Reading the Paranormal: Band Together by Piper Sheldon [Review]

Band Together (Teachers' Lounge #2) by Piper Sheldon
Format: ebook
Source: provided for review
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: March 12, 2024

Teachers' Lounge
1. Passing Notes
2. Band Together - Paperback | Kindle

Piper Sheldon
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Leo Cooper is back in Green Valley to hide.
Not fall in love with the tenacious band director who's determined to drag him into the light.

After being kicked out of his massively successful rock band, Leo is content to spend Bunco nights with his mom, lay low making snacks, and lick his wounds. He'd rather work in his garden than give any attention to his failed music career.
Cut to the gorgeous high school band director relentlessly popping up in his life, making demands, and talking about giving back to the community.

Mari Mitchell knows what it's like to be overlooked. She's determined to do whatever it takes to ensure her students get the best shot possible even if that means running herself ragged. And when a former rockstar returns to town, who could be better to help her favorite student make their dreams come true?

Does it matter that he's a moody musician who reminds her of a handsome tragic hero of an old-timey movie?
NO!
She's too busy for things like burning hot physical attraction and chemistry that won't quit. She needs Leo for more than his irresistible drummer arms. No matter how amazing they feel wrapped around her...

But what nobody knows is that the hit to Leo's pride was a big one, and Mari might be asking too much.

Can these two band together? Or will their painful pasts prevent them from having the future they deserve?

Thoughts on Band Together: We're back in GV and YESSS! Mari (cousin to Clara) and Leo (neighbor to Clara) are up and their romance is a wee bit fraught with insecurities. I mean, Mari's family routinely dismisses her wants and makes her feel like she's TOO MUCH when she expresses any sort of emotion. Leo is kind of just a hot mess thanks to his world imploding thanks to his fallout with his band. These two have a lot to work through and I am here for it.

First up, Mari. After her family lets her down (again!), she channels her upset into helping one of her students. Which means getting Leo to help her. Because drummer. While Mari might have been a wee bit pushy, it was all for a good cause. Frankly, Leo needed the pushiness to break out of his rut. It takes a little time and a fair amount of effort, but soon she and Leo are spending time together and she starts to see he's not nearly the entitled, spoiled rockstar she originally thought him to be.

On Leo's end, he's wallowing. Getting kicked out of his band was needed (for reasons), but he's struggling to come to grips with (a) what he should do now and (b) how to get over losing a gig that most people would kill for. Yeah, the guys a spiraling mess. Then Mari bulldozes into his life and wakes him up. She shakes him out of his rut and it doesn't take long before their quasi-friendship turns into something more.

Family (both good and bad), friends who have your back, lots of gardening, a musician who doesn't see the brilliance in himself, and a lady who's pushy about all the things that matter most to her. GOOD STUFF.