The Charm Offensive was absolutely amazing and such a fun read! It was so incredible to see such abundant queer representation, especially the asexual spectrum. If you like Red, White, and Royal Blue, this book is for you. The characters were well-written, the backdrop was original, and the relationships were well-developed. LOVED this book!

Dev believes in fairytales. This created him devoting his life to crafting fairytales on the show Ever After. However, his love life is NOT a fairytale. Charlie is this season's main star and does not believe in love. Dev helps Charlie. Will sparks fly?


I thought this story was charming and cute. I really liked that we have diversity with LGBTQ+ and a BIPOC character. However, I did not feel fully invested in this story and towards the end, I was ready for the story to be over. But, this was a fast story to read.

I had been interested in reading The Charm Offensive, as I love LGBTQ novels. So when Jenny from Book Coffee Happy said she had purchased it, I added it into my Kindle TBR so we could review together. I'm so glad for that extra push, as it was a great story that I still think about and recommend!

The story was really well told, with some laugh-out-loud moments and some tissue-worthy moments. It shines a light on what happens behind the scenes on reality dating shows, and it's not all sunshine and roses. (I watch only one reality TV series and even that one has reported a lot of behind the scenes scandal and manipulation.) Both Dev and Charlie were sympathetic and lovable lead characters and there were some great supporting characters, as well. (Especially Parisa and Jules!) There's a lot of focus on mental health throughout the novel and that is what has the most emotional impact. It also has some typical romcom elements that I enjoy in any novel.

Having Dev and Charlie both narrate in third person got confusing sometimes because I wasn't always sure who the focus was on, even if it said the character's name at the beginning of the chapter. That was the only issue I had with this novel, which is small potatoes in the grand scheme of things.

Overall, it is a sweet and romantic story, and definitely worth checking out!

Movie casting suggestions:
Dev: Nik Dodani
Charlie: Harry Cook
Jules: Ashley Park
Parisa: Summer Bishil
Maureen: Sigourney Weaver
Skylar: Jasika Nicole
Daphne: Erin Moriarty
Megan: Jasmine Savoy Brown
Ryan: Sean Paul Lockhart

What an amazing debut book! So incredible smart and moving. This book is all about being yourself and forgetting the labels that society tries to place on you.

This book is funny, has steamy moments, and is full of heart - it’s the complete package in a book. This LGBTQ book will encourage you to be yourself without worrying about the way the world sees you. I can’t recommend this book enough. It is so completely heartfelt.

A super sweet story with great characters and awesome mental health rep! 3.5 stars! Would definitely recommend.

Utterly delightful, this is such a sweet LGBTQ romance. And while it has the thrills, it also has a lot of depth, as seen in its themes of mental health and self love and acceptance. Definitely one of my fave romances of the year, I will be singing its praises for years to come.

FIVE FUCKING STARS

In this book, we're following Dev and Charlie. Dev is a producer on the show "Ever After," a bachelor-esque reality show with a royal theme. Dev wholeheartedly believes in the show and that the love and connections formed are real. Charlie is this year's bachelor who comes on the show in order to rebuild his public image after being blacklisted from the tech world. The fact that he's "not here for the right reasons" frustrates Dev to no end. But, as Dev gets to know Charlie better, and Charlie gets to know himself better, real love might in fact be found on the show... just not in the way either of them expected.

This is my favorite book of 2022, I'm calling it now. I fell in love with Charlie and Dev. They had the sweetest romance and the best chemistry and I spent the entire book SWOONING. I devoured this in like two sittings while working because I couldn't get enough.

Charlie is also a super important character to me. I felt so seen by this book. <3

This book is my new personality. Y'all have been warned.

This book lived up to the hype! All of my friends are obsessed with this book so I finally decided to pick it up and it did not disappoint!

I absolutely fell in love with The Charm Offensive as I read this story. As a long-time fan of The Bachelor franchise, the reality TV romance setting had me hooked. Not only was this story perfectly swoony and steamy and overall just a romantic dream, I absolutely adored the diversity and mental health representation and discussions that were woven into the story. The pacing was perfect and kept me turning the page to find out what was next for Charlie and Dev. These characters were so perfect and so real, and it was impossible for me to not fall in love with them as their story developed. This was a delightful and charming story with an absolutely perfect ending. I would whole-heartedly recommend this for romance fans!

