Review of The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

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I loved this book. As you know, I mostly read thrillers, but I was really excited when @atriabooks sent me the widget for this debut as it looked really fun. It was exactly what I needed. I fell totally and completely in love with these characters and got immersed in their story.

Dev has his dream job at reality show Ever After, a bachelor type show with a fairy tale spin. Even though he recently had a breakup with Ryan, another producer on the show, he is looking forward to being the handler of the female contestants on a new season when suddenly his job is shifted to handling the male Prince Charming, Charlie. Charlie is awkward, shy, totally shut down, and utterly gorgeous which Dev can’t help notice. The two become closer and Charlie realizes that Dev may indeed be the partner he didn’t know he was looking for.

This book has it all. Friendships, love, romance, steam, mental health awareness topics, and reality tv. What more could you want?

This one is out today so do yourself a favor and go pick up a copy now. Thanks to @alisoncochrun, @atriabooks, and @netgalley for the advanced copy to read and review.

A charming romance filled with so many romance tropes but still standing as its own distinct creation. I totally enjoyed seeing our main characters grow and blossom and consistently rooted for their journey from start to the end!

Thanks to the Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📺 Q: have you ever been on tv?

[Review CW: I’m sharing some of my own mental health experiences.]

Several years ago I learned the word Obsessive & how it was one that could be used to better understand myself & the seemingly endless refrain of thoughts I couldn’t let go of—irrational or not.

Alison Cochrun’s lovely The Charm Offensive has a funny Bachelor-type premise that’s sometimes satirical, sometimes appreciative. It also focuses on mental health—on OCD & depression in particular.

Mental health rep matters—especially in romance—because everyone deserves unconditional love & acceptance *&* because the way characters and their struggles are written can change not only what readers think about things they haven’t personally experienced but what they have.

Charles Winshaw is a hot nerd & the latest star of Ever After. He’s also not doing so well as a dating tv star. He’s only there as a publicity stunt so he can get a job back in the tech world he once rocked.

Dev Deshpande is an utter romantic who believes he’s actually helping people find HEAs as producer on the show. He’s assigned to be Charlie’s handler & help bring him out of his awkward shell for viewers.

But somewhere along the way Dev’s overtures help Charlie feel more comfortable with him & also with others…& Charlie’s newfound confidence & awareness of his feelings for Dev give him the strength to reach out to Dev in return.

Often sprinkled with moments of humor—especially in the beginning of the book—Cochrun takes on dating shows & contestants & cargo shorts & puzzing & it doubtless had my lips quirking.

As the book progresses & Charlie opens himself up more emotionally, I wanted more of Dev’s reticence to be explored & for there to be more time with him settled into his feelings & for them to be settled longer together. The ending feels somewhat rushed.

But the consideration of mental health in this book, of OCD & depression, is valuable & touching, & the realizations both Charlie & Dev come to about the actions & risks they need to take for ultimate happiness are hard-won & admirable.

The Charm Offensive is not a light read but it is one that can speak to a lot of people. I’m really looking forward to Cochrun’s next read!

4.5⭐️. Out today!

CWs: panic attacks; depression; intrusive thoughts & compulsions; OCD; generalized anxiety; panic disorder; biphobia


[ID: a white woman holds an ecopy of the book in her hands. She’s wearing jeans, an orange shirt, & teal floral open sweater & sitting on a deck.]

Happy Pub Day to The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun!!
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Think The Bachelor/Bachelorette with a wonderful diverse twist! But SO much better! This was a fun book with main characters that will literally charm you too. I loved them together and enjoyed spending time with them in this book!

I am sure that fans of Red, White, and Royal Blue and Husband Material will find this just as enjoyable if not more. It is a timely romcom that also deals with real issues such a mental health in a way that shows these things shouldn’t ever be an obstacle to finding happiness with the one you love.
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Charlie is an anxious, awkward tech dude with OCD who struggles with relationships and he really just wants to get his job back. Or get a job in his industry. So what is he doing on the reality dating show, Ever After?? Well, he is hoping it helps his reputation and will get him a job.

But it’s much harder than he expected. He finds it hard to open up to the contestants, doesn’t love being touched, and practically runs away when one of them tries to kiss him.

That’s where Dev comes in. He is Charlie’s handler/behind-the-scenes helper. He believes in true love despite not finding it himself. He works for the show because he believes they help people find love.

Well, this season, it’s Dev’s job to get Charlie comfortable enough to open up to the women contestants and look appealing to the audience at home. Through the time they spend together, Dev discovers more about Charlie. About his life, about his mental illness, and about his past. This helps him better understand Charlie and help him through the dating process.

But they also happen to be staying in the same suite/hotel room/place throughout the filming of the show. And the more they spend time together, the more they bond and the more they realize HOLY FUCK, I THINK I HAVE FEELINGS FOR HIM.

As they begin to understand their feelings for each other and that those feelings are reciprocated, they begin a romantic relationship. Which…as you can imagine, is incredibly difficult to do when they can’t let anyone on the show know. But they make it work.

And they are cute and passionate and totally oblivious to how obvious it is that they care for each other lol. People find out but it goes pretty well.

It’s not people finding out about them that leads to the problems that come up. It’s Dev and Charlie themselves. Their pasts, their inner demons, and what they think they deserve. As someone who occasionally questions their lovability, I totally understood this aspect of Charlie and Dev’s characters.

Although, just because I understood it doesn’t mean I wasn’t yelling JUST BE TOGETHER!! COMMUNICATE!! STOP RUNNING AWAY FROM YOUR FEELINGS!! WTF DEV?!?! CHARLIE, GO AFTER HIM!!

But this is a romance so of course they come back together and the way they do is so perfect and so them. It’s romantic AF and chaotic and so goddamn wonderful.

Charlie and Dev, through Alison Cochrun’s writing, imprint themselves on your heart while you read this story. They are perfect in their imperfections.

I’ve read books that have mental illness rep before, but not many of them have felt so completely real and right and true for me.

Reading Charlie’s characterization was like being punched. I don’t have his same mental illnesses, but damn, it felt like looking in a mirror.

AND DEV! I love him and his belief in true love and his doubts about himself and his utter belief in Charlie’s amazingness.

The supporting characters are incredible too. Jules is amazing with her snark and her care for Dev and Charlie. She also felt highly relatable to me. Parisa is possibly the best supporting character to ever exist. I LOVE how much she cares for Charlie and how much she’s willing to do for him. She is THE BEST. I also love Skylar and Ryan and Daphne and Angie!! They are all so wonderful and I would probably kill someone to get a Daphne book.

I also really like how the book explores reality dating shows, how they exploit people, and how footage can be manipulated to look a certain way. It’s a really interesting part of the book and not something I’ve seen explored before.

If it wasn’t obvious, I’m giving The Charm Offensive 5 out of 5 stars. If you’re looking for a fun, complicated, beautiful contemporary romance with Bachelor vibes, PLEASE read this book!

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun is available now!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for providing the ARC.

Overall I really liked this story. I thought Cochrun did a great job of showing Dev and Charlie's relationship develop while both men figured out what they actually wanted and needed from each other.

I also really liked how she addresseed the mental health of the various characters. At no point was it used as the butt of a joke.

My biggest issue with the story was the idea that absolutely no one did a screen test with Charlie to see how he'd do in front of a camera. However, once I got past that, I found the rest of the story very enjoyable.

I will definitely be recommending this book to patrons at work.

Absolutely loved this book! It was a perfect rom-com where I laughed and smiled while reading it and learned about the spectrum of sexuality and behind the scenes of reality shows! Charlie was a favorite character of mine, he was so genuine and always stayed true to himself and his feelings. On the flip side, I loved seeing the character growth of Dev. I didn't know if I'd love the storyline of reality tv, but of course I was hooked instantly. Loved this amazing debut novel and can't wait to read more by Alison Cochrun!!

This is the perfect book for those that love reality dating TV shows!

Charlie Winslow is an awkward tech guy that doesn’t believe in true love. He has major anxiety, and he recently lost his job because of it. He agrees to be the prince charming on the reality dating TV show, Ever After, in hopes of repairing his image.

Charlie has a hard time being the prince charming the show wants. He’s never been in a relationship and doesn’t connect with the twenty women on the show. His producer, Dev, does everything to make Charlie more comfortable in front of the cameras. As Charlie and Dev start spending more and more time together, Charlie starts to fall in love. Unfortunately, it’s not with the twenty women who are competing for his love, it’s with Dev.

This was such a sweet love story. I loved Charlie’s character with his awkwardness and shyness. I also enjoyed that Charlie and Dev’s love wasn’t forced, it took a while for both to realize their feelings for each other. The book also shed realistic light on anxiety, OCD and depression. It was story about finding love, but it was also a story about finding your true self.

I highly recommend.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Charm Offensive is one of my favorite romances of 2021. That's right I said it. As someone who keeps up with what's happening in Bachelor Nation, to a certain extent, The Charm Offensive is everything I hope Bachelor Nation will become, especially at the end.

