Great story very well written. Clover is a death doula and she helps people die with dignity and ushers them onto the next stage. Along the way she meets a woman Claudia who helps her recognize that maybe she really isn’t living and does she have the same regrets as someone who is dying?

As a fellow introverted loner, I found Clover to be a very relateable character. That being said, I didn't really feel any one way of the other about this book as a whole. I liked it, but it didn't blow me away or anything. It's definitely slow-paced and character driven, since we mostly just follow Clover's day-to-day activities. I did enjoy the second half more than the first though, since that's when the plot picked up some.

The flashbacks of Clover's relationship with her grandfather were cute. Death is a big theme of this book, with Clover being a death doula, but I would say the vibe is more hopeful than depressing.

Overall, I'd recommend if you're looking for a character-driven book that will make you think about how you've lived your life so far and taking chances.

I read the ARC of The Collected Regrets of Clover a few months ago and absolutely loved it. I wasn’t sure about the premise that centers around Clover who happens to be a death doula but what I discovered was a thought provoking, beautiful story.

For thirteen years Clover Brooks has worked as a death doula helping her clients to find comfort and peace as they die, recording their last words into categories of advice, confessions and regrets. This beautifully written novel follows Clover as she attempts to expand her solitary life by following the words of her former clients. Outside of her profession Clover’s life centers around reading her books, taking care of her pets and rewatching 90s romcoms. But she is finally ready for more. I enjoyed every page of Clover’s journey to a more fulfilling existence. THE COLLECTED REGRETS OF CLOVER by Mikki Brammer gets ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

Absolutely charming. Beautifully written, unique premise, easily readable yet has substance. Perfection.

The Collected Regrets of Clover was an interesting look at Clover, a death doula. That's not a term I'd heard before, but related it to my experience of my mother being on hospice care at my home at the end of her life. Clover's career was similar to the wonderful angels who helped my mother and our family during such a tough time.

I loved many of the secondary characters and the impact they had on the story as it unfurled and had we spent more time with them, I'd have enjoyed this book more than I did. I never really connected with Clover, but the book was a good read.

I think this is definitely a book that will impact people differently at different times of their lives and I certainly recommend giving it a read. It's unique, not for everyone, but I do think it has something for everyone.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

Looking for an unconventionally heartwarming story? Pick up The Collected Regrets of Clover for a unique book that explores grief and the people that make our lives full.

The story follows Clover Brooks, a death doula, who feels an inexplicable draw to be near people who are dying. While the musings of a woman up close and personal to death may not initially strike you as a pleasant read, the writing has a wistful quality that doesn’t come across as morbid or flippant. Mikki Brammer takes death, a seemingly dark theme, and skillfully turns it into a heartfelt and delightful reading experience.

I loved Clover's character arc and the way the story highlighted the small ways we can impact those around us. I’m looking forward to seeing what Mikki Brammer does next!

Clover is a death doula, and her job is to help others to find peace and get ride of regret before dying. Yet personally, Clover is living a lonely life full of regret. With the help of some new friends, Clover begins to expand her own world and finds a life for herself that is worth living.

This is the second book I have read about a death doula, and it is a unique and interesting profession. It's interesting to learn more about what the job entails and why people want to do it. Clover was an interesting character. There were moments when I loved her and moments when I found her a bit annoying. She's quirky and awkward and sometimes immature. But I think that helped to make her feel authentic, because in real life, we don't usually love everything about every person.

I enjoyed the growing collection of friends that gathered around Clover through this book and how they helped her to grow and change as a person. It's an ultimately uplifting and life-affirming story, and I think most people would enjoy it!

I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did and am so glad I didn't pass it up just because the synopsis didn't totally pull me in. This story was bold, unique, eye-opening, and so very life affirming. This book is ideal for fans of #OonaOutOutOrder and #TheAuthenticityProject. While the story is ultimately about death, it's truly about life and the choices we get to make along the way.

I loved all the characters (and there was a wide variety of them!), the city setting, and the author's wisdom. While I typically only use a highlighter for #NonFictionReads I found myself wanting to write in and mark sections of this book. I'm so glad I picked up this tender and heart warming story and I think a lot of you will enjoy it too!

Thank you to St Martin's Press for my free review copy.

This book was not what I expected in the best way. Clover is a woman closed off from life for different reasons. Her job is a death doula, so she helps others cross over to death peacefully. When she meets Claudia, a 92 year old woman she is helping to transition, things start to change for Clover. She realizes that her own grief and fears have closed her off from truly living. This is a book about death but its really about life. Live life fully. Don't take it for granted. My only issue was how peaceful and beautiful and full of moments of words of wisdom all the deaths in the book were..as someone who has seen several loved ones pass, it is not like that at all in most cases sadly. But still this book had a hopeful and forward looking feeling. I enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Clover has a very unusual job: she is a death doula. She accompanies people through their last weeks or days of life and makes sure that they depart the earth in the most peaceful way. Over the years, she has accumulated many bits of wisdom from her clients that she tries to implement in her life. However, she missed out on the most important piece of advice... to live her own life! In the hopes of fulfilling her latest client's dying wish, Clover embarks on an adventure and uncovers love and friendship like she never has before.

