Audiobook Sample
Listen to the sample to experience the story.
Please wait while we verify your browser...
- Title: Six Months
- Author: Dannika Dark
- Narrator: Nicole Poole
- Length: 12:17:00
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 02/12/2014
- Publisher: Tantor Media
- Genre: Romance, Fiction & Literature, General, General, Paranormal
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
The first time I heard Nicole Poole’s voice wrap around Dannika Dark’s words, I was driving through the misty highlands of Scotland. There’s something about paranormal romance that pairs perfectly with lonely roads and shifting landscapes – the way a voice can make you believe in werewolves just as easily as the fog makes you see shapes in the moors. Six Months is that rare breed of audiobook that doesn’t just tell you a story, but pulls you into its world until you feel the prickle of fur beneath your own skin and taste the metallic fear of April Frost’s human fragility.
Dannika Dark crafts a universe where Breed politics and human vulnerability collide with the intensity I remember from Oaxacan grandmother’s cautionary folktales. April Frost’s journey mirrors those late-night stories – where young women always stood at crossroads between danger and destiny. As a travel writer, I’m drawn to characters who navigate borderlands, and April exists in that liminal space between human and Shifter worlds with painful authenticity. Dark’s worldbuilding reminds me of the best kind of travelogue – where every detail (the scent of a Shifter’s fur, the electric tension of a nightclub where humans and Breed mingle) creates complete immersion.
Nicole Poole’s narration is a masterclass in character differentiation. Her Reno Cole growls with a rough-edged sensuality that sent actual chills down my spine during a particularly tense scene set in a rain-soaked alley. But it’s her April that haunts me – that fragile-but-fierce tremolo perfectly capturing a woman who’s survived trauma but still flinches at shadows. Poole handles the romantic tension like a musician – knowing exactly when to let silence speak louder than words. The love scenes sizzle not because they’re explicit (though they are), but because Poole makes you feel every hitch of breath, every skipped heartbeat.
The novel’s exploration of trauma recovery resonates deeply with my anthropological background. April’s psychological journey mirrors what I’ve observed in survivors across cultures – that terrifying moment when sheltering walls become prisons. Dark writes this transformation with raw honesty, particularly in the audiobook’s most devastating scene where April finally confronts her abuser (Poole’s voice breaking just enough to make my hands clutch the steering wheel). The paranormal elements serve as brilliant metaphor – how do we reconcile the civilized self with the wounded animal inside?
While the romance arcs satisfy (Reno’s protective instincts balanced beautifully with respect for April’s autonomy), it’s the found family dynamics that elevate this beyond typical paranormal fare. The secondary characters – particularly the gruff but lovable bear Shifter Samson – burst with life thanks to Poole’s vocal alchemy. She gives each Breed species distinct vocal textures I could recognize blindfolded: feline Shifters purr their sibilants, wolves vocalize from deep in the chest.
Technical quibbles? The early chapters have slightly uneven pacing that Poole’s narration can’t entirely compensate for, and some worldbuilding details about Breed hierarchy might confuse newcomers to the series. But these are minor shadows in an otherwise luminous performance. The production quality is excellent – no distracting mouth sounds or uneven volume that plagues some paranormal audiobooks.
For travelers of both literal and emotional landscapes, this audiobook delivers that rare combination I seek in foreign markets and great literature: the shock of the unfamiliar paired with the comfort of universal truths. Whether you’re trekking through physical wilderness or your own inner demons, Six Months makes compelling company.
May your journeys – through stories and beyond – always lead you home,
Marcus Rivera
