Take This Regret by A. L. Jackson

Narrated by Andi Arndt

Forgiveness and redemption are popular themes in contemporary fiction. I’m guessing the reason has something to do with real life. We’re always faced with questions such as “Should I give this person another chance?” or “Is this an act I simply cannot forgive?” In Take This Regret, A. L. Jackson explores these themes in a heartwarming way.

Elizabeth and Christian met in New York City when they both were college freshmen who intended to go on to law school. Christian planned to be a partner in his father’s law firm, while Elizabeth intended to go into family law. There was no room for complications. They dated all the way through the beginning of their senior year before things changed.

The book opens with Elizabeth telling Christian she’s pregnant. She is sure they’ll work it out but Christian will have none of it. He forces Elizabeth to choose between him and their unborn child. To his utter astonishment, Elizabeth walks away from him.

Six years later, Christian is a successful lawyer in his father’s firm. He thinks about Elizabeth and their child but he’s sure he has done what’s best for everyone involved. Then, he’s transferred to San Diego where Elizabeth lives.

Unable to attend law school as she had planned, Elizabeth now works as a bank teller. Her world revolves around her daughter Lizzy.  She wants nothing more than to make sure Lizzy leads a happy life, in spite of her father’s absence. San Diego is the perfect place for them. Elizabeth’s mother, sisters, and cousins live there, and they are all active in caring for Lizzy while Elizabeth works. Elizabeth is sure Christian will never re-enter their lives, and so, after a chance meeting at a local supermarket, her world is turned upside down.

The book is told in alternating chapters from both Christian’s and Elizabeth’s point of view. Often, duel narration works well in cases like this. Take This Regret would have benefitted from a male narrator to read Christian’s chapters. Andi Arndt has a very pleasant, feminine voice. This makes it difficult for her to give voice to Christian’s anger, selfishness, and sense of entitlement. He ends up sounding like a more clipped version of other characters, and, in this listener’s opinion, it did not do him justice.

Arndt’s depiction of Elizabeth was also unappealing. She has an almost frantic sound to her voice nearly all of the time. I found myself wondering, on more than one occasion, if a nervous breakdown was imminent. Elizabeth is portrayed by the author as a responsible, level-headed woman, a mother who sacrificed her own dreams to take care of her daughter. The near hysteria with which Arndt voices her doesn’t fit this image at all. It made me think of a much younger woman, one who is more than a little flighty.

Other characters were voiced more accurately. Only Elizabeth was read with over-the-top emotion. Her sisters and cousins were sometimes difficult to tell apart, but they all sounded normal, and true to Jackson’s written portrayal.

Arndt’s greatest weakness is her inability to suggest a male character. She deepens her voice slightly, but it ends up sounding forced. Matthew, Elizabeth’s best friend, sounds like a slightly deepened version of his wife.

Lizzy was the only character I felt Ardnt captured perfectly. She is able to speak in a high, childish manner and have it come off as totally believable. The interactions between Lizzy and Christian were my favorite scenes in the book. Arndt is able to show listeners just how much these two love each other, despite the fact that Christian was absent for the first five years of Lizzy’s life.

Christian is still attracted to Elizabeth. In fact, he says he’s still in love with her. It’s obvious he feels a great deal of remorse for his actions all those years ago, especially as he learns just how hard things have been for Elizabeth and Lizzy. Still, he’s a selfish man. He wants what he wants and will stop at nothing to get it. He wants to reunite with Elizabeth, even though she has no reason to trust him. He dismisses her fears and sets out to woo her. I found his attitude difficult to deal with. He was supposedly sorry for the things he had done, but, at the same time, he continues to act selfishly. He says he wants what’s best for Lizzy, but it often seems he wants what is best for himself.

I loved the way Jackson dealt with forgiveness. It’s a difficult topic, one for which there is no right or wrong answer. Instead, it varies, depending on the people involved. Jackson shows us the humanity of her characters, and the peace true forgiveness can bring them. However, she also shows us that it can be a struggle. Forgiveness doesn’t happen overnight.

Take This Regret was originally written as a stand-alone. Then the sequel, If Forever Comes, was written. Fans wanted to know the backstory of Christian and Elizabeth’s early relationship, and so, Lost to You was written to answer those questions. Take This Regret can be read as a stand-alone with no problem at all. Backstory is nice if you can get it, but, in this case, it isn’t truly necessary. You’ll understand the plot and the characters just fine.

Shannon

Narration:  C

Book Content:  B+

Steam Factor:  Glad I had my ear buds in

Violence:  Minimal (there is a brief discussion of an abusive relationship, but it isn’t very detailed)

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Publisher:  Audible Inc.

Take This Regret was provided to AudioGals for review by the author.