REVIEW: RESULTS MAY VARY, BY BETHANY CHASE

 

 

 

What if the perfect life you thought you were living turned out to be a total lie? What if the one person you knew better than anyone else suddenly seemed like a stranger?

From the opening pages of Results May Vary, the reader is swept up into such a world, discovering, along with our main character, Caroline Hammond, that all she had previously believed to be true…was not. Who was Adam, her husband and best friend since her teen years, if not someone she could count on? Why would he cheat on her, and was his behavior a one-time error in judgment, or something more?

We watch as she struggles to make sense of this new knowledge, sweeping aside all the illusory images she once believed in, to uncover what remains.

From the literary and art world of Manhattan to homey Williamstown, in Massachusetts, we follow Caroline’s journey, and immerse ourselves in her experiences. I liked how the author showed us the ordinary routines of her days, and how little things, like painting her rooms the way she wanted instead of the “boring white” that Adam loved, could lift her spirits.

I loved the characters, from Caroline’s best friend (and a great chef) Jonathan to her loud and occasionally annoying sister Ruby. New friends like Neil, and other old friends like a quirky artist named Farren, helped Caroline as she made her way through the tangled pathways of her New Life.

When she finally decides that it’s okay to move forward, she must first acknowledge and own the “loneliness” that is necessary before taking those next steps. A lovely story that earned 5 stars.

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