What I Liked:
-This was SUCH a unique concept.
-I LOVED the characters. Klune always does a fantastic job at creating beautiful, real characters and this was no exception.
-Wallace's character arc was beautiful to watch.
-Apollo -- need I say more?

You Should Read If You Like:
-Any other TJ Klune book
-Books about what comes next

Wallace Price thought he had a good life. Then he died, and then he met the ferryman….

Guys, I was worried about this one because it started off with a warning about the themes of this story (TW: Death and grief and suicide). But it’s a beautiful and at times hilarious story about life, death, family, and regrets.

With a blend of humor and sensitivity and a wonderful cast of side characters, this one held me in place for a one-day-read that I loved. I’m a smidge teary eyed, but the world is brighter for having read this lovely book!

Confession: I have not read any of Klune’s prior works, so this is my first. And based on this I am now adding Klune to the never ending TBR pile.

5/5 reaper penguins, pointing the way home.
🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

ARC from NetGalley, release date September 21! Go preorder it now!!

TJ Klune does it again! This is a heart wrenching read about death and the afterlife. It’s got his signature humor and wit while also being able to discuss very difficult topics with such ease. The writing is beautiful and simple and makes you think about the kind of person you are in life and the legacy you leave behind when you’re gone. I loved this story. I liked how it went through the stages of grief. I liked how the characters came together as a bunch of misfits to become a family unit. Some of the underlying stories gutted me and I actually ended up crying while other parts made me laugh out loud. What an excellent read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Tor/Forge for access to this ARC!

Really lovely novel. I always love to see LGTBQ+ Affirming novels and this one hits a home run with fantasy meets romance.

I enjoyed this overall, but I wasn't really gripped by it nor did I feel especially connected to it. I think the main character being so incredibly AWFUL in the beginning, and the fact that his redemption arc only started because of his death... it just set me off on a very "meh" path with this.

Also the conversations on grief and loss and death didn't resonate with me on a personal level. I can definitely see how they would with most people, though.

This has my name written all over it. The “someone dies and then they fall in love” trope is my absolute favorite. I love the way TJ Kline writes romance and found families. It just feels so cozy. The only thing that kept this book from being a five star read for me is Wallace’s sudden shift from a complete asshole to a good guy with a sense of humor. I would have liked to see that take a little more time and feel more earned and less jarring.

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

My rating: 5 Stars

Content warnings: Death, Suicide, Murder, Violence

Proceed with caution as the books central theme is death and dying in all manners. The premise of this book is basically a bonafide asshole (dead) meets sweet, loving ferryman who is supposed to help him move through his life after death. The story follows as Wallace (asshole) learns to navigate his life after death, and the involvement of the handsome, kind ferryman, Hugo.

Wallace is the kind of character you love to hate (at first). You meet him and he instantly stands on every single nerve ending you have in your body. However, by the end of the novel, he has developed into a character you are rooting for and feel for. Mei (a Reaper) is the wholehearted comic relief of the novel. She is strong, independent, charismatic, and is not afraid of a fight. Mei is also down to earth and realistic about her job and takes it with intense pride. Nelson provides the jovial, witty old man banter throughout the novel and ultimately has everyones best intentions at heart. The characters in this novel all develop in ways that make you fall in love with them, and make you want to cheer for them.

The pacing of the novel was exactly what it needed to be. It explored the stages of grief and showed how it could be applied to people living and dead. It showed the importance of death in the world. The novel really did an amazing job of highlighting how death was not something to be feared as much as it was to be expected and met with grace and beauty. Reapers and Ferryman/Ferrywomen are there to promote peace and comfort to those who have died so that they can move on with no disdain in their hearts.

As someone who works with death all the time, I really couldn't have enjoyed this novel more. It really made me smile and brought a sense of peace that death isn't always regarded as a bad thing. Even the utilization of murder and suicide was done with a sense of poise. Would highly recommend to anyone, and wish I could think of more amazing things to say!

This was weird, whimsical, gay, and I really enjoyed it. I think that the premise was very interesting, and I loved the entire cast of characters that reside in the tea shop: Hugo, Mei, Nelson and even Apollo. I think that TJ Klune does a really good job of creating these full of life zany characters to support the main character whose perspective we follow. Wallace went through a lot of change in the book, but I felt like some of the changes were too quick or abrupt; we are introduced to this completely different person and personality and then I feel as if he did a 180 on many things in just a few days, whereas I feel that some of the changes could have appeared more gradually. Nevertheless, I do recommend picking this up if you like TJ Klune's writing style and characters.

