Review: Living With Regret by Lisa De Jong

My rating: ★★★★
Genre: new adult, romance, contemporary.
Series: Rain #3 (stand-alone series)

Blurb from Goodreads:

I had my whole life mapped out. Perfect guy. Perfect friends. Everything was exactly the way I wanted it.

That was until that night--the one I can’t remember. It’s all my fault, and now the memories are all I have left of him. Of us.

My guilt drowns me until Sam Shea steps back into my life and helps me to the surface. He slowly opens my heart and crawls deep inside before I even realize what’s happening. I know I don’t deserve him.

While I’m trying to get used to my new life, pieces of that night slowly start to come back to me. Lies and secrets shatter everything I thought I knew.

Maybe I’m not the only one living with regret.

My review:

“A well-written book is as powerful as a hug at the end of a long day.”

The book starts with Rachel waking up in the hospital. Not remembering what happened to her. Not remembering the last few days. She’s confused, because nobody can’t seem to tell her what happened. What she does find out is that she was in a car accident and her boyfriend, Cory, died. She’s obligated to move on. But it’s hard because she can’t remember what happened. She can’t seem to find the courage. She needs to find some closure.

 “Life doesn’t always give you a second chance, so when it does, seize it. If you don’t, you might always regret it.”

Then Sam sneaks back into her life. They were best friends, but they haven’t talked in a few years. However, they connect again without problems, because he’s there for Rachel. Nobody else is. All her friends ditched her and she needs him.

“Life is like a sealed cardboard box. Some are full of wanted treasures, but others are just empty. That’s mine.”

He helps her, but it’s difficult. Especially because old feelings for Sam are trying to surface in her. She’s even more confused, because she feels guilty about Cory. She’s desperately trying to get all her feelings sorted, but then she’s starting to have flashbacks from the night of the accident.

“There are lots of things people don’t have to do. The ones who do it anyway are the ones who can make a difference. Always remember that.”

Lisa, is an amazing writer, because whenever you think you figured out something, something happens and you’re just like ‘whaaaaat?!’. At least it was that way in the beginning. After a while it was a little predictable, but I didn’t let it bother me too much.

“Sam Shea is one of those forever guys. The kind you like a little more with each minute you spend with him.”

I liked the storyline. But it wasn’t how I expected it to be. Sometimes I couldn’t really connect with Rachel, but I loved Sam. He’s the town’s bad boy and I liked how he was with Rachel. He’s funny and cocky, but whenever he was alone with Rachel, you had a true glimpse of who he was. He’s so sweet and he truly cared about her.

“Everyone deserves happiness, no matter what they’ve done or what’s been done to them. A great person once told me every day should be worth at least one smile. It’s not always easy, but it’s true.”

The best parts of this book where the moments Rachel had with Kate. Kate is the main character from book one, When It Rains. This is a stand-alone series, so you can read the books in whatever order you want, but I recommend starting with When It Rains, Changing Forever and then Living With Regret. You will enjoy the little moments with Kate and Beau way more.

“Sometimes, after you’ve seen all the ugly parts of life, it’s hard to believe beauty still exists.”

Anyways, it was a great read. I think this is the last book? I hope it isn’t because I want more of these characters!