The Charm Offensive
Ratings134
Average rating4
I loved it. I loved everything about this book. I thought it would be your typical ROM COM story but no. The struggles both Dev and Charlie had to go through made me cry and realize things about myself. I loved the romance, the awkwardness at the beginning, the little things that made them fall in love, the comedy bits. I loved Parisa and Jules and Daphne and Angie but most of all I loved Dev and Charlie. I want to wrap them in a blanket and protect them at all costs.
this book is a big bowl of vanilla ice cream with a dash of cinnamon. it's kinda bland, but features a few pops of uncommon subject matter that keep it just interesting enough to keep reading. it also straddles a line that'll make it very cute and charming to some and very cringe and corny to others. i didn't hate reading this, but i can't imagine i'll ever return to it.
4.5
This book really was so cute wholesome while diving into deep and nuanced topic in a authentic and non judgemental way. Also the representation in here slaps and everyone is queer (which is fantastic!!). Overall a really enjoyable read!
predictable, schlocky, and obviously not written by s gay guy. but once I started reading it I couldn't put it down so three stars.
4.5 stars
They explore how beautifully diverse the queer community is throughout different parts of the book as well as the ethics and pressures of reality tv.
Tbh.. they seriously need to make a gay bachelor... i always say they need to make one with lesbians etc but then i remember the homophobic bitches out there!!! they would probably get the show cancelled and scream and yell like a damn baby! BUT I WANT A GAY BACHELOR!!! I WANT IT I WANT IT I WANT IT AHHHHHH.... THIS STORY WAS SO DARN CUTE!!!!!
I'm so glad i picked up this up and listened to it.... this is everything i wanted!!!!
now how the hell did i forget the characters names already?? I loved how they made the girl come out as a lesbian and now she going to find her princess ehifbhegrryefwrhfuyitgherwiyfsdiyx I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!
This has got to be one of the most inclusive books I have ever read. I absolutely love what this book has done for mental health representation. Dev and Charlie are both suffering from mental health disorders and you are there alongside as they experience highs and lows. The characters just felt so real and genuine and it was so wonderful to see that in a book. I also loved the LGBTQ+ representation. It was a beautiful look into acceptance and self-discovery. Dev and Charlie were so sweet together. I really loved the reality tv aspect and how production notes were in between “weeks” of filming. It was cool to be involved with the behind the scenes of Ever After.
The LGBTQ+ rep in this made my queer heart soar.
A sweet love modern love story that many will see themselves in. I so appreciate that we had characters of color and also many different mental health struggles were addressed (including OCD, Anxiety and Depression).
Heads up: if you are squeamish about vomit being talked about, it occurs multiple times in this one.
The representation within this book is absolutely phenomenal and the book is worth the read for that alone.
But everything else just wasn't for me. I never got attached to the characters or plot or writing style.
UGH YES!!!! Not only was this love story set at the perfect pace but the queer representation in this book, the topics that come up, the fear experienced by queer characters over things we are faced with daily??? LOVE LOVE LOVE
I'm actually having a hard time formulating all of the reasons why I loved this book, but here goes.
[EDIT: I tried to use a spoiler tag but apparently they don't work on mobile so I guess the whole review is getting hidden. Oh well. I am not about to ruin the ending of this book for anyone.]
- The way the mental health of the characters was gently worked into their personalities without entirely dominating their identity or being portrayed as their Character Flaw was so, so good. Both main characters had actual development arcs that felt real and right for them, and they had different ways of dealing with things that spoke to an actual difference in upbringing. I've read a lot of books recently where that kind of character work has been flat or just plain missing, so the depth of this one was especially wonderful to me.
- The sheer cuteness. It's marketed as a rom-com and it sure did deliver, but it also delivered on the other, non-romantic relationships. The support network and interpersonal development of the whole cast was so great.
- The social commentary. I definitely am not one to watch reality TV, especially the genre used as the backdrop of this story, but I really appreciated the angle that this plot took. SpoilerThe end did briefly make me think “No way, that would never happen,” but then I realized that's exactly why it needed to happen. If my default is to assume that a gay relationship would be unthinkable on reality TV, what does that say about society? As the author cited in the acknowledgements, “Paradox though it may seem . . . it is none the less true that Life imitates art far more than Art imitates life.” (Oscar Wilde) If our art shows that all relationships are valid and love is important, we can give life something to imitate.
