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Rains #3

Vivir arrepentida

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Tenía todo lo que una chica de mi edad podía desear: el chico perfecto, buenos amigos, una vida maravillosa por delante...
Hasta que una noche, que ni siquiera recuerdo, todo cambió. Tan solo sé que fue culpa mía.
Yo solita destruí mi mundo... y me cargué el de Beau para siempre.
Sus recuerdos son lo único que tengo ahora de él… de nosotros. Y esa culpa me ahoga y me arrastra a un pozo oscuro del que no logro salir. Solo Sam logra que asome de vez en cuando a la superficie para tomar aire. Aunque no lo merezco, con él noto cómo mi corazón vuelve a abrirse lentamente y empieza a sentir de nuevo algo distinto a la culpa.
Mientras me acostumbro a mi nueva vida, a ese pozo oscuro, algunos recuerdos de esa noche se cuelan en mi mente. Y las mentiras y los secretos hacen añicos todo lo que pensé que sabía.
Tal vez no soy la única que vive arrepentida.

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 11, 2014

61 people are currently reading
3288 people want to read

About the author

Lisa De Jong

16 books2,342 followers

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5 stars
613 (32%)
4 stars
765 (40%)
3 stars
411 (21%)
2 stars
92 (4%)
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22 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
Profile Image for Patry Fernandez.
538 reviews260 followers
July 19, 2018
Lisa De Jong vuelve con una novela llena de sentimientos, momentos duros, tristes y también de superación. Nuestra protagonista debe aprender a vivir de nuevo, a perdonarse y mirar hacia delante. No será fácil pero alguien de su pasado no la ha olvidado y volverá para ayudarla.

Bueno, por si no lo sabéis, Cada vez que llueve, el primer libro de esta serie fue, es y será uno de mis favoritos por siempre (eso no quita que lo odie igualmente por todo el dolor que destila entre sus paginas.. si, me contradigo jaja) el caso, que con Vivir arrepentida me ha hecho sentir una pequeña parte de lo que lo hizo con el otro libro, y me ha gustado mucho mucho.

Pronto reseña completa en el blog :)
Profile Image for Eni.
468 reviews
September 29, 2024
It was good,but this book kind of annoyed me. Or was it only Rachel...?I can't recall.
Profile Image for Courtney.
1,979 reviews208 followers
November 14, 2014
Lisa never fails to bring out my emotions with her writing!!

LISA! LISA! LISA!! OMG!! You always get me so sucked into your stories that I never want them to end!!

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

We met Rachel and Cory in the previous books but never really delved into them. But they were always an interesting couple based on what we read about them.

However – Rachel wakes up not remembering how she ended up the hospital or the last few days. Once some of the pieces are put together – she is forced to pick up and move on with a whole new life without Cory.

As the story progresses, Rachel doesn’t deal with the whole situation well because she had no idea what happened and no-one is able to tell her anything that gives her the answers she seeks. How can you move past something when you have no idea what happened?

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

Sam comes back into Rachel’s life at a time when she needs someone to lean on. There’s an instant connection between the two that has always been there but neither have ever pushed beyond the boundaries of friendship and still won’t immediately.

Rachel has alot to deal with - figuring out what all happened, why a part of her doesn’t feel the deep loss she should from losing a first love and why her feelings for Sam keep creeping up yet Cory fills her thoughts.

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

This story line was nothing like what I had expected. There were quite a few ringers thrown in there that completely knocked me off and had me going “What The….” Just another reason why I love Lisa - she keeps you guessing!!

