Billy is a single dad who’s pretty content with his life. His son manages to finagle a meeting with his childhood celebrity crush and… hi-jinx ensue.

I’m not one for rom-coms and wouldn’t even classify this as one, except… it’s totally a rom com complete with a cute meet (meet cute? I don’t really know the lingo 😂) and an extremely lovable cast of characters.

So… maybe Charm City Rocks is an exceptionally great Rom Com? Or maybe I like them after all? Either way, I devoured this one and you should definitely read it!

I had a lot of fun reading this book. I think that books that combine romance and music are always my favorite so I am a little biased, but I think the story was really charming and sweet and I really loved the two main characters and the romance that they found. I didn't totally relate to the characters because they were much older than I am, and I also found the writing style to be a little blunt. I really like a very romantic writing style with lots of description sometimes, and at times this book felt like I was reading nonfiction, which was not my favorite. Overall though, I would recommend this book and I would be interested in reading more from this author.

Later in life romance and surprising amounts of romanticizing Baltimore. There was limited spice (if you like that) and there was a lot of plot around the main love story. Overall, enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This novel lived up to its title and was completely and utterly charming! I enjoyed the musical aspect as well as the grown up take on the complicated and also dead simple aspects of romance.

A reverse rock star fantasy where a middle-aged dad meets the rockstar he's had a crush on since forever and the inevitable sparks fly. It's a sweeter story than I was expecting and I loved how every character that deserves it gets a chance to prove that they're actually good people and a happy ending.
Billy is a super positive guy, enjoying everything in life just as it is. His teenage son thinks he can be even happier and manages to get his dad's favorite musician to visit them. That musician is Margot Hammer, formerly of Burnt Flowers and now moving through life full of sadness. Their meeting isn't the best, but a second chance to be together shows them that things could always be a lot better.
The relationships and view of life that Billy has are straight-up life goals, and the changes in Margot's life after she opens herself up to the possibility of happiness make for a very inspiring story. I also really liked how even the side characters get their own chance at exploring how they'll be happy. The way it shows that there are many paths to happiness and that you can change your mind about things was my favorite part of this book.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Dell for the rocking read!

3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 for this review) for this funny and charming romantic comedy! True rom-coms - books and movies - are hard to find these days (is it just me?) and I really enjoyed this one. Billy Perkins is music teacher and a single dad who winds up meeting the former female rock star crush of his youth, Margot Hammer, thanks to an crazy scam orchestrated by his teenage son. Billy and Margot (surprise!) fall for each other and find new meaning in their lives via their relationship.

Fresh off a Daisy Jones binge on Amazon Prime, I got major long-haired Sam Claflin vibes from the Charm City version of this Billy. Loved the musical twist to this sweet love story, call-outs to famous songs and musicians, and the interwoven subplots that gave this book a lot of heart.

Thank you to Random House for a gifted kindle version of this fun read!

I love a romance that features older protagonists and blended families! This was not my favorite though-- the characters felt one-dimensional for me, which made it hard to connect. That said, it was a lovely and cheerful story and I'm happy to have been able to review this.

This was such a good book! I love stories about rock stars but this wasn't exactly what I expected. But I ended up loving it even more. It is sweet and sentimental but it made me smile!

In Charm City Rocks we find Billy, the likeable music teacher who lives above a record shop. Margot Hammer is a former drummer of Burnt Flowers, a very popular all female rock and roll band in the 90s. Billy has always had a crush on Margot, so when he finds out that his son Caleb has somehow tricked her into coming to Baltimore and they meet, it's fate that they hit is off. Of course, some chaos does ensue, with Margot's ex-husband coming back into the mix and Billy being somewhat forced to live in the garage at his ex-girlfriends house. Can Billy and Margot keep the beat together?

Charm City Rocks is many things. It is about later in life love, which was a fun new take on romance that I haven't had much experience with. It is also truly a love story about Baltimore. It is obvious that the author has a love affair with the city, and it is very much a character in its own right. I found the book to be fun and, for lack of a better term, charming. That being said, I don't think there is anything ground breaking here. I did enjoy the famous person/regular person troupe and enjoyed how it was done. I do feel like the third person narrator hindered the book into going more into the emotions of the characters. It also lacked some purpose at points. It was cute, but nothing stunning.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

It's hard to put my feelings about this book into words, but it made me really happy. Piano teacher Billy lives above a record store in Baltimore, and he is happy. But his teenage son wants more for him, and, in a hilarious turn of events, he basically catfishes Billy's long-time crush, Margot, a legitimate rock star who, after public embarrassment, became a bit of a recluse. The story is charming and laugh-out-loud funny. I loved Billy's heartfelt relationship with his son, and the ode to Baltimore.

I'm probably just being petty, but I just don't really vibe with straight romances written by men. There's just something about them that feels off to me, and this one was no different.

Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for this advance copy!

I love a good Baltimore book and Charm City Rocks is a delightful romance that focuses on some of my favorite things: music, romance, and Baltimore. I consumed this story of a music teacher father who meets his rock and roll crush, falls in love, and manages to still think Baltimore is one of the best cities ever (it is). And maybe some of this is my own personal nostalgia for my time in Charm City, but I really loved the non-traditional family at the core of this book and how Billy and Margot didn't spend a lot of time analyzing themselves, they just knew they were happy and went with it. The second act goes a bit off the rails, and there were a few times where I rolled my eyes because OF COURSE that happened (no spoilers), but I appreciated how the author brought the story back together and kept it tight until the end.

