life choices, I did find all three characters a little hard to relate to. Not due to the fact that they are all trying to lose weight, which I'm sure most of us have been through at some point in our lives, but because of some of the choices that they make in life. There were, however, each very real and I really enjoyed the way the story is told from each friends point of view, therefore giving a real insight into each of their lives.
Overall, I found Fat Chance Guide To Dieting, to be a fun, light, entertaining read, that dealt with issues women face everyday in a hilarious way. I absolutly adore the cover and think it would be extremely hard to resisit picking this one up off the shelf. I would definatly recommened Fat Chance Guide to dieting if you are looking for a light hearted read. I look forward to reading more from Claudia Pattison in the future.
What could be a more entertaining read than the perils of a group of women at a slimming club? After all, you always hear such horror stories about diet groups; they couldn't possibly all be true, right?! And what a fantastic time, around the New Year to have released a book focused around diets, even if completely fiction, it is still the time we are all trying to lose a few pounds after gorging ourselves over the Christmas period.
Holly, Naomi and Kate, all join a slimming club desperate to lose those last few pounds and get healthy. With chocolate and pizza definatly off the menu, the girls form a bond trying to reach their all important goals. With a little push from their team leader Amanda, the women are determined to win the Slimmer of the Year Awards this year. Will the temptations prove too much, with buffet table, ruthless competitiors and many other suprises lurking around the corner?
If you have ever attended a slimming club with the resolve to lose weight, be it Weight Watchers or Slimming World, you will be laughing out loud at Fat Chance Guide To Dieting. While the diet group in the novel is purely fictional, and a little extreme, with all the worst parts of slimming clubs thrown in, anyone who has ever been on a diet will be able to relate in some way. While there are some extremely funny moments within the novel, especially during boot camp, I really enjoyed the way in which Claudia Pattison also dealt with the distress that being overweight can cause to women. Holly, Naomi and Kate, are clearly unhappy in their lives, even though they may put up an affront to the outside world, and I enjoyed reading the events that led them to their weight gain, as is usually the case with women piling on the pounds.
Naomi, Holly and Kate are all three very different women, who are thrown together each trying to reach similar goals. While I liked all the characters, admittedly Holly and Kate a little more than Naomi due to her life choices, I did find all three characters a little hard to relate to. Not due to the fact that they are all trying to lose weight, which I'm sure most of us have been through at some point in our lives, but because of some of the choices that they make in life. There were, however, each very real and I really enjoyed the way the story is told from each friends point of view, therefore giving a real insight into each of their lives.
Overall, I found Fat Chance Guide To Dieting, to be a fun, light, entertaining read, that dealt with issues women face everyday in a hilarious way. I absolutly adore the cover and think it would be extremely hard to resisit picking this one up off the shelf. I would definatly recommened Fat Chance Guide to dieting if you are looking for a light hearted read. I look forward to reading more from Claudia Pattison in the future.
December 11, 2011
When you get a group of women together there are normally many who make some sort of allegiance with each other through a common bond. The common bond in this novel is trying to lose weight.
Holly, Naomi and Kate join their local Fat Chance slimming club and they become friends, and learn a lot about each other, themselves whilst trying to get to their important goal. Oh and the goal of their slimming leader Amanda who is determined to win an award at Slimmer of the Year. However, Amanda has secrets of her own and has a rather unique style in holding her slimming groups.
Holly lives with her boyfriend and has a fairly mundane job as PA to a creative director of an advertising agency, but actually Holly has ideas of her own and they need to be recognised, just as she needs to be recognised at home by her boyfriend, Rob or Bobo to his ever present mother. Alarm bells start ringing and Rob’s mother is a fantastic character to hate.
Kate has lost her soul mate and sought comfort in food. Throwing herself in to her profession as a professor of psychology Kate is great at testing Amanda’s patience in her rather unique methods of helping people. Her own patience is tested when somebody arrives into her life which throws it out of kilter and Kate has to reassess her lost soul mate.
Naomi is free, single and wedding photographer. A great place for meeting men, for sex and pretty much not much else out of them. If they are married then so much the better, Naomi is happy to be a mistress. Then a meeting with someone who seems to be what Naomi is looking for to satisfy her need suddenly turns into something more sinister and Naomi is in situation which she can see no way out of.
If any reader has ever attended or attending a slimming class then I am sure this book will make you smile, and I think certainly not based on any legitimate class out there. It is a parody of them, the sort of thing one might see on a television comedy sketch show and actually rather cruel to the people who attend in the novel. I cannot see that method surviving in the real world. The key to the book is friendship and that shines through in nearly every chapter. The book will not give you a new quick fix for diets what it does give is a heart-warming slice of what perhaps everyone else is going through whilst trying to lose weight.
Holly, Naomi and Kate join their local Fat Chance slimming club and they become friends, and learn a lot about each other, themselves whilst trying to get to their important goal. Oh and the goal of their slimming leader Amanda who is determined to win an award at Slimmer of the Year. However, Amanda has secrets of her own and has a rather unique style in holding her slimming groups.
