Queen B’s Decree: The Charm Offensive was adorable. I can’t resist a “The Bachelor”-esque reality TV premise, and seeing this was a LGBTQ story as well? SIGN ME UP.
Charlie is a socially awkward tech genius who is on this dating show to get back into the tech world after a problem at his previous company. He’s there to “fall in love” with one of his female contestants but instead finds himself falling for his producer, Dev.
What was so great about The Charm Offensive is how it discusses and deals with mental health. It’s such a big part of this story, but instead of taking away from the romance, it adds to it. Charlie has lived most of life with OCD and anxiety and throughout The Charm Offensive, he emotionally grows and discovers that he (and everyone who struggles with mental health) is worthy of being loved.
Both Dev and Charlie make mistakes but they both grow from them. I loved how the characters were so fleshed out and we got to know them so well. It made it so easy to root for their happily ever after.
I loved The Charm Offensive and I’ll be watching for more from Alison Cochrun.
Book: The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
Series: standalone
Genre: Contemporary
Hotness: mild salsa, a little fade to black
Plot Devices/Tropes: gay, reality TV