Charm City Rocks

A Love Story

By: Matthew Norman

Narrated by: Kristen DiMercurio

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.

“Bound to charm readers from page one . . . You’ll root for everyone in this sweet love story.”—Elissa Sussman, bestselling author of Funny You Should Ask

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.

©2023 Matthew Norman (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“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

“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, bestselling author of The People We Keep

Engaging characters and a fun story

Another great story from Matthew Norman. I finished the book quickly because I wanted to keep finding out what happens next. The characters are great and engaging and I loved all of the detail and Baltimore references. If you’ve enjoyed his other books, you will love this one as well.

Adorable, fun and funny read.

Loved this story, all the characters and the way it painted Baltimore as a lovely and warm city. This book is the perfect light read

Fun rom-com - thoroughly enjoyed it!

Mr. Norman has done it again. Great story and performance! It’s a fun story and read well.

Finally, a Feel-Good Story That Isn’t Mushy, Trite, or Ridiculous

The narrator does an outstanding job portraying each character differently. She’s a seriously talented reader.
The story, the background, the characters — feel like real people that I might actually know. Loved this book and will be recommending it to everyone.

Fun written, great story and addictive - highly recommended

Very well and fun written with a perfect spice of humor and never a dull moment. I loved the detailed description of the places and scenery… you feel like you’re inside the story. I truly enjoyed the book and couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended.

A fun listen!

A nice, light story with enough ins and outs to keep my interest - the end was predictable, but the getting-there was enjoyable. This book is comfort food and a perfect summer listen.

another great one

loved it. another great one by Matthew Norman. definitely worth the read. if you liked his other works then you'll enjoy this.

So much fun

What a great read! I loved every single thing about this! It was fun, sweet, funny.