Top marks - this one will stay in steady circulation. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult. A recommended first purchase in all formats.

The first thing that drew me to this book was the beautiful cover! I love the colours, the juxtaposition between day/light and night/dark and how the cover is split in two. After the cover caught my attention I was definitely intrigued by the synopsis because I've never heard of an end of life doula and wanted to read more about it even though I knew it would most likely be a sad topic.

I must stress that the audiobook narrator had such a soothing voice that made listening much more enjoyable.

The story follows Nova a "death" doula and her client Mason, an indie musician, who she is helping to come to terms with his deteriorating health and incapability of playing live music. He is one of her most challenging client's but soon she realizes they have a lot in common.

The book is emotional, beautiful and sad. It definitely reminds me of a grown up The Fault in our Stars which is high praise in my eyes. There are twists and turns as we alternate between the past and the present, but overall the story is great and I will be recommending this one!

I was lucky enough to get a ARC of this via NetGalley on audio and while it had a SLOW start, I ended up really enjoying it.

The Next Thing You Know follows Nova, a death doula, and her client Mason who happens to be a famous musician. Its told from multiple perspectives and flows between present times, and the very beginning of their story. While I generally enjoy dual timelines, this one bummed me out a bit because we knew 90% of how it would end mere chapters in. I had an almost “why do I care” because I knew the end. But luckily by about 50-60% I was really invested and didn’t end up minding that much.

Its a beautifully woven story of love, loss, grief, illness, friendship and forgiveness that will fill and break your heart simultaneously.

I enjoyed the narrator and it was easily sped up and still enjoyable.

The Next Thing You Know is a tear-jerker, but in the best kind of way. I read a lot of books where someone dies (sometimes a lot of someones), but rarely about the process of dying, of making a conscious decision for how you want to live your life and how you want to end it. Mason and Nova are perfectly crafted characters who made me feel like I was part of the story, who made me feel their pain. Jessica Strawser never disappoints, but this might be my favorite yet.

Thanks for the opportunity to review. Link to 3/29/2022 Instagram post:

https://www.instagram.com/girl_loves_dogs_books_wine/

The Next Thing You Know
by: Jessica Strawser
narrated by: Christa Lewis
Macmillan Audio

Strawser's writing in The Next Thing You Know will stun your senses. I knew this for two reasons. Having read one book by this author, I knew that she writes on a deep, emotional level about very serious topics. Next, with a plot that focuses on end of life issues, I prepared myself for a heart-wrenching journey. The audiobook is superbly narrated by Christa Lewis, who delivers an exquisite performance. Her voice captures the wide range of emotions that occur in a sensitive plot such as this.

With a job as an end-of-life doula, Nova is a character unlike I've ever read about. I knew very little about a doula at all. She is introduced to Mason, a singer-songwriter whose life and career have forever changed due to his health. The plot progresses with insight into Nova's world, career, and relationships with her family, work partner, and now Mason. Her support of him within her role as a doula becomes intertwined with devotion, trust, loyalty, and longing.

This book is one that makes you think hard about the stages of life, and what might happen should we find ourselves unable to live out our dreams as we had planned. The exploration of how closely musicians connect with audiences, performances instruments and songs is profound. This book will certainly go places.

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the advance audiobook copy and opportunity to provide my unbiased review.
#NetGalley #TheNextThingYouKnow

Well, it has been a while since a book got me to tear up. THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW by Jessica Strawser just did that. It is a beautiful story of finding hope in love even when you think you have nothing left to live for. It is a sad story, but it does not stop at the sad part, it has a hopeful future. Great end! Loved it!

The narration was perfect and reflected the emotions of the book.

Great read! Loved the characters- who were perfectly read by a thoughtful, emotionally on target narrator. Story was different, compelling, lovely. Many great questions asked and answered through this book. A very thoughtful, emotional, lovely story. Will definitely recommend!

4 1/2 stars

Ms. Strawser literally dismantled my heart with this book. It was a beautiful story with a powerful message. But get the Kleenex box ready because it isn't for the faint of heart.

Nova is an end-of-life doula who has a unique take on life. She's a risk taker who rides a motorcycle with no helmet but yet she eats organically. And unlike her business partner, she doesn't shy away from the difficult clients in her field, which is how she meets Mason Shaylor. Mason comes in search of someone to help him figure out how to say goodbye. He is a successful indie musician with a degenerative condition that is slowly stealing his life from him. They soon develop an unorthodox friendship which fills a hole in both of their lives. The problem is that Nova should be keeping Mason more at a distance. It's dangerous to get too close to a client.

