The premise of this book is so interesting. I had never really heard of a death doula before receiving this book. I really liked that although our MC is a death doula, the book is more of a celebration of life. I was expecting a more dramatic, or dark story and I was pleasantly surprised.

The Collected Regrets of Clover 💐

I was so hopeful for this one! The cover is absolutely gorgeous, a debut author and a compelling story about a death Duala.

Clover is a quirky, introverted female who has always been preoccupied by the concept of death. She finds value in holding conversations about it and helping those pass on. She keeps journals/records of last encounters of these moments (but I won’t say more to spoil). I really thought this book was unique and put a spotlight on our societies avoidance of death. It also provided me with so much insight on how other cultures and parts of the world process death.

Sadly, I really struggled to get through this one. Although it was so interesting, it felt slow moving, the tone was off and the characterization was lacking. I noticed myself being avoidant of picking up my kindle and eventually just glimpsed at the last 30% of the book.

I have seen mostly stellar reviews for this one and it is also a BOTM May pick! So don’t let this deter you.

Ty for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review!

☘️The Story: Clover Brooks is a death doula who spends her professional life spending her days with chronically ill folks who are nearing death. She collects the regrets of her clients in a jar and tries to negate their regrets by counteracting them in her own life. She meets a guy who wants her to spend time with his sick grandmother under false pretenses — as his family is not good to death. Clover quickly bonds with the grandmother and is determined to find out what happened to her long lost love.
Over the course of the book, she learns that she has to let people in and take care of herself.

☘️My thoughts: This one didn’t work for me as the love story just fell flat and the characters were somewhat stilted. However, this book will likely be a hit as it will appeal to folks who like clean romance, cozy mysteries (although this is not a mystery) and similar type books.

Thank you to SMP and Netgalley for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Clover is a death doula. She spends her life helping people die and collecting their regrets, advice and confessions. By focusing on death, Clover hasn't allowed herself to live. But things start to change when a new client (and her grandson) come into Clover's life.

This book was recommended by a fellow Bookstagrammer after I mentioned that Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is one of my favorite books. Clover and Eleanor give off very similar vibes and I love them both.

I loved the way Clover's story was told and the descriptions of a life isolated from connection were heartbreaking and honest. Highly recommend checking this one out!

I didn’t realize I was way overdue for a book like this. While the subject matter is serious, this is a hopeful and uplifting story that will leave you feeling inspired to live the life you always wanted.

Clover is a death doula who helps the dying transition peacefully, but she could use a little help when it comes to living a fulfilling life. She keeps 3 journals titled: Regrets, Confessions and Advice. Each filled with words from her clients who have since died. These journals made me think about my own loved ones who have passed and what they would have left in the journals and how their words would have impacted me differently if I heard them while they were still alive. This book leaves us so much to ponder and discuss. I had a doula during my pregnancy and birth and she was in invaluable! I think death doulas are so important as well and after reading I delved into the topic in more depth. I encourage everyone to do the same.

I knew from the very beginning that this book was going to be a hit for me. Clover was such a compelling character. Once I was introduced to this woman who provided companionship and comfort to those nearing their death, I wanted to know more about her. No doubt, Clover had a big heart, but for all the ways she embraced death, she was failing to embrace life.

Clover had her reasons for why she shut her heart to others. As if the short time with her parents wasn't bad enough, the bits of her past where she put herself out there with friends and romantic partners helped me understand the whys. I was terribly disappointed in the people who Clover had allowed into her heart, and her recollections hit close to home. I cried for both myself and Clover. Her hurt and loneliness was captured so well by Brammer, and I felt it in my bones. But, not to fear, dear readers. This book took the turns I was hoping for.

Clover had collected people's last words which she categorized as regrets, advice, and confessions. She honored those who passed by trying to atone for their confession or fulfill one of their regrets, but it wasn't until she agreed to be Claudia's companion that she began to expand her world, push beyond her comfort zone, confront her past, and begin seeing possibilities for herself.

Overall: A touching and uplifting story which I have zero regrets reading.

Clover is a death doula. She makes sure people have an easy transition from life to death. She keeps a book on people’s regrets that they share on their deathbed. But, she is struggling herself with the death of her grandfather. She has quite a few regrets in her own life and these regrets are keeping her from moving forward and living her life to the fullest.

This tale had me crying and laughing. It is pure enjoyment to read about Clover and her quirkiness. And I don’t think I have ever been more proud of a character in a book in my life as I was at the end of this novel. You will need to read this to find out!

I fluctuated between 4 and 5 stars. I settled on 5 because of all the emotions this story puts the reader through. I swear…my feelings were all over the place! And Clover is one heck of a character and I will be thinking about her for days to come.

