My Thoughts…
About The Narration:
For the first few minutes I wondered if the melancholic tone of the narrator would feel depressing for a novel about a death doula, but it quickly becomes apparent that Jennifer is the perfect narrator for this story. Her voice has a calming rhythmic nature with moments of subtle hints of bigger emotions to compliment the storyline and I was sad to have this reading end.

About The Book:
Wow, wow, wow! I LOVED this book. I adored Clover and reading about the way she moved through her life. The author covers big topics in a beautiful and thoughtful way that will leave you gently reflecting on living authentically, embracing life’s gifts, and finding peace with the cycle of life.
I highly recommend this novel.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
4.5 / 5 stars

💕You might like this book if:
🔹 you like characters who have moments of social awkwardness
🔹 you like books that explore grief, healing, regrets, and finding peace
🔹you like themes of loving relationships and grandparent-grandkid bonds

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!

What a BEAUTIFUL story! This draws you in right away. Clover is such a great selfless person. I can't even imagine doing the job she does. I loved all the characters and her perspectives on life and death. I liked how she kept the journals for regrets and confessions. Great listen!!

Clover Brooks is a lonely 36-year old woman with a strange career and a penchant for pushing people away. Since the death of her kindergarten teacher and then not too long afterwards, her parents, death had always seemed to find its way to Clover and not only that, but she also found it fascinating. However, things begin to change for Clover when she’s pushed out of her comfort zone by a good-willed and loud but also dying client. After a long road trip to find closure for her client, Clover is forced to come to the realization that maybe she is not living life to her fullest and if she doesn’t want to have regrets in life, like many of her past clients did, things have to change for the 36 year old and maybe for the better.

A much needed reprieve from my historical fiction romances and mysteries, The Collected Regrets of Clover is an emotionally charged book about death and coming to terms with dying that on more than one occasion brought tears to my eyes. I found myself relating with Clover, her loneliness, and just how common it is to get caught up with caring for others but never truly yourself or your wants. Friends with only her elderly neighbor, Leo, Clover is forced out of her comfort zone on multiple occasions in the book that help her realize that maybe it’s time for her to branch out of her comfort zone and maybe for the better. Nearly all of the characters in the book forced Clover out of her shell more than once, either for the good or the bad, which resulted in an immense amount of character growth in a short period of time.

I found the book to be beautiful and the message about grief and coming to death on your own terms to be beautiful. The book was very engaging in my opinion and also a great quick read, I scarcely wanted to put it down and couldn’t wait to read/listen to more when I wasn’t consuming it.

I want to thank the author Mikki Brammer, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for the digital audiobook copy of this novel for review. The book will be released on May 9th, 2023 and all thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

The Collected Regrets of Clover is a contemporary fiction that is about Clover, a death doula that has preferred the company of the dying to the living. The last wish of a dying woman sends her on a trip across the country where Clover finds herself trying to figure out herself, romance and friendships.

While this could have easily been a morose story, I loved the uplifting way it navigated the hard topics of death, regrets and grief. As for Clover, she was a very guarded character and learning where that was coming from and seeing her open up was definitely rewarding. Her naiveté about all things life was a bit confusing as she had a deep understanding of her clients, but I still found the story heartwarming and interesting.

I thought this one worked well on audio, it has a relatively straightforward plot and smallish number of names and Jennifer Pickens' captured Clover's voice really well!

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for the gorgeous finished copy and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

Title: The Collected Regrets of Clover
Author: Mikki Brammer
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: May 9, 2023

I received complimentary eARC and ALC copies of this book from St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad

T H R E E • W O R D S

Distinctive • Endearing • Thoughtful

📖 S Y N O P S I S

From the day she watched her kindergarten teacher drop dead during a dramatic telling of Peter Rabbit, Clover Brooks has felt a stronger connection with the dying than she has with the living. After the beloved grandfather who raised her dies alone while she is traveling, Clover becomes a death doula in New York City, dedicating her life to ushering people peacefully through their end-of-life process.

Clover spends so much time with the dying that she has no life of her own, until the final wishes of a feisty old woman send Clover on a trip across the country to uncover a forgotten love story—and perhaps, her own happy ending. As she finds herself struggling to navigate the uncharted roads of romance and friendship, Clover is forced to examine what she really wants, and whether she’ll have the courage to go after it.

💭 T H O U G H T S

After reading the synopsis and learning Clover was a death doula, I knew The Collected Regrets of Clover was going to be a book for me. Books with open and compassionate dialogue around death and dying are a niche genre I gravitate towards because of my own personal experience with grief.

The Collected Regrets of Clover, Mikki Brammer's debut novel, is such a slow-paced, unique and enlightening novel. Clover is an incredibly relatable and introverted main character, as the story progresses her personal connection to and obsession with death is slowly revealed, which I thought was fascinating. It allowed me to reflect on what it would be like to have the immense privilege of being privy to people's last words.

One of my absolute favourite parts of the book was how Clover's Grandpa used the analogy of matches to explain life and death. Some matches fail to light, some burn out too soon, and some burn all the way down. It touches on how so many factors beyond our control can impact how a match burns. This analogy seemed so spot on and absolutely beautiful.

Despite loving so much about this novel, the reason it doesn't quite meet my 5-star criteria is because my attention did wane slightly around the 60% mark. There was so much building and unraveling on Clover's story that took time, but for me something shifted in the second half that didn't hold my attention like I wanted it to. The audiobook, narrated by Jennifer Pickens was very well done. It helped add a layer of emotion to my reading experience, and also helped me getting through that lull.

At the end of the day, The Collected Regrets of Clover is a book tackling the topic of death. Yet it does so in such a gentle way that it becomes so much more. It's a book about living, a book about time, a book about ageing. It's filled with so much inspiration of reflective moments. It's an uplifting read demonstrating how discomfort is a natural part of life, and a reminder to celebrate life because we just never know when our match will burn out.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers looking for a hug in book form
• fans of unlikely friendships

⚠️ CW: death, death of parent, grief, terminal illness, cancer, abandonment, infidelity, medical content, car accident, alcoholism, sexism

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Being denied the chance to say goodbye to a loved one left stubborn emotional scars."

"I don't think it's weird at all. Death is a natural part of life. In fact, it's the only thing in life that we can really count on."

"People who were complete strangers to me less than a year ago had forever shifted the trajectory of my life. The fact that all of us were entangled - that everyone on the planet somehow shaped the course of one another's lives, often without realizing it - felt like almost too much for me to comprehend.

But perhaps that's the point. Do we actually need to understand the world and all its patterns?

You can find meaning in anything if you look hard enough, if you want to believe that everything happens for a reason. But if we completely understood one another, if every event made sense, none of us would ever learn or grow. Our days might be pleasant, but prosaic.

So maybe we just need to appreciate that many aspects of life - and the people we love - will always be a mystery. Because without mystery, there is no magic.

And instead of constantly asking ourselves the question of why we're here, maybe we should be savoring a simpler truth: We are here"

Have you ever heard of a "death doula"? In The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer, we get the story of one - Clover Brooks.

"Clover's grandfather raised her after her parents died when she was six years old. After he dies alone while she is travelling out of the country, Clover becomes a death doula, to help usher people peacefully through their end-of-life process.
Clover keeps herself isolated until the final wishes of a feisty old woman send her looking for a lost love. Clover is forced to look at what she really wants...and whether she'll have the courage to go after it."

I love characters that change and grow in a story. Clover spends her time with the dying, helping them to move on. But she is stuck - an apartment full of her grandfather's stuff that she is unable to get rid of and a lifestyle that isolates her from people. Clover keeps a notebook of regrets that people have told her. And as Clover spends time with one more client, she finally starts wondering what kind of life she wants - what regrets does she not want to have.
Change is hard for Clover. It's hard for all of us. I like that Brammer doesn't make it unrealistic. Clover takes baby-steps but finds a better, more fullfilling life. And finds love in an unexpected place.

Fantastic audiobook performance from Jennifer Pickens. I will look for more books from this narrator.

Clover is going to be one of my favorite characters this year. This is one you should add to the list, especially if you like character-driven fiction.

I was intrigued by the synopsis of the book, as it's a bit more serious than many of the books I've recently read. I'm so glad I went ahead and requested it because it was such a great read/listen. I was drawn in from the beginning, and found it hard to tear myself away from he story.

