I immediately fell in love with Dev and Charlie when reading The Charm Offensive - romance fans, Bachelor Nation fans, and m/m romance fans need to read this book ASAP. There is not only a lot of queer rep, but it's diverse in terms of race, neurodivergence, and mental health. The depictions of each are amazing, though there are moments of homophobia so there's a trigger warning for that.

Dev is a producer on Ever After (the Bachelor but in fiction) and Charlie is the newest "Prince" who is trying to recover his image after having a breakdown during a board meeting of his tech company. Dev is assigned to handle Charlie, as Charlie has a panic disorder and OCD (though this isn't known immediately) and is having a difficult time on a show that triggers his mental illnesses. Over the book, Dev and Charlie get closer and have to confront their feelings for each other before it's too late.

I actually swooned reading this book at times, the romance is SO well done and well written. I flew through it without noticing time passing, it was fast paced and had a lot of information packed in without it feeling overwhelming. I related to Dev so much with his struggle with depression, the depiction is exactly how I feel when in an episode and it was handled amazingly. Every character was fantastic (except the "villain", but obvi) and I wanted to give all of them hugs throughout the whole book.

Seriously, read this book. I have nothing even remotely shaped like a critique to give to this book, it is a clear 5 star read and was from the very beginning.

**Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review**

4 endearing stars for The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun!

With lovable characters you’ll want to root for, LGBTQIA+ representation, and emphasis on mental health (the main characters deal with OCD, anxiety, and clinical depression), this book is just so heartwarming.

Dev Deshpande, a hopeless romantic, is a producer for the television series Ever After, a reality dating show much like The Bachelor where contestants compete to get engaged to the star. When Charlie Winshaw, a recently disgraced tech millionaire comes on the show to revamp his image, the two men start to fall for each other when Dev is assigned as Charlie’s handler.

I had so much fun reading about Dev and Charlie’s romance. Charlie suffers from severe OCD and anxiety which makes filming a romantic show difficult for him. The way that Dev helps Charlie cope with the pressures of not only the show, but dating was so refreshing. I loved these two characters together and especially the lengths that Charlie goes to in order to help Dev out of his depression and thoughts that he isn’t worthy of true love.

This was a great rom-com with real life topics that I was glad to read about. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit any well written queer romance hits a little harder for me than a typical cis-het romcom, and Cochrun fluidly integrates mental health (anxiety, depression), what media does to romance, and believing in yourself all in a package that had me misty eyed and evaluating my own life and relationship goals.

I was laughing within the first hundred pages, connecting quickly with the characters, and while we know the two main characters are destined to have a love story it’s pleasantly surprising how it unfolds. And there was times when I thought the story included a bit of filler content and could’ve been a little shorter, but I’ll let that go only because the deep-rooted message about being happy with yourself and finding love in your own while balancing mental health, and being true to yourself shined through.

Dev believes in happily ever after, and he shows it through his work on the reality show Ever After. He is usually the princess "handler," coaching the girls to be their best on the show. However, this season, he's in charge of the Prince, who just so happens to be the most awkward man alive. Dev slowly gets tech-wiz Charlie to start acting well on the show, but when he starts falling for Charlie, he knows they won't get to have a happily ever after.

This book was so great, and I'm so thankful to NetGalley for the ARC. The topics covered in this book are amazing, there's great representation, and every character (besides Maureen, and initially Ryan) is so lovable. Maureen really is a good villain - she's manipulative and cold-hearted, and you really just want to scream when she puts Charlie through hell in the name of good TV. I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a modern, charming, fun rom-com.

4.5 stars. Dev believes in happily ever after--or at least he did until he got his heart broken. And now he's back on the set of Ever After, a fairy-tale reality dating show, where he gets to see his producer ex at work every day. This season he's been assigned handling duties for the star, Charlie, a Disney prince come to life whose anxiety causes him to vomit all over Dev the night they meet. Things can only improve from there, as Dev promises Charlie he can make him fall in love with someone over the course of the show. But nothing goes exactly the way they plan.

