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A review by karina_dreamsinwords
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
"If happily ever after is something you choose, then Dev decides to choose it for himself."
Chosen as the next Prince Charming, Charlie stars in this season of the hit reality dating show Ever After, reminiscent of The Bachelor, to find his one true love. Dev is a producer on the show and is assigned to be Charlie's "handler" and personal coach, ensuring Charlie is always camera ready. Over the course of filming, Dev offers to take Charlie on practice dates to get the nerves out and lower his anxiety. We see Charlie develop & ultimately blossom into his true self as he grows closer to Dev. Maybe, just maybe, his happily ever after looks a bit different than he imagined.
As a reality show binge watcher, I had a feeling I was going to love this based off of the premise alone. I’m very happy to say that I absolutely adored this book!
At the beginning of The Charm Offensive we see Charlie struggle with his sexuality. Being a workaholic with no time for relationships, Charlie didn’t have the opportunity to explore or develop an attraction to anyone in his past. Watching Charlie’s journey to self acceptance and self love was honest, raw and beautiful to see unfold.
There are discussions of mental health regarding both of our main characters— Dev struggles through depression, while Charlie has OCD, severe anxiety, and experiences panic attacks. I don’t believe I have seen mental health represented in both mc’s before. We also see Dev also seek professional help from a therapist which was also refreshing to see on page. Throughout the book, Cochrun expresses the delicate & important way a partner cares for you while experiencing an episode. I could cry at the instances we see this take place between Charlie & Dev! Incredibly beautiful moments.
This book is hilarious, charming, swoony, heartfelt and truly a delightful read. If you are in need of a mood lifter— I highly suggest picking this one up.
p.s. if I had to describe The Charm Offensive in one emoji, it would be 💖💖💖
Chosen as the next Prince Charming, Charlie stars in this season of the hit reality dating show Ever After, reminiscent of The Bachelor, to find his one true love. Dev is a producer on the show and is assigned to be Charlie's "handler" and personal coach, ensuring Charlie is always camera ready. Over the course of filming, Dev offers to take Charlie on practice dates to get the nerves out and lower his anxiety. We see Charlie develop & ultimately blossom into his true self as he grows closer to Dev. Maybe, just maybe, his happily ever after looks a bit different than he imagined.
As a reality show binge watcher, I had a feeling I was going to love this based off of the premise alone. I’m very happy to say that I absolutely adored this book!
At the beginning of The Charm Offensive we see Charlie struggle with his sexuality. Being a workaholic with no time for relationships, Charlie didn’t have the opportunity to explore or develop an attraction to anyone in his past. Watching Charlie’s journey to self acceptance and self love was honest, raw and beautiful to see unfold.
There are discussions of mental health regarding both of our main characters— Dev struggles through depression, while Charlie has OCD, severe anxiety, and experiences panic attacks. I don’t believe I have seen mental health represented in both mc’s before. We also see Dev also seek professional help from a therapist which was also refreshing to see on page. Throughout the book, Cochrun expresses the delicate & important way a partner cares for you while experiencing an episode. I could cry at the instances we see this take place between Charlie & Dev! Incredibly beautiful moments.
This book is hilarious, charming, swoony, heartfelt and truly a delightful read. If you are in need of a mood lifter— I highly suggest picking this one up.
p.s. if I had to describe The Charm Offensive in one emoji, it would be 💖💖💖
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Sexual assault, Vomit, and Biphobia