4.5 / 5

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 centers around a reality dating show called Ever After (think The Bachelor). But this book is about so much more than reality dating. It’s about being comfortable with who you are and finding people who accept you - unconditionally.

Charlie Winshaw is gorgeous, wealthy, and intelligent, but he’s also a little awkward, and this has caused problems at work. With his public image suffering, his PR agent (𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳) signs him up to be the Prince on this season of Ever After.

Dev Deshpande is an assistant producer for Ever After who always seems to have food on his face or crumbs on his shirt. He works hard every season to ensure the contestants get a “happily ever after,” even though his own relationship with Ryan didn’t last. When Dev gets assigned to be the Prince’s handler for the season, he wonders why Charlie came on the show. Charlie seems rigid and almost disinterested in these beautiful potential princesses.

Dev, determined to make this a happily ever after, gives his undivided attention to Charlie, and before they know it, they make a connection… but this is not in the script.

Alison Cochrun deeply explores sexuality and mental health in this rom-com; it’s not just a flyover. Both Charlie and Dev struggle and suffer in their own way. But they see and accept what the other is going through; they are patient and stand beside each other, even when it isn’t pretty.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 is charming, diverse, and a very important read. Thank you to @SimonandSchuster and @netgalley for an advanced copy.

charm of·fen·sive
/ˈCHärm ˈôˌfensiv/
noun
a campaign of flattery and friendliness designed to achieve the support or agreement of others.

Dev Deshpande is a producer on Ever After,  a reality show that helps the Prince find his Princess/Bride out of many contestants. He has loved The happily ever after since he was a boy. He wants to help everyone find their true love.

Charlie Winshaw is trying to makeover his reputation after a public falling out at his tech startup that caused him to get voted out. He has become a liability so his PR BFF thought this would be the perfect idea to get him on Ever After. Even though he has limited social skills, is a germaphobe and doesn't like to be touched, he's gorgeous with a hot body. Lol TV is all about the looks.

Dev has his work cut out for him as his handler as he tries to get Charlie comfortable by taking him on test dates. Charlie is more comfortable with Dev than he is with any of the contestants and he is learning a lot about himself.

The slowburn romance was so clumsy and real and authentic and slam you to the wall hot. I just loved all their little moments that added up to their love story.  OMG I loved it! I just melt all over these books!

This book takes a look behind the curtain of reality shows. As Dev realizes that the point of the show may not be love and may just be drama and he just had his rose colored glasses on.

It also talks about mental health and the stigma behind it. There is nothing wrong with needing help. There's something wrong with forcing neurotypical on people. I think it makes conditions worse and spiral when there is no down time and they are forced to mask continuously. Just because you don't feel these things doesn't mean they aren't real. We are all made perfectly and are all made differently.

I will say it again: I would watch a LGBTQ bachelor. Like there are so many different series branches c'mon!

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you atria books and net galley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’ve never cried over a book, and a romcom would not be one of the few books you’d think would bring me close to tears, but this was SO different from any other romance I’ve read!
Obviously the romance in this book was adorable, and I was rooting for Dev and Charlie the entire book, but the best part of reading this was the discussions of mental health. Charlie has OCD, severe anxiety, and panic disorder, while Dev has clinical depression. I saw myself so much in what the journey they had to go through to come to terms with their mental health and being comfortable enough to let people care for them and their wellbeing. PLEASE read this book when it comes out. You will not be disappointed by any part of it. (I’m going to preorder now)

This is really quite charming! I loved the behind the scenes look at reality TV (especially as a Bachelor/Bachelorette watcher). The mental health representation also felt fairly accurate, though I can only speak personally about the representation of anxiety. The two main characters had a strong, believable connection. I think that the setting, a reality TV show, probably made the romance feel very fast-paced, and I would have enjoyed a slower burn. But it was an enjoyable, entertaining romance.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun follows Dev, a producer on Ever After, a Bachelor-type dating show, and Charlie, the new "bachelor' for this season. Dev believes in true love and promises Charlie that he'll fall in love by the end of the season. Little do either of them know, they might end up falling for each other.

