Scan barcode
bookobsessedmommy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
When Dev, hopeless romantic, is assigned to coach Charlie, romantically hopeless, into being prince charming on a Bacheloresque reality TV show, will the final product be an epic disaster or happy ever after? I freaking love this book so much! Secret dating is one of my favorite tropes, but when you add in awkward nerds, self discovery, and a slow burn, I am swooning. The way this relationship develops feels real inspite of the ridiculous premise, and the intimacy and chemistry leaps off the page even with this being mostly fade to black. The way they deal with, or avoid, their mental health struggles, and try to support each other melted my heart. Allison Cochran's writing is so all consuming and descriptive that I could see each scene playing out like a movie, and I think this would make an amazing adaptation! I just finish it, but I already want to read it again. 💗
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcoholism
knitsandnovels's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Vomit
Moderate: Sexual content and Alcohol
Minor: Biphobia and Homophobia
girlreading's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
it’s an adorable romance set to the backdrop of a bachelor style reality show with mental illness representation, what more could I possibly ask for?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
ziggyreadz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
i really enjoyed The Charm Offensive. it was subversive in centering mental health and in its core message — that everyone is deserving of love.
i really liked charlie, it was so nice to see someone neurodivergent and anxious (like myself) grow into himself and become more comfortable with time. i wish he had stayed a bit truer to the beginning of the book — when he had more strict boundaries around overstimulating things — because i feel like that would have honed in on the themes of the book better.
dev i was a little more unsure about. in the first half of the book he was great, but his denial of his feelings/charlie and his’ relationship got old after a while. i have complicated feelings about him (and by extension the ending) because on one hand, i feel he should have been punished more by the narrative for being kind of shitty (and that would have made a more realistic and interesting ending), but on the other, i couldn’t tell what was him vs. his mental illness, and i also found his arc to reinforce the core message of the book.
i thought the premise was really fun and i enjoyed learning about the girls on the show (i definitely cared less about the other producers, but that may be because i listened to the audio book and dev’s reader would do incredibly obnoxious voices for those characters).
the ending made me very emotional, though exactly what emotion, i’m not sure. it was a mix of frustration, excitement, relief, anger, happiness — i consider it a win.
i know this is sort of par for the course for these kind of modern rom-coms, but some of the quippy dialogue was grating, though i felt it was kept at a minimum (comparatively).
the way the book talked about mental health was definitely better than the standard, but not the best it could have been — it was a little simplistic. still, i felt it was subversive and interesting.
would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good lgbtq rom-com!
i really liked charlie, it was so nice to see someone neurodivergent and anxious (like myself) grow into himself and become more comfortable with time. i wish he had stayed a bit truer to the beginning of the book — when he had more strict boundaries around overstimulating things — because i feel like that would have honed in on the themes of the book better.
dev i was a little more unsure about. in the first half of the book he was great, but his denial of his feelings/charlie and his’ relationship got old after a while. i have complicated feelings about him (and by extension the ending) because on one hand, i feel he should have been punished more by the narrative for being kind of shitty (and that would have made a more realistic and interesting ending), but on the other, i couldn’t tell what was him vs. his mental illness, and i also found his arc to reinforce the core message of the book.
i thought the premise was really fun and i enjoyed learning about the girls on the show (i definitely cared less about the other producers, but that may be because i listened to the audio book and dev’s reader would do incredibly obnoxious voices for those characters).
the ending made me very emotional, though exactly what emotion, i’m not sure. it was a mix of frustration, excitement, relief, anger, happiness — i consider it a win.
i know this is sort of par for the course for these kind of modern rom-coms, but some of the quippy dialogue was grating, though i felt it was kept at a minimum (comparatively).
the way the book talked about mental health was definitely better than the standard, but not the best it could have been — it was a little simplistic. still, i felt it was subversive and interesting.
would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good lgbtq rom-com!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Cursing
Moderate: Biphobia, Vomit, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Minor: Sexual content
bethkxx's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Homophobia
juttaleupe's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, and Biphobia
ekern1991's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Homophobia
quillyreads's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This sounded promising based on the premise, a contestant on a reality dating show having a forbidden romance with a showrunner.
Sadly, it just wasn’t for me. ðŸ«
There were some nice elements, but a lot I couldn’t forgive. Porticularly the portrayals of Charlie’s anxiety and panic disorders, and Dev’s depression. I know these are complex, varied conditions. But to me, it felt stereotyped and unrealistic. But, it was good to see some representation for two guys that struggle with mental health conditions, support each other, and eventually seek the help they need to start recovery.
It just feels a shame that so much of the plot relies on miscommunication (or complete lack of communication), and there is little character development until the close. 🤕
Felt like a bit of a slog tbh!
Sadly, it just wasn’t for me. ðŸ«
There were some nice elements, but a lot I couldn’t forgive. Porticularly the portrayals of Charlie’s anxiety and panic disorders, and Dev’s depression. I know these are complex, varied conditions. But to me, it felt stereotyped and unrealistic. But, it was good to see some representation for two guys that struggle with mental health conditions, support each other, and eventually seek the help they need to start recovery.
It just feels a shame that so much of the plot relies on miscommunication (or complete lack of communication), and there is little character development until the close. 🤕
Felt like a bit of a slog tbh!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Moderate: Vomit, Ableism, and Cursing
Minor: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content
courtsport's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Devoured this adorable queer romance filled with all the tropes. You can see the plot coming from a mile away and I was HERE for it. Everyone was gay, plus a full serving of ace rep, and three (3) they/thems. We love to see diversity within queer experiences the intersectionality of race and mental illness. Highly recommend to anyone who wants The Bachelor to be hella gay. Spiciness level: 3/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Vomit, Alcohol, and Bullying
jojothefool's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved EVRRY SINGLE SECOND OF THIS BOOK!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Violence
Manipulation in a reality show setting; accurate and possibly triggering descriptions of depression, anxiety, and OCD