Holly lives with her boyfriend and has a fairly mundane job as PA to a creative director of an advertising agency, but actually Holly has ideas of her own and they need to be recognised, just as she needs to be recognised at home by her boyfriend, Rob or Bobo to his ever present mother. Alarm bells start ringing and Rob’s mother is a fantastic character to hate.
Kate has lost her soul mate and sought comfort in food. Throwing herself in to her profession as a professor of psychology Kate is great at testing Amanda’s patience in her rather unique methods of helping people. Her own patience is tested when somebody arrives into her life which throws it out of kilter and Kate has to reassess her lost soul mate.
Naomi is free, single and wedding photographer. A great place for meeting men, for sex and pretty much not much else out of them. If they are married then so much the better, Naomi is happy to be a mistress. Then a meeting with someone who seems to be what Naomi is looking for to satisfy her need suddenly turns into something more sinister and Naomi is in situation which she can see no way out of.
If any reader has ever attended or attending a slimming class then I am sure this book will make you smile, and I think certainly not based on any legitimate class out there. It is a parody of them, the sort of thing one might see on a television comedy sketch show and actually rather cruel to the people who attend in the novel. I cannot see that method surviving in the real world. The key to the book is friendship and that shines through in nearly every chapter. The book will not give you a new quick fix for diets what it does give is a heart-warming slice of what perhaps everyone else is going through whilst trying to lose weight.
December 16, 2011
This book has 3 main characters Holly, Naomi and Kate but also Amanda, they all meet at Fat Chance Slimming Club, the 3 main characters all have one thing in common, they all want to loose weight.
Holly- Is a PA Creative Director for an Advertising Agency she lives with her boyfriend Rob but is she happy with Rob? or does she fancy her boss Rob?
Naomi- Is single she is a wedding photographer she has affairs with married men (no strings attatched) but is she really happy with that situation?
Kate- Is a widow ahe works as a professor of Psychology she loves her job and has a shock when someone turns up on her doorstep.
Amanda- Is the group leader of Fat Chance, she is like a School Headmistress and really funny at times.
But with Slimmer Of The Year Awards approaching can the women stick to the weight loss programme?
I really enjoyed this book, it was very easy to read and follow, and funny at times, I would definetely recommend.
Holly- Is a PA Creative Director for an Advertising Agency she lives with her boyfriend Rob but is she happy with Rob? or does she fancy her boss Rob?
Naomi- Is single she is a wedding photographer she has affairs with married men (no strings attatched) but is she really happy with that situation?
Kate- Is a widow ahe works as a professor of Psychology she loves her job and has a shock when someone turns up on her doorstep.
Amanda- Is the group leader of Fat Chance, she is like a School Headmistress and really funny at times.
But with Slimmer Of The Year Awards approaching can the women stick to the weight loss programme?
I really enjoyed this book, it was very easy to read and follow, and funny at times, I would definetely recommend.
February 1, 2012
I love books about losing weight and friendship so this book filled both of these. I started the book on the Wednesday and now it's Friday and I have finished it :) Once I started the book I found it really hard to put down. My favourite charcarter was Kate and my least favourite was Diane, also didn't like Tom who was a member of fat chance. I'll be reading more from this author and looking forward to letting everyone know how much I loved it.
June 30, 2012
This book is so witty, its definatley one for the ladies! not only does it tickle you with pure humor that everyone goes through and the fact that its so true, the way they describe and portray dieting is so real. But this story has some depth to it, it has a fantasticly gripping edge to it with a hint of drama and it makes you want to read on.
I loved this book because I felt like I could relate to it and enjoy the story whilst I feel like I'm living it as well as the characters.
I loved this book because I felt like I could relate to it and enjoy the story whilst I feel like I'm living it as well as the characters.
March 7, 2012
A quick, light read, about 3 women trying to lose weight with the help of a slimming club.
March 14, 2012
i loved this book not my normal type of book but liked the storyline
March 27, 2012
fab fun read really enjoyed every page
August 7, 2012
This was a bit of light relief and as I had joined a slimming club the day I started it I found it very apt. Loved the characters and particularly the group leader.
September 16, 2012
Claudia Pattison = Leonie Fox?!?!? Who knew? I loved her writing as Leonie Fox, and this feel-good story of a slimming club was just as enjoyable (albeit a LOT less sexy).
Read
October 18, 2012i loved this book. it was an easy read and very entertaining
March 24, 2013
Brilliant
September 22, 2013
good piece of chic lit
April 26, 2014
I enjoyed it as a light hearted holiday read. I think anyone who has ever been to a slimming club will be able to relate to it, and the 3 central characters are likeable.
June 12, 2014
very entertaining. quite true to life, some bits exaggerated but a really good quick read.
December 8, 2014
The book is really funny !!
June 18, 2016
This was a feel good novel, which left me smiling. Easy to read, the author is a smooth writer.
January 21, 2017
Nice and easy read, a story about friendship and love.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews