Even though I had a feeling of predictability from the start with this book, it turns out to be, nevertheless, an absolute delight and nowhere near as predictable as I suspected.

Eudora is a bit of a grump, an 85 year old woman who is done with this life. She wants nothing more to do with it, and is taking steps toward that. But new neighbors have other ideas, and it is a joy to read. An easy, relatively short read, well worth the time.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher and Book Club Girls for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Harper Collins Publishers and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book. Eudora is in her mid 80’s rather grumpy and quite done with life. She has decided that she is ready to die on her own terms and has discovered an organization in Switzerland which allows people to do just that. But as she waits to be approved by the organization, a new family moves in next door and into Eudora’s life dances their ten year old daughter Rose. Rose is full of life and is immediately drawn to Eudora. Eudora is not immediately drawn to Rose. But soon Rose has wiggled in and Eudora is drawn out into new adventures.

Eudora is a lonely character and through flashbacks we discover the events that have shaped her. Rose is a unique character who finds it easier to relate to Eudora than children her own age. I truly enjoyed their relationship. The story of an elderly woman wanting to end her life seems dark but the author handles the story beautifully. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a book with well developed characters that you will ultimately enjoy.

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

Hi. Do you like to cry? I mean ugly cry. The kind of cry when you’re wailing uncontrollably but no sound is coming out because it’s THAT HARD. Oh, you do? Pick this up then. Okay, but seriously, this was a beautiful book. It was written so well and gave me every emotion, including hope. I believe this is one that will be on the big screen, and will pull at your heartstrings.

The book goes back and forth between present day Eudora and younger Eudora (1940s-2005) It shows flashbacks of the war, her mother, her sister Stella, romances, friendships, all of it. I wanted to be wrong about some of her flashbacks, but sadly my guesses were all correct. I wasn’t even 10ish pages in and I stared crying. It was a flashback, Hitler was in charge and Eudoras father had to go away (to war) and whew, tears. I absolutely loved these little historical portions written in. It truly helped the reader see exactly how and what shaped Eudora into the person she is present day.

As each page went back, I enjoyed Eudora more and more. She did seem like a bitter, closed in elderly woman, and the more she hung out with Stanley and Rose, the more she lived on the page. She is sharp tongued and really had some great one liners. (I truly imagined her being played as Maggie Smith, and it made Eudora truly come to life). Rose was truly the star of the show. The young and old friendship is one of my favorites, and Rose was so eccentric.

During this entire book, you realize Eudora never really had a chance to live.. I mean really truly live. She put everyone above her own happiness. She held on to regret for too long with situations that were not her fault. She finally starts to live just as she contemplated death, and it is a beautiful thing. It was a beautiful reminder to live while we can.

Thank you William Morrow & NetGalley for this beautiful story. The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett is out September 8th.

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett was achingly, heartwarming. I felt for Eudora, who had a hard life, which was chronicled as flashbacks throughout the book

No one knows what lies ahead. The best to hope for is to choose to be surrounded by love and to help maintain the faith among friends that somehow, through that love, all shall indeed be well.

A fun, sweet, quirky, and memorable read

Thanks to the Book Club Girl Early Read Program and Harper Collins for the opportunity to experience the life of Eudora Honeysett!

It’s a sweet story (and just what I needed in these days of COVID-19 and tropical storms) and reminded me of a female version of A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, one of my favorite books.

Eudora is in her 80’s and has had enough of life. We learn about her life from alternating chapters that go back to her childhood, where she had to deal with a widowed mother and spoiled/demonic younger sister. She’s been through a lot and has come to the decision to end it all through a program in Switzerland. But, then...two special people come into her life and throw a wrench into her plans.

Rose, a 10 year old girl moves into the house next door with her parents and immediately attaches herself to the older woman. And then there’s Stanley, a recent widower who mostly needs a friend or two.

Parts of the book were predictable but this was overweighed by moments of poignancy and laugh out loud writing. Overall, a 4 star read for me and my recommendation to get to know Eudora when the book comes out in September, 2020.

4.5 stars

I received a complimentary Kindle copy of this book from William Morrow through a Book Club Girl Early Read giveaway on Facebook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Annie Lyons, William Morrow, Book Club Girl Early Read giveaway, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book.

Okay, this is going to be a weird comment. This is the BEST book about DEATH that I have ever read!! But it was so much more. Eudora is an amazing character and her life is explained in flashbacks that help you understand why she IS who she is.

This book was about death, but it is about love, friendships, and family. Also, about how the choices we make affect our future. I loved the author's writing style - I could totally picture Eudora in my living room with a cup of tea and a biscuit. She was that REAL to me.

