I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

The skin around my eyes remains stiff from tears because this book made me SOB, but in the best of ways. This is a beautiful, extraordinary book that will crush your heart and put it back together, too.

Wallace is a jerk. He's like Scrooge brought into the modern-day--a high-powered lawyer who is callused, cold, and not the slightest bit loved. When he keels over dead, he attends his own funeral and rages, unseen, at the way his ex-wife and law firm partners disrespect him. A reaper arrives--a young woman, Mei, who can see and hear him, and takes him to a strange tea house in the middle of nowhere. It's a waypoint for the recently dead to come to grips with their new state of being before they move on through a door set in the fourth-floor ceiling. The purveyor is Hugo, a man with a knack to choose the right tea for anyone--and also, a ferryman, a person with a genuine, empathetic heart. He helps the recently-dead move on.

But Wallace doesn't want to move on. He stays. He rages, he grieves, and slowly, he starts to change. And fall in love.

I fell in love, too, with every character. The deep feels of this book remind me of Becky Chambers's novels--stories that truly capture the complexity and the goodness of people and somehow manage to reaffirm your belief in humanity. I like that this took the Scrooge trope and made it more realistic--there's no overnight change. It's gradual, it's painful, it's full of regret. Ultimately, it's a queer love story, too, and again, one that feels realistic (because honestly, anyone and everyone can and will fall in love with Hugo).

This will be one of the best books I've read this year, and probably an all-time favorite.

Like a lot of other people last year, I fell in love with T.J. Klune's <i>The House in the Cerulean Sea </i>. I was so excited to then get the ARC of his newest book <i>Under the Whispering Door</i>, and it did not let me down. Wallace Price is a middle-aged man who is successful at his job of being a partner in a top law firm that he help start. However, he's a truly miserable person. He demands perfection from everyone, making him the terror of the law firm. When he has a fatal heart attack in the office on the weekend, his journey into the afterlife begins with a no-nonsense reaper as his guide. However, no one tells Wallace Price what to do. He insists on staying at the way station/tea shop run by the reaper and a man named Hugo, who just happens to be the ferryman charged with escorting the dead to the next world until he can figure out how to get his life back.

If you want something cozy and delightful to read, this is the book. The characters are charming. Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of this book.

Alternating between heartbreaking and heartwarming (with an emphasis on the latter), this story explores death and life and the places in between in an utterly original manner. I fell in love with the characters, their personalities and histories, but the world of the tea shop/ way station is also beautifully built.

This is a highly recommended read and a story I know I'll revisit many more times in the future.

Solid 5-stars for me, TJ Klune once again, never failed to make me laugh, learn, love, and utterly cry through this book. Under The Whispering Door hands down became one of my favorite reads so far in 2021. It had its ups and downs throughout the story, there were times that I wished it did go straight to the heart and point, and some characters were a bit slow for me. Ultimately, I love how in the end, it just made me enjoy how the characters grew, HOW Wallace ended up being this character I love dearly by the end of the story.

Hugo is such a pure soul, and I love him so much in this book. I probably shed a ton more tears in this book than I did when I read The House by the Cerulean Sea. I still need time to fully process my thoughts for this book, but I love it all the same and will definitely pre-order and read this again once it's out.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Tor for providing me an E-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Who is whispering beyond the door at Hugo's tea shop? Wallace wants to know; too bad he had to die to find out.

Wallace was not a nice person when he was alive, and death doesn't seem to have improved him at all. It's early days though, and Hugo, a ferryman for the dead, has lots of patience and tea. Wallace's afterlife may be the making not only of him, but of others who have been locked into grief and death for far too long.

This book is so lyrical and magical that it's hard to describe. It's poignant without being maudlin. You physically ache for the characters. I picture Klune like a jeweler, setting each stone in place with care. While the story centers on the interaction between Wallace and ferryman Hugo, the other characters are full in their own right, and the world the inhabit is as familiar as our own town.

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune carries trigger warnings for death, including suicide and murder. Those elements are present, and I cried more than once reading this novel. It's a beautiful story, though, and as comforting, in places, as the tea Hugo serves.

Cannot recommend enough. Five out of five stars.

I received an advance copy from Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for my honest review.

If you have read The House in The Cerulean Sea, then you know how TJ Klune will rip your heart out. I sobbed at this and I loved the entirety of it. Once again he brings found family into his story and it is just so naturally done. I will read anything from this author and I implore others to do so as well.

"Wasn't that the point? Wasn't that the great answer to the mystery of life? To make the most of what you have while you have it, the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly."

What a beautiful, heart wrenching, lovely story about redemption and acceptance.

TJ Klune is one of the best at developing deeply unique characters that draw you into their stories and make you love them.

