“The Collected Regrets of Clover” is one of the best books I’ve read this year. A fictional book about death and a death doula which while it made you think about deep topics, also managed to weave in an interesting story, which was lighthearted at times. There were some analogies about grief and living a fulfilling life which I found very poignant. This was a really good novel which will stay with me for awhile. I need to check out more works by this author. 4 stars ⭐️. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy for review.

This was a wonderfully moving story - about a "death doula" - Clover, who helps others find peace and comfort in their last days. It's an interesting take on living your life when your job is to help people die. The first part was tough, Clover is really still mourning the death of her grandfather and the chapters were sad and a bit slow. But it quickly gets jumping as you learn about Death Cafes and other support type systems that Clover sees.

I liked thinking about regrets and getting stuck in grief. I think it's easy to want people to just "get over" their grief so I like that this story really reveled in it and pointed out that grief is like glitter. At first, it covers everything. Slowly, it will recede with each cleaning but it never fully goes away. You'll stumble on your grief, again and again, throughout your life. But it isn't worth giving up all the joy in your life.

I loved the second part to the story, the letters and missed regrets. The story was so lovely and upbeat. I loved how it all came together and the growth that everyone showed. Such a great story.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I didn’t expect to love this story as much as I did. I found I could really relate to Clover, who loves to read and is quite the recluse. This books is truly unusual, but in the best way possible.

When I first started reading this book and realized it was about a "death doula" I was not so sure I wanted to read it. However, I was pulled in immediately to a wonderful storyline, vivid descriptions, amazing characters and I was hooked!!! I loved how this author got into Clover's head and her thoughts would come out. Every paragraph was in great detail, I couldn't put this down. I loved the whole story and I will be looking for this author again in the future.

utterly charming and insightful, really funny for a book about death, but i truly enjoyed it. also so much better than the midnight library oops

"The Collected Regrets of Clover" by Mikki Brammer was wonderful! The tale of a death doula, whom never reconciled the traumas of death in her own life, as it finally catches up to her. Great character development, personalities and story. I really liked this book! Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Clover is in her mid-thirties living alone in Nee York City thanks to her rent controlled apartment. She was orphaned at six and went to live with her grandfather who has also passed away, and Clover is alone in the world. She works as a death doula helping people through their last days, so she’s seen her share of grief.
I adored this book. Clover is such a quiet woman not trusting that others will want her friendship or love, but thanks to a new neighbor and her most recent client, her life changes immensely. It was a heartwarming, life affirming novel that I’d highly recommend.

“But 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."
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From the beginning Clover captured my heart due to her sensitive and perceptive nature early in life. Unexpectedly she had to meet death, grief and loss being so little. Later in life, she becomes a death researcher/doula. This book reminded me how we can use our own wounds to guide and help heal others. In a sweet, soft and balanced pace as I read, Clover started living her life honoring the regrets of the dead- what a beauty! I particularly appreciated that she did not end up with Sebastian as one would think she would. What I loved most: Clover’s relationship with her grandfather, their older neighbor and her job. I immersed myself in the death doula stories with curiosity, so much that I started looking for information about death cafes. I found them an exciting and brilliant idea. We must talk more about death in an open and natural -as -breathing -way, I agree. Why do we live as though we will not die? Crazy, right? This book is a reminder to live now, take advantage of your time in the present, do what you really want to do. Loved it!

The Collected Regrets of Clover is an interesting book. From the description, I was not sure what to expect. As others have said, overall the book is not a sad story. There was one part that resulted in tears for me.

Clover is a mid-thirties woman who has experiences more than her fair share of loss. As a result of all of her loss, she has become an expert in death and even is a death doula as her profession. Sadly, Clover has cut herself off from everyone and lives a very solitary life.

Clover's world is shook up with a new client and Clover must decide if she stays safe and doesn't open herself up to others or takes a risk.

Possible triggers: Sudden loss and/or parental loss.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pub date: 5/9/23
Genre: contemporary fiction
Quick summary: After witnessing death at a young age, Clover becomes a death doula. But in doing so, she neglects her own life - until a client asks her to find a lost love - and maybe she'll get her own love story.

I put off reading this book because I worried it would be too heavy. But after seeing positive reviews on bookstagram, I went ahead and took a chance on it. I found it easy to relate to Clover, as I've also found myself with a bit of a "martyr complex" at times. I enjoyed how she captured regrets, advice, and confessions from her clients - and she slowly began to realize how important it was to live life to the fullest. I really enjoyed her journey to find a client's lost love, and lessons she learned along the way, and I think other readers looking for an emotional story will too!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I met a death doula at an art exhibition. She is also an artist. She makes amazing floral sculptures in place of gravestones, creating colorful, living, cultural memorials. I find what she does amazing. And then, by coincidence, I read this book. I had forgotten exactly what the book was about since it was awhile between getting approved for it and actually reading it, so the connection made the book that much more interesting.