I really enjoyed hearing Clover's inner monologue and her unique perspective on death. While she can be socially awkward (who isn't) at times, I really appreciate her calm confidence while she is doing her job. It reassured me that discomfort is a natural part of life, it just looks different for everyone. There's something about how she honors the end of people's lives that has me reflecting on how I can respectfully enter that space for anyone I encounter.

I didn't care much for Sebastian, but I think that had to do more with his delivery and lack of attentiveness. He reminds me of many people that think they are putting forth amazing effort but are only thinking about themselves. I don't fault him for how he moves about the world, I just knew that his actions would confuse Clover and possibly distort her view on healthy relationships.

My favorite parts of the book were the last words that people spoke. It was interesting to hear them and reflect on how they could apply to my life. I have so many thoughts swirling around in my head after reading this, and that's a sign that I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I want to be Clover's friend, and I wish I could've met Leo, Claudia, Bessie, and her grandpa. They sound like lovely people.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will be thinking about it for a while. I appreciated the dialogue about death and nearing the end of your life on your own terms.

Thank you Mikki Brammer, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the audiobook.

Clover Brooks is a death doula, guiding others through their final days with grace, comfort and companionship. Clover is quite the character - she's introverted, socially awkward, and not scared of death, though most people avoid talking about it. Her experiences with death started at a young age when she witnessed her kindergarten teacher pass away suddenly during class.

Through her career as a death doula, Clover comes to grips with her own life and regrets from a new perspective. Clover keeps records of words her clients share with her before they pass, in notebooks titled "Regrets", "Advice" and "Confessions". One of her clients, Claudia, leads Clover to realize that she doesn't want to come to the end of her own life with some of the same regrets she has heard repeatedly from previous clients; and that in order to die a beautiful death, one must live a beautiful life.

One may think that a book about a character that is seemingly surrounded by death would be dark, but this story was quite the opposite, in fact, bringing to light the beauty and joys of life, if you are only willing to let them in.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own. I listened to the audio version of "The Collected Regrets of Clover" from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley, due to be published on May 09, 2023.

"The Collected Regrets of Clover" was a refreshing book, as it immerses us deep into discussion of an everyday part of human life that most of us prefer to ignore: death. I appreciated how this novel puts death front and center in the conversation, almost as though it's a secondary character itself. Our main character, Clover, is a 30-something single woman who keeps herself guarded following a rather loveless childhood quickly followed by the early death of her parents. Her grandfather raises her, and after he, too, dies, Clover is inspired to become a death doula sitting intimately with those facing death.

Clover has kept herself highly sheltered — even at her age, she has yet to have had even a single kiss (the depth of this naiivety was a little hard to swallow and a bit annoying, to be honest). Because of the nature of her work, she has no real friendships or long-lasting attachments to others. At first, I thought this was going to be another "lonely person finds their people," which is actually one of my favorite genres. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book is more about Clover finding herself that finding others, and about learning to come to terms with her own grief.

This book is like a lot of books these days and have dual timelines one is the past and one is a present and it all revolves around Clover. In one we’re hear about her growing up and all the reasons she became a dulla and living with the grandfather and the other is present day life with her clients and then her ultimately learning how to live a fulfilled life. I really thought I would love this book but only found it okay. I thought it was going to be a road trip of sorts and that it would be a funny book and funny as something that was sorely needed after just having lost my last living parent two weeks ago but unfortunately that is not what I got and it isn’t the authors fault and that’s not the whole reason I didn’t like the book I found the narrator almost sounded like she herself was bored at times and it just wasn’t my kind of book after all. I even found it hard to stay interested throughout the whole book but I did finish it and I liked the last third of the book way better than the first 2/3. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review

When I read the blurb for this May BOTM pick I thought: “no way, too heavy. death doula? can’t handle that.” Then I was sent the audio to review. THEN I saw that it’s released on my recently passed grandmother’s birthday. I realized the universe was sending me a sign. So I pressed start and couldn’t stop.
This audiobook is narrated flawlessly. I was so engrossed in Clover and her life and her clients and her neighbors. I was so touched by her views on death and the depth of her emotions yet her lack of real-life personal experiences outside of her death doula duties.
I had to pause at one point to call my mom and tell her all about this book. I did a lot of crying. I did a lot of hoping and cheering. I thought a lot about my grandma - her final days, my favorite memories, the legacy she left.
This book is beautiful. It sounds heavy, but it really doesn’t *feel* heavy. It’s thoughtful and thought-provoking. It’s gentle. There are love stories and friendships and interactions with pets and romcoms. There are bookshops and travel and bird-watching.
It’s just perfect and I highly highly recommend.

