While this does set up the series it it actually several chapters of book 1 so you could probably skip it and just start yhe series if a rock romance is your thing.
Keep in mind these are teens, 17 year old guy and his 14 year old neighbor who are on the verge of starting a new relationship now that they have noticed each other as more than childhood friends.
Curious to see how this plays out as the pair have great background but the 3 year age difference is a big obstacle to overcome as Jake is almost a legal adult and Alyssa is totally too young.