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sarahmreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
5.0
My lovely friend Sam has been pushing this book onto me since they got it for me on my birthday. I finally got around to reading it and honestly I'm so glad I did.
Dev is a production assistant for the reality show Ever After, where lucky men and women go to try and find love. He's loved the show since he was a kid, and now has to be the handler for the new bachelor, Charlie. Charlie, however, doesn't think he's ready in the slightest. He has anxiety and panic disorders, so combine that with a reality show and you get a recipe for disaster. Dev helps Charlie slowly start to come out of his shell, but what happens when they can't get their hands off of each other?
I want to start this off by saying that the LGBTQ+ rep was OFF THE CHARTS GOOD! We have gay, lesbian, bisexual, demisexual, pansexual, even non-binary individuals even though they played mostly minor roles. We always see some perspective into someone's experience with their sexual identity and it was SO WELL DONE! For example, at the beginning of the story the head producer suggests having a bisexual woman to add drama, and one of the bisexual side characters actually speaks up against having her sexuality weaponized, as it tends to be the case on many reality shows or even in media portrayal. There were also a lot of important discussions about not having to identify one's self if they feel they don't need to, coming out, how to handle it, etc. I felt so seen through this representation and characters coming to terms with who they are because I feel like it mirrored my own experience.
Now character wise, everyone was amazing! I related so much to Charlie. Although his anxiety and panic and OCD moments are more frequent than mine, I can definitely relate to how exactly he spirals. How one single moment can send me spiraling to a point where my breathing becomes labored and I start freaking out. I can't tell you the last time I've seen myself represented in such a manner, on top of the fact that Charlie comes out as demisexual. Just... I will die for this man.
Dev was also a huge favorite. Not only did his aspect of having to put on a face and not letting people in get to me, but also his whole experience with depression and how to properly navigate it. Parisha was also a favorite, just because she was quirky and fun but also caring. Even some characters that are first portrayed in a negative light get some time to shine and show they're likeable, which I greatly appreciated.
The plot was slightly predictable, but I was expecting more of a slowburn. This was more of a medium burn, and the ramifications actually were different than what I expected.
The Charm Offensive is one of the best romances I've read this year and is perfect for any queer reader who wants to see themselves represented in media while also confronting serious issues with all forms of discrimination.
Dev is a production assistant for the reality show Ever After, where lucky men and women go to try and find love. He's loved the show since he was a kid, and now has to be the handler for the new bachelor, Charlie. Charlie, however, doesn't think he's ready in the slightest. He has anxiety and panic disorders, so combine that with a reality show and you get a recipe for disaster. Dev helps Charlie slowly start to come out of his shell, but what happens when they can't get their hands off of each other?
I want to start this off by saying that the LGBTQ+ rep was OFF THE CHARTS GOOD! We have gay, lesbian, bisexual, demisexual, pansexual, even non-binary individuals even though they played mostly minor roles. We always see some perspective into someone's experience with their sexual identity and it was SO WELL DONE! For example, at the beginning of the story the head producer suggests having a bisexual woman to add drama, and one of the bisexual side characters actually speaks up against having her sexuality weaponized, as it tends to be the case on many reality shows or even in media portrayal. There were also a lot of important discussions about not having to identify one's self if they feel they don't need to, coming out, how to handle it, etc. I felt so seen through this representation and characters coming to terms with who they are because I feel like it mirrored my own experience.
Now character wise, everyone was amazing! I related so much to Charlie. Although his anxiety and panic and OCD moments are more frequent than mine, I can definitely relate to how exactly he spirals. How one single moment can send me spiraling to a point where my breathing becomes labored and I start freaking out. I can't tell you the last time I've seen myself represented in such a manner, on top of the fact that Charlie comes out as demisexual. Just... I will die for this man.
Dev was also a huge favorite. Not only did his aspect of having to put on a face and not letting people in get to me, but also his whole experience with depression and how to properly navigate it. Parisha was also a favorite, just because she was quirky and fun but also caring. Even some characters that are first portrayed in a negative light get some time to shine and show they're likeable, which I greatly appreciated.
The plot was slightly predictable, but I was expecting more of a slowburn. This was more of a medium burn, and the ramifications actually were different than what I expected.
The Charm Offensive is one of the best romances I've read this year and is perfect for any queer reader who wants to see themselves represented in media while also confronting serious issues with all forms of discrimination.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content and Racism
Minor: Vomit
rey_therese07's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexism, Misogyny, and Homophobia
Moderate: Biphobia, Vomit, and Blood
Minor: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, and Religious bigotry
foreverinastory's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
5.0
This was so damn fun!!
Rep: white questioning demisexual gay male MC with OCD and anxiety, Desi gay male MC with depression, pansexual hijabi female side character, side WLW couple, nonbinary side character, queer Chinese female side character.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, homophobia/homomisia, mental illness (OCD, anxiety, depression), panic attacks, vomit. Moderate: blood, grief, racism, violence, past mentions of child abuse. Minor: Acephobia/Acemisia.
