5 stars could not recommend more! For fans of the Bachelor and "One to Watch" this is a front runner for one of my favorite books of 2021!

I requested this book after seeing so many 5 star reviews and so much hype around it! I was so excited to receive it and I started reading it immediately! The premise of The Charm Offensive captured me immediately. I instantly fell in love with Dev and Charlie. As someone who struggles from anxiety, I completely understood how Charlie felt. Charlie's anxiety just radiates off the page and at some points that felt a little overwhelming for me. But more often, I felt such sympathy for him and how uncomfortable he felt in his own skin. Dev was such a charming and sweet character to read about. I couldn't help but root for both of them to fall in love and make it work!!! I loved the representation for the LGBTQ+ community, the frankness about mental health, interracial relationships, and so much more. I never thought a dating showing premise would become a book I couldn't put down but I was wong. This book was everything! Easily 4 out of 5 stars!

*Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.*

I absolutely adored this book! It reminded me a lot of "One to Watch" in that it had a more "woke" spin on the Bachelor Nation franchise. What made this book stand out even more was the commentary and normalization of mental health struggles. Dev and Charlie are two characters worth rooting for, and they were created so wonderfully. I highly recommend this one!

This book was so cute! I loved it. I love Charlie and how strange he is. I love Dev because an Indian American guy who works in reality tv coaching contestants is amazing! The book was hyped all over the bookstagram world and it was well worth the read.

Uhmmm YES to everything in this book. The witty banter, the friendships, the lovable characters and of course the STEAMMM 🥵 I cannot recommend this one enough! It was so so so good. If you’re looking for a book that truly makes you smile almost the whole way through, pick this one up. I also couldn’t put it down because I HAD to know everything!!

Lights, camera.... action? Charles Winshaw is the most eligible bachelor and has 20 women vying for his heart this season on Ever After. The problem? He isn’t quite sure he’s interested in any of them— or women at all. Additionally, Charlie has OCD and severe anxiety, which result in him hating unexpected physical contact and uncontrollable panic attacks. This makes him the opposite of the “perfect prince” that the show is hoping for.

The Charm Offensive follows the story (and features split POV) of Charlie and Dev. Dev Deshpande has worked on Ever After for six years. His job is to coach Charlie to be dateable and likeable on TV. What makes this difficult is Charlie’s radical realization that he might not like women. Dev takes Charlie on clandestine “practice dates” that turn into so much more.

I really wanted to love this book. I did. But it felt overdone. The Bachelor plotline was just SO prominent that it was almost distracting from the incredibly romantic story unfolding. The book was enjoyable, but I just kept thinking about The Bachelor franchise and how everything was pulled from that. I do think the book was, overall, worth reading. I enjoyed the characters and the overall romance plot. I found myself thinking of Colton Underwood and wondering what role his time on The Bachelor(ette) influenced him in his gay awakening. Was anything in his life similar to Charlie’s?

I won’t speak to accurate representation (Indian, OCD, LGBTQIA+, etc) as I am not part of any of those groups, but it was included.

Thank you so much to Atria via NetGalley for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Ms. Cochrun has written a fun book that will, I think, be enjoyed by many. Readers follow Dev and Charlie, all the while wondering if there will be a “happy ever after” for them and if so, with whom? You may think you know and you may even be right and yet, this is still a book that is easy to spend time with.

I enjoyed the notion of setting a book on the set of a reality tv show. I don’t watch shows like The Bachelor but this may seem familiar to fans of such series. I liked the behind the scenes story. I also enjoyed the character sketches and the over the top way that the contest was portrayed.

Gay relationships are a part of this story. Readers early learn that Dev has been hurt by another man who works on the show. Will he move forward and find love? Will Charlie who is supposedly brilliant in business but lacking in how to deal with others find what he is looking for? Read the book to find out.

By the way, spend a minute to think of what the title of the book does or may mean. I had a few thoughts on this.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

This is one of the best male male romances I have ever read! I love the premise of a bachelor type show and I love the side characters in this as well as the leading men! The banter and the romance were so cute!

I really wanted to love this book, it seems like everyone else loves it. And it keeps getting compared to Red, White and Royal Blue which I loved. But I can’t get into it. Poor Charlie’s anxiety just comes off the page so much it was starting to make me anxious for him. I stopped about halfway in. I know Dev and Charlie will live happily ever after and I’m sorry I’ll miss it.
I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thanks!

