If you are looking for a fast moving book with likeable characters you will want to cheer for, pick up Charm City Rocks. Billy Perkins is a middle-aged independent music teacher who lives above a record store in Baltimore where he takes piano requests from his neighbors and maintains his Champagne Supernova, a 40 year old Mercedes. One evening, Billy's 17 year son, Caleb, accidentally eats pot gummy bears and emails his dad one-time music crush, Margot Hammer. Margot Hammer is the founding member and drummer of the break-out female band, the Burnt Flowers, that was tremendously successful until Margot melts down on live TV, the band falls apart, and Margot becomes a recluse best known as the ex-wife of famous celebrity, Lawson Daniels. Margot's eager publicist, Rebecca tries to push Margot to come out of her box and restart her career.

As a more mature reader, I appreciate this is not a normal romance story where a twenty something returns to his/her hometown after failed career or relationship. This book also has colorful and interesting secondary characters that I enjoyed. 4 stars!

I received this book in an exchange for an honest review thanks to Net Galley and Ballantine. I will post this review on Goodreads, Bookbub and Amazon.

This was a fun rom-commy read. Billy, a sweet, good looking (but not too handsome) piano playing, music loving dad of a high school senior gets to meet his musical crush, Margot Hammer. and love ensues It almost had a little Sleepless in Seattle – the son thinks the single dad is lonely so he reaches out to the pretty woman who can make my dad happy - thing going there. Margot Hammer is an ex-rock star who comes to Baltimore thinking she is reaching out to a young girl band ( to inspire and make a come back), but really it’s Billy’s son who pretended to be a tween girl to get her to Charm City Rocks (a record store) so she could meet his dad. Once the ickiness of that catfishing is out of the way (the book does it with humor) she is “charmed” by Billy and they fall in love.

It's just a sweet story with some nicely written twists and turns. I enjoyed all of the ancillary characters you get to know along the way including Margot’s daughter, Billy's son and his ex wife (not really ever married) and the Baltimore locals as well.

It’s really just a light fun read when you are looking for that (and we all are at some point).

Thank you to NetGalley Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the chance to review

Charm City Rocks is a winsome, uplifting, and (yes, there’s truth in advertising) charming Gen X love story. 

When we meet Billy Perkins, he’s a single dad and piano teacher living in Baltimore. His life is quiet, routine, and not quite what he expected as life creeps toward middle age. Margot Hammer, drummer and the object of Billy’s celebrity crush in his youth, is also staring down middle age. Her daughter is out of the house, her famous ex-husband’s face taunts from billboards, and she’s living a hermetic lifestyle in her New York loft. Thanks to a snafu involving some enhanced gummy bears, Margo is pulled to Baltimore and into the life of Billy, his friends, and family. 

Collaborations are common in the music industry. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it’s weird. (Judgement Night Soundtrack anyone?) Writer collabs are much rarer bird. Charm City Rocks is not a collaboration. Yet I thought of other books and writers on the personal favorite shelf: Nick Hornby’s wrapping of love and music together in High Fidelity. Kate Clayborn’s sense of place as an extension of self in Love Lettering. Matt Haig inside the mind of an ordinary man put into extraordinary circumstances or Emily Henry’s whip-smart heroines who get a little lost along the way to a happily ever after. 

That’s not to say Norman’s work is derivative. More that the writer hits some emotional sweet spots with his own unique spin. The result is both a page-turner and eminently worthy of a second read.

“He even loves Baltimore, because there’s something thrilling about living in a city that the rest of the country assumes is on the verge of collapse.”

It’s easy to picture Baltimore as the crumbling crimescape of The Wire. But Billy Perkin’s Baltimore isn’t a statistic, it’s his home. Through the city, we see Billy isn’t afraid to love places or people the rest of the world deems too complicated. And when Margot arrives, misunderstood, judged harshly, and discarded, Billy is there to remind her that the outside world’s opinions need not define her. He sees her clearly and allows her to see him too—a sweet, kind-hearted man who is too often left behind.  

From this acceptance of Margot as she is (or wants to be) their love story begins. Charm City Rocks is a contemporary romance, even by the strictest definition of the genre. The way their relationship moves forward, despite the obstacles in their path, is both familiar to readers of this genre and feels fresh. 

Margot and Billy are not naive twenty-somethings. They’ve lived lives filled with triumph and heartbreak. So when hi jinx ensues, the feelings, fears, and frustrations feel familiar to a seasoned reader.  

