ROCK CHICK REBORN Rock Chick, Book 8.5

Narrator Nicole Small scores a win with her elegant performance of Kristen Ashley's new "Rock Chick" novella. Fifty-something Shirleen Jackson meets Moses Richardson when he crashes his supermarket cart into hers, jump-starting their courtship. The voice Small gives Shirleen contrasts her survival tactics with her inner vulnerability. Moses's deeper, rolling cadence makes his dialogue zing. The pacing flows smoothly, providing a match for Ashley's signature character monologues. Small's versatility with male voices ensures that Shirleen's numerous male colleagues sound sexy, protective, and authentic. Small also utilizes subtle vocal changes to differentiate more than a dozen additional characters. Ashley includes sufficient backstory, but listeners should probably take in an earlier "Rock Chick" audiobook before diving into Shirleen's long-awaited romance. C.A. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2018]