this was so cute 🥺 i don't typically tend to enjoy books about reality TV shows, but The Charm Offensive really won me over. more than anything, i loved the pacing of this book. if you've read any romance, you know that there are certain plot beats to expect: characters meet, characters realize they like each other, characters get together, etc. and it's not that this book didn't deliver those plot beats, but rather that they were spaced out quite well so that it everything felt organic and well-developed. of course i knew what to expect--this is a romance, after all--but The Charm Offensive still managed to surprise me, which i loved. aside from the pacing, but also the great character development and dialogue, i especially enjoyed the discussions around mental health in this book. Dev has depression, and Charlie has OCD and anxiety, and it was so sweet seeing them be there for each other when their mental health issues flared up, or when things got particularly difficult.

my only gripes with this book are: 1) some of the discussions around mental health, but also identity more broadly, felt a little on the nose. it's not the sentiment i had an issue with, in this case--i love that the characters frankly talk about these things--but rather the execution. and 2) the fade-to-black scenes, which i would've liked to know about before going into this book, especially because it's a romance.

other than that, though, this was a great romance and i am very much looking forward to Alison Cochrun's next book (an f/f holiday romance ??? YES PLS).

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for providing me with an e-ARC of this via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

On-camera confession time: I watch The Bachelor. And The Bachelorette. Though my favorite is Paradise. Yes to all the Bachelor Nations.
So when I read about the backdrop for The Charm Offensive - a prince and princess-style reality dating show - I requested it asap. (Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my eARC for review!)
Charlie Winshaw wants to reinvent his professional image, and is starring on the show Ever After to do just that. Problem is, he's not attracted to any of the women on the show. Or perhaps, any women.
Dev is an Ever After producer assigned to be Charlie's handler, after discovering during first-episode filming that Charlie needs more than a little help to overcome his social difficulties.
It's a queer rom-com. You can see where this is going.
I loved this book. Utterly charming characters, entertaining plot and a fun exposé of the inner world of filming reality television as a bonus. There are also real-world issues here beyond the romance and show; of depression and anxiety, neurodiversity, love in all of it's forms, and the crippling effects of expectation.
Do not miss this book by Oregon author Alison Cochrun! Recommended!
Released today, Sept. 7.

The Charm Offensive is a fun and funny rom-com that balances a reality dating show backdrop with mental health issues.

The main focus of this book is that Charlie has signed up to do a reality dating show (a Bachelor type show). Dev is assigned to be his handler on the show.

The book is divided into the weeks of filming the show. The narrators are Charlie and Dev (both 3rd person POVs).

I do wish that there had been chapters instead of dividing the book by weeks (as some of these weeks took 45 minutes to read). I also found that the 3rd person POVs for this book made me feel a bit less connected to the main characters. And I kept getting mixed up which POV I was reading.

This book was funny, but it also dealt with a lot of serious issues: mental health issues, social awkwardness, discrimination based on sexuality...

I really like how much focus was on mental health issues. I think that this was amazing for a rom-com.

I also loved how the show went to various locations around the globe. I thought that this added a lot to the book.

While a lot of the book was a bit predictable I was pleasantly surprised with the last chapters of the book. That was my favorite part of the book by far.

Overall this book was a heartwarming queer rom-com that tackled a lot of relevant issues.

I will start by saying this is my favourite romance of 2021 that I have read so far. Dev and Charlie were perfectly imperfect together with Charlie figuring out his sexual identity and Dev avoiding his depression.
This book had so many amazing things including: LGBTQ+ romance, mental health positive, reality tv show setting creating added drama and so many fun secondary characters.
Can we get a book about Parisa next?? Loved her character and how well she brought out Charlie's true personality.
Highly recommend to everyone who needs a rom com read!

