The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
Publisher: Atria Books
Pub Date: 9/7/2021

Disclaimer: I received a free advanced digital copy of this book from Atria Books in exchange for my honest opinion. This has no effect on my opinion, review, or rating.

GoodReads 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.

Review: The Charm Offensive is a LGBTQ+ romance novel that explores behind the scenes on a dating reality show similar to The Bachelor, mental health effects, friendships, and finding identity. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this one! I could definitely see this become a movie or a limited TV series. I really loved the diverse representation and various sexual identities in this book. It’s definitely a combination of One to Watch and Red, White & Royal Blue. Definitely recommend picking this one up if you love romance books!