As someone who has never even seen a single episode of The Bachelor, I was genuinely shocked by how delightfully enthralling I found this book. Charlie Winshaw and Dev Deshpande are a fairy tale couple for the ages, and the cast surrounding them is so vibrant and full of life I could read a whole series books focused on them.

Charlie Winshaw is, for all intents and purposes, the perfect star of Ever After, a show very much like the Bachelor, but Fairy Tale themed. He's perfect- except for the fact that off-camera, he is an anxious wreck who doesn't believe in love.

Dev Deshpande works on Ever After because he wants nothing more than true love, and he's here to help other people find it. So what is he supposed to do when the show's next star vomits on his shoes on the first night and informs him this whole fairy tale is fake?

The best thing about this book is that these characters are real people, with very real emotions, in contrast with the fictional romance that they're attempting to build around themselves. There are discussions about mental health, romance, and being your authentic self in this book that I have yet to find elsewhere in a YA romance, and they are so wonderfully written and carefully considered that it is absolutely worth anyone's time to read. There are a few cheesy stumbling points in the writing, but those moments are so minimal, and are somehow so fitting for a book about the cheesiest reality show concept I've ever heard.

When I think of romance, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the feels and satisfies every romance junkies' heart. This is a perfect books to snuggle up with on any day. I really enjoyed this new to me author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to Atria books and NetGalley for my early copy to read and review!

Oh. My. Heart! This one was so fun and adorable!

This has all the greatness of a reality TV show trope with a male to male romance. What an impressive debut! I don’t even know how to explain in words how fantastic this book is!

A lot of people have described this as when Red, White, and Royal Blue meets One to Watch and that is literally the PERFECT comparison.

There’s a lot of humor, cuteness, self-discovery, and drama. I fell in love from the first page and was so eager to see how Charlie and Dev’s story would play out. It was just so FUN! The cast of characters was great, the plot was juicy, and the love story was just simply adorable.

There is also amazing representation and diversity in this book, not only with sexuality, but with mental illness and racial identity too, making it relatable for so many readers!

Honestly, I need more! I would love to see a sequel following these two or even a companion novel following Daphne!

This will definitely be a book I reread and love forever!

4.5 stars!
I absolutely adored this book! It was such a breeze and I absolutely loved everything about it! Charlie is a multimillionaire techwiz who decides to participate in a reality dating show in order to get his reputation and career back on track after he’s fired from his own company.

Dev is one of the producers of Ever After, a reality dating show he’s been working with for six years. This year he’s in charge of the bachelor in question, and needs to get him to connect with the contestants because he’s a literal mess everywhere he goes. This eventually leads to sparks flying and they need to work against all odds to make their relationship work.

Can I just start by saying that the plot for this book is so unique? I’ve never read anything like it! I know a lot of readers compare it to Red, White and Royal Blue (I mean, even the synopsis is), and yes, it has its similarities, but while I wasn’t a fan of RWRB, The Charm Offensive stole my heart!

The banter between the characters made me laugh out loud all throughout the book and all the relationships between the characters were so sweet and I couldn’t help but root for them! It was full of giddy feelings that was just so heartwarming to read!

“But Charlie doesn’t know how you show someone they’re worthy of being loved. So he just stays.”

The Charm Offensive also deals with topics like anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, and depression and I loved that even though the author took us through these themes in depth, it still managed to be a light read and overall very enjoyable! Charlie and Dev work so well together and seeing them help each other through their hardships and sometimes losing themselves along the way was awe-inspiring to read.

The ending, like all good contemporaries drove me to tears. It was an overload of cuteness and emotions and I just couldn’t control myself.

I’m going to shove this down everyone’s throat till September 7th and even afterwards. Mark your calendar guys. An amazing and witty rom-com is on the way!

