It seems like this is the third book about a death doula that I've read withing the last year. It's an interesting career and one that grows more necessary our health care system declines from caring to billing. Anyway, Clover is a 36-year-old who holds a master's degree in Thanatology, the study of death. Having been orphaned by the death of her (very detached) parents at the age of five she has been raised by her grandfather in a small apartment in the West Village.

Gifted in her caring and support of the dying, she is herself cut off from feelings and emotions herself. Perhaps that is a factor of her job or her life experience. Other than watching TV romances and her neighbors window across the street, she has not personal knowledge of romantic love.

The book is well written and interesting enough, yet not gripping enough to keep you turning pages. I found Clover and the other characters somewhat hard to relate to. I also had a problem with believability of coincidence in how Clover finally finds her connection and possible love. I did enjoy, however, the journals she keeps on the last words and regrets of her clients. I'd rate The Collected Regrets of Clover as closer to a 3 1/2 Star rating simply because of the writing and would certainly read the next Mikki Brammer book when it comes out.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for a chance to read and review this book before publication.

I was so intrigued by the premise of this novel and loved the ways in which the intended outcomes within the story are mirrored in how it performs for the reader. Clover, the protagonist of the story, wants to see people become more comfortable thinking and talking about death, and because of the accessibility of the writing here and the potential commercial appeal, the novel should have that affect for readers who have shied away from death prior to reading. Clover is also in love with romantic comedies, living through the characters on screen (and sometimes through the neighbors she spies on and creates a storyline for). The style of the novel is very rom com also, so there is the meta experience of that as well. Overall, an easy and pleasant read that makes me want to keep learning more about death doulas!

This is a strange book! And I am not sure if I actually liked it. The Collected Regrets of Clover basically deals with death. Clover is a death doula... seriously. I had never heard of this particular career. That part of the book was fascinating. Now Clover was the strange part. I'm not sure if she was on the autism spectrum or just totally screwed up but she is definitely interesting. This book is definitely worth your time. Mikki Brammer has a way with description. So many times while reading the story I had to stop and reread a description. I will probably go back and reread the story so I can highlight some of the descriptions. They are that good!
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from Netgalley.

This was my first book to read by this author but won't be my last! The story and its characters will stick with you long after you finish the story. Highly recommend!

Such an honest and realistic take on death, grief, and loneliness, which is so hard to find. That makes this book sound really sad, but it was actually mostly funny and relatable. I found myself agreeing with Clover, the main character, so many times - people DO seem to want you to "just get over" your grief and move on, it is so hard to make friends as an adult, and yes, talking about death can make people so uncomfortable!

I also appreciated how the new characters introduced in the book felt natural and realistic as well. Sometimes as soon as a new character is introduced you can anticipate the arc they will take and it takes away some of the joy of discovering what will happen next, but that was not the case at all here!

This was a lovely, big-hearted, poignant book. If you liked A Man Called Ove, The Midnight Library, or any other sort of quirky existential book, I think you’ll really enjoy this one. It had a charming cast of characters and tugged on my heartstrings with its touching depiction of grief, love, and trying to live a life worth celebrating.


Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

Having been touched by the death of a dear friend semi-recently, I'll admit that at first I found this book a bit triggering. My own grief, mixed with the very real fear I think we all carry about someday facing our own deaths, made for an uncomfortable beginning to my read. But it was exactly those same things that kept me reading. I was curious about a character who, laden with her own grief, chooses to give comfort to those about to journey on. Clover is a really fascinating woman to get to know. Empathetic, yet shut down emotionally. Kind to others, yet cruel to herself. In love with love, yet never having fallen in love. I found myself cheering for this woman, who is so comfortable with death, to learn how to live. While there is heartbreak and loss in the pages of the novel, there is also a life affirming message about embracing the now to avoid regrets when our own end inevitably arrives.

I received an e-arc of this book through Netgalley. I really adored this book and was pulled in from the first page. Seeing her first death up close in Kindergarten seems to mark Clover for life. An interesting cast of characters and a lovely book about what life and death really mean.

