BOOK REVIEW: TAKE THIS REGRET by A.L. Jackson and Amy Lichtenhan

Take This Regret by A.L. Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After posting my review for The Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allred, I tried to scroll down and check some reviews of others who’ve read the book already. Then I came across Aestas Book Blog’s review, read it and what really caught my attention was when she mentioned this: “I think fans of Take This Regret will really enjoy this book, and vice versa.” So, I was like "What’s with Take This Regret?" "And what are its similarities to The Sweet Gum Tree?" My mind was buzzing in with questions and curiosity for this book. That's why I ended up looking for it … and I caved in. I told myself that I need to read this book as soon as possible!!!

Take This Regret's story goes like this - Everything in Christian Davison’s life has already been mapped out, from his studies to his future work in his father's firm. So when Elizabeth Ayers, his girlfriend, announced that she was pregnant ... he just saw his future crumbling down and saw the baby as someone who's in the way of him having a bright future. With that being said, he asked Elizabeth to choose between him and the baby. Who does that? Well, Christian just did. Elizabeth's decision was a very obvious one with what principles she have and stood by in her life. She then left Christian.

Stressed, depressed, fully betrayed and distraught about her current situation Elizabeth ended up in the hospital and seeking comfort in her friend's arms, Matthew. While Christian is constantly being bugged by his conscience on what he just did to his girlfriend and to his baby. But he did nothing to improve his current state.

Months have passed and they live their own separate lives. Elizabeth pregnant and all while Christian ends up in bed with different girls every night. Disgusting creature. Christian even saw Elizabeth in a store and the coward that he is, didn't man up to approach her. Until the night of his graduation day when a friend of his congratulated him on being a father already. That's when he realized that Elizabeth already gave birth to their kid. He rushed to the hospital to check on Elizabeth and saw Matthew taking care of her. Thinking what was best for her, he left the building without uttering any single word ...

NOW. After FIVE YEARS, Christian is successful as he has planned and envisioned. He takes over the new branch of his father's firm in San Diego. The city where he knew Elizabeth grew up and thinking of the chances that he might get to see her, he immediately agreed to his father's directives. First day of being in the city, he ran some errands and did some grocery shopping to prep his place. And that's when our story takes an unexpected turn ...

While grocery shopping, he came across this little girl with a very sweet and wide smile on her face. He was immediately captivated by her and in turn reciprocated the gesture by acknowledging the girl's presence with a smile. But the moment their eyes met (which was freakishly just like staring at his own eyes), he knew from that moment ... Father's instinct.

What will happen now? What will he do to make everything right again with Elizabeth and most especially to his daughter whom he neglected from the beginning? Will he be able to get through Elizabeth's skin and redeem himself? Or will the past and the what-ifs in his life just continue to hunt him?

THE ANSWER TO MY OWN QUESTION (that I mentioned above) IS...TAKE THIS REGRET IS ALSO A HIGHLY EMOTIONAL NOVEL. Fudgecakes. I was just reading the freaking Prologue of this book (which I have to add that I was reading it a 1 AM) and it already managed to make me cry. We're talking about LOADS OF TEARS HERE. A BUCKET OF TEARS. The PAIN IS REAL, GUYS! A.L. Jackson really did great with this book!

I love that the book was told in both Christian and Elizabeth's POV because we get to experience both sides of their pain. Elizabeth's pain of being betrayed and abandoned all this years and Christian's pain and need to be with his daughter. Reading both of their insights made the reading experience even more painful because we read about the struggle of Christian on how to deal with everything and the sincerity in his actions BUT we also have Elizabeth's perspective and inner battle which reminds us of what he did five years ago. Heart wrenching. Everything was so realistic starting from the flaws of the characters, the situations they were thrown in and until to the actions/decisions they've made in each scene.

Then we also see from both of their perspectives the innocence of their child, Lizzie. HER INNOCENCE BROKE ME A COUPLE OF TIMES IN THE EARLY PARTS OF THE BOOK. That moment when she was asking if Christian was her father. I CAN'T. Also that scene when they she and Christian were having dinner and Christian said "Did your mom ever talk to you about why I wasn't with you when you were younger?" and Lizzie was just like "You didn't want me." I BROKE DOWN. TEARS WERE LEAKING.

This book gives us a clear picture of the repercussions one person finds after blowing up the best thing that happened to his/her life. But Take This Regret also highlights the idea of second chances and that it's not easy to heal when a person goes through such situation like this. Time is preciously needed. Anyways, I'm so glad how the book ended. They truly deserve to have a HEA after what they've gone through in the entire course of the book.

Bye x

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