The Charm Offensive • Alison Cochrun
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Charlie can’t believe he agreed to do a reality show about finding love. Everyone is hoping he ends up engaged by the end of filming but all he wants is to get back working in the tech world. He also might not be very confident, anxious and as others would describe him awkward, which is where Dev comes in. Dev originally fell in love with Ever After when he first saw the show at 10 years old and has worked as a producer with Ever After for 6 years now helping create happily ever afters.
When Charlie first shows up and is closed off and far from the romantic Prince Charming the show wants, Dev must step in and try and coax Charlie out of his shell.
Will Charlie find love at the end? Or will he it end in heartbreak for everyone?
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I loved the premise of the book, seeing the behind the scenes of a reality tv show and also how Alison wrote it and included little editing notes at the end of chapters!
I really enjoyed that there was a diverse representation of LGBTQIA+ characters, which was really nice to see! I also enjoyed that it shed a lot of light on mental health and the importance of taking care of yourself in a healthy manner, whether that be a self care day, medication or therapy, all are acceptable.
Also Charlie is the most precious character I have ever read about, it’s hard not to fall in love with him!
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I did find it a little slower in the beginning and it took me awhile to actually get into the book. I do have to agree with some other reviews on the fact that even though Dev is described as Indian/American that doesn’t play apart of the story, which which I think realistically it should have. 🤷🏻‍♀️
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Overall I really did enjoy this coming out/finding yourself book. It brought to light a lot of issues that we might not hear about often!


⚠️: anxiety disorder, panic disorder, panic attacks, depression, OCD, shaming for mental health, biphobia/queerhobia


Thank you to @NetGalley , @simonandschustercanada for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

Screw the “rules”: 6⭐️s

I love love LOVED this story! The characters are so genuine and appealing, the story itself is fun and inviting, and on more than one occasion I was talking to my Kindle while reading. I just couldn’t get enough of it!!!

The mental health aspect of this story is truly unlike any other I’ve seen (and I’ve seen some great representation!). The issues these characters dealt with felt very real, and I think we need to be seeing more of this as our world and the people in it are experiencing more of it. It is a great way for someone who hasn’t been very exposed to people with mental health issues to gain a better understanding, regardless of the fact that it is from a fiction novel. Standing ovation on this aspect.

I really enjoyed the concept of a dating show and all it’s fake aspects, as I do not like those shows in real life. Reading about all of the behind the scenes plots and people and how everything comes together: fascinating lol. I also love that Charlie appears to be pretty standard and typical for the “Prince” of the show, but he could not be more different from what the show thought they were getting!

Finally, the M/M love story. I could not love it more. “Falling” into each other’s hearts is how I would describe this one. They just seem to “know” each other right off the bat, and the way their love story unfolds is toe-squishing, squeal-inducing, and will definitely melt-your-heart.

As always, you should read and form your own opinion, but I highly encourage you to pick it up and if you want to gush about here, I AM HERE!!!!

Thank you to Netgalley,Simon and Schuster Canada, Atria, and Alison Cochrun for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

WOW this was great!!!

Charlie has just been cast as the male lead in a Bachelor-esque reality TV show. Despite his good looks, he's awkward, shy, and completely out of his depth in being the Prince Charming the show needs. Dev, a producer on the show, is his fun and bubbly handler, assigned to coach him through the show. Dev and Charlie form a close relationship as Dev tries to make Charlie more comfortable in acting the part.

Considering the premise, I thought this would be a light read, but it was surprisingly moving. I didn't expect the story to touch so deeply on mental issues like OCD, depression, and anxiety, but it did so tactfully and meaningfully. Asexuality isn't a topic I'm too familiar with, so the characters' discussions about the spectrum of asexuality is something that stuck out to me - though I understood sexuality in general to be a spectrum, I had never approached thinking about asexuality the same way.

It was really beautiful to see both Charlie and Dev both realize they deserve love and see that the people who truly matter do not love them in spite of anything; instead, they are loved for everything they are. Both of them just want the other to practice some self-love!!! I also liked that Ryan didn't turn out to be a stereotypical mean/evil ex and had some real depth to his character; though far from a perfect boyfriend when he was with Dev, he also makes Dev realize his own role in their failed relationship and tries to prevent Dev from making the same mistakes with Charlie.

While the structure of 'The Charm Offensive' doesn't break any romance book conventions, the topics it touches on does. That, plus great execution of its tried-and-true structure makes this one of my top romance reads of the year so far.

I received an e-ARC of The Charm Offensive from Simon and Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review.

I have never watched a season of The Bachelor franchise. I generally don’t watch a lot of reality TV. But I can definitely understand why many viewers enjoy this form of entertainment. And this really comes into play in The Charm Offensive where we have our two leads - Dev is one of the producers on Ever After, the reality dating show, and Charlie is the new Prince Charming of the show. As the two work together, they begin to discover more about themselves and each other. This was such a cute and fun story to dive into - I absolutely adored both Dev and Charlie and their budding friendship and relationship. I liked that it dealt with mental health and the stigma around it that still persists in media today.