This book can be read as a standalone. However, I recommend reading the whole series – it’s just that awesome!!
Profile Image for Nana .
1,201 reviews36 followers
did-not-finish
September 26, 2020
Dnf at 22% I just didn't click with the story
Profile Image for Noa.
244 reviews57 followers
July 23, 2018
Nononono.
La traducción-edición es mala.
La historia para mi ha sido como un boom, quiero decir, que rápido todo.
No me ha gustado, no me ha terminado de convencer, sorry
Profile Image for Pat Marín.
Author 5 books406 followers
July 16, 2018
Me ha gustado mucho volver a leer a esta autora y sobre todo que nos haya vuelto a traer una historia del estilo de la primera Cada vez que llueve. Ha habido cosillas que no me han permitido darle más nota pero en general es muy entretenido y no te suelta hasta al final. Reseña completa en http://www.lanarradora.com/2018/07/re...
Profile Image for We like it big book blog.
969 reviews44 followers
October 2, 2014
Melanie’s 5-REDEEMING Stars Review:

When tragedy strikes, people are always quick to tell those most affected that things happen for a reason and 99.999% of the time the person whose world is crumbling couldn’t even begin to understand how it could possibly be true. In Lisa De Jong’s 3rd book in the Rains series, Living with Regret, she makes a strong statement that the longstanding advice really does hold a lot of truth to it.

We first get a glimpse of Rachel’s character in the first couple of books in the series. I took a quick liking to her and Lisa De Jong, being a sly little thing, probably had all of this planned well in advance because if you paid close attention, a great foreshadowing to Cory’s and Rachel’s rocky relationship was laid out quite well. The sort where in the back of a reader’s head, a little voice is saying, “ooh pray tell, pray tell.” Let me tell you all now, that what Lisa has in store for us in this book is a MAJOR jaw dropper.

This book started off really slow for me and I felt utterly defeated because I’ve loved this author’s previous books so much that I couldn’t accept the feeling of disappointment. What I couldn’t wrap my head around was the lack of genuine grief that Rachel had. I felt the majority of the first 40% of the book revolved too much around Rachel already looking into moving forward with her life with little thought of her loss; almost brushing it off under a proverbial rug. I thought it was told way too fast, way too soon.

However, as if Lisa heard me herself, around the 40ish% part into the book, something beautifully drastic happened where the book just took a turn for the ever loving better and I couldn’t have been happier about it!!! When the plot started to really thicken and the gorgeous soul that is Sam Shea makes an even bigger appearance, I swear to you all, I could NOT put this book down! The way that the author developed what would ultimately be THAT jaw dropping moment was exquisitely well done—I was feeling immense dread and I just knew that something big and something unforgivable was going to come out in the end. I felt the weight of what Rachel undergoes and I found myself crying for the unfounded guilt, the ultimate loss of a first love, and the loss of her innocence in believing in the pureness of such a long time love. I wouldn’t even know where to begin if I were in her shoes.

Sam Shea a childhood friend who once saved her from loneliness suddenly reappears at a time when Rachel needs him most. He becomes the balm to her now painful reality. I absolutely LOVED him. His charisma and his love for Rachel won me over from the get go. Never one to push her too fast, he steadily helped to heal her by simply being there; for his continuous reassurance of his never ending presence and unyielding support. I fell head over heels for this guy. Sam Shea is the perfect package in every way, with his rugged, bad boy good looks and a sweet disposition to bat. He loved Rachel so much which he demonstrated not only in the most swoon-worthy of words but all throughout his actions- his patience, his empathy towards her situation, his protectiveness, and the way he worshiped and respected her.

The connection that sizzled between Rachel and Sam couldn’t be denied and now I see why Lisa took the direction she did in the beginning of the story which at first petrified me, not knowing that there was a purpose to it. The storyline was not at all what I expected and thank goodness for that because what Lisa ended up doing was taking this up a notch from the usual “ugly cry” books. She didn’t break me because of his death; rather, she completely broke me alongside Rachel because of the earth shattering betrayal. I still shake my head thinking about it. Well played, De Jong, well played.

Though the pain lances through powerfully, the clear message of this book is looking past the hurt and moving forward to something truly more worth it—true love and redemption. So much like Rachel’s redemption, Living With Regret redeemed itself to me so mercifully. This is why I have to give this book a 5 star review because there have been SO many books which had lost me in the beginning of its story and never has one EVER come back fighting its way into my psyche.

