Take This Regret Book Review

 Synopsis:

There are some mistakes we make that we will regret for the rest of our lives. For Christian Davison, it was the day he betrayed Elizabeth Ayers. For five years, Christian has regretted the day he walked away from his family and will do anything to win them back. Can Elizabeth forgive someone who has committed the unforgiveable? Or are there some wounds that go so deep they can never heal?




My Review:

What a beautiful yet painful story to read.  So much anger and hurt held inside for 5 years festering and growing in a woman, Elizabeth, who could not or would not forgive the man who had wronged her so badly.  A foolish young man, Christian, who, in a spur of the moment decision, makes the wrong choice and is forced to live with his regrets and without the woman he loves for 5 years and beyond.  A beautiful little girl, Lizzie, so full of joy and innocence with love to give everyone including the daddy who gave her up.  This is a poignant love story that makes you feel like you're riding on a runaway train with no way to get off.  When it crashes, it almost destroys them all.  Christian has so many regrets and is losing hope of ever being forgiven, as Elizabeth has hardened her heart filled with the fear that he will leave her again.  This is a story of love & loss, betrayals that are unforgivable, regrets that threaten to drown them in their sorrow, trust that is destroyed in such a way that it may never allow love to grow again in her broken heart.  Sometimes when two people are in love, the pain they cause each other is too overwhelming and shattering to get past...to ever allow themselves to trust again.  Take This Regret will stir emotions deep inside you and make you pray for this couple to find their way back to each other...even knowing this will be a near impossible feat. 

The downside for me is that the angst in this story went on for a little too long.  It began to be a little too much for me to accept as Elizabeth withheld her forgiveness from Christian over and over again.  She almost lost all my sympathy as I began to feel like she was punishing him more than anything else.  I gave this book 4 hearts as I enjoyed the alternating POV between H/h, allowing us to hear both character's thoughts and feel their anguish and genuine emotions.  The emotional turmoil is real and beautifully written for both characters.  If the turning point in this story had come sooner, it would have been a 5 star read for me.

Rating:  4 Beautiful ♥♥♥♥'s...And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart...xxx

Sandra

Quotes:

I knew she could feel me, conscious of watchful eyes.  Being near her stirred me - my love and guilt and desire - emotions that left my heart heavy and my legs weak.
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Echoes of our past surfaced in my mind, our happiest moments, the way only he could make me smile, the way only he could make me feel, our most intimate times.  I wanted to hold onto them, but they fluttered and flickered and gave way to vivid images so strong I could almost taste them - sick, cold, alone - and I remembered why I could never give into this.
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I closed my eyes as he pried my fingers from the page and wrapped them in his hand.  "I don't want to become like him, Elizabeth."  His throat bobbed in unspent emotion.  "I don't want to waste my life.  I don't want to waste this," he stressed as he squeezed my hand.
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They say cowards run in the face of danger or pain.  I supposed that's what I was, what I'd become, too fearful to love, too fearful to be loved, too afraid to live - so I ran.