It is rare that I find a book where there is not a single flaw to be found within it, but that’s what we have here - THERE ARE NO FLAWS. This book was the epitome of perfection. I have not loved a queer romance like this since Red, White and Royal Blue, and dare I say I may even love this more.

If you are a sucker for the Bachelor like I am, you MUST own this book. Cochrun calls out the flaws within the franchise, particularly within the diversity and representation arenas, that fans have been screaming about for years. The behind-the-scenes orchestrated drama, the splicing, the frankenbiting - yeah, she covers that too. I’m no tv professional, but I have watched the show for 11 years and consider myself an expert redditor, so I’m pretty well-versed in this area, and can’t clap enough for the accuracies she’s written as well as problematic issues Cochrun called out.

Also, can we PLEASE talk about the mental health discussion?! WOW. Was not expecting the care and compassion at which the author approached mental health and the toll it takes on the individual as well as loved ones, but man - the message was here and it was lovingly handled. Y’all already know how much I love mental health representation in books.

Finally, the actual characters. I was obsessed. Dev and Charlie, y’all can live in my heart forever. Parisa, can you be my BFF? We know there are tv show producers like Maureen out there, and it’s frightening. You’ll see what I mean.

I couldn’t wait to post this review even though the book doesn’t come out until September 7. I’m going to need you to pre-order it NOW.

🌹 VERDICT: 5 PERFECT STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I flew through this book and loved it! It’s so funny, sweet and romantic. I laughed and cried. Dev and Charlie are such well rounded characters and written so well. I loved their relationship and how real they both are. It’s so refreshing to see a diverse characters that are all so real. A sweet romantic read for all!

Even with the predictable ending, this is a romantic comedy at it’s best! Charlie and Dev were super relatable. Even though there’s ALOT happening in terms of rep, it’s in that sweet spot of giving visibility without being too on the nose. So glad I got a chance to read this so I can hype it up to all my reader friends!

This book is pitched as "Red, White, & Royal Blue" meets "One to Watch" rom-com, and as a fan of both of those books, I was excited to see that juxtaposition come to life in this totally original romance novel. The story follows awkward tech wunderkind, Charlie, as he's set to become the next lead on a reality TV dating show, called "Ever After." Then, there's his handler, producer Dev, who wholeheartedly believes in fairy tales though hasn't had luck with his own. Charlie, who only agreed to go on the show to rehab his image to get a new job after the show airs, isn't the typical show lead and is very awkward and anxious. It's up to his producer Dev to jumpstart a massive "charm offensive" to get Charlie to open up, be a likable lead, and fall in love on the TV show. Along the way, Charlie starts opening up to Dev and vice versa and the two realize they have the most chemistry with one another. But, reality TV shows have scripts to follow and unfortunately, a queer love story with a show producer isn't what the executive producer had in mind for the season.

Told in dual perspectives of both Charlie and Dev, this book is broken down in a logical way by the weekly production and episode. Okay, as I read I really did love this book. It brought a similar narrative as "Red, White, & Royal Blue" if it were set in the world of "The Bachelor," and its language was so well-done. This language was engaging, funny, and enjoyable from the start that made it difficult to put this book down. It's so darn precious and cute, plus a quick, unputdownable read.

I love this book!

Alison Cochrun's THE CHARM OFFENSIVE follows Dev, a handler/producer on a Bachelor-like reality show, and Charlie, a tech guru who's been blacklisted from the industry because of his mental health issues. Their love story develops sweetly and slowly as they bond over "puzzing" (my new favorite word; it should definitely be a thing) and their mental health struggles. Cochrun's writing is beautiful (I love the phrase "within freckle-counting distance" and every time she describes the movement of anxiety through the body, I felt it) and she embodies both Dev's and Charlie's voices so smoothly. I love the behind-the-scenes look at the making of the dating show and the well-developed cast of side characters. This is such a fun, heartwarming read, and I can't wait to recommend it all over the place come September.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC!

NetGalley review- I loved this book for the two main characters! This author did a PHENOMENAL job of depicting two authentic characters who experience life through the lens of struggling with mental health. Charlie is a tech millionaire who is stripped of all control in his own business and is encouraged to participate in a reality dating show to prove he is better and can handle his responsibilities of the business. Dev is the “handler” aka producer of the reality show, Ever After, who knows he can make Charlie fall in love- implying one of the female contestants, but love doesn’t work quite the way he anticipated. Such a good book and definitely worth your time to read! You’ll laugh out loud at the dialogue!

