WOW. The amount of representation in this book honestly blew my mind. Not going to lie I went through a huge Bachelor kick so I really enjoyed the nod to the show, and even though I no longer watch the show I still could enjoy the "behind the scenes" if you will. I loved that mental health was really at the forefront of this book, and it was in a raw and not overly glamorized way. There truly were high and lows and I really appreciated the fact that it didn't seem like there was some miraculous fix all solution because in real life it really isn't like that either. I am someone who also has OCD and Anxiety, so I especially appreciated the fact that they weren't just the watered down aesthetic versions, but it seemed as though the author truly knew just how debilitating they can be at times. Not going to lie I had a hard time not thinking of Colton from the bachelor, so that threw me off a bit, but as soon as I was able to get past that I found myself liking the characters. I think overall this book is fun, and also meaningful and it goes to show that reality isn't always reality, but also sometimes the reality we live in is sometimes better than the fantasies that are produced.

This book was a really cute and somewhat cheesy queer romance! It wasn’t my favorite, and it was a tad cliche—but definitely still and solid book that I would recommend!

One of THE cutest rom cons I’ve read in a while. I loved that we didn’t have a typical MC we had someone with OCD and anxiety and it was showcased so brilliantly. I loved that the Dev & Charlie were both imperfect but perfect for each other. Ah sigh. I just loved this book.

This book was charming and I was all the way here for this MUCH needed representation- on many fronts! I honestly haven't read such a thoughtful and authentic m/m romance before, or at least one where *not being straight* isn't the main hurdle for one of the lead characters to overcome. I liked how the author also really highlighted dealing with a variety of mental health issues, too. I suffered some serious PPD after my second child and while my struggles with that didn't look exactly like Dev's, I could really relate to his pain and difficulty in accepting/seeking help anyway. I also liked the glimpse into the world of someone with OCD. Another topic that doesn't come up in many books I've read and that I felt was really well portrayed here.

I am obsessed with Charlie's character. Dev was likeable and interesting in his own ways, but Charlie was the star for me. He was SO relatable, in so many ways, and so precious! He absolutely was the prince charming of this story, the reality show storyline nailed it with that one. The relationship between Charlie and Dev was extremely sweet and felt pretty realistic, in the sense that they both had to learn how the other person operates and how to fit into their (very different) worlds. That's something I think would ring true for anyone in a romantic relationship, and particularly if either person has any facets of themselves that go against (outdated) social norms.

The reality show part was pretty funny, and I suspect it too, was fairly authentic. I have a few friends who work crew positions in the industry and let's just say... it was all very believable. My biggest negative from the story was Maureen, though. She was such an overt and cartoonish villain. It was a little jarring to have such a diverse bunch of characters, who were all super accepting of each other and ALL their differences (which they were all miraculously in-tune with and aware of, often before the character in question even came to those realizations on their own...) and then to crash directly into Maureen, who was an out-an-out homophobic monster, who was soulless and blackmailed people, yet didn't have the career self-preservation skills to be more subtle/discreet about it. I KNOW those people exist, particularly older people in positions of power. I'm glad we're calling out that kind of behavior. I guess I was just missing a character or two in the middle, who didn't say *all* the right things OR *all* the wrong things? I don't even know. I have a thing about one-dimensional characters though, so it's probably just that. The two main characters were complex and interesting, but really.. all the other characters were entirely benevolent or absolutely malevolent, and I'm much more fascinated by that multi-faceted area in between.


Would definitely recommend this one. It was a quick and enjoyable read.

Thank you to #netgalley and #atriabooks for the complimentary e-book of this title, in exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed The Charm Offensive! I'm not really into The Bachelor or shows like that, but I find that I do like books whose premise surrounds that type of show. This book wasn't exactly what I expected, but in this case, that's definitely a good thing!

This book may have ruined all other romances for me. I was dying to get my hands on a copy after seeing everyone swoon over it. The author is so talented at putting you inside the characters’ heads and making you feel like you are living their lives — my hearts arched with theirs, and I felt their joy and passion and hesitation and everything in between. The representation in this story is so wide and well done — one of the main characters is figuring out his queerness as he realizes he may be aro/ace, and his vulnerability is so tender and beautifully written. It’s also hard to balance tender feelings and sexiness, but the author absolutely NAILS it (lol). And the insights into reality tv were just icing on top of the very delicious cake. Pick. It. Up. It’s very special.

