Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Rare

AUTHOR: Briar Prescott

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 293 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 16, 2020

BLURB:

One summer changes their lives forever…

Alex Ellison is well-educated, rich and good-looking. Too bad the ingredients of success haven’t mixed too well for him and instead of having the world at his feet, Alex has, once again, landed himself in a hot mess of trouble.

The community service his father arranges for him in a wildlife center on the other side of the country comes as a bit of a nasty surprise, though. Being shipped off to middle-of-nowhere, Oregon, is not Alex’s idea of the perfect summer vacation.

What Alex never expects is to meet Noah Price.

He never expects to be noticed and understood.

He never expects to feel valued and special.

He never expects to fall in love.

Everything is not what it seems, though, and love that feels invincible turns out to be anything but.

But love finds a way, and when Alex and Noah unexpectedly cross paths years later, they will have to risk it all for the love they both deserve and so desperately need.

REVIEW:

Rare is a beautifully written story about love that endures the test of time and other serious challenges. There are two parts of the book: the first half is the young adult story of first-time love and part two tackles the reunion of the men after a decade apart, and the continuing problems they must overcome. The conflict that besets them in the first half of the book continues to torment them after they are together again, so it’s not all smooth sailing for them as adults. 

Before their senior year of high school, Alex and Noah meet and have a sweet summer fling that neither was expecting. Alex is a misguided youth who gets into trouble one too many times. Instead of serving time in jail, he is sent by his father from New York City to rural Oregon where he’s sentenced to perform community service at the wildlife center where Noah works. Alex is not a very likable character initially, exhibiting all the fine traits of someone bratty, smug, glib, and cocky … take your pick. After his mom left him and his father, he grew up with a dad who showed him little love or care. Noah, a local boy, is able to see through Alex’s bravado to the more sensitive boy beneath. Noah has only a mother, and no one will be handing out a Parent of the Year award to her, either. When one of the parents interferes, the summer romance comes crashing to an end, with one of the boys completely in the dark about what happened. 

A serendipitous encounter brings Alex and Noah back together again ten years later when Alex is in Seattle on business where Noah now lives. Although Alex is initially angry and wants nothing to do with Noah, he can only fight his heart’s desire for so long before giving in. The chemistry is strong, both in the past and the present. Once they reunite, they’re on fire and utterly devoted to each other. Love never dies in Rare.  

Ten years had passed. Ten years of confusion and anger and longing.  All those feelings were in the kiss. Heartbreak and sadness and bursts of joy and elation mixed into one potent cocktail, and Alex couldn’t get enough. The kiss was achingly familiar in its intensity. Alex was immediately lost in everything that was Noah. The only man he’d ever loved. 

The plot is unique and interesting, particularly once we learn the reason for the parental interference that keeps the boys apart. The topic appears to be well-researched and I always appreciate learning something new as I did here. Even though the issues become heavy, the story never gets bogged down. Other than the aforementioned parental units, there aren’t many side characters, although even the small roles, like fellow teenagers Matt and Lacey, are important. Larger characters include Carl, the wildlife center director, and adult Noah’s best friend and co-worker, Hannah, who is the catalyst for the men’s reunion.  

By the end of the book, the conflict is resolved the best it can be which leads to a nice happily ever after for Alex and Noah. The conflict tackled by Ms. Prescott is an important LGBTQ+ equality issue relevant today. She provides more information and a link in her author’s note following the conclusion of the book.  I’m not going to spoil the nature of the conflict – other than to say Rare is a great title.  

Second-chances is one of my favorite romance tropes. The more intervening years, the more my heart breaks. In Rare, the sadness is balanced by hopefulness so it wasn’t too agonizing but, yes, I shed a few tears. What’s worse, though, is the injustice one of these men has had to endure throughout his lifetime and the fact that his parent was complicit in his ongoing despair. 

This is a wonderfully written love story that I highly recommend, especially for those readers who enjoy second chances and would like some young adult storyline. 

RATING: 

BUY LINK: 

Amazon