Death and Other Happy Endings, Melanie Cantor
Death and Other Happy Endings, Melanie Cantor
List: $22.50 | Sale: $15.75
Club: $11.25

Death and Other Happy Endings

Author: Melanie Cantor

Narrator: Hannah Curtis

Unabridged: 10 hr 45 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 07/09/2019


Synopsis

There's nothing like being told that in three months you'll be dead to make you think about what you really want in life

"A novel about self-discovery, with plenty of surprises and a snappy, Bridget-Jones-gets-a-terminal-diagnosis vibe." -Booklist

Jennifer Cole has just been told that she has a terminal blood disorder and has just three months to live--ninety days to say goodbye to friends and family, and to put her affairs in order. Ninety days to come to terms with a diagnosis that is unfair, unexpected, and completely unpronounceable. Focusing on the positives (she won't have to go on in a world without Bowie or Maya Angelou; she won't get Alzheimer's or Parkinson's like her parents, or have teeth that flop out at the mere mention of the word apple), Jennifer realizes she only has one real regret: the relationships she's lost.

Rather than running off to complete a frantic bucket list, Jennifer chooses to stay put and write a letter to the three most significant people in her life, to say the things she wished she'd said before but never dared: her overbearing, selfish sister, her jelly-spined, cheating ex-husband, and her charming, unreliable ex-boyfriend--and finally tell them the truth.

At first, Jennifer feels cleansed by her catharsis. Liberated, even. Her ex-boyfriend rushes to her side and she even starts to build bridges with her sister Isabelle (that is, once Isabelle's confirmed that Jennifer's condition isn't genetic). But once you start telling the truth, it's hard to stop. And as Jennifer soon discovers, the truth isn't always as straightforward as it seems, and death has a way of surprising you....

About The Author

Melanie Cantor worked for many years in PR and as a celebrity talent agent, and has dabbled in interior renovations, which led to her hosting a UK TV series where she tidied up people's messy houses. She has since concentrated on writing; Death and Other Happy Endings is her first published novel. She has two grown up sons, a dog and lives in London.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Debra on February 26, 2019

Jennifer Cole has been told some bad news - some VERY bad news. She has been diagnosed with a terminal rare blood disorder and she has three months to live. Shocked and confused, with only ninety days to live she decides to write letters to important people in her life- her ex-husband, an ex-boyfrie......more

Goodreads review by *TUDOR^QUEEN* on August 03, 2019

I must have been swayed by the title of this book months ago when I chose to download this advance reader copy, for the cover is certainly lacking! When I would peruse my outstanding arcs to read/review and encounter this book cover, it only served to push me away... not doing justice to the gem bur......more

Goodreads review by Eva on June 17, 2019

Something somewhat different on my blog today. Far removed from all the crime fiction and psychological thrillers I tend to read, it was the book description for Death and Other Happy Endings that immediately appealed to me. Who doesn’t just want to let go and really tell people what you think of th......more

Goodreads review by Cátia on July 17, 2020

E se de repente o médico nos dissesse que o nosso cansaço é uma doença terminal e que temos três meses de vida? Quando Jennifer recebe a notícia em que a sua fadiga é fruto de uma doença rara, decide comprar um calendário e fazer com que cada dia valha a pena. Mas há muitas coisas do passado que não......more

Goodreads review by ~Sofia~ on July 14, 2021

This is a book that was sent to me in a subscription box and is not one I would initially pick up. However, I am pleased that it was sent to me. This is a romance that has not got any of the romantic gooey stuff in it. We follow Jennifer who is told at the beginning that she has a rare blood disorde......more


Quotes

Praise for Death and Other Happy Endings:

“A novel about self-discovery, with plenty of surprises and a snappy, Bridget-Jones-gets-a-terminal-diagnosis vibe.” 
Booklist

“[An] accomplished debut. . . Twists push the story in intriguing directions, and the clever, personable voice of Jennifer is like that of a witty friend with a bad news/good news story to tell, resulting in a moving novel with a surprisingly playful edge.”
Publishers Weekly

“A brisk, witty tale of saving your life by finding your voice.”
Kirkus Reviews

“Witty, very touching, and entirely unexpected.”
–Jenny Colgan, New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop on the Corner

“Brilliantly funny and thought-provoking--an absolute joy.”
–Rosie Walsh, New York Times bestselling author of Ghosted
 
“Effortlessly charming and endlessly life-affirming. Death and Other Happy Endings is a joy from start to finish. An emotional, uplifting story from a bright new voice in fiction.”
–Georgia Clark, author of The Bucket List

"Bursting with heart and charm, Cantor serves up a wonderfully warm take on love, loss, and second chances." 
–Hannah Orenstein, author of Playing with Matches

"A spirited feel-good story that made me smile."
–Fanny Blake, author of An Italian Summer

"Written with energy and sparkle. . . clever."
–Elizabeth Buchan, author of The New Mrs Clifton