Results May Vary

I just finished reading Results May Vary (right on the heels of The One That Got Away by same author). It was such a lovely, well written, insightful book! Read it...you won't be sorry! Can't wait for Ms. Chase's next book!

Two people who met while they were young and in high school, who got married and had this seemingly perfect life only to be broken by an affair. And not just any affair which is already heartbreaking in itself, but an affair with a man! This is my first Bethany Chase book and won't be my last (Thanks to Megan from Reading Books Like a Boss for another great recommendation). What I loved about this story besides the premise, the emotional feelings that the author evoked in me and this woman's journey to finding herself again - I loved the way they author made Caroline's home in Massachusetts, the artwork, the secondary characters all felt so real and so necessary for the story to progress. I went to college in Western Mass (UMass Amherst) and while reading, I could see the beautiful locations in my mind and smell that amazing fall day in those beautiful towns. I could see vividly in my mind the artwork that Caroline worked so hard to champion and above all else, I loved the secondary characters - her sister Ruby and best friend Jonathan, her co-worker Neil - all people Caroline needed in her life to heal, to put a smile on her face when she was lost and to help her move forward. Yes, there is some romance in this story and that hope that this woman who was hurt so badly to be able to find healing and strength again; to find herself and who she once was outside of her marriage but the overall message of this book is the growth, the possibilities for the future and that yes, you can find love at a young age and sometimes it may not work as you had hoped but its that journey to start over, to be true to yourself, for your heart to grow again and to be able to find trust again that really stole my heart. What a gem of a book! I am so happy that I was able to sneak this read in among my crazy TBR list! <3 I know I am rambling but just read it - this author reminds me of Taylor Jenkins Reid (another author I LOVE) and I am looking forward to reading more from her!

Second book by this author and it did not disappoint. The characters were all well developed and I had to know what happened so I finished the book in 6 hours! I really enjoyed this story and will definitely have a book hangover on this one. Thanks to Ms. Chase for this entertaining book. Forever a fan!

You will love this book....but, be prepared to have your heart tugged and your emotions run the gamut. Bethany Chase is an amazing story teller. I couldn't put it down and finished this book in a day.... then woke up still thinking about it.

Results May Vary is a new novel by Bethany Chase. Caroline Fairly Hammond is going to an art gallery with her husband of fifteen years, Adam. The photographer, Patrick Timothy (Rubinowitz is his real last name) is having an exhibit. Jonathan Brast, their friend, as well as his latest girlfriend, Alicia are attending as well. Caroline is looking at the photos when Alicia asks if she wants to see some special photos that are not on exhibit. Caroline agrees and Alicia pulls her into the office. When Caroline sees the intimate photos, she understands why they are not on display. They are very sensual (erotic) pictures of two men in bed. Caroline notices a birthmark on one of the men that looks very similar to her husbands. Adam comes looking for her, and Caroline points out the birthmark. She then sees the look on Adam’s face and realizes that Adam is the man in the photo. The other man is Patrick Timothy (the photographer). Caroline is shocked, upset, outraged (and so much more). Caroline ends up going home with Jonathan and stays at his apartment for a week before finally returning to her home in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Caroline is an art curator for MASS MoCA. Caroline’s sister, Ruby comes to visit. Ruby is hoping to cheer her sister up, but she also just got out of a relationship and lost her job. Caroline has to find a way to deal with Adam’s betrayal, work through it, decide how to proceed with her marriage, and move on with her life. Join Caroline on her journey in Results May Vary. Results May Vary is nicely written and deals with an issue that many women and experience every day. I found Results May Vary a slow paced novel. Caroline does the usual post-betrayal things of evaluating what went wrong, what could have caused it, etc. (but it did not feel real). Caroline then takes off her wedding rings and proceeds with her “new” life (whiplash). Caroline just did not come alive for me (I found her to be a very self-absorbed person). We actually get very little information on Adam. More is revealed about him near the end of the novel (mostly he comes across as a jerk). I am not quite sure how these two stayed married (they did not seem to have much in common and even lived apart during the week). The more interesting character was Ruby, Caroline’s sister. She embraced life and lived it (even started her own business when she got fired). The action does not pick up until the latter portion of the story (the last 20% or so). I’m afraid that I found Results May Vary predictable. I was hoping for something different or unique in this book that would make it stand out from the crowd. I give Results May Vary 3 out of 5 stars (it was okay, but not for me). I really wanted to like this book, but instead I had a hard time finishing it. While this book was not for me, other readers have enjoyed it and you may as well. I received a complimentary copy of Results May Vary in exchange for an honest evaluation. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.