Under the Whispering Door is a unique story about redemption, grief, love, loss, belonging, and acceptance... For the living and the dead. There were moments when I laughed out loud, cried, and was deep in thought about what it truly means to be alive. While conquering heavy topics, this book handles them with a lightness that doesn't take away from its impact.

I couldn't ask for more from a book. Wow.

Rainbows and Sunshine Book Blog
22 May, 2021

Wow! Honestly just WOW!! There are some books that would make you feel a myriad of emotions in just a few hours and this is one of those.

I've read the synopsis and I went into it knowing that I'll cry but I was so not prepared!! I mean it is a about a ghost falling for ferryman! I sobbed like a child and then laughed like a clown. It made me happy and sad and happy all over again and I will gladly go through it all again in a heartbeat.

Oh Wallace! I severely disliked him in the beginning but then he grows throughout the novel and makes you LOVE him! His life was uncomfortably relatable to me, something I didn't want to think about. Not about how much of an arsehole he is but more about the loneliness. What if that was my future?

In death, Wallace had never felt more alive.

But this book is mostly about hope. About another chance. To live. To grow. To love and be loved. It was so beautiful and I'm not sure I'm expressing my feelings concisely. It just made me feel too much and I'm overwhelmed. The connection and chemistry between Hugo and Wallace is wonderful. I also loved the secondary characters, Nelson and Mei will steal your heart. And Apollo of course!

The writing is amazing and I loved the humour, the character and every single thing about this book, from the gorgeous cover to the perfect epilogue. Trust me, YOU NEED THIS BOOK!

*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

Fans of Klune's "The House in the Cerulean Sea" will not be disappointed. Klune gently explores death, loss, grief, and what it means to lead a good life. Wallace Price was a successful, though unlovable, lawyer who suddenly finds himself attending his own funeral after a sudden heart attack. He is led to a quirky and cozy tea shop tucked away in the woods to prepare for his journey to the afterlife. Hugo, the shop owner and ferryman, must help Wallace come to terms with his life and death, and prepare him for his cross over to the afterlife. TJ Klune will break your heart and then slowly put it back together with this book. Charming, funny, romantic -- "Under the Whispering Door" is a must-read.

This was a different style book that I usually read. I have to be honest, it was not my favorite book. I struggled getting into the story, even though the characters were well defined. The theme of death and the afterlife were heavy topics to read about.
However, toward the end, you find yourself cheering for Wallace and the changes that his character made and for him and Hugo to have a happy ending.

3/5

I feel so very conflicted about this book 😭

My non-spoilery review is this: I think this book had a lot of potential. Some of the elements (found family trope in particular) were really strong, and I definitely cried like a baby at the end. But the pacing was so off for me. I was really struggling through the first half, and even though I thought the ending was strong, I just didn't love the book in its entirety.

I would still probably recommend this book, but definitely go in being aware that it is very slow. And also be prepared to love the characters, especially a certain very good boy named Apollo 🥺

Trigger warnings: death, grief, murder, suicide, panic attacks, anxiety, depression

**Massive spoilers ahead, please don't read unless you're okay with being spoiled!**

Spoilery review:

I'll start with the things I didn't love. The plot doesn't really start until the 50% mark. Pretty much nothing happens during the first half. It took me several days to get through it, but once I hit 50%-ish, I read it all in one sitting.

Also, I think the summary on Goodreads really needs to be changed. The Manager doesn't come to tell Wallace he only has 7 days left until around the 70% mark. The blurb gives the impression that the whole "life lived in 7 days" thing was going to be the main plot of the story, but actually nothing happens for the first half of the book, and then that particular subplot doesn't start until later. It just really threw me off.

Also, even though the end made me cry, I also feel like it was all just so convenient? Like how did it all fall into place so perfectly? Suddenly the Manager goes from being a big, spooky, uncaring god to being like "actually, I'ma resurrect Wallace just bc i feel like it ❤️" like HUHHH???

Things i liked:
The found family trope is hit or miss for me, but this HIT. Nelson, Mei, and Apollo were so cute and so special. I especially loved Mei. I would read a book about just her tbh.

I thought this book could also be really funny and profound. It had really intense, heavy moments, like Cameron's suicide or Alan's death, but it was also funny sometimes like Wallace accidentally wearing a bikini lol. I think it was good to have a mix of these moments because the topics this book deals with can be really hard to read about, so it's good to have some moments of levity and light.

Overall, it was just okay. And that hurts me to say because I loveeeed The House in the Cerulean Sea, and i was so highly anticipating this book. But I'm still glad I pushed through and read it because it was a worthwhile read in the end. It also made me want to hug my dog a little tighter today 🥺

Much like House in the Cerulean Sea, this book was gentle and soft, filled with moments that felt like warm hugs and moments that felt like a slap in the face with the truth behind them. But unlike House, this book had so many heartbreaking moments—moments where I found myself with tears streaming down my face.

