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Take This Regret Paperback – April 1, 2012

by A. L. Jackson (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 2,288 ratings
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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.
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Previous page
  1. Book 2 of 3
    The Regret Series
  2. Print length
    298 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    April 1, 2012
  5. Dimensions
    5.98 x 0.67 x 9.02 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1938404742
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1938404740
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ A. L. Jackson (April 1, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 298 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1938404742
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1938404740
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.02 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 0.67 x 9.02 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 2,288 ratings

About the author

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A. L. Jackson

A. L. Jackson

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A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.

Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, BLEEDING STARS, FIGHT FOR ME, CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART, FALLING STARS and REDEMPTION HILLS novels. Watch out for her upcoming brother's best friend, single mom, small town romance stand-alone, DON'T FORGET ME TOMORROW, releasing October 10th!

If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.

Be sure not to miss new releases and sales from A.L. Jackson - Sign up to receive her newsletter http://smarturl.it/NewsFromALJackson or text “aljackson” to 33222 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news.

Connect with A.L.

Newsletter: https://geni.us/ALJacksonBookClubB

Facebook: https://geni.us/ALJacksonFBB

Reader Group: https://geni.us/AmysAngelsB

Amazon: https://geni.us/ALJacksonAmznB

Bookbub: https://geni.us/ALJacksonBookBubB

Twitter: @aljacksonauthor

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TikTok: @aljackson_

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
2,288 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Patriotmom
5.0 out of 5 stars Heartbreaking, unforgettable story!!
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2012
Verified Purchase
I'm a mess at the moment after reading this book, which is not at all what I was expecting to be the case. I started this today because I thought it looked like a sweet romance, but it was so very much more than that. This book moved me and tore at my emotions like no other, and it is an absolutely unforgettable story.

Take this Regret is a story that truly tests the boundaries of forgiveness and love. Elizabeth and Christian were in love and happy, planning a future together at law school while he dreamed of one day being a partner in his pretentious father's law firm. So when Elizabeth tells Christian that she's pregnant, his first reaction is removing the roadblock to their perfect life. Never expecting that the love of her life would do anything but support her, Elizabeth is shocked when he gives her an ultimatum: him or the baby. Crushed, Elizabeth struggles through a debilitating pregnancy and then single parenthood with the help of her family and her best friend Matthew. When Christian suddenly appears in her life again 5 years later, Elizabeth is bound and determined to protect her little Lizzie from the heartbreak she knows this man will bring to their lives. But things aren't as simple black and white, and Christian is in for the fight of his life to get his family back.

God, this book just tore me apart!! I feel like my heart has been put through a blender and I've been kicked in the gut, and while the tears were falling I absolutely fell for this little family. Lizzie, the sweet and adorable little girl who loved her mommy dearly and wanted nothing more than a family, won me over with that first little smile. And despite their selfish mistakes, Elizabeth and Christian grabbed me and made me feel every emotion they went through on their journey. It was such torture reading the emotions that played out as Christian came to grips with his decision; when he finally gets it and understands what he's missed out on, I was so utterly crushed for this man. This story really resonated with me because I was a young single mother myself, and the emotions portrayed by Elizabeth were so incredibly true to the situation that you can't help but be swept away in her desperation. And while I was furious with her at one point in particular, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her because she was acting out of deep-rooted pain from their past. Jackson did such a phenomenal job of making it so real in this story that I think everyone can understand her character's actions, even if they don't necessarily agree with them. My heart broke for Elizabeth's pain and fear, Christian's torturous regret and sadness, and little Lizzie's desperate need for the love of her daddy.

The writing style for this book was simply brilliant; the POV switches between Elizabeth and Christian in such a way that we see the most pivotal moments from the perspective that needed to be seen. It was so perfectly maneuvered, with the rawest of emotions being pulled to the forefront based on each situation. Take the day after Lizzie's birth, for example; instead of seeing Elizabeth's bliss over her daughter, we see that crucial moment in Christian's life where he decides to walk away. It was just what the reader needed to see in order to shift the mindset in his direction and begin to grasp how much this was going to affect him down the road. There was so much more dimension to the plot because of the different perspectives, and they flowed together seamlessly to really create a fluid story. It's not every author who can take a character who does something so unforgivable and heartless, and turn him into a man you can't imagine not having his happy ever after!

