A review by bookishmillennial
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted 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
General disclaimer if you’ve read other reviews by me and are noticing a pattern: You’re correct that I don’t really give starred reviews, I feel like a peasant and don’t like leaving them and most often, I will only leave them if I vehemently despised a book. Thus, no stars doesn’t indicate that the book wasn’t worthy of any starred system. It just means I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all, even if the lesson is that I’m a ho for the smut, recognizing a genre/book/author is not for me, or confronting my own mommy/daddy issues lol. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Happy reading! Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial

If you know me, you know I am a slut for reality tv, ESPECIALLY shows about dating or love. I fully recognize the problematic & heteronormative aspects of them, but also… I like mess 😂 This book is a fun queer romp if you’re like me & wished there were more queer shows or representation in that world! The way Are You The One? & Ultimatum: Queer Love made me absolutely insufferable heheheheeh😅😇

I adore these characters!!! Alison has such an impressive gift of developing a rumbling, but gentle build ups towards a quiet romance & I eat every second of it up😭

Her books & characters have easily become my comfort characters, not only for the queer representation/experience but for the mental health discussions too. The way that Charlie & Dev navigate their depression & anxiety, not only for themselves but for each other, are so tender & powerful. Even though they both deal with mental health struggles, they experience them differently & I deeply appreciate the portrayal of that. They don’t dismiss each other with “that’s not how it is for me” or “that’s not how depression works”; they believe each other & patiently try to figure it out together along the way.

I got my copy of this & Kiss Her Once for Me signed at LA Festival of Books & I have been floating on cloud nine since then.

Anyway, there’s truly nothing I can say about this that hasn’t been said already but read if you like:
💜reality tv settings/premise
🧩queer awakening
🪴forced proximity
🩶fun cast of characters
🎬grand gestures
🌍dual POV of love interests
✈️coming of age stories for adults
👑mental health & queer representation 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings