The Charm Offensive

truly one of like 5 romance books which check all my boxes was SUCH a happy fuckin camper btw

edit: this is like months later but i just read a romance book i REALLY didnt like so heres my update: this is quite possibly one of my favorite romances, ever. It was a great introduction to the genre to convince me I CAN enjoy romance like everybody else, but it kind of made me annoyed about...every romance ive read since. The charm offensive is downright smart with its' satire, playful with its' romance, and thoughtful when it comes to thinking about the impacts of reality TV on its contestants. Even though the focus of the book IS the romance, very few of the characters are one dimensional, from the mains to the supporting cast we see a lot less of. We get strong platonic relationships between BOTH of our main characters and their various friends, and good platonic relationships between the various supporting cast! Genuinely a DELIGHT to read. 

Also i still cackle every time I think of Lauren, 23, “former student” who's “so ready to be a mom”.  And honestly! While the supporting cast of women DOES have some bits re: some of them being Stereotypical Romance Reality Show Contestants...a lot of them have depth! Even the ones taken out of the running quickly are discussed with imo lots of grace.