3.5 stars

Things I liked:
-I thought it was pretty funny.
-The characters were all very charming and lovable (with the exception of Lawson who I could not stand)
-I’m a sucker for celebrity romance and books about music.
-Billy and Caleb’s relationship and Billy in general. He was such a sweet guy.
-Margot and Poppy’s relationship was also really sweet
-all the different character’s perspectives

Things I didn’t like:
The romance happened really fast and we were constantly told how adorable Billy and Margot were and how much they liked each other and how happy they were or how happy they looked but we weren’t actually really shown too many of these moments. We were just told them through another characters perspective or while one of them was reading a tabloid. I would’ve liked to see more small moments between the two of them. I don’t want to spoil anything but Lawson and Robyn both have terrible timing and that whole storyline annoyed me.

Overall, I did enjoy the book and would recommend for a fun read! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Charm City Rocks is an apt name for Matthew Norman’s book. Charming, witty and 100% this book rocks. I loved these characters, from the main ones to smaller side characters, such as Gustavo (and now I want a pretzel). I also fell in love with Lawson a bit. The setting was so descriptive that I felt like I had visited by the end of the book. Charm City Rocks is a journey through these people’s lives and I really enjoyed getting to join along.

P.S. I also love Caleb’s mothers name.

A couple of bookstagram friends brought this one to my attention and that cover just sold me! I’m so glad I gave it a try because what a darling book this is! Implausible, maybe. Delightful? Absolutely! Completely love that this very Katherine Center-ish charming type of book was written by a male author. It works. ❤️

Oh and men, take Norman’s tip. If the woman you love runs out the door, you run after her, k?! ☺️

A couple of my favorite quotes:

“For parents, the drawback to loving their children so much is the anxiety that comes with it—like love’s neurotic cousin”

“Parenthood was easier when he was little. She could just tell him what to do and what to want. Now she’s expected to stand by and watch as he wanders toward something she knows he’ll regret.”

“One of the worst things about being a person is that when you don’t know something, you assume the absolute worst.”

Thank you to NetGalley and RandomHouse for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Charm City Rocks is something you don’t get to see very often in the book world, a love story for people in their 40s! I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. It’s important for all ages to get representation in romance! I’m normally a dual POV girly but sometimes multiple POV just hits right. The author did a great job of representing the many characters and making us root for all of them. My only gripe with the book - I wish there was a little more spice. I know some people like fade to black, but not me!

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is sooooo nice! I loved it so much! I smiled the whole way through - well, at least till the complications part 3/4th of the way through. But, all's well that ends well. <3

Billy Perkins is a nice guy. And, usually nice guys finish last. But, not this time. :)

The reality is, this book is a love story, but not between Billy Perkins and Margot Hammer. It's a love story to Baltimore. I've been to Baltimore, but I've never really seen Baltimore. Matthew Norman shows the beautiful side of his city.

Thank you so much to Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for the digital ARC in return for an honest review. .

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and the author for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was like a mash-up of Notting Hill and High Fidelity. Billy Perkins, an average piano teacher and single dad from Baltimore, comes face-to-face with his youthful celebrity crush: Margot Hammer, a former rock star/drummer turned recluse. After the most adorable meet-cute, both Billy and Margot soon realize that maybe they could make more than beautiful music together.

I loved the relationship dynamics between all of the characters. We get to see multiple points of view that give the book more depth than the average rom-com. I loved that this was a mature romance between two forty-somethings. So many rom-coms deal with new adults and it’s a nice change of pace to see two people my age - with baggage and experience - find love. There were so many funny moments that made me smile and laugh.

I was born and raised in the Riverside/South Baltimore area so this book really made me nostalgic for my childhood. Not just the musical references but the odes to the city and its culture. It’s like a love note to Baltimore as well as a romance. It really brought the “charm” to Charm City. Don’t think I didn’t notice the cover with its Maryland flag colors…

Were there cheesy, corny moments? Yes. But in the words of Iris from The Holiday, “I like corny. I’m looking for corny in my life.”