I was completely absorbed amongst the pages and dear Clover's life. Clover hit very close to home for me. She is one who chose to live her life by observing much more than engaging. As one who does the same, I get it. We are simpatico, Clover. I see you! I am you! Of course, it leads to a small life, and that totally works for some people...until it doesn't. Clover chooses a profession in which she can help people with grace and dignity to the end of their lives. She keeps several notebooks with words of wisdom and regrets that her clients have expressed so that they are not forgotten. And she does her best to honor those words by putting the advice and regrets into actions. It's a beautiful thing, really. This story just made my heart sigh and when I turned the last page, it made me look at my own life and maybe take away a lesson or two myself.

4.75/5

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

There’s something about listening to people’s death bed regrets that makes you paralyzed to live your own life. This, in a nutshell, feels like Clover’s life story.

After a traumatic experience and losing her parents at a young age and growing up with her introverted grandfather has left Clover uniquely talented at ushering people from this life to the next. Her career as a death doula let’s her help people through their last moments, giving them peace and closure and allows her to keep life at bay. But when a new client makes her question is she’s listening people’s regrets instead of having her own.

A lovely debut novel with characters that feel real, a solid read. It does get a bit off in pace and a little rambler, but it’s a the authors first and the premise is so interesting I almost didn’t mind.

Clover Brooks works as a death doula in NYC, helping those who are nearing the end of their lives come to terms with death and wrap up what they need to for the living. At 36 years of age, she lives a reclusive life in the West Village apartment that she lived in with her grandfather, with just her two cats, a dog, and her neighbor Leo as her friends. On her bookshelves are three books: Regrets, Advice, and Lessons - and after working with each client, Clover records in each the respective takeaways she's learned.

Clover's life begins to change after meeting Sebastian, a man with a dying grandmother, at a death cafe one evening and reluctantly agrees to work with her. She's pulled into her backstory and life, and grows closer to Sebastian as well. Clover also meets Sylvie, a young woman who moves into her building, and begins to form a friendship with her as well. As time goes on, Clover's own past is revealed, including her motivations to become a death doula in the first place, and she's challenged to live the life that she wants for herself.

"The Collected Regrets of Clover" is such a deceptively simple, yet heartwarming story about identity, friendship, and self-worth. I think many readers will connect and empathize with Clover, and the anxiety and reluctance she has to open up to and become vulnerable to others, especially given her past. We watch as Clover slowly gains confidence in herself and begins to take risks, first for others and ultimately for herself, and the relationships that she forms along the way. Brammer's writing is descriptive and well-paced, and she's crafted a cast of characters that feel real-to-life. For those who also live in NYC, the accuracy of train lines, stores, and neighborhoods was also a nice touch.

Very much a recommended read for when it's published in May 2023!

The Collected Regrets of Clover is an excellent novel highlighting a little known profession that is important but forgotten since those most appreciative of the service are no longer available to express their feelings. However, the main thrust of the book is to live life to its fullest before death thus emphasizing just enough romance to keep the interest.

A moving story of how one woman's obsession with death helped her rediscover how to live.

You'll instantly find space in your heart for Clover. After she was halfway across the world when her beloved grandfather died, she moves into his apartment and works as a death doula - making sure that others do not have to die alone. She's living an isolated life as a kind of penance for the guilt she feels. Clover's an interesting heroine - big-hearted but unwilling to connect with those not dying, awkward yet draws people in, and finding peace through tracking others' last words, regrets and advice.

When she gets a job sitting with Claudia, a former photographer dying of cancer, her nosy grandson seems determined to pull Clover into his orbit. When one of Claudia's regrets is never getting in touch with a long-lost love, Clover and the grandson, Sebastian, set out on a road trip to find him.

The perfectly-paced, deeply-felt prose brought the characters to life. I loved watching Clover gain confidence and work through her emotions both surrounding her grandfather's death and her own lack of experience in love. She's a heroine to root for.