Firstly, I want to note that as a white person, I am not qualified to speak on the representation of Dev as an Indian character. I have seen some own-voices reviews that speak to that, and not all are positive. I encourage readers to seek those out.

I really enjoyed this book. First, the pacing is really well done, which makes it so dang readable. I found myself reaching for this book over another ARC I have that comes out sooner (oops!) but I just couldn't help it. I also think there's something about the Bachelor-esque approach just makes it feel like must-see TV (or reading, in this case). I don't even watch the shows, but I get why so many people do.

I really loved Dev and Charlie as characters and seeing their growth through the book. They have full, human arcs, which I think is another part of why this book works so well. They do grow as people, and it's nice to watch that happen. That said, they really do validate each other and see the good in each other right away, while encouraging each other to be the best they can. We love to see it!

My only real note is that I would've liked to see Dev in his home life a little more. There's a quick bit of it toward the end, but I think seeing him with his family would've been nice and given him a little more background.

On the whole, I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely be looking out for more work by Alison Cochrun.

The first thing I want to say is that I absolutely fell head over heels in LOVE with this story. I am SO INTO this trend of using reality shows such as The Bachelor franchise to give us such emotive and vulnerable characters. I’ve recently become trash for the franchise so reading books with a similar premise has been fueling my soul!!

There was such an amazing mental health rep & LGBTQIA+ rep. It was so incredible. Dev and Charlie were such dynamic characters with so many layers. Charlie has OCD, anxiety, and a panic disorder and Dev has depression. The way the author weaves this into the story is so great because let's be honest, these issues are very real and part of the lives of so many. The very REAL discussions were pivotal and I know so many of us readers will relate to this journey but also to Charlie’s journey when it comes to his sexuality.

You seriously couldn’t help but root for Dev & Charlie. While you read this, you literally just want them to be happy and together and come to terms with who they are. They made my heart SO HAPPY! I swooned and melted into a puddle while reading it.

I already know this review won’t do any justice to this book so just pick it up when it releases!

I almost could not handle how much I loved everyone in this book. It is full of adorableness and humor- I cannot remember the last time I actually laughed out loud at a book- but Cochrun really nails the vomit humor and I can't resist it. I can't wait to read her next book!

There is queer rep of many kinds, which is always excellent. But the sweet spot for me is the neurodiversity rep- from several of the characters (we all fall somewhere on some kind of spectrum, right?) and it is handled very nicely.

The ONLY reason I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5 (wish I could do 4.8) is because I could see the ending from a mile away- not the "will they end up together" ending- becuase, duh- but the way it wraps up at the end. I wish there had been a tiny bit more surprise at the end,

(Small side note- I also had a physical ARC of this book, which is what I ended up reading, so I'm not sure if these issues are present in the eGalley- but there were quite a few typos.)

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the review copy!

HOLY MOLY THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD.

Okay, I got that out of my system. But seriously, so good. You know it's good because I read it in two sittings in eBook format (and that is never my favourite format). It follows Dev (a producer) and his seemingly difficult lead (Charlie), and a beautiful queer love story... taking place during a reality TV dating show.

This book is for all of us Bachelor fans, who wish there was an LGBT+ twist. I loved it. I laughed out loud at the Bachelor jokes, I swooned at the love, and I wish there was more (spinoff, please?).

I requested this book at the glowing recommendation of my friend Ian. So thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book for review!

This one will be out in September - I highly recommend getting a copy!

I was sent a copy of The Charm Offensive and the synopsis sounded fantastic, something right up my alley and I love that it was a spin of the Bachelorette/Bachelor show but didn't have your typical male/female leads. It was easy to see where things were going to go pretty quickly into the book and even though the plot was slow, I tried to keep going but at the 40% mark I decided to put the book down. I love everything about the premise, and how Charlie is not your "perfect" male lead, but it felt as though I should have been 80% in when I was only at 40%. If the plot moved a little faster I would have had no problem sticking with it and I know I would have throughly enjoyed this book.

