Review: Take This Regret Series by A.L. Jackson
Lost to You (#0.5)
Christian Davison came into mine, and I knew I’d never be the same.
To Elizabeth Ayers, New York City had always been a dream. She’s worked her entire young life to make it here.
Groomed to one day take over his father’s law firm, attending Columbia University was Christian Davison’s only option.
Neither wanted anything more until they sat across from each other at a café table after being paired as study partners.
Christian wants her, but Elizabeth knows better than to give into their intense attraction. Yet there is little she can do to stay away.
Lost to You, the prequel to the bestselling romance, Take This Regret. A New Adult novella, recommended for readers 17+. It’s unnecessary to have read Take This Regret to enjoy Lost to You.
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Review - 4 stars!
This prequel to the Take This Regret series is about how Christian and Elizabeth first met and how their relationship developed before the events that take place in the first novel. This short little beginning to the series isn't as poetic or in-depth as most of A.L. Jackson's novels, but it does let you meet the young couple before life changed them a bit more and the huge 'regret' becomes the basis for the entire series.
It's a cute story where you like and respect both Christian and Elizabeth and while it isn't necessary for the series, I liked it. A nice, easy, enjoyable read, but without anything notable about it.
Take This Regret (#1)
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Review - 3.5 stars!
To be honest, I think this one might be my least favorite A.L. Jackson novel. Mostly because after the big wrong committed in this book, you really want to slap a certain cute boy upside the head and it takes most of the entire book for you to like him again. Or at least that's how it happened for me.
However, as always, it was nicely written, although it lacked as much of the poetic wording that the Closer to You series and A Stone in the Sea had. Which is fine, just a slightly different anyway. I did keep reading because I wanted to know how on earth A.L. Jackson was going to get these two together after all that had happened.
However, my reading usually serves a purpose to escape real life - which is why I gravitate towards paranormal romance usually, so I wasn't having a great time reading about real-life issues and real mistakes men and women make in their lives that are awful even if they aren't awful people. It was heartbreaking to read, honestly. I do think that A.L. Jackson's tackling of these very real mistakes or life issues in her books makes her an astounding writer when she can turn it into a beautiful story that is sometimes very painful to read but nonetheless satisfying once you finish.
Of course, by the end of the book I kept wanting to smack Elizabeth for her ridiculous actions regarding passion. Can't say much more than that, but.... How is a man hungry for you demeaning?
So 3.5 mostly because it was a good read, but yeah, I wouldn't call it enjoyable for me. Though a lot of that is personal taste.
If Forever Comes (#2)
Christian Davison’s life is complete. With a ring on Elizabeth’s finger and his daughter at his side, he’s ready to run headlong into their future.
Elizabeth Ayers never believed she would again find this kind of joy—the joy of a family and the wholeness found in the touch of the man she’s always loved.
Their love is intense and their passion only grows as they set out to rediscover each other.
But life is never easy.
Rocked by the unforeseen, Christian and Elizabeth will find themselves fighting for the one thing they hold most important—family.
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Review - 4 stars!
I think this conclusion to this series was the best book of all three of them. Even if it was more heartbreaking than the previous novel. I think the reason I liked this one more was because it wasn't an action of any one person and was very realistic on how life's challenges could rip people apart without it being anyone's fault, really.
This installment is where I saw most of A.L. Jackson's beautiful writing slowly coming back (or making an appearance) and I loved the beautiful story that came out of such tragedy. Although I wasn't thrilled on how it kept jumping from past to present, with the present being a huge chunk of time missing between book one and book two. However, it DID keep you reading to figure out just went wrong between Christian and Elizabeth.
I think it was very nicely done though, especially dealing with the tragedy and loss. Beautiful.
Author
(from author's website)
A.L. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Take This Regret and Lost to You, as well as other contemporary romance titles, including Pulled, When We Collide, If Forever Comes, Come to Me Quietly, and Come to Me Softly.
She first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student. She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.
Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three children.
Stalker LinksSite: http://www.aljacksonauthor.com/
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