The Bachelor/Bachelorette theme alone had me sold. Throw in a touching M/M romance and real talk about mental health…this is a book that I just loved!

Charlie has been tagged as being difficult but truly is sweet and passionate. Dev is charming and charismatic in his role on the show but has a dark past with mental health that hangs around like a dark cloud. I love that their relationship wasn’t rushed in the book, they are both open and respectful about their baggage. I also love how the book talked about coping mechanisms and the importance of therapy.

I would definitely recommend again and again.

5 Stars

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

This book was so freaking good and tender. This M/M romance based around a Bachelor/Bachelorette style show was so heartwarming and deep. There were moments where I had to stop reading and just sit with my emotions. The way the author touched on the importance of mental health was wonderful. It showed how it can impact both platonic and romantic relationships.

I enjoyed how the author spun the ending. I knew it was going to have an HEA but wasn't sure how it was going to happen given the situation. After reading this I just wanted to reach in and give everyone a group hug.


I knew going in that mental health and depression were going to be major topics between the main characters, if I hadn't had this expectation I may have been taken aback by how much the plot addressed these issues.

The Charm Offensive reads like a well written fan fiction in the best possible way. Fluffy enough to make your heart feel warm, with drama that makes you want to keep reading but doesn’t make you feel sick because there’s 3 chapters straight of ugliness.

Charlie is the sweetest being, and Dev is a perfect compliment to him. Their relationship doesn’t feel too rushed, and it feels real and sweet (though a tad on the melodramatic side - these are grown men we’re talking about).

I wish the side characters could have had the chance to be fleshed out more because I was obsessed with Jules, Daphne, and Angie. Maybe a spin off? ;)

Definitely a quick sweet read with great diversity and a witty plot.

This was a sweet contemporary m/m queer romance with solid demisexual representation. The reality television set-up isn't really my cup of tea but anyone who would enjoy queer-complicating the relentless heteronormative lens of shows like The Batchelor will delight in this loving takedown that affirms the happily ever after for both the book's main characters and the television storytelling in which they are invested...just as long as all the queer joy can be on full display.

3/5 stars

Oh how badly I wanted to love this story and while it was cute it just didnt quite hit me the way I wanted it to. I feel like this couldve been a bit shorter and wouldve maybe hit the spot a little bit better. Some stuff was just dragged on a bit too much in my opinion.

However I did think that this was really cute and I enjoyed the relationship quite a bit. There was some toxic stuff going on and I feel like most was talked about. And I did enjoy the facf that therapy was talked about as I think its important and not always seen in media. Also the fact that they chose themselves and needed to better themselves first so great.

Nittany and I loved this book so much. 💛

I loved it because: it touches so gracefully on mental health! This is a topic near and dear to my heart, and @alisoncochrun wrote it into this book in the best possible way. You love the characters, and root for all of them (except for Megan, she’s the worst). I loved the love story, the neurodiversity, and the friendships. Everything about this book was fantastic. I loved it.

Nittany loved it because: it was super bingeable, which means we sat and cuddled the whole entire time I was reading it. 😂

Read this if: you love The Bachelor, friends to lovers, and bingeworthy reads. Thank you @bookish.chels for the best recommendation!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a cute LGBTQIA contemporary romance involving a tech wizard that is cast as the bachelor on a dating reality show and one of the producers on the show. Charlie, the bachelor, is stiff, awkward and anxious and only agreed to be on the show to try to rehabilitate his image. Dev is the most successful producer on the show and always does a great job scripting the perfect happily ever after for his contestants, although he's recently gone through a painful breakup with his long-time boyfriend and is dreading going back to work with him.

Dev usually works with contestants, but is reassigned to produce Charlie in the hopes that he can get Charlie to loosen up and interact better with the contestants. As the two get to know each other and build trust, Charlie starts opening up about his OCD and anxiety and Dev confides he suffers from depression. Charlie realizes that he has much better chemistry with Dev than he does the female contestants, which confuses him and makes him more anxious. Even after the duo acknowledge their attraction for each other, there is still a show to be produced and a happily ever after to achieve.

This was a really cute romance. I liked how the author dealt with Charlie and Dev's problems and talked about coping mechanisms and how important therapy is. Charlie and Dev made such a cute couple. Dev was conflicted about getting involved with Charlie because obviously it wasn't professional and went against the entire premise of the show, but the heart wants what the heart wants. The ups and downs they went through were relatable (although not the dating show part) but who hasn't done something that causes themselves pain but they did it anyone because they thought it was the best thing for their partner?

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Atria Books. All opinions are my own.

Alright it is me, person #201479 to tell you to read this book. This is one of the best queer romances ever. This is one of the best opposites attract romances ever. Just a solid romance all around.

Not only is it hilarious (I want a Dev and Jules friendship) but it is deeply emotional (the number of times I wanted to give Charlie a hug is beyond my count.) If you love reality dating shows, people who are just awkward and funny, and hilarious yet emotional romance, go read this.

If this book ever asked me to accept a rose, my answer would be YES!! 1000 times YES!! 👏🏻 🌹 👏🏻 🌹

Holy smokes, did I absolutely ADORE this charming, sweet, and funny little gem! When Charlie is cast as reality dating show Ever After’s newest Prince Charming, he’s more interested in repairing his tarnished image than he is in finding love. But all of that changes when Charlie meets producer, Dev. What unfolds from there is a beautiful and raw story of self-discovery, acceptance, and true love.

