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.

Charm City Rocks is a totally adorable book that I really enjoyed! It was a funny, sweet and light read. The characters were really lovable (or in the case of Lawson, hate-to-lovable :) ) and interesting and I loved getting the perspective from all of the side characters too! I normally don't really enjoy a lot of different side stories woven in, but it worked really well in this story - probably because of the 3rd person POV. I also really loved the writing style - jt was really different but the matter-of-fact tone worked so well with the humor and it was just straight up fun to read. The romance was really cute, but maybe a little surface level - I think the 3rd person POV just makes it more difficult to really feel what the characters are feeling- but overall, very satisfying,

Charm City Rocks was a great read and I'm looking forward to reading more from Matthew Norman.

This was a really funny and charming read! Probably a second round purchase for most libraries, it might be a tricky sell for some collections.

Such a good read - I really enjoyed this book. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

This was... charming! I loved the blended family dynamics and the sweet relationship between Billy and Caleb (although Caleb seemed like the most mature 18-year old, ever). This made me want to listen to Bikini Kill and drive down to Baltimore.

I loved this book! It was well written, fun, interesting and full of a great cast of characters. The opening description of Billy firmly drew him in my mind and I just loved him. Margot was just as well done and I was so glad to see Billy’s influence on her at the end. Caleb, Poppy and even Lawson were great!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A few pages in I felt like this wasn't the book for me. At this point I know to quit when my eyes start to hurt from rolling. I'm sure a lot of readers will love it though. I ended up DNF after reading 10%. Thanks to the publisher and NG for the chance to try it.

This was a really fun read from the start. The characters were fun. The alternating POVs did not confuse me despite there being quite a few - because they weren't POVs per se but rather third person with a different focus. And the story moves along well. I liked everyone with the exception of the Axl who was a jerk from the start but there was no hiding that. And maybe Nikki towards the end.

It definitely reminded me of High Fidelity and Nick Hornby's vibe, but also different. And the fact that I know Baltimore made it more relatable for me in some ways.

I was rooting for Billy from the start, and of course Margot. I wanted them both to find their happy whether it was together or apart, and for them to also put the pieces of their family back together. Caleb was a genuinely nice kid, and I was so happy for how his story evolved. Also for how he and Poppy get along.

And while I wanted to really dislike Lawson, he turned out to be the biggest surprise of all. That and what happened with Robyn. But no spoilers.

If you enjoyed any of the Nick Hornby books or that style of writing. If you liked Daisy Jones (although not the same style at all) and the rock star back story books. If you like a good fun read that isn't too serious but with a bunch of fun characters. I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy this book. I certainly did and I tick all of the boxes noted above.

A quirky, charming rom-com perfect for the nostalgic Gen-Xer. Through a set of near-impossible circumstances, piano teacher Billy Perkins get a chance to meet his 90s music crush, drummer Margot Hammer. Fans of Emily Henry will enjoy.

Billy Perkins is known for being a happy guy. He teaches piano lessons in his apartment above Charm City Rocks, an independent record store. And he has his son teenage son, Caleb, whom he shares amicably with his ex-wife, Robyn. It's Caleb who orchestrates a meeting with Margot Hammer, Billy's long-time celebrity crush and drummer of the defunct band, Burnt Flowers. Burnt Flowers crashed and burned spectacularly in public fashion, and Margot's been dubbed a recluse ever since. Neither Billy nor Margot have any intention of meeting let alone becoming a couple, but when they become Internet-famous, they realize they may actually like each other (for real). Can this surprise couple last though?

Okay, CHARM CITY ROCKS is completely and thoroughly charming. It may even rock. This sweet and funny book is an ode to the power of music in our lives, the city of Baltimore, and to finding love and happiness again when you're 40+. I fell head over heels for Billy and Margot (and Caleb) and the entire cast of characters of this adorable romance.

It's so refreshing to read a romance with characters beyond their 20s, who have age-appropriate problems, even if one of them happens to be a rock-star! Billy and Margot were relatable characters, and the supporting cast was funny and rounded out the book perfectly. Norman weaves in music superbly, and if you love it in any form, you'll gravitate to this story. Also, if you've ever lived in Baltimore or know the city at all, CHARM captures the city's spirit so well. Beyond love, this is a tale of family, finding yourself again, and being brave. It truly had me smiling goofily as I read it -- cannot recommend enough!

"Charm city" is right - this book is all charm and all compassion for its characters. It was pitched to me as a romance reader, and it is a romance, but it's not traditional. Multiple POVs are represented, including unexpected ones. Reading it is like living in a world where people are nice to generally really nice to each other, even when behaving badly. I thoroughly enjoyed this and will be reading more Matthew Norman books.

Charm City Rocks is the story of Billy, a mid 40s music teacher and single dad. His son is leaving for college and is afraid his dad will be lonely when he leaves. One night they watch a rock documentary about early aughts rock bands and Billy fondly recalls his crush on a member of a band from that time. His son gets the idea to reach out to her and they meet. The story then revolves around their relationship, including the exes in their orbits. This was such a fun read! I loved it was about more “mature” characters and how relationships are different as you get older. I also enjoyed the perspective of the life shift as your kids go off to forge their own lives. There were explorations of many different kinds of love-romantic, parental, familial and the love of the city that they live in. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it!

Charm City Rocks (PUB 06.06) was pitched to me by the publisher as "a charming, hopeful, heartwarming romantic comedy perfect for fans of Emily Henry’s 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 and Linda Holmes’s Evvie 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳. I love this novel—it’s like 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘪𝘭𝘭 meets 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘍𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 meets Almost 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴." I couldn't click download fast enough.

I loved it. Standing ovation. Encore please!

- Billy Perkins is a single dad & music teacher with a long-held crush on rockstar Margot Hammer.
- I loved that both Billy and Margot were in their 40's.
-"𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴: 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵."* (*from ARC not final copy)
- Billy wears cardigans. My kryptonite.
- Margot yearns for that spark.
- It's an unapologetic love letter to Baltimore.
- By halfway through I paused to Matthew Norman's backlist titles on hold.
- Music abounds and that cover!?!
- Fresh and snappy dialogue that creates a brisk pace.
- The writing has an uplifting feel to it while also exploring the complexities of love, life, and family with kids and former partners.
- It made me HAPPY.

I will be purchasing a final copy for my bookshelves.