I LOVED this story of about a childhood crush gone good. It was so sweet and easy to read. Loved everyone in it! Looking for more of his books now

Thanks to Netgalley and Dell for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first read by Matthew Norman and it didn’t disappoint. I loved the relationships between all the characters and how they read as so normal for interactions even with a bonafide rockstar and movie star involved in the mix.

The city of Baltimore is a main character and I wanted to live in Billy’s neighborhood and meet the cast of characters in-person, they felt so alive.

This book was charming and I smiled the entire time I read it. If you want a well told story about a music loving cardigan wearing hot single sad who meets a rockstar drummer who is also a hot single mom who fall in love in Baltimore, this book is for you.

I was continuously rooting for this love story and I definitely couldn't put it down! I will definitely be reading more of Norman in the future.

Billy is a music teacher & single dad to a high school senior, Caleb. Though Billy is happy with his simple life, Caleb is worried his dad will be lonely when he goes off to college. Caleb reaches out to Billy’s former musician crush.

I had high hopes for this novel, but it just felt incredibly corny. The dialogue between Billy and Caleb was awkward and dry. I also hated the 3rd person POV. The characters were cute but not very complex.

The dialogue was very curt, and this just didn’t feel like your typical rom-com to me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman is a charming mid-life romance that I wish I would have read sooner. I loved my time in Baltimore with Billy Perkins, Margot Hammer and their friends and family!

Billy is a music teacher who lives in an apartment above Charm City Rocks, a record store in Baltimore, MD. His 18 year old son, Caleb, is about to graduate and go to college. They love spending time together and one night as they are watching a documentary about former rock stars, Billy reveals he had a huge crush on Burnt Flowers drummer, Margot Hammer. Caleb sends her publicist an email in the hopes that he can get his dad and Margot to meet.

Margot is divorced from movie star, Lawson Daniels, and lives alone in the apartment they used to share. She agrees to go to Baltimore but once there discovers things aren’t what she thought they’d be.

But she gives Baltimore and Billy a chance and soon she becomes enmeshed with Billy and his family. And her family also gets to know his family. And the neighbors also weave their way into this found family.

I loved Charm City Rocks! I loved the famous person-regular person trope. I loved all the music throughout. I loved the father/son dynamic-Caleb is a great kid! I loved Margot’s ex-husband, and her daughter, Poppy. I loved the back story of Burnt Flowers (who I think was supposed to be a female version of Motley Crue-hello Nikki Kixx??).

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the e-copy of #charmcityrocks . This was my first novel by #matthewnorman but it won’t be the last.

Fairly entertaining read overall. I felt like there were some parts that needed more fleshing out and some that drug on.

In "Charm City Rocks" by Matthew Norman, Billy Perkins finds contentment in his life as an independent music teacher and a devoted father to his son, Caleb. Living above a record shop in Baltimore, Billy cherishes his simple joys, but he can't help but harbor a long-standing crush on Margot Hammer, the former drummer of the once-famous band Burnt Flowers.

Margot, now living as a recluse in New York City, feels a sense of longing when a new music documentary thrusts her back into the limelight. Missing the music and the camaraderie of her band days, Margot yearns for the passion and purpose she once felt on stage.

When Caleb, sensing his father's hidden loneliness, hatches a plan to reunite Margot with her musical roots by arranging for her to perform at Charm City Rocks, Billy's world is turned upside down. Despite the unlikely odds, Margot sees the opportunity as a chance to reignite her career, even if it means stepping out of her comfort zone.

As Billy and Margot's paths converge, they both realize that their lives are missing something vital. Through music and unexpected connections, they embark on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth, discovering that sometimes the sweetest melodies are found in the harmonies of unexpected duets. "Charm City Rocks" is a heartwarming tale of love, friendship, and the transformative power of music.

I really enjoyed this book! I found the multiple perspectives, not just our main romantic love interests, to be particularly captivating in this story and added a layer of depth I didn't know I was missing. I also enjoyed reading a "later in life" romance with protagonists that had realistic problems. Also, as a music lover, I found the overall theme of this book to be quite nice.

This was indeed, quite a charming book! I liked the characters and how they developed and the story, though somewhat predictable, kept me entertained. Fun weekend reading!

I love a good romance with a rockstar main character. This was so entertaining I could hardly put it down!

I loved this rom-com. SIngle father, Billy, a music teacher meets the former rock star of his dreams. Loved all three of the main characters, Billy, his son Caleb and Margot. Heartwarming and a good read.

Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman is the story of Billy Perkins, a single dad who is happy. He really is, he is an independent music teacher and has a great apartment. He lives over a record store called Charm City Rocks. He is just living the dream when he meets Margot Hammer.
Margot is not happy with life. She was a drummer in a famous rock band Burnt Flowers and now has become a recluse. She lives in NY and until a documentary comes out about her and the band, she doesn’t realize how much she missed that life. How much music and the band meant to her, how could she have forgotten that.
It’s funny Billy always had a crush on Margot back in the day. Caleb, Billy’s son knows that and makes a plan to get Margot to come down and sing at Charm City Rocks. It is a long shot but this would make Billy’s day and Caleb would love that. Margot gets the invitation and wants to decline but her record label wants any publicity they can get. Caleb just wants to give his dad a fun experience, make him happy.
Well it works and the two meet. But what happens when they do meet? Can two people from totally different worlds connect? How does Billy and Caleb handle the attention that comes with their new friend? This was a very cute story of fame and real life. Of thinking you have it all and realizing you don’t.. how does Margot’s life change from this chance meeting? The author does a very good job of showing how both sides react. Overall this was a 4 star read for me. I want to thank Netgalley and the author for my copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book. I hope you enjoy it too.

Charm City Rocks is a novel about a forty-something piano teacher and single dad who meets his rock star crush decades after she left the public eye.

After rock drummer Margot Hammer’s career and marriage imploded she left fame behind and lives quietly in her apartment in Chelsea. But when a well-meaning teenager in Baltimore devises a way fix her up with his piano teacher father (Billy Perkins) she is thrust into back into the limelight as people watch their romance unfold in real time on social media. Their relationship will be challenged by the various things older couples encounter (moves, careers, children and exes) plus the complications of fame.

I really enjoyed this “Notting Hill” style romance of the unassuming local good guy who falls for the famous rock star. Baltimore makes a fantastic backdrop for their love story especially for those of us that learned everything about the city from five seasons of The Wire. Now I really want to check out Billy’s neighborhood and go to an Oriole’s game. I loved the humorous banter and affection between parents, children, neighbors, friends and exes. This made for a fun but realistic romance that had me rooting for Billy and Margot from beginning to end (although I may have a small crush on Margot’s philandering ex-husband Lawson Daniels).

I highly recommend Charm City Rocks!

Five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"When a single dad meets the former rock-star crush of his youth, everything they thought they knew about happiness and love is thrown into chaos in this hopeful, heartwarming romantic comedy."

I wanted to like this one. I really did. Unfortunately, it missed the mark. The characters just felt flat and I had trouble connecting with any of them. I also thought the romance felt flat and I didn't feel that spark I want to see.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman is quite the charming romcom of my dreams. I loved Billy, Margot, and Caleb - Billy’s teen son - the single dad with teenage son and rockstar trope certainly is written so fabulously. I really enjoyed this one a lot.

This was just the sweetest book ever. All of people in it (except two) were just so nice -- Billy, Margot, Caleb, Robyn, Aaron, Gustavo, Gordon, Poppy, even Lawson. Genuinely good people and I wanted nothing but the best for them. Everyone except Axl and Nikki. Caleb's mistake and Billy & Margot's story was just believable enough that I was swept away in their story. The only think that would make it better would be a soundtrack to go along with the book. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a sweet, feel-good romance.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Interesting book, recommend it.

I will read anything and everything Matthew Norman writes forever. Charm City Rocks, was, well, CHARMING. I loved it. I loved the characters and loved the way a child was integrated-I feel like children as real characters in adult fiction can often fall flat, but this worked! I often buy Norman’s books for the men in my life who think they don’t like fiction and it’s always a hit. If this is your first MN book, read Last Couple Standing next-it’s my fav :)

I love a good single dad music filled romance and this fit the bill. I loved that it was fluffy and swoony and no unnecessary drama.

I hardly ever give a romance 5 stars, but this just hit all the buttons with me. The main characters are in their 40s, and have balanced, ok lives. But they are so much better together! And that happens, when Billy's son Caleb gets stoned and catfishes Margot's record label, setting up a meeting between the two.

Some of the things I loved most:
Billy rocking out on his Steinway at night to the neighborhood
Margot talking to her daughter Poppy
Billy's talks about being a man to Caleb
Margot's ex-husband the rockstar
Caleb, the sweet, sensitive tall son
Baltimore - and the baseball games

Now off to recommend this to some family/friends :)