I absolutely LOVED this book! The mental health representation was great and so refreshing, and I especially loved the various LGBTQA+ identities represented, especially from the ace spectrum—I loved that even within this spectrum, there were multiple identities represented (i.e., Charlie, who may be demi or graysexual, but also Skyler, who is ace/sex-repulsed). These are realms of the sexuality spectrum I haven't really seen in romance novels, and I thought it was done spectacularly. I felt very seen by aspects of both Dev and Charlie's characters. Also, the consent was sexy as hell!!! We love to see it. 5 stars from me.

Yes yes yes to all of this.

I absolutely loved all the representation in this book. Some a lot more obvious and some a little more subtle. I love how the discussion of sexuality and mental health was presented.

I am not a watcher of anything in the Bachelor franchise, but for some reason love reading books that feature the behind the scenes. So this one was great with how it showed the interactions between the prince and his handler.

I really liked Dev and Charlie as characters. I loved how Dev so quickly worked to accommodate Charlie’s triggers without making them a big deal. And on the flip side I loved seeing Charlie attempt to help Dev through his depressive episode. Their relationship made me smile in how it built from small moments to something much bigger.

Besides Dev and Charlie, the supporting characters were also fantastic. I loved Parisa and her unconditional support of Charlie. And Jules and how her relationship with Dev. Just the big group found family aspect was heartwarming.

Overall, this was a very very great queer rom com. Definitely recommend for anyone looking for a romance that doesn’t shy away from “tougher” topics.

Between being a witty queer romance and basically being an extra season of The Bachelor, I'm completely sold. This was pure joy, beautifully framing mental health and neurodivergence with its main characters.

Maybe my favorite rom com of the year thus far. This one packed so many great elements in a bachelor/bachelorette type of situation. I love that the main themes were about mental health and the stigmas around different mental health ailments. I also loved that a queer romance was the star of the show in this book. Steamy, fun, and somewhat light hearted all while exploring topics that may not get a lot of coverage in other books. Pick this one up on 9/7/21!!

Thank you to Net Galley, Alison Cochrun, and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This queer romance was nothing short of phenomenal. Dev and Charlie are perfectly imperfect and I couldn’t love them more. I absolutely loved the themes the author explored. I hope that we continue to have stories that normalize talking about mental health. Everyone is deserving of love. Definitely for fans of the bachelor. Loved loved loved.

Dev is a producer on a Bacheloresque tv show and has been working behind the scenes for a long time helping hetero folks find love. The bachelor on this season needs some help and while Dev usually deals with the lady contestants, he is brought in to coach Charlie the bachelor into love.

Not to send out major spoils, but this is a romance and it is a LGBT romance and my first LGBT romance read. For a multitude of reasons, I had never picked up a LGBT romance and when I saw this one cross my "desk", I thought this would be the perfect one to try as the overall premise - behind the scenes of Hollywood is already in my wheelhouse, so to start somewhere I know I will like and then throw in a different kind of romance, I was game.

While I don't know the sub genres of LGBT romance, like I do with the hetero ones, this one was a "Oh wow, I didn't know I was gay" and while yes, it was my first LGBT romance, I am not sure if this sub genre is my jam. I think I would prefer a good ole fashioned enemies to lovers or rekindled romance, so I am in pursuit to try another in a sub genre that I know I like.

If you haven't ventured into the LGBT romance aisle of romance books, I highly suggest. The formula is still the same - falling in love, shit hit fan, resolution and happily ever after and no matter the gender of the couples, I love that formula!

All the stars (not reality TV celebrities LOL) in the world!

The Charm Offensive is far more than a queer romcom. It's a love letter to love, an ode to healing. Cochrun's writing has all the charm and style of McQuiston's in RWRB, but with characters that felt so real, it was like I could meet them on the street. There's angst, but not of the misunderstanding teenage variety, and I hadn't realized that I had signed up for this emotional Rollercoaster until I started crying on the LIRR.

My Favorite Things:

First, everyone is so casually queer, as in, no one feels like a token queer. There are hardly any cishet characters and I absolutely adored it. It's realistic. Believe me. Especially given the industry and the setting of the book. I loved the Ace, bi, pan rep and the discussion that labels aren't necessary if you don't want them. That it's okay to still be figuring it out no matter your age.

Second, the main plot point, the reality dating show, was the best I've read to date. I loved the friendships between the ladies, and the fact that they weren't relegated as side characters in Dev and Charlie's story.

Third:
REP.
REP.
REP.

Dev is brown. I repeat. Dev is brown. I am brown. I was very very pleased that he wasn't described as a more desirable brown person that was made to fit a white male alpha figure. Rather, his description matches quite a few of my brown guy friends. Tall and lanky. All elbows and hips and angles and messy greasy hair.

