Narrated by Andi Arndt
Boy, do I love this rock star romance series! I have listened to a couple of the books (this one and Lick) and read one (Deep), and mostly done so out of order, and yet, in each case, no matter how dissimilar each story is, Kylie Scott knows just how to draw me in, grab my attention, and provide one rocking heartfelt journey! Andi Arndt’s narration, in turn, does a decent job of bringing this never ending cast of unique and entertaining characters to life, making Lead a good choice for listening to in audio with a few caveats noted below.
Perhaps out of all of the books, Lead was the one that I anticipated the most, as it features the broody, bad boy lead singer, Jimmy Ferris, who caused quite a stir in Book 1, Lick. In that book, we learn that in a drug aided haze, he had an affair with his brother’s then-girlfriend, Martha, who back then used to also work for the band and also happens to be the Stage Dive bass player Ben’s sister. The fact that Jimmy’s brother, David Ferris, was the lead guitarist and songwriter for Stage Dive, only complicated matters further for this band. In Lead, we learn that shortly following these events, Jimmy was given an ultimatum: clean up his act by giving up all illegal substances, or leave the band for good.
As part of that deal, Jimmy agrees to take on a sobriety companion. After several failed attempts with trained counselors, who Jimmy just seems to run off, the Band finds Lena. While she may not have formal training in dealing with substance abuse, Lena impresses the Stage Dive members with her no nonsense approach and never ending ability to hold her own where Jimmy is concerned – a fantastic feat given Jimmy’s purposefully rude and somewhat outlandish behavior.
Of course this leads to loads of witty banter and comical dialogue, especially once Jimmy decides that the only way to ensure that Lena doesn’t leave his employ, is by ensuring that she finds happiness (ie, finds someone other than himself to date). As he spearheads the campaign to find Lena a boyfriend, Jimmy and Lena get even closer, and eventually the physical attraction between them is undeniable. But of course, no one acts like Jimmy without his fair share of past demons, and when they come back to haunt him, he must decide just what he is willing to sacrifice for true happiness.
My first experience with Andi Arndt was with Lick. I listened to Lick over a year ago, so in essence it was like starting with a blank slate, when I listened to Lead. Ms. Arndt has a pleasant voice to listen to, and she does a good job at communicating the particular action or pace of the scene. She also imbues her dialogue with appropriate emotions, from the heavy steam filled passionate scenes to the comical repartees, and appropriately varies her delivery to impart maximum effect.
One area that I had a little trouble with, however, was differentiating characters. For the most part, the Stage Dive male members all pretty much sound the same. While this may be, in part, accurate to their description (eg, Jimmy and David, who are brothers, are at one point described as having very similar voices), it made following some of the scenes where the entire cast is present, somewhat difficult to follow. This effect is especially compounded by the fact that the male characters, while distinguishable from the females, did not have a particularly deep tone.
My favorite part of Ms. Arndt’s performance was her portrayal of Lena. I think Ms. Arndt’s depiction is spot on with Lena’s personality traits. Just from the sound of her voice, you get the sense that while Lena is not entirely confident in her looks, Jimmy brings out a certain independent self-assurance in her. It’s this spunky side of Lena that is the perfect fuel and backbone for their unique, contentious, but heat-filled, relationship.
All in all, I highly recommend the Stage Dive series. Lovers of rock romances and just humorous New Adult romances, in general, are sure to enjoy the crazy antics and romantic ventures of the Stage Dive members. Additionally, while it is possible to listen to this series out of order (like I have), to better enjoy the entire series, I recommend starting at the beginning as the prior couples do continue to develop in subsequent books and play a substantial role in future books.
BJ
Narration: B-
Book Content: A-
Steam Factor: For your burning ears only
Violence: Minimal/Minor past domestic violence
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
