This story really touched my heart. I was hesitant at first, unsure if I would like a book about a person who was a death doula. (It's a real thing. Look it up.) I imagined that it was going to be dark and sad, but I was soon proven wrong.

Shifting between present day and when she was a little girl, the main character, Clover, helps to usher people forth in death. She keeps journals to document their final ADVICE, CONFESSIONS, and REGRETS. We soon learn that this gentle introvert has regrets of her own. With the help of friends, a therapist, and some introspection, Clover works through some of her own issues and may even find love.

Fans of contemporary fiction and romance are sure to love this story. It is a great debut novel by this author and I will be eagerly awaiting the next one. My sincere thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin"s Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review a digital ARC of this novel. Publication: May 9, 2023.

What a great debut! Clover leads a very solitary life. After the passing of her parents she goes to live with her grandfather. We learn she’s always been interested in death and that makes her somewhat of a pariah at school and in her personal life. My heart definitely ached for her and while I figured the book would show her growth I still was surprised and delighted along the way. This is definitely a slower paced character centered book but I can see a lot of people rooting for Clover when this publishes later this year.

“It frustrated me that society was so determined to quantify grief, as if time could erase the potency of love. Or, on the other hand, how it dictated that grief for someone you knew fleetingly should be equally fleeting.” (Pg. 89)

“The secret to a beautiful death is living a beautiful life.” (Pg. 313)

“And instead of constantly asking ourselves the question why we're here, maybe we should be savoring a simpler truth: We are here.”
(Pg. 318)

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. I know we are never supposed to judge a book by its cover.. but who actually listens to that rule? The cover is very aesthetically pleasing and caught my attention right away.

Clover is a death doula who spends the last moments with dying patients... preparing them and educating them on death and what’s to come. She is also there for comfort and companionship for those who have no one... so they don’t die alone. Clover became a death doula because she felt guilty for not being present when her grandpa died.

We follow clover on her self discovery journey. Navigating life in her mid-thirties as she tries to learn how to live her own life, open up, and most importantly... forgive herself.

This was a very touching story that pulled at my heart strings and had me rooting for Clover. I got to know her as a recluse and see her blossom into a new person that made new friends, tried new things, and opened up herself to more possibilities.

A message that was in the story was that death is inevitable. That you can’t live your life in fear of death because all of us die someday and if you live in fear, you aren’t loving your best beautiful life.

I am excited for “The Collected Regrets of Clover” to come out in May. I have already recommended it to a few of my bookish friends!

This was one that was hard to relate to on many levels. I can't picture how anyone, particularly a young person, would choose to isolate for days on end watching RomCom's and not interacting with other people. True, I am more of an extrovert and need interactions with other people, but this story left me scratching my head.

For one thing, it was too long and might have been more enjoyable if it had far less listing of everything on the shelf, in the apartment, you get the idea. Those lists didn't add anything to the story except cause feelings of claustrophobia. Yes, we get the picture. Clover's grandfather left behind a lot of stuff, but that doesn't mean keeping it will do anything useful.

When her folks died when she was 6, she went to live with him in his place and continued to live there after he was gone. I get the ties to the past, but for how many years did she keep his specimen jars? I get that she hated the fact that he died alone, but to spend the rest of her life helping others pass out of this life does not help her to live her own life.

The other characters were not realistic and neither were her ideas of what a real romance would be like if she just uses movies to guide her. A death doula has a specific role to play to help others, but if you are always giving and never taking, you will not be able to continue your role. Clover needed Claudia to show her how to live even as Claudia was dying. Claudia was my favorite character, though I would love to meet Hugo!

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

4.75 stars

Wow, what a lovely, poignant tale about living, loving and death.

I am not sure if I will be able to adequately put into words my thoughts and feelings, but here it goes.

This book was an incredible slow burn, which means it took time for me to fully engage (after the first few chapters) but was worth the wait and patience. Clover lives a very insular life, and while I understand why she structured her life that way, sometimes her thoughts/actions made me frustrated and wished it wasn't that way. I also felt a great connection to Clover as an introvert and someone with social anxiety. Several of the strategies/techniques she uses to get through her day in a busy place are things I do too, and so I really connected with her anxieties and hesitancy to put herself out there.

I've never heard of a death doula before, but I love the idea, especially for Clover. I really appreciated the frank conversations and inner monologues about death, grief and what it's like to really live a full and beautiful life. I also appreciated the recognition that this looks different for everyone and how Clover understood and emphasized this. I highlighted many passages as I was touched by them and the reflections they sparked within me. I also loved that Clover had the journals and tried different things based on the people she met and assisted. I think that the conversations about death were handled extremely well and respectfully, and I liked that we had a glimpse into how other cultures view death and dying.