I got this book mainly because of one of the leads being an Indian diaspora queer guy, and it’s so low on representation that I was very excited for it. But Dev’s desi side was hardly explored which is astonishing considering even for a 2nd or 3rd generation Indian American, being queer will not be a bed of roses. So with this disappointing, I hardly felt much of anything for the rest of the book. The dialogue was fun sometimes and the love story was cute, but reality dating show isn’t my thing at all and on the whole, the book was normal and predictable.

I thought this story was super cute especially in the way it highlighted some of the horrors of reality tv. Their love story started slowly and by the end it felt like the momentum never stopped. I loved the end reveal and it felt fresh without falling into expectations. Perfect for a quick weekend read!

Loved this book - it definitely waged a charm offensive on me and succeeded in charming me! Set behind the scenes of a reality dating show like The Bachelor, it alternates viewpoints between Dev, a producer on the show, and Charlie, the season’s star - and what happens when they unexpectedly develop feelings for each other instead of Charlie falling for one of the women. But there’s so much more to it than that, including sensitive depiction of mental health struggles, characters’ learning to believe they deserve love, great LGBTQ representation, and awesome and fully realized characters generally, including side characters. I laughed, I cried, I swooned. Think a cross between Red White & Royal Blue and One to Watch, with a bit of the tv show Unreal thrown in. 4.5 stars.

I was not ready for something so sweet.
I really love Dev and Charlie. I only hope for the best for them. This book was so full of incredible representation. This book really made me question my own mental health in the process. I could see myself in those characters so much it hurts. Also made me think I also deserve love.

This book was so fun! Loved the mental health rep and the wide ranging, very 3-dimensional side characters; less in love with the whole "reality show" plot but it worked here I guess. This will definitely appeal to a wide audience of readers, especially romance fans.

“𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑫𝒆𝒗. 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇.”

The Charm Offensive is everywhere right now! It was the chosen pick for not just one, but two books clubs/buddy reads. I was so happy to get to read this delightful book with #TheSixSpotlight and with #TeamSteam.

Dev Deshpande is in charge of making fairy tales come to life on Ever After and he is good at it, even if his own love life is a mess; however, when Charlie Winshaw is chosen as the next bachelor, Dev has a real challenge on his hands. Charlie is stiff, awkward, and anxious (with a body made in Ever After heaven!). As Dev fights to get Charlie to open up as filming begins, they both begin to connect on a deeper level. Every reality show and love story has a twist: will Dev and Charlie make it to the finale?

There were so many things to love about this book: Dev and Charlie’s connection and banter, the humorous dialogue said by Dev, Jules and Parisa, the behind the scenes look at making of a reality show. I especially loved the focus not only on Dev and Charlie’s sweet (and charming) love story, but that Cochrun expanded the focus on the spectrum of sexuality and mental health, including OCD, generalized anxiety and panic disorder. All topics were portrayed with sensitivity and could open a lot of positive dialogue with people who read it. I always love the best friend character in romance books; Jules and Parisa did not let me down. Much like The Bachelor, certain moments were well placed (like the timing of the end of an episode) that leaves the viewer/reader hanging and desperate for more. Also, how could I not love a book that gives a shout out to one of my all-time favourite TV shows, when describing Dev’s script: “𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒂 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒐𝒎-𝒄𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝑩𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒚𝒘𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒆 - 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑱𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑽𝒊𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒔.”

Ultimately, The Charm Offensive is a book about love in all its forms: platonic and romantic, and about representation. You’d be hard pressed not to fall in love with all the characters, and come along for the ride of Charlie and Dev’s relationship. A highly recommended read! A big thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the digital ARC, and a huge shout out to Jamie (@beautyandthebook) for gifting me a physical copy (we know the pains it took to get to Canada!!)

Okay first and foremost I have to lead with Charlie is too good for this world and I love him and I love everything about him okay moving on with my review.