I can't wait to read more from Matthew Norman, this love letter to Baltimore and women who rock is just fantastic.

A fun novel about second chances and rock and roll. Billy is a single dad who teaches music and lives a simple and happy life. Now with his son who is about to go off to college, he's worried to be leaving Billy alone so he reaches out to his dad's old crush, Margot Hammer, the famous drummer that Billy remembers fondly. With her band broke up many years ago Margot is looking to reminisce on their old history, but flames threaten to derail the budding romance.

I like the book but I was hoping for more, it wasn't bad but it felt that I was waiting for the moment that was gonna take it to the next level. I loved the setting of Baltimore and you could tell the author really loved his city.

I’m not typically a rom-com reader, but CHARM CITY ROCKS really hit the spot for me. Content with his life as a single dad and music teacher, Billy Perkins lives out his days above a record shop called Charm City Rocks. Billy’s tidy world is upended when a long-time celebrity crush, Margot Hammer the former drummer in a rock band, crosses his path.

I adored how Billy’s son so desperately wanted happiness for his father and I also enjoyed the dynamic of a middle-aged love interest. The story was a love letter to Baltimore (the author’s hometown) and thoughtfully explored the ways we can redefine happiness for ourselves in different seasons of life.

READ THIS IF:
You’re here for the middle-aged romance
Father-son relationships tug at your heartstrings
You believe it's never too late to learn something new
You’ve ever had a celebrity crush

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so so much. I even forced myself to put it down so it would last just a little bit longer. The characters were fantastic and felt so real. All of the relationships were amazing as well.

If this book sounds at all appealing to you then read it immediately.

4 1/2 Stars!

What a quirky and fun read. Billy Perkins is a normal guy - - a guy that you really want to cheer for. He's kind and caring. He's a good dad. A piano teacher. And a good friend. And apparently he's had a long-term crush on drummer, Margot Hammer who used to play with a band that imploded years ago.

Margot is more than a drummer. She's a mother. An ex-wife. She's a woman who was wronged by not just her husband but also her bandmates. She isn't sure how to find her way back to music or if she even wants to try.

Then one day Margot is falsely lured to a music shop in Baltimore thinking she's going to meet with a group of young girls who want to be musicians only to find out they never existed. She's been brought there under false pretenses to meet Billy by his son. But Margot isn't angry, she's disappointed and maybe a little embarrassed. And Billy....well he doesn't want to lose his shot with his crush but it's not the best way to start something.

It's not the easiest way to start something but if it's meant....maybe Billy and Margot can find common ground and give it a go. This is really such a cute story that made my heart feel good.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

One thing about me, I’ll almost always read a book about music/music lovers.

Charm City Rocks is a wholesome story about a high schooler that unwittingly gets into his dad’s gummies (they’re not for kids 😳) and then sends a message to said (single) dad’s long-time musician crush. I assure you, it’s a wholesome story😆

It was a really quick and easy read. I got a good chuckle out of it a few times, but overall it just didn’t move me. I don’t think I connected with the characters as easily as I’d have liked and I didn’t really fall for the romance either. It was good but forgettable IMO 😅

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @netgalley @penguinrandomhouse for the gifted ebook! Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman is OUT NOW 🎉🎉

#charmcityrocks #matthewnorman #bookreview #musichead #musiclovers #fictionbooks #bookreader #bookreviewer #bookblogger #readersofinstagram #instareaders #booksofinstagram #bibliophile #readingtime #readercommunity #bookstagram #netgalley #ebook #kindle

This is such a sweet and happy feel-good story! Your happy-go-lucky everyday Joe meets the rock idol of his youth, sparks fly then fizzle out. There’s so much more to this story, though. You’ll love Billy, his son Caleb, and even his ex-wife Robyn. You’ll be impressed with Margo Hammer, first a popular drummer, then married to a handsome actor, up until that one particular MTV Video Music Awards show when Margot kicked her drums off of her platform and stormed out…in the middle of the song.
Caleb thinks his dad and Margot would hit it off, so he tells a little white lie. Amazingly, after everyone gets over the lie, they really do hit it off. But they come from different backgrounds. She’s still famous and he’s a wonderful neighborhood music teacher and dad, but no paparazzi. It’s just not going to work. And surprisingly, it’s Billy that calls it quits.
But you can’t put out a fire that easily! Various characters in each person’s life play a pivotal role in this story, from the record store owner, the little kid who plays drums on buckets, Margot’s ex-husband Lawson, to the pro football player who just wants his son to learn piano from the best.
Read this book and meet the neighborhood. You’re gonna love it!
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for my honest
review. The publishing date was June 6, 2023.

A fairly normal romance, but also deviates from the norm somehow? There’s the meet cute and happily ever after but in between there’s a lot of focus on other people in the main characters’ lives (exes, kids, etc). Which that all made it interesting coupled with the third person omniscient pov. But that pov also didn’t really show billy and Margot falling in love. There was barely any dialogue or scenes that showed they worked together. We just had to believe it because side characters said they were so happy together. So overall, I liked the writing and I liked that it was a love story with just a lot of kind characters who are older, but it was a bit lacking.

Chaotic, charming, funny, and heartwarming. A fun read- romantic and endearing. Beautifully written and entertaining