The mental illness representation was fantastic. At no point were the psychiatric diagnoses of each character used to push the romance. But be warned! This book does get pretty dark in the middle and towards the end. If you can't read about depressive episodes, or panic disorder, definitely put this book down or practice self-care as you read.

That being said, The Charm Offensive drives home a very important point: you have to be okay, in a good headspace, to pursue a healthy relationship. Sometimes, you have to choose yourself first. I loved that Cochrun didn't give Dev a "get out of jail free card" with his depression. That he came to realize his toxicity and the way he enabled himself, eventually choosing to seek help after denying he even had a problem for years.

I also loved that Charlie's anxiety wasn't used in a way to endear Dev in a way where he pitied Charlie. I love that in this whole book, the ex wasn't exactly the big A-hole and that at the end of it, everyone had reflected and grown. Well, almost everyone. One bitch got what she deserved :)

All in all, Cochrun establishes a wonderful narrative that examines the stigma of seeking help for mental illness, while reminding us all that no matter what, we are worthy of love.

Charlie and Dev go from enemies to friends to lovers, but moreso, through support, they were both able to grow. Become healthy. They didn't fix each other, rather, the love they had for each other made them both want to be better for themselves.

And man, this plot. That ending. The wrap-up. Chef's kiss* I loved how everything turned out. That Charlie and Dev struggled for their love and their dreams and learned so much about themselves, found new priorities. Made space for each other. Dreamt together. Grew together.

Ultimately, this book was about finding love and growing. It should be a millennial staple.

Witty and heartfelt, queer as fuck and full of delicious kissing (bonus points for not fetishizing gay men or being too graphic/steamy), The Charm Offensive is perfect for fans of RWRB, Conventionally Yours and Husband Material.

I cannot WAIT to see what Cochrun comes out with next!

TW: depression, obsessive and compulsive behavior, panic attacks, mental illness, homophobia, biphobia*

I have received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks!

This is the second reality dating show rom-com I've read, and was pleasantly surprised at how it kept a swift pace while also embracing the truly silly nature of the manufactured romance inherent to that genre. Living in LA, I tend to enjoy the behind-the-scenes Hollywood production stories better than the celebrity-adjacent ones, and this one is ruthless in how it skewers the hypocrisy and inequity in the industry without losing its fairy-tale heart.

So much is going for it: Yay lead romantic guy of color Dev Deshpande is a producer on reality show "Ever After" that uses the worst fantasy tropes to set up its dates. He's pulled in to help out with tech genius Charlie Windshaw, who needs to rehab his image ... which he decides to do by going on a dating show?! Yeah does not compute, especially when we learn that he is also socially awkward, so again, he should fire his agent.

Anyways, it turns out that Dev is great at coaching Charlie on how to woo the women and look like a true Prince Charming on camera while getting closer than expected to Dev once the cameras are off. Yep, it's a very sweet, vulnerable and funny gay love story!

But wait, there's more LGBTQ goodness. The novel is chockfull of queerness, which is delightful for inclusion, but occasionally didactic in trying to explain all the nuances of the various sexual identities. I completely understand this sort of explicit definition though; until it becomes second-nature, it needs to be set forth as clearly as possible. Such is often the case for marginalized groups.

While the queerness and identities are essential to the narrative and romance, the novel also spends time exploring various mental health issues. While I love this aspect, I also feel that this part was also a bit over-explained. The end result is a lovely romance that also feels overly stuffed with information.

Wheeee! I really enjoyed this book though it's a bit messy. Like Dev, there is a passionately beating heart here that is kind of irresistible.

Review based on an ARC provided by Atria Books and Netgalley

This book...

This book has so much heart. I've read the book almost a month ago and I periodically want to gush about it. I want everyone to read this gem of a book.

The Charm Offensive is easily one of my favorite romances of the year. I loved Charlie and Dev. I loved them so so much. I just want to give both of them big, warm hugs. These two deal with mental health struggles (anxiety, OCD, depression) in different ways. The exploration of sexuality was also done so tenderly. I've learned a lot about ace spectrum. And the romance, oh, the romance! The first kiss, the asking for permission for that single kiss. I may have turned into a human heart eye emoji.😍

And the writing! How does Allison invoke so many emotions through her writing? I have no idea. Plus this is a debut novel! How is this a debut novel?

I was hesitant to request this arc because I haven't watched a single episode of the Bachelor/ Bachelorette and I though the book wouldn't be for me. But I enjoyed the reality dating show tidbits in the book. Those scenes validated my impression of the show. They made me cringe and ask myself why would anyone go through with that nonsense.