I loved the character development, story, and just about everything about this book. Even though you would think that the topic of death would be horrible and heavy - it was absolutely beautiful and made me so much lighter. It is exactly what I needed during this time of pandemic!!

HIGHLY recommend! This could be THE book of this "different" summer!!

I loved this book. It was similar to A Man Called Ove, but about a woman who has no family and is ready to die. She eventually meets some adorable characters (neighbors), and as you fall in love with them, so does Eudora. Wonderful book.

I received an electronic ARC from HarperCollins Publishing through NetGalley.
Finished this one in tears. A tender ending for Eudora as she dies surrounded by the two people who brought love back into her life. Readers see Eudora's present life and also memories from her earlier years. She recalls events that helped mold her into a lonely woman who is planning to end her life with assisted suicide. She wants control over her death in contrast to the lack of control she has felt over her life. She meets Rose, a 10-year old who moves in next door and wraps Eudora up in friendship and fun. Eudora also becomes friends with Stanley, an elderly neighbor who has his own times of sorrow and loneliness after his wife's death.
Lyons writing style pulls readers in so they are part of the scenes. She slowly reveals information about her characters and provides the right amount for readers to understand their choices. The scene in the airport toward the end is well done for timing and actions. Throughout the story, there are moments where readers will directly relate to a character's emotions and actions.

I started the book and thought to myself that this is going to be too sad & depressing & thought I don’t need this now. I like to give books a chance so I read on & am very glad I did. The characters were so likable except for the ones that made Eudora’s life miserable. It was such a good story all the way to the end. It was nice to read of an older woman rather than the young people most often in novels. It dealt with aging & death in a realistic way. Rose was the heroine of the story & was such an adorable character. I would recommend it to any age groups but especially for my over 60 reading group

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this lovely story! I read this book during the power outage from our recent tropical storm, and it was exactly the escape I was looking for.

Eudora Honeysett decides she has lived enough life and there is nothing left to look forward to. But while making her plans to end her days, she inadvertently begins anew. Her internal struggles with her determination to continue with her plans and the enjoyment of budding relationships with those around her make for a delightful story, with laugh out loud moments, about life, death, and the effect we have on others simply by being ourselves.

“The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett” is another novel of senior regeneration in the publishing fad that was kicked off by the international bestseller “A Man Called Ove.” These novels tend to be titled "The Adjective Noun of Firstname Lastname," and they have cartoonish covers with gray-haired people and pets, so they are easy to spot when selecting books.

Eudora Honeysett, of Suffolk, England, has decided that life past the age of 80 has no more to offer and she is making plans for an assisted, dignified death.

The novel is set firmly and disconcertingly in the present day. Eudora feels that she no longer belongs in the modern world and frankly, she is hostile toward modern life in general. The mobile phone preoccupation of everyone she meets is particularly irritating.

Because she has suffered a fall, Eudora feels increasingly fragile. On the rare occasions when she is not socially invisible, she is in the way and subjected to rudeness from the young. These profane verbal attacks feel like assaults and deepen her depression. Death does not frighten Eudora, but she is terrified at the prospect of losing control over her final years, which she imagines can only be a devolving nightmare. Eudora deplores the political direction of England and the overall state of the world and humanity, and she wants out before things get any worse.

If you know the subgenre, you know that total strangers will appear to change Eudora’s entire outlook and trajectory and make her focus on friendships and delights that are right in front of her, instead of being preoccupied with the doom-and-gloom news cycle and her impending lonely death. Rose, the little girl who is Eudora’s primary salvation, is a fun character, and of course Eudora discovers that she does have wisdom and insight to offer to the small people who will inherit England’s future. “Brilliant Life” is a good refresher about what’s important, of course, and comfortingly describes what new possibilities can open up past 80 if you're lucky enough to have wonderful new neighbors who take a sudden and persistent interest in you and your welfare.

"Brilliant Life" never got too schmaltzy for my taste and had a fair amount of charm and warm humor. I recommend it for light reading if you are still into the golden-years-turn-gold trend. Pun intended: it's beginning to get old.

This is a sweet, gentle tale about a woman who wants to leave the world on her own terms, having never lived by her own terms up to that point.
Eudora is a reserved, old fashioned lady who is growing old in the house she never left, with a bad tempered cat for company. And she is OK with it all. Then along comes a 10 year old dervish girl called Rose who powers through Eudora's reserved nature and gives Eudora a reason to stay around and let loose a little.
This reminded me of A Man Called Ove and The Story of Author Truluv and was just as wonderful. Small action books require beautifully imagined and realistic characters and Annie Lyons did just that with Eudora, Rose, Maggie and Stanley. The idea of community and kindness ran rampant throughout and left me feeling homely and a desire to check on my neighbors. Set aside a day for this one, you won't want to put it down.

