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A review by iamcupid_
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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
5.0
I'm not sure how to start this review. Where do I even begin? There were so many things that I loved in this book. This book was perfect---more than, in fact. From the start, I was hooked. Like, totally hooked. There was no dull line in this book, like, it was so hard for me to put it down because every moment had me screaming and crying and feeling feelings. It's so hard to put into words how much I loved this book. If this book was a person, I would be trying to do everything to please them. I just love it so much. A new fave book. A new comfort book. I loved every second of reading this.
The thing that I kept thinking while reading this was that what really set this apart from other books I've read is that it really cared about everything/everyone else outside Dev and Charlie's love story. You have a lot of other POC characters, queer characters, all of them struggling with something else in their life. Even Ryan, who we---at least *I*---think was the common shitty ex turned out to be... not a shitty ex. The other characters were so fleshed out and I was so interested in them that I didn't even care when Dev or Charlie isn't in the scene. THIS is how you make romance. THIS is how you make a book. Every time I remember that this is a debut novel, I need a moment. THIS IS A DEBUT NOVEL????? Like. It was so perfect. How can a debut novel ve this good.
I really wasn't sure where the book was going because there were a lot of routes to take. Every guess I had that would happen didn't, instead something BETTER happened. The part where Dev got the Final Crown and I was internally screaming along with him >>>>>>>>>>
This book was also so cheesy but not in an Eastern Lights' (by Brittainy Cherry) way. Although it talked about mental health at length, it did not feel forced. It did not feel dramatacized for the sake of the book's romance. It did not become the thing that made the book interesting, although it grounded the story for me. I was crying at every scene because I saw myself in both Dev and Charlie. Because, yeah, sometimes the way your brain works makes you feel unloveable because you know it's not normal but this book said fuck normal, you deserve love no matter what you're struggling with and I just felt so understood. For the time I was reading this, I felt powerful. So, I'm saying this from the bottom of my heart, this was an amazing read.
With that being said, I am so ready for all the books Alison Cochrun would publish in the future. Consider me a fan.
The thing that I kept thinking while reading this was that what really set this apart from other books I've read is that it really cared about everything/everyone else outside Dev and Charlie's love story. You have a lot of other POC characters, queer characters, all of them struggling with something else in their life. Even Ryan, who we---at least *I*---think was the common shitty ex turned out to be... not a shitty ex. The other characters were so fleshed out and I was so interested in them that I didn't even care when Dev or Charlie isn't in the scene. THIS is how you make romance. THIS is how you make a book. Every time I remember that this is a debut novel, I need a moment. THIS IS A DEBUT NOVEL????? Like. It was so perfect. How can a debut novel ve this good.
I really wasn't sure where the book was going because there were a lot of routes to take. Every guess I had that would happen didn't, instead something BETTER happened. The part where Dev got the Final Crown and I was internally screaming along with him >>>>>>>>>>
This book was also so cheesy but not in an Eastern Lights' (by Brittainy Cherry) way. Although it talked about mental health at length, it did not feel forced. It did not feel dramatacized for the sake of the book's romance. It did not become the thing that made the book interesting, although it grounded the story for me. I was crying at every scene because I saw myself in both Dev and Charlie. Because, yeah, sometimes the way your brain works makes you feel unloveable because you know it's not normal but this book said fuck normal, you deserve love no matter what you're struggling with and I just felt so understood. For the time I was reading this, I felt powerful. So, I'm saying this from the bottom of my heart, this was an amazing read.
With that being said, I am so ready for all the books Alison Cochrun would publish in the future. Consider me a fan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Vomit