My feelings about this one are complicated! I ultimately ended up enjoying this book, but I didn't *love* it the way that I had expected to. I really liked Dev and Charlie and the whole secretly-dating-the-producer-of-a-reality-show thing, but something about the tone of the writing never really quite worked for me? Like I really enjoyed the dynamic between them and the tension of them having to date behind the scenes, but I feel like that ended up getting really repetitive and dragged on a little bit too long in the second half. I think if this book was like 75 pages shorter, it would have been perfect for me. But with all that being said, I feel like I could really love something from Alison Cochrun in the future and I'm excited to read what they publish next!

CW: depression, panic attacks, racism, homophobia, severe anxiety

An amazing rom-com with fleshed out relatable characters, representation, witty banter, and a romance that keeps you rooting for the couple.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This story is basically what would happen if the star of the bachelor fell in love with one of the crew members instead of one of the fellow contestants. But also, make it gay and bring some really great conversations in about mental health.
I loved this. I thought the forbidden romance between the star of the show, Charlie and his producer, Dev, was really well done. We see them make excuses for their actions, but there’s still an ‘oh no, what if we get caught’ element to the story and that’s a trope that I totally eat up. I liked both Charlie and Dev. They both struggle with different mental illnesses. Charlie has OCD and anxiety and Dev has clinical depression. It was so heartwarming to see them interact when they were struggling with their mental illnesses and they simply asked what the other one needed. Saying “what do you need from me?” is such a simple way to show someone you love that you’re listening and that you’re there for them. I also think this book did a great job showing lots of different aspects of having a mental illness. The stigma is shown and talked about with how people with mental illness are treated in the workplace. I think the representation was so great.
Overall, I liked this book. I was easily invested in the romance. I didn’t totally hate the third act break up. I had a lot of fun with the reality tv aspect of the story too. I really loved how things turned out with the reality show. I really loved all of the characters. Dev and Charlie were a very lovable couple, but their friends were also such great additions to the story. I definitely think this one is going to be a hit with romance readers.

Charlie joins the cast of a reality dating show in an effort to rehabilitate his image. Despite his good looks, he is anything but a natural on, or even off, camera. One of the producers, Dev, is reassigned as Charlie’s handler.

Behind Dev’s fun, party boy exterior is a man prone to episodes of clinical depression. As Charlie and Dev spend more time together, they begin supporting each other’s mental health. And their “practice dates,” allegedly designed to make Charlie more comfortable with romantic settings, go a little too well.

Although this novel is billed as a rom-com, I didn’t find much of it funny. Emotional, heartwarming, and occasionally humorous, it is more an indictment of how our society marginalizes those who are different from us. I never watch reality tv, but if more of it ended the way this show does, I might consider it.

THE CHARM OFFENSIVE • Alison Cochrun • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫{rounded up}

Oh, this book. 🥰Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bookstagram has taught me that I am a HUGE fan of romances. I never would have guessed it, but here we are. And romances with representation? EVEN BETTER! 🔥 Kudos to this author for taking me on a journey that made my heart double in size while constantly keeping me laughing.

This book is everything I wanted “One to Watch” to be. A play on “The Bachelor” franchise, but less straight and white. We get the drama, but most importantly, we get to watch real relationships develop — romantic AND platonic relationships. This book does an amazing job at showcasing just how important and fulfilling both types of relationships can be.

Mix in some real talk on mental health, the importance of self-love/acceptance, and witty banter? Voila! You've got a recipe for one heck of a book. I will absolutely be recommending this one to all my friends.

The hype surrounding this book? It’s real. This queer rom-com ticks so many boxes for me: it’s deeply funny, it has great friendships, and it has a couple that’s both sweet and sexy.

I loved every minute of Dev and Charlie’s story. It was such a treat to watch these two fall in love, and they must be protected at all costs!!! Their journey to finding acceptance in themselves and each other deals with mental illness, sexuality, and coming of age in ways that feel authentic. The conversations about representation and whose love stories get told in Hollywood was skillful. I appreciated seeing people in their late twenties struggling to figure their shit out — something that I don’t think we see enough of in storytelling.

A story that centers a variety of LGBTQIA+ rep, that satirizes the heteronormative reality show everyone loves to hate, that openly addresses mental illness, medication, and therapy? I already can’t wait to see what Alison Cochrun writes next.

Speaking of which, I would also like to add that the author’s note made me 😭 and that I got ridiculously excited when I realized that this book was written by a high school English teacher!