This is a story of death and life and fear and acceptance and selfishness and selflessness and family and love. A beautiful story, wrapped up in happiness and heartbreak. Highly recommend picking it up when it releases in September.

I love TJ Klune. All of his titles have made me smile at the end and given me happy feelings. After losing my dad recently, it was slightly triggering to read this book. I wanted to love it, but maybe it was my mindset that couldn’t get me through it. I didn’t care for the main character who had died. It was painful to read his lines. I will revisit again sometime soon to give it another chance.

I was a bit torn on this one. The House in the Cerulean Sea was my favourite read of last year. It is one my favourite books of all time, so I had very high hopes for Under the Whispering Door, and while it was good, I don't think it quite lived up to The House in the Cerulean Sea.

Things I liked: the characters and their changes as they go through the story. I really liked Hugo's calm patience and Mei's sense of humour.

I also liked that the book centred around death and the emotional response to dealing with our own mortality. At times, this definitely made the book quite emotional.

I loved the ending, especially the last quarter of the book or so, and feel like that this actually made the book worth reading. It had the feel good factor that I loved from The House in the Cerulean Sea.

Things I didn't enjoy as much : the very slow beginning. It took me to about 47%, of the book to actually get into it. And while I'm glad I persevered with it, I almost didn't.

I would have liked more about the Manager character and indeed, more world building, in general, around the roles of the Reapers and ferrymen. I love the character driven nature of the book, but I would have also like to seem some development of the world.

Overall, an enjoyable read, especially in the second half, with a very strong finish.

Under the Whispering Door is a beautiful story about the painful part of life called death. I laughed, I cried, and I now am going to make myself a cup of tea. Please go read this book!

TJ Klune is one of my 2021 discoveries and after reading some of his other books, he us a total auto buy author for me - and his new novel keeps up the stunning standards in my eyes.

Wow, this book was a lot. It was hard to read, there was a lot of crying, but it was also so, so beautiful. I loved the characters, I loved the premise, I just loved everything about this book, even though I cried for pretty much the whole last quarter of the book.

Wallace Pierce is an attorney who thinks work is the most important thing there is. He therefore doesn’t have time to be kind to others or care about their feelings. When he suddenly dies of a heart attack, Wallace attends his own funeral as a ghost and is surprised to find it scarcely attended - he is even more surprised that those who do attend don’t have nice things to say about the man he was. He then is brought to the tea shop of Hugo, a ferryman, who guides Wallace as he reflects on his life and considers crossing over to what is next.

After reading The House in the Cerulean Sea I knew I had to read more of TJ Klune’s work. This one did not disappoint – this book was absolutely beautiful. Klune’s writing is so engaging and he can somehow make you laugh one second and cry the next.

I found this one to be a bit of a slow burn – I was intrigued from the beginning but it still took me a little while to get into. Once I did I was hooked and I absolutely loved the second half of the book. Wallace’s transformation was wonderful to watch and I loved every single character residing in the tea shop. I loved how supportive Hugo, Nelson, Mei and Apollo were while still being honest with Wallace and not sugarcoating anything. I definitely recommend this one!

Thank you so much NetGalley and MacMillan-TOR/Froge for this ARC!

Under the Whispering Door is the story of Wallace, a man who is not ready to accept his own death. Luckily, he has the help of ferryman Hugo and the inhabitants of a mysterious tea shop to guide him. With only seven days until he crosses over to whatever comes next, Wallace must try to make the most of his time.

Under the Whispering Door is a poignant book about the grief and joy that life brings. TJ Klune writes found family, lovable characters, and important life lessons incredibly well. His writing is vivid and embraces the reader as they journey with Wallace. This story is haunting and will deeply move readers to reflect on their own lives. TJ Klune simultaneously gives hope and an understanding of how to continue on after tragedy. Reading this book is an unforgettable experience!

It can be hard to express how much some books mean, but I know I will be re-reading and recommending this one forever. Brew a cup of your favorite tea and grab tissues- I highly recommend you adventure with Wallace and Hugo! Under the Whispering Door releases September 21, 2021. Thank you so much to TJ Klune, Tor Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on the publication date and I will publish it on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble etc

Thanks to Netgalley for providing the ARC for this novel.

Klune's new novel is an excellent tale, and deals with the mysteries and complexities surrounding one's death.

I felt like the characters were very relatable. I enjoyed getting to know each character and came to like even the most unlikeable ones.

I felt, though, that the story was very much "on rails", moving one way toward a pretty obvious conclusion once you realized what was happening and how much book was left. I would have liked to explore Hugo's ferryman position a little further and would have changed the ending so that Wallace keeps his promise.

Overall pretty good.