If you’re looking for a feel-good romantic comedy, this simply rocks.

4.5/5 stars

A rocking rom-com written with Xennials in mind. Notting Hill meets Daisy Jones & The Six is a decent point of reference, but not perfect. There is something really unique about this story. I love that the characters are mid-lifers, I loved the supporting cast, I loved that Baltimore is kind of its own character, I love that the woman is the celebrity in the pairing, and the meet-cute is priceless. Really enjoyed this one. Felt more like a wannabe screenplay than a book, but I'm not mad about it. This was fun to read, and I would enjoy seeing it as a movie.

This would be a great vacation or beach reach this summer.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for this honest review.

LOVED this novel! Billy is a 40ish piano teacher in Baltimore who gets a funny meet cute with his long ago celebrity crush Margot, who used to be the drummer of a super famous all women rock band but has been living a somewhat reclusive life since the band broke up. Told from both Billy and Margot’s perspectives, along with the perspectives of Billy’s ex Robyn, their 18 year old son Caleb, and Margot’s famous actor ex Lawson, this book is not just a great romance book but also a family drama, a book about music and fame, a funny and quirky character book, and a love letter to the city of Baltimore. And I loved every minute of it!

I’m a big fan of Matthew Norman - I’ve read three of his four past books and loved them all, and he’s one of my husband’s favorite writers as well. I always describe his books by saying he writes the male version of contemporary women’s fiction, like authors like Jonathan Tropper, Nick Hornby, and Tom Perrotta. But this one just might be his best book yet, and though I’m always recommending his books to people, I hope this one is his big breakthrough to more readers!

And it blows my mind that a man wrote one of my favorite romances of the year so far! With it’s awesome celebrity romance of mature characters, it’s not unlike last summer’s Nora Goes Off Script, so if you loved that one, definitely add this to your list! But like I said above, there’s so much more to this book than romance as well, and all told with lots of humor and heart. A perfect summer read!

4.5 stars

This is the first book I've read by Matthew Norman and it was incredibly charming. Not only was it an adorable love story, but the relationships among everyone in the story were done wonderfully. Living in Maryland, I loved that it took place in Baltimore and all the references to the city were an added bonus!

(𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 @𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 #𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬.) Over the years, after loving his books, Matthew Norman has become an autobuy author for me. He can be relied on to deliver a fun, smart, charming story, always perfect for summer reading. 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗞𝗦 was no exception. ⁣
⁣
This is a quirky story about single dad Billy and the rock star crush of his youth, Margot Hammer. He’s happy, has a full life, but is a little lonely and his teenage son is worried that will only get worse when he leaves for college in the fall. Margot’s been a recluse for many years, misses music terribly, but can’t bring herself to admit it. Enter some meddling by well meaning folks and the paths of these two cross.⁣
⁣
There’s much more to the story including exes, co-dads, managers, a pretzel salesman, a basketball star and a very special grand piano. Plus, Charm City itself (Baltimore) has its own role. This book was such a breeze to read and had so many truly likable characters that I think throughout there was a smile on my face. It’s a perfect summer read whether at the beach, on a plane or in your own backyard, so if you’re on the hunt for fun, pick up 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘙𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴 and enjoy! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for access to this arc.

I’ll say straight off the bat that there is a romance in the book but I don’t see this as the main focus of the sometimes sprawling novel. There’s a lot more going on than I have mentioned. Caleb’s mom and her husband are having marital issues, Billy is missing the vibrant neighborhood he lived in before being ousted from his apartment for a coffee shop, Margot’s relationship with her ex-bandmates ended badly for Reasons one of which is her charismatic ex-husband who now regrets the woman he let get away. “Charm City Rocks” is more contemporary fiction than a romance.

The writing style is easy to sink into and I’d find myself 70-90 pages further along each time I put my ereader down.There are some things that happen along the way here that I kind of guessed how they’d play out (pun not really intended). These things were also fairly obviously included in order for the MCs to have learning experiences to help them decide what is or is not important to them. As I liked spending time with these characters, I ended up not minding as much as I would have otherwise.