I loved Leo and Sylvie and would definitely read a book (or novella) about their adventures and/or building gossip (bodega cat drama!!!). It took a while to really get to the heart of the story/plot, and I wish it had come a bit sooner so that later relationships and the ending could've been developed a bit more. I wouldn't necessarily categorize this as a romance, but some romantic pieces were important to the story.

Overall though, I highly recommend this book. It was beautiful, refreshing and poignant. An incredible debut and an author to watch.

I just finished reading The Collected Regrets of Clover  and I am wondering how a book about a death doula can be so charming. Throughout the story we can see Clover change from social awkward woman to someone who come to terms with her life up to that point and opens herself to the possibilities and to trust in herself.
I highly recommend.

I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. It is a very unique and fascinating read that deals with a profession I knew very little to nothing about. It is beautifully written and the author has you feeling every emotion. Highly recommend!

Thank you to net galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you Net Galley for the advance copy of this book.

I had never heard the term "death doula" before this book. As someone who personally is a bit scared of death and dying, this book really helped me look that fear square in the face. The main character, Clover, has had an interesting life, seemingly surrounded by death from young on, and the book follows her through a journey of self-discovery and understanding—and ultimately, heaps of personal growth—all while exploring the concept of death, family, and how to build relationships of all kinds as an adult. Maybe it deserves 5 stars, I'm not sure; maybe I'm still grappling with the book's concept. I will say, while the writing didn't 100% wow me, I did really like the story. I've never read anything like it.

This was a really sweet and unique book. It was an easy read and the characters were well developed, but I just didn’t connect with Clover. I wish more of the story would have focused on Claudia’s days in Corsica… her story was far more interesting.

Clover’s parents die in a tragic accident when she’s six years old, leaving her to be raised by her grandfather. Years later, he too passes away while Clover’s traveling. Clover is so affected by him dying alone, that she becomes a death doula, dedicating her life to help people have the most peaceful end possible. Clover has always been a loner, but when she goes on a mission to help grant Claudia, a dying old woman, her final wish, she begins to want more for herself than the lonely life she’s been living.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this extraordinary book in exchange for an honest review. It’s already my favorite of 2023!

THIS. BOOK. I just wanted to give it a big hug when I turned the last page. Set in New York City, Clover is a quirky, brutally honest character with a heart of gold that I instantly adored. I loved going on this truly special journey with her and related so much to the beautiful relationship she had with her grandfather.

Though this one does feature heavily about death, do not let that deter you from reading it. I promise it’s inspirational, hopeful and thought provoking in the best way possible. This book made me laugh, it made me cry, and I literally highlighted half of it with lines that stuck with me and quotes I wanted to remember (and of course share).

This debut novel will for sure be on all the best seller lists when it debuts in May. I’ll be over here eagerly awaiting Mikki Brammer’s next release!

“The Collected Regrets of Clover” is a debut novel by Mikki Brammer. Having lost a parent about 18 months ago, I knew this was going to be a difficult book for me to read. In some points, it was - but it was also comforting (except when I wished that my parent had had someone like Clover to have been in the room upon the time of passing). I greatly enjoyed the depth that went into the “death doula” concept. I also liked how Clove had her routine and while a bit lonely, she was content. Around the 60% mark, the book took a wander into a direction I had hoped it wouldn’t, but I realized that it was necessary for the book - and Clover - to grow. I greatly enjoyed the sensitivity around grieving (and, yes, I too was tired of the questions asked upon my parent’s passing). I liked how Clover tried to fulfill the regret of those who passed under her care (while dying my hair blue wouldn’t make my top 10 list of regrets, I can see how for someone it could be). There’s a lot to think about from this book - not only about death, but also life. A well written book - and I can understand why some have suggested that if you liked “The Midnight Library” (Haig) that you would like this one. I’d caution that if you felt the feels reading Midnight Library, you’ll (again) feel the feels.

There aren't enough words to describe how much I loved this book. Clover was such an incredible character. I loved her vulnerability and honesty and how real she felt. Her struggles with anxiety were very relatable. I loved learning about death doulas and their roles across various cultures and religions. This was such a great read and I've already told so many friends and family members to put it on their TBRs for 2023!