A truly beautiful look at sexual identity, mental health, and self-love. This books had my heart so full it was bursting at the seams.

Last summer I read a romance whose plot was centered around a Bachelorette style dating show. I remember really wanting to love it but it just missed the mark for me. So when I saw Chloe Liese rave about this book, I knew I had to take my chances and put a request in for the arc.

I can’t tell you how much I loved this one. The characters were so beautifully and tenderly crafted. I found myself falling in love with both Dev and Charlie individually and together. Between the puzzle dates, the bourbon, the Oreos, the stolen kisses, I was a swooning mess.

This story also had deeper themes of mental health. I honestly was so blown away at the rawness Cochrun was able to convey in these pages. I felt so seen in how easy it is to ignore and down play depression and chalk it up to it being just a “bad day.” The themes of mental health and self-love really resonated with me at a turning point moment in my life.

The Charm Offensive is easily one of my favorites I’ve read this year and I simply can’t wait for this book to be put out in to the world. Add it to your TBRs, place a preorder, request it from you library. You all need to read this as soon as it drop on September 7th!

OMGSOGOOD. This book is everything you could want in a romcom. It’s full of love (ROM) and laughter (COM) and happy Ever After (a fictional, Bachelor-esque reality dating show). It’s laugh out loud funny and has includes a You’ve Got Mail viewing (all the best romances do!), but it’s also full of substance that’s often missing in the romance genre. It tackles (really tackles, not just puts a finger on) major issues of mental health stigmatization, the ethics of dating on reality tv, and the general lack of representation on mainstream dating shows. The characters are multidimensional, relatable, and oh so charming! I can honestly say I wish I knew every character in real life (well, almost all of them!).

The Charm Offensive is poised to become an romcom classic and is an absolute MUST READ for all romance readers.

Thanks to Atria books for the gifted eARC!

In the Charm Offensive, Dev is a huge believer in fairy tale endings, so it makes sense that he would have a successful career as a producer on the popular reality dating show, Ever After. When disgraced and awkward tech genius, Charlie is the lead, Dev has his work cut out for him. But instead of getting Dev to fall for one of the many women vying for Charlie’s heart, Dev and Charlie begin to develop feelings for each other.

I loved so much about this book. Dev and Charlie were one of the best fictional couples I’ve seen and I was rooting for them from the beginning. Seeing them learn to accept and live love not only all parts each other but also themselves was a beautiful process. The way mental health was discussed and how depression was portrayed in a real way was also phenomenal.

Being a HUGE reality dating show fan, I loved the depiction of what goes on behind the scenes of the shows. Basically, I loved everything about this book. If you haven’t read it, you need to!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the advanced copy!

This book has the charm and feel of Red White & Royal Blue with a lot more will-they-won't-they push and pull to it. In other words, I loved it.

Dev has depression and doesn't believe he's worthy of love (despite his love of love stories and belief in the fairy-tale endings he orchestrates for his reality dating show). Charlie has OCD and anxiety and doesn't believe he's worthy of love -- and also doesn't know he's gay.

It's a lot to unpack, and it's handled *beautifully.* Just. Chef's kiss. As someone with mental illness (and a therapist - the 'we're all in therapy' moment was beautiful and relatable) who is queer, this book was everything I wanted. I cried rather a lot and was very emotional throughout and never wanted it to end.

The entire cast of characters was wonderful and I want them as my friends now, please. (Except Maureen. She was a terrible person.) Alison Cochrun has just pole-vaulted onto my list of absolute must-read favorite authors.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an e-arc for review.

This book left me a bit confused as to how I should rate it. So after going round and round, I settled on a 2.5 stars rating -- it was more than an okay read for me with a lot of elements I enjoyed and liked, but I didn't love it which is why I can't rate it higher.

On one hand, I enjoyed the reality-TV concept, diversity of characters across spectrums and the themes that were touched upon throughout the story (mental health, discrimination in the entertainment world). I also enjoyed the way the author went about bringing Dev and Charlie together. I enjoyed the friends-to-lovers aspect, how their connection was developed and their chemistry and attraction was made evident on the page. I especially appreciated that the author 'showed' the reader instead of just "telling" them about some of the more important aspects of the story and ultimately I loved the range in emotions brought to the page.

On the other hand, I felt like the author missed a great opportunity when she decided not to expand on Dev's culture a little more. I think the story would have benefited from it since clearly the author's wish was to bring a diverse cast of characters to the page. Also, I struggled repeatedly with having to suspend disbelief. Personally, some of the happenings that take place in the story were really hard to believe. I still don't understand why Charlie/his publicist thought he needed to participate in the reality show to continue working in I/T. I also couldn't get over the fact that, after bringing so much awareness to mental illness to the page, the author had the MCs work so easily through their issues.

