Courtney S. Barr

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Join me, the Princess, on my Royal Adventures in the Land of Writing!

Saturday, November 2, 2013

The Kingdom Reviews "Reality" by Dani Hart

Happy Weekend my Royal friends!

So today is going to be a little different. I have the honor and pleasure to present to you my review of Reality by Dani Hart! But before we get to this new cast of characters, let me share a little bit about Dani:

My passion for writing started at a very young age. It started with a multitude of diaries as soon as I could write well, then poetry, then short stories. I received my BA at USC in Theatre with an unofficial minor in writing. While at USC I wrote my first screenplay and post-graduation I was hired to write another screenplay, which I did successfully. I have since started several books, but have never had the courage or time to finish them. I missed it, but I was discouraged from my years in the industry and I was scared to go back, so I had convinced myself I was too busy and it would be a waste of time. Then I started reading again which reignited my passion for writing. I started writing a story that had been brewing inside of me over the years. The characters were slowly developing and itching to break out onto paper, so in the summer of 2011 I wrote the first two chapters. Life got busy again and my passion was pushed aside, but then I met an amazing person who loved my story and encouraged me to start writing again. With that said, I am in a happier place now. I am fulfilling my inner desire and passion to write while raising a family and living life. Thank you so much for your support! And I hope to keep the stories coming!!!

I am Arie Belle and up until my mother’s unexpected and mysterious death my life had been pretty simple, but then things became dark and, at times, hopeless. Even my uncanny ability to communicate with nature had turned its back on me. My only saving grace is my lifetime friendship with the boy next door, River, whom I had always thought of as my soul mate up until my eighteenth birthday when everything seemed to change. My body tingles with heightened sensations and my emotions veer out of control. They are further tested when Ashe, a beautiful stranger with a powerful draw, enters my life and challenges my heart and soul. Amidst the rush of feelings after years of numbness, my true destiny slowly unravels and my journey to find out what I am, to find my mother’s killer, and stop my own death becomes a frantic rush before the next full moon. 

This powerful story encaptures the true meaning of love and the dark corners of life that can either suck you in or save you.

My thoughts: This book is a cautionary tale of forgiveness, sacrifice, a mother’s love, friendship and heartbreak. Arie isn’t normal… She has always known that there was something different about her, about her mother and about the world that exists around her. Diving into her story is a tricky thing, she knows nothing about who she really is and yet the answers are everywhere around her.  She is captivated by her best friend and love, River. He is handsome, strong, supportive, understanding and most of all loyal to a fault. They are connected in the most intimate of ways while still maintaining their innocence. She loves him deeply but their love is not simple nor is it metaphorically bulletproof.

At first the book opens not slowly but because you are walking in her footsteps you, the reader, have the same aggravating ignorance as to what is going on. Her mother is a beautiful and ethereal presence; loving, happy and at her best when surrounded by nature. Arie is much the same yet tragedies that are beyond her control try desperately to twist her outlook and to bring her into a depressive state. We travel along Arie’s journey of self-discovery and encounter friendships, loyalties, betrayals and a triangle of lust & love that crosses more than just border towns…just wait until you encounter Ashe! For most of the story we are learning and discovering. There is still a large amount of questions to be answered. Her reality is complex and in the nature of its variables we find that Arie has a long road ahead before she will find what she is searching for.

I enjoyed this story, it was definitely unique in many ways. Dani does a great job of making sure the reader is impacted by Arie’s conflicting emotions. There is just enough danger to make it exciting but at its core this is a story of love – all aspects of the word. Every decision made by each character has some basis of love.
If you are looking for steamy hot guys, friendships that would do anything for one another and the journey of a ‘chosen one’ this book is for you! 

Check out these excerpts (these are the tip of the iceberg, by the way - this book is full of emotion):

“I felt like a butterfly with broken wings, and River was trying to mend me back together. But after a butterfly’s wings are broken it was destined to live a life without flight, and fate’s destiny for me was not to fly. I would never soar above the sorrow and be free from the guilt of those surrounding me whom I would drown in pain.” ~Reality

“He brushed his fingers through my damp hair and then unexpectedly pressed his lips on mine. It instantly felt like he was breathing new life into me. As I inhaled his kiss, my lungs burned for more.
I grabbed the back of his neck and forced him on top of me. He responded hungrily. His hands explored my hips and thighs as our intimacy deepened. I was breathing so hard now that I could barely catch a breath. He made my whole body feel alive with every touch. I found the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head. He willingly accepted where this moment was taking us. I outlined his perfectly chiseled abs with my fingers and reached down for the button on his jeans. He squeezed my hips in anticipation. He released his lips from mine and followed the contours of my cheekbones to my jawbone and playfully nibbled, which caused me to dig my nails into his sides, immersed in pleasure.” ~Reality

Where to find Dani and her lovely writing…


Purchase this enchanting story here…





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