3.5/5. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy and chance to review! There’s a lot to love about this book, and I think this is really going to resonate with a lot of people when it comes out, but this was more of a “like” than a “love” for me. It may just come down to the mood I was I was in, and maybe another day it’ll be a higher rating for me, but I think I would have liked this a lot more if the entire thing had been the last 30% or so of the book. Up until that point, it was a little bit of a struggle for me to really enjoy this.

That said, there are a lot of things that do work here. Clover as a character is deeply sympathetic, and you’ll have a hard time not having your heart break for her. The supporting cast, for the most part, is full of lovable characters. And there are a lot of really beautiful sentiments about life and death throughout.

I think what kept me from really getting into this most of the way through, though, is the heavy handiness. This book is about death, but it’s mostly a big message of “live your life” or “don’t think about life so much, live it!” - and it is NOT subtle about that. And while it’s hard not to feel bad for Clover and root for her, it’s also hard not to feel like you’re reading through the lens of a 20 year old until the book constantly reminds you that she’s 36.

So I don’t know, maybe I was just feeling cynical while reading this, but this was too preachy for me to really love it.

I have never even heard of a death doula and now I want to be one! Clover a 36 year old loner helps people on their death beds in pretty much whatever way they want or need. She keeps a record of their regrets, confessions and advice. I liked that Clover seemed to remember all the people she helped usher to the other side. I liked her narrative sense of humor, however I did not necessarily like (or dislike) her or any of the other characters, they all seemed bland to me.

This novel is absolutely stunning. Such an incredible story of love and loss. Inspiring and so rich. I absolutely adored this novel.
My one side note is—as a healthcare professional I have to point out that fire in a hospital is extremely dangerous bc of the oxygen being an explosive. Lol otherwise, a perfect read. I hope Mikki writes many more!

This was a beautiful book — thank you so much for the pleasure of reading it in advance :)

It was emotional and thoughtful with well-developed, lovable characters, and a meaningful message. Truly everything I look for in a book, and can't wait for the official publication!

This is the story of Clover who works as a death doula, helping others prepare for their upcoming end of life. Clover is very good at her job, but realizes that she is lacking close relationships and a life of her own. A new client helps her realize what's missing from her life and reexamine her needs and priorities. This story is beautifully written, and will make you think about your own days.

It’s been a really long time since I read a contemporary romance that got me giddy and excited to read each chapter but The Collected Regrets of Clover renewed my love of romance books.
Clover is a one of a kind main character that is overflowing with interesting qualities and with many outstanding side characters, this book held my attention every single time I picked it up.

At times bittersweet, at times beautiful, at times overly sentimental, this is a highly unusual novel and a highly immersive one. It’s hard to put the book down. And from 50% onward, I didn’t.

With the main character (Clover) employed as a death doula, as well as discussions of thanatology and death cafés, the content is certainly original. From the outset, I felt that here’s a story I haven’t read before! Clover turns into one of the most memorable characters I’ve encountered in recent fiction — a quirky loner, afraid of emotional commitment, who’s nevertheless introspective and self-aware. She’s also devoted to her clients (the dying) and wiser than most people I know when it comes to thinking about and discussing the end of life.

I enjoyed the book and think it’s well written. And there’s a great deal to think about — how to think and talk about death, how to talk to the dying, and especially the importance of living a good, full life, to avoid having regrets at the end of it.

As much as I enjoyed the book, I thought there are probably too many coincidences and too many perfectly charming, big-hearted characters (though I liked them all!). By about 75%, much of the rest seemed predictable and a little too fairy-tale for my taste. A regrettable title — one that I’ll never remember, though I’ll remember the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an Advanced Reader Copy.

Clover. We meet our new-age-named protagonist as she is orphaned and is embraced by her loving academic grandfather. Perhaps due to her desire to understand her feelings about her parents death, Clover embarks upon an educational and spiritual voyage and becomes a “death doula” - similar to a birth doula, providing education, support and assistance to the patient and their families, but at the event of the patient’s death. Clover is exceptionally comfortable with the concept of death, from the perspective of many different cultures, which can be an unusual characteristic in the Western world, and she learns a lot about human nature and life from tending to her patients who have advice, confessions, and regrets. Clover is retained by an especially uptight and closed off blueblood family to tend to their matriarch upon her terminal diagnosis, and unravels several generations of advice, confessions and regrets about this exceptional individual and her story.
The Collected Regrets of Clover was extremely well written and such unusual subject matter - I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned a lot about people and relationships through the insightful reflections presented. Mikki Brammer was able to convey rich descriptions of the characters and their personalities, motivations, and dispositions without relying on physical characteristics which was refreshing and unique.