The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

 This book is LGBTQIA+ themed. 

This book specifically is focused on a gay men and a man trying to figure it out

Other genres: Romance, Contemporary, Queer, MM Romance 

Trigger Warning: This book deals with struggling with mental health, sexual identity, childhood abuse, and families that suck. 

"You're deserving of a relationship in whatever form you want it."

Dev Deshpande is a romantic. He believes in fairy tales, in happily ever after, and he has made a career of crafting love stories that will last on the reality dating show Ever After. He prides himself on scripting the perfect story of the contestants and audience, even if his own love life is lacklustre at best. 

Charlie Winshaw is not Prince Charming. In fact, he doesn't really believe in the whole Happily Ever After, thing that the television show stands for. He knows that half the girls are there to promote themselves, their brand and whatever ventures they have going on. Not that he can blame them. Charlie agreed to do Ever After to rehabilitate his image after being pushed out of his own company. 

It is Dev's job to get Charlie camera-ready. With fake practice dates, Dev realises there is much more to Charlie than the awkward, emotionally closed-off person being portrayed on screen. And Charlie realises he has more of a connection to Dev than any of the contestants. 

The Review

It was a bit slow at first, and I really was concerned with how long the chapters were. But that quickly changed. Charlie is so awkward, and Dev is so sweet. And things between them are just so screeching awkward. The kind where even you have second-hand embarrassment that makes you screech with delight and humiliation and a "just kiss him already" train of thought. 

It is so easy to fall in love with Dev and Charlie. Realising that they both were missing something growing up and just accepted that there was something wrong with them is heartbreaking. But to realise that that missing piece was something as simple as being asked, "How can I help?" It's tragic and yet heartwarming to see how comfortable they grow together simply because they are absolutely shocked that the other can accept their mental health issues/hangups. 

SPOILER ALERT

I hate the way Dev dealt with things. But with that being said, I can relate. As someone with mental health struggles, it's always easier to run from hard things. It's always easier to go back to what is familiar. And it is hella hard to ask for help. I like how realistic this book was. Mental health is hard work sometimes, and it comes in all shapes and sizes. And Dev was a great example of how tricky Mental Health can be. One day you're fine, and the next day you're spiralling. You go from working a typical job to not being able to get out of bed, shower, dress, all the "normal" things. 

Charlie was also a great example of how frustrating mental health can be. Even when you think you have a handle on things, a simple stain on a T-shirt derails you. A crowded boardroom or marketplace triggers you. It's so unpredictable at times. And you have to find your own ways of coping with it. 

I love that Dev shows us how easy it is to overlook our mental health. He didn't realise he still needed therapy. He didn't realise he wasn't coping with things well. And in my experience, that's usually how it is. We realise things aren't "normal", but they aren't "bad", and yet once we seek help, we realise it was bad, we just didn't notice how bad.

 I am glad that Dev quit his job. While he didn't handle his coworkers and Charlie properly around that time, he made a hard choice for his own sanity and for that, he should be applauded. 

I listened to this book through my local library (via Libby). 

The audiobook of The Charm Offensive has three narrators. Vikas Adam does Dev's point of view. Graham Halstead does Charlie's, and Cassandra Campbell reads "director's notes" and stuff like that. It was quite interesting to have the different voices for different POVs. I enjoyed it, and I think they did each character justice. 

Rating and Recommendation

This is the perfect love story. If you don't have someone there for you like Dev and Charlie, you need to re-evaluate your relationship. You deserve love. That fact does not change because of your mental health, or because of your sexual preference or status. If ANYONE makes you feel unlovable, like a burden or any negative feelings because of your mental health, they don't deserve to be in your life. 

When Dev asks Charlie, "How can I help?" That is the ultimate green flag. Your partner is supposed to support you, to make your journey easier. And not to make you feel even worse about yourself. Dev's revelation about how a relationship is supposed to be and why it never felt right with Ryan is a real eye-opener. 

I don't own this book yet, but it is definitely going on the wish list. I think it would fit in nicely with the shelf I am creating of LGBTQIA+ books (aka The Game Changer Series and Red, White and Royal Blue at the moment). 

Conclusion

If you struggle with your mental health. If you don't know where you belong. If you are gay or still trying to figure it all out. You will find representation in this book. And that is more important than any review or recommendation I can make. So many people can find themselves in this book. I really encourage you to give it a try. 

You can find The Charm Offensive in its respective mediums below: 

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