5 surprisingly superb stars!

A charming, unique, endearing, thought-provoking, memorable read!

Thirty-six year old Clover is a death doula. Her job is to comfort the dying in their last days on earth. Clover lives an introverted life outside of work, finding companionship with her dog and two cats. Raised by her grandpa since the age of six, she lives alone in the apartment he left to her when he died thirteen years prior.

Prior to reading this, I had not heard of a death doula or death cafe. Clover seemed to be the perfect fit for this career choice and I enjoyed learning about these fascinating concepts through her character.

Clover is an endearing and unforgettable character. She is quirky, awkward and loveable. She got to my heart immediately. I found her to be a mix between Maddie from Maame and Eleanor Oliphant, both books that I adored.

The second half of the book had some “cute factor” which is usually a turn off for me. However, it wasn’t an overly powerful cuteness, just the suggestion of it so it didn’t overshadow any of the plot or writing for me. It wasn’t enough to take any stars away.

This book shares some very thought-provoking topics surrounding death and living without regrets. It is a book that I feel will make an impact on every single reader who picks it up.

The writing, the characters, the setting, the plot, the pace — I loved it all! I was shocked to find out this is a debut novel. I didn’t expect to love this as much as I did and am happy to report this makes my 2024 Favourites List. I cannot wait to see what this very talented author comes out with next! Highly recommend!

Some quotes that I loved:

“I didn’t need more books, but I liked the rush of dopamine that came from finding a new title to add to my potential reading list.”

“Grief is just love looking for a place to settle.”

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy!

I really wanted to love this. Clover was endearing, and a complicated character. But it took her so long to just... figure it out? I was incredibly bored by the end of everything. An unnecessary slog.

DNF @ 16%. Really going against the grain here, but for a book about death this is surprisingly… boring? Something’s missing for me.

It was ok. Maybe someone looking for a philosophy-lite book about embracing life might find this more to their liking than I did.

I was highly intrigued by the idea of Clover's profession as a death doula, and liked the snippets about how death is treated in other cultures.

However, the characters (especially Clover) read as robots trying to figure out how to behave based on what they've seen in Hallmark movies and sitcoms.

This book isn't what I would usually read but it sounded like it would be something I might like. This was a sweet and quick read for me. I just couldn't put it down at all.

I do recommend it.

So tender and heartfelt!! This book talks about death and grief with a lot of a care. I think it also contains really great life lessons without coming across as preachy which I appreciated! A solid read all around (is pretty much guaranteed to make you cry)

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer was an emotional but inspiring read.
I was unsure if I would like this book since I thought it would be all about dying and Clover being a death doula which is someone that sits with those who are near the end of their time on earth. I had never heard of a "death doula" before so it intrigued me to read something I wouldn't normally select.

The book switches between when she was younger and present day. Clover keeps journals to document their final ADVICE, CONFESSIONS, and REGRETS. You will soon learn that she has regrets of her own.

I thought it was a good debut novel, somewhat slower during the first half but it all comes together at the end!
"The secret to a beautiful death is living a beautiful life!"

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review an Advanced Reading Copy.

This book was such a unique take on death and will stay with me for a long time. I loved it! The overall theme that our time on Earth is precious and best to take advantage so you don't have regrets really hit home. I highly recommend this book!

Clover is a death doula who seems to be afraid to live her life. Throughout the novel, we meet an interesting assortment of characters that draw Clover into the intricacies of their lives. Beautifully written.

I’ve seen so many people raving about this one throughout the year so I thought I was gonna love it…but sadly I didn’t connect as much as I wanted to. the concept and the meat of the story is great, and it’s a pretty interesting book to follow. however I found Clover a bit too annoying as a protagonist; she’s a bit of a ‘woe is me’ loner type and it became irritating pretty fast for me, and then there’s a sudden love interest brought in which I thought detracted from the story and seemed out of character for what Clover was supposed to represent in the story.

