Having lost her parents at 6 years old, Clover, moves in with the grandpa she hardly knows in NYC. He's a quiet and reserved man but his love and care for Clover are always evident. When Clover finds herself traveling the world during college she receives the call no one ever wants to receive. Her grandpa passed away from a stroke. Clover is despondent. She can't believe she wasn't there for him in his time of need as he has always been there for her.

She moves back to the apartment he left her and decides to become a death doula. She's the friendly face and smile that ease people into the afterlife. She'll talk, she'll listen, she'll make arrangements - anything that will bring them peace on their journey. What she isn't doing is living a life of her own. She's basically all alone except for her elderly neighbor and her fur babies and she's convinced herself that these simple things are all she needs. That is until a new neighbor moves in. Sylvie, with all her exuberance and zest for life, are giving Clover second thoughts on her choices.

Then she meets a new client, Claudia, who has terminal cancer and maybe a month to live. Through their many conversations Clover finds out that Claudia was unhappily married her entire life and that her one true love she left long ago in France. That sparks something in Clover and she sets out to find Hugo. After sleuthing Google she finds that he had moved to the states decades ago and is living in Maine. This search has opened her eyes to a world of possibilities and perhaps even a love of her own.

I know this book has been hit or miss with readers but I found it quite heartwarming. Many people weren't able to warm to Clover. I did, though she did frustrate me at times, and I wanted to give her a gentle nudge to think of herself and open her heart up to other people. Her friendships with her elderly neighbor, Leo, her new neighbor, Sylvie, and her patient Claudia were all rendered beautifully. Claudia especially, oh how I loved her. This is a thoughtful story written with the gentle hands of Mikki Brammer. I was so worried I wasn't going to enjoy this but I can positively say that I did. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my complimentary copy.

Clover is a death doula in New York City. She helps people die with dignity and is no stranger to grief, having lost both her parents at a young age and more recently, her grandfather, who raised Clover after her parents died.

Now at age 36, Clover is painfully realizing she has been so willfully preoccupied with helping others at the end of their life that she’s ignored her own. Her latest patient, Claudia, is an older woman who isn’t without regrets, but the story she shares sends Clover on an unexpected trip, hopeful she’ll be able to provide some closure for Claudia. Along the way, Clover might learn more about herself and the life she actually wants too.

“Don’t let the best parts of life pass you by because you’re too scared of the unknown.”

While I can appreciate that Clover was a late bloomer, I found her behavior so petulant at one point, I was afraid it would ruin the whole book for me. Fortunately, it didn’t, although I did not warm to her quite as much as I hoped to. The story moved slowly at times, though it was a sweet one, with the reminder that life can be short and we should make the most of each day — 3.5 stars

**Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Mikki Brammer for an ARC of this book!**

"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live."- Norman Cousins

Clover has a strong connection to death and all that surrounds it: one that most people just can't understand. As a death doula, her job entails making the final days of her dying clients not only comfortable, but peaceful. While many would find this task emotionally taxing and depressing beyond measure, Clover takes comfort in these strangers she comes to know, and they give her connection in her otherwise isolated existence. She keeps notebooks containing some of the last words and regrets of her clients, and tries to apply this wisdom to her own life. After the untimely passing of her parents many years ago, Clover has been raised by her grandfather...until she one day loses him too, without getting the chance to say a proper goodbye....and she's never truly recovered.

Outside of her one elderly friend Leo who lives in her apartment building, Clover has little social life and takes comfort in watching her beloved rom-coms over and over and occasionally peeping into the window across the way at the happy couple who lives there. All of this begins to change, however, when at a Death Cafe meeting (basically a therapeutic and informational place where members gather to discuss death), Clover meets devilishly handsome cellist Sebastian...and he implores Clover to take on his grandmother Claudia as her next client. Once she does, Clover ends up entrenched in a mystery and hopeful to keep Claudia' out of her Book of Regrets, Clover (aided and encouraged by her new friend and neighbor Sylvie) finally ventures out of her comfort zone entirely. But is what she's destined to discover enough to erase a lifetime of living in the shadows? Can Clover revive what has so long remained dormant inside her and simply let life in?

Death doulas have been popping up more and more in fiction as of late, and my first experience with them was in Jessica Strawser's The Next Thing You Knew...an interesting book, but WILDLY different than this one.

And I have to say, despite the subject matter, despite this being a debut...Mikki Brammer's writing took what could have been a depressing and morose tale and imbued it with life, love, uncertainty, and SO much hope!