This novel is a wonderfully diverse and positive in representation story. The Charm Offensive has Charlie Winshaw appearing as the star of this seasons Ever After (similar to The Bachelor). He is doing it to rebrand his image after making millions but getting ousted from his own tech firm. Dev Deshpande is assigned as his handler on the show. No one knows Charlie suffers from OCD and anxiety. But Dev is there to help every step of the way to keep the show on track and deliver the fake reality.

This isn't the first book I've read about produced reality tv. But Charlie and Dev are the sweetest of men. Even in all his awkwardness Charlie is genuinely kind and it doesn't hurt that he is a hunk. Dev is Asian/Indian-American, gay and suffers from depression. But together they can talk and share about their wants and lives. Parisa and Jules are fabulous as the supportive friends of each. Beyond the main characters there is more representation of the queer spectrum as well.

One of the surprising elements is mental health being openly discussed in depth. Taking care of your own mental health is as important as physical well being. This is a delightful book to read and for any who would enjoy a thoughtful, funny, m/m romance. I will look for future books from the author after this winner of a debut. (4.5 stars) Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Dev is not looking forward to filming the new season of Ever After, especially since he will now be working not with his boyfriend of six years, but his ex. When he gets put in charge of their Prince Charlie, he definitely has his work cut out for him, but their working relationship quickly blossoms into a true friendship, and both are left wondering if there isn’t something more there…

It’s hard not to compare this book to the bachelor franchise, so I am not even going to try. If you are a bachelor fan you need to grab this book! It has all the typical bachelor drama we love to see, but mix in a bit of Colton and a bit of Chris Harrison drama. I loved that this book seriously represented everyone. We had almost all levels of the LGBTQ spectrum, anxiety disorders, OCD, panic attacks, and pretty much every skin tone you can think of. I expected a gay love story, but got so much more! Especially when it came to the mental health conversations, the way they were treated in the book was as just a part of who the person was instead of a reason to ostracize them. If you love the bachelor, or love to hate it like I do, you don’t want to miss this one!

"This is what regret tastes like, regurgitated tequila and dirty cotton balls."

The Bachelor meets a 90s rom-com in this witty romance about finding love on a television show.

Having your debut novel compared to the powerhouse that is RWRB is amazing and terrifying all at the same time. While those are huge shoes to fill, it has to be able to stand out on its own. This novel is one you should be really excited about.

This started off really cute and absolutely hilarious. The vibes were flawless as we travel the ups and downs of working for and on a television show about finding your soulmate.

Dev and Charlie were super adorable as they figured out what they both wanted out of life. It was interesting to see Charlie's thought process as he comes out about who he is inside, even though that may be scary. Dev was something else and the perfect best friend, I wish they wouldn't have made him somewhat stereotypical. Together they were explosive (in a good way) They brought the best out of one another and that's what we need to see more of.

Even though this was overall a good story, there were times where I got bored because it felt as if I was reading the same thing over and over again. Dev overreacted a lot. When his thoughts got the better of him, he would blow up and not think of anything else except the bad. Plus he was a little stereotypical for my tastes.

The Charm Offensive was totally hilarious to where I was laughing out loud, super sweet, and adorable. I loved reading about the interworkings of trash tv (even though I can't get enough sometimes) and I really enjoyed Charlie as he came out of his shell and found exactly what he was looking for. It was delightful.

I’ve absolutely fallen in love with The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun. Dev is a hopeless romantic who’s going through a bit of a rough patch in his love life, but that’s not stopping him from trying to help someone else find their happily ever after—literally, he works behind the cameras for a reality dating show called “Ever After”. The underlying drama this season: the prince who’s looking for his princess is only doing it for good press. Enter Charlie, i.e. the one who doesn’t believe in love. But you know what they say...opposites attract...eventually at least. As the season unfolds, Charlie starts to realize that maybe he’s no longer in it for his image, and maybe love exists after all, but not with anyone in front of the camera.