I recommend this book for those who are fans of second chances and those literary masochists like me, who don’t mind getting a sledgehammer to the gut more often than not.

Lisa De Jong
Profile Image for jl ♡.
133 reviews9 followers
November 23, 2015
“There are a lot of things people don't have to do. But those who do them anyway are the ones who can make a difference. Always remember that.”


Once again, Lisa de Jong amazed me. I enjoy reading all of her stories and Living with Regret isn’t an exception. Her stories are inspiring and encouraging.

I am really sad of how Rachel and Cory’s story ended. It was painful especially for Rachel, yes because Rachel lived and now, she has to face the world without Cory. She’d been trying to figure out what happened before the accident took place. How can you move forward from something if you have no idea what happened?

I admire Rachel’s courage to handle everything. I do know that she has a lot of things to deal with, pains from living without Cory beside her, the empty feeling from missing Cory and the regret of being the reason why Cory can’t live anymore. And then, here comes Sam Shea and he’d been patient with Rachel, he’d been supportive and I can’t help but love him more especially on the way he’d been there for Rachel even though it was way too painful for him to handle the situation.

I love the development of the characters in this book. I was happy about Rachel’s character especially that she learned to accept, forgive and move forward. I love that Sam didn’t gave up on Rachel especially during the times that she had been difficult to handle. So there, the story is quite predictable for me but nonetheless, I still recommend this book to everyone.

4 out if 5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Carolina.
292 reviews43 followers
March 30, 2019
Ya sé que en la mayoría de estos libros abundan lo clichés y he dicho en un par de ocasiones que no me molestan, al menos no en este género pero, ¡vaaaamos! Sam, el lío amoroso de la protagonista es tan gracioso en plan: dices puras estupideces, amigo.

Hubo fragmentos que me causaban mucha gracia por la forma de pensar del hombre, en serio, me daba hasta pena ajena. Y Rachel es muy meh, nada increíble.

No entiendo porqué el libro se me hizo súper largo si tiene 250 páginas... el inicio es muy aburrido, lento y le dan vuelta al mismo asunto una y otra vez. ¡NO GRACIAS!

Por lo demás, estuvo bien. Me gustaron dos giros, pero están hasta el final, de ahí en más... me pareció una lectura pasajera, entretenida y ya.
Profile Image for Donna ~ The Romance Cover.
2,907 reviews323 followers
October 14, 2014
Living With Regret (Rain, #3) by Lisa De Jong
3.5 stars!!

“Choices. We make them every day, but this one…this one is one I’ll live to regret forever.”


This book lives up to its title; it is about a girl that has to learn to live with her regrets, even if they are not her regrets to have. Life throws its curveballs and it is up to the person to either dodge or get hit. Sometimes if you get hit, it hurts, but you get over it and move on, but sometimes moving on is the hardest thing to do. This is a book about moving on.

This is Rachel’s story, she has been with her boyfriend Cory for four years, she has her life mapped out, and he is the one, her forever. Sometimes life has other ideas and one day, everything she thinks she has and knows changes, now it is up to her to deal and remember. We have met Rachel and Cory in the previous books in this series and they did seem to be the perfect couple, the couple that everyone wanted to be, but sometimes looks can be deceiving.

Sam Shea has been friends with Rachel since they were little, they were neighbours. Sam has always been a rock in Rachel’s life and when the worst happens a friend is all you need. Sam was a beautiful character inside and out. He wore his heart on his sleeve even if Rachel was a bit blind to notice. It was obvious that Sam has loved her for an eternity. He always believed deep down in his soul that they were destined to be together, now fate has brought them together once again and he was determined to make the most of his chance.

“He turns my heart into a vibrant rainbow when the last few months it’s been a raging thunderstorm.”


Sam knew just what to do when it came to Rachel; they really were soul mates, even if life had separated them for a while. He knew when to get on her case and he knew when to give her space. I must admit, I did find Rachel infuriating at times and this meant that I found it hard to connect with her on the same level as I did with Sam.