The Collected Regrets of Clover was an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. It tackles a very difficult topic, that makes most of us uncomfortable or sad, in such a smart way. It dares the reader to enjoy life to the fullest and without regrets. I struggled with the pacing at times, my main issue was with the character of Clover. She was so inconsistent that I had a hard time pinning down her personality and reasoning for her actions.

Readers of Matt Haigh's The Midnight Library, and character-driven stories will enjoy this one!

I need to start by saying, I can’t believe this was a debut novel. It’s only May but I’m confident saying that this is my favourite book of the year. The Collected Regrets of Clover is a uniquely heartwarming story that’s heartbreakingly beautiful. Clover’s growth from the first page to the last was incredible to experience. I loved every single thing and every single sentence. I can’t do this book justice, it will remain a book I’ll always recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This was actually quite a delightful book considering it centered around a "death doula" who is someone who helps a person in his or her end of days. Clover's whole journey and all those she meets along the way leave a lasting impression and touch your heart. The lessons and losses were emotional and deep, and I found myself highly invested in Clover going beyond the lessons in her notebook and learning simply to live.

4 Stars

4.5 ‘no regrets’ stars rounded up to 5
“Here’s to living a life with fewer regrets….Be cautiously reckless.”

From a young age, Clover Brooks feels a strong connection with the dying. She becomes a death doula to help those dying pass with fewer regrets. Clover keeps three notebooks on her clients’ parting words: REGRETS, ADVICE, and CONFESSIONS. While a novel about a death doula could be a downer, The Collected Regrets of Clover was hopeful, touching, charming, and wise. “The secret to a beautiful death is to live a beautiful life. Putting your heart out there. Letting it get broken. Taking chances. Making mistakes.”

Clover is a loner; inexperienced, and insecure when it comes to interactions with men and women, especially those her age. I liked that she showed growth throughout the book. The plot always moved forward. I liked that the romance I anticipated did not go in the direction I expected. (Way too many ‘romance’ novels are formulaic.)

Brammer’s writing is strong and wise. When listening to the dying, “it’s tempting to try to fix it, to cheer them up. But truth is, you’ll never find the right thing to say – because the right thing doesn’t exist. The fact that you’re there, and present, says so much more.” “Maybe we just need to appreciate that many aspects of life- and the people we love- will always be a mystery. Because without mystery there is no magic.”

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing ’the magic’, an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This was a phenomenal novel. Although I wasn't familiar with the profession of a Death Doula, somehow Clover's career as one made sense. The ultimate lessons she learned, after spending time with Claudia and Leo, became a catalyst for change. It might have been a bit hard to believe that she was a 36 year old woman who had never been kissed and never put herself out there at all, her story arc was uplifting.

Oh my goodness I loved this book so much. The discussion around death was so respectful yet straight forward. I loved Clover's character and how she was so tender with all of her "clients". I really wish we would have gotten more of her self-discovery, but overall this was a solid read. Would recommend.

This book has been getting all the love and now I see why. This is a heartwarming story about Clover Brooks, a death doula, who is hiding out in her own life. Afraid to put herself out there because doing so makes you vulnerable. There were no big surprises or twisty plot turns but that didn’t make this any less engaging. It has strong Eleanor Oliphant and Evvie Drake vibes which is fine by me because I enjoyed those two books!

So many thought provoking lines like these:

“When someone has always been there for you, it’s easy to assume they always will be. And then, one day, they’re not.”

“The secret to a beautiful death is living a beautiful life.”

For those that haven’t read it yet, be sure not to miss it!

Thank you to NetGalley and StMartinsPress for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was good I enjoyed this book way more than I expected too it was a fun book to read over the weekend

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC of <i>The Collected Regrets of Clover</i>, available everywhere now.

Clover is in kindergarten when she first sees death up close and personal. Between the death of her kindergarten teach and shortly after, her parents, she develops a closer relationship with the dying than the living. It's inevitable that she would end up pursuing a career centered around death. As a death doula in New York City, she is responsible for ushering people peacefully into the afterlife. While she loves what she does, her career brings her further from having a life of her own. When she meets her next client, however, all of that is about to change. Setting off on a journey of self-discovery, she'll soon see that she can have the life she's always wanted. The question is, does she have the courage to go for it?

Initially, I was hesitant to pick up this novel because I was worried that it'd turn out to be too saccharine but I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed spending time with Clover and getting to know several of the side characters. The writing, especially when it came to depicting how Clover was feeling or seeing things, never felt overwrought either.

Overall a lovely story with a thoughtful message. The subject matter is relevant but the main character was inconsistent. She was well traveled and mature but unable to create connections and relationships with people.