This memorable book will make you think: what makes a life well-lived? This one is perfect for book clubs, and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"The secret to a beautiful death is living a beautiful life." Before reading this book, I had never heard of a death doula but I think it would very comforting for someone on their deathbed. I am far too emotional a person to be able to bring someone comfort in a time of such sadness, but Clover is perfect.
I loved getting to know all the characters that were important to Clover and seeing her evolve throughout the story has me feeling all the feelings. I enjoyed the times when the author went into the past because it helped to see all the events that made Clover who she was as an adult and why certain things were incredibly important to her.
I love the somewhat hidden background role that fate seemed to play in the story. Claudia was one of my favorite characters and I'm so glad the she and Clover crossed paths. It was meant to be in a way that wasn't clear until the end of the book.
There was a lot of great advice in the story but it doesn't come off as preachy or anything like that. It just adds to the story in a way that really makes you stop and think about life and whether you're living life to the fullest or if you'll get to the end and have regrets.
I think this just became one of my favorite books of all time.
I look forward to more books by this author in the future.

What a beautiful, well written story. All of the feels! Clover is a death doula. (Yes, I had to google upon coming across these words) It takes a very compassionate, special person to see people through their death. Clover's own experiences and personality make her the perfect candidate for this job. She is a loner and yearns for friendship, but not quite sure how to get there at this point in her life. She loves rom/com and people watching. Read her amazing story.
Thank you Net Galley for the ARC. I recommend this book for everyone!

Where do I even begin?! I was initially hesitant to read this book as someone who has always been uncomfortable discussing death, but it really made me pause and take stock of my feelings and fears. Clover is such an honest, raw character and I was surprised at how much I related to her despite thinking we are opposites. Unlike some books where events or endings might feel overexaggerated or unrealistic, I felt like everything in this story happened when it should have. I honestly don't think I would change a thing.

This is quite good, which is reflected in the many existing reviews. Recommended.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

From the first page, I was drawn to the unique plot following Clover, a death doula, and the isolated life she lives. Surrounding herself with the dying, she ironically hides herself within a cocoon, preventing people becoming a part of her life in fear of losing them. Trying to shelter herself from connecting with others, Clover’s loneliness was the first aspect of many I empathized with. The fear of losing a loved one all over again drew me in deeply. I loved the emphasis on regrets you have before dying and cliched but important reminder to “live a beautiful life.” One of my favorite quotes from the book was a piece of advice given to Clover, “don’t let the best parts of life pass by because you’re too scared of the unknown.” Such a simple but beautiful piece of advice that I plan on carrying in to my own life. This is a surprisingly wonderful debut that everyone should take a chance to read. I adored this story and the characters, loving how loneliness is portrayed, resonating with each person who reads. It is a poignant reminder that death is the only constant in life, but that does not mean it needs to be feared.

I will post a review on Instagram closer to the date of publication.

I love the death doula and death cafe facets especially given it’s an area I’ve been investigating - the role it played in both narrative and characters. I was emotionally invested from the first page and beyond the turn of the last page.

My favorite character is undoubtedly Clover because she’s beautifully flawed. She has an unbelievable sense of self and knows so much more than she gives herself credit. Bottom line she’s imperfectly perfect and grows as her story unfolds along with her experiences. Overall, this book was captivating and truly a favorite. Memorable, I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience. Unobtrusively beautiful. Definitely looking forward to more of this caliber from Mikki Brammer.

Wow, this is the best book I have read in 2022 so far. This book will be published in May of 2023 but I am so grateful to have received an ARC. Thank you to St Martin Press and NetGalley for this incredible book. The description is what caught my eye. Death Doula? What? So Clover is almost 40 women living in New York City with the occupation of a Death Doula. So this is a new occupation for me but I found it fascinating to think about. The book is not really what I had envisioned from the description but it was so much more. We follow Clover through her daily life and see why she does what she does. We come to understand why Clover is the way she is and we get to see how through her client's final words Clover is changed. I just fell in love with Clover. I learned a lot about life from her wonderful insights. I love how Mikki Brammer writes. It reads like a movie in my mind and flows so well. It's hard to believe that this is the first book for Mikki. I hope there are more books to come.