4.5⭐

I am ever-so-glad that NetGalley didn't include in its description “for readers of The Midnight Library” as Goodreads did. Had that been included, I might not have requested The Collected Regrets of Clover, and I would have missed out on possibly my favorite new work of fiction so far this year.

I was delighted by this poignant, sweet, and funny fiction debut. Apparently, Brammer typically writes about architecture, art, and design for serial publications. I requested this ARC quite close to publication date, and was granted access even a few days later, so I pushed it to the top of my to-be-read list immediately. As it turns out, I had no need to worry about finishing it in time—once I started reading, I didn't want to stop.

Clover is extremely introverted, is hesitant and slow to open up to others because of past hurts, likes to watch rom-coms, reads voraciously, and loves animals—she has one dog and two cat companions. After Clover's parents are presumed dead in an accident in China when she was six years old, her grandfather—a biology professor, if I remember correctly—raises her, instilling a love of reading and learning, and teaching Clover about honesty, keen observation, and consideration for others.

I never liked potential love-interest Sebastian, who hired Clover to work with his grandmother. I was lukewarm on neighbor Silvie, though she served to draw Clover out of her comfort zone a bit. I liked the bookstore owner (whose name escapes me at the moment) whom Clover (and her grandfather) visited at least weekly throughout Clover's life.

I adored elderly neighbor Leo (with whom Clover visits and plays mahjong regularly), Sebastian's grandmother Claire (a photojournalist before working women—especially society women—were accepted), and Hugo (Claire's Hugo's grandson). If we had gotten to know Clover's grandfather better, I think I might have adored him, too. Clover's relationships with these characters are what made the book so engaging and enjoyable.

My feelings about Clover aren't so easy to quantify. I especially appreciated her thoughtful relationships with those who were dying. She was a spectacular question-asker and listener. I liked her quite a bit, and I was certainly rooting for her throughout. Her imperfections were so slight that I didn't find her irritating as I do so many main characters in fiction lately. That is, however human, Clover is not unlikeable, unredeemable, mean, whiny, wishy-washy, or narcissistic.

At the risk of turning off other readers as I might have been turned off by the book comparison mentioned above, aspects of this story remind me of the movie Letters to Juliet.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. Publication is expected May 9.

3.5 stars

This was a combination of book/audiobook thanks to the publishers.
Grief is just love looking for a place to settle.
This book has a unique theme, a death doula. I am vaguely familiar with that term, but finding it in a modern setting was something I didn’t expect.

A slow paced story, I mostly listened to the audiobook since it wasn't until the last third that things started to really grab my attention.

Clover is an interesting character, she has demons of the past which is reflected in her lifestyle. Given her chosen occupation one would thing this would be a depressing and gloomy story. But it isn't, I found it heartwarming that those without family or friends had someone with them in the end.

There were parts of the story that just didn't resonate with me, aside from the slow pace. Though she grew up sheltered, for someone who has traveled the world by herself and given her job I found her to be somewhat immature in both action and her thought life. However, the audiobook is very well done, and without it, I might have given up on the book.

Overall, The Collected Regrets of Clover is a unique and heartwarming story that will appeal to many readers. While it may not have been my cup of tea, others have given it a higher rating, so it's worth checking out. The book is set to release next week, so keep an eye out for it.

My thanks to both Macmillan Audio and St. Martins Press for advanced copies in exchange for a honest review.

I need to preface this review with this; this book is absolutely NOT the kind of book I gravitate to [the blurb makes it seem like there is more romance than there is, and what is in there is so real-to-life I was weeping at several spots] as I am not a fan of contemporary or LitFic at all [I usually run hollering and screaming when presented with either LOL], but it was a teeny bit intriguing, so when the publisher approached me to read/review this, I reluctantly said yes.

Imagine my surprise when I started this and finally emerged, 4 hours later [on the first night of listening], weeping and also NOT wanting to quit AND wondering just when this author, whom I do not know, entered my brain and wrote about my life. I am completely gobsmacked. This book was absolutely glorious. Gorgeous. Very much what I needed right now [it is tough to live in extreme loneliness, but much like Clover in the book, one adapts and learns to live their life the best way they know how within that loneliness, and it was one of the many things I completely related to within Clover's story], and I am 100% glad I read this [it will stay with me for a very long time].