Clover is a wonderful human. I don't know if I could do her job. I'm not sure if she was so good at her job because of how she was raised, but people who do this work are very special. I wish I had known such a person when both my parents were ill and then died, or even had been able to attend a death cafe to help my parents passing easier for themselves and for my benefit.

I thought the book was interesting, it was executed very well. I really loved the writing style of the author. If I didn't know she was Australian, I'd have sworn she was Southern. She has that way of telling a story. It was as if Clover was sitting next to me on the porch, with a glass of sweet tea, telling me the whole story personally.

I can't wait to read more by this author!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are mine and freely expressed.

I requested this book because I was interested in the concept of a death doula, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that this book is really more about Clover’s growth as a person than her career. There are definitely interesting moments of her work as a death doula, but more of the tender moments are in her interactions with Leo, Sylvie, and others. This is perfect for fans of Maame, Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? and other stories of self-evolution and growth.

Death is always interesting, this book not so much. It pulled me in by making clover a death doula since she’s been surrounded by it since she was five. I was hoping for more romance and less women’s fiction. The romance seemed like a very small offshoot to the story. Clover sets out to live her life after a client persuades her too but the time jumps make it difficult to follow and sometimes I was confused because they seemed like a different character altogether.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this Advanced Copy of The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer. This is a great book to get you in your feels as well as a great book discussion pick.

The Collected Regrets of Clover, what an intriguing title for a unique and very enjoyable novel. The main character, Clover, is a death doula, who helps people in their final days before death. She herself lost both parents to an accident and was basically raised by her grandfather. Clover isolates herself against hurt and pain by having few, if any, friends besides an older gentleman named Leo. As the story progresses Clover comes to realize that she needs to start living her life without regret. But can Clover really change her ways? Can she live with reckless abandon as she continues to assist and guide people through the process of death? This novel is filled with beautiful imagery and the author is able to allow the reader to come to terms with the finite nature of all humans. The plot is unique and well written. It is a five star review from me!! Thank you to Mikki Brammer, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this novel . It was a true pleasure!

This one was not for me. While I enjoyed some of her observations/lessons about life, death and dying, I did not like this character at all. And also did not like many of her actions — lying, sharing confidences and spying on neighbors. the writing also felt quite basic and dry. But the book has received many positive reviews so you be the judge. But this was one that I should have DNFed. Loved the premise but not the execution.

Even though I read the synopsis of this novel, I quickly found the subject matter a bit heavy for me to get into. Although very well written, I found it hard to get through this book,
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this novel.

I loved this book! Mikki Grammar has woven a beautiful story about Clover and her experiences with life and death, love and loss, and courage. As a retired Medical Social Worker and Pastor, I found Clover's career very relatable and relevant. Her struggles within her personal life were endearing and I was rooting for her throughout the book. I stayed up too late to finish reading it and this book will stay with me for a while! Thanks #NetGalley #StMartinsPress

This, my friends, is a book about death. 💀
Sort of. 😂🫠

Clover, our main character, is a death doula, who helps people through the end of life process so they can pass away peacefully without regrets. After her grandfather who raised her passes away while she’s not there, she’s convinced he died lonely and with no one at his side, and becomes dedicated to her job, doesn’t make friends, and avoids any and all relationships. She has no life because she’s focused on everyone else’s death.

I thought the concept of this novel was interesting, but it stayed sort of surface level in that Clover really was only with people on their old age, who were in a position to start to prepare for death due to age or illness, but they were all older and had lived full lives. The novel could have gone darker, but since it was mostly focused on Clover finding herself while trying to help others, her job just sort of set up the story and at times helped moved along the plot as needed.

While there are some conflicts that come up, everything stays pretty light, there is some talk of grief, but even that is mostly just encouraging words and phrases you’d find in a book on grieving Also, there was a line that said “But the secret to a beautiful death is to live a beautiful life.” I get the sentiment there, but what if you live this beautiful life and then get like, eaten by a polar bear? That’s tragic.

Anyway, I’m in a weird place right now and maybe should have read this book at a different time 😂. The ending was uplifting, Clover gets a happy ending, hugs all around.

This would make a great summer book club book, I think. It’s an easy read and would be a fun chat.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

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

Clover has experienced a lot of loss in her life from a young age and it really shaped her and her interests. She became an orphan at the age of 6 and went to go live with her grandfather in NYC. She grew to be very interested in death and even studied it and wrote her thesis on it. She travelled the world learning about how different cultures see and deal with death. During her travels her grandfather sadly passes and she feels immense guilt not being there and it sparks her into becoming a death doula. She helps usher people peacefully and into death and navigate any unfinished business. But although she helps people deal with their lives she realizes she may not have been living her life they way she should and works to live a life without regrets,

THIS STORY WAS SO BEAUTIFUL. I enjoyed this one so much I cannot express how meaningful the message of this story. Everyone has some fear or anxiety about death, or has dealt with loss and grief and this handled the subject matter so nicely. Clover was so relatable, and really imparted so much wisdom. I learned so much about a career path I had no idea existed and it was so well written. I truly have nothing bad to say.