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


I will say that I did find the plot predictable, I knew what had happened even before it was revealed, there was only one slight twist that I didn’t see coming. None the less, this was still a cute read with that element of suspense.

“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.”


We all have regrets, some are easier to forget and move on from, but you have to learn to let go and move on. The past is exactly that, the past, don’t dwell on it, you can’t change it just deal with it. Sometimes this is easier said than done and you have to go through the whole process of coming to terms with it and this book takes you on that journey with Rachel. Yes, it is difficult and mind blowing at times, guilt is such an intense and over bearing feeling but with friends, family and a lot of hard work you can make it happen.

“When you’re lost, the only thing left is to be found.
You can be lost in sadness and found in happiness.
Lost in regret but found in forgiveness.
The key to being found comes from within.
No one is going to hand it to you.
…Life isn’t meant to be that easy.”


I will say, I high-lighted a lot of this book. Lisa De Jong has a way with words that just had me sighing, beautiful, thought provoking lines that screamed “highlight” me. This whole series has been a really good read; the first book is still one of my all-time favourites.

“I think God created the stars to make believers out of all of us. But how brightly they shine…that’s up to us.”


www.theromancecover.com



607 reviews20 followers
July 24, 2018
No me ha gustado nada, la historia es rápida, precipitada sin profundizar, la traducción es un horror, es cierto que la autora escribe siempre dramas pero su primer libro me había gustado muchisimo...este para nada!!!
Profile Image for Mai omar.
261 reviews18 followers
August 5, 2015
It was good, better than second one, not that intriguing, quite predictable tho. But it was okayish.
Profile Image for Melissa.
457 reviews148 followers
November 30, 2014
Review on my blog: http://melissa-reads-books.blogspot.b...

“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!
Profile Image for The Book Trollop.
482 reviews33 followers
October 14, 2014
I have been a Lisa De Jong fan since I read When It Rains, so when I saw she was writing a book with Rachel's story, I was pissing myself with excitement because after reading Changing Forever and hearing about one of the characters kicking the bucket, I was all like WTF... Who, what, where, how... when... WHAAATTT?!?! I was so lost and confused on how this happened...



So when I get this book and finally find out what happened with this character, I was a bit shocked! But I was salivating to figure out the clues to the puzzle that was the disaster of that night. I was determined to finish this book and figure out the mystery because who doesn't love a good mystery to keep you guessing until the end? One of my favorite things to do when I read a book is to try and figure out what is going to happen before I get the details of it.

This book was hard for me to figure out, until about 50%, but I was finally putting the little clues together and I knew what the results were going to be. I was just waiting until I was proven right.
Once everything was revealed, I thought this story was really good. It was written well, in the sense that it flowed nicely, and there weren't vibrant errors or anything but something was just off with the book.

I kept waiting for the emotional punch of this story to punch me in the face and make me cry like a two year old, but it never came. I know Lisa is capable of the emotional punches because I don't think I read any part of When It Rains without crying like an asshole.
But with Rachel, there was some kind of disconnect with her emotions and what was going on around her. She reminded me of someone who was frozen with a ton of walls up and even though she should be feeling all these emotions, she was just like, blah when it came to whatever situation she was in. Or at least, I didn't feel any of the emotions she was trying to portray.
It was like she was an unemotional zombie...



I wanted to feel the punches, I wanted to be slapped, punched, kicked, and knocked on my ass from the emotional portrayals of what was happening because this story was anything but light. It was heavy in subject matter and even though I liked it, I still wanted more. Even with the romantic aspects, it was still a little disjointed and weird to me.
Plus, I wanted to know more about her family in the end and whether or not they got their shit together.

BUT the story itself was still really good and I didn't want to put it down so it still kept me invested, which is all I can really ask for in a story.

