The Charm Offensive A Novel

this book is written very well and i like how not cheesy it is. i love dev and charlie as characters but i also would like to know why they like eachother so much ???

4.5

Very very very good book. Loved Charlie, precious cinnamon bun. Loved Daphne's queer awakening on the side. I kinda wish the women had been a bit more fleshed out and real. Like I get the story wasn't about them, but most of them really were only plot devices. Like I wish Lauren L. had been a person rather than a Lauren. I wish Megan would have been aware of what she was doing or how she was being portrayed (there was a throwaway line like "At home, Megan probably isn't like this, it's just the producers goading her"... Like no. I'm sure Megan has watched reality tv and is aware of the tropes. She doesn't have to be stupid and guileless to be the shows villain. She could be aware and feel some type of way about how she was being portrayed, y'know. She could have had some agency in it, even. But nope, it's all the producers' doing). Like in chapter 1 Jules' was wearing a Paramore t-shirt. Couldn't any of the women on the show have had a bit of personality too? But like I said I get that the story isn't about them and doing any of that might've broadened the scope of the story in a way Cochran wasn't interested in. It's a love story, not a commentary on gender dynamics in reality tv or whatever.

"The Charm Offensive" de Alison Cochrun es una novela romántica contemporánea que destaca por su frescura, humor y exploración de temas como la autenticidad y la aceptación personal. Publicada en 2021, esta obra ha cautivado a los lectores con su historia emotiva y sus personajes entrañables. La trama sigue a Dev Deshpande, un productor de un popular reality show de citas llamado "Ever After". Dev es carismático, talentoso y sabe cómo hacer que las personas se sientan especiales, pero detrás de su fachada de éxito, lucha con sus propias inseguridades y expectativas poco realistas. Cuando se le asigna trabajar con Charlie Winshaw, uno de los participantes del programa, cuya personalidad introvertida y reserva contrasta con la suya, Dev se encuentra desafiado de formas que nunca imaginó. Lo que hace que "The Charm Offensive" sea único es su enfoque en la representación LGBTQ+ y la exploración de la diversidad en las relaciones románticas. Los personajes principales, Dev y Charlie, son complejos y multifacéticos, y su viaje hacia el amor y la aceptación personal es conmovedor y auténtico. La autora aborda temas como la ansiedad social, la autoestima y la presión de cumplir con las expectativas sociales de una manera sensible y realista. Además de su trama romántica, la novela también ofrece una mirada perspicaz al mundo detrás de las cámaras de los reality shows y las presiones que enfrentan tanto los participantes como los productores. La narrativa está hábilmente entrelazada con elementos de comedia, lo que añade ligereza y diversión a la historia sin restarle profundidad emocional. El estilo de escritura de Cochrun es ágil y envolvente, lo que hace que la lectura sea rápida y adictiva. Los diálogos son agudos y llenos de chispa, y los momentos emotivos están hábilmente equilibrados con momentos de humor y romance. Los lectores se verán inmersos en el mundo de "Ever After" y se conectarán fácilmente con los personajes y sus luchas. En resumen, "The Charm Offensive" es una novela romántica refrescante y conmovedora que cautiva desde la primera página hasta la última. Con su representación auténtica, su exploración de temas significativos y su estilo de escritura cautivador, esta obra de Alison Cochrun es una lectura obligada para los amantes del romance contemporáneo y aquellos que buscan una historia que los haga reír, llorar y enamorarse.

what the FUCKKKKK AHGGHGGH THIS WAS SO GOOD I READ IT IN ONE SITTING

4’75/5 estoy sin palabras y solo puedo decir que me encanto; desde la trama tan original, los personajes entrañables y reales con los cuales puedes sentirte identificado, así como la forma en la que se desarrolla la relación entre los protas y cómo aborda los temas como el toc, ataques de pánico, la ansiedad y la depresión, sin mencionar la búsqueda de identidad. no soy muy fan de los libros escritos en tercera persona, pero creo que en este caso funciona muy bien. hubo solo ciertas escenas que sentí de relleno pero solo fueron unas cuantas, y a pesar de que el libro no tiene nada de spicy, las escenas de tensión están muy bien logradas. me sentí completamente identificado con Dev, soy yo, he vivido la mayoría de sus problemas y situaciones y es por eso que pude empatizar con él, por otra parte Charlie, solo quiero darle un abrazo y decirle que todo va a estar bien, los amo mucho <3

So cute!! I loved the way this book represented mental health, it was done so well. Unfortunately in the Audiobook Dev is pronounced "Dave" which was a bit annoying but whatever :) I didn't enjoy the 'ever after' show I wasn't really interesting when they started to tell us about what is happening with the girls and all of the small situations that happened between them but I ended up loving it at the end after the number of girls went down a bit 😊💓

was it very idealistic and super predictable? yes... but i also think it was kinda self-aware and genuine. (truly rom-com essence served on a silver platter hehe) it was so fun to read.. i appreciate the discussion of mental health and i think the character development was satisfying!

3.5!