Dev loves love and fairy tale endings. It's no surprise he decided to work for Ever After, even if their fairytale endings are manufactured, since he grew up watching the show dreaming of his own fairytale ending. Charlie is their suitor for this season but from the get-go he is deemed hard to work with. Dev is asked to step in as Charlie's handler, usually he deals with contestants, because of his easy demeanor.

I don't want to say more than that and spoil too much of the story. Obviously there is a romance that happens between Charlie and Dev and it's so great to see it evolve. I thought The Charm Offensive handled issues of mental health and sexuality very well. I'm a straight woman so I don't know what it's like to navigate finding your sexuality when it doesn't seem to fit in the societal "norms". I'm a straight woman so I don't understand what it's like figuring out your sexuality when you aren't straight. Having read reviews by own voice readers and talking with them, The Charm Offensive felt like the story for many of them being relived on the page. It isn't a typical "coming out" book and I appreciated that as a reader. I'm so glad this story was told and I can't wait to read what Alison Cochrun writes next. She will definitely be an autobuy author for her future endeavors.

This book is perfect for fans of One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London (another Bachelor Nation like setting) and Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

THE CHARM OFFENSIVE by Alison Cochrun is a story about finding love on a reality TV show. When tech titan, Charlie, decides to revitalize his image by appearing on Ever After (a reality show resembling The Bachelor), he soon discovers his anxiety and obsessive-compulsive tendencies holding him back on-camera. His handler, Dev, who's devoted six years of his life to Ever After and believes fervently in happily ever afters, is the only one who can bring out Charlie's charms. Soon all the chemistry starts happening off-camera, complicating matters for Charlie, Dev, the women competing for Charlie's affections, and the Ever After crew.

This book hits all the right notes with humor, heart, a unique premise, and believable and likable characters. Charlie and Dev are equally flawed and lovable, as are their supporters. I appreciate the dignity and complexity afforded to the Ever After contestants, who could've easily been portrayed as faceless bimbos. But a couple of them have their own character arcs. The book also handles issues of sexuality and mental health with nuance and compassion, and it's all wrapped up in a well-paced, hilarious, and heart-breaking package!

Definitely one of my top reads of the year! Check this one out on 9.7.2021!

This book had me grinning from ear to ear with every interaction between Dev and Charlie. I loved the reality tv-show aspect. The Bachelor is gold for hot mess entertainment, so anything remotely like it is an automatic yes from me.

This book is sweet and swoon worthy.

This book was absolutely everything. I fell in love with the characters immediately and was so invested in their love story. The mental health representation made me so happy. I haven’t loved characters this much since red white and royal blue and I want to experience their entire love story over and over again. I can’t wait to get more from this author and they will 100% be on my automatic buy list. 5 stars.

All the stars for this one. As a member of Bachelor Nation, I was so excited to a queer twist on one of my favorite shows.I was swooning over Dev and Charlie from page one. This book was so romantic, so funny, so heartwarming. I can’t say enough about it to be honest. Hand down one of my favorite books of the year. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this book. The Charm Offensive is out 9/7!

In THE CHARM OFFENSIVE, Alison Cochrun presents the ultimate in escapist rom com delight: a romance based on the set of a thinly disguised version of THE BACHELOR. Sharp, funny, compassionate, and knowing, Cochrun conjures the highs, the lows, the struggles of private and personal lives colliding when a producer/handler and the lead protagonist for the show's season fall in love with one another. The havoc wreaked and repercussions come fast, furious, and marvelous in this quick, enjoyable story. I received an advance copy of this novel to read in exchange for my unbiased review.

I can hardly begin to describe how much The Charm Offensive means to me. It's like Alison Cochrun went inside my brain in order to create a book tailor-made to be exactly what I wanted to read. Except here's the thing: I think this is also the book that everyone else has always wanted to read, but never realized it. I hesitate to describe books as perfect, but The Charm Offensive is pretty close. If this book doesn't become a sensation that everyone is talking about for years to come, there is no justice in the world. I know all this sounds like an exaggeration, but I really do feel this enthusiastic about this book. As I was reading it, I found myself slowing down because I never wanted it to end.

I don't want to go into too much detail, because I don't want to spoil anything. However, I will say that the following: The characters are both loveable and relatable. Every single one feels whole and lived in, but especially the leads, Charlie and Dev. Both Charlie and Dev struggle with mental health issues. By adoring these two characters, I feel as though I was practicing self-care and learning to love parts of myself that I often push to the side or categorize as undesirable because of my own mental health struggles. The overall writing style of the books was, for lack of a better word, charming. I was whisked away from the first sentence and felt like I was reading a modern fairy tale, one with camera crews and behind-the-scenes secrets, where the power of love prevails.