Brammer's writing is easy to read, and Clover is that sort of quiet, quirky heroine that many bookworms (myself included) will find relatable and lovable. I mean, not on EVERY level, since Clover's peeping tendencies are a bit off-putting...but her shy nature and tendency to let social anxiety keep her from TRULY living certainly felt like a page out of my own book (and one I too need to work to change!) I also loved the concept of the notebooks full of regrets and confessions: such a simple device, but it felt fitting for Clover and worked beautifully in the context of her story.

Although some of the people she met seemed a bit TOO perfect at times (a la the rom coms Clover adores) I did appreciate that there were some surprises in store. Perhaps Clover's immaturity belies her age in some areas and therefore borders on unbelievable, but in that sense she reminded me of another narrator that despite her quirks is quite beloved: Eleanor Oliphant. If her brand of quirk appeals to you, consider Clover your new potential literary best friend in waiting!

This touching, tender, and terrific debut will make you consider what your OWN words of advice or regret might be and if you can perhaps put them into action BEFORE they become frozen on a page. If we are able to save that magical and unnameable spark of possibility that lies in each of us from an untimely 'death'...then we can begin, at last, to FULLY live.

4.5 stars

Since her kindergarten teacher died when she was five, Clover has been fascinated with death. That fascination leads her to get a master’s degree in thanatology and then to her career as one of the only death doulas in New York City. Besides her dog, two cats, and her elderly neighbor, Leo, Clover is alone. But a chance meeting with an enigmatic man turns into a job preparing his grandmother for death makes Clover realize that there is more to life than death. With the help of a new friend and her client, Clover starts navigating the often tricky road of romance and friendship. Will Clover be able to open up to people finally? And will she have the courage to go after what she wants?

So, I will admit this; I hadn’t planned on accepting the invite for this book. I would decline it after reading the email and continuing with my life. But I wasn’t paying attention (I had a couple of emails in a row from the publisher), and I accepted it before I realized what I was doing. Since I got the invite at some point in 2022 (I am not going to look, and yes, I am lazy), I put off reading The Collected Regrets of Clover. When I saw that it was coming up on my reading schedule, I was going to put it off again and decided that enough was enough, and I would read it. Well, I am glad that I did. This book was great; I regret putting it off for so long.

The Collected Regrets of Clover’s storyline centers around Clover and her gradual realization that there is more to life than focusing on death. I have never heard of a death doula or even getting a master’s degree in thanatology before this book. I did some research after reading this book and both subjects fascinate me. But I am not here to discuss how fascinated I am by this subject. We are here to talk about the storyline. So back to the subject.

I thought The Collected Regrets of Clover’s storyline was well written and kept my attention on the book. The book does split into two storylines for a while. One storyline details Clover’s early life up to when her grandfather dies. The other is the present day which shows how lonely Clover is. The author was able to merge both storylines later in the book. Usually, I wouldn’t have liked the dual storylines, but in this case, it worked. I got to see how Clover was shaped into who she was, and I got to see how she was dealing in the present day.

For a book about death and dying, I didn’t feel that the focus was solely on that. The author did a great job keeping Clover’s issues (and her awkwardness) front and center while she tended to her client. Never, at any point in the book, did I get the feeling that this book was morbid. I thought it was a beautiful homage to dying.

I liked Clover, and I did form a connection with her. I was slightly amazed that she never had a relationship with anyone her age (which I put between 35-39). There was a point in the book where I did get an asexual vibe from her (which was fine with me), but then the author did a 180 with that. I was also amazed by how naive she was. There was only one thing that weirded me out: she constantly spied on her across-the-street neighbors. But it was explained, and she did use their relationship as a comparison. But still, it was weird.

The end of the book was thoughtful. I liked how the author wrapped up the storylines. It was respectful and very touching. I also loved seeing Clover’s growth. The Clover at the beginning of the book would have never been able to do what the Clover at the end of the book did.

I would recommend The Collected Regrets of Clover to anyone over 21. There are nongraphic sexual situations, mild violence, and language.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Mikki Brammer for allowing me to read and review The Collected Regrets of Clover. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

The Collected Regrets of Clover is a real treasure. If you think a book about a death doula will be morbid or depressing, it is the complete opposite. Clover may be an unusual person but I found her to be a. breath of fresh air. Too many people don’t think about how they are living- or dying- enough. It may have taken her years to get there but thru her career, she learns how to live her life to the fullest. This is definitely a book I will recommend to many people.

Clover is unpleasant. She is great with dying people, but terrible with living ones. Her past comes out and she really had some great people around her. So, this is the book where the unpleasant and shy loner is pursued by a bunch of people at once and learns to live in the world again. The problem is that most of the characters just aren't people I wanted to read about. The dying are the most interesting people here.