All in all, a sweet enjoyable read.

OKAY YES YES YES!! I LOVED this book. I am a huge fan of romcoms and this just had it all.
It was hysterical, entertaining and FUN so much! This is a gay romantic comedy that centers around a dating show, but it is so much more than that! It also is about being okay and comfortable with who you are. In addition, it is about finding others that can love and accept you that way as well. It had fabulous characters and I was sad to finish, but will need to keep this author on my radar!

Amazing book! I am already a lover of The Bachelor (yes I know its fake, yes I do cry every season because of a break up) and making one of my favorite guilty pleasures queer was great. I can't speak on the rep, but it was really refreshing to read a romance novel with ace-spectrum rep. It seems like it was handled with a lot of care and I'm excited to hear about what ace people thought of the rep. The romance was adorable and had me never wanting to stop reading. Pick this book up ASAP y'all!

I found that the Indian/South Asian representation left a lot to be desired. Aside from the name there's absolutely no indication that Dev is Indian at all and it felt like he was just shoved in there for the sake of representation. Aside from that, the book was really sweet and cute. It was a quick one sitting read for me so I definitely was hooked onto the writing and the romance overall!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars

I don’t even know what to read next because nothing will compare to this book. The Charm Offensive was the sweetest, most swoonworthy romance I have read in a while and I am not over it. MY HEART IS SO FULL.

The Charm Offensive is about Dev, a hopeless romantic and a producer on the long-running reality dating show, Ever After. When the new season casts Charlie Winshaw, a disgraced tech genius as the star, Dev is called in to be his handler. Charlie is unlike the other Prince Charmings in that he is awkward, anxious, and suffers from OCD and a panic disorder. Dev makes it his mission to help Charlie find love, only for them to find love with each other.

My. Heart. This romance is so well-written with so much build-up, banter, and charm. I loved the emphasis on mental health and the diversity. Dev and Charlie are two of the most lovable characters I have read and I miss them already. Fans of Red, White, & Royal Blue and One to Watch must read this book. Everyone must read this book. All the stars.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5/5 stars

The Charm Offensive was a very difficult book to rate! It started off extremely strong, but by the end I just lost interest. To be fair, it's probably a "it's me, not you" kind of situation because I have a lot going on right now, but I just couldn't rate it any higher.

Dev and Charlie were so real. They're complex characters with many facets and traits, and they feel more heartbreakingly authentic than almost any other book I've read. Their relationship is just as genuine as the characters themselves. If I was rating this book on the characters and their relationship alone, it would be a five-star!

The portrayal of mental health in The Charm Offensive was stunningly done. Charlie has OCD, panic disorder, and anxiety, while Dev has depression. That felt extremely realistic too, and it was well-executed. It made the romance take a bit of a back seat, so just be prepared for that going into the book.

All in all, this should have been a perfect book. It just wasn't working for me for some reason, but I hope you enjoy it!

WOW. Where do I even begin with this one? I couldn't put this down and it easily has taken the spot of my favorite romance books of 2021.

Reality TV producer Dev has been in love with happily ever afters since he started watching Ever After (a show similar to The Bachelor) as a child. Now that he works on the show, he is used to crafting the perfect love stories for contestants, even though his own dating life is, well, subpar. When Charlie, a fallen hero of the tech world, is introduced as the show's next prince, Dev realized he has his work cut for him. Charlie is awkward on camera, struggles to open up with others, and only agreed to be on the show as a way to rehabilitate his image. As Dev fights to help Charlie connect with the contestants, he realizes that Charlie is maybe HIS Prince Charming....but Charlie and Dev both have contracts and millions of viewers who probably would think otherwise.

I love a good romance, but I've never been a huge fan of reality love shows, so I was a bit worried about how this would go for me. But wow - this was a treat. The characterization of both Dev and Charlie is phenomenal and I fell in love with their relationship, friendship, and personalities. I couldn't put this one down and lived for every scene with them together. The book explored so much beyond romance: understanding one's sexuality, navigating family and friend relationships, and managing mental health. The discussions in this book were real and raw and will resonate with readers. From a romance perspective, it led me to a new favorite trope: practice dating.

It's a romance book, so in terms of plot, it's fairly formulaic. Did that keep me from absolutely devouring it? Nope! Did that keep me from crying at the end? Nope! Pick this one up and settle in for a great show.- you won't be disappointed.

tw: homophobia, panic attacks, depression, racism