I really enjoyed this story of an elderly woman who finds joy in living just when she needed it the most. Was it a little predictable? Yes. Maybe a bit twee at times? Yes. But did I still read it in 24 hours and fall in love with the characters. Yes, I did, and that's what pushed it from 4 to 5 stars.

Eudora is in her 80s, lives alone with her cat Montgomery, and adheres to her schedule of waking at a reasonable time and leaving the house to go swimming. She has lived a long life and is ready to take control of her death, contacting an end-of-life clinic in Switzerland. She is not depressed, nor is she anxious about ending her life; she feels that she's lived and now wants to make the choice of how and when to end it.

Enter her new neighbor, Rose, a 10-year-old with a big personality who is looking for a friend. And also Stanley, the neighbor who helped Eudora after a fall the previous year. These two make it difficult for Dora to continue her solitary life, and she finds the more she tries, the more things she enjoys. Even Monty turns the corner from grumpy feline to affectionate kitty.

Each chapter ends with a flashback to a time in Eudora's life: from her memories of her father during air raids in the war, to dances and romances, to caring for her mother as she got older. The reader gets a full understanding of Dora and what has made her the woman she is.

My thanks to HarperCollins publisher and NetGalley for the advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

85-year-old Eudora Honeysett is done with life. She isn’t depressed, she simply wants to die on her own terms and shouldn’t she have that choice? She’s lived in the same house her entire life and when 10-year-old Rose Tewidnwy moves in next door, she is set in becoming best friends with her elderly neighbor. The story unfolds with an unlikely friendship alternating between Eudora’s past and the present. 
  
Reminiscent of “A Man Called Ove,” I couldn’t put this down. It was a beautiful story that had me smiling, laughing, and crying. This is one of my favorite books of the year and I definitely recommend it!

#TheBrilliantLifeofEudoraHoneysett #NetGalley

Eudora is a grumpy and lonely 85 year old. She is starting to feel all the hardships she has endured during her lifetime, and is to the point of wanting to just give up. Then she meets her new 10 year old neighbor. Rose is full of life and wonder. A friendship soon develops between Eudora and Rose, along with their neighbor Stanley. The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons is a book that reminds you how important friendship is. Even though parts of the book are sad, I did enjoy reading it. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher HarperCollins Publishers/William Morrow for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Love, Love, Love this book!!!!!!! I just finished and I haven't even wiped my tears. This book was an incredible read. I will be checking out other books by this author

I have had this kind of major life thing weighing on me for a little while and THIS was the perfect book to help get me out of that funk.

Eudora Honeysett is a lonely eighty-five year old woman who is ready for her life to be over. She has never had a family of her own, she was always the caretaker for the family she was born into. But then a young family moves in next door and Eudora becomes the best friend of Rose, their ten year old daughter.
The blossoming of this sweet friendship, this little girl helping Eudora see beyond herself, was everything I needed to read. It was a lovely book, I enjoyed the writing and the characters. The alternate timelines where we go back and see the circumstances that make Eudora who she is in conjunction with the current point of view made it a well rounded picture. I really enjoyed this.
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This book was excellent!!! It was just what I needed to read at this time! It made me smile about how people come into your life for a reason. Rose and Stanley come into Eudora's life to show her how full her life can be no matter her age or health.

The words that come to mind to describe this book are delightful, pleasant, and sweet. Eudora is a very interesting lady who is befriended by a very unique little girl. Their personalities couldn't be more different, but they end up forming quite a bond. This is a wonderful story! I would highly recommend it to any/every book lover.

I would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for this advanced reader’s eBook copy.

This was a sweet story about an octogenarian finding her path later in life. As her life story unfolds, you can’t help but root for Eudora, as she deserves all the happiness. Some heavier themes present, such as right to die and dying a good death. I loved the idea of a death doula. Eudora was a prickly, but lovable character with some zinger one liners. I appreciated her wit. While the classic curmudgeon of a character meets effervescent child plot might seem jaded, you can’t help but fall in love with Rose. She is comic relief and a breath of fresh air - as intended. I believe fans of Backman’s A Man Called Ove will enjoy this book.

As a note to the publisher, I found the following typos:
Typo loc 1266 in chapter 6: “She turns to sees Stanley...”