The story of Dev and Charlie pulled me in so fast and held onto me until the very last word. Their love story is full of ups and downs, so many laughs, and of course lots of fluff and romance. Beyond the plot, I absolutely ADORED the representation in this book from POC to the LGBTQ+ community to mental health—there is something in this book for everyone. I cannot recommend this story enough!

I really enjoyed this book a lot. Even though I'm really not about dating reality TV at all, I also really liked the way this played around that setting to build this surprisingly sweet and delightfully funny queer romcom. This book includes a very diverse cast in a lot of different ways, characters that cover a sexuality specrtrum: gay, lesbian, bi, ace; characters that are multiple different races and cultures, and of course characters that live with mental health issues. I love this representation, and the way that it feels natural and unforced.

As for the romance itself, both Dev and Charlie are likable characters, each with their own trauma and past history, but who see each other and start falling in love within the context of this fake dating show. I laughed and I empathised, and I definitely was cheering them on, and no spoilers but I loved the end in a lot of different ways.

If you're looking for a fun romcom with heart, you should definitely check out The Charm Offensive.

Well this was stinking adorable and charming as all get out. (I don’t really talk like that but this book makes me want to.😜)

I read the The Charm Offensive in 24 hours and could not put it down. I loved how this queer romance placed mental health front and center and it showed two characters that unexpectedly learned to love each other through their various ups and downs. And on a Bachelor-type reality show setting to boot.

This was a lovely hug of a book, and I loved it so much. Oh, and IMO, Medium steam level.

The Charm Offensive comes out September 7, 2021.

Thank you @netgalley @atriabooks and the for a free ARC!

This book was SO CUTE!!! I loved both main characters. They were so sweet and cute and I felt like I was really rooting for their love story. If you like to watch reality dating tv shows, you'll love this book! Also loved the representation for mental health.

I’m such a sucker for a cheesy romance, but this put such a different spin on your usual storyline.
Ever After has been around for so many seasons and Dev is lucky enough to work in the wings. When their newest hunk, Charlie, comes on…well…he’s not the usual suave hottie. He’s awkward and can barely hold eye contact or a conversation. He even vomits on camera when forced to talk to a gorgeous woman the first night. He’s hopeless.
It’s Dev’s job to get him camera ready every day. So he has an idea to do fake dates to make Charlie more comfortable.
Take a guess where this heads for these to sweeties….
The characters are drawn out so well and I loved how the story was so unique.

I am not one for reality tv shows so I was a bit skeptical about the premise of this book when I picked it up. I loved it. Dev's hopeful romanticism against Charlie's cynicism was a perfect match. I loved how they grew as characters and I look forward to reading Cochrun's next book.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of THE CHARM OFFENSIVE by Alison Cochrun. My favorite thing about this book was the behind-the-scenes on a reality dating TV show. I don't even know for sure how much of it was accurate, but I still loved the feeling of seeing what that's like. I've only seen like 1 1/2 episodes of The Bachelor, but it's prevalent enough in the collective media culture that I have my opinions on it and this book only solidified them, while also showing the possibility of a happier future where people get to celebrate who they really are instead of hiding it away, where reality shows could actually reflect a more diverse America. Both Dev and Charlie were lovely main characters with plenty of depth and growth and chemistry and I really appreciated the representation of mental health in this book as well. Basically, this book was lovely and I flew through it. It had great tension, great voice, and a great moral. I recommend it!

I was hoping to like this book more than I did given that I really liked the concept of this book.

I like how well done the the fake-Bachelor concepts were from quests and travel to behind-the-scenes glimpses.

While Dev and Charlie were adorable together, I felt that we din't get to know Charlie very much aside from his mental illness. I appreciated the OCD representation since I haven't seen it much in romances but I wanted to get to know his character beyond that as well.

I really liked the concept of this book! Unfortunately I was hoping to love it more. I thought the fake-Bachelor concepts were very well done, including all the quests, travel, and behind-the-scenes glimpses. However, while Dev and Charlie were adorable together, I felt that we never got to know Charlie much beyond his mental illness. I appreciated OCD rep (I've rarely seen this in romances!), I wanted to get to know his character beyond this part of his identity.

