The Charm Offensive cover art

The Charm Offensive

A Novel

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The Charm Offensive

By: Alison Cochrun
Narrated by: Vikas Adam, Graham Halstead, Cassandra Campbell
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About this listen

A 2022 Audie Award Finalist

A Most Anticipated Rom-Com Selected by * Buzzfeed * LGBTQ Reads * Bustle * the Nerd Daily * Entertainment Tonight * Frolic Media * and More!

A Best Book Pick by * Harper’s Bazaar * Entertainment Weekly

“The Charm Offensive will sweep you off your feet.” (PopSugar)

​​​​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.

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 20 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.

©2021 Alison Cochrun. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved. Contemporary Romance Multicultural Romance Romantic Comedy Comedy Feel-Good Heartfelt Witty

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Critic reviews

"Adam depicts Dev as a mix of dreamy and dramatic, showing his idealistic side and his love for the show. Adam’s flowing narration smooths out the author’s occasional didacticism. Halstead voices Charlie Winshaw, the show’s star and a tech genius who suffers from OCD and generalized anxiety. Halstead accurately represents Charlie’s stilted TV performance, hesitant speech, and withdrawn manner. Cassandra Campbell delivers the daily script updates, her voice creating needed contrast among the sections. With meticulous attention to Dev and Charlie’s singular romance, Adam and Halstead paint a lively picture of reality TV." (AudioFile Magazine)
All stars
Most relevant  
It’s a compelling story set on a cheesy premise but brought to life by the character development and narration

I can’t stop thinking about this book

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I loved this story! Was such a lovely easy listen, a great rom com with characters who are not flawless but have real issues they deal with individually and together. Charlie is so sweet and Dave strong and lovable!!
A feel good,makes you smile as you listen story…does exactly what it says on the tin

Happy and sweet book

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Amazing queer rep (especially the demisexual main character), great story and characters. Had lots of fun

Amazing!

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I found the voices a little stiff and robotic and the story was sometimes predictable but it was quite charming and at points I couldn’t put it down, overall I really enjoyed it.

Cheesy but nice

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highly recommend, even though its obvious what the ending will be that doesn't matter because its beautifully done.

Just a lovely easy listening audio

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I expected something light and fairly mindless but got so much more than that! It was still a light and entertaining read but it also brought with it a refreshing of implementation of discussions on mental health, sexuality and sexual attraction and relationships in general.

Definitely recommend

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I picked up this book because I thought the premise sounded great and it did not disappoint. While yes this book is about the wonderful love story between Dev and Charlie it also has many other themes that are incredibly important. In particular, I really enjoyed the discussions about lifelong mental health conditions (Charlie has OCD and Dev has depression) and how you can accept help while still understanding that your brain will always be different and accepting that. I also really appreciated the discussions of a-spec identities which you rarely see in new adult books. The performances were great though I have never heard anyone pronounce Dev like that (I have always heard it pronounce like developer).

Great story

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Let yourself get carried away in this sweet gay story, you will enjoy it if you are able to suspend the disbelief.

Sweet (unbelievable) story

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Okay so Charlie must be protected at all costs he is the most precious human being ever and he deserves the universe. I absolutely loved how this story wasn't just unapologeticly queer but it focused on mental health and actual good representation. I love the fact that people are mentioning with they them pronouns or as someone's partner and the author doesn't feel the need to explain it. People can just exist and that makes this book incredibly comforting. I also love how side characters with the tiniest part are still complex and fascinating everyone in the book feels like a fully realized human and it's so perfect. I of course struggled with the conflict because I wanted to see my babies happy and together and without pain but it hit extremely hard because Dave is very similar to me sometimes. You know a book is good when the main character feels like your best friend and you just want to go shake and yell at them so that they understand that they are good enough and soooooo deserving of everything they want and this book made me feel like that all throughout. I honestly think it's impossible not to fall in love with the book and everyone in it and I'm going to need stories about all of them. I'm really hoping there's going to be a story about Daphne and a certain hot af med student because I would absolutely sell my kidney for that. I can't sell my soul cos Charlie owns it along with everything I have. I could literally gush about this man forever, he makes me wanna play the protective big sister who goes and beats up all those fucking idiots who were ever mean to him and protect him and Dave and their happiness so they can live happily ever after. This book deserves sooo much love and I am soooo happy I read it.

We need a story about Daphne

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Lovely story, Good characters ,some very likeable ,some,you just want to slap . great narration.

Enjoyable

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