Charm City Rocks works for readers of both literary fiction and contemporary romance. 

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Tropes: celebrity, rock stars/musicians, community, single-parents, characters 35+, divorcees, strong heroine, cinnamon roll/good guy hero
Spice Level: closed-door, fade-to-black

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date June 6th, 2023.

What a CHARMing read! I love a good second-chance story, and this one had so many variations on that theme, both romantic and real. It’s funny, thoughtful, and made even my non-musically-talented-self long for some creative juices.

*I was honored to read an ARC of this book via NetGalley and the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.*

A fan ends up falling in love - FOR REAL - with his former rock-star crush.

This is a sweet, charming little story and I wish I could read it again.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

This book was so charming, pun intended. This was one of those books that just make you smile. Billy is a happy go lucky guy, happy to have a great kid, an amicable relationship with his ex, and the freedom to set his hours to work with young musicians making the music he wants to make. Billy’s son Caleb worries about his dad though, he worries that when he goes off to college, his dads life will fall apart and he’ll be lonely. So one night Caleb cooks up a scheme to try to get his dads celebrity crush Margot Hammer, a former rock n roll star to meet his dad so they can be together. And what follows after is a disaster. Margot Hammer is a former rockstar, current recluse hiding from the world after her life very publicly crashed and burned years ago. When Margot is brought out of hiding due to Caleb’s interference, she starts to question if hiding out is working for her anymore. Billy and Margot were such likable characters that I was rooting for the whole story. I loved the storyline, all the music, and the side characters were equally lovable. This was a very sweet feel good story for all the music lovers out there. I’d love a follow up story featuring Caleb as the main character! I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

What happens when you're a barely eeking out a living music teacher and your teenage son gets high and sends an email, pretending to be a tween girl drummer, to your all-time celebrity rockstar crush and invites said rockstar to come to Baltimore see this nonexistent tween band? Add in your son's mother and her husband and the rockstar's movie star ex-husband and what you get is just a fun, quick, escapist, perfect for summer reading book.
NOTE: Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I greatly enjoyed Charm City Rocks because of the ways that Matthew Norman uses characters and common rom-com tropes in a way that never feels corny, forced or fake. I felt the entire time I was reading that the story was funny, sweet and made you care about this budding relationship and felt like a less cynical High Fidelity and while I love Nick Hornby that is a big feat to meet in my eyes.

So much fun! I loved all the characters, the set up, and could have read more! We need more books about feminist men raising feminist sons.

So heartwarming, clever and laugh out loud funny - I had a huge smile reading this. Ridiculously charming, someone please make this a limited series.

This is a closed door, celeb-normie romance between 40-something year olds, set in Baltimore.

The book was great. I found the characters interesting and the plot/trope kept me wanting to keep picking up the book.

Billy grew up having a crush on Margot Hammer, the drummer of girl rock band Burnt Flowers. And when his son Caleb learns this he cooks up a plan to introduce the two of them, now that Margot is no longer in the limelight. Caleb is convinced the two of them might just be happy together and that’s all he wants - for his dad to be happy. But Margot and Billy, they come with a lot of baggage between the two of them - past loves and careers to name just a couple. Can they make it all work anyway?

I don’t know that I’ve ever read a romance written by a man so this was a pleasant surprise. Having been to Baltimore a few times, I felt like the essence of the city was captured so beautifully and it made me want to go back. The city was as much of a character in this novel as all of the rest. I appreciated so much that the celebrity in this novel was a badass FEMALE drummer since I think most romance novels with celebrities go the other way - a famous man and a nonfamous woman. The love story itself was sweet, if a little too easy and convenient. But I enjoyed the Billy and Margot together nonetheless.

The only thing I’m wondering is because so much of today’s language/slang is used, if this book will feel dated in a few years time. This book felt very of the moment right now but a few years from now, will that still be the case?

Either way, a fun quick read with likable characters and a sweet story at the center.

This book will be featured on an upcoming episode of Reading Through Life podcast.

