Reviews - The Charm Offensive

12.7k reviews for:

The Charm Offensive

Alison Cochrun

4.19 AVERAGE

lovecurran456's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny hopeful 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

I knew I was going to love this - BUT I LOVE IT SO MUCH. I wouldn’t say I’m a fan of the narrators - they were ok, but the story itself and the love that unfolds between Charlie and Dave had me squealing, crying, cheering, and full of love. I’ve watched reality tv shows Bachelor and Love Island for years now and have always wanted a LGBTQA+ version for years - I would die if they turned this into a movie.

ellenwhite10's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad 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: Yes

worldsnoop's review against another edition

4.0

Super cute. Rounded up because a little, okay, a lot, obvious, but enjoyed.

stephanie_fournet's review against another edition

5.0

I’m so glad I chose this book! I laughed, I wiped away tears, and I marveled at the wisdom in this love story. Because it is about mental health as much as it is about true love. What a triumphant debut novel! I can’t wait for more from Alison Cochrun.

paulaungar's review against another edition

4.5

emotional 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: Complicated

ur_delicatepov's review against another edition

5.0

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

DEV AND CHARLIEEEEE

I loved every second of this book, the mental health portrayal, Charlie figuring himself out, the neurodivergence. These characters were so relatable and I loved their love.

I WAS ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT, KICKING MY FEET AND GIGGLING, ALMOST CRYING, GASPING EVERYTHING!

I needed this book, I’m so glad it exists

lauren_dots's review against another edition

3.0

The Charm Offensive has great representation and covers the subject of mental health issues really well, but I had the same issue with this as with [b:The Spanish Love Deception|54189398|The Spanish Love Deception|Elena Armas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1610900883l/54189398._SY75_.jpg|84555384] of the "Prince Charming" character not being believable to me.

While I didn't really like [b:One to Watch|53103895|One to Watch|Kate Stayman-London|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1584401917l/53103895._SX50_.jpg|73881997], I feel like fans of that book would like this.

elove05's review against another edition

5.0

daphne and angie should've run away together but whatever

acg233's review against another edition

3.0

| BOOK REVIEW |

Title: The Charm Offensive
Author: Alison Cochrun
Format:

scythe_2006's review against another edition

2.5

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I really wanted to like this book, but Charm Offensive ended up being painfully cringey.
The characters didn’t feel like real people, they felt more like a collection of quirky traits and "diverse identity" checkboxes than fully fleshed-out humans. There’s a difference between authentic representation and throwing in every possible label to make a point.
What frustrated me most, though, was how juvenile the main characters were. I had to keep reminding myself they were supposed to be in their late twenties, because honestly, their behavior was more fitting for angsty teenagers than grown adults.

Content Warnings

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