4.5/5 stars

I adored this book, it was in my opinion, way better than the House on the Cerulean Sea. Please don't hate me, I did like that book, but loved this one a lot more.

So, we follow a man, Wallace Price, who literally worked himself to death (stress and being a workaholic played large factors in his life). When he was alive, he was a surly character who didn't care about anything in life other than working. He was mean and unlikeable. Then he dies, he’s guided by a Reaper, Mei, and taken to a ferryman, Hugo who will help to transition Wallace to his next journey.

It was slow paced for the first 50% - of the book, but then you get to see the wonderful character development and the bonds that Wallace makes. We also get introduced to Nelson, the grandad of Hugo and Apollo, Nelson’s dog, they’re both dead and are ghosts. However, Nelson impacts Wallace’s storyline and growth as a character. I absolutely loved all of the characters, even Wallace at the end.

Each character has their own story and the more I learned about it, the more I fell in love with the characters.
TJ Klune goes into sensitive topics in the book. There’s discussion about grief, death, closure, moving on, and love. We encounter different types of loss, partner, suicide, murder, etc. It gets hard to read about them, several times I had to stop reading and pick up later. There were several scenes that made me tear up and the ending made me cry, but I loved it anyway.

The book was a very emotionally impactful book, and I’ll definitely be getting a physical copy. Please make sure you are in the right place/mood, etc. before reading this book. The topics discussed are heavy and emotional. But do read it, I think it’s one of TJ Klune’s best novels.

The more TJ Klune I read, the more I love him. This one was a bit slow on the beginning but probably around 40% I didn't want to put it down and I didn't want it to end. I adored Hugo and Nelson. The parts with Nancy and Cameron made me cry. And the bittersweet ending was just so perfect. Also, Klune includes the funniest moments that just work so perfectly.

Thank you so much to the publisher and author for the eARC. A review will be posted on www.instagram.com/bookendgetaway closer to the publication date.

Under the Whispering Door is a beautiful tale of a hard and cruel man’s journey through death and the life lessons he learns along the way. First, I would encourage readers and lovers of The House in the Cerulean Sea to not go into Whispering Door expecting the same lightheartedness. Whispering Door is heavy with trigger warnings for suicide, loss of a child, and deep grief. However, it’s an absolutely beautiful story of loss, redemption, and love. I did find the description of the book a little misleading, as the Manager giving Wallace seven days before he must cross over doesn’t occur until about 70% into the book. There were some slow parts in the first half where it felt like not much was happening, however the ending tied everything beautifully.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Under the Whispering Door is a gentle novel about processing your life, death, and everything that comes with it. Wallace Price, a cold-hearted lawyer who owns his own firm, dies suddenly and ends up in the care of Huge, the ferryman, his reaper Mei, his grandfather Nelson, and their dog Apollo. The characters are vastly different and bounce off each other perfectly, the way any close knit group would work. The love between them holds them and the story together and makes it what it is.
To be honest, I had a hard time getting into it. I wasn’t sure what it was. I enjoyed the characters, especially Hugo. The story’s interesting, but it just wasn’t grasping me. However, once I reached around the 50% mark, I quickly fell in love with all of it and couldn’t put it down. Wallace turned into a beautifully written character that drove the narrative, all with the support from the others in the house. Once again, Klune wove together a story filled with heart, wonder, and love. The realistic world problems blend perfectly with the magic in the world.

I love T J Klune's voice and this book is no exception. The subtle yet intimate romances, the inclusion, the banter between characters. A story of love and loss and a contemplation on death and making the most of the time that we have together. Klune is quickly becoming an "automatic TBR" whenever he publishes anything.

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!)

Who knew that a story about death could be so uplifting?

This is one of those books I went into completely blind. For reasons unknown, I assumed this connected to the House on the Cerulean Sea, maybe because of the playful cover. However, it became clear early on that this book that it was very different from Cerulean Sea (one of my favorite reads last year) but that difference doesn't make this book any less special.

In life, Wallace Price lived for his job.
Literally, that is all the man cared about.
He had no time for the small pleasures of life - laughing with friends, enjoying dinner with family.
Work was his whole life.

