The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

The Charm Offensive
by Alison Cochrun
Pages: 358
Published by Atria Books
Publication Date September 7, 2021
Source: Library
Goodreads

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.
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.

I have a confession to make. Reality dating shows are my guilty pleasure, specifically The Bachelor. Because of this slight obsession, as soon as I read the summary of The Charm Offensive I knew I had to read it.

Charlie is awkward and endearing. I enjoyed watching his character grow and find love when it is least expected. I found Dev to be vulnerable and complicated. Like Shrek, Dev’s character peeled away like an onion until his true self was fully exposed. I loved reading about their slow-burn relationship and are a couple the reader rooted for from the beginning.

My one complaint is that I didn’t think the female contestants for Happily Ever After were well-fleshed out. They were all a bit forgettable and blended into the background.

Overall, I loved the diversity Alison Cochrun provided in the book as well as an unexpected, lovely romance.