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer is a book that has stayed with me. It tackles grief in a unique way, as it follows death doula Clover. The individuals with whom Clovers comes into contact add richness to the story, and it allows the reader to think about death in a new way.

Brammer beautifully captures the fragility of life through this emotionally resonant story.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a unique idea. I had just learned in the past couple of years of death cafes and didn’t realize there was such a thing as a death doula. I think it’s very inspiring: I liked that Clover learned things from her clients and would often do the things the clients most regretted. I thought that Clover could be a little immature at times, but I enjoyed seeing her grow.:

This book completely touched my heart! I didn't know what to expect going in and was surprised by how beautiful, poignant and real it was. I never expected a story about death to be so hopeful.

Thanks to St. MArtin's Press for the copy to review.

such a lovely read. The book had me in tears by the end and I grew fond of Clover. I loved seeing her character grow and enjoyed seeing how things came full circle.

The first line of this book drew me in and then I was hooked. This is a beautiful story about a topic that makes most of us uncomfortable—death.

Clover Brooks is a death doula, one who comforts people as they pass on. She soon discovers that she also needs comfort and care, as much as the people she is trying to help. But can she open her heart enough to let people in so that she can finally heal?

Mikki Brammer is an excellent writer and has penned an exceptional story, one that warmed my heart and gave me encouragement about the humanity of people. The Collected Regrets of Clover is a charming, delightful look at the goodness of people.

This must be the year for women in books that have not lived their full lives due to family. First I read Maame then this book.
Clover is grieving her grandfather and working as a death doula. She has seen over 90 people die. I enjoyed learning about what a death doula does and how she helped the people leaving.
I suck at reviewing lately so that's about all my brain can pump out right now.

Booksource Netgalley in exchange for review.

Can you imagine being a kindergartener involved in the wild ride that is Peter Rabbit and having your teacher topple over, to die in the middle of the reading circle? I'm not sure I'd be the one to reach out a comforting hand and quietly wait it out. I'd be the one screaming for help, and spend the rest of my life talking about it.

Clover Brooks - of whose all responsible guardians have left the planet - save one, is not your normal woman. She's quiet, risk adverse, yet comforting deaths are her job. She's a death doula.

I'll go no further, except to say, this is one of my favorite books 2023 - all the stars, and a message to carry forward through the end of my days.

*A sincere thank you to Mikki Brammer, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.*

I really enjoyed this! I found Clover's journey to be really beautiful to watch and loved her as a character. I also really liked learning more about what it was like to be a Death Doula. It was touching to hear how Clover honored each of her clients after they passed, as well.

The only thing I wish is that this book was longer. I really wanted to see more of Clover letting go of her regrets and living her life, but it felt like we only got a very small piece of that.

A wonderful read about a death doula and her impact on her clients. I was fascinated by the idea of a death doula, and I really love it. Clover helps people at the end of their lives, but needs a little reminder of how to help herself. A great book! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Collected Regrets of Clover is the debut novel by author Mikki Brammer. It’s being published by St. Martin’s Publishing Group and is set to release on May 9, 2023. The main character, Clover, is a death doula. It’s not the most normal type of job but one that really seems to work for her. Clover is a bit of a loner, an introvert who was raised by her grandfather from the age of 6 when her parents were both killed while off traveling. At first she seems to be quite an odd bird but as the story progresses I found I really came to like her. From dealing with her patients and helping them come to terms with dying and learning about their regrets, she herself learns the importance in living life to the fullest. She learns to follow your dreams and to do what makes you feel happy. You should take chances on people and don’t be afraid to find love. This was an uplifting story and one I really enjoyed. You would think that reading about a death doula would be depressing but this was just the opposite. I’d like to thank Rivka Holler at St. Martin’s Press for the invite/widget to read this and NetGalley for the arc. I really liked this story and the characters and will be recommending it to others. I would be very interested in reading more by this new author in the future and I look forward to reading what her subject matter will be. For a debut novel, I believe this deserves a 5 star rating!