Thank you, NetGalley and the Publisher for the chance to read this book!

I requested this after seeing lots of hype around it from some fellow bookstagrammers and I'm so glad I did! The story, characters and romance was just amazing, but I think what really sold me was the absolutely incredible mental illness and LGBTQ+ rep, especially the ace rep!

Charlie has weaselled his way into my favourite characters of all time, he was just amazing! His romance with Dev was slow-burn, total obliviousness and it was the best.

Overall, I would highly recommend this one for fans of queer contemporary romance books with amazing representation and a Bachelor style plot!

What happens when you take a rom-com style book, throw in a BTS look at a reality TV dating show with characters that make you unable to put your Kindle down? You get THE CHARM OFFENSIVE by Alison Cochrun! I absolutely adored this book from start to finish!

I can't help it. I am a sucker for anything reality TV related, and when it's in a storyline, 9 out of 10 times I will read it. This story takes place on a Bachelor-inspired reality TV show (even down to the following season being The Bachelorette), called Ever After. We meet Dev, who is a producer who is in charge of the talent. You know the ones you've always heard about but ignore? The ones who poke poke poke to make good drama, but are there to console when things go too far? That's Dev!

Then we meet Charlie, who is our Prince Charming - only he lacks the charm. He's not so polished and camera ready as you would expect. And right away? I began to feel protective of him, and wanted him to succeed in everything he ever set out for in life.

As I turned the pages, I just wanted MORE. More Dev. More contestants. More Charlie. More production. All of it together was story magic. And then Dev and Charlie get together and I LIVE FOR THE SECRET RELATIONSHIP DRAMA OF IT ALL!

This was so much more than just a secret growing relationship while contestants try to "fall in love" with Charlie. This book dives into LOVING YOURSELF and making sure your mental health is taken care of. Some have anxiety, some have depression - whatever it is, this book helps shine the spotlight on making sure that you take care of yourself first and foremost.

There's also LOVING OTHERS - but it's not always the linear man on a white horse riding in to save you type of love. Who you love, when you love, how you love - they can be fluid and ever changing. This story highlights people finding themselves and trying to figure it out. But it's not just romantic love - there's also the love of friends that help you through. And friends always know more than you think they do!

But we can't forget LOVING A GREAT TV SHOW - and let's be honest. The best reality TV show has a perfect blend of drama and romance in locations you may never see unless you are watching. Unfortunately, we do see the dirty underbelly of how the show can get there, complete with those that don't care about your mental health, do not care about who or how you love, as long as they get what they want.

I cannot wait to see where Alison Cochran will go next. The way that all of these important messages were crafted so well together in a book that is fun, fresh, and with a little bit of *spice,* is a skill that many would hope they could achieve. I highly recommend this story to anyone and everyone! I give this all the stars, every rating you can and will be telling everyone I know to READ THIS BOOK!

I enjoyed this book. Two things I like television production and love stories. A setting and premise I've never read before, now we can only hope the Bachelor/Bachelorette turns out the way Ever After does in the end.

🔥🔥2/5 Steam Rating

If you’re in the mood for a fluffy romance, this book isn’t for you. However, if you’re looking for a witty & sweet romance that’s also deep and will give you all the feels… you’ve come to the right place!

I think I can go on about this book all day, so let me summarize it for you.

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐃:
• The witty one liners had me laughing and messaging a friend with them!
• All the representation in this book!!! Neurodivergent MC, an Indian MC, and an interracial relationship
• So much LGBTQIA+ representation 🏳️‍🌈; this book dived into what asexual is an the spectrum that can be seen. There were also three characters that used they/them pronouns which I LOVED seeing written so casually. So much of the LGBTQIA+ community had representation in this story!
• The focus on mental health; especially OCD, anxiety, and depression
• 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓!!! So rarely do you see characters asking for consent, so I loved seeing it repeatedly done!
• Parisa is the best wing women; we all need someone like her in our lives!
• Even though this story covered deep topics, it was still witty, charming, and so sweet.

Looking back, the only thing I wished was different, was that it was written in first person. I think it would have been a bit more impactful and a touch easier to remember who’s POV I was reading. With that said, it didn’t impact how much I loved this book!