Think The Bachelor, only cheesier and with a fairy tale theme. I love a queer romance and this delivered! There was also very positive messaging about mental health, which is much needed in books and romances.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Have I already crowned my favorite book of 2021? Well, if so, The Charm Offensive has knocked whatever it was down a peg. I loved, loved this book! Using the world of reality TV as the setting seems to be the new trend after One to Watch, and in this instance, I'm very into it.

Dev Deshpande believes in true love. Not just true love, but fairytale endings too. As a producer of Ever After, a reality dating show a la The Bachelor, he helps create happy endings— well, on TV at least. Despite the fact that his six-year relationship with fellow producer Ryan recently went up in flames, he still believes in love and is dead set on helping the new Prince on this season of Ever After find it by any means necessary.

Turns out he's got his work cut out for him. His new charge, Charlie, is a gorgeous tech mogul who agrees to go on the show in the hopes of resurrecting his tech career after he was fired from his own company for being "difficult to work with." Despite his unbelievable good looks and perfect hair, Charlie couldn’t be more awkward in just about everything he does. He's never really been in a relationship and believes his quirks are too much for any partner to overcome.

Dev quickly learns it’s severe social anxiety, among other issues, that causes Charlie to come across as such a difficult charge. As he tries to help Charlie loosen up and become more comfortable interacting with the contestants, they begin to spend all their time together even when not necessary for filming or handling. Dev and Charlie start going on "practice dates" to get him used to intimate conversations. Just practice, they swear. And all the kissing and touching they do is really just practice for the overnight dates, nothing more.

Practice date feelings aside, Dev is determined that Charlie will find love and propose to one of the contestants by the end of the season. But amidst all of the chaos Charlie is experiencing, why is Dev the one whom he looks forward to seeing? He doesn't need a sexual awakening on top of everything else going on.

I read this book in a day. I couldn't put it down. Being a member of Bachelor Nation, I love the nods to the show and the insider information. The entire setting felt 100% real and I would love to watch a season where this exact scenario happened. I can't recommend The Charm Offensive enough and I'm looking forward to reading what Alison Cochrun writes next!

As editor Kaitlin Olson writes in the note at the beginning, “Charlie and Dev are heroes you want to root for.” And Cochrun’s wonderful love story is about so much more than living out your fairytales and witty banter chock full of chemistry. What Cochrun pulls off is a breathtaking romance that gives you some of the best that romcoms have to offer - the awkwardness, stumbling love confessions, grand gestures, sizzling steam, but adds in so many deeper layers to fully develop Charlie and Dev as leading men. Each of them is deeply flawed and struggling with their mental health in very different ways and for very different reasons and Cochrun gives the story space to explore each, both on their own and as they open up to each other.

The way in which Charlie and Dev are both written so deeply and their mental health issues laid bare is genuinely refreshing in the genre and feels both timely and long overdue. As Ms. Olson wrote “We don’t often see queer representation in reality dating shows or frank conversations about mental health struggles, particularly in a situation designed to bring out the worst in people. As we consider how reality TV shapes and mirrors our culture, this book provides both an entertaining and urgent message.”

As a consumer and viewer of reality TV, this hit home for me and as we follow Charlie’s struggles under the spotlight and see all the strings Dev and his crew have to pull to put on a ‘real’ fairy tale love story for TV, I was struck but how brave, smart, and deeply critical Cochrun’s story is. The anxiety of contestants and how the crews manipulate and exploit their fears and vulnerabilities, how audiences and society has forced very specific romantic notions and tropes into our everyday thinking of what love SHOULD look like. Of how mental health such as panic disorders, OCD, and depression are often ignored or used carelessly as something ‘quirky’ or idiosyncratic without often giving it the proper time, respect, and thought necessary. This provides an eye-opening view to the ugly side of reality TV and the role we have to play in it. It’s no doubt a reckoning and call out to an industry that has been slow to change and continues to feature casts that don’t reflect our society & communities.

