Drama. Jerks. Another new school.
Those are three things Kassidy Perry vows to avoid her senior year of high school. Unfortunately, it looks like the Universe didn’t get the memo. When her mom marries the football coach from a rival high school, Kassidy’s forced to move (again), enroll in a new school (again) and adapt to life with three stepbrothers, including the school’s star quarterback who’s barely said two words to her. And what’s up with her incredibly hot-yet-cocky neighbor who’s developed a weird habit of climbing the trellis to her bedroom’s balcony? Nothing about her senior year is turning out the way Kassidy planned—and that’s before a revealed family secret drops the biggest bombshell yet.
Jordan Lawson could care less about football, even though he’s starting his senior year on the radar of college recruiters. He just wants to play music with his band, win a national contest with a record label and pursue his dream of being a musician. When those plans are threatened, his saving grace lies in the hands of his new stepsister. But how can he ask Kassidy for a monumental favor, when he’s partly to blame for derailing her life? And what if getting what he wants puts her dreams in jeopardy?
In her debut YA novel, Kelli Warner weaves a humorous and relatable story about finding your way in a world you can’t control—and what happens when the people you least expect turn out to be the ones you need the most.
Kelli Warner writes humorous and relatable young adult and contemporary romance novels, the kind of stories that get your insides so wound up in an ooey gooey mess that you forget about the un-fun stuff in life. She’s passionate for a good cup of coffee (even a bad one on a desperate day), enjoying time with friends and family, and spending lazy Saturday mornings watching the Food Network. Kelli and her husband live in Oregon with their two teenaged children and an outstanding border collie named Lucy.
Have you ever had a true passion you longed to pursue, only it wasn’t in line with what other people expected of you? This is the dilemma that I chewed on as I created the character of Jordan in Not with the Band. I was watching a football game at my high school alma mater when the pieces began to fall into place. What if a talented high school quarterback on the cusp of nailing a full ride to college—much to the delight and expectations of his father—couldn’t care less about the game? And what if his real passion was to play music with his band, only he didn’t feel he could share it with his family for fear that they would dismiss it as a frivolous dream?
Book Excerpt
Not with the Band
Something inside my chest pulls tight as my eyes slowly trail around the garage. Lucas’ guitar is propped up on its stand next to mine. Connor’s keyboard sits next to them, a messy pile of sheet music spread out on top of it. And Jeremy’s drums are in the corner. My jaw grinds at the sight of the microphone, the spot where Lauren has stood, gorgeous and confident, singing her heart out for the last year and a half. This band was just a crazy idea when it started, and at first, we were just goofing around. But now, things are finally happening for us. We’ve got a legitimate shot at a future as musicians and we’re losing our lead singer—not to mention the girl I love.
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