The Charm Offensive might just be my favorite romance so far this year.
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The protagonists are just so lovable. Charlie is an awkward, smart, adorable man who’s the star of this season’s bachelor-like reality show. Dev is a funny, larger than life, talented man who is his handler guiding him through this season.
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This book is a beautiful story about friendship, love, and what every person truly deserves. In addition to the central romance, I loved the friendships between the characters, the workplace drama, and the representation of real life struggles.
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This one comes out of September 7!
Thank you @atriabooks and @netgalley for the ARC of this novel.

Oh my actual gosh. I loved this book, so so so much. If you're a romance reader and you love queer romance, and representation/diversity in your novels, this is it. The Charm Offensive is funny, sweet, heartwrenchingly tender, honest, and devastating when it wants to be. The characters are beautifully unique and there is so much honesty about the devastation of mental health, the difficult process self care can be, and the journey to finding worth within yourself; all while a sweet fairytale romance falls into place. This book plays out so sweetly, I can't even handle it, honestly. I'm still gushing over it! My heart feels so full!!!

Even as I was expecting a happily-ever-after, it was still such an emotional rollercoaster because the author does a phenomenal job at invoking feelings and getting at your soft spots. Different moments of the book was triggering for me, as someone who struggles with my mental health, but it was all discussed so tenderly and honestly that it filled my heart and made me feel honored and seen. The Charm Offensive is a brilliant gay rom com in book format (because really, I've never read a book that felt more like a rom com than this one), but it also gets to the heart of bring a flawed human who is trying to find worth in oneself. And the characters are just so loveable and real - the diversity didn't feel like tokenism in a way that it sometimes can. Alison Cochrun did an excellent job being thoughtful about representation.

I feel like this review wasn't very coherent - I kinda just word-vomited all of my affection for this book here, haha. But I really did enjoy it, and I can't wait to buy it on release!

100% my new favorite rom-com. the set up is perfect and the relationship is adorable - i cared So Much and was rooting for charlie and dev every step of the way!! if you love reality tv and good queer romance, pick this up as soon as you can.

This story was one of the rare ones that had me deeply feel connected to both love interests. Most books, if I’m lucky, I connect with and understand one of the love interests but rarely both.

First off we have Dev, the producer, who feels like he always needs to be “fun Dev.” From a young age, Dev would go through periods of crippling depression. Growing up he was fascinated and in love with the idea of happily ever after. Even though he “loves love” he hesitates to fully show himself, to those around him, because he fears that maybe he’s undeserving of love…due to his depression.

Charlie was diagnosed with severe anxiety and OCD at a young age which has caused him to be misunderstood and have trouble interacting socially. Charlie has never been in love and thinks true love doesn’t exist. Charlie struggle’s to connect to others…in his experience, no one has attempted to truly understand him and his needs…instead, others mercilessly made fun of him and ostracized him.

Growing up with depression and anxiety is hard and affects so many aspects of your life. It’s hard to feel comfortable around people…to feel like it’s okay to open up to someone. At times when you open up to people you really think you can trust…you’re rejected or demeaned because they don’t, or don’t want to, understand what you’re going through.

My favorite part of seeing Dev and Charlie fall in love was when they could see the other was struggling and instead of telling them to “get over it” or some other insensitive comment…they’d simply ask “what can I do for you? how can I help you?” Honestly, those lines were so romantic. I also loved that Dev never rushed Charlie, he let Charlie really feel comfortable and let him explore at his own pace.

I am so happy that Netgalley approved me for this ARC…it’s rare to find romance novels with such great mental health representation. I look forward to seeing what other stories Alison writes for us.

PS…this is a sweet romance that doesn’t graphically depict sexual scenes. Thought I’d put that in there since some people prefer sweet romances whereas others prefer or explicit romances.