While there were moments where I felt frustrated with the miscommunication or the running away from love, it was perfectly authentic to how two individuals struggling with their own acceptance of themselves might react to also falling for someone else. And an important point that Cochrun includes is the need to love and work on yourself first, instead of pinning your health and acceptance on the love of someone else. So while it was great to see Charlie and Dev fall for each other, it was even better to see how Cochrun forced each of them to also focus on their own health independently of one another.

Cochrun also presented a cast of characters that looks like our everyday world and society. It didn’t feel forced or cliche, and there was no super sticky sweet best friend character, Instead, even the best friend characters had their own identities and issues instead of feeling like generic cheerleaders.

While there are definitely great moments of levity and so many moments that had me smiling, do not come into this expecting a breezy romance read. This packs a punch on so many levels, especially emotionally, but is nonetheless enjoyable, relevant, and inspiring. Even though there were some moments where the pacing was a bit slower and the fake dates dragged a bit and didn’t always add to the commentary or story, this is definitely a standout.

This book was such a delight to read! I loved the plot, how the characters were written and developed, and how mental health was portrayed and discussed.

I read this in about two days on the beach, and could not put it down. It's fast-paced, funny, emotional at times, and overall just a heartwarming read where you will be rooting for Dev and Charlie. For readers who are considering picking this book up, I highly recommend that you do; you won't be disappointed.

The very real impact of mental health on life is so, so good. Both Charlie and Dev lead what look like successful lives, but they denied themselves so much happiness in order to do so. Charlie has OCD and anxiety, while Dev struggles mostly with depression. We see this instantly, with Dev’s binge eating, then with Charlie’s panic upon arriving on the set of Ever After. I have so much respect for these two characters, for Charlie’s insistence on continuing with the show despite his obvious discomfort. And for Dev’s blind belief in true love despite going through six years of manufactured love with Ever After. They do what anyone with mental illness does, and hold on to things way longer than they should. Along with the great neurodivergence representation, there are some very important conversations to be had about neurotypical interpretation of mental illness. How people who struggle with mental illness are perceived to be crazy and unstable.

Dev and Charlie, though they had an instant attraction, did not fall in love at first sight; Charlie isn’t even sure he believes in love. Their feelings grow over time, in an unconventional setting, and are very real. They are not the manufactured, staged love of reality television. Their emotions, against the backdrop of the show, feel even more real. Charlie doesn’t know if he’s gay or not at the beginning of the book; he spends many pages questioning who and what he is. Is he bisexual? Gay? Is he asexual, demisexual? Even the mere mention of some of these identities is a huge nod of respect to the queer community, but for a main character to be considered demisexual, or greysexual, or asexual, that’s excellent rep.

The harsh reality of reality television is wonderfully displayed. We all know it’s fake. That these people all have their own agendas and don’t really fall in love. Any success stories that come out of reality television relationships are flukes, at best, and private lies at worst. I don’t watch reality dating competitions but every challenge was hilarious and ridiculous and pointless. And then there’s the added aspect of travel, which seems so very expensive. It was a great backdrop for Dev and Charlie’s ‘practice’ dates and for their love to bloom.

While Dev and Charlie shine, the side characters are wonderful as well. Parisa, Charlie’s friend, and Jules, Dev’s friend and coworker, support them, call them out, and push them together. They are supportive in the best ways and don’t push their friends too far or ignore their needs to do so. Everyone is so respectful of each other and their needs, even Ryan, Dev’s ex-boyfriend of six years. They all experience so much personal growth, just with the introduction of Charlie, who is perhaps the worst choice ever for Prince of a reality dating show.

The banter is so natural, the chemistry is so obviously there from the beginning, despite the fact that this is not a love at first sight love story.

At times, the pacing was a bit too fast, jumping from destination to destination, and episode to episode. I had to do a few double takes where I was like, they’re where now? And how many women are left on the show? Speaking of, names were dropped left and right at the beginning and I struggled to parse out who was important. There were definitely a couple people who were important whose importance I totally forgot by the end, which totally undermined their importance because they were drowned out by other, unimportant people.