TW: OCD, panic disorder, anxiety, depression, homophobia

I really loved the representation in this contemporary m/m romance. One character struggles with OCD and anxiety another with depression, there are black and brown people throughout, and all different members of the lgbtqia+ community. What i liked best was that the main characters were fully formed and fleshed out and they didn’t let these various labels define them. Cute, charming, and heartwarming modern love <3

This was a great story and I loved the fact that it addressed mental illness. The characters were very realistic and made the story more enjoyable.
Many thanks to Atria Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

So charming!
I really loved reading this book! Not only did The Charm Offensive deliver fun and dramatic scenes with the kind of dishy dialog that one would expect from the backlots of a L.A. reality television show, but this story also served up a well-rounded love story with a fully loaded multiracial, LGBTQ+ cast with real feelings, desires, and mental health awareness.

Fans of The Bachelor will love this. Haters of The Bachelor will also love this. I loved how this story both played into the drama of reality TV dating, but also poked holes in the archaic sentiments and overwhelming favoritism shown to heterosexual relationships in network storylines.

This romance felt modern, fresh, and real, and is a modern-day fairytale worth rooting for.

*Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for my gifted copy.

4.5 Stars!

My gods did I love this. This is a new insta buy author for me. The story was amazing as it was heartbreaking. I think it handled anxiety and depression quite well and was actually happy to see that represented as someone who also deals with that. The pairing in this book was so cute and the steamy scenes were just excellent. Would recommend to everyone!

This book was a freaking delight from start to finish - I loved it so much. It was touching, smart and emotional. I particularly appreciated that we saw different types of love get attention in the story: romantic, platonic and self love were all given their due and shown why they are important for all of us. The dating show setting was so fun - you got all of the outlandish drama you expect from those shows, but also with a dose of reality and awareness those shows tend to lack. I thought the mental health representation added a whole other layer to the relationship between Charlie and Dev - the dual POV really took that to the next level by allowing us to see the side of the person struggling and the person who loves them. I finished this one a couple of months ago and have already been itching to pick it up for a reread. Definitely one of my favorites of the year.

This queer romance is one you’ll fall in love with. Beautiful and tender authenticity combined with vulnerability.

What an amazing story and I will do everything I can to promote it. This is going to save lives. This is going to normalize being yourself and forgetting the labels. This elevates the lgbtq romcom to a whole new place.

Bravo - what a debut. This book has been all over the gram and for good reason. It celebrated a pub day this week and here is my review that will join the many other 5⭐️ reviews I’ve seen.

I was completely blown away by this book. Also, it’s a debut. That is incredible to me because this book is the entire package. It’s funny, has some steam, but most important - it will save lives. I put that in my goodreads review when I finished the book a few weeks ago, and I questioned at the time of that was a bit dramatic, but here we are and I stand by that statement. Reading TCO will normalize being yourself. I think people wrestling with their identities or sexual orientation who pick up this book will find a place to feel seen and if they are feeling alone or upset because they don’t fit a certain label, they maybe won’t worry about it so much anymore. I can’t think of a greater thing for any author to do. I 100% think this book sets a new standard and is on a playing field all it’s own. Bravo to the author. You wrote a winner and I will do everything I can to get this book into as many hands as possible!

Thank you to Atria Books and Alison Cochran for the gifted arc.

Review Date: 09/10/2021
Publication Date: 09/07/2021

Are you looking for your favorite Rom Com book? Look no farther, this is it. Did I stay up until 3AM on a Wednesday because I could not put this down? Yes. Did I finish it on my lunch break the next day and sob uncontrollably? Also yes. I am very thankful I work from home because MAN, when I say sobbed uncontrollably.....

Dev is working at his dream job, becoming part of his favorite show growing up, "Ever After". This season, they have a new price trying to find his princess and Dev is ready for another season. In comes Charlie, this beautiful man that specializes in computers and tech, he has no idea how to function in the setting his publicist has put him in. He hates the plastic crown on his head, not sure if he is going to throw up or have a break down when he accidently falls out of the limo, on to Dev's feet. From this point on Dev is in charge of helping Charlie be the "best prince" he can be for the show, but that is proving to be more and more difficult. Dev learns that Charlie is dealing with OCD and anxiety, while Charlie learns that Dev is dealing with deep depression waves that come and go. The two men start to live a double life, one for the tv show, another for their own mental health. One with fake kisses and another with lust and romance.

This book. I have no negative things to say about it. Literally nothing. The author included people of color, different aspects of the LGBTQ community (which I LOVED) and wrapped it all in something we all secretly love, reality TV. Alison touches on so many different aspects of mental health and how others can help you during your time of need. Charlie is so OCD and anxious that he doesnt like people touching him, has never been in a relationship and had such a large "break down" at work that his own business decided he was unfit to run it. Dev is the perfect example of someone who is learning to love someone with these barriers and how to navigate life with someone who has never even given romance a thought. Charlie on the other hand has to navigate life with someone who is obsessed with romance, would give everything up just to find his "price charming". He loves what he does so much, that it is ruining his mental health, sending Dev into deep pockets of depression.