This book deals out some surprises and shocks. Obviously, with the subject matter, you expect sadness. But when it comes, I definitely wasn't prepared. It's beautifully done and definitely makes you think twice about what's important in your life and prioritizing things. I can't say enough good things about this book.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I really loved the narrator for this book. She was outstanding, in my opinion. Her narration didn't distract from the story, it actually helped with its flow. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

3/3.5 stars

Nova Huston is an end-of-life doula who helps terminally ill people make peace with the impending death. She is a free spirit who will take on any client. When Mason Shaylor shows up, she does not recognize him. He is a singer-songwriter who recently disappeared from the public eye. He tells her that his life is over, that his deteriorating has made playing his guitar extremely difficult. Helping Mason say goodbye is what she does, but why is it so hard?

Jessica Strawser writes interesting, relevant, and often thought-provoking books. I have enjoyed every book she wrote that I have read. She is not afraid to tackle difficult subjects and she does so again in this book. I thought I would love this one and although, I didn't love this one, I did enjoy it. I have the privilege of having the audiobook and kindle version and it was nice to go back and forth between the two. I enjoyed the narrator and how she did the voices.

There are a lot of emotions that occur surrounding death, losing a loved one, being terminal. I appreciated that she tackled them in this book.

My main issue with this book was not being able to connect with the characters. None of them stood out for me. I usually connect with characters in her books and I wonder if she was too focused on getting the facts right, that her characters paid the price?

I appreciate the author's research and tackling of a difficult subject. A solid book that I hoped to have been more wowed by.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Next Thing You Know is a thought provoking page turner. Nova is a fascinating character. I loved her heart, honesty, and commitment to her work. Mason took a bit to warm up to. Strawser’s strong writing and impeccable pace left me in the dark about what was really going on until I was fully invested.

Christa Lewis is a new to me narrator. I enjoyed her voice, especially the tones she uses. I would definitely recommend listening to this emotional story.

"Denial is never stronger then when it comes from love."

Just broken. That is what The Next Thing You Know by rip your heart out author Jessica Strawser did to me...just broke me.

Accurately hailed as a mix of A Star Is Born and Me Before You this novel/audiobook will leave you with swollen eyes and a runny nose. The end is not a tear or two but loud trying to breathe sobs.

Nova is a death doula. She helps people come to terms with their terminal diagnoses. She keeps the paperwork straight and helps the loved ones cope with the impending loss. She is a companion, a councilor, a friend. She will listen without judgement to your fears, confessions and anger.

When handsome young singer songwriter Mason comes to Nova stating he is physically deteriorating and can no longer make music but doesn't know how to let go and say goodbye she hopes to help him. But when he becomes her friend, her companion and listens to her fears, confessions and anger both their hearts are on the line.

Award winning narrator Christa Lewis performs this emotional story with profound grace. Her voice is so real with pain and angst but also calm and pure at all the right moments. A standing ovation performance.

This book is not just a sad romance. It is a journey of how our lives effect others. Both Mason and Nova have contentious relationships with their moms, who are far from perfect, but are always coming from a place of love. As a mom I thought the author got it right about how we fight for our kids no matter their age.

Though you will need a box of tissues this one is worth your time. Not everything is what it seems and it is definitely proof life is unfair at times. It is also life affirming with perfectly. descriptive writing of human emotions.

I received a free copy of this audiobook/novel from the publishers via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is my second Jessica Strawser book, and getting to the end of the audiobook, I think I'm torn about it. Right from the beginning, I knew what would happen (I won't give anything away!), so I was mostly curious as I kept listening. I think I'm so torn, because I felt like it was predictable, but I really wanted it to surprise me with a twist somewhere that never actually came. So it was enjoyable, and a really interesting topic, but I was definitely craving a little more!

A heartbreaking love story between two people are torn apart too soon. Nova is an end of life doula, which was fun to read about and Mason comes to her with help dealing with a terminal diagnosis. This one was hard to read at times and was slow moving even as the story jumped from the past and present. Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes and good on audio. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ALC!