- The feels. Obviously there was a lot of warm and fuzzy, but toward the end there was definitely some minor eye leakage. It was just impossible not to be invested in these characters and feel for them when things got rough.
- The writing. It was well-written, easy to read, and witty, which is obviously the best combo. All of the characters had fairly distinct voices and I highlighted so many things because they were just so hilarious. 10/10
So this was not a cohesive review at all but this book is potentially a new favorite and I will be returning to it, as well as keeping a sharp eye out for any books the author decides to publish in the future.
This was so wonderfully lovely and charming and gave me all the warm fuzzies. Dev and Charlie are just perfect.
i have no idea how to write a review for this book but you gotta start somewhere so here goes. this is officially now one of my all time faves.??
this book made me cry happy tears. like a lot of them. first of all, I loved all the mental health rep. And the rep in general actually. Charlie is also on the asexual spectrum and Dev is Indian!??
Dev put it best: this book is a queer party. Like almost everyone is queer?? And that means so fucking much to me.??
Charlie and Dev were literally so cute, I'm sending them my dentist's bills.??
THIS BOOK WAS ALSO REALLY FUCKING FUNNY WTF
I was a sobbing mess by the end of it tho. like how dare you make me feel so much?????
IT IS SO WELL WRITTEN ASDGHYGJUBNJ
I loved all the discussions that were had in this book and they're all really important.??
I LOVE PARISA AND JUNE AND SKYLAR AND EVEN RYAN.??
Also, that ending. Daphne's sapphic season spin off when???
i have no idea how to write a review for this book but you gotta start somewhere so here goes. this is officially now one of my all time faves.
this book made me cry happy tears. like a lot of them. first of all, I loved all the mental health rep. And the rep in general actually. Charlie is also on the asexual spectrum and Dev is Indian!
Dev put it best: this book is a queer party. Like almost everyone is queer?? And that means so fucking much to me.
Charlie and Dev were literally so cute, I'm sending them my dentist's bills.
THIS BOOK WAS ALSO REALLY FUCKING FUNNY WTF
I was a sobbing mess by the end of it tho. like how dare you make me feel so much???
IT IS SO WELL WRITTEN ASDGHYGJUBNJ
I loved all the discussions that were had in this book and they're all really important.
I LOVE PARISA AND JUNE AND SKYLAR AND EVEN RYAN.
Also, that ending. Daphne's sapphic season spin off when???
reread: two years later and I still absolutely adore this. me and who?? ME AND WHO??
————-
BRO
Of course there has to be a queer romance that takes place on a Bachelor-type show with an MC who falls in love with his male producer instead of one of the female contestants. I'm surprised nobody has written this story before (I imagine there's plenty of fan-fiction over on AO3). I'm not a dating reality show fan, but The Charm Offensive was vastly enjoyable, even if it made me uncomfortable at times.Charlie is a handsome yet socially awkward tech millionaire who comes on Ever After to salvage his reputation after a mysterious parting of the ways with the company he co-founded. And Dev is the handler/producer who loves the fairy tale aspect of his show, even though he knows there is little chance that the contestants will have a real, long-term happily ever after. When Charlie turns out to be a disaster in front of the cameras, it's Dev's job to work closely with him and turn him into good reality TV material. But of course the more time they spend together, the more the two men start realizing they are in dangerous territory if they act on their attraction. Charlie signed a contract agreeing to become engaged to one of the contestants, and he needs to look good to salvage his career. And Dev would get fired from his dream job if anyone caught him kissing the prince.Alison Cochrun's writing style reminded me of Casey McQuiston's [b:Red, White & Royal Blue 41150487 Red, White & Royal Blue Casey McQuiston https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1566742512l/41150487.SY75.jpg 61657690], a combination of humor, intense emotions, and witty dialogue. Her characters have diverse ethnic backgrounds and are on varying places on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, so there's lots of interesting queer representation. She also shines a light on how it feels to live with a mental illness like anxiety, depression or OCD, and thankfully this is not one of those ridiculous romances that pretends that love will cure all ills. I was a little uncomfortable about the fact that Charlie and Dev's burgeoning relationship happened at the expense of the female contestants (several of whom have interesting but minor arcs) but a late plot development cleverly allayed most of my concerns. I can't say this book made me want to catch up on past seasons of The Bachelor, but it did provide a nice swoon-worthy finale and a happily ever after that is much more believable in a romance novel than on TV. ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.