Take This Regret (Take This Regret #1) by A.L. Jackson
BOOK BLURB:
There are some mistakes we make that we will regret for the rest of our lives. For Christian, it was the day he betrayed Elizabeth.
Christian Davison has a plan for his life. He is determined to become an attorney and to one day take his place as partner in his father’s law firm. Nothing will stand in his way, not even Elizabeth Ayers and their unborn child.
After Christian cuts her from his life, Elizabeth spends the next five years struggling to provide for her daughter and willing to sacrifice anything to give her child a safe, comfortable life.
For five years, Christian has regretted the day he walked away from his family and will do anything to win them back just as Elizabeth will do anything to protect her daughter from the certain heartache she believes Christian will bring upon them.
When Christian wrestles his way into their lives, Elizabeth is faced with asking herself if it is possible to forgive someone when they’ve committed the unforgiveable and if it is possible to find a love after it has been buried in years of hate. Or are there some wounds that go so deep they can never heal?
They say everyone deserves a second chance.
MY REVIEW:
Overall Rating: 5/5 — Seriously one of the most heart-wrenching stories about family and true love.
“What do you want, Christian?”
“I want my family.”
Holy Kleenex tissues!!! This was pretty much the story of my life as I read this book till around 5:30 in the morning: read—heart is crushed—tearing up—read more—more heart-wrenching scenes—more tears—can’t stop reading—gushing with some very touching scenes—crying—oh hell, I’m gonna finish this book even if it means not sleeping—ugly crying—more ugly crying. Yep, Kleenex was basically on-call last night and my eyes are pretty much swollen right now as I’m typing this review.
Up until this moment, I’m still kinda speechless with all the feels, but don’t let my intense ugly crying hinder you from picking up this book because believe me it was worth all my tears, sobbing, and swollen eyes!!! I’ve had this book on my TBR list for the longest time and I just want to kick myself right in the shins for not reading this right away before. I’ve read my fair share of novels with the similar premise as this one but none of them gutted me as much as this one did.
The prologue was the perfect setup to the story that I didn’t really feel the need to read the prequel anymore. Gawd, I seriously wanted to bust Christian balls for what he did. It wasn’t just the simple fact that he turned his back on his family but how he did it and how he took the very easy way out. I really wouldn’t have judged the author if she inserted some sort of brawl that made Christian end up in the emergency room because he really deserved it. My heart just broke for Elizabeth. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the excruciating pain of what she had to go through. It was indeed a miracle that she was able to push through that hard pregnancy and have a beautiful healthy baby daughter.
“I’m your—“ Lizzie laughed again. “I know who you are, silly. You’re my daddy.”
Daddy.
I was struck with the magnitude of what that meant, the responsibility of being a father. Waves of devotion swept through me as I silently promised her I would always be there for her, would always love her, would be the best father I could possibly be.
Why Christian waited for 5 solid years before he finally made a move to try and search for Elizabeth and their daughter was beyond me. But nevertheless, I still felt all the emotions of all the characters especially during Christian, Elizabeth, and Lizzie’s first real encounter together. At that first meeting, I already knew that Christian was a changed man. But then again, who could blame Elizabeth for being very hostile and angry, right? If I were Christian, I wouldn’t even know where to start as well.
When Christian and Lizzie started spending time with each other, I can’t help but be touched and get a bit teary-eyed (okay so much teary eyed) because of how sweet Lizzie was with her daddy and how Christian was moved to the point that it made his chest so tight with the love that he has for his daughter. Gawd that moment outside McDonald’s when Christian just burst into tears while embracing Lizzie really felt like I’ve been stabbed right in my chest. And I also pretty much felt like bursting into tears each and every single time Christian had a super sweet and touching moment with Lizzie.
“She was mine, had always been, and I’d always been hers. Despite what I’d done, the wounds I’d inflicted, she had always been mine…. our hearts had been tied, our bond one that neither of us could ever escape.”
Now Christian’s relationship with Elizabeth was a little bit more tricky and much harder to mend. Elizabeth was right in holding back from Christian and if it were me, I would’ve at least slapped him hard or gave him a good punch in the nose for what he did. However, it was clearly evident that it was indeed just a matter of time before she gave into him because their love for each other was just so palpable and completely undeniable. I think my heart softened the same time Elizabeth started warming up to Christian, especially during their trip to Sea World when Claire reached out to her in a very enlightening and soothing way.
I seriously gushed when they spent more and more time together because it felt like they were a real family, especially after that hospital scene when Elizabeth chose to reach out to Christian for help. Lizzie’s adoration for her daddy was just so adorable and sweet. Of course, it was also touching how Matthew and Natalie helped out in every way they can in rebuilding this family. My heart was beyond crushed during that certainscene but then again I can’t blame Elizabeth for feeling the way she did. It really just broke my heart because of how the situation destroyed both Lizzie and Christian. Thank heavens for their sweet happy ever after!!!
Now, even with all those praises for the characters and depth of the story, I really have to commend the author for how she wrote this gut-wrenching story. The way that she wrote Elizabeth and Christian POVs really gave me an insight to what they both felt. I think, more than anything, Christian’s POV was really the turning point in this one. Because instead of opting to just have Elizabeth’s POV, it really helped to see what was going on inside Christian’s heart and mind. His transformation and how he was completely floored with the love and longing that he felt for his family really helped in making this story so unforgettable. I could write a thousand more words but nothing would really justify what I felt when I read this story. DEFINITE MUST READ!!!
merryways 