I was a little unsure of this book going into just because I’m not a big fan of reality tv but I liked the premise and was excited to read it! Luckily I got the chance through NetGalley to read it early and I must say I loved this book! I loved how there was this connection between Charles and Dev even before it became something more. Alison Cochrun did a great job of not only staying true to the characters and their identities but also depicting the depth that comes with mental health. I saw so much of myself in the things that Charles was struggling with and as a result I was able to relate to him so much better! I know people who would be able to say the same for Dev! Add to that such a diverse and supporting group of characters and The Charm Offensive has everything you could hope for in a LGBTQ+ Contemporary Novel! I can’t wait add this one to my collection in September!

THE CHARM OFFENSIVE utterly charmed me. Cochrun expertly skews our perceptions of reality dating shows by taking us behind the scenes of the beast and asking: What happens if the star falls in love with his producer instead? The writing is brisk and lively, the characters are intricately drawn, and the heat level will have you swooning and melting in equal measure. Bolstered by awesome queer (A-Spec! Woot!) rep and mental health rep, this romcom deserves a crown (pun intended). Perfect for fans of BOYFRIEND MATERIAL and ONE TO WATCH.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

I didn't realize this book is exactly what I needed, but this book was exactly what I needed. It got me out of my reading slump! It is so fun and heartwarming, and it hits all the right notes for a spring/summer romance read. It certainly helps that the author incorporated so much of her own journey of self-discovery into the characters' arcs. If you liked Red, White, & Royal Blue, you *must* check this one out!

Okay, I *KNEW* I was going to love this, but I wasn't prepared for how much. Not only is the writing just incredibly lovely, interesting, and unique, but the story tackles so much deep stuff with grace, awareness, and sensitivity. It's steamy, sweet, and SUCH a good read. Loved loved loved it!

A huge thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. Pencil review to come to @longhandpencils closer to pub date.

I LOVED this book. Imagine the best possible fusing of the queer love story of Red, White, and Royal Blue , the neurodivergent representation of The Kiss Quotient , and the Bachelor style competition of One to Watch. The leads in this book each had their own quirks and imperfections, but they each accepted and loved that about the other person. I absolutely love sweet and adorable goofballs as my male lead, and this book has two! If you love books that make you laugh out loud on one page and then tug at your heartstrings on the next, this is the book for you. I can't recommend it enough.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. It was well read.

This is hands down the best queer romcom I’ve read this year. I love the nuanced representations in this book - neurodivergent character, characters on the asexual spectrum, characters who struggle with anxiety and depression, LGBTQIA+ characters, and more! Each character was written so well. This book acknowledges the heteronormative content that most popular reality dating shows broadcast, alienates and shames so many people. I felt this love story in my bones, in my soul. I have never rooted for two characters to be together more than Charlie and Dev.

I really loved this book. I was enjoying it so much (I devoured it in just a few hours) that I kept thinking it was going to turn on me and something horrible was going to happen. Thankfully, this didn't happen and I enjoyed it all the way through.

It gave me goosebumps to read every time Charlie made an observation about Dev. There were moments where I *actually* swooned. I loved how the author made this romance follow roughly the same path as the show. There was something so special about this particular fairy tale story that made me feel so full in ways I can't even describe. My favorite thing about Charlie is how he didn't leave anything unsaid although he did say something that I thought was very shitty and I wished he'd left that unsaid (about not being able to be with someone who isn't healthy, which - to me - sounded like an unfair ultimatum). I was so happy for both Charlie and Dev I wanted to start the book over from the beginning).

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

this was a very cute story that I didn't want to put down. While the premise seems to just be about fake reality tv, it goes much deeper into mental health issues, the toxicity of all the reality dating shows, the toxicity of Hollywood, and how even if people love you they still may not be good for you. Charlie and Dev meet on the set of a reality dating show called Ever After where Charlie is the new 'Prince Charming" and Dev is his handler/producer. They have immediate chemistry, but while their relationship moves fast it doesn't feel like insta love. They have their issues, one of which is both of them finding out that Charlie is not straight. One of the things that is discussed is how the behind the scenes people working on Ever After are very varied and representative of different races, genders, and sexualities, the people that are on the show are very white and heteronormative. Overall I enjoyed this book as both a cute romance and a book that dealt with deeper issues like mental health, being true to yourself, how sometimes we put up with toxic people that we shouldn't, and the toxicity but still hope that reality dating shows can give us.

An absolutely delightful spin on The Bachelor reality show trope. The characters are a delightful crew of misfits who you end up loving with your whole heart by the end. A wonderful title that will have a huge following with our library patrons.