This was an enchanting story about finding love in unexpected places, with hilarious moments and real, deeply felt breakthroughs. Both Dev and Charlie struggle with mental health, and their issues are handled sensitively (by the author--not always by the people around them). Several of the women competing on the show, as well as the cast of friends and family around both of them, are well-drawn characters I would love to see in their own books. There's some steam, but not overly explicit. A charming read that will be a big hit this fall.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I am that emoji with hearts in its eyes! I adore this book! I am sad it is over! I am happy it happened! What are you doing? Read this! Am I overwhelming you with exclamation points! I can't help myself! This book is my favorite romance of 2021 so far!!!

What makes this book so good? It is the perfect combination of a compelling plot, fantastically precious and realistic characters, hilarity, popping chemistry, and messages that almost felt therapeutic (as in I felt like I was in therapy). Perhaps my favorite aspect of this book is that each character was not perfect and they made mistakes that felt very real to life. This book is honest in its humanity. They were honestly incredibly sweet characters as well. It is a cast of characters that feels like family.

Also, if you know me, you know I love a good Bachelor-style plotline. I have sworn off The Bachelor for the problematic aspects that are even highlighted in this book, but I am sucker whenever it is going to be featured in a book. This, just like the One to Watch, is the Bachelor plotline I WISH would happen!

Anyway, if you love romcoms, The Bachelor, thoughtful plots and characters, and engaging writing, then read this because you will not be sorry! You too may end up overusing exclamation points!

This is such a wonderful read! I LOVED all the characters. While this book is pretty steamy it also hit on some important topics like sexuality, depression and anxiety. Pick this up….I promise you won’t regret it.

5 stars

I don't even know where to start to gush about how much I love this book. I'm not a fan of The Bachelor/Bachelorette show but when I enjoy books about those kind of shows. The behind the scenes you get, showing how the producers manipulate characters to fit an agenda was great. The representation was just amazing. The talks about mental health was so important and so GOOD. Dev really coming to terms with his depressive episodes, how they were controlling his life and how he didn't have to always be "Fun Dev" felt so personal. And CHARLIE. I just want to wrap him up in a blanket and protect him from the world. Watching his journey of growth and exploration was the best thing ever.

This book was so amazing that I've been telling everyone I know to buy it and read it. I can't wait to see what Alison Cochrun comes out with next.

I. Loved. Everything. About. This. Book.

Charlie is such a special character and I fell in love with him pretty quickly but I also really loved Dev and the secondary characters as well. They were all so well developed and they each had their own character traits I learned to love.

I love the Bachelor franchise so I already knew this would be something I would be interested in but this is done so well! Cochran really goes behind the scenes and shows what really happens on these types of shows but was still able to focus on the characters themselves and developing relationships. I loved the mental health focus(OCD, Anxiety, Depression) and the representation of many different sexual orientations and gender identities. It reminded me of Schitts Creek in a way that it was spoken about so casually which I loved since that is how it should be, but unfortunately is not.

Even if you are not a fan of the Bachelor I think you would still really enjoy this one. The characters are just too good to pass up! Love. Love. Love.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Charlie’s character is one of the most adorable ones I have read lately!

Desi producer Dev falling for the awkward tech guy who is star of the show. This book was stingingly cute, adorable contemporary read. Dev believe in true love and Charlie is exactly opposite with no belief in love. He finds that he has so much in common and better Che,is try with Dev than any other female co-stars. It was fun to read how sparks of their romance, makes Charlie go totally off script

This book was such a perfect package which was not only funny and witty but included diversity and mental health issues. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Thank you Atria books and NetGalley for the gifted copy. It hits the shelves on September 7, 2021