Take This Regret is a beautiful, touching story that I am so glad to have experienced. I highly recommend it to any contemporary romance fans, or anyone who just loves a good heartbreaking love story!
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4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful story about fixing your mistakes!
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2012
Verified Purchase
"What do you want, Christian?"
What did I want? To make her smile, to wipe away her tears, to hold her. To be a father, a real father, not one in title, but on who'd earned that right. I wanted to stay.
"I want my family," I forced through the lump in my throat."

RECAP

Christian Davison has been living a life filled with regret for the last five years. Every single minute of his days are filled wishing he hadn't been such a coward and had made the right choice. Unfortunately it's too late to take back that moment. It's not too late to try and redeem yourself, though. One moment will change the course of his life forever. A change he welcomes and fights to make. As he tries to make the past right and come to terms with the repercussions of his decisions five years ago Christian learns what it truly means to love.

Elizabeth hasn't been the same since the night Christian crushed her heart. For the past five years she has tried in vain to forget his smile, his eyes, the darkness of his pitch black hair, the way her heart beat for him. But how can she when her reason for existing is the exact replicate of him? And when he comes back into her life how is she supposed to deal with the anger and resentment that has built in her for the last 5 years? How can she forgive the one person that has and will always hold her heart in his hands?

MY TAKE

Okay let me start off by saying that this book WILL pull at your heart in so many ways. It is filled with romance, heartbreak, and so much adoration.

When you first begin this book you are thrown into the love that Christian and Elizabeth have for each other. A few pages in you are just as utterly heartbroken as Elizabeth is. Nothing could redeem what Christian did and you are infuriated by his cowardliness and lack of respect.

And then we flash forward 5 years. Christian has been living a life of regret and in one moment his life changes. His baby girl is his exact replica.

When we meet Lizzie you can't help but love and adore her, and want for her to finally have a family. The love and adoration that Christian automatically feels for her shows you just how powerful the bond of a parent and child can be. All of the heartwarming moments that they share will have you smiling like the Cheshire cat. The way Lizzie implicitly loves her dad and accepts that he now wants her, shows you that children are easier at forgiving then parents.

Elizabeth doesn't have that same view. She is hesitant to have Christian in her and Lizzie's life and you understand her pain. She must come to terms with that fact that Christian is there to stay and he wants his family. But letting him in is a constant struggle that we witness during the book. Her heartache and pain will match the one you will feel as you read this heartbreaking story.

I cannot continue without acknowledging the role Matthew plays in this entire book. He is the hero that sweeps in to help Elizabeth during her time of need. But he doesn't make this love triangle. No, Matthew is Elizabeth's best friend and her backbone. He stepped in when Christian refused to and isn't going anywhere. He truly is a wonderful guy and you automatically adore him for his protectiveness and love of Elizabeth and Lizzie.

I will acknowledge that this book did have some faults. Such as grammatical errors, repetitiveness, the constant use of Elizabeth and that the writing wasn't the best.

BUT what it all comes down to is... Buy this book! Read it! Fall in love with this story as much as I did!

[...]
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Top reviews from other countries

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Minoo D bharucha
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in India on June 21, 2018
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gifted to my niece
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Bobbi
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow
Reviewed in Canada on March 18, 2017
Verified Purchase
So many ups and downs. You just can't stop reading. Can't wait to read the next book always leaving you on the edge of your seat waiting for more.
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Lori
4.0 out of 5 stars Arrependimento e perdão
Reviewed in Brazil on October 23, 2014
Verified Purchase
Há bastante tempo eu queria ler este livro, mas eu sempre acabava colocando outros na sua frente. Como a sua sinopse promete um estória pesada, eu acreditava que precisava estar no “clima” para lê-lo. E, eu não estava enganada, Take this Regret é um livro lindamente escrito sobre amor, arrependimento e perdão, mas ele traz um caleidoscópio de sentimentos plangentes.

