Isn't It Romantic?

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Charm City rocks by Matthew Norman
Published by Dell on June 6, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

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 actually 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.

Billy was happy, or so he thought. After confessing to his son, Caleb, about a rockstar crush from his past, Caleb cooks up a plan for this crush and his father to meet. After this meeting, Billy realizes that maybe he wasn't as happy as he thought.

This book was such a wonderful surprise, and dare I say, it charmed the pants off me. What a sweet and precious story of family, love, and second chances. I was touched by so many things in this book, but it also frequently caused me to burst into uninhibited fits of laughter. This book was pure fun, from beginning to end, and when I wasn't laughing, I was grinning from ear to ear.

Top Five Things I Loved About Charmed City Rocks:

1. Father-Son bond - This emerged early in the book and was a big part of the reason why I loved Billy. When he gave his lessons on art and manhood to his son, reminisced about being a single father, or simply had to connect with his son via touch (punch in the arm, ruffle of the hair), well, my heart exploded. It wasn't just this relationship that was written so well, but it was one that really stood out. 
2.  The Romance - The first thing that really struck me about the romance was that the hero and heroine were both in their 40s. Kids, we don't get too many romantic leads on that side of 40, and it's a pleasure seeing older people finding love. Billy was the person who was always left behind, while Margot was betrayed by her first love. It was difficult for both of them to let down their guards, but there was an immediate connection and a spark that they could not deny. 
3.  Margot - I loved her! She may have been a recluse, but she took a chance on Billy, and I thought that was really brave of her. My heart ached for her as I read about her marriage and career fall apart in the public eye. That was why being out and about was so difficult for her. She had to come to terms with that part of her past in order to move forward, and in the end, she did so in a most spectacular way. 
4.  Second Chances - I always like to think that was can try to recover when things go awry. Caleb's plan may not have been on the up and up, but it pushed Margot to reconnect and embrace her musical muse. She rediscovered her love for playing and performing while also taking a second chance on love. 
5.  Music and Mayhem - So many great musical references! Billy was a music teacher, and as such, he was often playing or teaching or talking about music. I enjoyed all these parts, and loved seeing Margot and her musical prowess through his eyes.

This book was fun, funny, heartwarming, touching, and in a word - delightful. I had a wonderful time visiting Charm City, and it was a pleasure meeting Billy, Margot, and everyone else who was lucky enough to be part of their world which was filled with lots of love and music.

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Come as You Are by Jess K. Hardy
Published by Pinkity Publishing on November 1, 2022
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

He’ll win her heart one mixtape at a time.

46-year-old Ashley Cooke will do just about anything to save her struggling ski hill. When she hires the men from a local sober living home for the season to cut costs, even she thinks she’s gone too far. With her credit cards maxed, her cheating ex-husband intent on buying the mountain out from under her, and record-breaking snow in the forecast, she can’t afford to be distracted by the six-foot-tall bearded and tattooed sober living home owner moving onto her mountain.

53-year-old recovering addict and ex-grunge rocker Matthew Madigan has devoted every minute of the last decade to the men residing at his sober living home. When he meets tightly wound and adorably flustered Ashley, desires he’s put on the back burner for years start to simmer. Immune to his infamous albeit rusty charm, Ashley presents a challenge he can’t resist. When she offers to give him skiing lessons in exchange for his help training her St. Bernard rescue dog, he jumps at the chance to ride next to her on the chairlift despite his debilitating fear of heights.

During bunny hill shenanigans, chairlift confessions, and steamy cabin serenades, Madigan teaches Ashley that a person’s past doesn’t define them, and Ashley shows Madigan that the men he helps aren’t the only people who deserve a second chance. When sabotage threatens both the men and the mountain, Ashley and Madigan will have to decide if they’re only having a winter fling, or if the mountain isn’t the only thing worth fighting for.

I had been eyeing this book since last year, and I saw this glowing review that convinced me to give it a go. I am so glad I did because it was such a feel-good romance.

The title is a nod to an epic grunge song from my college years, but it's also a big theme in this book. Both Ashley and Madigan seemed to feel that they could not be their true selves. Madigan's insecurity was mostly in his past where he tried to be more interesting via drinking and drugging though there were times he sometimes still felt he just wasn't good enough. Ashley was still dealing with her feelings of not being enough after being in a toxic marriage. But, they found each other in this world and found comfort in being accepted as-is by the other person. Needless to say, I loved the romance part of this book. These two had chemistry and great banter, but they were also a safe-place for each other which I thought was beautiful.

Another standout part of this book was that it was a "mature" romance. I entered the over 50 crowd recently, and we all know most romances feature characters in their 20s and 30s. Here, we had a 46-year old heroine and a 53-year old hero. This delighted me. It gave a bit of something different to the story because these two had lived their lives. They experienced many things and their end goals were different from those of younger people. It was such a treat to read about people my age making fun references to songs and things I knew. The nostalgia was strong here, for sure.

I am sure others will enjoy Murphy, the not ready-for-rescue dog, as well as all the men from Madigan's rehabilitation program. All the interactions involving these characters made me feel so much, and we all know that's a plus for me.

Overall, this was such a beautiful story of second chances, connection, and forgiveness. It was about trusting others and taking chances, and it was a huge hit for me.

There was this one quote when Madigan and Ashley were talking about one of his band's songs. I swear, I could not wipe the stupid grin off my face. My heart melted and few happy tears escapes as well.

“I wrote that song.” “You did?” He nodded, and she leaned forward to kiss his lips. “It’s a beautiful song,” she said. “Must have been about someone pretty amazing.” “Oh, it was, but I’ve gotta admit, it’s pretty strange to finally meet the woman you wrote a love song about thirty years after you wrote it.”

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