Thank you so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are honest and my own.

I really enjoyed the characters and the dialogue. Even the secondary characters I loved learning about and were really witty! I really fell into the life of these characters and their obstacles and conflicts. Huge fans of Dev and Charlie!! It’s a perfect mix of sweet, funny, and a bit steamy!

Honestly, I'm really thankful that my friend chose this for our read this month because I'm not sure I would have picked it up on my own. I wasn't sure that it would be my cup of tea but, oh boy was I wrong. The story was so charming and focused on such true concepts of self acceptance and being worthy of love which makes it so very relatable. The adorable journey of Dev and Charlie was slow to start but well worth sticking with. In fact, this is the first book to make me cry in a LONG time. Also, the honest conversations about mental health and the toll that takes on the way we perceive ourselves was a surprise for me but so very appreciated. Fabulous job by Alison Cochrun!

✨Book Review✨
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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I have to start off by saying that most of these stars are for the incredible representation within this book. Never have I ever read a book where so many characters go to therapy! There is SO much mental health representation, and even more Queer representation! While this is a cis m/m romance, there are non-binary characters, pansexual characters, bisexual characters, multiple discussions about the spectrum of asexuality, and so much more. It made my heart so so so happy.
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In addition to having incredible representation, this story was so sweet. I loved Dev and Charlie's relationship and how they connected on so many levels. I loved the way they supported each other and spoke so openly about their depression, anxiety, and OCD. I loved the way they listened to each other and found ways to support one another through their panic attacks and depressive episodes. As someone with OCD, I did find the representation of Charlie's OCD a little bit stereotypical at times, but everyone's OCD manifests in very different ways, so I can only speak for myself. I also found that the story slowed down a little in the middle, and I struggled to keep reading, but I'm SO glad I did, because the ending more than made up for it. And those acknowledgements at the end were *chef's kiss!*
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If you're looking for a cute rom com that basically takes you behind the scenes of The Bachelor, this one is for you!

So delightful! Definitely adding this to our romance collection.

It was so fluffy and sweet and also really, really supportive and affirming for anyone who has fallen in love and ALSO had mental health diagnoses.

More romances where people speak frankly about sexuality, featuring queer and asexual characters, where people are kind and supportive and lovely, please. Highly recommend.

I don’t read much romance, but I do love reality tv, and the reviews for this were off the charts so I decided to give it a go and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. This was a joy to read from start to finish, it had so much depth and not too much steam which is the perfect combo for my kind of romance. It had people dealing with issues of anxiety and OCD and it was handled it in a very real way, including with how people like this are treated. I was so not expecting that and loved the book even more for doing this.

I loved the elements of reality dating show combined with a protagonist that has no idea what he wants and a supporting character that knows what he wants but cannot have. It all came together for a perfect recipe for a fabulous romance that I absolutely adored.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced digital galley to review.

Fun! I've purchased it for the library. I'm currently clearing out all of the books that were published in 2019-21 from my title feedback view!

I was expecting to love this book, because I have seen a ton of great things about it, but I think it was a little too overhyped.

I know that I signed up for a Bachelor-inspired romance, but almost every detail was copied from the show. I felt like Ever After was the real show in everything but the name, and therefore slightly lazy. I also am not an avid Bachelor watcher, so most of the jokes and references went over my head. I think to really enjoy this book, you have to be a consistent watcher of the show.

I did still really enjoy the open and honest conversations about mental health and sexuality. I thought that Charlie's reaction to finding out that Dev had depression was extremely well delivered, and that was consistent throughout the book. Charlie's OCD and anxiety were also given good attention and explanation.

Despite it being a complete Bachelor parody, the main thing that knocked it down from a five star read for me was the treatment of the women on the show, especially the "villains." Be prepared for a major rant...

