I wish to thank Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for this intriguing and emotional novel.
This is the story of Nova Houston, an end-of-life doula. While I have heard of a doula in regards to expectant mothers, I never knew that a “death doula” existed. An end-of-life doula assists a person that has a terminal illness with matters including funeral arrangements, meeting with family members to offer support and guidance during the patient’s final weeks/days. They do not offer legal advice or medical advice. They are more like a shoulder to lean on during the final days.
Mason Shaylor is an indie musician who enlists Nova’s assistance. He is young (38) and very secretive regarding his deteriorating condition. Nova tries to obtain as much information as she can from him and delves into research to learn more about who he is. She invests a great deal of her time advising Mason. What happens to Mason is the crux of the novel with many ups and downs along the way. The ending will most likely surprise you.
Nova works with her colleague Kelly Monroe, owner of “Parting Your Way” and often tries out of the box techniques with her clients. Nova also has her own tale to tell in the story, which is weaved throughout the novel.
The chapters in this novel alternate between characters as well as with two different timelines- Now and Then. The characters were interesting enough to become invested in their lives and to continue reading to see where this will end. The author has a vast knowledge of the subject material. For me, this book moved a bit slow, often dragging when I was hoping it would pick up a bit. This is a story of hope, loss and love. Be prepared to cry a bit.

A first time read of author, Jessica Strawser, and it won't be the last! This book is intense, powerful and so needed. No one likes to talk about death, most people avoid the subject entirely, which is not surprising. Our natural instinct to live and survive is strong. So when Mason, a thirty-six year old musician, discovers he has a disease that will eventually leave him unable to play his guitar, he feels he no longer has a purpose to live.

He visits a 'death-doula' to help him sort out his feelings of his impending incapacity to do what he loves. The woman he meets, Nova, also in her thirties, changes the way he thinks about everything. It's a love story with a gentle ending.

As a plus, I was able to meet Jessica at a local book signing.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press.

Nova is an end-of-life doula. As people face their deaths, she supports them in whatever ways they need–emotional, logistical, and even spiritual. She specializes in unusual or difficult cases, often with younger clients. As she begins work with Mason Shaylor, a musician whose affliction is a bit unclear and who has only said that his life is over, she feels a connection that is both uncomfortable and life-affirming–for them both.

Strawser takes on the subjects of life death head-on–how we face it, how we choose to live, and what makes a life worth living. The role of an end-of-life doula is fascinating–if ripe for controversy, as the novel reveals. As you might guess, there is a lot of sadness in this novel, but also a lot to think about.

All of the emotions on this one! Oh my heart. From the very beginning, I was intrigued by the unique premise of this story, and enjoyed the overall feel, despite the emotionally heavy content. It came together nicely in the end and left me thinking of these memorable characters.

Refreshing to see awareness around death and dying and death doulas, which you don't see much of in contemporary works. That being said, this novel is a bit uneven and slowly paced. An emotional read and very thought provoking

Nova Huston has a unusual job. She helps people that have terminal conditions prepare for the end. Nova is a bit of a very open person and doesn’t refuse anyone. When she meets her next client Mason Shaylor she does not recognize him. Mason is famous singer that doesn’t know how to face his impending doom. Nova tries to maintain a professional relationship with Mason, but she finds they have a lot in common. This could turn out to hurt her more than she ever knows or be the best and toughest client she has faced so far. A story of love and hope.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for a review.

I read this a while ago and forgot to write a review, so this is admittedly not fresh in my mind. Not sure that makes a difference though because it wasn't memorable from the good go. While I wasn't a huge fan of Strawser's earlier novels, I absolutely loved A Million Reasons why and hoped that this one would be on par with that. It wasn't, at least not for me. I just couldn't connect with the characters and I found it was hard to focus on the story and while I felt like I should feeldepressed, I wasn't (and I'm pretty sensitive to the sad stuff.) I wouldn't go so far as to say it was boring, but it wasn't exactly gripping. That said, will I read the author's next book? Yes because you never know when one just might stick.

Nova Huston is an end-of-life doula, whose job is helping terminally ill people make peace with death. She works with Kelly, who is more focused on checklists and routine, but Nova is free-spirited and takes on all types of clients, young and old. When Mason Shaylor shows up at their business, Nova does not recognize him as a famous singer-songwriter, but simply a man who needs her help. His condition means he can no longer play guitar--the one thing he loves. Mason is a reluctant client at best. But soon he and Nova realize they have a connection--will it be enough to help Mason?

This was a different sort of book. It was very sad and emotional, which makes sense for a book about an end-of-life doula. There's some focus on Nova's boss, Kelly and her tween daughter, Willow. And of course, much of the story centers on Nova and Mason.

I felt very up and down in liking this tale. It was good, and interesting, but somehow never felt quite fully developed. Honestly Mason and Nova were frustrating in a lot of their actions, as was Kelly. Some of my favorite characters were Nova's clients, such as the older, spunky Glenna. The book is dramatic, sometimes overly so, with a bit of pontificating from Nova and Mason. And, once things come to a head, everything ends rather quickly.

Overall, this is a touching tale, but a little uneven with some frustrating characters.

DNF 29% - I don't know why, but I really couldn't connect with Nova or Marco at all. I love the concept of death doulas and really hoped that I would enjoy this, but without feeling that character connection it just fell flat for me.

Wow! The Next Thing you Know by Jessica Strawser was an emotional, reflective, deep novel about an end-of-life-doula finding an unexpected connection, which completely rattles her life. I really enjoyed this book, which is beautiful, thoughtful and lovely. Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher, all opinions are mine.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jessica Strawser and St Martin's Press for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this novel, but I do know that I enjoy Strawser's writing in general so I had to read it. It really spoke to me hearing all about these two being death doula's when I spend people's last moments with them more often than I would like. It was a heartbreaking novel, especially the ending. I couldn't get enough even though sometimes it was really hard to read. It's definitely worth a read.

