The Charm Offensive

"The Charm Offensive" by Alison Cochrun, on the surface, is a sweet and adorable romance of people on a reality dating show actually falling in love. It shakes up the usual trope by making one of them a producer rather than a contestant, and that adds a fun behind-the-scenes angle.

I love it for that.

Throughout the novel, there are heartbreakingly accurate portrayals of coping with mental health issues and discussions of how to deal with that, both as the person and as their loved ones. There is also an ongoing discussion about being true to yourself and exploring what sexual/romantic orientation/expression is right for you.

I love it even more for that.