What a beautiful and tender book about loss and love. The characters truly came alive for me, I felt their frustration, grief, and love. A sweet, gentle and quirky romance between a ghost and the man meant to help him cross over to the other side. It is alternately heartbreaking and heartwarming.

#UndertheWhisperingDoor #NetGalley #Edelweiss
Instead of telling you how great this novel is, I am going to tell you read all of T J Klune's novels. I found The House in the Cerulean Sea just by luck and I became entranced by his writing. The emotion that his novels bring are graceful and light, yet at the same time you are flooded with an array of emotions. Under the Whispering Door is no different it takes the reader on a journey through love, loss, hope, and grief. It makes you feel all to human to read Klune's novels. The emanate the beauty of living life and in that learning to appreciate it.

I wish I could give this 5 million stars because simply 5 stars doesn't do justice with how much I loved this book. Under the Whispering Door is heartbreaking and beautiful.

This is the story of Wallace Price. He's the kind of man no one mourns for when he dies, hard and unkind. Before he can go to the afterlife he is lead to a pit stop of sorts, in the form of a tea shop by a reaper. Here he has to accept his own death and ready himself to move on by the help of the ferryman, Hugo. Wallace struggles at first with being dead and the longer he stays at the tea shop the more he changes and becomes a better person/ ghost. He finds a place among the ghosts, the reaper, and the ferryman. He finds a purpose, but the tea shop is not meant to be permanent and in the end will have to make a hard decision.

Under the Whispering Door is a very heavy, emotional read. It deals with death, ones own death, the afterlife and beyond. Grief for those who have passed and for those who are left behind. It shows sudden death, violent death, and suicide. The way one dies affects their transition and acceptance into the afterlife. All of that makes a gloomy story but through the despair Klune weaves his brand of humor and hope that will put smiles on your face along the way. He does this through the characters. Wallace even though unlikable at first grows on you. Hugo is wise, patient, and quirky. His grandfather's ghost Nelson is spunky and mischievous. Reaper Mei is sarcastic and gives the best hugs. And you'll fall in love with the lovable ghost pup Apollo.

As you can imagine by the subject of the novel it is an emotional read. I held up pretty well managing not to cry until 60 % then pulling it back together but 70/75% on just cue the waterworks. Scene after scene of heartache and eventually happiness but that then caused the happy tears. I was a blubbering mess and I loved every moment of the experience.

TJ Klune has created another diverse found family that you won't be able to forget. Under the Whispering Door without a doubt will be a book I recommend forever and always.

While not as whimsical as The House in the Cerulean Sea, this title carries on the same sort of themes of found family, understanding, and being unapologetic for who you are, but with much more romance. Characters are delightful and the story poignant. Would certainly recommend to readers of all kinds!

This TJ Klune book has a bit of a different feel than his other books, but with the same thoughtfulness and feel-good themes.

I would have liked to have seen a stronger development of the relationships between the main characters as it seemed to come a bit out of nowhere at times, but overall a strong story.

I appreciate the unique storytelling from Klune.

Of course, it's a 5. Of course.
I still want to call Under the Whispering Door a cozy fantasy, but like with a * because my eyes.
Wallace is a ghost. He dies unexpectedly. And he's taken to a tea shop where he meets the best sort of people, and Hugo is there to help him on. So as you can imagine death and grief play a big part in this book. This is where the * for cozy fantasy comes in.
Wallace was not a good guy in life. But of course, hope and the magic of TJ Klune make sure you know Wallace will make you love him. Soon enough.
I loved the journey of this book. I loved the setting, a tea shop! I loved loved loved the characters. Hugo, Mei, Nelson, Apollo, and of course Wallace. This happy little family full of heart and whimsy and life. And this is why The House in the Cerulean Sea was such a hit. Happiness brought on by a bunch of characters that just make you feel a bunch.
I cannot wait to have a hard copy to hug and love all over again and again and again.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! TJ Klune can write a book. This one was a real gem. It's filled with a lot of emotion (and death, obviously), and grief, but it was a well paced (and very well written) story. I absolutely loved the characters and cannot wait to read anything else of Klune's!

Under the Whispering Door is a charming exploration of death, second chances, and family. Tj Klune excels at writing entertaining and painfully sweet family dynamics. The characterization is absolutely wonderful and everyone felt fleshed out with flaws, motives, and desires. Tj Klune has crafted such lovable characters that despite the book's lack of plot and I still managed to fly through it because the interactions between the characters were so sweet and enjoyable. His ability to create such charming, funny, and loving families is unparalleled. Admittedly, I was worried whether I would enjoy the family dynamic as much in this book since I absolutely adore the family in The House in the Cerulean Sea, but thankfully my worries were unfounded. I don't think I can say one family or book is better because they are quite different books. However, both of his books have that trademark charm and cosiness.