So you can imagine that after his death, he is lost, confused, and in his true nature, belligerent. Enter Mei, a Reaper, who delivers him to a ferryman named Hugo, who is there to help him transition for his new journey. I will admit, the early parts of this story felt a bit slow at times as Wallace is not at all likeable and I was unsure what Hugo had planned for him. But with time, the message and directly of the story became clear.

"Death isn't a final ending, Wallace. It is an ending, sure, but only to prepare you for a new beginning."

This story deftly covers some emotional themes involving death, and in the process, show Wallace how much he missed out in life. Is Wallace's time with Hugo his second chance? I adored how he found his place with the crazy cast of characters at Hugo's tea shop, and how those characters, including Hugo's granddad, Nelson, and their dog, Apollo (both dead), made an impact on him. Wallace's transformation during his stay, and the impact he had on others, truly brought tears to my eyes. Yes, once again, the author has left me in tears at the end of a book (happy ones to be clear).

". . . the one thing I've learned about being human is that we can't do this alone. When we're lost, we need help to try and find our way again."

Officially one of my favorite books of the year! An absolute must for those that loved Cerulean Sea.

This book has turned me into a blubbering mess!

As usual, Klune has written an enchanting story full of beautiful, flawed characters. It asks all the right questions, and sets your mind spinning. I'm left breathless with emotion.

I don't think I'll ever pass a tea shop again without wondering...

This is a warm, moving, emotional book about kindness, self-discovery, acceptance, loss and grief, And about found family, which is something Klune excels at.

We meet the protagonist Wallace— a driven, ruthless, detached attorney—just before his premature death. We follow him beyond—to a way station as he comes to terms with his death and what comes after. In the process he meets the small cast of characters that help him along the way and bring him to a fuller understanding not only of himself but of the human condition and the meaning of giving and connection and love.

The characters are rich and varied and relatable. They became quite dear to me but it took awhile for me to warm to them and I think that worked because the progression got me more invested in their stories.

There are some very emotional impactful scenes and some that are hard to read. I teared up a few times.

This is about closure, hope, redemption, self-discovery, grief, death, profound loneliness and isolation, found family, and moving on. Having lost a close family member not all that long ago this book resonated deeply. It makes you think and evaluate and re-evaluate priorities and expectations.

You’ll think about it long after you’ve finished it.

Highly recommended.

“The first time you share tea, you are a stranger. The second time you share tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share tea, you become family.”

My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the ARC.

“The first time you share tea, you are a stranger. The second time you share tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share tea, you become family.”

Rating: Absolutely Loved It/All-Time Favorite

I honestly don’t think that I have ever cried over a book as much as I cried over this one. I loved it so much.

What is it about?
This is the story of Wallace. He is a high-powered, lonely attorney who dies suddenly in his office one day. Wallace finds himself to be a ghost, he meets his Reaper, and is taken to the Ferryman to help him pass on to whatever is next. However, Wallace doesn’t go immediately. He begins to settle into the routine around the tea shop that Mei (Reaper) and Hugo (Ferryman) run along with the ghosts of Nelson (Hugo’s grandpa) and Apollo (Hugo’s dog). As Wallace spends more time with the Charon crew, he slowly begins to understand himself and how he fits into the world around. It is only after dying, that he begins truly living.

What I Loved:
*The characters in this book were what made it incredible. I loved all of them, and the journey that Wallace went on. The way that the characters interact is just like a family, and it was so wonderful. Mei and Nelson were my favorites - they were so funny but each very well-developed side characters. Wallace’s growth and character arc were utterly believable and something that felt very organic. Hugo was just a ray of sunshine.

*The themes in this are hard-hitting and really poignant. This novel deals with grief and loss as well as love. Through their role of helping souls cross to the other side, we encounter all types of loss: unexpected death due to medical reasons, death by suicide, death by murder, death by car accidents, death of a partner, of a child, of parents, of grandparents, and of pets. This made parts of the book very heavy, but the plot and the characters were able to turn these difficult subjects into an utterly heartwarming story that was equally charming and heart-breaking.

*I also loved the discussion on faith, not religious faith, but just faith in an idea and in people. Relationships and human connection is what makes life worth living.

What I Didn’t Love (there’s not a lot):
-It took me a little bit to get super connected to the story and the characters. I felt unsure of where it was leading, but eventually I just didn’t care what the end game was and I just enjoyed hanging out with the characters in their lives. I was thinking that there was no way that this could compare to my love of House in the Cerulean Sea, but it turns out it holds up, it just took a bit longer for me to love Wallace like I love Linus.