Need a story which will have you emotional and reflecting…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer. Releasing May 9, 2023

"'Intelligence will only get you so far in life...and the same could be said for wit and charm. But two things will serve you better than any others.'

'What are they?'

He took a thoughtful sip of coffee. 'Infinite curiosity and a keen sense of observation.'"

Ever since she saw her kindergarten teacher drop dead while telling a story, and her parents died while on a frivolous vacation, introvert Clover Brooks has been a little obsessed with death. She studied the death traditions of different cultures in college, and when her grandfather that raised her died alone while she was doing research, she decided to become a death doula, to help terminal patients navigate through their end-of-life experiences.

Clover records the final words of her clients in three dilapidated books with the spine inscriptions, REGRETS, ADVICE and CONFESSIONS to honor and hopefully learn from their wisdom. Clover received this advice from Olive, a, a cartographer with a melanoma who made her promise to always wear sunscreen:

"Whenever I moved to a new city or started a new relationship, I'd always change my perfume...that way I'd be able to look back and relive my best memories...whenever I smelled it."
One day Clover meets a man named Sebastian at a "Death Café," a gathering of people to discuss various aspects of death. Sebastian is struggling with the death of his beloved grandmother Claudia, and hires Clover to be her death doula. Clover instantly connects with Claudia, a colorful character who tells Clover all about her life as a photojournalist:

"Before I ever took a photo of anyone I'd take the time to get to know them--asking them about their childhood dreams....And then, as they were talking, I'd start clicking the shutter."
When Claudia reveals a painful story of lost love, Clover and her neighbor Sylvie who might just be Clover's first friend her own age, seek to find the man in question. In the process, Clover begins to open to new relationships.

Clover's character is reminiscent of the protagonists in the books Meredith, Alone, and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, in that she is painfully shy, awkward, and fearful of failing at friendships with her peers. But The Collected Regrets of Clover delves deeply into the processes and rituals surrounding death and dying in a way that feels beautifully authentic and uplifting.

"One young creative life blossoms as another one ends; there was something beautiful about the tenuous reality of being human."

Thanks #NetGalley for the ARC for The Collected Regrets of Clover in exchange for an honest review!

Hardcover 320 pages, Audiobook 9 hours, 49 minutes.

Clover Brooks faced death at a young age. Not her own, of course, but rather the sudden death of her kindergarten teacher while he was reading aloud to the class, and a short time later, the deaths of her own parents. After that, she was raised by her widowed grandfather in Manhattan. She enjoyed her quiet life with him, but when he dies suddenly when she is continents away, she is determined to keep others from dying alone if she can help it. She becomes a death doula and carves out a quiet, but wistful, life in her rent-controlled apartment with her elderly neighbor, Leo, as her best (really, only) friend.

But the arrival of a new neighbor--who wants to be her friend!--along with the relentless attentions of Sebastian, the grandson of a new client, Clover finds herself braving new territory and wondering if she has, perhaps, been missing something. On a weekend trip to find her dying client's long-lost love, Clover may have found her own new love.

You might not think a book about a lonely death doula could be entertaining and uplifting, but you'd be wrong. I loved this book and couldn't put it down once I started reading it. #TheCollectedRegretsofClover #NetGalley

Clover is a death doula - helping to usher the dying through the last days of their lives. Sometimes she provides comfort. Other times she helps them work through their guilt and regrets. But a new client makes her question if in helping people with their deaths has Clover been forgetting to live?

So I had taken a nice break from crying through a book. That is until this one came along. This book does start with the “awkward, aloof girl who doesn’t like relationships”. BUT it takes such a heart warming turn despite the book being largely about death. Highly recommend this one!

You might think a book about someone who works as a death doula would be a very sad book, but think again - because it’s not. Certainly there are some rather sad moments, but on the whole, The Collected Regrets of Clover is more uplifting than it is sad.

This amazing debut novel might be classified as a sort of delayed coming-of-age story. The main character, Clover, is in her mid-30s and is a pretty solitary person as the book opens. She was raised by her grandfather after her parents died when she was six years old. She and her grandfather grew very close over the years and after he dies (alone) suddenly while she is traveling overseas, she decides to become a death doula, to help other people. She’d already been fascinated with death rituals and traditions in various cultures, so this job seems perfect for her. She even records some of the things her “clients” tell her, in journals titled Regrets, Advice, and Confessions.