I think this book showcased so much about mental health and aspects of the LGBTQ+ community. I could not put this book down. I started it and stayed up until 3AM to finish it. The author does an amazing job of giving you everything you thought you wanted in a love story, plus so much more. This book reminded me a lot of "what if its us" in the sense of two men finding themselves and learning about each other. That was also one of my favorite LGBTQ+ romance books this year and "The Charm Offensive" has made that list as well.

Could not recommend this book enough, it is a must read!

{Thank you to Atria Books for my gifted review copy}

I alternated reading and listening to The Charm Offensive by author Alison Cochran, and I have to say, it totally charmed this skeptical contemporary romance reader.

As sometime whose feet are firmly planted in the realities of a long term relationship, I get a little annoyed when romance books just seem too "fairy tale like, or just, totally unrealistic. I enjoy reading about real life issues, multifaceted plot lines and imperfect characters. And this one has it all.

I actually don't watch a lot of reality TV anymore, so I loved that while it was based off of the (sometimes quite problematic) tropes of a reality dating show, it ultimately featured embracing your true self when looking for love.

This novel was unique, witty and totally heartwarming and I loved that it featured mental health, identity and acceptance.This was just as much about loving and understanding oneself as it was a romance plot line, and I am here for that!

The main characters were amazing but the supporting roles were just as much of a part of my reading enjoyment and added so much to the diverse array of topics covered in this book.

I could go on and on about this but I already know this will be one of my favorite contemporary romance reads of 2021. You can read my full book discussion and review over on genthebookworm.com

This debut novel is an absolute delight! The queer romance between Dev and Charlie was the so sweet watching unfold. The characters were extremely likeable, and their love story came together in an authentic way. Highly recommend this novel!

If you’ve read and loved Red, White & Royal Blue, you have to read the Charm Offensive! I read an arc of this book right after finishing my reread of RWARB, and it was the perfect book to follow one of my all time favourites!

This book was so fun! I loved Dev and Charlie’s relationship - they had excellent chemistry. This book has a really wonderful friends to lovers arc, and it is so lovely to see such a healthy relationship in a book. The premise itself creates the drama, and the plot did not disappoint. Set on the production of a reality television dating competition (think the Batchelor but gay), this book was absolutely chaotic in all the best ways. I love stories that are unapologetically queer, and the Charm Offensive is definitely that. This was so gentle and heartwarming at times, but also explored such important themes - one of which is mental health.

The mental health discussion in the Charm Offensive was so thoughtful. The only other representation of OCD I have encountered is Charlie from Heartstopper, so it’s funny to me that the second time I’ve encountered it, the character once again has the same name as me. Not everyone living with OCD experiences it the same way. I’ve always enjoyed Osman’s representation of OCD because it is very similar to how I experience it. Charlie in Charm Offensive has quite a different experience to me, but I was very impressed with the author’s nuanced discussion of mental health. OCD representation is scarce in literature, as well as accurate examples of what it is like living with a mental illness. I encourage everyone to read both examples, as OCD is often misrepresented, and not a lot of people fully understand how complex it can be.

I really adore this book, not only because it was so joyous and funny to read, but also because there was a depth and important behind the drama of the plot. This is the sort of fiction that teaches the reader, and I am so glad to have read it!

This is just a triumph of a novel. It's hilarious, sweet, and deeply emotional. There's such great representation for folks with mental health issues, folks from varied backgrounds, and folks who identify as queer. It doesn't lean into miscommunication or manufactured drama, but instead explores the challenges and realities of how who we are and what we cope with impacts our ability to love ourselves and others. I laughed and I cried and I swooned. 10/10, will re-read over and over.

The bachelor with a twist. The main character connects more with another person that is not cast on the show and falls In love. How will they be able to finish up the show and create the experience that the audience is searching for.

The Charm Offensive combines a love of romance and reality TV with a twist! Imagine if the main contestant on a Bachelor-type show fell for one of this producers? Filled with heart, hijinx, and sweetness, The Charm Offensive is a fun romance that tackles some tough topics as well (anxiety and depression) as giving us a swoon-worthy couple in Dav and Charlie-- at first a grumpy/ sunshine duo.

If you liked One to Watch, you will love The Charm Offensive! I recommend for all romance and reality TV fans.