A review by heyitsjude
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

4.0

3.5 ⭐️ it was a fun and fast read it followed the typical formula for a contemporary romance, but it was written so well. I find with contemporary often one of the two in the relationship feels more fleshed out as a character compared to the other. But both protagonists had great character development, and they felt like real people. Even the supporting characters felt real like they weren’t just pawns to further the main characters. The romance in this book was cute and fun to read about, but what I appreciated most was the depictions of mental health. Charlie has OCD, and severe anxiety while Dev has depression. When reading about what they faced it didn’t feel stereotypical or romanticized. The author showed how these characters struggle with their mental health and how it affects them. I often found myself relating to Charlie in his times of anxiousness with his overthinking and constant apologies through the beginning of the book. I (have a tendency to over apologize and overcompensate too lol ) To see Charlie’s train of thought felt so relatable for me. Overall I really enjoyed this book, and it’s full of great characters and representation.