A narrativa conta a estória de Elizabeth e Christian, um casal que possui grandes planos para o futuro. Ambos são estudantes de direito, mas enquanto Elizabeth quer se especializar em direito das crianças e gosta mais do lado humanitário da lei, Christian está mais focado em seu lado capitalista e sonha um dia tocar o renomado escritório de advocacia de seu pai. Eles são extremos opostos, mas apesar de suas diferenças é possível sentir de pronto o quanto eles realmente se amam.

Christian e Elizabeth parecem ser bastante devotos um ao outro. Eles tem um relacionamento perfeito... Até Elizabeth engravidar e Christian fazer o impensável - o imperdoável, inclusive para aquelas almas mais indulgentes. Ele enxerga o bebê como uma complicação, um empecilho para o seu futuro tão minuciosamente delineado e assim dá um ultimato à Elizabeth: ela terá que escolher entre ele e o bebê.

Sem sequer pensar duas vezes, ela escolhe a criança em seu ventre e sai completamente da vida de Christian...

Cinco anos mais tarde, repleto de culpa, remorso e ódio de si mesmo, Christian é uma pessoa completamente diferente. Dizer que ele se arrepende de seus atos é um eufemismo. Ele sofre em silencio e é possível sentir em nosso âmago a dor que ele sente por ter rejeitado o que poderia ser a sua família. Assim, quando uma segunda chance bate em sua porta... ele promete fazer tudo ao seu alcance para consertar os seus erros do passado.

A principio eu não sabia se iria gostar do personagem de Christian, ou mesmo se ele poderia se redimir adequadamente, aos meus olhos, após ter tomado uma atitude tão egoísta. Contudo, no momento em que ele reencontra Elizabeth e conhece a sua filha, o seu quase palpável sofrimento e arrependimento conseguiram me tocar. Eu jamais poderei justificar os seus atos, mas eu posso dizer que consegui perdoá-lo.

Neste ponto, este livro poderia ter se tornado mais um previsível enredo do tipo: casal se reencontra novamente após anos separados e tudo é imediatamente esquecido. O amor entre eles é mais forte que a mágoa... blá blá blá. Mas, Take this Regret traz uma versão muito mais crível e genuína. E, eu já lhes aviso, o reencontro entre nossos heróis não é nada feliz. A dor e a tristeza causada pelo que Christian fez a Elizabeth, bem como a intensidade de seu pesar torna esta estória muito mais dolorosa.

Elizabeth é uma mãe extremamente dedicada e amorosa. Lizzie, sua filha, é o centro de sua vida e ela está disposta a fazer qualquer coisa para protegê-la e evitar que ela tenha que um dia sentir na pele a dor de perder alguém que se ama. Quando Christian reaparece em sua vida, de forma inesperada e indesejada, ela questiona seus motivos, mas, acima de tudo, ela questiona a sua capacidade de não incorrer no mesmo erro e jamais abandonar a sua filha novamente. O que se segue é uma comovente estória sobre perdão, redenção e segunda chance.

A trama se desenvolve em um ritmo lento e constante, o que é apropriado já que um perdão deste porte e a reconstrução da confiança perdida leva tempo. O fato do enredo ter sido escrito sob pontos de vista alternados possibilitou uma conexão mais íntimas com os personagens e seus sentimentos, ajudando-me, assim, a melhor compreender algumas atitudes tomadas por ambos os protagonistas.

Embora grande parte do livro possua um tom um tanto quanto melancólico, as suas mensagens de esperança, perdão, redenção e segundas chances são imensamente edificante e fazem valer cada lágrima derramada.

Recomendo para aqueles que estão em busca de uma leitura mais dramática.
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Eileen
5.0 out of 5 stars Heartbreaking. Wrecking. Absolutely amazing. Unbelievably emotional. Uniquely beautiful.
Reviewed in Germany on January 23, 2014
Verified Purchase
This is by far the best series I've ever read. I don't think there's ever been a book (series) that broke my heart as many times as this one did. My emotions were all over the place just like those of the characters. I'm almost sure that my words won't do this series justice, but it's so worth a review so here it is:

The series starts with Elizabeth and Christian meeting through college and they became study partners. The attraction was there from the first minute, but Elizabeth tried to fight her feelings, so they remained friends until neither of them could take it anymore and they almost exploded with feelings.