Typo loc 4246 in chapter 17: “... spending half an hour is his company...”

Typo loc 4592 in chapter 19: “Her placed a hand on Beatrice’s shoulder...”

Quote I liked: “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well. She knows this is true now. She feels nothing but peace, along with the presence of an old man who shares his feelings a little too readily and a small girl with terrible dress sense. She loves them. They love her. All is well.”

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It made me laugh and it made me cry. Thank you for the experience.

A touching story about Eudora Honeysett, who starts out as a gloomy, isolated octogenarian ready to be done with life and die on her own terms. The book also alternates between past and present so we get the back story of Eudora's younger years, which explains how she got to be so cynical and detached. Her wish to be done with life slowly changes after meeting Rose, an exuberant little girl whose zest for life is contagious. It is heartening to see how Eudora is able to find a sense of purpose and regain the desire to live and enjoy life. The book shows that it's never too late to build new relationships and change the course of your life. It also touches on the controversial topic of physician assisted suicide and makes the reader consider his or her own views.

I really enjoyed this story.Eudora is an elderly woman contemplating ending her life.She is a quirky character who becomes friends with a little girl and an older man who are both neighbors .The interactions between them are so heart-warming.This reminded me of A Man Called Ove.I highly recommend it.

I heard so many good things about this book, that I was disappointed when the story didn't live up to my expectations for it. From the start, I had a difficult time connecting with the main character, Eudora Honeysett, an 85 year old woman who is hell bent on ending her life even though she appeared to be in good health and possessed soundness of mind. Honestly, if I'm able to walk to the Rec Center and go swimming everyday at the age of 85, the last thing I'd be ruminating about all day is ending my life! That said, I did like the main character's interactions with her exuberant, 10 year old neighbor, Rose, so I tried to hang in to what was becoming a more predictable plot line (renewal and rebirth) by the page. However, I hit a wall and had to end my relationship with this book about 70 percent of the way into the story when Eudora professed her indignation at the suggestion she go to a pizza place for a friend's birthday dinner, since she righteously proclaimed that she had never eaten a slice of pizza in her life and would order a salad, if available in such a place. I can't. .

A wonderful combination of life, death, joy, sorrow, comfort and love. As Eudora plans her death life takes over and Eudora accepts what she has never had.

This book is definitely for fans of A Man Called Ove, The Story of Edward Truluv, and Me Before You . This book is also for people who are looking for a book that will induce a good cry and leave you a little heartbroken and a lot hopeful. The relationship between Eudora Honeysett and Rose Trewidney is beautiful and special.

THE BRILLIANT LIFE OF EUDORA HONEYSETT by Annie Lyons is to me, in a word, brilliant. The characters, the story, and the writing went straight to my heart and settled there. Despite the tears I shed, this book was just what I needed. It made me feel good while making me think. Eudora, Rose, and Stanley looked, from the outside, to be an odd trio, but the more you saw them together, the more you realized how well they fit.
Eudora has seen a lot in her 85 years, including how undignified getting old seems to be. Watching her mother slowly dies was enough for her, she wants to die on her own terms, not wasting away. Since she has no one else to discuss it with, she puts her plan in motion and marks her calendar. Of course, life always throws a curve ball. A new family moves in next door, and suddenly Eudora’s boring, predictable life is turned on it’s ear. Rose enters her life in a burst of color and worms her way in. Then she brings recently widowed Stanley into the fold, and Eudora’s life is suddenly so much fuller.
“Life is precious and as long as we have a reason to continue, we should follow that path.” How could Eudora or Stanley resist Rose? As they spend more time together, the more they become a family. Will Eudora change her mind? There is frank talk about death, even Rose does not shy away from the subject.
The novel was told on somewhat of a dual timeline. Each chapter included a flashback to different times in Eudora’s life that led to a deeper understanding of how she came to where she is in life.
THE BRILLIANT LIFE OF EUDORA HONEYSETT evoked so many emotions. I didn’t want to put it down or see it end. It’s going to stick with me for a long time to come.
Thanks to the Publisher for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.
#thebrilliantlifeofeudorahoneysett #annielyons #williammorrow #thebookclubgirls

"Life is precious and as long as we have a reason to continue. we should follow that path."