If you’re looking for a romance that’ll give you the same shot of serotonin as reading one of Casey McQuiston’s novels, you should look no further than The Charm Offensive.

Set on a Bachelor-esque reality show, it follows Charlie, who’s on the show to rehabilitate his image after being blacklisted by his company’s co-founder, and Dev, whose job it is to mind him. And, of course, it’s them who end up falling in love. It’s the kind of book you can devour in only a few hours, because you want to know exactly what happens with them.

And the reason it’s so good in that respect is in its characters. Each one jumps off the page, fully realised, as if they’re right there next to you. Even the side characters are distinctive and fully fleshed-out. In fact, there are plenty of them that you want their own story for. Of course, you fall for the main characters first and foremost, but the background cast hold their own.

It’s also a romance that’ll tug at your heart in the best way possible. I said it was like McQuiston’s up top, and I think that’s primarily from the sense of community you get from it (I’m happy to say there are no straight characters). It’s like being wrapped in a warm hug.

So, if you’re stuck in September, wondering what to read, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a shot.

Cochrun has spun the fairy tale romance that readers wish a reality television show could encompass. Charles is the latest "prince" on a royalty-themed dating show. Dev has been a producer on this series for years, guiding wayward "princesses" through the gauntlet of challenges and pageantry. Through a series of mercifully short events, Dev and Charles are forced to team up to survive the filming of the series and find out how to survive life when the cameras aren't rolling.

There is quite a satirical eye towards the stereotypes of shows like this and enough of a critical lens for the reader to really consider what you would do on a show like this. That adds a welcome perspective to the piece, as well as the fact that the leads are not necessarily the most charming or cloyingly cutesy. Cochrun really attempts to give them an interior life that's another welcome breath of fresh air in this genre. There is a supporting cast of characters that each get a chance to shine, It's a fun read that actually leaves enough open that you want to know what happens next season.

This was my favorite book in some time; I recommended it to three people before even I even finished it. This is a cross between Red White and Royal Blue and One to Watch. Great chemistry between the characters, a fun behind the scenes look at the Bachelor, and some clever and interesting insights into the waya of the human heart.

Ugh, YES. Just what I needed.

Probably longer review to come. Queer cuteness YES please & THANK YOU!!! Indian MC and bffs SO welcome and wanted. Ups and downs and actual character chemistry romantic and platonic, sincere friendships navigating life, extensive pieces of the story about mental health (OCD, anxiety, depression) and beautiful depictions of love& care (self, and supporting love from others for the person struggling). Oh and also, it’s fun.

Finally, the afterward/author note really got me- so beautiful to know and care more for yourself through your art.. and necessary art at that. And late bloomer queer rep YES. All of it, Hooray what a win. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽. I also have to add that teachers are the best. And the last note to her students was the icing on the cake. Hope all my past present and future students feel that from me too.

Can’t wait to share this book with others.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

No Spoilers. Content warning: None that I can think of.
CONFIRMED ROM-COM!
Heat level: Sweet but explicitly open door
Rep: Indian MC, Queer, LGBTQAP+ (I hope I got it right), Mental health

I confess I have grown to distrust (or is it mistrust) rom-com labels so I only take recs. This was no different and it did not disappoint. This is going on my confirmed Rom-Com shelf. But this is SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT.

I laughed in the first chapter out loud. Her editor's not does say in 20 pages if she doesn't laugh she won't accept a sub and the book delivered. It is not a hysteric comedy mind you, but it makes you so many spurts of real-life relatable laughter I loved it. The slow pull between the Dev and Charlie was like a fuzzy cotton candy cloud. The backdrop of the television reality show was perfect to bring Charlie out of his shell and make him meet the perfect prince Dev. the imaginative dates they keep pulling for the 'practice' is ADORABLE.

I love the supporting characters too. By the end, I was in love with Ryan, Jules, and Skylar, really and Parisa. but it reminded me of my friends who would (and at 1 point in my life did) tie me down for my own good lol.

Most of all, it did not pull me down. many times the hardships of love stories especially LGBTQAPI+ depress me (in a frustrating way that why it happens). I feel helpless about our society. this was such a hopeful book, and it makes you believe things can happen in the right way and everyone is going to have their happy ending! Isn't that what true romance is supposed to bring to the world? This book definitely pulled my heartstrings.
AND IT HAD A BOLLYWOOD ENDING. What can I say. I am too much of a fan to let it slide :)

Highly recommend it as a thru and thru entertainment package.