The Charm Offensive: 4.5/5 This is my new comfort book. Premise: Dev is a hopeless romantic who believes in fairy tale endings. This comes in handy at his job, a producer of Ever After, a Bachelor-esc reality dating tv show. Usually, he's talked with engineering happy endings and coaching the women through the grueling process until this season; he's tasked with handling the prince charming, Charlie. Charlie is a drop-dead gorgeous tech mogul and ex-cologne model who agrees to participate in the show in hopes of revamping his image to rejoin the tech industry. The only problem is that Charlie is not suave and needs as much help as he can get in the dating department. As Charlie and Dev get closer, Dev recognizes Charlie has more going on than meets the eye, and maybe they have more in common than he previously thought. Can Dev make Charlie fall in love, or is the real love story behind the scenes? Writing & Plot: Nah, this book was SO GOOD. The vibes were so immaculate, and I could not put it down. It is such an adorable love story with a tremendous mental health representation. I'm a sucker for a queer rom-com, and this hit the spot. The plot is pretty straightforward but adequate for what it is. The writing flows effortlessly, and it is so difficult to put down. Characters: I adored Dev and Charlie. Both are complex and interesting to read about. The romance itself is an adorable slow burn that will keep the reader turning the pages. Not only are the two love birds great, but the side characters also have good character arcs, which makes the book all the more believable. Conclusion: If you need a new queer rom-com comfort book, this is it. It is binge-able and an easy read that will have you tearing up from cute-ness. This is an instant favorite for me, and I highly recommend it to everyone!

4.5 is this my new red, white and royal blue?? yes

This book started on such a good note for me. The setting and the characters took me in. I enjoyed up to two-thirds of the book before the charm (pun fully intended) wore off. The third act resolve didn't do it for me. Overall, the book is a sweet-fun read. The characters have heart and make you feel invested in them.

CHEFS KISS LOVED IT

3.5

The book brought me so much joy! I listened to this one in one day. I started it while commuting and then just couldn’t stop. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about the reality tv show setting - because I’ve tried and failed to actually enjoy reality tv - but it turned out not to bother me. It reminded me a lot of the show UnREAL showcasing the manipulative and fake ins and outs of reality tv. But what really stole the show was the main characters and their respective mental illness representation. As someone who struggles with both depression and anxiety, I don’t always appreciate how it is portrayed, but Cochrun does it beautifully! Charlie’s mental illnesses made him so genuine and unique and I just adored the absolute heck out of him. Dev’s pushing down and ignoring of his mental illness was so relatable. And the way being there for a person when they are struggling was ingrained in the story just made me want to give this book a hug! The romance was so sweet and tender and had such an organic build up. I loved every minute of it!

4.5 This book really was so cute wholesome while diving into deep and nuanced topic in a authentic and non judgemental way. Also the representation in here slaps and everyone is queer (which is fantastic!!). Overall a really enjoyable read!

i picked this up bc it was written by someone from my home town, and im glad i read it! sweet story and i really loved all the characters

4

This is such a difficult book for me to review! Like my rating doesn’t do it justice but also I started it and the whole time I very much was not in the right reading mood for it. So my rating does reflect my feelings towards the book and how much I enjoyed. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted but I adored it for so many of the important conversations it had and the complexities of these characters and the journey they went through so I also wanted to rate it higher to reflect that it had so much good within and it was a me problem because I’d probably love the book if I’d read it at a different time.

First up there’s Charlie. He was an adorable guy who hadn’t had the right people around him in the past to help him realise he is not the problem. He goes on a dating show for the wrong reasons but still finds love when he doesn’t expect it. It was great to see the struggle he faced with his OCD and anxiety and how that he could be perceived as difficult but only because people didn’t understand. He was sweet and honestly never expected to find love as he had never felt sexual attraction before. Until Dev. In some ways it seems like the mental and emotional struggles of this book will centre on him but honestly Charlie had been through therapy and recognised the importance of his mental health and was trying to build healthy coping strategies into his life. He had good people in his corner so you worried for him but not too excessively. Dev was the one who went through a journey.

Dev was a sweetheart who believed in love and had rose coloured glasses about the show he walked on. He never meant to develop feelings for Charlie but he did. But really this book was about him accepting his mental health struggles and acknowledging he had depression and then learning how best to live with this. He very much ignored it and tried to push those who cared for him away when he was in a depressive episode as he didn’t seem to want them to associate that side of himself with who he was. It was great seeing him at the end getting help and developing healthier strategies in his life to cope. And most importantly allowing others close to him and help him when he needed it. It was about him acknowledging fairy tales aren’t true and that love is not easy. It doesn’t follow a set narrative and you cannot control it.

Honestly, this book did so much well and I wish I’d DNFed and tried to read it again another day as I would have loved it if I’d been in the right mood for it. Instead, I struggled through and acknowledge the potential there without truly connecting with it which was sad.

