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lovelymisanthrope's review
- 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
"The Charm Offensive" follows Dev and Charlie. Charlie is a super sweet, kind of awkward guy that needs some good publicity. So, his team gets him to be the new Prince Charming on the latest season of the tv show "Ever After". Dev is a producer on "Ever After" and absolutely believes in true love and happily ever afters. He has spent his entire career working on this show because he wants everyone to see real love come to life. Dev is tasked with working with Charlie to get him camera ready during the duration of the show, and he quickly develops a crush on the gorgeous Charlie.
Not only does this story have an amazing, queer love story, but it has some of the best anxiety representation I have seen in a long time. Charlie suffers with crippling anxiety, along with OCD, and it really hinders all aspects of his life. Dev suffers with depression that sometimes makes it difficult for him to get out of bed. Despite these two fighting different battles, they are able to support each other and know what the other needs when they are really going through it. I loved seeing characters that did not question mental illness, and just silently picked up on the clues so they knew how to make the other fell more comfortable in the moment.
Charlie and Dev are both so pure hearted and I loved them together. They have so much in common, but they have a lot of differences. Where one is weak, the other is strong, and this makes them a force to be reckoned with when they stand together. Their love story was 100% believable from page one because they have amazing chemistry.
One thing I really appreciated about this story was it was not an easy love story for the characters. They faced real challenges (not strange made-up scenarios used for a plot point). They had to work at their love story, but it was not because they did not want it.
I 1000% recommend this story, and I look forward to reading more from Alison Cochrun in the future.
Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual content
axel_p's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Mental illness, Misogyny, Vomit, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Biphobia, Bullying, Drug use, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
bruhbruh's review
- 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
Graphic: Abandonment, Biphobia, Hate crime, Ableism, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Bullying, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Vomit
Moderate: Racism and Toxic friendship
frantic_vampire's review
- 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
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Bullying, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Biphobia, Homophobia, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Vomit, Emotional abuse, Ableism, and Misogyny
cady_sass's review
- 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 will actually fight someone over this book, don’t you dare come over here with your slander 🤣
Graphic: Abandonment, Ableism, Alcohol, Biphobia, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Bullying, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Homophobia, and Vomit
kelly_e's review against another edition
- 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
Author: Alison Cochrun
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4.75
Pub Date: September 7, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Delightful • Heartfelt • Witty
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Dev Deshpande has always believed in fairy tales and happily ever after. His job on the hit show Ever After allows him to write the perfect love story time and time again. However, his own love life is exactly the opposite.
The latest season casts disgraced tech wunderkind Charlie Winshaw as Prince Charming. Charlie is far from a romantic and only agreed to do the show in order to salvage his own image. Dev is tasked with being Charlie's handler, and must help him connect with the women. As they begin to spend more time together, they open up to one another.
💭 T H O U G H T S
The Charm Offensive was one of my 12 recommendation from 12 friends for 2022, and it didn't not disappoint! Alison Cochrun has delivered a heartwarming rom-com with so much depth.
What I like:
- Charlie and Dev. Individually - they were both flawed and realistic. And together - their supportive relationship was a breath of fresh air.
- the mental health representation. I felt seen in a variety of ways, and for that alone I appreciate what the author has done.
- the queer representation. The conversation on sexuality is everything. It is open, it is honest, it is inclusive.
- wit. The banter between not only the main characters but the secondary ones as well had me laughing out loud at various points.
- character growth. I am here for rom-coms with depth, and this one has it's fair share and then some.
What I didn't like:
- the reality show backdrop. I definitely could have done without it, but understand the appeal.
- the chapter length. In my opinion, the chapters could have easily been shorter.
The open conversations on mental health and sexuality are what make this book a pure gem. The theme of embracing who we are is one I don't find often enough in my reading life. Sometimes there are stories that are a hug in book form, and this was certainly one of those. Highly recommend this one, and I cannot wait to read Alison Cochrun's upcoming release Kiss Her Once For Me
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of The Bachelor/Bachelorette
• readers looking for queer and/or mental health representation
• anyone who likes rom-coms with Disney vibes
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Sexuality isn't always a straight line from closeted to out-of-the-closet. You can take time to explore and evolve and figure out exactly what kind of queer you are, if that even matters to you."
"Labels can be nice sometimes. They can give us a language to understand ourselves and our hearts better."
"He doesn't often try to explain his mind to other people. On the rare occasions he does, other people don't tend to listen."
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Ableism, and Homophobia
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Bullying, Vomit, and Biphobia
Minor: Racism, Body shaming, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Cursing, and Gaslighting
anxiety, depression, OCDnatpa1ge's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Sexual content, Mental illness, and Ableism
Minor: Toxic relationship, Racism, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
kshertz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Minor: Gaslighting, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Homophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
ibjilln's review
- 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 don't even know where to begin.
What a stunning novel that has so much more charm and depth than the pop cover suggested.
I truly was not expecting this roller coaster ride of everything from warm-fuzzies to heart-wrenching, but what a ride it was. I almost want to go back to the start to go through it all again.
The characters and their struggles felt so real and were so wonderfully depicted that I don't even know where to begin. This book has every kind of representation you could want and none of it comes across as gimmicky or falling back on tropes or stereotypes of sexuality or mental health.
It is sad that that is such a treat to read but I am so glad that everything was touched on so thoughtfully and with a genuine sense of understanding and respect.
This book is an absolute treat to read from start to finish and I want everybody to read it and love it.
It's got its forever spot on my bookshelf.
Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Gaslighting
jenny_librarian's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
I loved absolutely everything about this book except one thing: the miscommunication. I know this is how this kind of book is supposed to go, but I just hate when conflict stems from the fact that the main characters won't just sit down and talk. And that's saying a lot, considering a lot of the time Charlie and Dev spend together is them talking...
But apart from that, the sheer amount of diversity in this book was so refreshing for this kind of romcom. We got multiple queer identities (including a whooping TWO characters under the asexual umbrella!!!), neurodivergence and mental health issues being discussed, characters of colour in the forefront of the story... It just felt so good to read!
I have to say, however, that the trigger warnings for OCD, anxiety/panic attacks and depression are major in this book. If this is triggering, better skip it altogether. They hit quick and they hit hard. One of Charlie's panic attack almost caused me to have one. Good writing, but very much triggering.
Everyone else, though: READ. THIS. BOOK!
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Moderate: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Transphobia, Vomit, Outing, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Acephobia/Arophobia, Biphobia, and Bullying
Minor: Cursing, Dysphoria, Sexual content, Body shaming, Alcohol, and Sexual assault