A beautiful story about an End of Life Doula, Nova, who takes on a young client, 36 year old Mason, a musician. Nova works with Kelly, providing spiritual and comforting services to those who are terminally ill. As an End of Life Doula, they make sure that their lives are all tied up in a pretty bow before they leave this world. That may include, reconciliation with family, dealing the lawyers, accepting their illness, and more. Kelly tends to take on the elderly patients, while Nova takes will take on a broader clientele. Mason’s mother, Bonnie, comes to their office, to share that Mason was in a car crash. Bonnie blames Nova for Mason’s death and turns her life into a hurricane. The storyline goes back and forth between present day and conversations between Nova and Mason. I thought this was done beautifully. The POV changes throughout between Nova, Kelly, Mason, Bonnie and Kelly’s Daughter, Willow. The love that Nova has for her patients is outstanding, and what she will do for them in their time of need is even more amazing. Strawser pulled at every emotional heartstring I had. In the middle the story did drag on a little, but the ending was worth it. Yes, I did have tears in my eyes at the end. This would be a great book club selection as there is so many subjects to discuss. This was a powerful and memorable story about death, grieving, friendship, and coming to peace.

Bittersweet. Compelling. Thought-provoking. Insightful. Poignant.

Talented bestselling author and storyteller Jessica weaves a beautiful story of love and loss with THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW.

Her best yet! I LOVED this book. An ideal choice for books clubs and further discussions. A fitting title and a stunning cover. Hauntingly beautiful, yet uplifting, this story will grab you from the first page to the last, and the characters linger long after the book ends. Hats off to the author for tackling this emotional story with grace and compassion.

Meet Nova Huston, an end-of-life doula. She is a free spirit and lives life in the present. She also has a way with her patients or clients. She is also a cancer survivor.

Her business partner (Parting Your Way), Kelly, assigns her a new case. Mason implies he has a terminal condition but never says the terminal illness or how long he has to live. He is not the typical senior at the end of life but a young man.

His name is Mason Shaylor, and he is a 36-year-old singer-songwriter-musician and quite successful and well known. However, he can no longer play or perform due to an unsuccessful surgery. He thinks his life is over since he can no longer play the guitar. What is he to do now?

He is pretty depressed and has no interest in teaching music or going on the road to talk about his tragedy. He signs up for an end-of-life Doula. He even has Nova go to the music shop to sell his beloved Gibson guitar. He learns much from the wonderful wisdom of Nova and some of her other patients.

Mason and Nova get very close. She gets him. More so than any of his family. They become romantically involved. However, she urges him to try new things and make every day count with the time he has left.

Then the unspeakable happens. An accident. A tragedy. A pending lawsuit. Fingers are pointed at Nova. She cannot believe this. Soon, his producer Dex uncovers evidence, which sheds light positively for Nova and Mason. Things are not as they appear.

"He'd gone to a death doula to say goodbye, And somehow, she'd saved his life instead."

From then to now, from Nova and Mason, beautifully rendered, with compassion and sensitivity, Strawser pens a beautiful love story. We also hear from Willow and Dex near the end. The song was poignant and loved every word.

Heartbreaking, emotional, yet uplifting. What a journey: from loss, grief, love, forgiveness, and acceptance. A lesson for us all: "to live in the present moment." You never know who will come into your life with the power to change you and them.

Thank you so much, Jessica, for this wealth of information and beautiful story. Very educational. This was definitely a book for me. I had already been researching Doulas so this was a real treat. What an intimate experience. I have read already many of the books she has referenced and will be reading the few others, I missed. I was fascinated by everything I learned.

I love the idea of a DOULA. Everyone needs one. Who wants to die alone, but often out of dignity, we do. Hospice, nurses, or doctors will not be there. Often family members are not there around the clock. Their service fills the gap.

For years, families have been using birth coaches called doulas to help make the childbirth experience more comfortable and supportive for mothers. Now, both volunteer and professionally trained doulas are offering guidance during the end-of-life period as well which makes perfect sense.

I think they serve so many purposes as we see in the novel. I love listening to their stories. Often times a dying person can share their wishes with a Doula, whereas would not open up to their own family, as we see in the novel. Since reading this wonderful story, I have watched several interviews with Suzanne B. O'Brien, R.N. and her wonderful Ask a Death Doula podcast, as well as interviews of other EOLDs, insights, and references.

I hope with all the baby boomers we will shake things up a little and bring this to the forefront where it belongs. We all need that special attention. These are gifted people. We should not be afraid to speak about death. I think this topic scares most Americans. We all want to die with dignity and hopefully pain-free. But we cannot wait until the last minute. This is something that needs to be planned. We all need to be educated about the dying experience, with no regrets, forgiveness, and make our wishes known. They offer tools of empowerment.

Have some Kleenex handy. Fans of Nicholas Sparks, Jo Jo Moyes, Rochelle Weinstein, and Jodi Picoult will enjoy this one.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by the lovely Christa Lewis and enjoyed her soft, soothing voice offered a pleasant listening experience. I was hanging on her every word while she drew you into the sitting and the conversations. This is a TOP audiobook, and I would highly recommend the audio and the book to accompany.