Overall, I give this story a 4 "I wanted more emotional punches" Stars!!! If you love Lisa De Jong's books, then I suggest reading this one too!! It can be read as a standalone but the books preceding this one, give you a good foundation of who these characters are so I suggest reading those too!
Profile Image for Stacia.
1,214 reviews
October 20, 2014
Rachel wakes up with very little memory of what happened; she just knows she is in a lot of pain and that she wants Cory. Her last memory is of Cory and studying for finals... how did she go from there to a hospital bed? Finally someone tells her what happened and now all she feels is empty.

"I wish I could go back in time, to when everything was normal. It's easy to forget the miracle of normal because we're so used to living in it. I will never take it for granted again."

Trying to come back from the pain of the accident and the severe guilt she feels is tough. But when her best friend from childhood comes to see her, she finally feels like she had a shoulder to lean on.

"We've all been given a life, but we have to make a conscious decision to live it."

Sam Shea was her neighbor growing up and although her parents thought he was trouble, he was always there for her. She stopped talking to him when she started high school and started dating Cory, but she never stopped thinking about him. Rachel has been the only one to make Sam "feel things" and he has been waiting for a long time for a chance to be with her.

"The only thing I know I need in my future is you."

I loved Sam. He seemed rough around the edges, but he was really a romantic loving guy. He seemed to always be right there for Rachel, sometimes before she even realized she needed him. He was patient with her, taking things as slow as she needed them to be, but also pushing her limits too.

"Sam Shea is one of those forever guys. The kind you like a little more with each minute you spend with him. The kind that opens your heart slowly and crawls deep inside before you even realize what's happening."

Rachel has not only been through a tragic event, but due to the memory loss she puts so much of the burden on herself. Even with all of this, she still came across as a very strong character. She could have let the despair get to her, but instead she rises above it and changes her life for the better. I really enjoy Lisa De Jong’s writing. She writes with so much emotion that you really feel what the characters are going through. I can’t wait to read more from her.
Profile Image for Rebeka Perales.
530 reviews19 followers
October 17, 2014
*sob* Gahhhhhh gutted and it felt so good!! 4.5 STARS

Well dang.... I didn't think this book was gonna tear me up as much as it did.
Talk about angst and ripping my heart of my chest then stomping on it!!!
So much was lost and SOOOOO much betrayal.
I think this is my favorite book of the series so far....
Well maybe. I did love When it rains the most.
Rachel... just whoa. I couldn't imagine going through everything she want through with Cory.
For her to have Sam in her life made everything so much better!!!!
I loved that Kate was there for Rachel since she's been through something like this before.
Very good job Lisa!!!
Will there be a story for Madison!!?
I hope.... but I always want to punch her in the face... lol
Profile Image for Anabel.
790 reviews135 followers
March 12, 2019
Al final tengo que decir que me ha gustado a medias, ha sido una lectura sencilla y corta que me ha ayudado a despejarme, pese a ello me ha faltado mucha profundidad y la verdad es que le hacía falta a la historia. Además ha habido cosas que no me han convencido como qué desde casi el comienzo ya sabía que había pasado el día del accidente, y era lo que me hacía seguir leyendo, saber que pasó. Pese a que no me ha llegado al corazón no ha sido una mala lectura del todo, pero sigo pensando qué de esta trilogía el primero es insuperable.
Profile Image for Mayu.
1,290 reviews163 followers
abandonados
October 6, 2022
Este fué el primer libro que abandoné de Lisa, me pareció demasiado rebuscado acabar con una relación tóxica matando en el accidente de tráfico a Cory, porque así la chica ya no tenía que tomar la decisión de tener personalidad y tomar su decisión porque después de todo estar con ese chico, ese novio posesivo y despectivo no le aportaba en su vida. Como no, ahí está el mejor amigo olvidado de esta chiquilla dispuesto a darle cariño, esta escritora está obsesionada con los mejores amigos que sólo son elegidos porque el novio de la chica ha muerto y ya no había rival.

Profile Image for Natalia815.
1,642 reviews64 followers
July 21, 2018
3´5 estrellas.

La historia es muy bonita y esta contada con mucho estilo, pero "Cada vez que llueve" sigue siendo mi libro favorito de esta saga.

