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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, OCDsaeruh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Alcohol, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Ableism, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Vomit and Violence
bialves'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
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
cluckieduck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Cursing, Mental illness, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Vomit
Minor: Toxic friendship, Violence, and Sexual content
jenny_librarian's review against another edition
- 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
readandfindout's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Themes: 4.5 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Plot: 2.5 stars
Graphic: Mental illness, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Ableism
Moderate: Vomit, Acephobia/Arophobia, Lesbophobia, Racism, Biphobia, Outing, and Gaslighting
Minor: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Alcoholism, and Sexual harassment
ariam's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Alcohol and Bullying
fromjuliereads'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
4.5
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Alcohol, Biphobia, Body shaming, Cursing, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Minor: Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
cheye13's review against another edition
- 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: Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Mental illness
Moderate: Biphobia, Alcohol, Racism, Homophobia, and Sexual content
Minor: Toxic friendship
felixreads0321's review against another edition
- 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: Acephobia/Arophobia, Alcohol, Homophobia, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Biphobia, Blood, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Sexism