The characters absolutely carried this story, creating a believable romance behind the scenes of a romantic reality tv show. Their love, constantly labeled as impossible, prevailed in an unexpected way that I absolutely loved, though I had to suspend my disbelief a few times over the course of the book. The queer rep was excellent, too, with asexual characters, non-binary characters, and others casually mentioned and not questioned for their mere existence. I read the whole book obsessively right before bed over the course of a couple nights.

This is so cute & brought such a smile to my face. I love male/male based romance novels, so that mixed with Bacheloresque references was perfect and I loved every single second of this book!

This is an adorable romance where Charlie is the star of a dating show that is very much like The Bachelor, and instead of falling for any of the girls on the show, he falls for the male producer, Dev.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
First off, the fact that this is Cochrun’s debut novel is astounding. Her writing is effortless and I will look forward to reading more from her in the future, simply because the writing was so good.
This novel was so much more than I anticipated. I expected a queer rom-com, finding love on the set of a Bachelor/Bachelorette type reality show. But what I got was a hard look at discovering one’s sexuality, and a gripping, realistic story of mental health issues. As a straight female, I also learned more and gained a broader perspective of the LGBTQIA community. As someone familiar with anxiety and depression, I felt like Cochrun did an outstanding job of making the reader feel what Dev and Charlie were going through.
I fell in love with Dev and Charlie, and I adored their friendships with Jules and Parisa. There were plenty of laugh out loud moments, mixed in with the heavy topics I mentioned above.
If you love reality television, rom-coms dealing with heavier issues, or are looking for a love story which doesn’t fit inside the heteronormative box, you need to read this one!

This was so cute! I really liked both of our main characters, Dev and Charlie, and their developing relationship was filled with a lot of very realistic conversations about questioning sexuality and mental health. I also liked the commentary about reality tv like "The Bachelor" and the ways in which it can manipulate everyone involved. There were also moments when I laughed and moments when I teared up, so it really accomplished everything I look for in a romance novel! I definitely will be picking up more of Alison Cochrun's work in the future!

Thank you to Alison Cochrun and Atria Books for providing me with an early copy of this work in exchange for an honest review. The Charm Offensive comes out on September 7.

I feel like we’re getting a lot of Bachelor-adjacent reality dating show romances lately, but I’m really not mad at it. The Charm Offensive is essentially The Bachelor but make it queer, and I think Alison Cochrun did a fantastic job with the queer and questioning rep. I also really appreciated the care and authenticity with which mental illness was presented and explored throughout the novel. I’m always down for a funny and sweet queer romance and this absolutely checked all of those boxes.

My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance reader’s copy.

This was such a wonderful rom-com!!! I loved the characters and all their issues!! Dev works on a reality love tv show. His own love life sucks though! Charlie is cast on the show but he doesn't believe in love and only agrees to do the show for his image. As Dev and Charlie spend time together, they realize how much they like each other even though Charlie is supposed to be dating 20 women for the tv show. I loved the mental illness aspects of the book. This is a wonderful book to settle under a blanket and just lose yourself in the story. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Dev Deshpande is the highly successful producer of a dating show called Ever After. Thing is - he believes in love, in happily ever afters and is determined to give the shows next bachelor the best possible experience practically guaranteeing him true love by the end of the show. Then he meets his newest charge - the awkward, anxious bachelor Charlie Winshaw. Clearly Dev has his work cut out for him. Charlie is a tech tycoon who comes on the show to change his image . . . and maybe earn a place back in his own company. However, Charlie is cold and awkward on camera, and it soon becomes obvious that he has real issues including severe anxiety and OCD. Fortunately, Dev soon clues in on Charlie's issues and is able to help him begin opening up - at least when they're alone and on "practice dates". However, it becomes a problem when sparks fly between them and not between Charlie and the beautiful women contestants. This can't be happening. Can it?

I found The Charm Offensive to be utterly charming. While it's a rom-com with its share of laugh out loud moments, it's so much more. I love that the author tackled some serious issues, expertly weaving them into the story line - things like severe anxiety and clinical depression are explored through these characters. Sexual identity and morality also play into the story. The characters are well fleshed out and easy to pull for. I laughed, wiped a few tears and generally cheered these two men on. Highly recommended to fans of rom-com and great romance.