I really didn’t expect this book to be so emotional and being a first time mom and dealing with postpartum maybe it wasn’t the best idea to continue reading this when I did. Things definitely did not play out how I thought they would and I think I may revisit this one and reread at a different time when I’m in a better headspace.

I’d never heard of an end of life doula before, what an amazing job and so valuable. The book has a death doula at its heart. I realized theater besides the obvious death from illness, the doula can hear people through the death of their selves, in other words, the death of the person they see themselves as, the death of an identity.
The premise is great but for some reason the book read very slowly. I had to force myself to finish. 3 stars.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I've read and enjoyed Strawser's books in the past, so I was excited to dive into her latest. Unfortunately, I really struggled to connect with the characters in this one. Last year's release, A MILLION REASONS WHY, was probably my favorite of hers to date, though it did remind me a bit of Jodi Picoult's earlier books. This one reminded me of one of Picoult's more recent titles, THE BOOK OF TWO WAYS, which also features the career of being a death doula.

Here in Cincinnati, Nova works for a single mother in her death doula business. She grows increasingly close to her after moving back to Ohio. The division of clients works well for the two, and it is obvious that Nova will take on the younger clients. When Mason Shaylor, a local musician, comes to them, Novel takes him on as a client, although he is tight-lipped about his medical condition and seems resistant to many of Nova's protocols at first. The book shifts back and forth through time, and also changes narrators to draw out some of the secrecy - not only of Mason but of Nova, too. Rather than serving to make this more of a page turner, it actually works as more of the opposite. The book moves at a slow pace and the choppy chapters make it harder to connect with any of them. The last quarter of the book does move faster, but I think the characters stay closed off for too long and the way the external forces of the plot (police, journalists) moves along, it doesn't have quite the same impact that I think Strawser intended. The ending, while satisfying in some ways, may be overly neat to some - I am partial to tidy endings, but even this one seemed a bit too tightly wound up at the end.

But while this may not be my favorite of Strawser's novels, I am still looking forward to seeing what she will write next!

What an emotional heartwrenching read. The focus on death doulas … individuals who cannot actually provide medically assisted suicide. They may only assist in a person’s plan for the end of their life. They provide grief support and help the “patient” say goodbye. The author always manages to reach in deep and tug on my heartstrings. This is a dual timeline book with dual points of view. While being warned that the story was A Star is Born meets Me Before You, I kept hoping for a less traumatic ending. Bring out the boxes(!!!) of tissues because you will need them. The author does a wonderful job of taking a difficult topic and being as gentle and considerate as possible.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

The Next Thing You Know by Jessica Strawser is about an end-of-life doula named Nova who meets Mason, a musician who is dealing with his career ending. Nova helps terminally ill people through their last days, and Mason comes to her for help. They end up falling in love, but Mason dies in a tragic car accident. Is it an accident or did Mason cause the crash on purpose? Mason's mom has the police investigate all this, and she accuses Nova of encouraging Mason to end his life. Nova is very upset because she was in love with Mason, but she wonders if maybe she didn't do enough to help him. This book was so lovely and well-written, and the ending was very emotional. I highly recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

I went into this book a little blind. I wasn't sure what it was about but I have always loved the author's previous books so it was an auto-read for me. I was thrilled to find the same sharp writing and deep characters with a substantial plot! I never thought I would read about a "death doula" but it sucked me in. Their journeys and what their jobs do to them emotionally had me completely captivated from the start. A wonderful read that will sit with me for a long time to come. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

WOW, this one draws you on on the first page and keeps you engaged until long after the last. Wondderful characters and thought provoking themes. Had more than a few tears!

I have been reading Jessica Strawser’s novels since she released her first one, and she just keeps getting better and better. With THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, Strawser has taken her craft to a whole new level.
She gives us Nova and Mason’s story through dual timelines (Now and Then) and multiple points of view: not just Mason and Nova, but also her business partner, Kelly’s and that of Kelly’s daughter, Willow. Juggling all this could have been confusing for the reader, but each change and character is so distinct, moving between them is seamless. Not only that, but each part fits into the story.
Mason makes an appointment with Kelly, a death doula. What is a death doula? I hadn’t heard of one before this novel, but now I seem to see it everywhere – a death doula helps those facing death do so with dignity and with preparation: financial, emotional, whatever they need for closure. Kelly specializes in older clients, so she introduces her to Nova. Nova has finally found her calling, much to her family’s dismay. Unlike Kelly, she takes the hard clients and gives them her all. When Mason becomes her client, she can’t help getting close to him. They see each other, and she knows she can help him, and they find themselves sharing everything, or almost everything.
THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW has been on many most anticipated lists and for good reason. This novel will take your heart, rip it out, run it through the wringer, and hand it back to you with the characters taking up permanent residence. This one will make you cry, but that isn’t a bad thing. There will be happy tears and laughter mixed in with the sad tears, hope and love. So much hope and love. It isn’t just Nova and Mason that grow, it is everyone in their circle. I loved this novel so much for so many reasons I am not sure anything I write will do it justice. All I can say: Get this book, read it, and enjoy it.
Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#TheNextThingYouKnow #JessicaStrawser #StMartinsPress #TallPoppyWriter #TallPoppyWriters #BloomReads

I have mixed feelings about this thought-provoking and emotional read about death doulas which is a new concept for me and I just couldn't connect with the characters and the mixed timelines. I guess I am just too old and set in my ways for anything that's out of my comfort zone. I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.