-The only other thing that I have was that while I enjoyed the discussion on grief and love and moving on, a couple of the deaths that were examined hit me a little harder than others. There was one point where I was audibly sobbing and basically snotted all over. It was rough and I had to put it down for a few minutes and go hug my dog.

I think that this book was incredible, but I think that it is certainly emotionally impactful. It is one that I will definitely reread, but I don’t think it will be a comfort read if that makes sense. I will definitely need to be in the right mood to enjoy it again. But it is 100% pre-ordered.

Under the Whispering Door releases September 21, 2021.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. A review and photo will be posted to my instagram page, @jemofabook mid- to late-August. Please note that any quotes in this review are from an uncorrected proof and may change upon final publication.

TJ Klune came onto my radar with the amazing novel “The House In The Cerulean Sea”, a novel that worked its way into my heart and my top ten favorite books of all time. At first glance, “Under The Whispering Door” seems like a sequel to that story, but it’s a completely separate story about life, death, love, loss, and chosen family.
Wallace has woken up at his funeral. Well, “woken up” might be the wrong term. You see, Wallace is dead. Before he can process what’s happened, a Reaper named Mei comes to escort him to a ferryman whose job is to help him process his death and pass on. When he arrives at the area shop, and meets the alluring Hugo, Wallace has to come to terms with his fatality. With the help of Hugo, Mei, and Hugo’s grandfather Nelson, Wallace begins to accept his fate…while forming a bond with the members of the Tea house. How long can Wallace hold onto the love and peace he’s found in his death though?
From the start, this book lets you know this will be an emotional read, and it certainly delivers on that. So much is handled in this book. Life? What if the life you’ve lead has been unfulfilling? And what if you’ve realized that too late? Death: what if, in your death, you realize just how little you lived? Love: what if you’ve found yourself surrounded by love for the first time in your life…but you can’t touch them? Loss: what if that love is suddenly threatened?
There’s also portions of this that handles suicide. That, along with the nature of the book overall, should be handled with care if these things trigger you. Beyond that though, “Under The Whispering Door “ is a beautiful written story about a man finding the meaning of life in his death.
Wallace and Hugo are the love interests I come to expect from a Klune novel. Tortured, adorable, flawed…and absolutely perfect for each other. Their story is a beautiful one. Coupled with the stellar characters this story brings, and it’s no wonder why this book is one of the most anticipated of 2021.
A stunning novel, and I’d expect nothing less from Klune. This worked its way into my top spot of the year, and it feels so right.

The overall message here was awesome living your life to the fullest while you still have time, instead of looking back and realizing all you missed out on, and taking time to really get to know and love those around you, as they deserve your love and you deserve to be loved. I enjoyed the characters of the tea shop, especially Mei and Nelson. However, I found that the plot really dragged at times. I managed to get myself 50% through and then I had to a break and read another book before coming back to finish this one.

This story follows a harsh successful lawyer named Wallace. A couple days after viscously firing his assistant, Wallace finds himself in a church at a funeral. Only it is his funeral. During his funeral, he meets his reaper who will take him to his ferryman to cross over to the “other side.” As Wallace moves through the stages of grief of a life he soon realizes was not ideal, he tries to come to terms with life, death, the meaning of it all, and questions if love can permeate everything.

“It’s never enough, is it? Time. We always think we have so much of it, but when it really counts, we don’t have enough at all.”

It is a strength of TJ Klune to write wholesome characters. Do not think this means they are flat, because they are anything but. From the very little you know of these characters you can see them, know their back story, and imagine them as if they were an old friend you have fond memories of whenever you think of them. They make you smile and intuitively know their intentions are nothing but pure and altruistic.

“A river only moves in one direction.”

My personal experience with this book was lovely. It came to me at a time I was questioning why? Why do some people become sick? Why do they die? What comes next? Are they still here? Will they remember how much they were loved? I have never cried throughout a book. Typically it is the ending but this book just hits you in the feels the entire way though. Although in my opinion the ending was the weakest part of the book, the epilogue was beautiful and I’ll remember that as the end of the story. I hope that when my time comes there will be a Hugo and a Mei.

“It warmed him. It calmed him. He hoped wherever he was going that there’d still be the sun and the moon and the stars. He’d spent a majority of his life with his head turned down. It seemed only fair that eternity would allow him to raise his head towards the sky.”

Thanks to the the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me access to an advanced reader copy of this novel.