4.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for allowing me to read this book early. I LOVED this book and thought it was such a great exploration into love and sexuality and personal identity. This book is about Dev and Charlie. Dev is the producer on a show that is very similar to The Bachelor and Charlie is the main guy. Charlie is a famous tech guy, but behind the scenes he really struggles with OCD, panic attacks and generalized anxiety. He gets on the show after coaxing from his BFF and he feels pretty lost. He's uncomfortable with people touching him and this show is all about physicality. Dev is the producer in charge of making sure Charlie is taken care of and accounted for so the guys are forced to spend a lot of time together. They strike up a friendship but they both wonder if theres something more. Charlie has always been straight, but he wonders if he's asexual or what his sexuality is defined as because he is a 28 year old virgin who, up to this point, hasn't had much interest. I really enjoyed the open conversation around sexuality and what it means to each person. Dev is queer and is attracted to Charlie but so is the whole world and there are many reasons he can't act on that. He has signed a contract saying he won't fraternize with the contestants so he'd probably lose his job and it would ruin the show for Charlie. The men are trying to figure out their connection and also are trying to not act on it, so they form a friendship that is so sweet. Dev struggles with depression and while neither of the men understand the other's struggles, they both understand what its like to suffer with mental health and the way they try to be there for each other is SO FREAKING HEARTWARMING. I loved this book and the characters and was happy to see them get their HEA.

The Charm Offensive
By: Alison Cochrun

Let me be the first to say that romance is not my usual genre. I do enjoy a good love story every now and then to break up the death and murder, and this one hit all the boxes.

It was super easy to read; I flew through it.

It kept me intrigued and interested from beginning to end.

It had a sexy ship that I was into from the get!
P>S> I LOVE CHARLIE!!!!

And even though I no longer watch ANY of the bachelor franchise nonsense, I genuinely felt the nostalgia of the first few seasons, which I did watch.

I really liked the books’ ability to connect with a lot of different readers. You don’t have to be single and searching to empathize with the characters; you don’t have to be thirsty for drama to enjoy the crisis in the book.

I think it will especially appeal to the cynics.

It was simply good fun!

For 24hrs. worth a good time Id pick this one up when its available September 7, 2021

I gave this one 5 Stars!

Thanks to @atriabooks and @netgalley for this fun book-in-one-day arc in exchange for my honest review!

My favorite book of 2021 so far! I was lucky to read an ARC of this wonderful novel and I really couldn't love Charlie and Dev's story more if I tried. As a longtime fan of The Bachelor, I thought the premise of the lead falling in love with his male producer was really clever and I knew it would be a fun and entertaining romantic story. What I didn't realize was how moving The Charm Offensive would be. I teared up multiple times while reading this and really appreciated the mental health representation Cochrun brings to the story. If you enjoy a romcom with depth and characters you would love to be friends with in real life, definitely pick this one up!

Wow I loved this book! I’m astonished this was written by a debut author.

Dev is a believes-in-fairy-tales producer on a Bachelor-type reality tv show. Charlie is the latest prince looking for his princess, only he’s not so sure about finding love on television. He’s shy and not very prince-like when the show begins, but he’s there to rehab his image to hopefully return to the tech industry which made him a millionaire then rebuked him.

Dev is assigned to be Charlie’s handler, and as they grow closer together through Charlie’s panic attacks and awkward interactions with the contestants, they start to realize they have more spark than Charlie has with any of the women.

It’s a love story, but it’s also a story of self-discovery and of finding out what you want in life and going after it. It’s a story of how everyone deserves love, despite what their mind tells them. There is a lot of mental health open discussion, it was so beautiful to read about the support and understanding Dev and Charlie gave to each other.

They had excellent banter and there were many genuinely funny moments mixed in with the more tender and soft romantic moments. They were just so sweet together, they understood each other better than anyone else even though on the surface they were opposites.

Charlie especially was one of my favorite characters I’ve read in a long time, he really tugged at my heartstrings and I wanted to jump into the pages to protect him. And give him a hug that he would hate.

The beginning for me was a little slow because it was heavy on the show details instead of the romance details, but that may just be a me-problem since I’m not a fan of reality dating television. Overall though a truly excellent debut, and I can’t wait to see what else the author brings us!

As soon as I heard the premise for The Charm Offensive, I knew I was going to love it. Then the magnificent reviews started pouring in? I was even more eager to dive in. THEN I read it and got a chance to have a group chat with Alison about the creation of Dev and Charlie and this world and what it means? I'm obsessed.