Sin duda, Lisa De Jong, se ha convertido en una de mis escritoras favoritas. Espero que en breve se siga publicando libros suyos.
Profile Image for Joanne.
244 reviews11 followers
November 19, 2014
This was just OK for me. Loved Sam but not so much Rachel. I didn't feel her connection in either of her relationships and at 10% figured out what happened.
Profile Image for Mar de llibres.
506 reviews15 followers
May 20, 2023
Lento. Con esta palabra definiría este libro. Y es una pena porque el primero de la serie me encantó y el segundo estuvo bien, pero éste me ha resultado largo y lento. En las primeras 150 páginas no pasa nada. La protagonista está asimilando la situación, se siente culpable y recuerda el pasado con flasbacks. Después comienzan a pasar cosas y se va desvelando el misterio de qué ocurrió aquella noche, la novela coge ritmo pero ya se termina. La relación entre Rachel y Sam no me ha terminado de convencer y no me ha gustado nada la forma cómo ella lo trata a él. Rachel me ha parecido muy egoísta, todo el mundo tenía que girar a su alrededor, solo importaba ella y nadie más. Sam es muy protector y la quiere demasiado. Si yo fuera él, ya habría perdido la paciencia con Rachel y la hubiera enviado a freír espárragos. El final es bonito pero no puede arreglar la lentitud del principio de la historia.
Profile Image for Bookeando_ando.
725 reviews36 followers
December 7, 2020
3/5

“No todas las historias tienen que ser cuentos de hadas—eso lo entiendo ahora—, pero constatarlo ha sido un trago amargo.”

¡Llegué por fin al final de esta trilogía! No saben cómo tenía ganas y la esperanza de poder volver a leer esa misma pluma que me encontré en su primer libro Cada vez que llueve con la que conecté inmediatamente con su historia, que me quitó el aliento y que me rompió el corazón, pero desgraciadamente no fue así y eso me decepcionó demasiado porque este libro es uno más de muchos otros románticos, que no resaltó y que queda en olvido muy rápido.

Vivir arrepentida es la tercera y última parte de la trilogía Rain, que se sitúa en la ciudad de Iowa, Estados Unidos. Es narrado por la protagonista Rachel quien se levanta en una cama de hospital sin recordar cómo y qué pasó en los últimos días para acabar en el estado en que se encuentra, pero intuye que algo terrible pasó que le cambiará su perspectiva de vida, pero también la hará reflexionar y acercarse de nuevo a su ex mejor amigo de la infancia Sam Shea.

El ritmo rápido fue muy constante y muy parecido en los tres libros, con un buen equilibrio entre los diálogos simples y directos y las descripciones bien detalladas, pero sin exagerar generando ambos una lectura bastante fluida. Una vez más me hizo falta que agregara en la narración al co-protagonista que en este caso es Sam, quien es una pieza clave en la trama y que hasta cierto punto sin tener voz en la historia es mucho más interesante y opaca un poco a Rachel.

Nunca conecté con Rachel, tal vez no se entiende por lo que está pasando, pero eso no justifica la manera en que juega y utiliza a Sam para sentirse mejor después de que lo desplazó por años siendo supuestamente su mejor amigo desde la infancia. ¿Se merecía ese trato? En absoluto, este comportamiento demostró que es una mujer inmadura, muy egoísta, que causó mucho daño, no supo valorar lo que tenía con Sam y que se aferró por años a una mala relación que ya no daba para más por seguir teniendo esa vida “perfecta” y con el miedo de quedar sola.

Sinceramente el romance se me hizo aburrido, sin chispa, que bueno que no hubo momentos picantes porque no hubiesen sido nada creíbles, le faltó más pasión, química y profundidad con el que pudieras conectar con los sentimientos y pensamientos que mostraban o te trataban de transmitir cada vez que estaban juntos o cuando recordaban sus momentos como amigos en el pasado.

