Probably a 4.5. THIS is the reality TV dating story I didn't know I was looking for. An unexpected story of affirming love — from both self and others — emerges from the toxic trash heap that is reality TV dating shows.

Dev Deshpande is a helpless romantic who also happens to be a producer and behind-the-scenes scripter of the "unscripted" Bachelor-esque show "Ever After." He coaches women contestants into charming the show's Prince Charmings. But this season's outrageously handsome tech millionaire prince is having technical difficulty charming or being charmed, so Dev is suddenly switched to team prince — where he tries to calm, coax, and coach the most attractive person his heart has ever met into a happily ever after with someone else.

Charles Winshaw only agreed to be on "Ever After" in a desperate attempt to repair his professional image and get back to "before" — before he was kicked out of the world of tech work, the only world that makes sense to him. He's been assured that no one else on the show really believes in the love connections that "Ever After" is producing and peddling. But then he meets a kind, unexpectedly patient producer who seems to truly believe — and Charlie is suddenly less desperate for a return to "before" and more desperate to see what might come "ever after."

With lovely complex main characters, broad representation and inclusivity, support for mental health in general and therapy in particular, and an unshakeable theme about loving and deserving love — "The Charm Offensive" is a refreshing, #OwnVoices contemporary romance that doesn't sacrifice personal health and development for the sake of a tidy, shoe-horned romance plot. And yet! You'll absolutely find the romance tropes you adore here.

I thought the middle could use a good trim, but that didn't detract from the overall positive reading experience. It isn't as laugh-out-loud funny as "Boyfriend Material" but if you were a fan of Luc and Oliver (and their friends and co-workers) then you'll want to pick this one up too.

Topics: reality TV, faking, image, mental health, therapy, neurodiversity, OCD, anxiety, depression, friendship, inclusivity, storytelling, discrimination, representation, affirming love, LGBTQ+ (including ace, aro, demisexual, and discussions of spectrum sexuality), self love, seeing and being seen, sexual awareness/awakening, coming out
Tropes: practice dating, secret dating, forced proximity, sexual awakening, opposites attract, talent-handler couple,
Content notes: vomiting, alcohol dependency, panic attacks, anti-LGBTQ bigotry, gaslighting, manipulation, exploitation of mental health issues, kissing for ratings, intimate but not explicit sex scenes

My thanks to #NetGalley and Atria for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.