I loved Clover and sympathized with her. I got frustrated with her always hiding from the world - she’s never had a real friend or a boyfriend. She mainly socializes with an elderly neighbor, Leo, who has known her since she moved in with her grandfather. A new neighbor in their small apartment building coaxes Clover out of her shell a bit and a young man she meets at a “death cafe” (a new concept to me!) asks her to take on his dying grandmother as a client, which further leads Clover out of her shell.

I could really relate to how attached Clover was to her grandfather’s things. It’s hard to get rid of things when you have a sentimental attachment to them! My husband and I are going through some of the same issues right now, so Clover’s reluctance to part with his things rings true.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Jennifer Pickens.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

💐The Collected Regrets of Clover💐

Clover is a death doula living in NYC. While helping people through their end-of-life care, she’s forgotten how to live her own.

The Goodreads blurb said this was “for readers of The Midnight Library”, but I would say it’s more for fans of A Man Called Ove or Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Clover is a curmudgeon, lonely, possibly neurodivergent character. The story started out a bit slow, but I ultimately like where it went and I loved the surprise Maine references - Megunticook Lake, the Linconville Motel! I think I read the story at the wrong time as it wasn’t quite a home run for me, but I’ve seen a lot of glowing reviews!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the eARC of The Collected Regrets of Clover, it’s out tomorrow (May 9th)!

The Collected Regrets of Clover has a great premise — it’s about a death doula who, after years of supporting clients through their last days, challenges herself to address some of their final regrets, and maybe even her own.

For a book ostensibly about death, this was a very sweet and warm-hearted novel. I may not have been the best audience for this book— it was a bit too twee for me, and I had trouble accepting that a 36 year old woman who had such good people skills at work could possibly have no friends whatsoever. I think the author could have underscored Clover’s loneliness without using such extremes in her characterization; I think we all have experienced feeling lonely in a crowd.

However, I’ll admit that I feel a bit like the grinch criticizing this book, because it was very charming, with a lovely message, and I read it much faster than I anticipated.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Goodreads for the advanced readers copy. The Collected Regrets of Clover releases this Tuesday May 9th.

4.25⭐️

Mikki Brammer’s debut novel The Collected Regrets of Clover is a very honest and open story about death, grief, and what it means to live a fulfilled life. I recommend being mentally prepared for an emotional read, and don’t go in blind.🥹

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:
💐Very thought-provoking read. I liked that this book made me think A LOT and explored death in a very open way. It touches on how different death is perceived and how it’s talked about (or not talked about) in families.

In addition, we learn about Clover’s relationship with her grandfather who passed away (this is in the synopsis)..and I really enjoyed how this was woven into the story, how Clover reflects on and applies his advice in certain situations.

💐The last 35% of the book was my favourite! The ending was so beautiful, and leaves the reader with hope and a new way of thinking… this one will definitely tug on all the heart strings, be prepared to shed a few tears.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞:
I struggled to get into this book.. It wasn’t until about 65% that it really started to grow on me. The progression is on the slower side and I didn’t love the writing style..HOWEVER😇 I am so glad that I pushed through (the ending was well worth it).

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫:
✔ An introverted, bookish, death doula
✔ Heartwarming friendship, that leads to a cross country road trip
✔ Open conversation about death, cultural and familial differences
✔ A dash of romance
✔ Hope

Clover, a death doula, honors her clients' lives by recording their final words and then acting on their parting advice, confessions, and regrets. But her own life is narrow; she has few relationships and rarely leaves the apartment where she grew up, which she has kept unchanged since the grandfather who raised her died. When she befriends a new neighbor and becomes invested in the regrets of a client, Clover begins to step out of her shell and to think about the life she is living rather than the deaths that have shaped it.

The Collected Regrets of Clover is a thoughtful and uplifting book as well as a pleasant and engaging read. I worried that, with so much death at its center, the story would feel morbid or depressing, but the author did a wonderful job of describing the effect of grief on Clover's life without dwelling in it. I loved the well-developed secondary characters, especially feisty Claudia and her smarmy but sincere grandson, Sebastian. Even though their journeys aren't the central one of the novel, I invested in their arcs. And even minor characters, like Clover's across-the-air-shaft neighbors, are painted so vividly in just a few sentences that they leave an indelible mark on the story.

However, I thought the characterization of Clover herself needed more development. Beyond the deaths that have shaped her, we don't see much of who she is. We understand that she isn't truly fulfilled but, still, her hours must be filled with something. I think a closer look at this "something" would have helped me see Clover more vividly and empathize with her better, and a better understanding of her hopes and desires - and how they have been repressed or disappointed or ignored - would have helped me understand why her life was ripe for change, and why the events of the novel led to it.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

As soon as I began reading this novel, I knew that it was going to be special. I also knew that it was probably going to hurt, but what’s a good book if it doesn’t make you feel. Well, this book certainly made me feel. All I wanted to do was reach through my Kindle and give Clover a big hug.