I am not really going to give a bigger review than this, simply because I think one should experience this with no preconceived notions [ignore the blurb too - it is VERY misleading] and just let the story of Clover unfold naturally. It will be a better read for you if you do it that way.

I have had some real trouble with narrators lately and I knew nothing about the narrator for this book when I requested it,[she was completely new to me] and that always makes me nervous. Well, I totally lucked out here too. The narration completely makes this book. The narrator reads this much like she IS Clover and she is just having a conversation with you and it was just fantastic. I have a new favorite narrator and will be looking for other things she narrates. What a great job!!!

I was asked by St. Martin's Press to read and review this book and I thank them, NetGalley, Mikki Brammer, Jennifer Pickens - Narrator, and Macmillan Audio for providing this ARC and audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Collected Regrets of Clover is a gem of a book. It's quirky, charming, and unique, just like Clover, the main character, whose job is a death doula. The story addresses so many common themes of all of our lives: grief, death, regrets, and friendship. Much of the focus of the book is on having a peaceful and beautiful death, but I am left with a sense that the best way to have that is to live a full life without regrets. I thoroughly enjoyed the message and the book!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ALC.

I wanted to hug Clover so hard. This book was so special. To be able to tackle the topic of death and do so in a way that gives you the warm fuzzies — incredible work. No notes.

“The truth is, grief never really goes away. Someone told me once that it’s like a bag that you always carry— it starts out as a large suitcase, and as the years go by, it might reduce to the size of a purse, but you carry it forever.”

Read/Listen if you like:
♥️ Heartwarming Stories
❤️‍🩹 Healing after Trauma & Loss
💔 If You Have Ever Felt Lonely
⏳Looking Back on Regrets
🗽 Books Set in NY
🌀 Quirky Characters
🕰️ Coming of Age Stories

“But the secret to a beautiful death is to live a beautiful life.”

This one was such a heartwarming story with coming of age vibes for our 36 year old main character Clover whose life has been full of death to the point a natural career choice ended up being a death doula. Clover is a quirky introvert who was shunned by her peers at a young age due to her reaction to death that came across odd that set the trajectory of her life to be more of a loner who found comfort in death and made it her career and hobby to attend death cafe’s while keeping others mostly at arm’s length.

We follow Clover with one particular individual as she provides comfort and support during their final days, and while doing so, Clover starts to experience parts of life she never let herself live prior, including intimate relationships. This was truly a life changing patient in Clover’s journey that allowed her to truly start living.

I loved the journey of self discovery she went on as she evaluates the meaning of a life well lived and unpacks some of the regrets of those she has sat with during their final moments and correlates those regrets to her own life.

If you are looking for a thought provoking and heartwarming story of an introvert coming out of their shell and living life, I highly recommend checking this one out! You can’t go wrong with audio on this one as it was beautifully narrated and enjoyable to listen to!

“Instead of constantly asking ourselves the question of why we’re here, maybe we should be savoring a simpler truth: We are here.”

Thank you Macmillan Audio for my ALC in exchange for my honest review!

💐 The Collected Regrets of Clover - Mikki Brammer

4 ⭐️ - This was such a sweet journey of a book. I had no idea death doulas were a thing before this book! This was one of those hugs in a book book. While centered around a death doula, it was still lovable, light, and heartwarming.

Clover Brooks had the unfortunate experience of watching her Kindergarten teacher drop dead. Ever since then, she’s felt more connected and closer with the dying than the living. After losing her grandfather that raised her, Clover dedicates her life to helping people with the end of life process. When she finds herself struggling to navigate romance, friendship, and her own path of life, she must reevaluate and really define what’s important to her and what she needs in her own life. In death, there is life and life should be celebrated.

This book shows us a lot about how important it is to live life to the fullest, live life with no regrets, and cherish the time we have. This book was really well written and I loved the characters and their journey together. There were a few things I wish happened differently BUT the ending wrapped up in a nice little bow. This was a heavy (but light!), huggable, debut!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy!

I was hooked from the beginning. I had heard of a death doula but wasn’t sure what to expect. This book had all the emotions and the narrator was great. Loved this one!