CW: mental health discussion

Synopsis: Ever After is a reality dating show where Dev has been working for the last 6 years, and it’s always been good but this year is going to be awkward for him because he has to work with his Ex as producer. If that’s not stressful enough, the new prince for the season who Dev has been assigned to as handler needs a lot of work, he stumbles and struggles to get words out and can’t seem to find his way, that’s Charlie. In his professional life, he’s a tech whiz but personally he really struggles with forming meaningful relationships with anyone. The problem as the show goes on though is less about Charlie’s awkwardness with the potential princesses, and more about the growing chemistry he’s feeling between between himself and Dev!

My thoughts : I can’t. This book is SO. FRICKEN. CUTE. I absolutely adored it! Dev and Charlie are both amazing characters and they have their own flaws and they are so supportive of each other and it’s so wholesome and, ugh, I can’t 🖤! I really loved how this author handled writing about characters struggles with mental health, it was done so respectfully and I can tell the author really cared about representing these real struggles a lot of people have in a responsible and respectful way and not just for the sake of the story. It was awesome. And the LGBTQ representation. Almost every main character in this story is LGBT, if not all of them and it’s really refreshing to see so much representation in a book. Seriously, if you loved red white and royal blue for its banter and cute relationship, pick this one up. It’s so so so good!

This was a wonderful m/m romance with two amazing leads and a great supporting cast. Charlie might be one of my favorite romance characters of all time.

I was really impressed with the representation in this novel, such as discussing the spectrum of asexuality including demisexuality and graysexuality. I also really appreciated the way the author destigmatized mental illness and promoted the importance of caring for your mental health. On top of all that, what a swoon-worthy romance!

I listened to the audiobook version of Heartbreak for Hire, and I really enjoyed this. Brinkley is saving her money to open an art gallery after a bad break-up had her dropping out of grad school. Now, Brinkley works at Heartbreak for Hire - a secret service that provides revenge for jilted lovers. When she is hired to take down Mark and instead takes him home, she begins to question what, why, and who she’s working for - she’s always felt good about what she’s doing because the men were so bad. However, when her boss hires male Heartbreakers (Mark being one of them), Brinkley has to decide if the Heartbreaking business is for her.

I thought this was a super fun listen, and I really enjoyed it!The Heartbreak for Hire twist was super interesting. I also liked Brinkley and Mark’s rapport.

Thanks to @NetGalley and Gallery Books for my ARC!

Amazing. Fantastic. Beautifully written, a love story for the ages. I'll read ANYTHING by Alison Cochrun and I'm in love with both Charlie and Dev.

Super cute (and a bit steamy!) while also touching on societal norms surrounding love and sexuality.

*ARC provided courtesy of the publishers via NetGalley

“The only people who actually come on this show for love are so brainwashed by the wedding industrial complex, and so convinced their self-worth is tied to matrimony, they literally convince themselves they’re in love with a person they’ve spent all of ten total hours with.” 🤦🏼‍♀️

Full disclosure…I. Do. Not. Watch. Reality. TV. I have never seen The Bachelor. Not one episode. Ever. I hate that shit, reference quote above for exactly why. 😂😂 So why did I request this ARC? That’s a great question. I have NO idea. 🤪🤷🏼‍♀️ But, and this is a big but, this book, about the uber popular dating show Ever After, was fab!

“How can two sexy people be so offensively 𝒖𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒙𝒚 together?” 😆👏🏻

There is quite a bit of #LGBTQ representation in the book and a lot of talk about #mentalhealth and its importance. And Jules Lu? She is my spirit woman. She’s hysterical and sarcastic and witty and probably one of my favorite characters in recent memory. She had me chuckling multiple times during the story. If you are looking for a fun bachelor-esque queer rom com, here ya go!

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books, Simon & Schuster, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a romance with a delightful journey, as Dev and Charlie each have to navigate their roles on the show and who they think they are. Dev and Charlie are initially very different people, but it is their understanding of who the other is that ultimately pulls them together. This book contains discussions of mental health, which is an important part of this journey. In every romance, there is miscommunication and fear but this was handled so well - it wasn't annoying in any way. In addition the beautiful settings as they traveled for the show enhanced the story, as they each saw each other in new lights throughout the world. I was smiling for so much of the story. I highly recommend this one.

I really enjoyed this book. I knew from the premise this would be a book I would love. I like the setting and the bachelor-style show. The characters were so well written. This book was hard to put down and took a few hours to finish.