CHARM CITY ROCKS is my first book by Matthew Norman and it won't be my last. It is a refreshing romance about people in their 40s. I fell in love with the main protagonists, Billy and Margot. The entire cast is funny and relatable with great dialogue. This is also story about discovering yourself as you mature - how life doesn't have to stay static. There is always opportunity to grow if only you are brave enough to try. Music is infused throughout the book and adds a wonderful layer to the storyline.

A major highlight for me was the city of Baltimore. It is a character in and of itself. As a Marylander, I loved how Norman captured the quirkiness and authenticity of this often overlooked city. The city is its people and the cast of characters certainly were a product of Baltimore. I got a kick out of reading the Baltimorean infused dialogue.

CHARM CITY ROCKS gave me such great vibes. I highly recommend it! 4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the Advance Readers Copy.

Sometimes you stumble upon a book and it's an unexpected gem.

This book is like a great album where every song is a hit. In Charm City Rocks every chapter hits the right note, each POV flows smoothly into the next, and the funny beats are spot on.

Billy is funny, and charming and a genuine cardigan-wearing nice guy. He's a piano teacher who lives above the record store, Charm City Rocks. He loves his son, he's a great dad, and he even gets along with his former partner, Robyn. He once had a huge crush on Margot Hammer, a drummer in the wildly popular band, Burnt Flowers. Margot was his dream girl.

Margot lives a quiet life in NYC, no more rock and roll for her. But when a documentary surfaces that brings her, and her band to the forefront once again, she realizes she misses playing music, and being creative. When she gets a chance to connect with a fan and perform at the record store Charm City Rocks, she takes it.

Seeing Margot at Charm City Rocks is a bit surreal for Billy, but hey, he's got one chance to shoot his shot. Right?

Heartwarming, sweet, funny, adorable, mature romance with great characters and a beautiful story line about second chances, following your heart, and chasing what makes you happy.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a delightful romance and i enjoyed the characters thoroughly. It was great to read about older characters.
Many thanks to Random house and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman is an intriguing music-filled romance featuring a single dad that once had a crush on a rock & roll drummer & the former rockstar herself 20 years later.

I really appreciate romances that are about middle aged main characters. It is something that I think there is more a need of in the romance world & this book offers that!

I absolutely adored Margot & her relationship with her daughter, Poppy. They were so close, funny & just heartwarming. Billy & his son, Caleb, were also a great pair. I was so happy that the miscommunication that began this pair was resolved very quickly!

There was quite of bit of drama in it, which creates an interesting story to read along. This is a romance with a unique feel to it & I really enjoyed all the music that was immersed in it. There were a few moments where I missed a sense of urgency or wanted to fast forward a bit but I also have ADHD. I liked the variety of characters & their viewpoints throughout the story.

For romance fans & music lovers, Charm City Rocks could be a lovely recommendation for you!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Dell for the free arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

3.5 stars

Thank you Matthew Norman, Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC e-book. Who hasn't had a crush on some musician in their life? Lets face it celebrity crushes are inevitable no matter who you are and for a single dad, Billy, that was case, It's not until his teenage son makes a goal of setting his dad up with his once famous crush that their worlds collide and they see how much they needed to find each other. This is an adorable story that gives all those with celebrity crushes hope and just a wholesome romance that was really an enjoyable read.

4 stars!

"Charm City Rocks" by Matthew Norman is a super cute book full of music and interesting family dynamics and humor and love. Seriously, if you even slightly like music, you're going to want to read this romance! This book reminded me a lot of something Nick Hornby would write. There are a lot of characters, and each one of them gets a point of view, which makes the story feel fresh and compelling throughout. I absolutely loved the main characters, Billy and Margot! Billy ventures into manic pixie dream boy territory a little bit, but I seriously ate him up. He is such a great dad, a sweet soul, an all around good guy! Margot is one badass rockstar drummer. She has been a "recluse" ever since her band broke up in a very public way. Circumstances lead her to Billy's front doorstep, and there is an undeniable pull between the two of them. I loved their dynamic, their blossoming relationship, how Margot treats Billy's son Caleb and Caleb's mom (Billy's ex) Robyn, and how Billy and Andrew (Robyn's husband and Caleb's co-dad) have a symbiotic relationship as friends for the betterment of their son's life. This is a romance featuring "older" characters in their 40s, and it seriously felt so refreshing to read a story like this! Music also plays a main character in this novel. It brings people together, forms new relationships, tears people apart, heals the soul... music is everything. On that note, the city of Baltimore also plays a characters. This book is like a love letter to Baltimore. It's all about second chances, trying to find your place in the world, taking risks, following your dreams, staying connected, and being a good person. I enjoyed just about everything about this book. It's funny and full of fantastic banter, super sweet, easy to read, thoughtful, and compelling. You're going to want to read this one!

Thanks to NetGalley, Matthew Norman, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for my review.

I love a good celebrity meets average Joe and falls in love story. Charm City Rocks is probably my favorite of that storyline I've read to date! Margot Hammer is a rock legend who has more recently been living the life of a recluse when her PR team receives an email that has her headed to Baltimore... Billy Perkins is a happy guy, or at least that's what he thinks, but his teenage son, Caleb is about to head to college and he's worried about his dad. He's got to do something!

The main cast of characters are all loveable. You want good things for all of them. Charming is a good word for this book. The story flows so nicely and makes for a fast, fun read that I couldn't put down. I feel like I'm stingy with stars when it comes to this genre, but this was a five star in my opinion!! Loved it!

Title: Charm City Rocks
Author: Matthew Norman
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Billy Perkins is happy. And why wouldn’t he be? He loves his job as an independent music teacher and his apartment in Baltimore above a record shop called Charm City Rocks. Most of all, he loves his brainy teenage son, Caleb.

Margot Hammer, on the other hand, is far from happy. The former drummer of the once-famous band Burnt Flowers, she’s now a rock-and-roll recluse living alone in New York City. When a new music documentary puts Margot back in the spotlight, she realizes how much she misses her old band and the music that gave her life meaning.

Billy has always had a crush on Margot. But she’s a legitimate rock star—or, at least, she was—so he never thought he’d meet her. Until Caleb, worried that his easygoing dad might actually be lonely, cooks up a scheme to get Margot to perform at Charm City Rocks.

It’s the longest of long shots, but Margot’s label has made it clear that any publicity is an opportunity she can’t afford to miss. When their paths collide, Billy realizes that he maybe wasn’t as happy as he thought—and Margot learns that sometimes the sweetest music is a duet.

I really enjoyed this read! I’ve never had any desire to visit Baltimore, but I loved how this city was such a big character in the story, and I loved the characters themselves. Even Billy’s cardigans. The family dynamics in the novel were interesting, to say the least, and they added so much to the story. Thoroughly enjoyed getting to know these characters!

Matthew Norman is from Nebraska. His newest novel is Charm City Rocks.

(Galley courtesy of Random House in exchange for an honest review.)

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!