Mikki Brammer’s debut novel touches on a subject that many of us prefer to ignore: death. Sure, we know it’s inevitable, but most of us prefer to keep our heads in the sand and not think about the end of our lives or those of our loved ones. The author deals with it in a very thought-provoking, heartfelt manner.

Clover Brooks has an unconventional job. As a death doula she provides end-of-love companionship to those about to die. From a very young age, she’d been confronted with death, and although she had always had a knack for dealing with people who were about to pass away, it often made her an outcast among her classmates. For Clover, holding the hand and comforting the dying in their final moments of life was a privilege and one that she didn’t take lightly.

Clover lived a quiet, lonely life. After her beloved grandfather died, the only connections she had were with a bookstore owner, her pets, a senior who lived in her apartment building, and the people who she was working for. She lived a very solitary life. It’s not that she didn’t want to have friends, find love, or get out in the world more, she just didn’t want to face rejection, disappointment, or abandonment.

My heart broke repeatedly for Clover. She was an interesting and unforgettable character. I wanted her to find happiness, contentment, friendships, and love. Living in New York City, it is easy to be swallowed up, but I didn’t want her to witness other people living their lives, I wanted her to get out of her comfort zone, get out there and live hers, too.

The Collected Regrets of Clover was a wonderful reading experience. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Clover, the thoughtfulness of the story, and the abundance of hope that it provided. I will definitely be looking forward to reading the next novel by Mikki Brammer.

*4.5 Stars

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this wonderful debut novel by Mikki Brammer, the audio beautifully narrated by Jennifer Pickens - 5 stars!

Clover has felt a strong connection with death ever since her kindergarten teacher died in front of her class. After her parents died, she was raised by her grandfather in his NYC apartment. She became a death doula, and was gifted at helping people through their end-of-life process, so much so that she didn't have a life of her own. Now 36, she lives in her deceased grandfather's apartment, no friends except an elderly neighbor, has never been kissed, and spends time visiting death cafes, where people talk about dying.

While you might think that a book about death and people dying would be grim and sad, this book is anything but. It's full of wonderful characters that come to life as you read. It's also a primer of how to best live your life. Clover kept notebooks of people's last words and organized them into the categories regrets, advice, confessions. In these regrets are lessons for living of which we should all take heed. Can't wait to read more from this author - highly recommended!

The Collected Regrets of Clover is the debut novel by Mikki Brammer about a death doula in NYC. Can a book about a death doula be uplifting? In this case, yes!

Clover lives in the apartment her now-deceased grandfather raised her in and keeps to herself. Her only friend is the 80-year-old neighbor she's known her whole life. Clover's job as a death doula is important and rewarding but takes a lot out of her emotionally. So when a new neighbor moves in and strikes up a friendship with Clover, and a feisty client pushes Clover to reassess her life, Clover is challenged on several levels and tries to figure out what she really wants for herself.

Honestly, I was a bit worried this would be a heavy and emotional book. And while the idea of death and dying is not an easy or comfortable topic, this book respectfully maintains a hopeful and life-affirming tone. Character-driven, it examines Clover's growth as she ensures a peaceful death for others while failing to celebrate her own life and maintaining distance from others. Clover has been dealing with the emotional aftermath of an event that changed everything for her and influenced her decision to become a death doula. There were some heartwarming and poignant scenes and some that made me think. (Before reading this, I wasn't even entirely sure what a death doula was.) The majority of the book, though, is about Clover, the things she must work through, and the new relationships she forges. Hopeful and lovingly written. Brammer is an author to watch!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this ARC.

Clover’s life has been inundated with death since she was a child. Even her job deals with demise, but that may be changing. Sometimes we get in a comfortable rut and don’t want to be budged.
Clover needs the nudging of her friends to reassess her life and let go of some things.
Although death is a major theme, the book is also about growth. Growth for Clover as she expands her horizons and as she continues to travel, both physically and emotionally.

I feared the subject matter of this book in the early pages. It’s a book about a death doula, her life and her work and about loss and dying. And I was still grieving the loss of a life partner so had some significant trepidation. Instead, it is a glorious, thoughtful examination of the subject through a prism of a life being lived small as the doula examines her own grief and losses and considers the regrets and advice of those whom she helped support in their final days and hours. There is not one word wrong in the author’s depiction of how to emotionally support those whose lives head for imminent cessation. It is a beautiful evocative examination of a difficult topic handled with hope and affection and not in any sense morbid. Highly recommend.