If you’re looking for a book that will make you swoon and then laugh and then swoon again and then cry and then swoon one more time, then look no further! Not only is this one overflowing with representation of love in so many different forms, it also works to normalize discussions of mental health issues.

In short, this is a must read and will easily be on my top ten of 2021! Please do yourself a favor and read it! Thank you so much Atria Books for sending me this digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was awesome in every way and honestly the only thing I could have ever wanted. It was a wonderful story about someones realization with their own sexuality while unfortunately being forced into the spot light. It highlights mental health and the negative effects of it while also showing the positive parts of therapy for mental issues and disorders. It is also full of diverse represenation with one of the main characters being Indian and gay and the other being white with OCD. I loved every minute of this and cannot wait for anything else Cochrun writes. I want more stories in this universe and hope and pray I get them.

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun is an endearing rom com where two men find love on a Bachelor-style reality show. The story follows Charlie, a disgraced tech wunderkind, looking to rehabilitate his image in a public arena; and Dev, a handler on Ever After, whose job it is to closely assist the stars of the show, who has recently gone through a break up from a long relationship. I enjoyed this book, but didn’t love it like I thought I would. I appreciated how the author gave its main characters depth, which made them so much more relatable even if their situation of being part of a popular reality show is alien to the majority of us. Both characters were likeable and realistic in their flaws and we go through their mental health struggles with them. The content reminded me of Helen Hoang’s novels. I especially liked Charlie’s character for his earnestness and humor. I really liked Dev as well, but his character did frustrate me, though that’s what also made him more real. I think I would’ve liked the story to be a little shorter, but there were some really wonderful moments and I was charmed by Charlie and Dev. I listened to the audiobook which was well-narrated by Vikas Adam and Graham Halstead.

Thank you Atria Books for providing this ARC.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

4/5 stars

Have you ever wondered what goes on backstage during shows like The Bachelor? Ever wondered what happens when the perfect prince is not so perfect after all? This book wasn’t mind-blowing, but it was definitely a fun read and very … ahem, charming. I’m not a fan of most reality TV shows, but I have watched shows like Survivor and Big Brother and found the insight into the antics behind the camera to be quite entertaining and surprisingly, not that surprising at all.

The representation in the story was pretty great. We had various types of queer rep, characters of color with a variety of backgrounds—though I think some of that could have been fleshed out a bit more, characters with various mental health challenges, and most exciting (to me) NEURODIVERSE characters. (YAY!) I thought the author did a good job handling the various mental health aspects respectfully but also pretty accurately. One of the things I loved was the growth and character development. There weren’t easy answers, but I like that the characters worked to actually understand each other without trying to “fix” the other person.

I feel like maybe there could have been more depth into how Dev’s background has shaped his experiences, but also maybe I’m just being nitpicky? I’m sure someone with a similar background could give better insight into how they felt about that representation. As someone with a number of the mental health challenges depicted in the story, I felt like that was pretty well done in regards to my own experience.

This book wasn’t radical, but it was a good companion to curl up with for a cozy afternoon.

I loved this book so so so much. I’ve read it twice already and will definitely read it again. This one knocked it out of the park and was a solid 5 stars for me. What a refreshing and warm love story.

I loved the whole premise of this book! It was such a delight to watch these two fall in love but also to have the main character that we did. Charlie's anxiety was refreshingly real and relatable. I really felt for him with the texture of wool and some other things he could not stand. But at the end of the two, our two love birds get a happily ever after. Although I really liked it, something about this felt off that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I think it might've been too long?

4.5 stars. I really liked The Charm Offensive. Such a wonderful cast of characters and a great story about self love and finding yourself. As well as mental health and living for yourself.

THE CHARM OFFENSIVE is an adorable romance with emotional depths and many aww moments.

And although I don’t watch The Bachelor I enjoy reading novels that focus on dating shows, like ONE TO WATCH and ROYALLY MATCHED. The drama, and the behind the scenes moments are what makes these books so entertaining. Also, I love it when an author surprises me, especially if I thought I had the story all figured out. I was very pleased with the last third of the book.

THE CHARM OFFENSIVE isn’t a typical rom-com, the author picks up topics like mental illness, OCD, clinical depression and finding ones identity, which gives the book quite the emotional depth. She does it with heart and sincerity.

Overall the book was cute, even adorable thanks to the couple. And although I didn’t fall in LOVE with them, by the end of the book I was cheering them on. Something I really loved was that their journey wasn’t an easy one. I really appreciated how realistic it felt. And it was noticeable now much heart and effort the author put into this book. Moreover for a debut novel it was really well written.

Sadly the audiobook was a disappointment and maybe a reason why I didn’t rate the book higher. Neither of the narrators impressed me. I actually got annoyed with their voices. And there were a few scenes that had me rolling my eyes and I wonder if I would have reacted the same way if I read it myself, without their voices in my head. In the end it always comes down to personal taste.

But overall, I can see how this book will be a crowd pleaser and a great book to pick up if this genre is something you enjoy reading.

I loved this booked! Such a clever, lovable story all centered around how unreal reality tv is. The two main characters learn to love themselves by loving each other. I loved the challenge to hetero-normative pop culture.

Charming as hell, as the title suggest. Both characters felt fresh and alive and I loved the slow development of their relationship. For fans of romance and reality TV.

this book is absolutely adorable and one of my favorite rom coms I read this year! 10/10 recommend! so much better than watching the Bachelor while also inspired by that franchise.