How do I know that I really enjoyed The Charm Offensive? While I was reading it, I actually considered watching The Bachelor just to see if it’s as good as the drama in the book. Will I actually? To be determined. Adding reality tv to my life means less time for reading.

cw: depiction of mental illness (depression, OCD, anxiety)

Dev is a producer on the reality show Ever After who believes in the happy endings the show appears to promote. Charlie is the reality show’s latest prince, a disgraced Silicon Valley millionaire. When the producers realize how awkward Charlie is, Dev is promoted from handling the would-be princesses to handling the star. The two forge an intense connection, but in the inescapably heteronormative world of Ever After, their backstage romance is complicated.

I didn’t know until recently that “romance novels set in the world of reality television” was a romance sub-genre, but after reading two in the past few months, I have to say I’m a big fan. Which is surprising because I don’t like reality television at all. All this to say, I absolutely loved this book. The setting is good, filled with manufactured drama and its real aftereffects, not to mention that it provides the opportunity to travel to multiple exotic locations. The cast of characters is really vivid, with secondary characters given personal development, which doesn’t usually happen this much in the romances I’ve read.

Dev and Charlie are lovely, moving, sometimes infuriating, and they feel like real people. I loved their romance, but I loved even more the friends who rally around them. I’m a sucker for a romance with a meddling group of friends/family, and this book delivered. The depiction of mental illness is understated but real, and integrated into the romance in ways I am not used to seeing. There is also a pretty impressive range of queer characters, including bisexual and aro/ace characters. I know I sound like I am ticking boxes, but the way these details about characters are introduced are completely organic and true to life, even though this aspect is often absent in mainstream romance.

I should add that the sex is very PG, so if you like your romance on the spicier side, this book may not be for you. Still, it is completely delightful, sweet, and moving, so you should give it a chance.

I snagged this from NG at almost the eleventh hour after seeing some rave reviews and I'm really glad I did. Also, this is a debut? Seriously? Wow.

I wasn't at all interested in a premise surrounding a Bachelor-like reality tv show but the aforementioned reviews promised something grand, and queer, and delightful, and so I took that risk. And it paid off. This isn't a story where that plot fades into the background, though, this is literally the premise, so if it's really not your thing, I don't think you'd be able to enjoy this.

But if you enjoy conversations around mental health, discovering one's true self, support for a late-stage (though it really isn't ever too late) coming out, this'll be right up your alley.

Charlie, one of our MCs, is cast in the role of Prince Charming in a bid to correct the damage done to his reputation when he's ousted as co-owner of his tech company. Dev, who has worked for Ever After for six years, who still believes in happily ever afters despite the end of his six year relationship, is the one tapped to coach him through the show and the dates when it is quickly obvious Charlie has almost no social skills or ability to cope with what he's signed up for. Soon enough, their awkward acquaintance becomes friendship and then becomes more.

Charlie was so so easy to love. Watching him bloom into someone more confident, more aware of his true self, as well as someone who was seen, and own both without reserve was just gorgeous. Dev's character definitely took a turn I didn't expect, which was kind of the point, though I did sometimes feel he was a little inconsistent; nothing to do with his mental health, just little blips I didn't quite get.

Once again, it bears mentioning, I'm shocked this was a debut. This was so good. You definitely shouldn't go into this expecting full on fluff -- in addition to discussion of mental health and therapy there was some homophobia and an all-around unpleasant "villain" -- and while there was one part that had me howling, it was a little more serious than it was lighthearted or comedy based (outside of the outrageous premise of the show, that is).

I can't speak for any of the rep (please check out other reviews where you can) but I definitely felt a lot of the care the author put into handling her characters and everything that made them who they were. I would definitely recommend.

Read if you like: Red, White, and Royal Blue.
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Dev works on a tv show that is kinda like the Bachelor and he believes that the show really finds people's happily ever after. That is, until Charlie becomes the star of the show and they start falling for each other.
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I really loved how Dev and Charlie wanted to learn about each other in order to best support each other. They were so cute bit also they showed the complexities of relationships when you are being forced to fit a hetero-norm.
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CW: sexual content, homophobia, racism, sexism.

