I’m pleased to welcome you today to my stop on the blog tour for the delightful Death & Other Happy Endings by Melanie Cantor. Thank you to Anne Cater and Bantam Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this lovely book.
About the book:
Jennifer Cole has just been told that she has a terminal blood disease. She has three months to live — ninety days to say goodbye to friends and family and put her affairs in order. Trying to focus on the positives (at least she’ll never lose her teeth) Jennifer realises she has one overriding regret: the words she’s left unsaid.
Rather than pursuing a frantic bucket list, she chooses to stay put, and write letters to three significant people in her life: her overbearing, selfish sister, her jelly-spined, cheating ex-husband, and her charming, unreliable ex-boyfriend finally telling them the things she’s always wanted to say but never dared.
At first, Jennifer feels cleansed by her catharsis. Liberated, even. But once you start telling the truth, it’s hard to stop. And, as she 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 was a celebrity agent and publicist for over thirty years. Her clients included Ulrika Jonsson, Melinda Messenger and Melanie Sykes.
In 2004, she hosted a makeover show on Channel 4 called Making Space and in 2017 having just turned 60 she was scouted on Kings Cross station, subsequently appearing as a ‘real model’ in the most recent Dove campaign.
She turned her hand to writing in 2008. Death and other Happy Endings is her first published novel.
Twitter @melaniecantor
My Review:
What a wonderful surprise Death & Other Happy Endings by Melanie Cantor turned out to be! I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started it, but I soon fell in love with this quirky and delightful story that’s full of warmth, humour and emotion. It made me laugh out loud one moment then tugged at my heartstrings the next. A beautiful, heartfelt read that left me with a warm glow in my heart when the final page had been turned.
Jennifer Cole has just been told that she has a terminal blood disease and only has three months to live. So she decides to write letters to three of the most significant people in her life to tell them all the things she’s always wanted to but never dared. At first she feels liberated to have got it all off her chest, but soon realises that even the truth comes with its own set of problems… and that death is not always as straightforward as it seems.
What can I say? I simply adored this book! The fact that this is Melanie Cantor’s first published novel really is astounding. It’s so beautifully written, with warm, likeable characters that are easy to relate to and who I fell in love with from the start. The relationships between Jennifer and the various people in her life are so real and believable, I couldn’t help but feel every emotion right along with them.
This is a story of family, love, loss and what it means to be alive. It’s about making every moment count and not coming to the end of your life full of regrets. It’s about the importance of seizing the moment and taking hold of life with both hands, enjoying every precious second of our lives no matter how long or short that may be. It’s a book I fell in love with from the very first page and did not want to end. It made me laugh and it made me cry, moving me to tears one moment and then making me cry with laughter the next.
Death & Other Happy Endings is a book filled to the brim with heart. It’s an hilariously funny, devastatingly moving, yet ultimately uplifting read that’s perfect for this time of year. It was one of those books I wanted to savour every word of, slowly taking my time to enjoy the warm and beautiful writing that flowed so effortlessly on the page. A delightful read that I would highly recommend.
Melanie Cantor has written a debut novel to be proud of. I can’t wait to see what this talented author comes up with next.
Death & Other Happy Endings by Melanie Cantor is available to buy now: Amazon UK
Check out what these other fabulous bloggers have to say about this book:
Cal Turner Reviews 
Aw this sounds awesome. I loved this review x
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Thanks, Zoe. Such a good book! 😊 xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds so good and emotional. Lovely review 😍
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. 😊
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