I absolutely loved this book. Eudora is 85 years old, and after a long and sometimes heartbreaking life, she decides to apply to a clinic in Switzerland to end her life. As a new family moves next door, life changes radically for Eudora. Ten year old Rose, precocious and quite the unique dresser, enters Eudora’s life and changes everything for her. The book gives us insight into the events in Eudora’s life that left her lonely and hard, but Rose and her family turn things around. I can’t say enough about this book, a remedy during a time when life seems to be handing out lemons. Highly recommend, and thank NetGalley for the ARC.

This book started out very similarly to another book I've read, but the endearing characters quickly won me over. The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett is a sweet story of an elderly woman who has decided she has nothing left to live for. A precocious little girl moves in next door and changes Eudora's outlook on life. Some of the changes in Eudora seem unlikely, as she is crusty and set in her ways, but the loveable Rose makes the reader believe (or at least, go along with) the life-changing impact on Eudora.

Another book in the genre of cantankerous old person brought to appreciate life by a quirky young person. A Man Called Ove and The Story of Arthur Trulove did it much better.

This emotional novel about second chances is a good reminder of the power of human connections. Everyone has a story to tell if we look hard enough.

I suspect this novel will draw a lot of comparisons to those by Frederik Backman, and I can't say that I'd disagree. I've enjoyed all of his novels, so this comparison is a plus in my book. While there are dark moments in the story and I felt that it had a few predictable elements (cute kid who you can't help but find endearing for her relentless positivity? check. curmudgeonly octogenarian who can't stand the busy-busy modern life and whose past factors into the present? check.), I still found the story to be utterly charming and would absolutely recommend it to anyone seeking a pleasant read that makes you think about your own life, the importance of human connection, and what a "good death" means.

Like the aloof 85-year-old Eudora, I could not help but be won over by the human embodiment of sunshine and light, 10-year-old Rose Trewidney, and the recently widowed Stanley whose light ribbing of Eudora brought many a smile to my face as I was reading. The unlikely friendship that develops between the three of them is sweet and warm, even if it isn't entirely realistic. Would a grouchy 85-year-old really warm up to a relentlessly cheery 10-year-old and say yes to things she'd normally run the other way from? Probably not, but sometimes it's just nice to escape with a story that feels like a warm hug. This checked that box for me.

Almost every chapter ends with a flashback to an earlier event from Eudora's life. The reader gets glimpses into Eudora's past from 1940 until 2018, which provides insights to her personality and decisions. I liked the technique and felt that the flashbacks provided just enough background without derailing the present-day storyline. I also liked the fact that present-day Eudora made decisions that might have seemed out-of-character given some of the events that occurred in her past and still weighed on her in the present. While Eudora was shaped by them, she was still open to the opportunities presented by Rose and Stanley as she neared the end of her life.

This review was based on a digital advanced reader's copy that I received via NetGalley. Many thanks to William Morrow and the Book Club Girl Early Read program for an opportunity to take a sneak peek at this novel!

I found this book to be a bit simplistic and the story not as well done as other similar stories. The little girl does not seem very realistic. ARC provided by Net Galley in exchange for a fair review.

I was pleasantly surprised by The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons. I had no idea what to expect but I absolutely loved this book and fell in love with the characters! Eudora is an old lady that has been alone the last few years of her life and is looking in to how to die with dignity at her own set time. All of her family has passed away already and she lives a life of solitude by her own choice. Then little Rose moves in next door and a friendship is born between the two. Annie Lyons gives us little snippets of Eudora life from time to time which help explain her solitude and the life she lives. Eudora will have you looking at life a little different and you'll want to move to this friendly little town!
Overall, I enjoyed The Brilliant Life Of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons. I will definitely be recommending it to others and will be looking for other works by Annie Lyons. If anything, I hope this books opens conversations with others about dying with dignity. As an ICU nurse, so many people never have this conversation and it leaves so many questions unanswered. So much needless suffering that could be avoided. Special thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins-William Morrow Publishing, and Annie Lyons for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks you all!!

#TheBrilliantLifeofEudoraHoneysett #NetGalley

Eudora Honeysett is 85 years old, alone , and tired. The highlights of her day are going for a solitary swim and dealing with her somewhat contentious cat Montgomery. She begins to make plans to travel to a clinic in Switzerland where she can end her life on her own terms. A new family moves next door, and 10 year old Rose turns Eudora’s world upside down. Along with a newly widowed neighbor, Stanley they become an unlikely trio. Eudora’s life Is told through flashbacks and we learn how a promise to her dad, sets the course for her solitary life. I could not put this book down. I laughed and cried, and was sad for it to end. If anyone asks for a book suggestion, this will be the one I chose!!