Eudora Honeysett is one of my new favorite fictional characters. She has a tough exterior with a heart of gold. I really really enjoyed this book! This book really made me think about all that life itself has to offer. This book is near and dear to my heart. I recommend this book if you love slice of life stories, books about family/relationships with others in general, and/or books that make you want to live your life with a new perspective.

I was not familiar with Annie Lyons but I am a fan. I will read anything she writes now that I have read The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett.

If you know me at all, you know that I am a sucker for any story about unlikely friends. I think often that these unlikely friendships are the best there are in this world. This is the case of Eudora, an eighty-five year old woman, and Rose, a ten-year old girl along with a neighbor Stanley.

The story switches time-lines as it goes. The story starts out in the present day of Eudora's life and progresses but as the story goes it switches to the 1940's with Eurdora as a young girl. Lyons continues this parallel telling of Eudora's life which shows the great struggles and sadness that has blanketed her life.

This is a story of perseverance, familia love, friendship, dedication and kindness. I laughed and I cried. Kudos to Lyons from not shying away from the topic of growing older and death. She handles it with the loving care that it deserves.

I received an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book desersves its spot on my all-time favorite book list. <3

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett is a story that stays with you. The main character, Eudora, is an elderly woman very much set in her ways. She has lived a long, independent life. This story explores her journey when she realizes she has lived long enough, and would like to leave this world with as much dignity she has left. Eudora left me thinking about what I would want for my loved ones and myself in the future. As a nurse, death with dignity is a subject I am very passionate about. We need more books like these to help people feel more comfortable with preparing for and taking control of all aspects of life and death.

Am I morbid and disturbed for thoroughly enjoying a novel about an elderly woman wanting to die? Yeah, maybe a little. In all honesty, The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons isn’t as cryptic as I’m making it sound. Trust me. It’s probably one of the most heartwarming stories I’ve ever read. Eighty-five-year-old Eudora is just done. She’s lived a long and eventful life, and wants to leave this world on her own terms. The poor woman takes matters into her own hands and makes an appointment at a clinic in Switzerland to get the job done. Meanwhile, a new family moves into her neighborhood. The ten-year-old daughter, Rose inserts herself into Eudora’s life, and the relationship that forms will surprise you. The adventures these two embark on will surely bring a smile to your face. I’ll admit that I found the plot of this story somewhat predictable, but it still worked for me, and pulled like crazy on my heart strings. I especially like how the author goes back in time and gives the reader snippets of important events in Eudora’s life. You quickly understand how such events have formed who she is today. The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett is perfect for fans of A Man Called Ove, The Authenticity Project, and The Story of Arthur Truluv. You don’t want to miss this touching story about friendship, family, life, death, and acceptance. Highly recommend! 5/5 stars for this little gem!

Eudora Honeysett is ready to die. She has lived a life of service to her family from a very young age and is beginning to deal with the infirmities of her 85 years. She is investigating her options with a clinic in Switzerland when she meets her new neighbor, Rose, a ten-year-old whirlwind who sweeps her up into her life along with Stanley, another elderly friend who has recently been widowed. Soon Eudora is involved in so many activities, she hardly has time to get her end-of-life plans in order.

The three have many adventures as they anticipate the birth of Rose’s baby sister. This evokes mixed memories for Eudora of her own sister and the lost of her father in WWII. She knows there is now joy, in what had been a very colorless life, so can she really tell these friends goodbye?

Annie Lyons has written a charming story. The style and multi-generational theme reminded me of A Man Called Ove. The characters of Rose, Eudora and Stanley are well developed so you engage in the story quickly although Eudora is oftimes not as lovable as the other two. It touches on the decision-making that those choosing assisted suicide must go through to select such an irrevocable end and that would lend itself to good discussion for book clubs.

Thanks to Harper Collins Publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.

#TheBrilliantLifeofEudoraHoneysett #NetGalley #goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50358079-the-brilliant-life-of-eudora-honeysett

I loved this story! It was so sweet and beautifully woven. The characters were charming and funny. The story was believable and hit hard, but still had felt hopeful and inspiring. It was an excellent debut and I look forward to more from Annie Lyons!