I am a huge bachelor fan and had to pick this one up! The characters and the chemistry between them were sizzling. I really enjoyed this one!

This book is a delight! I love a queer rom com, and ‘The Charm Offensive’ is one of the best I’ve ever read. The dual POV is effective, the TV premise is a welcome framing device, the dialogue/banter is hilarious, and the plot is paced to perfection (though I would have loved a drawn-out conclusion!) I just couldn’t put it down! I was especially impressed by the insightful discussions of mental health & sexuality, which allow this super fun & escapist book to maintain its depth & nuance. I do think that some of the initial language that Cochrun uses to physically describe Dev borders on fetishization, and her genuine attempts to ensure the diversity of her cast often come off as clumsy. The unique “inner lives” of Cochrun’s background characters are also unevenly distributed –– while some of Dev and Charlie’s friends feel well-rounded (Parisa and Jules), others fall flat (Skylar). But overall: if you like TV, the “practice date” trope, and Casey McQuiston’s “Red, White and Royal Blue,” you will LOVE Alison Cochrun’s debut. I can’t wait to read her next book!

Thank you Alison Cochrun, Atria Books and NetGalley for an eARC of ‘The Charm Offensive’ in exchange for my honest review… Now please excuse me while I gush!!!!!!

I absolutely, positively ADORED this book! Charlie and Dev are the squishiest, loveliest fulfillment of an opposites (who are not entirely opposite) attract/forbidden romance trope ever. And while this gem is marketed as a slightly quirky rom-com (which it is)—it is also SO MUCH MORE.

Charlie is our Prince Charming: quite literally. He is the newest star of a prince and princess themed reality dating show, for which Dev works as a producer and Charlie’s personal handler… I think you can guess where this is headed? While Charlie is meant to be finding the world’s idea of HEA and his perfect princess on-screen—he might be finding the makings of a real HEA off-screen. Let the hijinks (mixed with a dash of angst) ensue!

And the icing on the cake? The incredibly diverse representation among this cast of characters and serious recognition/discussion surrounding questions of sexual/romantic identity (exploring the vastness of the spectrum and fluidity therein), mental health and neurodiversity (including anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, a panic disorder, depression), self-care, therapy, discrimination, and the list goes on… I am truly inspired by the way in which this book says: “Hey! I can be funny and make you laugh out loud and swoony and give you all the feels—and I can still give you real talk that makes you think and reflect and maybe even teaches you a thing or two.”

All in all, ‘The Charm Offensive’ gets 5 STARS from me! And Alison? When does your next book come out?!?!?

I'm going to attempt (and expect to fail spectacularly) not to gush about this book. I went into it expecting a cute LGBTQIA+ romance and got a witty, heartwarming story that had a lot more depth than I anticipated.

I simply loved it!

The story is set around a Bachelor-type reality TV program. I am not a Bachelor/Bachelorette fan, so I only knew the basics about these relationship reality TV shows, but it was enough to get the gist of the setting and backstage drama for this queer romance.

This is the debut from Alison Cochrun, and it is a sweet romance that has a perfect balance between emotion, character development and depth. But it was its ahhhmazing focus on mental health and gender identity that impressed me the most.

Cochrun also adds an impressive diversity to her cast with wonderful LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent representation. The two main characters are easy to connect with and are supported by a gaggle of secondary characters who hold their own. I particularly liked Charlie's BFF Parisa whose talent for slinging sassy one-liners and her fab banter added great tidbits of humour.

This absolutely charming, witty, wow-I-can't-believe-this-is-a-debut read and gets a high five, a chef's kiss and a rose from me. Look for it in stores September 7th from Atria Books (or preorder it now!)

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Atria Books for my advanced copy provided in exchange for my honest review.

I just finished this book and I’m in tears writing this review. I already miss Dev and Charlie.

This is a romance story, but it is so much more than that. I have seen almost every season of the Bachelor, but I have never seen one like Ever After (although I wish that would happen!) I appreciated all the little nods to the drama of the show and it was so accurate.

I had an idea of what this was about going in and I expected a love story- but I wasn’t expecting the deeper themes of mental illness, self-identity, acceptance, and self love.

The characters were all so diverse, flawed and loveable in their own way. Dev was my favourite; I loved how he was strong for Charlie and yet broken at the same time. I think the author wrote so beautifully how it can seem like your inner struggles make you feel unworthy of love.