Considering how thoughtful the book is about mental health, there is no excuse for the way some of the women were discussed. Sure, when someone called them crazy, the author called them out in the text, but there were some subtle but deeply misogynistic comments made about the "villain" of the show, and the other women that were there for fame (there's nothing wrong with women securing their bag, especially when Charlie wasn't there for love either).

Here comes the rant: I took major issue with the way Megan's character was treated by Charlie and Dev (as the perspective characters). Right before Charlie sends Megan home, she comes to his hotel room in a desperate attempt to appeal to him. When it becomes clear that she's been manipulated by the producers of the show, and after Charlie recognizes that "she's not in a healthy place," I was thinking great, this is going to be where he has a really nice conversation with Megan about the show, the things that matter in life, and it's going to be perfect. Instead he says "I have no interest in dating women who let their producers manipulate them into acting this way."

Excuse me, whaaat?!?!?! The whole point of manipulation is that someone doesn't realize it's happening. Not to mention the obvious signs that Megan was not doing well. I was E X T R E M E L Y disappointed in this, and it's the biggest reason for the drop in a star. I expected better, and I am still very upset about this. The only women that were respected were the ones that were meant to be respected from the beginning. Most of the other women were disposable, and were only written for the laughs.

When it comes down to it, that's what I am going to remember about this book.

The Charm Offensive is everything Red, White, and Royal Blue tried to be (Yes, I hated that book).

Great mental health representation and cute, wholesome romance. The reality TV show setting was so much fun too! Impressive debut, I will definitely read whatever Cochran publishes next!

I really enjoyed this book!
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS BOOK WITH ME!
I got behind in the COVID DRAMA and missed posting about this important book when it came out.
Thank you!

4 stars

Being a producer for the hit reality dating series Ever After should have made Dev Deshpande cynical, but if anything it has reinforced in him a belief in true love and happy endings. Crafting elaborate love stories season after season is an ongoing passion, and even as his own love life crumbles, Dev cannot help being optimistic about the show’s new trajectory. When the new season casts millionaire tech entrepreneur Charlie Winshaw as its star, everything changes. Charlie has only committed to the show in an attempt to revamp his image and his emotionally closed-off reality threatens the success of the series. In an attempt to help Charlie open up to the contestants, Dev is assigned as his handler to hopefully save the season. As the two grow closer and the season progresses, their evident chemistry begins to understate the careful script crafted by the show’s executives. Finding the happiness they both deserve may mean ditching Ever After’s expectations and taking back control of the narrative.

The Charm Offensive is a heartwarming romantic comedy filled with all the drama and spirit of reality television. So many contemporaries in the past have tried and failed in my book to pull together successful reality dating romances, missing either the depth or the drama needed to encompass the intended storyline. That certainly wasn't the case here, with an exquisite slow-burn complete with the examined realities of creating a dating show narrative. The added conversation surrounding mental health and anxiety furthered the creation of an insightful, yet entertaining story. Cochrun really did an amazing job giving voice to these issues in the mindful way that they deserved to be delivered. Behind the camera, Dev and the rest of the crew dealt with their own shortcomings in developing the next season of Ever After. This perspective offered truth to the production of these shows, and how quickly they can turn away from what they were originally trying to accomplish. Since these highlighted issues mirrored those in actual reality television it really grounded the entire story. As for the romance itself, the two main characters Dev and Charlie had such an incredible dynamic and the chemistry was evident right from the start. Having a Bachelor-esque reality dating show as the backdrop for their love story made it even more interesting to follow their growing connection. I’m all for a good slow-burn, and the secrecy tied up in that was such an added bonus. Their connection was really genuine and I loved watching the tender moments from the beginning blossom into the relationship they ended up building with one another. Altogether, The Charm Offensive is a tender exploration of a search for connection amidst the realities of being oneself wholeheartedly. It is a romance that I will treasure for a very long time.

Trigger Warnings: homophobia, biphobia, panic attacks

I enjoyed this title. I especially enjoyed the focus on mental health and healthy communication. The idea that therapy is important and that you cant just look at someone and know if they are in therapy. The idea that communication is crucial to having a good relationship whether is platonic or romantic.
The setting and plot where the protagonist is part of a romance tv reality show was also refreshing and entertaining to see.