Reviews with content warning for Acephobia/Arophobia - The Charm Offensive

Reviews tagging 'Acephobia/Arophobia'

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

57 reviews

feelingfrazzled's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? It's complicated

5.0

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readinglikesappho'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

full transparency i went into this book just expecting a one-off simple romcom but it ended up being so much more than that and I loved it so much.
all cringe aside, this book is the embodiment of the 'we accept the love we think we deserve' quote.
this book made me want to watch a reality dating tv show, but only until I remembered that they all suck and are full of ugly straight people.
the way this book talks about and portrays mental health was one of the best I've read in a while. the way that Charlies OCD & anxiety and Devs depression are talked about and shown to us was so well done. the way that the severity and the dark ugly side of them are normalized and how the focus on therapy and taking care of yourself are emphasized?!?!?!? i cried.
also the way that we see comphet played out and described was so genuine and realistic i related to it so heavily.
Also was a huge fan of the way that Charlie decides he wants to exist outside a label but also being sure in his place on the ace spectrum. I think that people often think ace characters have to be sex-repulsed and timid and forget that asexuality exists on a spectrum so it was really refreshing to see Charlie express his feelings.
i related to Charlie on so many levels that it was genuinely concerning and I'm going to repress some stuff for a little while now but its okay!
even with the heavy themes this book is so much fun and its so cheesy and i loved it and if you're looking for a queer romcom with substance that tugs on your heartstrings in the right way while also giving you the right amount of yanking ur hair out in frustration; i highly HIGHLY recommend checking this book out.

tw// depictions of panic attacks, ableist language surrounding mental health, vomiting, sexism, racism & homophobia (in the context of Hollywood and reality television), heavy discussions about mental health (specifically OCD, anxiety & depression), slightly graphic sexual content, mentions and attempts of sexual assault (minor but still relevant).

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kennyscoffee's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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? It's complicated

4.0

Very Red, White, and Royal Blue which I didn't think was a bad things. This book explores deeper mental health issues than RWRB but had less sexual content and less "we can overcome it all" in my opinion. The book has POV from both characters which allows you to see each characters's feelings.

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ridesthesun's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

Five FUCKING stars!!!

This book is just. It's everything. Vulnerable and funny and sweet and raw and just 🥺🥺🥺🥺 the DIVERSITY. Racial diversity. Sexual and gender diversity. Is mental illness diversity a thing? Well it is in this book. And all of it so so so so so well done.

The two mains are so chaotic and beautiful and hilarious and *good*. I love them with my whole CHEST.

As an asexual person, I've NEVER seen a character who is explicitly ace. Maybe a handful that were ace-coded, but never actually using the word. AND THIS BOOK DOES IT TWICE! TWIIIIIICE!!! And I've *certainly* never seen it from a main character. And it was *good* rep. Actually accurate rep. And two different characters that showed two different places on the ace spectrum!! I can't believe this is real tbh. It's just brilliant and made me feel so loved and seen 🥰🥰🥰

Anyways go read this book it's brilliant and lovely and goofy and 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

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misscoffeereads's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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

5.0

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hmatt's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

5.0

By the time this came up in my library holds, I had forgotten the context for why it was on my "to-read" list, besides the fact that it was a queer romance. I've been struggling to finish any books this month and snapped it up because I figured it would be a warm, fuzzy, fast read.

Well, it was. But also - it does such an incredible job of juggling all the things I want in a solid romance read:

reads like an adult novel, not YA
realistic dialogue
integrates intersectional issues without it feeling forced
incorporates a diverse range of lovable/complex characters
doesn't make anyone "the" villain!!!

Sure, it has a pretty cheesy premise that is not-quite realistic, but it was close enough given its other major sell (for me): I have literally never read a character whose queer identity/experience I can basically fully relate to. Full-stop, I've never seen myself in a fictional character in that way before Charlie. I really, really, appreciate the writing that is being done in YA, nonfiction, and fantasy (primarily) with regard to asexual representation, but I find that the most commonly repped aces are sex-repulsed and/or also aromantic, and I don't identify with either of those things. I've also never(? in memory) experienced a character express their discomfort with/preference not to use specific labels for their sexuality, so that was very cool.

I have some mixed feelings on Charlie's "What if I were gay?" scene, but I'm going to go ahead and headcanon that as an oversimplification for the sake of the drama.

I can see how this won't hit the spot for a 5-star with everyone, as it is suuuuper trope-y. I think it may not have made it that far with me if not for some of the nuanced dialogue (the sexuality stuff but also the recurring discussions of mental health issues). The comparison to Red, White & Royal Blue is apt, IMO, and not just because of the genres lining up. It really had the same kind of feel to the storytelling.

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