I typically prefer romance or romantic suspense, but occasionally a blurb will catch my attention, and I’ll try another genre. Never having read this author’s work previously, I decided to give in to my curiosity and was more than pleasantly surprised. The writing had me invested from the first chapter, and walking alongside Clover on such an emotional journey made me loathe taking a break from reading. With some hints of romance, this character’s path from only existing to genuinely living was poignant, entertaining, and, eventually, heartwarming.

From the first sentence I loved this book and I kept loving it all the way through. The settings and the characters all really came alive and the pacing was just right it was a quick read but not shallow at all. Looking forward to more books by Brammer

Bravo, bravo, bravo Mikki Brammer !!! What an excellent debut novel! Are you sure you've never done this before🤔? Such a sweet, poignant, treasure of a book.

Clover's quirky temperament on a daily basis and gentle nature when it's most important, endears her to readers from page one. Her incongruous personality is what made this book so captivating - I just never knew what to expect from her!

This was such a quotable book to boot! So I was super grateful to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this gifted e-copy! The ability to easily highlight the best quotes on my Kindle makes me so happy!

Here are just a couple of my faves:

"𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆... 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒎. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔... 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏."

"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆."

So, if you're a fan of either Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine or The Midnight Library, you're bound to love this one, too!

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC. This book grabbed me from the very first line where Clover discovers her fascination with death after seeing her Kindergarten teacher drop dead while reading Peter Rabbit. As someone who has unfortunately had a lot of experience with death, I have always had a deep fear of what happens when you die. This book addresses that and so much more. Clover is a death doula, whose job is to keep the dying company until their final breath, While most people would be terrified of a job like this, Clover embraces it and instead is terrified of maintaining relationships with people who will actually stick around. Her entire mentality changes when she meets Sebastian, and he hires her to keep his dying Grandma company. This book made me laugh, made me cry, and really question how one should feel about their relationship with death. I adored it.

Clover has been surrounded by death. Her kindergarten teacher died in class and her parents died the very next year. She moves to live with her grandfather. They become very close. When her grandfather dies she decides to become a death doula to help others on their journey. Clover is such an amazing character. I felt everything she felt and at times she broke my heart. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Mikki Brammer's THE COLLECTED REGRETS OF CLOVER is a beautifully written and thought-provoking debut about a death doula who, in caring for others at the end of their life, has forgotten how to live her own.

Clover Brooks, age 36, experienced loss from an early age, and with her connection to death, she has made her career as a death doula.

DEATH SHE GETS. IT'S LIFE SHE CANNOT QUITE FIGURE OUT.

Clover has one elderly friend (age 87) and no family or romantic relationship. However, due to spending much time with the dying, she has not given herself a chance to live due to her isolation.

Clover writes down her client's last words in a journal labeling them regrets, advice, or confessions, with a lesson from each.

Things change when she meets Sebastian at a death cafe. His grandmother has terminal cancer, and she takes her on as a client. At first, the grandson does not want her to tell her she is a death doula pretending to enjoy photography to build trust and connect.

As fate steps in, she could give herself a gift by helping Claudia renew her long-lost love before she dies. (this was my favorite part)!

I loved this book! I am all about death doulas, enjoy stories about them, and hope to have one when the time comes. Everyone deserves to die with dignity, with their wishes carried out. Having someone experienced by your side would be comforting. Death doulas are emotionally supportive and often better understanding than family members. I highly respect their role; it takes a special person.

THE COLLECTED REGRETS OF CLOVER is an inspiring and uplifting tale full of hope. I enjoyed the wisdom and memorable quotes, and the cast of well-developed characters came alive on the page. Clover is an endearing character, and I look forward to reading more from this talented debut author, Mikki Brammer.

I had the privilege of reading the e-book and listening to the audiobook, narrated by Jennifer Pickens, for an engaging performance for all voices. I Highly recommend the audiobook.

Perfect for readers of Jessica Strawser's The Next Thing You Know, The Midnight Library, and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Also, for fans of authors: Fredrik Backman and Elizabeth Strout.

Thank you to #StMartinsPress #MacmillanAudio for a gifted ARC and ALC via #NetGalley for review purposes. #SMPInfluencers

Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: May 9, 2023
My Rating: 5 💐 STARS
May 2023 Must-Read Books

The Collected Regrets of Clover was an easy 5 stars from me. I felt so attached to all the characters and loved how each one was developed within the story. In the story, we get to meet Clover, a death doula who assists her clients through to death. I really enjoyed learning a little more about the work of death doulas and the openness that the author has speaking about death which is often a taboo topic. Sylvie was easily one of my favorites (besides Clover) and I appreciated how important a female friendship was to Clover. Thank you Netgalley for my gifted ARC.