I’m a big fan of Matthew Norman, but not typically a fan of romance novels, which is the genre for Charm City Rocks: A Love Story. But Norman did not disappoint.
This is a lighthearted, sweet story about a single dad who ends up meeting his former rock star crush. The meet up is especially au courant, thanks to a teenage son getting hungry late at night.
It helped that this romance contained two adults (40s) who didn’t make dumb decisions. Both of the main characters have great relationships with their kids, Billy even has a good relationship with his ex. It’s like something rare - a smart, adult romance without any ugly drama involved. Which isn’t to say there aren’t dramatic points made. But they’re the kind designed to make the reader think and maybe even reflect on their own lives. It’s a book for those of us old enough to understand about the need for second chances. I recommend this for those who have always loved the movie, Love, Actually.
The humor here is subtle but persistent. Norman has mastered the art of description, the perfect turn of phrase, whether it’s about a mood or the taste of a beer.
It’s always fun when an author writes about your hometown. And Norman, a fellow Baltimorean, knows how to have fun at Baltimore’s expense:
“He even loves Baltimore, because there’s something thrilling about living in a city that the rest of the country assumes is on the verge of collapse.”
Or
“It’s not like how everyone says”, says Margot.
What isn’t?”
“Baltimore”, she says, “I thought it’d be, I don’t know, more murdery.”…
“Be patient”, he says, “the night is still young.”

My thanks to Netgalley and Random House - Ballantine Books for an advance copy of this book.

A fun little romp about music! Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman was an entertaining read and I enjoyed it!

Billy is a single dad who teaches music lessons, co-parents his teenage son and is happy with his life in Baltimore. Through some teenaged hijinks and some accidentally ingested gummies Billy is able to meet the retired rock star who he's always had a crush on. Margot is the retired rock star whose career went down in flames after a very public meltdown and she's been trying to get her life together ever since. When she and Billy meet they find they may be able to build a new life together if they can just clear up all the baggage from their pasts.

I so enjoyed this book! Think Notting Hill meets Baltimore and musicians. The characters were wonderful, as was the setting. Thanks to NetGalley and Dell Books for the ARC.

Billy is a nice guy. He's happy with his life. His son Caleb is a senior in high school and is looking at colleges to attend. Robyn is Caleb's Mom and Billy's long ago girlfriend. Caleb is worried about leaving his Dad alone when he goes off to college. On an accidental high, Caleb uses the internet to reach out to Billy's dream crush - Margot who was the drummer in a girl band back in the day and Billy thought she was great. Billy ends up meeting Margot and a relationship begins. I really liked this book. What a story connecting with someone famous you crushed on. I enjoyed it so much, I picked up some of the author's other books.

I went out of my mystery comfort zone to check out the newest by Matthew Norman called Charm City Rocks. I would not consider it a rom-com, but more an exploration of the trials and tribulations of adult love with a heavy dose of Baltimore. I enjoyed it and thought the characters were well-rounded and easy to root for. Though I would have loved more background on all of them, Norman did a great job of giving the reader the information they needed to enjoy the story. Baltimore as the title suggests, plays a significant role in the story and its obvious how much the author loves it. Definitely, makes me want to visit again! All in all, it was a nice, pleasurable story that was just what I needed in my reading life!

4.5 Stars!
Billy Perkins, a single dad and music teacher living in Baltimore, thinks he’s living the happiest life he could have. He lives above the record shop, Charm City Rocks. Margot Hammer, former drummer of the rock band Burnt Flowers, isn’t very happy living as a recluse in NYC. A documentary is made including Margot’s band and she realizes she misses music. Billy watches the documentary with his son, Caleb, and confesses his longtime crush for Margot. Caleb is worried that his allegedly happy dad is actually lonely and creates a scheme to get Margot and Billy to meet. Will these two find happiness together?

It’s safe to say I absolutely LOVED this book. It was so nice to read about a later in life romance. Most of the characters, aside from a few, are older than 40. Billy and Margot have their problems and their flaws, but they handled them in a way that wasn’t as dramatic as you get in younger romances. They did still have typical communication issues as there are in most romances, but communication issues are a big part of real life as well. Margot and Billy complimented each other so well. They were the type of characters that you just had to root for the whole time. The supporting characters were great as well and I loved that each one had their own backstory. I also liked that there were so many POVs (which I don’t typically love but Norman executed it very well). Everything was in third person POV but you got to see things from the side of all the supporting characters which really rounded out the narrative.

If you’re a fan of later in life romances or just a sweet romance with a hint of rock and roll thrown in, this one is for you! Charm City Rocks releases on June 6!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Cute quick read with characters I really enjoyed. This one was a fast read for me I liked the musical aspect of it and loved the nostalgia of the late 90's early 00's. I liked the different POV throughout the book and really liked all of the characters and understood and related to them. Probably not the book for everyone but I really enjoyed it. I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for arc in exchange for an honest review. I gave this one 4/5 stars.