Review: The Charm Offensive by Allison Cochrun
Thank you Atria Books for my Advanced Reader’s Copy. All thoughts are my own.
Oh this book! I had seen early buzz surrounding The Charm Offensive and I have to say, it totally lived up to the hype for me. I had such a fun time reading it and once I got through the first 30%, I FLEW through the rest. If you enjoyed One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London, you’ll like this one even more. It’s perfect for fans of The Bachelor franchise who have been wanting the show to do better in regards to diversity and inclusivity for years.
It’s also a book that taught me so much about the layers of sexual identity, much like Felix Ever After did. I’m so grateful for this fictional stories and how they continue to widen my vocabulary so that I can understand myself and other more.
Synopsis:
“Dev Deshpande has always believed in fairy tales. So it’s no wonder then that he’s spent his career crafting them on the long-running reality dating show Ever After. As the most successful producer in the franchise’s history, Dev always scripts the perfect love story for his contestants, even as his own love life crashes and burns. But then the show casts disgraced tech wunderkind Charlie Winshaw as its star.
Charlie is far from the romantic Prince Charming Ever After expects. He doesn’t believe in true love, and only agreed to the show as a last-ditch effort to rehabilitate his image. In front of the cameras, he’s a stiff, anxious mess with no idea how to date twenty women on national television. Behind the scenes, he’s cold, awkward, and emotionally closed-off.
As Dev fights to get Charlie to connect with the contestants on a whirlwind, worldwide tour, they begin to open up to each other, and Charlie realizes he has better chemistry with Dev than with any of his female co-stars. But even reality TV has a script, and in order to find to happily ever after, they’ll have to reconsider whose love story gets told.” —Amazon
What I Liked:
The Characters—Is there any way I could have loved Dev more? No. No, there is not. I loved all the characters (except Maureen) in this book. I loved their dynamics and friendships, the banter…it’s all just SO good.
The Structure—I loved how at the end of each episode, there was transcripts of the dialogue the crew captured to showcase how manipulated reality TV is. I wish I could tell my teenage self that when I was obsessed with Laguna Beach.
The Plot—I loved how the plot unfolded, especially the surprise ending!
What Didn’t Work:
Chapter Length—This is SUCH a personal thing but when I see on my e-reader a chapter is 50+ minutes, I panic 😅
Content Warnings:
Mental illness (Depression), Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Acephobia/Arophobia, Ableism
Character Authenticity: 5/5 Steam Rating: .05/5 Overall Rating: 4.75/5