I loved seeing the City of Baltimore shine and not be as “grim” as the visitors were expecting. In a book of a totally different genre I recently read, the author says that Baltimore is a mid sized city that feels cozy – or something near to that and that comes through in this book. The city is almost a character in the book at times. I also adore the relationship between Caleb and his parents. They might not have been able to make their relationship work but they’ve raised a great son – helped along by Billy’s “Dad’s Lessons in Art and Manhood” by which he tries to impart life lessons to Caleb so he won’t suck as a man and a human being. Caleb, his friends, and Margot’s daughter Poppy might look puzzled about some things and people their parents know but yay for the older relationships and MCs here. Billy and Margot, Robyn and Aaron, and Lawson are all in their mid forties. And though there are some famous characters in it, this is very much about ordinary people just living their lives.

“Charm City Rocks” is fun, funny, thoughtful, and maybe a little “you just have to go with it” (especially the scenes with Lawson) that flows along to an open ending that I found satisfying. I think it’s a wonderful beach/plane read and I mean that in the best sense of the phrase. B

I completely enjoyed this one from start to finish. If you like books about
•Single Dads
• Dual Pov
•Celebrities
•Second Chances
• Feel Good Romances
Then you will enjoy this book too!

This book was very charming. :-) I could totally see it playing out on the big screen or TV. It's a great romcom. Iff you've ever wondered what would happen if you met your celebrity crush, this one is for you. I enjoyed all of the characters. Billy and Margot are great leads but the side characters are just as fun.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I leave my review freely

Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman was a big unexpected hit for me, I loved that this was a romance/rom com with a lot of common tropes but was also a little different with the male MC perspective being strong and really engaging. I was cheering for Billy, the cardigan piano guy the whole time but also for Margot, for her fierceness and pain and talent. I love a romance when I like each character as individuals, feel they have their own story and identity, and find each other in a way that is cute but also filled with more than lust but actual adult appreciation for each person and their lives/talents. I personally loved the music themes as well and even as the story was a bit predictable, it was predictable in a well cozy cardigan way, which was fine with me. Endearingly engaging, a great summer read... pick it up for your beach bag, for airport layovers/flights, and be ready for a smile.
Thank you to Random House for this delightful treat of a book!

Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman is a 90s rom-com movie in a book. I started and couldn't stop. A romance based in Baltimore was a first for me. I don't know how to describe this book other than FUN! I recommend this book for something different and unexpected.

If you liked daisy jones then I think you will enjoy this book as well! What a fun book! The characters were likable and it was a very fun read!

I was totally surprised by how much I adored Charm City Rocks. I found myself laughing out loud SEVERAL times. The dialogue was very sharp and witty. I also really loved all the characters relationships with one another, especially Caleb and his dad. It was very heartwarming. I started this book early in the morning while my husband was still sleeping and spent the rest of the afternoon reading this book- I HAD to know how this book was going to end before I put it down. It was perfect.

Matthew Norman can do no wrong in his novels for me. Seriously, I have enjoyed everything he has written, and Charm City Rocks is no different. It is a wonderful love letter to the city of Baltimore and to 90s girl bands. Most of all it's about family, love and figuring out that sometimes you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone to live. I adored Billy, Cay and Margot; I mean you can't help yourself. The secondary cast of characters are wonderful and key to telling the story as well.

I really liked this book. It took a little bit to get into but once the story began to flow I had a hard time putting it down. I like how well all the characters were fleshed out and we are thrust into their lives and struggles. I was really invested in the characters and thought it was a nice read. It felt realistic and held my attention throughout the story. Definitely worth checking out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

It's like a 90s rom-com movie, almost too spot on for one. I started and couldn't stop, enjoyed every second of it. Who knew a romance based in Baltimore would be one of my favorites of the year so far.