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.
⤖ My Review ⬻
This book. This book! I was not prepared to feel all of the things that I felt–I smiled, I smiled with tears in my eyes, I laughed, I cried. I enjoyed The Charm Offensive so so much and also didn’t expect how much I would love Dev and Charlie. They became so precious to me and I miss them so much–I honestly can’t remember the last time I felt so strongly for a character (much less more than one character in the same book).
Now that I’ve gotten my initial gushing out of the way, where to begin? I suppose I’ll start with “setting”–and I’m putting the word “setting” between quotation marks, because geographically this story doesn’t stay in the same place, but rather we follow along with the talent and crew of the reality TV show Ever After.
I liked how we got an insider perspective regarding the behind the scenes of Ever After–what exactly goes on (especially what doesn’t get aired) and how things might play out if one of the producers and one of the talent fall for each other. The travel was also nice especially since I (like many of you, I’m sure) haven’t travelled at all since the start of the pandemic. I was able to vicariously experience some of the locations, which was nice.
Lastly, I’d like to return to the characters again. If the above wasn’t indicative enough–I adored Dev and Charlie. I can’t stop thinking about them and replaying some of the scenes from The Charm Offensive in my head. I think this book might have become a comfort book for me if I’m being honest. I highly recommend!
⤖ About the Author ⬻
Alison Cochrun is a high school English teacher living outside Portland, Oregon. When she’s not reading and writing queer love stories, you can find her torturing teenagers with Shakespeare, crafting perfect travel itineraries, hate-watching reality dating shows, and searching for the best happy hour nachos. You can find her on Instagram or at her website www.alisoncochrun.com.
⤖ Places to Purchase the Book ⬻
⤖ Let's Chat ⬻
Thank you for reading my review! Have you read this book? What did you think? And if you haven’t read it yet, do you plan to? Let me know in the comments!
