{Thank you to Atria Books for my gifted review copy}
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date:
September 7th, 2021
Book Summary:
In this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy—reminiscent of Red, White & Royal Blue and One to Watch—an awkward tech wunderkind on a reality dating show goes off-script when sparks fly with his producer.
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.
Genre:
Contemporary Romance / Romantic Comedy / LGBTQ+ Romance
My Rating:
5/5 Stars
Purchase Your Copy:
My Review:
I alternated reading and listening to The Charm Offensive by author Alison Cochran, and I have to say, it totally charmed this skeptical contemporary romance reader.
As sometime whose feet are firmly planted in the realities of a long term relationship, I get a little annoyed when romance books just seem too “fairy tale like, or just, totally unrealistic. I enjoy reading about real life issues, multifaceted plot lines and imperfect characters. And this one has it all.
I actually don’t watch a lot of reality TV anymore, so I loved that while it was based off of the (sometimes quite problematic) tropes of a reality dating show, it ultimately featured embracing your true self when looking for love.
This novel was unique, witty and totally heartwarming and I loved that it featured mental health, identity and acceptance.This was just as much about loving and understanding oneself as it was a romance plot line, and I am here for that!
The main characters were amazing but the supporting roles were just as much of a part of my reading enjoyment and added so much to the diverse array of topics covered in this book.
I could go on and on about this but I already know this will be one of my favorite contemporary romance reads of 2021. You can join in on the conversation about The Charm Offensive over on my instagram account @genthebookworm.
Thank you to Atria Books for my gifted review copy. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
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