The Charm Offensive: A Novel

Written by Alison Cochrun

Narrated by Vikas Adam, Graham Halstead and Cassandra Campbell

A 2022 Audie Award Finalist

A BEST BOOK PICK BY * HARPER’S BAZAAR * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

“Will sweep you off your feet.” —PopSugar

In this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy—for fans of Red, White & Royal Blue and Heated Rivalry—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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Sep 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781797133867

Alison Cochrun

Alison Cochrun is a former high school English teacher and a current writer of queer love stories, including The Charm Offensive, Kiss Her Once for Me, Here We Go Again, and Every Step She Takes. She lives outside of Portland, Oregon, with her wife, her son, and two very needy dogs. You can find her online at AlisonCochrun.com or on Instagram as @AlisonCochrun.

[Shannon O'Connor · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The best queer love story I’ve ever read! This is a MUST read book about found family, mental health, sexual identity and finding the love everyone deserves no matter their differences! Cannot recommend this book enough!!

[Courtney Boaz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This books is one of the cutest pieces of media I have ever consumed. This fairy tale of a love story is tender and plays with all of my favorite tropes (fake dating and there’s only one bed YES PLEASE). The characters are real and flawed and utterly precious. The concept of a behind the scenes exploration of dating reality TV is genius and executed so well. I’m not a reality TV person and this book made me want to binge watch every season of the Bachelor.

Also, the representation in this book was immaculate. As a queer asexual who discovered my identity in my late twenties, I felt so seen and was so thankful for how the book explained and portrayed the ace spectrum. It was so nice to see characters who didn’t have it all figured out early in life and for that to be validated.

Another beautiful thing this book does is normalized and realistically portray struggles with mental health. I felt like I learned more about myself as I read about the struggles the characters went through. The story shows the episodes, the coping strategies, the denial, the growth and the reality of loving someone with a mental illness.

This book will sit on my shelf of favorites and will undoubtedly become one of my comfort reads. It’s so much fun and touches on such important things. Yes, it’s a rom com and yes, it utilizes tropes but it takes a cute story and elevates it by tackling tough things too. You should definitely read this book.

[Morgan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent performance by both readers, funny and over the top but somehow believable anyway. A love letter to romcoms. Also a really good depiction of panic disorder. Loved it.

[Ivan Tiffany · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Heart leaps in a giddy whirl reading this. Beautiful! Awesome!

[Ina Schmidbauer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was positively surprised by this, to be honest, rather cheesy novel! There's a nice mix of different queer representation, which allows the characters to be characters with different characteristics and not just their queerness (e.g. including a few nonbinary characters without making their nonbinarity much of a focus). Same goes for mental illness, which is discussed, but does not define the specific characters. For me that was really refreshing and while the plot itself is rather cheesy, I'd very much recommend it for when you're feeling in the mood for just that! :)

[pedro ramírez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wasn’t expecting this book based on a reality show about love to hit me hard but it did ? especially on how it speaks on mental health and advocates for people to use therapy — I’m inspired to get at that level of self care ???

[Jenna Vaughn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a good queer romance that touched on mental health and acceptance. ?

[Ezinwanyi1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was a slow burner romance but that’s because both of the leads tackled mental health issues as part of their journey towards love.
If you like the whole Bachelor franchise on tv, this book was set up like that. I disliked the show but it didn’t affect my take of Dev & Charlie. It only furthered my opinion of that ridiculous show. Yay for authors whi speak on therapy, meds and mental health without trivializing it.

[catZinca · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Surprising Book. I was Looking for fluff. Found some real Depth and life lessons. Thank you.

[ckaericher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Literally the best book I've ever read in my life.

[bigzaddywolf · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love the mental health rep in this book, the narrators made this modern tv fairytale become impactful. Definitely will be a repeat listen when my own bad brain kicks in?♥️

[kitt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this several years ago and have never gotten over it! It was the exact reread I needed right now!

[Vanessa M. Pellot · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love it!!!! All the themes brought on, I felt the connection!

[Jonathan Tornito · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My first ever audiobook, and I loved it! Sadly, I finished it so quickly, just in about six days, but it came to an end unexpectedly. I love every detail of this story.

[Chris Maxwell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There were factors in this that made it different from the predictable love story. It was nice to have therapy, depression, and similar embraced as normal and not taboo.

[Abigail Monterroso · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This story has changed the way I perceive love and mental health.

[Kristen Beard · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was ok. Cute but didn’t do much for me. Glad I was able to borrow it and not have to buy.

[Angela Thomas · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great holiday read! Fun, romantic and entertaining, highly recommended!

[cnicoles05 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When Dev, hopeless romantic, is assigned to coach Charlie, romantically hopeless, into being prince charming on a Bacheloresque reality TV show, will the final product be an epic disaster or happy ever after? I freaking love this book so much! Secret dating is one of my favorite tropes, but when you add in awkward nerds, self discovery, and a slow burn, I am swooning. The way this relationship develops feels real inspite of the ridiculous premise, and the intimacy and chemistry leaps off the page even with this being mostly fade to black. The way they deal with, or avoid, their mental health struggles, and try to support each other melted my heart. Allison Cochran's writing is so all consuming and descriptive that I could see each scene playing out like a movie, and I think this would make an amazing adaptation! I just finish it, but I already want to read it again. ?

[d-fbuser-622615747 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My fourth time and I love it more every time. ❤️ it’s just so good and comforting

[Omar · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

this was cute and had great representation for mental health

[Rory · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This was so bad. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters and the plot was slow and boring. Sad too, this had so much potential

[Miranda Volturi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Best book! I love all the characters. Perfect ending and romance on Point.

[Reiki Avitas Farrar · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The narrator is good but the story, especially in the ending was too dramatic

[Emily Sweeney Basque · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

You know feeling you get when you brush someone’s hand the first time and your heart soars and you stomach tightens and you are excited and nervous and anticipating something amazing all at once? This book gave me all those feelings. I fell in love with these character - imperfections and all. I’m perfect romance style, the is a reassuring hug that makes your whole heart happy and will make ever reader feel affirmed.

[Sandra Muñoa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was SOOOOOA CUTE. I loved it. Perfect fit for ace awareness week!!!! A total yes

[anna · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Best romance novel in a while ! The author did an amazing job. I was hooked from the beginning.

[Ben Delatorre · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So great! I love romance and this book hits all the right spots! Perfect
All the feels

[Bailie Mckay · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was excited to read a bachelor themed book! Overall I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it. The ending left me with mixed emotions. I wish I read the physical book.

[マリMary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes you want to read a book that you sort of know how it will end. This is that kind of book, in the best of ways. So much different queer representation, people of color, real talk of mental illness. Absolutely beautiful. I love how the romance develops and the character development alongside it. Will read again!