Thank you @atriabooks & @netgalley for this #gifted ARC. These opinions are my own.

Thank you so much for giving me access to this title for review. Unfortunately I am putting this book on hold for now because I am having trouble getting in to this story. I hope to try and pick it up at some other time.

Kind regards

Ugh this book. First I will always prefer to read about reality TV than to actually watch it. Second any book that explores what happens when we truly have emotional breakdowns and are honest about what our mental health looks like, those are the books I want to read - and this one is it. So good. Plus romance and love and friendship. Highly recommend.

If I only rated this book on the romance itself and the cuteness of Charlie and Dev - I’d definitely rate it higher. My issue is this - the determination of the author to include a character with every single type of gender/sexual/identity orientation in this book and giving each of them a struggle while completely glossing over Dev’s Indian heritage and the struggles he might find. And throw in both lead heroes with depression/anxiety/OCD and both struggling. It was just a lot of issues to try and address and give justice to in one book and took away from what could have been a super cute romance.

I received a copy of this book to read and review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

BOOK REVIEW: The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

One of my favorite "pros" of reading includes how books can present us the doorway to explore new choices, step into someone else's shoes or even serve as the bridge to connect us to who we really are... Or could be... This book delivers that hope... And don't miss the final Author Acknowledgements to seal the deal... ✨😎✨

T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books of 2021

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sub-Genre: Workplace Romance | LGBTQ Theme | Steamy Romance
• T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating: 🌶 (Very Mild)
Time Period: Contemporary
Location: Reality TV Show

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY...
Matchmaking For Beginners by Maddie Dawson

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All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Books, Lifestyle & Home Ideas for Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at www.thisismyeverybody.com

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by the premise of The Charm Offensive (reality tv meets queer rep, huzzah!), but the story that unfolded as I read totally surpassed any expectations I had. The queer representation was on point, and as varied and beautiful as the rainbow flag itself, but the frank discussions of mental health, self-worth, and the importance of platonic love - that was where Cochrun's story blossomed. I laughed with this characters, fell in love and into heartbreak with them, and I absolutely cried at the end. Highly recommended, instant favorite.

Perfect for those interested in The Bachelor (or other televised dating shows) and interested in why we're drawn to The Bachelor -- The Charm Offensive tells the story of Dev and Charlie - two men involved in the production of a fictional Bachelor-style show. Dev works as a producer behind the scenes who believes in true love, despite his job being to contrive the love stories audiences crave. Charlie enters the show as the Prince Charming, the star of the show who will date a dozen women hoping to find love. Charlie has his own reasons for coming on the show, none of them being that he expects to find love. Dev enters to coach Charlie on how to charm audiences and fellow contestants alike. As the men grow closer, Charlie starts to think he may get his happily ever after.

This book does a great job of depicting mental illness with humanity and depth, while also delivering swoon worthy romance and laughs. Definitely recommend.

This books was so cute!!!

Dev and Charlie are such lovable characters! Dev is a hopeless romantic who believes that fairy-tale love is the kind of love everyone can and should have. This is why he works as a producer for the highly successful TV show "Ever After."

Charlie doesn't believe anyone can love him. But he does believe that "Ever After" is his ticket into getting a better image so he can have more career opportunities.

Charlie's personality is definitely NOT what I was expecting, and in the best way! He is very relatable to someone like me who also suffers OCD- and not the "I need to clean everything" kind, but the obsessive, anxiety inducing, and overall off-putting kind. It was so refreshing to read a book where the main character struggles with the same anxiety and subsequent self-worth problems as I do.

It was even more refreshing when impatient, charismatic, and straight-forward Dev was more than willing to accept Charlie for exactly the way he was. He didn't judge him or think less of him- he was just there for Charlie. It's the kind of love that I have always dreamed of having.

Charlie was also there to support Dev through his struggles with his mental health. It was incredible reading a romance novel in which the protagonists fully supported one another and were there for each other- flaws and all.

However, their love story was not without struggle. Dev is stuck on being professional and not dating his contestant and Charlie is trying to understand his sexuality.

Seeing Charlie come into self-acceptance was also very impactful on someone who has recently come out and is coming to terms with their sexuality.

Overall their love story was gripping, intense, and beautifully developed. I highly recommend giving this book a chance- you won't regret it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!