Alison said something during our Zoom call that I really thought summed up the essence of this book so succinctly: Whatever love you want, you should have it, whatever form that is. And that's really what this book comes down to. I think Dev and Charlie are absolutely delightful; the story of self-discovery and vulnerability that's woven here is one that hooks you from the first chapter. This book also does a great job of representation; you may not find your own personal love story represented on the page, but I found my struggles with anxiety and depression represented here; I honestly think everyone may find a piece of themselves in this story, and that's just amazing. This story is honest and real, while retaining the hope and faith of believing in fairytales; I could wax on forever, but I'll just say you need to read it. Just do it.

I give this one ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a mild to moderate ❤‍🔥 rating.

I nearly fell out of my chair at work when I received the notification from NetGalley that I was approved for The Charm Offensive, because this has been at the top of my want to read this year. While I am not an active Bachelor franchise viewer now, I did use to sneak some episodes, definitely the finale, and The Charm Offensive uses the show as framework for this story perfectly.

The dual POVs of Charlie and Dev work tremendously well as you read both men grappling with their feelings for each other and their own mental health. Cochran did a fantastic job in writing Dev and Charlie's depression and anxiety and OCD respectively with such care and nuance and normalizing it! I read this book with a smile on my face and the evolution of their relationship (and views of the show that brought them together) will have readers falling in love with Dev and Charlie! I will be recommending this book to all of my friends, especially those that take their Bachelor/Bachelorette fantasy leagues very seriously.

Thank you Atria for providing this ARC via Netgalley for review - it did not disappoint!

Thank you to Atria Books for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

One of my favorite things about reading is learning new things and The Charm Offensive taught me so much about representation! I learned so much about the various terms in the LGBTQIA+ spectrum and I loved the message this queer bachelor story put out there about love and mental health. It was diverse, hilarious, and heartwarming. As a fan of the bachelor/bachelorette, I loved the jokes made about the franchise and how "real" the reality show is. I highly recommend picking it up regardless of whether you like reality tv shows.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is a spoof of the Bachelor series. In this case we follow the show, Ever After, where the new Prince Charlie is an awkward but incredibly sexy tech wiz. His new handler for the season is Dev, a gay show worker who believes fiercely in romance and the happily ever afters that the show helps create. Dev is tasked with getting Charlie comfortable and out of his shell, despite the fact that Charlie can’t seem to connect with any of the women. The two develop a bond, and you know where this is going… The ending is completely predictable but charming nonetheless.

I felt the book was long and drawn out, particularly in the beginning, but sped up toward the end. I appreciated the diversity and representation of the characters across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, although there were one or two scenes where things felt a bit heavy handed. Regardless I thought the book was a fun romp and a beautiful portrayal of how love grows.

I fell in love with this book and these characters so quickly and, of course, was invested in the romance. The characters are sweet and complicated and imperfect. They have chemistry and face challenges, but they also just really like each other and are both good people.

Other than the romance, this book is excellent for how it represents different types of sexuality and partnerships, mental health, and neurodiversity. This book uses the term neurodivergent correctly! That made me so happy. I do feel like the mental health challenges were very easily "fixed" in this book, but I overall appreciated the representation and recognition of how depression, OCD, anxiety, and panic disorder can affect a relationship.

Thank you so much Atria and NetGalley for the advance copy of The Charm Offensive!

I LOVED this book. It is one of my favorite reads of the year, right up there with All the Feels.

The humor and heart in the story just grabbed me, and I could not put this book down. I actually want to read it again already. Watching Dev and Charlie's relationship unfold was wonderful. Moreover, they both grew as people in the story in ways that were believable. Did I mention I love this book?

The treatment of mental health in this book really pushed it over the top for me too. It handles anxiety, OCD, and depression so well. So often, these issues are used in other books as jokes or something to be overcome magically by the end. But here the author really took time to show that mental health takes time, support, and work. All within one of the most entertaining books I read this year.

Since the story takes place on a Bachelor-like realty dating show, it helps if you are familiar enough to enjoy some of the jokes. But I am not a huge watcher of them, and I really enjoyed it all. It provides for fun awkward situations and "romance" that feels not at all romantic. There are also excellent friendships and character develop beyond the two heroes.

You should just read this one. You won't regret it.

I can't wait to see what the author writes next!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.