Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - The Charm Offensive

Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

137 reviews

katrinarose's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted fast-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

4.0

Super adorable romantic comedy with great LGBTQ+ and mental health representation! I loved their love from the beginning but from around halfway to the end I found Dev absolutely unbearable (and unrealistic with how dense he was about Charlie) which detracted from the romance a fair amount. It was 100% predictable but honestly rom coms usually are and that didn’t take away from my enjoyment because I don’t read a rom com for the plot twists. Overall recommend, I just wish Dev’s character had been worked on a bit more.

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alouette's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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

such a charmingly sappy and also emotionally devastating novel!! it started out with the most lovely romantic comedy vibes and quickly built up into a heartbreakingly honest portrayal of mental illness. it's very clear that love won't solve all the hardships these characters are going through, but the characters (especially Dev and Charlie!) are able to lean on each other for support.

It doesn't need some catastrophic tragedy to turn the chemicals of his brain against him. Tiny tragedies are more than enough.

Dev and Charlie were so adorable within just the first chapter that i was grinning like a fool for most of the novel. the angst made me want to scream, which was an unexpectedly visceral reaction for me and showed just how invested i had gotten in these characters. the audiobook narrators were notably so amazing! every voice crack and "oh, love" and even the correct pronunciation of Dev's name throughout hit me right in the heart.

'Forever is never a guarantee. I don't know if I'm going to love them for the rest of my life, but I know right now, I can't imagine a future where I don't love them. And for me, that's enough.'

overall i'm just so happy that their privilege was acknowledged (including by themselves) but their feelings were never treated like less because of this. choose happy endings, my friends!

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criticalgayze's review against another edition

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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

2022 was a lackluster reading year for me, so I knew I wanted to start my year with a reread, but I also wanted a book I could get through as a quick "win" to start my reading year. It felt like the perfect time to revisit Dev and Charlie.

Boy, was that a great decision.

These two are just absolutely beautiful humans surrounded by other absolutely beautiful humans, and the talk about mental health that Cochrun has them engage in is so crucial. Dev and I are also incredibly similar even if his type and mine are radically different.

If "joy" and "reality dating competition" are words that spark excitement for you, pick this one up.

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zed_dog's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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

Incredibly sweet & romantic & gay, with nuanced and compassionate portrayals of mental illness. Wonderful narrative voice, poignant emotional development, and a whimsical setting. Glorious.

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perscoot's review against another edition

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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

3.5

I enjoyed the book, particularly in the first half, but once past the mid-point it started to fall apart a bit. I didn't find the ending satisfying. It felt like things were happening more because the author had specific ideas for scenes rather than because they made sense with regards to the characters and what they've gone through. The best books to me are the ones where I can set aside my analytical writer's hat. I was completely absorbed in the beginning. It was at the end where I was starting to see the author's movements behind the words, and I wasn't particularly happy about it. There was a lot I wanted to love about this book, and it WAS good. I would recommend it to others happily.

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melitta's review against another edition

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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

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gem114's review against another edition

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emotional 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 love Dev and Charlie and the queer and neurodivergent rep in this book. Sobbed for the last 20% of the story.

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marleywrites's review against another edition

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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

Don’t mind me crying over this book’s everything. This story was beautiful and I kept finding myself in Charlie, so it felt very personal and close to my heart. I have OCD and autism, which I saw features of in Charlie as neurodivergent. I saw myself in Dev, too, with the struggles with depression and the high hopes for a happy ending.

The world building and writing of this story was phenomenal. I could see every little moment happening perfectly. The character arcs were beautiful. They hurt and they were honest, and that made it better. I feel like I grew with these characters throughout the story. I listened on audiobook, and I feel like I really got to know these two men and I was extremely invested in their story.

To conclude, this story is heart breaking, healing, and hilarious. Pick it up if you need a good happy cry.

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a_rasmussen's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective tense 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

4.5

Amazing. In my feels. I love it so so much <3

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torikate7's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

A really fun read - I wasn’t sure how I’d like the reality TV storyline, but it was done really well. Super diverse cast of characters, very lovable - captured my heart quickly and I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend.

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