Why am I recommending a book about a death-doula, who is still grieving the loss of her own grandfather? Because this is a story for the living, and living well.

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

Clover was always comfortable with death. While studying abroad to learn how other cultures approach and embrace death she is devastated when the grandfather who raised her dies alone. This is how she finds her calling as a death doula, so people aren’t alone. In caring for others, Clover has become stuck in her personal life. Her NYC apartment still exactly as when her grandfather was alive, her only companions her pets and an elderly neighbor. Her quiet world is set off kilter when she’s hired to care for an irreverent woman with a grandson who pushes Clover’s buttons and boundaries.

I loved everything about this book! How is a story about an awkward woman who is more comfortable with the dying so warmhearted and full of life? Clover’s self reflection on, careful recording, and honoring of the Regrets, Advice, and Confessions of her clients is a beautiful look at her deep reverence for their stories and trust. To honor many she would take a class, go ice skating, some small act to balance the regrets for not perusing a passion. Clovers arc towards finding her own path forward feels honest and so satisfying.

I highly recommend The Collected Regrets Of Clover for book lovers who want a deeply satisfying read with a main character you’re rooting for. I can’t believe this is a debut novel and will be anxiously waiting to see what Mikki Brammer does next!

Thank you to @StMartinsPress and @MikkiBrammer for the advance reader copy and beautiful flowers!

“Grief is just love looking for a place to settle.”

What a deeply moving and profound book. To watch someone die, to be there in their final moments, to comfort them, to make sure they aren’t alone…this is what our main character Clover does. This book will move you, this book will make you tear up too. Death is hard to talk about, but even with the heavy subject the story is also uplifting and light. There’s also a journey in between the pages. Metaphorically and physically. It’s beautiful, it’s pensive, it’s quirky and so worth a day of reading. It will conjure up some contemplative and reflective thoughts.

Books that make you think and feel are the reason I love reading. I didn’t always love Clover’s character, but she grew on me and by the end the book there is a sort of peace that just washes over you.

4.5/5 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫I truly can’t believe this book is the authors first novel. Well done 💗

THE COLLECTED REGRETS OF CLOVER

It was such a joy to read an early copy of this heartfelt, life-affirming novel.

Clover, a death doula in New York City, has dedicated her life to guiding others through the end of their lives ever since she couldn’t be there for her own grandfather. She spends so much of her time around death that somewhere along the way, she has forgotten to live her own, until Claudia, a magnificent older woman with a rich history, reminders her of what she is missing.

I love the depiction of grief in this story, the ways in which it’s often easier to put off but silently prevents us from living. I loved each character -- their quirks, their introspective tendencies, the way their relationships delve into the beauty of connection. And that’s truly what is at the heart of this novel -- connection. Love. The things that make life worth living.

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

Clo v e r was raised by her grandfather in a New York apartment after her parents died. As a young child she watched a teacher die. These deaths impacted Clover throughout her life. She studied death as an adult, traveling to other countries and learning the meaning of death to other cultures. Overwhelmed by guilt when her grandfather dies alone while she is out of the country, she becomes a death doula. She moves into her grandfathers apartment and tries to hide from life. As she lets others into her life she learns that she will have regrets if she doesn’t actively live. This book brings up the importance of communication and active listening when someone is dying that I found helpful. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the digital ARC. This is my own honest opinion.

The Collected Regrets of Clover is about Clover, an NYC death doula who devotes her life to those who are dying and misses out on living her own life.

This book was fun for me to read. There’s a strong voice and almost a quirkiness to it. It reminded me of other books I’ve loved about main characters living a solitary life, such as Eleanor Oliphant and The Love Story of Missy Carmichael.

My only criticism would be that this book is not a fast read. Some parts did drag a bit for my taste.

A sincere thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing me with this electronic arc.

5/5⭐️: I cannot recommend this enough. This book was absolutely stellar and I enjoyed reading it. I found the main character, Clover, to be relatable, funny, and fun to read about. I highly suggest this novel and will be pushing it into my friends hands !!

A book about helping people in death leads to learning a lot about life for Clover. Well let's be honest, it teaches the reader about life as well. There are so many good little nuggets in this novel. It makes you laugh and makes your tear up as well. It was wonderful to be on Clover's journey about herself and life.