The Official Website of Author Matthew Norman
CHARM CITY ROCKS
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When a single dad meets the former rock-star crush of his youth, everything they thought they knew about happiness and love is thrown into chaos in this hopeful, heartwarming romantic comedy.
Billy Perkins is happy. No, for real. It’s kind of his thing, actually. 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. Although not the world’s most traditional parent, Billy has plenty to teach his son about art and manhood before Caleb goes off to college.
Margot Hammer, on the other hand, is far from happy. The former drummer of the once-famous rock band Burnt Flowers, she’s now a rock-and-roll recluse living alone in New York City. When a new music documentary suddenly puts Margot back in the spotlight, she begins to realize 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.
Reviews & Praise
“Bursting with heart and chock-full of pitch-perfect dialogue and disarmingly wonderful characters, Charm City Rocks absolutely sings. I loved everything about it.”
—Allison Winn Scotch, New York Times bestselling author of The Rewind
“If Daisy Jones and Emily Henry had a baby, it would be this hilarious and delightful rock-and-roll rom-com.”
—Colleen Oakley, USA Today bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
"Charm City Rocks is Matthew Norman’s most charming and engaging novel yet. It is impossible not to fall in love with everyone here: the happy music teacher, his teenaged son, his ex-wife and her husband, and the rockstar he’s loved from afar and near. This book is an absolute joy—the pinnacle of a long line of fabulous and funny Matthew Norman novels."
—Jessica Anya Blau, author of Mary Jane
“Charm City Rocks is aptly named—bound to charm readers from page one. Matthew Norman’s latest is as cozy as Billy’s cardigans and as earnest as Margot’s drum beats. You'll root for everyone in this sweet love story.”
—Elissa Sussman, bestselling author of Funny You Should Ask
“Endearing, smart, romantic, delightful! Matthew Norman has a particular talent for writing characters we can root for like dear old friends. And our pals in this book are exceptionally charming!”
—Allison Larkin, author of The People We Keep
“Charm is the operative word here and this book is chock full of it. The perfect balance of a story that feels like a fairytale grounded by utterly believable, loveable, everyman characters. The best love stories are the ones that sneak up on you, that end up being about love in all its forms. Charm City Rocks earns its place in that pantheon.”
—Julia Whelan, author of Thank You for Listening