Rep: white questioning demisexual gay male MC with OCD and anxiety, Desi gay male MC with depression, pansexual hijabi female side character, side WLW couple, nonbinary side character, queer Chinese female side character.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, homophobia/homomisia, mental illness (OCD, anxiety, depression), panic attacks, vomit. Moderate: blood, grief, racism, violence, past mentions of child abuse. Minor: Acephobia/Acemisia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Vomit
Moderate: Grief, Blood, Child abuse, Racism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia
tanouska's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
You can tell from the way it was written that the author is personally familiar with the mental ilnesses that occur in the book. They hit home hard, which was both nice (seeing something you(ve) struggle(d) with mentioned, but it also kicked my brain into a 'ah yes, I know how to feel like that' funk, which was less nice :P
Overall I really liked the book, the format with the episodes and the scenes at the end, and how diverse and queer the characters all were. The ace rep was also very well done and nice to see!
Overall I really liked the book, the format with the episodes and the scenes at the end, and how diverse and queer the characters all were. The ace rep was also very well done and nice to see!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Homophobia, Ableism, and Racism
decklededgess's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Trigger warnings: depression/depressive episode, OCD triggers, anxiety and panic attacks, harassment and manipulation, homophobia, racist microaggressions, sexual content, alcohol, sexual harassment
My opinion of this book treads a fine line. As a Bachelor franchise fan, I was thoroughly entertained by the producer manipulation exposé this book was attempting to be. Not to mention, I'm guessing this was likely inspired by Colton Underwood's season and what it could have been had he been given the chance to explore his own sexuality instead of a pre-written hetero fantasy. Since one of the producers was a romantic lead, I felt this book was a bit more sympathetic to the producer side of things. In the show, it's evident that the producers err on the side of abusive and manipulative instead of listening ears and while that's evident, the more toxic producers aren't even given a name. Instead the cast of characters are all queer folks who get a bit of a redemption arc. So overall, the Bachelor behind the scenes aspect is a bit more rose coloured glasses than I would expect but otherwise it's not too shabby.
As for the romance, I wasn't a big fan? It's pretty bland in the line of most romances. The author was balancing a forbidden romance, mental health issues, and critique of a reality tv show so it was perhaps too many eggs for this one basket.
I wasn't a big fan of Dev's characterization even if I did like his character overall. He's South Asian but there's no context for his identity save one paragraph about his parents' immigration to USA. And while South Asian folks can vary in their attachment to identity, I found that in Dev's case it was more a side effect of the white author writing a Desi character for the sake of having a non white lead.
The author's attention to mental health was probably the most successful aspect of this book. Charlie's OCD was written well and with respect, Dev's depression was also addressed appropriately. I'm not personally familiar with the nuances of these mental illnesses but I found at times that Charlie teetered the line of autistic and Dev was showing more signs of bipolar disorder than just depression alone. From a place of rudimentary familiarity with all four those were my observations.
Overall, fine.
My opinion of this book treads a fine line. As a Bachelor franchise fan, I was thoroughly entertained by the producer manipulation exposé this book was attempting to be. Not to mention, I'm guessing this was likely inspired by Colton Underwood's season and what it could have been had he been given the chance to explore his own sexuality instead of a pre-written hetero fantasy. Since one of the producers was a romantic lead, I felt this book was a bit more sympathetic to the producer side of things. In the show, it's evident that the producers err on the side of abusive and manipulative instead of listening ears and while that's evident, the more toxic producers aren't even given a name. Instead the cast of characters are all queer folks who get a bit of a redemption arc. So overall, the Bachelor behind the scenes aspect is a bit more rose coloured glasses than I would expect but otherwise it's not too shabby.
As for the romance, I wasn't a big fan? It's pretty bland in the line of most romances. The author was balancing a forbidden romance, mental health issues, and critique of a reality tv show so it was perhaps too many eggs for this one basket.
I wasn't a big fan of Dev's characterization even if I did like his character overall. He's South Asian but there's no context for his identity save one paragraph about his parents' immigration to USA. And while South Asian folks can vary in their attachment to identity, I found that in Dev's case it was more a side effect of the white author writing a Desi character for the sake of having a non white lead.
The author's attention to mental health was probably the most successful aspect of this book. Charlie's OCD was written well and with respect, Dev's depression was also addressed appropriately. I'm not personally familiar with the nuances of these mental illnesses but I found at times that Charlie teetered the line of autistic and Dev was showing more signs of bipolar disorder than just depression alone. From a place of rudimentary familiarity with all four those were my observations.
Overall, fine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Racism, and Emotional abuse
kayles514's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Biphobia
Moderate: Racism and Sexual content
emma985's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia and Biphobia
Minor: Racism
janaireadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Mental illness
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Homophobia, Racism, and Biphobia
Minor: Abandonment
sfbookgirl's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
5.0
Bachelor fans, I have a new must-read for you! I absolutely loved The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun. The book begins with Dev, one of the show’s producers who is assigned to be the Bachelor’s, Charlie’s, right-hand man. Charlie is a quiet, tech guy from Silicon Valley and finds the whole show uncomfortable.
As Dev urges Charlie to connect with the contestants, Charlie realizes he has more chemistry with Dev than he does with the 30 women pining after his heart. Cochrun perfectly intertwines the typical Bachelor environment with serious conversations about mental illnesses like anxiety and depression. I loved reading this book so much that I purposely put it down so I wouldn’t ever have to finish it. Of course, I did eventually finish it, but The Charm Offensive is one that definitely earns a spot on my favorite books of 2021 list.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Minor: Racism
treereads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Minor: Homophobia and Racism