“But burning that bright and that fiercely must be exhausting; no one can sustain it forever.”
There are certain books that are incredibly special and speak to your heart on a deep level. The Charm Offensive is one of them. It has been a long time since I have been this emotionally invested in a couple. I loved Dev and Charlie with all my heart. They were absolutely perfect and their story is one that needs to be told.
Dev, a producer on the reality dating show Ever After, whole heartedly believes in love and happily ever afters. Tech millionaire Charlie is the new love interest on the show, hoping to use his newfound fame to bring him back into the good graces of his company after a breakdown last year. The only issue is that Charlie is awkward and uncomfortable, which makes for horrible TV. Tasked to loosen up Charlie, Dev becomes his handler, anticipating Charlie's needs and comforting him during his panic attacks. The forced proximity leads to sparks flying between the two, forcing Charlie to examine his own sexuality and what he truly wants out of life.
Dev has my heart completely. He is so observant and sweet and oh so adorable. Dev pegs Charlie right away and quickly is able to anticipate his every need. And goodness, Charlie is nerdy and stiff, but underneath loves big and has a heart of gold. I loved that excel spreadsheets, libraries, 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles and 90° angles were what calmed him the most.
Together, Charlie and Dev are pure gold. There are so many amazing one-liners and internal thoughts from both main characters and their banter is hilarious. They make me want to go to Lady Gaga night at a gay bar and dance the night away right alongside them. They understand each other, see each other, make each other better, and push each other outside of their comfort zones. Their relationship developed through a slow burn romance until their explosive and epic first kiss. Dev and Charlie are so adorable together, they make my heart gush, and I just loved them.
While I loved Charlie and Dev's relationship, this book tackles sexuality and mental health in a non-taboo way. It's frank and honest. Charlie's journey of self-discovery was absolutely beautiful. He doesn't think he's lovable, because he's never really felt attracted to anyone. As he spends more time with Dev and talks with his best friend, he starts to explore his sexuality and what labels he does or does not want. Never preachy, this book explores sexuality through a unique lens that was well done and emotional.
Both main characters deal with their own mental health struggles and these are discussed openly throughout the book. Shining a huge spotlight on mental health and therapy, there is no judgement and the immediate acceptance of all the characters and their inner most battles made my heart so happy. Cochrun normalizes not having your life figured out.
In addition, I loved the behind the scenes antics to get ratings for the show. They were over the top, but felt super real and I could totally see this happening on set of any current reality dating show. I was obsessed with Charlie's best friend Parisa. She is hilarious and snarky and knows Charlie so well. Parisa helps his exploration without judgement, helps him sift through his emotions and is just there for him. I would LOVE to read a book about her.
Bottom line, this book is amazing and you need to go out and this book immediately. The book started a tad slow for me, but once I got into it, I was invested and fell in love with this sweet couple.
⚠️ CW: general anxiety disorder, panic disorder, OCD, depression
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