A review by just_one_more_paige
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.0

 
I might be one of the only people who hasn't/doesn't watch the Bachelor/Bachelorette series. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but it definitely feels like that sometimes. So I wasn't originally all that interested in this particular romance, set within the filing/production world of a reality dating show. But then I saw review after review talking about how freaking amazing it was! Like I haven't really seen that amount of universal (and extreme) review positivity for a romance since RWaRB (and maybe One Last Stop - McQuiston seems not to miss). Anyways, I am here for a great queer romance no matter the setting, so I had to see what the hype was about for myself. 
 
Dev had been working on the long-running reality dating show Ever After for six years. He got into it because he has always believed in fairy tales and his passion is writing the perfect "falling in love" story for the contestants. Unfortunately, his own love life looks nothing like his fairy tales dreams. Charlie agreed to be the next Prince Charming for Ever After because his public image needs a lot of help, and he's hoping this will help him get back to work in the tech world he loves. Effusively charming "fun" Dev is reassigned as awkward and closed-off Charlie's handler for the duration of the filming, to help him get through it. But as Dev and Charlie spend time together, they start to realize that there's something about their connection that they've never had with anyone else. And while it's too inconvenient (career-ending, possibly) to be what Dev thought a fairy tale would be, and Charlie has no expectations of ever finding love, whether on Ever After or not, this connection may be worth fighting for, even against the major powers of [scripted] reality tv, mental health concerns, and public opinion. 
 
Well, everyone was right. I loved this romance. It is one of the sweetest books I have ever read, like a cozy hug after a very long day. And not just because of the typical elements, like the building of romantic/sexual tension, all the fluttery feelings I experienced when the tensions finally broke and Dev and Charlie began opening up to each other phsyically (while things defintiely go further than this a few times, the kissing scenes were particualry) and emotionally. Which, for the record, were also wonderful. But one of the real highlights for me, from the very beginning and consistently throughout, was the focus on mental health: the challenges it presents, the constant work it takes to maintain, the myriad ways people react (negatively) to anyone struggling with it, and the absolute beauty in finding the people who accept you not despite, but because of, those pieces of yourself. The number of times Dev and Charlie said “I love you. All of you.” to each other was just....it had me all in my feels. Like, they were so transparently saying to each other exactly what they badly needed to hear themselves, and there was so much similarity in that need despite their very different experiences with mental illness. Incredibly heartwarming and aching in equal measure and that combination was perfect. It should, hopefully, be pretty clear now, but content warnings throughout for explicit mental health/illness content (including anxiety, panic attacks, OCD and depression). 
 
As for the setting/backdrop... Not being into the Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise (or really any reality tv) at all, I am sure that many of the  references/homages went over my head. However, I do have to say that it seems like Cochran really heads-on addressed a number of the toxic/BS aspects of the genre, especially the fake/scripted aspects of the "reality," the heteronormativity (veering into homophobia), and the "traditional" gender roles and expectations, among others. Bearing in mind that I have no legitimate frame of reference, I felt like the line between calling out the toxic elements, while still recognizing and celebrating the highlights that make shows like this so popular and loved. To that end, the way Cochran claims this fairy tale love story for the queer community, in a that's never been available to that community, on this scale in a real life setting, is magnificent. It's inspiring and hopeful and feels a bit like literary justice (if not real life justice) and I couldn't have loved that more.  
 
Well, this tender love story just swept me away. It hit right in the heart with its genuineness, the care with which it handles mental health and learning to love yourself (and believe yourself worthy of someone's else's love), the drama of the reality tv vibes, the fun and exotic locations, the sweet and thoughtful gestures between Dev and Charlie, and the fantastic queer rep (particularly of aro-ace spectrum identities) from characters main to side to background. The hype is real, and it's right. So glad I went for it and picked this one up - my cup is so full right now.  
 
“…some things are too spectacular for fear.” 
 
“I don’t think happily ever after is something that happens to you, Dev. I think it’s something you choose to do for yourself.” 
 

 

 

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