If you’re a fan of the Bachelor (or even if you’re not) this is a heart warming and charming read that is so much more than just a rom-com.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and Net Galley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up.

This was definitely a fun read and a cute m/m romance! I think I enjoyed it more at the beginning, but as it went on it became a bit predictable and flat for me. I’m not sure if it was because I became bored of the reality TV show aspect, or maybe I’m just not into books about reality TV shows, but I felt I slowly was losing interest in the storyline. Don’t get me wrong, their romance was super cute and I loved the 2 MC’s together! Something about it was just a little lack lustre for me!

In terms of the diversity in this book, I have some mixed feelings. Let’s unpack them. First of all, I thought it was great that so many characters were part of the LGBTQ+ community! Although I am a het cis-woman I can’t directly say how well the representation was but I personally thought that it was great to have so many characters be representative of the LGBTQ+ community. More books need to be way more inclusive on that front, and I think this book did a good job!

Second, I am a bit wary of the Indian representation for Dev. I thought that the author made the MC Indian just because it was convenient to include a multicultural person in the story. There was zero cultural representation, the only identifying characteristic that stood out as Indian representation was the fact that the MC’s name was Dev. I mean, there was no mention of any of the specific struggles that Dev went through as a 2nd or 3rd generation American or as a queer person of colour. The character needed more layers, because queer people of colour living in America have a lot more to deal with and more unique, nuanced experiences and perspectives that Dev didn’t have. I definitely wanted more in that regard!

Third, I really liked the mental health representation. I personally don’t have OCD or diagnosed anxiety, however anxiety is definitely something that I deal with on a day to day basis. I appreciate how the author took time to unpack Charles in this way and showed the audience that it’s not a negative thing to be diagnosed with any of these things. It is important to realize that other people need different things in order to function in a positive and healthy way. Some people need different things than others, and that was good to see how they worked with Charles’ OCD and anxiety instead of overlooked or ignored it. In terms of Dev’s depression I also think it was an important topic to cover and I appreciate that the author added that in to Dev’s character development.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the digital ARC!

As someone who’s not actually a fan of reality tv, especially Bachelor-esque programs, The Charm Offensive seems like a strange book for me to pick up but I had already been seeing it all over Instagram. Seeing book friends were praising it as a wonderfully romantic gay novel I had to see for myself and it did not disappoint!

Following tech millionaire Charlie as he embarks on an adventure as the prince in a reality tv show, Ever After he’s immediately met with his producer-handler Dev and their start is rocky, at best. Charlie isn’t super comfortable in social situations but has forced himself to take part in the show in order to clean up his image as difficult and “crazy”. Dev, a true believer in happy ever after is there to teach Charlie how to become the prince he believes he can be and inevitably find “true love”. Over the course of two months Charlie learns to adapt to the different personalities of the women and the strange competitions while getting closer to Dev throughout the process.

The story tackles some heavier topics for what appears to be a light hearted romance like anxiety, workplace stress, and depression in a way that works well with the story and really attacks the misunderstandings of mental health and how important it is to be healthy for yourself, not for others.

Overall I really enjoyed this one. I think the romance was cute, the friendships were great, and the anxiety and depression rep was great and relatable. 3.5 stars

I found this book cute and a bit charming, however it ultimately didn't quite hit for me. It wasn't steamy enough compared to other new adult romances, and seemed like the author was trying to check off as many representation boxes as possible without the characters' identities having any real impact on the story. The characters were cute and the reality TV setting was interesting but ultimately it wasn't a favourite.

Book Review
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

Thanks to @atria , @simonandschusterca and @netgalley for my Gifted copy in return for an honest review

Reality bachelorette/ bachleor tv show spoofing Disney vibes- can a prince find his princess
Loved this book! Loved the queer characters, the behind the scenes look at television reality production. Dev. Charlie. The Potential Princesses. The drama, the angst, the self loathing turned to self love, the awkwardness, the coming out, the queerness, the neurodiversity, the anxiety…. Yes to ALL OF IT!!!! You might think there is too much going on here, how does one keep it all straight (pun intended) while reading???? But it flowed, it progressed naturally. It felt right! When you know, you know. Kudos to the author, the witty banter, the angst filled dialogue, the humour, the sheer audacity- well done!!!!!!!

Highly recommend!!!