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

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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.

4.5⭐️ Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

*The Collected Regrets of Clover* mood board: https://www.pinterest.com/barclayann27/book-reviews/the-collected-regrets-of-clover/

The narrative carries you through naturally, with an easy flow that allows the reader to wade in all of Clover’s memories and emotions as they come. The story is intriguing and unique. It is recommended to those who enjoyed “TheMidnight Library” and I can certainly see why. Many of the same themes are explored in both of the books, but in The Collected Regrets of Clover,” I felt that the regret of loneliness is actualized most fully.

Even if we are not recluse death doulas, it is easy to relate to Clover entirely for the fact that we have all felt lonely before with the fear of no remedy. For a book entered largely around death, and how the knowledge of it informs how we chose to live out our lives, it was a heartwarming read.

I found Clover an easy character to fall in with, lovable and dyamic. It was so easy to love and miss Clover grandpa just as she does. Their relationship is tender and a joy to read. Though Clover is a stellar main character, there was no other I ended the novel loving more than Claudia. Not only is her relationship with Clover the most interesting in the book, alongside that of Clover and her grandpa, but her personality and history won my heart entirely.

As I’m sure many will, like Clover, I found Sebastian to be annoying. I was happy to see the way his and Clover’s relationship ended up and that it didn’t t follow down the path the reader may have originally anticipated for them.

While the majority of the book had a me smiling to myself, there was the occasional moment that had me sighing with disbelief- some moments that felt a bit over dramatic in correlation to the other parts of the book that towed a steady line between what read as realistic, yet still exciting, and events that seemed a little bit too convenient. This is a slight spoiler, but a fair example: Clover’’s dear friend Leo dying of a heart attack in her arm. This scene, while sentimental and sweet, all happened very quickly and felt over the top in comparison to the grounded tone the majority of the book follows. There are only a few moments like this throughout the book, and not nearly enough to take away from the enjoyment of the novel in the slightest.

Clover Brooks is a death doula who ushers people on a compassionate journey at the end of their lives. Whether loaded down with regret, or harboring secrets yet untold, Clover's kindness and caring of each individual's story helps her clients find much needed closure.

This debut is such a poignant tale of a remarkable young woman, whose kindness towards others is so refreshing in a world full of people who often think only of themselves. I loved Clover's quirky character, and her vulnerability throughout this story.

The author weaves such a beautiful picture, and I'm so glad I got the chance to read it and be immersed in Clover's world for a brief moment in time.

5/5 stars and I would love to see more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ebook for my honest review.

The Collected Regrets of Clover
Author Mikki Brammer
Publishing day, May 9, 2023

Thank you, @stmartinspress and @netgalley, for my #gifted e-arc! I chose this one based solely on its gorgeous cover and was so pleasantly surprised by this thoughtful and memorable novel.

"What's the point of giving someone a beautiful death if you can't give yourself a beautiful life?"

Clover is a death doula - someone who is supportive and empathically assists her dying clients peacefully through the last days of their lives. For as long as she can remember, Clover has always felt more of a connection with the dying than with the living. While she was traveling, her grandfather, who raised her, passed away, and she missed his last days. Therefore, she makes it her goal to be present for others so that no one has to face the end of their life alone. Consequently, her life choices have left her lonely and with no real relationships of her own. I loved her voice and her heart. She's such a unique and special character.

Serendipitously, Clover meets with a new client, an older woman whose prognosis isn't wonderful. She's witty and brings out parts of Clover's personality that have been lying dormant just under the surface - or maybe that's her grandson's influence. Either way, Clover embarks on a life- changing journey to uncover a past love story and ends up learning so much about herself and what's missing from her own life.... Friendship, romance, connection, a reason to open her eyes and her heart, and to learn to live her own "one wild and precious life" (Mary Oliver).

It is truly a beautiful and insightful story of self-discovery, learning to live life to its fullest, and of hope and new beginnings. I hope you get a chance to read Clover's special story!