I feel like I want to keep talking about this book forever, but I really do want to avoid spoiling anything for potential readers, so I'll just say that I know this is a book I'll return to again and again, devouring it each time. I cannot wait to see what Alison Cochrun writes next.

I adored this book!!

Charlie and his best friend Parisa decide in order to rehabilitate his image he needs to go on the reality show, Ever After. Ever After is kind of like the Bachelor or Bachelorette and in this case women are vying to be Charlie's ever after.

Charlie suffers from OCD, depression and crippling anxiety and Dev ( a producer on the show) seems to be the only one who can calm Charlie when it seems like his anxiety is about to rear it's ugly head. It is during one of these episodes that Charlie realizes that he is attracted to Dev. Charlie always wondered why he was never attracted to women, but just assumed it was because he had never met the right one.

Many things conspire to keep Charlie and Dev apart, mostly themselves and their own issues. But their friends have other ideas, and they are all hoping to give Charlie and Dev their Ever After!

This book was just so damn cute! I flew through it, hoping to get that happy ending!! 4⭐

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books and Alison Cochrun for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review

To say I can't get enough of novels that are a twist on The Bachelor would be an understatement. They make my reality TV-loving heart swell and The Charm Offensive takes my dating-show trope obsession to a new level because it not only features a star falling in love with his producer but the producer is also a guy.

I've seen this book called a mashup of 𝘙𝘦𝘥, 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 & 𝘙𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 and 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 and I totally agree. It's like those two favorites of mine got together and had an adorable, charming baby you don't want to let go of. @alisoncochrun writes the most wonderful characters - not only Dev, the producer who's head over heels in love with the idea of happily ever after, and Charlie, the show's awkward Prince Charming , but also Dev's co-workers, Skylar and Jules, Charlie's best friend, Parisa, as well as some of the female contestants. They all have beautiful layers that make them so much more than the caricatures they could have been. Dev and Charlie's story is so unique as they help each other deal with mental health issues and come to realize that they're both worth of love, and they completely captured my heart.

Cochrun also nails reality TV production. From the unrealistically long hours we work and the diet of sugar and caffeine that keeps us going to the way we manage talent and how so many people fail up, the details are spot on.

I truly adored this book but loved it even more after reading the author's note at the end. I can't wait to read whatever she writes next (and I hope it features Parisa!).

Be sure to check out Alison's IG where you can get some fantastic playlists for each of the characters.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy to review.

This book was absolutely adorable. Atria books offered me a copy and I am so glad they did. I likely wouldn’t have picked it out for myself, but I really enjoyed it. As like most of America I have seen many episodes of The Bachelorette/ Bachelor, so the book taking place around “Ever After” sucked me in. The characters are so real in this book. Everyone has flaws and it’s what makes this book so homey. I love all the topics that it covers. And I love Charlie! How often do we feel that our true self isn’t enough? And how many Josh/ Maureen do we know. Ugh. Overall, the book was completely charming, quirky, inclusive and plays to your heart strings. Highly recommend this read

Reality TV? Not my jam really. I get anxious with all the drama!

But - I loved the show UnReal that was on Lifetime a few years ago. It showed how these shows are produced behind-the-scenes and all the in-and-outs of production, casting, "scripting", and how the drama behind the curtains might just be way more crazy than what we even get to see on TV.

When awkward tech genius Charlie needs to revamp his public image, he becomes the “prince” on the hit dating show Ever After. But as his producer Dev tries to coach him to be more romantic and likable on TV… they start to find each other much more likable than any of the female contestants.

THIS BOOK. It's all of the fun behind-the-scenes scripted faux drama of a Bachelor-type dating show, with an unexpected and delightfully, swoony romance.

There are so many fantastic conversations about mental health and an incredible amount of diverse, queer representation. I loved how inclusive the characters were and storyline was - and how important topics were interwoven throughout, without being heavy handed or forceful. Alison made discussions natural and real, when so much going on in the story wasn't!

This was such an entertaining and heartwarming read with an adorably hopeful love story and a wonderful message that loving yourself above everything else, may be the greatest happily-ever-after there is.

All the stars and and love for this book wow!! I basically read this book in one day and did NOT want to put it down! I love bachelor/bachelorette and reality tv shows, and this was such a fun story with a similar show, Ever After. But with a super fun twist of Charlie, cast as the Prince Charming of the show, falling in love with Dev, the producer of the franchise! This m/m romance was sweet and funny and dove into some really deep conditions like depression, anxiety, and OCD! It made me laugh and cry and also made me think of Red, White, and Royal Blue! This was just such a feel good story with lots of depth!!