Take This Regret by A.L Jackson
July 28, 2011 by Coffee Shop Publishing
Paperback, 242 Pages
Purchased

Christian and Elizabeth have sizzling chemistry, a future as brilliant lawyers and the world in the palm of their hands.....well that's how they see it anyway. Elizabeth cannot wait to be a lawyer and career means everything to Christian and as expected by his presumptuous father, he aspires to take over the family law firm in New York. Life is going to be a great and Elizabeth will be with him, the only possible outcome is success. Little does Christian know that life can be turned upside down in a second, when Elizabeth shares the news of her pregnancy, Christians knee jerk reaction is anger and frustration, no way is he giving up his dreams or all his hard work to be tied down to some kid and a life he doesn't want even before his life has begun. He has one year left of school and its off to become that successful rich lawyer and while he wants his life to be with Elizabeth, family and parenthood isn't something he's contemplated. So what does this immature, selfish boy do? Out of shock and confusion Christian walks away from Elizabeth, breaks her heart in the process and doesn't look back...until five years later.

Not a day has gone by that Christian hasn't had second thoughts and grieved over the choice he made, knowing that Elizabeth and his child are out in the world somewhere he carries around constant guilt. While five years have moved along, the thoughts of his mistake have never seemed to fade, he knows what he did was wrong but has no idea how to fix it. Even the wealth that comes from working for his fathers company can't quiet the pain inside him. So when opportunity arises for Christian to take over the firms San Diego office he quickly jumps at the opportunity, not so much for the promotion but in the hopes that Elizabeth might be there, seeing how its her hometown. Working up the courage to contact her or even see her though is something he's not ready to face until a fated almost freaky encounter leaves him face to face with none other than the daughter he left behind. Without knowing who she is, there is an immediate change in his soul and he knows he must make amends for his mistake, he must be a part of his daughters life and do all he can to win back the only woman he's ever loved.

Elizabeth has had a long five years. Still recovering from the loss of Christian, his betrayal and the loss of her dreams to become a lawyer, shes done everything in her power to make a life for her and Lizzie, things have been hard financially but with the support of a few close friends and family and a good job at a bank, she has made a happy home for them.

When Christian returns like a hurricane back into her life, Elizabeth is terrified and furious. How dare he come back after five years to find them and try to be a father. How can he make up for betraying her, abandoning their child? How can her heart stand to see her daughter fall in love with him and watch as her tender broken heart begins to fall back in love with him too? She's so angry and jealous that she can't even see straight, her family is mad, her daughter is joyous and Christian is doing everything a broken man trying to win his family back is doing. A reasonable likable character we meet in the beginning becomes a sour and desperate woman, so many questions present themselves but the only real question that matters is, can she trust him or will he just get his full and leave them again to pick up the pieces?

Oh this book was amazing. I know I gush like a school girl, but I cannot contain myself when I find a story that leaves me clutching its pages to my heart....or in this case my Nook to my heart. Christian and Elizabeth's story is so common, yet so redeeming as we see Christian transform from this arrogant young guy into an astounding developed man. It was a breathtaking read of emotion from hating Christian in the beginning and loving Elizabeth to in the middle seeing the character roles reversed and wind up loving Christian and detesting Elizabeth and in the end loving them both. For me personally I was able to relate to Elizabeth profoundly due to being a teen mother myself {although Elizabeth was 20} and remembering the dreams I gave up but knowing instantly that I wanted that baby more than life itself. The road paved with second chances has the power to capture even the toughest cynic and it certainly captured me. My heart broke with this story, I cried for this story and I fell in love with all the characters from beginning to end.


Rating

Take This Regret is recommended to adult readers and contains: Sexuality {One graphic scene} mild violence, mild language, death and pregnancy.

5/5- Contemporary Romance


Read This on Kindle for 3.99