UROCZE I PIĘKNE niesamowicie prosto mi się czytało. przyjemne, łatwe i urocze. Nic skomplikowanego

(4.5/5) this book😭😭 it's not a 5 star read just because during the first maybe 100 pages I feel like the author struggled to find a pace that worked both with her plot and Charlie's OCD/anxiety and it gave as a result some repetitive scenes, but nothing that made me want to dnf at any point. having said that, this is such a beautiful story. once what I mentioned before was settled, the story really does a fantastic job of both portraying really complex, nuanced characters and a love story worth swooning over. every single character in this book (aparte from josh and maureen, I sincerely hope they d1e) was beautifully complex, even the princesses. I love Charlie and Dev with my whole entire heart and they deserve ALL the fairy tale endings. it was lovely seeing them both fall for each other and, at the same time, wanting to be better to be together. loved that there wasn't necessarily a third act breakup but third act angst. this was so well done and it made me so so many times I genuinely can't express how much I loved it. EVERYONE READ IT

4.75/5

** spoiler alert ** I......have almost no words. I just finished it and i'm not an emotional person but they are tears in my eyes. Okay. First of all: the representation. Theres basically more POC than white people and they're almost ALL queer and i love it. The mental health rep is *chefs kiss*. Dev mental health is portrayed really well, i think, and i relate so goddamn much to Charlie. Not just because of his mental state, but because of his sexuality journey. I might have to rethink my lables.... Parisa and Jules and Skylar all have my heart and i love them dearly. (Maureen can go fuck herself) I think almost anyone can find someone they relate to in this book(that's how much representation there is). The plot, the banter, the angst, the (ew) love, the EVERYTHING is sooooooo *makes inhuman squeal-noise*. I can't think of anything negavtive to say about this book except for that there isn't more of it. (Also Daphne has my soul in a bag) get it, you seggsy dawg(i love you and wish you all the best) -I read this a an ebook, but it is now on my prioity book-buy list, because i want a physical copy. Goodnight<3

5 Stars Charlie is a mess, but so is Dev, and he can’t believe they found each other on this ridiculous show about fairy-tale love. WOWWW I'M IN LOVE!!!😍😍 Consider me obsessed with this book and not shutting up about it anytime soon! I literally want to run up to all my friends please read this wonderful book, you won't regret it! I'm so happy, I think Dev and Charlie are too precious for words and have earned a spot among my favourites. Their relationship completely moved me! Charlie is so misunderstood because he has OCD, anxiety, suffers from panic attacks, and has an aversion to people touching him. He grew up always believing he was different from his classmates and family, and that basically the only thing he had to offer was his mind. It's because of this that most people in his life never really got the chance to know him or only saw you they wanted to see, and it's that fact that kills me. When his company is taken away from him it was suggested by his best friend and publicist Parsia (aka a goddess and the only person in his life to really know and love him for who he is before Dev) that he joins Ever After (a bacheloresque reality show) to restore his image and there he meets his handler Dev. Charlie never thought he could find love and had never really felt much of an attraction to anyone before until he starts forming an emotional connection with Dev. Dev comes across as confident and outgoing, he believes in true love and that it can be found through their show. He also hates the idea that people don't take it seriously. At first, he thinks Charlie is going to be one of those people too but as they form a real connection over the weeks and months of being around each other and sharing a living space things change. He begins to grow a soft spot for Charlie and realizes what an amazing person he is. After that, it becomes his mission to help him find the love that he is so deserving of. Over that time both start developing both an attraction and emotional connection to each other. You can tell from their interactions that this is the most meaningful relationship either of them has ever had. Now the thing is Dev is better at hiding the parts of himself he doesn't want others to see but that doesn't mean it's not there, and I liked seeing those two sides of mental health looked at. Together they challenged each other and supported one another through so many internal struggles. I can't get over how well mental health was shown in so many different ways, it was more than I've seen in most books and it was so refreshing seeing it here. Nothing felt just thrown in and it was all done imo in a very honest and real way. You have also had on the romance side: hidden attraction, mutual pinning, drunken confessions, taking care of a person when they're not well, secret relationship/ forbidden relationship, practice kissing, and only one bed. There are just a million thoughts I have towards this book it made me emotional but it also made me smile and then left me with the most wonderful feel good vibes! The kind of book that feels like you were given a big hug, and I love some good warm and fuzzy vibes. At the same time, it tackled some harder topics and didn't sugarcoat them and I really appreciated that side of things too. I think there's something for anyone to relate to in this story and important messages to take away from it. If you're looking for a beautiful romance filled with both humorous and heartfelt moments with wonderful characters, and some mental health rep look no further!! Also, looks like there's a lead into Daphne's book I love the secondary characters in this book so if there's a book dedicated to them believe I will be reading it!! I want to note this kind of story can easily be a hit or miss for me, but here I don't think it could've been better! I particularly loved Charlie's thoughts on Dev going through a depressive episode. I think it just captures so much of him as a person and the way he viewed Dev struggling with his mental health is exactly why he is the right person for Dev. I also think it's an important message for anyone in that position. Or just anyone who is struggling on the inside and feels like they have to put up a front around others. "Most of the time, Dev is like a human bonfire walking around generously warming everyone with his presence. But burning that bright and that fiercely must be exhausting; no one can sustain it forever. Charlie wishes he could tell Dev it’s okay to flicker out sometimes. It’s okay to tend to his own flame, to keep himself warm. He doesn’t have to be everything for everyone else all the time."