✨ Review ✨ The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer; Narrated by Jennifer Pickens

Wow - this book was intense -- I came in prepared to feel sad because of the topics of death & dying, but instead I was so sad for the character because of her loneliness but also the tough life she's had.

Clover is a death doula, meaning she supports them through their final days by offering comfort, company, a helping hand, support in processing in death, and more. In between jobs, she spends quite a lonely life in her dead grandfather's apartment, with her elderly neighbor Leo as her only real friend.

As the book progresses, Clover experiments with friendship and dating, both things she's never had good luck with in the past, as the girl fascinated with death didn't lead to building many strong friendships. I really felt so many feelings as she struggled to grapple with building these new relationships with the characters that surround her.

The new client she finds in the book and the journey it sends her on made this book an absolute delight. It made me smile; it made me sad; it made me feel all the feels. I loved the journey she went on this book and it left me feeling fulfilled.

The book tackles difficult topics of death, grief, loss, and more, in a way that felt refreshingly honest and open. I loved the breadth of ways in which someone could die well in this book, with an open heart and a path forward. I really appreciated that. I also appreciated the ways in which the book argued for an expansive view of grief - not one bound by time or cultural convention, but one that adapts for each person in each moment.

I did struggle a little with some of the ways that Clover felt immature or disconnected; and I think some of the things that happened felt a little extreme/unrealistic, but at the same time, I appreciated how it drove the story forward. I also wondered a bit about her possible cultural appropriation of certain grief rituals, and where the boundary lay between using these as tools for guiding deaths and crossing a line of appropriation. Overall, the book didn't talk much about this, and I'm glad it didn't take this angle father.

Overall, I enjoyed both the print and audio versions of this book, and highly recommend it as a book full of feels.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
Genre: women's fiction
Setting: NYC
Pub Date: May 9!

Read this if you like:
⭕️ themes of death, dying, grief
⭕️ feeling big FEELINGS
⭕️ character growth in friend/dating relationships

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and #netgalley for advanced copies of this book!

I cannot believe that this was a debut book. It is one that I've thought about since I finished it almost 3 weeks ago. It's also one I will continue to think about.
After her kindergarten teacher dropped dead in front of her and her classmates, Clover Brooks has felt a stronger connection with the dying than with the living. After losing the grandfather that raised her, Clover becomes a death doula while living in his New York City apartment. Her job allows her to dedicate her time and life to those who are at the end of their life. Clover spends so much time with people who are dying that she neglects to spend time with those who are living. One of her new clients pushes her to live her life instead of sitting alone in her apartment living vicariously through romance movies.
This story is just so beautifully written. I wanted to hug Clover. I wanted to be friends with her. I wanted to cry with her. I wanted so much for her. There were so many moments where I could relate to her and her story. The way death and grief was discussed in this book was written so well.
I absolutely loved all of the side characters in the story. They each brought their own personality and love for Clover to the story. There aren't a lot of books out there that have made me sob like this one did. There were some good tears throughout the story. This is one I will highly recommend!

I've to admit, this one hit a little close to home. I have some close family dealing with serious health issues and in some ways, it feels like I'm already grieving their loss. So I was a little nervous going into this book - I was pretty sure it was going to wreck me.

I've heard of death doulas before - simply put, they are people who assist the dying and their loved ones through the death process. Death is a part of life - why not make the transition as comfortable as possible? But obviously, the topic of death is a taboo one. Clover is well-suited for the role of death doula. She is single and only has one friend - an elderly gentleman, one of her last connections to her deceased, beloved grandfather. Other than her job, her time is filled with binging romcoms and watching her neighbors, a lovely couple in a happy relationship. Beyond being alone, she is profoundly lonely and wishing for love and connection. As part of her role as death doula, she documents the last words of her clients and categorizes them into three categories - regrets, advice, and confession. It is the regrets of one of her clients - a 91-year-old woman, along with her grandson - that prompts Clover to really pursue what it means to live.

