The Charm Offensive

A Novel

By: Alison Cochrun

Narrated by: Vikas Adam, Graham Halstead, Cassandra Campbell

Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

A 2022 Audie Award Finalist

A Most Anticipated Rom-Com Selected by * Buzzfeed * LGBTQ Reads * Bustle * the Nerd Daily * Entertainment Tonight * Frolic Media * and More!

A Best Book Pick by * Harper’s Bazaar * Entertainment Weekly

“The Charm Offensive will sweep you off your feet.” (PopSugar)

​​​​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 20 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.

©2021 Alison Cochrun. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Adam depicts Dev as a mix of dreamy and dramatic, showing his idealistic side and his love for the show. Adam’s flowing narration smooths out the author’s occasional didacticism. Halstead voices Charlie Winshaw, the show’s star and a tech genius who suffers from OCD and generalized anxiety. Halstead accurately represents Charlie’s stilted TV performance, hesitant speech, and withdrawn manner. Cassandra Campbell delivers the daily script updates, her voice creating needed contrast among the sections. With meticulous attention to Dev and Charlie’s singular romance, Adam and Halstead paint a lively picture of reality TV." (AudioFile Magazine)

Wow, that was EXCELLENT

I wasn't sure what to expect but I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely, romantic, modern story. Terrific writing, well-developed, charming characters, great humor, lots of twists and turns, lovely slow burn, and never a dull moment. And, most importantly, representation, queerness and mental health are front and center -- a complete part of the story for many of the characters. It was wonderful to see these topics dealt with so smartly, accurately and sensitively. I especially enjoyed the delicate nuances and complexities of each character - mental struggles, sexuality and identity aren't just one dimensional and the author did an amazing job with these topics. Yes, the story is a bit formulaic but this is what you want in a modern love story: romance tropes cleverly turned on their heads. I don't think I've enjoyed an MM romance this much in a while. Highly recommend.

A sweet classic romance with modern subtext

As a romance this is a solid story. But there is a whole lot more to our than that. Yes, it has a whole lot of LGBTQIA+ representation. But it also has a great message about mental health and how loving yourself is integral to truly loving other people. The added environments of a global jaunt and behind the scenes of a reality TV dating show are just icing on this tasty treat.

Everything

I love this book so freaking much and I will never stop yelling about it to every single person I ever meet. Just everything I’ve ever wanted and needed in a book!

My heart explode. it's not another romantic book. IS WAY MORE

OMG! Please read this book, I thought it was just another simply romantic book, was not, it teaches, it broadens your mind, it touches so many delicate subjects.
This books is simply AMAZING! I was not prepared for this and it turns out to be the absolute best! Yes please read it !, absolutely 5 out of 5 ⭐️

Cute Storyline

I enjoyed this story. It was set in a unique situation but still relatable. I didn’t love that the characters seemed to refer to themselves in the third person, maybe there wasn’t another way to write it. I got used to it and didn’t notice it as much as the story went on.

Amazingly creative story!

I loved how it was such a different story about reality tv mixed with a queer romance while talking about mental health.

Really, REALLY good

This is a sweet, funny, stand-out story that’s well written, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Better than I’d hoped.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are complex and show real growth throughout. They act and react in ways that make sense with their presented histories and their actions through the story. Granted, the premise is a bit cheesy, but it’s handled well, and the overall story is exactly the kind of modern fairytale I read romance fiction to see.

super cute - loved every second

ok so I found this book recommended to me in multiple places since I’ve been on a gay romcom binge recently. I wasn’t sure about the premise but decided to finally give it a try

I was so blown away, and highly highly recommend. the story plot is solid and really well written. there’s a lot of good slow-burn relationship and character development, and it goes into a lot of the delicate interweaving of upbringing, identity, sexuality, and mental health.

one thing that really resonated was how the two main characters had so much in common despite being so different. it mirrors my own marriage closely as well, even with the types of mental health struggles they each deal with.

one comment; while charlie is clearly described as having OCD and his mannerisms and mindset definitely reflect that, dev is only described as having occasional touches of depression. after hearing in a lot of detail and living his thoughts and reactions throughout the story, I would suggest he might actually be bipolar type 1. there are less extreme forms of bipolar that people don’t always get a diagnosis for at it can just be misdiagnosed as periodic major depressive disorder.

what stood out to me as being uniquely type 1 bipolar was dev having weeks on end of lots of energy, having to severely crash in a deep deep depression for more than a few days on the other side of it, plus obsessive and impulsive features like leaving out of nowhere and the repetitive intrusive thoughts about not being deserving of a normal healthy life etc.

anyways that’s more than aside and has no bearing on the amazing news of this book

highly recommend - definitely give it a listen and it’s an enjoyable experience all the way to the end

Charming and unforgettable

This book made me so happy and left me not wanting more in the best way. It’s the perfect mix of predictable and leaves you hanging on to the end. The book sets the standard for what I’m looking for next, and I’ll absolutely be coming back to it. I love the character development, just enough steam for the imagination, and lots of LGBTQIA+ representation. Fantastic all around!