La trama es poco original, está llena de clichés que hace que descubras desde los primeros capítulos la trama completa por lo que la expectativa y el misterio se pierde demasiado, está envuelta en tanto drama que se desvía del romance y de la amistad que está volviendo a florecer entre Rachel y Sam, lo cual es una lástima porque la historia base es bastante bonita y te da ganas de conocer y ver a fondo esa relación que se tenían antes de que se distanciaran.

No sé ustedes, pero odio cuando los autores te hacen odiar a un personaje para justificar las acciones o pensamientos de la otra persona y no juzgar tanto como se desarrolla su historia al final y justo eso paso con este libro. En cuanto el final fue algo muy esperado, pero lo que me sorprendió es que dejó muchas cosas abiertas que al menos necesitaban un mejor cierre como lo de sus padres y la familia de Coby.

¿Qué me pareció la trilogía completa? Se nota que no hubo la misma constancia del primer libro en cuanto a trama, historia, desarrollo y final que en los últimos dos libros y esto obviamente llega a decepcionar bastante porque jamás volví a sentir esa emoción y transmisión de sentimientos que viví en el primero. Son historias que hasta cierto punto entretiene un buen rato, pero no te emocionan o sorprenden pues tienen clichés muy marcados que al final sabes cómo se van a desarrollar y terminar.

¿Lo recomiendo? No me encantó este libro ni sería de mis primeras recomendaciones, ya que le faltó mucho para ser un libro que sobresalga de otros en cuanto a romance, profundidad, giros inesperados que hagan única la trama y una protagonista con la que puedas conectar y entenderla mucho más y no que te caiga mal por la actitud y acciones que tiene. Pero al final el libro cumple con el objetivo de entretenerte un buen rato con la historia que se va desarrollando poco a poco.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
569 reviews27 followers
October 17, 2014
Lisa De Jong has a great gift a telling an amazing story that leaves us either on the verge of tears or completing balling like a baby! She did it to me in When It Rains and I was very close to tears in the third book in the series Living With Regret. Even though this is a series, each book is a standalone and in this book, we get visits from Beau and Kate from the first book and I loved getting a little glimpse of them. Living With Regret takes on a journey of unimaginable loss and learning to live each day and sometimes life or fate just has other plans for us.

The story starts with Rachel waking up from a coma in the hospital. She has no recollection of the accident or how she got there. The last thing she remembers is being with her long term boyfriend Cory, they were getting ready to come back home from college after the school year had ended. She quickly learns that they were both in a car accident but Cory did not make it. He was the passenger and was killed in the accident. Pain and guilt quickly engulf Rachel and she is left with so many unanswered questions. Her best friend has been keeping distant and she gets the feeling something is off. Because Rachel wants to be left alone to deal with her pain, she does not push it. The one person that is there for her to her surprise is Sam. Him and Rebecca were best friends up until she started her relationship with Cory. There was nothing ever more than friendship between them and now that she is back, he is determined to show her that life is worth living.

“Waking up in the hospital and learning what happened to Cory was like a rainstorm, and Sam’s been my rainbow. If you’d asked me weeks ago if I’d ever be friends with him again- like this- I would have seen no chance, but life has a way of bringing people back to us when we need them most.”

Sam has always been the bad boy in town, nobody knew him like Rachel did and it seems like he just got the bad rap. I instantly feel for him and loved how he was there for Rachel when all she did was push everyone away. But when Rachel starts to get her memory back for the events that led up to her accident, secrets are exposed and Sam is caught in the crossfire. Little by little she remembers that night and her perfect relationship with Cory is left rittled with holes and she is left heartbroken and devastated. Again the person that is there for her every time is Sam.

“Some girls wait their whole life for their fairytale to come along, and mine was standing right in front of me.”

This love story even though has a rough road to get to end leaves you believing in true love. It makes you fall in love with falling in love. It makes you believe in fate and destiny. That sometimes life steers you down a path that your think is the right only to show you that you were always headed in the wrong direction. It’s a heartbreaking and sometimes tough road but in the end, the journey was all worth it. No regrets from me on this one! 4 beautiful stars
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