Be warned: this book is emotional. TW for death, obviously, and if you're like me and experiencing tough health stuff with someone close to you, you may want to wait on this one. On the other hand, the lovely resolution of this book might provide you with some comfort and peace.

How could a book about death be so much fun to read?

Clover works as a death doula, which means she spends her time with people who are dying. She provides calm, nonjudgmental companionship during a person’s final days, because no one should die alone.

While compassion and empathy come naturally to Clover when she’s with the dying, the living present a problem. She’s socially awkward, struggles with friendships, and has no experience with romance. Then one dying woman changes everything.

This book is beautifully written, whimsical but powerful. I was left thinking about my own relationships, the things we say and the things we don’t, and all those moments that make up a life.

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

Short synopsis: Clover is a death doula, someone whose job it is to usher those dying into the next life. She has a book she notes down the last words and regrets of those who have passed in her care.

My thoughts: I was consumed with this debut. So many hidden gems within these pages. This book does talk about grief, and dying but I felt like it was done in an uplifting way. This one will leave your heart warm and wanting to drop everything to take that trip you’ve been dreaming about. To live life while you can, and take very opportunity that presents itself to you.

I loved the unlikely friendships in Leo and Bessie, the quirkiness and compassion of Clover, Claudia and her zest for life and words of wisdom, and of course Grandpa and the lessons he taught.

Read if you love:
* Fun heartwarming characters
* Unexpected friendships
* Taking chances
* Lost love
* Living life

“The truth was, I wasn't trying my best- I was only living a shell of the life I knew was possible. And I regretted it.”

Be prepared for me to gush about this book because it is currently sitting at number 1 for my top reads of the year!

From an early age, Clover experiences death around her and becomes fascinated with it, later becoming a death doula. After the death of her parents, she goes to live with her grandpa in New York. Though we find out quickly that her grandpa has also passed away, the author does a fantastic job of weaving stories of Clover growing up with him with her current life. When Clover isn’t helping others make peace with their fears and regrets as they prepare for the end of their lives, she leads an isolated life, binging on rom-coms and spying on (while avoiding) her neighbors. When she takes on a new client, Clover’s world begins to open up and she starts to realize what living really means.

What I loved:
💐 The main plot is Clover’s personal journey, but it’s sprinkled with a bit of friendship and romance that really rounds out the story. The main themes are grief and life, but were done in such a relatable, accessible way.

💐 The secondary characters were written with such care and dimension. Each was given an equal amount of thought and the page time was well balanced throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed Clover’s relationship with all of them. Nothing felt forced or clichéd.

💐 The writing is so impeccable that I found myself highlighting so much, from beautiful prose to thought-provoking revelations.

👉🏼If you enjoy a strong sense of place, age gap friendships, found family (not exclusively FF, but has the same elements) this is for you!

✨ QUOTES:

“But since death had shaped my life from the time I was five, I wanted to observe it, to decode it. I wanted to find sense in the thing that felt so senseless.”

“I’d learned the hard way that when people ask you how you're doing after a loved one's death, they don't really want to know. They want to hear that you've moved on because they can't stand to look at your pain.”

I have mixed feelings about this book. I love the premise of the book - a death doula who guided by a recent client confronts the regrets in her own life, but it just didn't make the bar. I found Clover to be frustrating at times, I think because she reads as neurodivergent but instead of presenting that it's explained that it's because of trauma (which those can be tied together, but it left a bad taste for me). I did like that we see not just a romantic relationship, but also multiple platonic relationships bloom over the course of the book. I found it frustrating that Clover offers only traditional burial options (burial or cremation) to Claudia even though we know Clover academically studied different death practices, and listened to other options at the death cafes. I was hoping for more of the different cultural death practices especially since Clover travelled extensively, but they are barely mentioned which I found frustrating.
I appreciated the arrival of Hugo - I felt like everything from that point on was exactly what I was wanting from the book, but unfortunately that was the last 25% of the book.
I think there are some great ideas and great conversations to be had around this book, but it just wasn't the book for me.