Thank you dearly to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for an ARC ebook and audiobook and for the opportunity to read this special book.

Ironically, after reading THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, I read an ARC, the memoir Winter Stars: an elderly mother, an aging son, and life’s final journey which is also out on the same day, March 22. It is also superb and highly recommend. I loved the two women who lovingly took care of his mother down to death at age 105- they even made her burial dress and knew everything she wanted down to the last detail with special care and attention which totally surprised the son.

Blog Review posted @ www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating 5/5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 ++
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Wow – this one kept getting better and better! 4.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to #Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review for this book that releases out March 22nd.

Initially, the topic of the book might put off some. It features Nova, who is an end-of-life doula. Like a birth doula, she works with clients who are terminal and helps them through the change of life process by listening and helping them make peace with what is to come. The other main character is Mason Shaylor, a rising star with mad guitar skills who can no longer play. It is devastating to him for his career to be cut short and turns to Nova to assist with his end-of-life transition.

Reviews have said this is a cross between Me Before You and a Star is Born and as I was reading the book, I did picture Mason looking like Bradley Cooper playing Jackson Maine. The mood is somber throughout, in part due to the narration by Christa Lewis. Might the tone of the book have been different with a different narrator? Not sure. The topic is already a bit of a downer.

But wait. Then there was a twist. Not at all what I expected. And then later…another twist! And then later…another twist? It was like a roller coaster of emotions. The story had me ending with the word WOW. Not at all what I was expecting but I loved it. Well done, Jessica Strawser. This is not her first novel and it won’t be my last.

The Next Thing You Know is touted as A Star is Born meets Me Before You. I could not wait to delve into this one!

Such sad circumstances surround Nova Hutson, an end of life doula & Mason Shaylor, a famous in his own right musician, but their story is one of big emotions & bigger love. This story is thought provoking & hopeful. It shows multiple perspectives of a controversial subject. End of life with dignity. What if it's your family member? What if it's the love of your life? What if it's YOU?

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest book by Jessica Strawser, perfectly narrated by Christa Lewis - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Nova is an end-of-life doula, helping those who are dying to have the best death possible, on whatever terms that looks like for them. Her partner, Kelly, deals with the elderly patients while Nova takes on the younger or more difficult cases. They've developed a family-type situation, with Nova helping with Willow, Kelly's tween daughter. When Mason comes to see Nova, she doesn't recognize him as the popular musician he is, but only as someone whose debilitating condition has brought him to seek her assistance. Neither knows how difficult their relationship will become.

I love Jessica Strawser's books - she always hits the right tone of deep emotion and wonderful characters, while making you think about difficult subjects. And death is pretty much the final difficult subject we will all face. This story plays out in the voices of Nova, Mason, Kelly and other minor characters, both in the past and present. Besides giving plenty of good advice as far as planning for the inevitable, this book makes you feel hopeful about second chances, making the best of situations, and the value of sharing ourselves with others to get through life.

Narration was spot on and Christa did a great job with all the women's voices as well as Mason's.

Have you ever heard of an end of life doula? I hadn’t before this one and it instantly fascinated me. I can’t even imagine having such an emotionally draining job but I sure was interested in reading about it and that was just the tip of the iceberg as far as interest goes. Normally I wouldn’t describe a contemporary fiction novel as surprising or twisty but this one got me a few times which I was pleasantly surprised by. Surprised enough that I had to rewind actually to make sure I had heard what I thought I did. It was emotionally charged as well, I mean it deals with death but there’s so much more than death as far as emotional upheaval goes here. The audio narration was fantastic and engaging as well, if you enjoy unique character driven novels with plenty to discuss consider this one, it would also be a great book club read with tons to discuss.

4.5⭐️
I stared this so many times only to put it down and pick it up again. I love this authors writing style I was just scared about the topic. I’m a HEA kind of girl and this made me so nervous. So having said that I’m going to try to give this book justice.
I’d never heard about end-of-life doulas and it was interesting how it works between the client and doula. I think it’s fair to say that most of us are uncomfortable about death. But this became complicated and somewhat mysterious. I liked all the characters in this novel. They were honest (most of them) and vulnerable. The special thing about this was it made me realize that we don’t have to do things alone.
My heart broke twice. And I wanted a different ending but I did like the story. It moved me, scared me and broke me all at once. Favorite quote, “ I’m choosing to hold onto what I do know”.
I read this and listened to it. The narrator was Christa Lewis and she was perfect for this book. I really enjoyed her.
Thanks St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

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