Title: Rarity

Author: D.A. Roach

Genre: YA Romance

Release Date: June 16, 2015

Brogen Mathers can’t deal with teen drama...

As an empath, she is constantly bombarded with other people’s energies. Despite coping techniques taught by her psychologist mother, it’s often too much to bear, forcing her to avoid most activities a typical high school junior would enjoy.

Jay Wilken won’t let his past define him...

A dead mother and an alcoholic father brought Jay to Stanton, but he doesn’t want pity. His good looks, charisma, and friendly nature quickly win over the whole student body, but he has his eye on one girl...Brogen.

Brogen can’t believe anyone could be so genuinely nice. It has to be an act, right? But when Jay literally saves her from deadly jaws, she has to admit he’s exactly what he appears, and he’s worth risking the potential emotional upheaval.

“Drama” might as well be Becca Grant’s middle name...

Another newcomer to Stanton, Becca’s blonde beauty and abundant attitude shoots her straight to the top of the popularity charts—and she believes Jay belongs right there beside her. Accustomed to getting exactly what she wants, she launches a relentless mean-girl campaign to shake up Brogen and claim Jay for her own.

Everything changes with a devastating diagnosis...

When Jay learns he has a rare and potentially fatal disorder, he keeps it secret and begins to push Brogen away to spare her future pain—which is exactly the sort of opening Becca is waiting for.

As Jay’s well-meaning deception unravels,

Brogen realizes there is much more than her heart at stake... But how far is she willing to go to fight for someone she loves?

4 STARS

Brogen Matthews is a junior at Stanton High School. Unlike her fellow students, Brogen doesn’t participate in most activities because she is an empath. She is heavily affected by the energies and emotions of others and it causes physical, mental and emotional drainage.

Meg is Brogen’s best friend. They have known each other a long time, but their junior year they were lucky enough to have classes together. Meg and Brogen tried to stay under the radar of high school drama, but that is all about to change when two new students arrive to shake things up.

Jay Wilken moves to Stanton under some unfortunate circumstances. His mother died and caused his father to end up in rehab due to his alcoholism, so he moved in with his aunt, uncle, and cousin, Soren. Jay is easily likable and adjusts well into school with his friendly demeanor, good looks and overall charm.  He catches Brogen’s attention with his genuine friendliness and she suddenly feel butterflies when he is around.

One evening while running, Brogen is stopped in her tracks by a growling, snarling dog that was ready to attack her. Out of nowhere, Jay appears to distract the dog and save Brogen, while ending up being bitten. A drunk driver hits and kills the dog, nearly missing Brogen and Jay. This was the beginning of the friendship to relationship blooming between them.

Becca Grant is every high school girl’s worst nightmare. She is beautiful, blonde, and quickly jumps in to rule the most popular group in school. Becca has her eye on Jay and is not ready to let anything get in her way, including Brogen. Becca starts to be really mean to Brogen and try to get closer to Jay, planning to push Brogen out of the picture.

Amidst all of this, Jay learned that he has a rare genetic disorder that could be fatal. He has to walk away from most activities that he participates in. Feeling broken, he starts to push Brogen away in an attempt to protect her. Brogen doesn’t want to give up on her and Jay, but feeling hurt she doesn’t know how much she can take.

Is Brogen strong enough to fight for her relationship with Jay? Read it and find out!

This is the first book that I have read by D.A. Roach and I really enjoyed it. She gave enough background information about the characters to make them realistic and kept the storyline running. I hope to read more from her!

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Our eyes were locked on each other, and I was glad to see he seemed lighter. He took a step closer, closing the space between us so our bodies were touching each other. I felt my heartbeat quicken, and butterflies fluttered about my stomach. This was an intimate space, and he clearly entered it. The air between us changed, it was more electric. He put his hands on each side of my face, and then gently but possessively, he took my mouth against his. He kissed gently at first, and I felt my knees grow weak. His lips were soft, and his breath was hot. I let my mind go and became enveloped in the overwhelming love that Jay exuded. He urged my mouth open and our kiss became more intimate. I felt the heat rising in my cheeks and followed Jay’s lead. His hands trailed down my arms and wrapped around my torso. The kisses returned to gentle nibbles, and then to sweet pecks before he pulled away to look at me. All traces of sadness were gone from his face, from inside of me. There was light and love there instead. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time,” he said.

D.A. Roach has been telling stories since she was a young girl in the suburbs of Chicago. In college she met the man of her dreams, her happily ever after, and married him 2 weeks after graduating. They have 3 kids together and a pet cockatiel named Gimli. D.A. did not find a love for books until after college. Her parents were immigrants from Lithuania and found tv and radio easier ways to hear stories so they did not do much reading or encourage it. But once she finished college and D.A. had free time, she discovered how amazing it was to get lost in a story. 

D.A. is a full time mom and wife. When she is not doing domestic things (laundry, bills, etc) she is writing, reading, creating mixed media art, and helping beautify her kids' school landscape. Oh, and she is ALWAYS listening to music. Her favorite authors include Rebecca Donovan, Richelle Mead, Larissa Ione, Stephanie Meyer, E.L. James, and Sylvia Day. Reading great works from authors like these has motivated D.A. to write her own stories. She hopes to make positive changes in the world with her art and writing.

Things always looked different the next day. Skies seemed bluer, the grass was greener. The worries of yesterday were magically reduced to a manageable size, and brand new ideas and thoughts were born. Oddly enough, Mom’s words were like seeds planted in the night, now growing and blossoming inside me. Jay was very much alive. He was healthy, a bit fragile, but more alive than many kids my age who lived life mindlessly. If anything, this stupid disorder made him more alive. Made me more alive. I wanted to make memories with Jay— live each day to the fullest, laugh until my belly hurt, cry at sad movies with him, and watch the sunrise and the sunset whenever I could. Life was a gift, not to be taken for granted. It could be here one day and gone the next, or it could go on for a very long time.

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