“I didn't do flings. I fell in love, and falling in love with someone like Christian was a mistake I couldn't afford.” - Elizabeth (Lost To You)

Take This Regret follows their tough time while trying to decide what is wrong and what is right. There are flashbacks to the times when everything went wrong. Christian made a decision he will regret forever. He left Elizabeth when she needed him most, but he left more behind than just the woman he loved. He has to fight hard for what he wants. Harder than he might've ever imagined. He hurt the person he loved the most so deeply that there might be no second chance.

“We had the power to destroy, to devastate and ruin, to lay the other to waste.” - Christian (Take This Regret)

They thought they made it, had it all until fate brings them down again. If Forever Comes deals with more heartache and emotion than the first two books of the series. Elizabeth spends her days in a haze, drowning in pain and sorrow. She can't stand seeing Christian, barely makes it through the days while the pain is eating her up from inside. It takes a long time until the reader finds out what really happened, what shattered their life together, but I had a suspicion and it turned out to be true.

“And when we'd fallen, we had completely fallen apart.” - Christian (If Forever Comes)

I absolutely fell in love with A.L. Jackon's writing style. How she describes Christian and Elizabeth's feelings, their emotions, their heartache. A lot of authors can learn from that. She describes a feeling so detailed that you feel like it's your own pain, your own sorrow. I've never read something like this.

I described the books only shortly because otherwise I would give too much away of what happens during the series.
The stories were a roller coaster ride of emotions. Elizabeth and Christian were deeply in love, spend four years together, five years apart, until they eventually found their way back together. It took a long fight, a lot of pain, true and honest words, cruel words, and a whole lot of love. But fate shattered their just created life again, and made them fight even harder for what they wanted. They had to find out how much they could take.
It's a beautiful story about love, pain, betrayal, struggle, sorrow and strength.

Christian fought hard for his family, he had to earn their trust and their love. He had to show Elizabeth that he had changed, and that he was worth trusting. Elizabeth had to decide if she could bury the feeling of betrayal, and trust him again.
Even though they both had to go through so much, in If Forever Comes I really wanted to slap Elizabeth for being such a selfish woman. It wasn't just her who had to fight the battle. But even more I just wanted to hug her and Christian. This book made me so sad and my heart ached for both of them.

“You are the most selfish person I ever met.” - Christian to Elizabeth (If Forever Comes)

This is one of those series that will stick with you. That makes you think about choices you've made. That words cut deeper than any knife ever could. That actions and words can't just be taken back.
If Forever Comes is more emotional than The Fault In Our Stars (by John Green), in a completely different way. I love this series to pieces, and I will definitely buy the paperbacks of this series so that I can cradle the books in my hands and look at them all the time.

This series was a huge inspiration for my own writing. A person who can write like this - describe emotions in such detailed ways without really repeating herself while describing pain and sorrow over and over again must be a wonderful person. Thanks A.L. Jackson for such a great series!
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BevUK
5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 8, 2013
Verified Purchase
I usually mull over a book before I write a review but wanted to get this down now, even though I am overwhelmed with different feelings.

What Christian did at the beginning of the book was a betrayal of the worst kind, but OMG he paid for his sins. And MAN did he pay. Over and over and over. I really did sympathise with Elizabeth the first half of the book but by the time I got near the end that woman had got On. My. Last. Nerve. Yep, The. Last. One!! GAH I wanted to slap her upside the head so many times!! Yes she had a crap time when Christian gave her the ultimatum, but what she seemed to conveniently forget is it took TWO to tango. Not once did she bear any blame for the circumstances she found herself in.

"I know I did Elizabeth, but I can't take it back. God knows, I wish I could, but I abandoned you and there's nothing I can ever do to change that"

Christian lived with guilt that should have crippled him. But it was not only his guilt to bear.

The fact Elizabeth got to me SO bad that I had palpitations says what an awesome book this is. And in spite of this he adored both Elizabeth and Lizzie.

Yes I was angry with her the second half of the book but there was also beautiful, tender moments that had me smiling and really feeling good about life. Lizzie ..... such a beautiful child, inside and out. The love she had for those around her

"You're the best daddy"

And what had me sobbing

"Please stay with me Daddy".

OMG this book tore my heart in two, stomped on it and thankfully put it all back together again.

An amazing book that had me glued from the first page to the last. Awesome, awesome read.
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