The Art of Regret by Mary Fleming is a story about more than just regret, it’s about healing, about hurting, and mostly about what it means to be an imperfect human being.

At the beginning of the novel, Trevor McFarquhar it seems, has mastered the art of regret. He runs a run-down bicycle shop in Paris that’s about to be closed down, sleeps around with at least two women at a time, and has less than kind thoughts about most of the people in his life. He is a cynical, selfish man who is afraid of everyone and everything, but most of all himself and his past. He has a snobbish American family and a beautiful sister-in-law whom he decides to tangle with in a less than respectable way. When the whole family finds out, Trevor is ostracized.

In the five years that he doesn’t speak to his family, Trevor acquires not only a new bicycle shop, but a friend, a dog, and some sympathy (if not yet empathy) for the people around him. When Trevor reunites with his estranged brother, his world turns upside down for better and for worse.

Fleming’s second novel is a whirlwind of action-packed drama that leaves the reader always eager to turn the page. While Trevor is not the most likable of characters, even in the end, he is a very human character whose flaws and triumphs many can relate to. The Art of Regret leaves readers with the feeling that change is possible: challenging, yes, but possible. The reader leaves with the feeling that there doesn’t need to be an art to regret, but rather that we can remember the good and bad times alike. We can take them with us and not let them rule us. We can ease regret through right action and effort towards change.

An inspiring and wholly realistic book, The Art of Regret will be published by She Writes Press on October 22, 2019. You can preorder a copy at your local independent bookstore.

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FTC Disclaimer: This book was given to me in return for a fair and honest review of the text.