Under the Whispering Door is a character-based book. There is a loose overarching plot that mostly kicks in during the last third of the book. The strength of this book really lies in its characters and their interactions. Tj Klune also explores the concept of death in a beautiful and profound. This is most notably explored through the characters. Tj Klune fills a story that is inherently centred around death with so much love and life. The book portrays death as not only an end but also a beginning of the next phase in your life, as a kind of second chance. However, it doesn't shy away from the fact that death can often be traumatic for people, especially the ones we leave behind.

Of course I wanted to read this because of The House in the Cerulean Sea.

At first, I wasn't sure what I was getting into. It didn't seem like quite the story I thought I was getting, and I couldn't like the main character. But I reminded myself that it took me a little bit to get into The House in the Cerulean Sea too and I just needed a bit of patience.

Patience paid off! It definitely follows the same sort of story arc as The House, but with a completely different set of characters and circumstances.

I'd call it a comfort, gentle read, but the theme of death definitely makes it rather sad too. Maybe perfect for end of the pandemic reading, when we're all grieving and wondering what's next.

Klune has done it again. I could live in the worlds he creates. They are full of love, redemption, heartbreak, and sadness. It could have been a little shorter but other then that another great entry from a great author.

I love TJ Klune’s writing. I love character driven stories and Under the Whispering Door not only has a variety of interesting characters just based on their personalities but also different abilities. The book starts out with Wallace Being essentially a jerk to everyone. So it is not surprising when he dies of a heart attack. He ends up in Charon’s Crossing Tea and Treats after Mei, a reaper, finds him at his own funeral. Here he meets Hugo who is the ferryman whose job it is to help people come to terms with their death and cross over through the door on the 4th floor. Wallace is still a jerk in the beginning but everyone in the tea shop becomes like family to him. I love that there is a dog ghost, Apollo and Nelson, Hugo’s granddad is the comic relief in this story.
Wallace ends up staying at the tea shop much longer than anyone else and learns how to change his clothes and touch things so that he can help around the shop. He grows so much as a character. Learning to find love and appreciate Hugo when he let down his ex wife so much was a big step for him. Also reaching out to help Cameron and Nancy work through their grief made Wallace better in death than in life. The story got a little slow in the middle but once they introduced Alan, a murder victim it picked up again and didn’t stop until the amazing and heartrending conclusion. I would definitely recommend this book.

I enjoyed the beginning of the story, but felt it got bogged down in the middle. The characters were interesting, but the plot was confusing. and became muddled. In the end, it's a satisfying read, but not as engaging as I'd hoped.

I was worried this would be a book about the main character's "greatest hits" and he would realize how much he mattered while he was alive or some cheesy thing like that. But I was pleasantly surprised when it was actually the opposite. No one liked him and he knew it, and it was very charming.

I really liked Wallace and his relationship with the rest of the characters. Their dynamic felt very real and loving but I expected nothing else from TJ Klune.

Death is a very big subject in this novel and sometimes it got too much for me so I had to take a break but it was worth it. I enjoyed it a lot!

Thank you so much, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor books and NetGalley, for the chance to read one of my most anticipated book of the year!!!

When a reaper comes to his funeral, Wallace Price understands he's dead. Instead of leading him to the afterlife, though, the reaper, Mei, takes him to a small village. On the outskirts, a lovely and a peculiar tea shop, run by Hugo, tea shop's owner and the ferryman to souls, like Wallace's, who need to cross over. But Wallace isn't ready and more time he spend with Hugo, Mei, Hugo's grandfather Nelson and Hugo's dog, Apollo, more he struggles to let go, learning what he missed in his barely lived life. When a curious being named the Manager gives him seven days to cross over, Wallace is determined to "live" a lifetime.

Under the Whispering Door is a like a fuzzy blanket, a warm cup of tea (LOL) and I loved everything. It's full of fierce love and joy, grief and hope, a story full of wonderfully complex characters, whose growth was incredible to read.
Wallace is a strong and stubborn main character and we know he wasn't a good person, but reading how much he grows and matures and changes is really touching. I love his building relationship with Hugo, Mei, Nelson and Apollo and how much he slowly becomes part of their family.
Charon's crossing tea and treats is a brilliant setting and I loved it so much, it mixed my love for tea and my curiosity about the afterlife.

The author has a gift for characterization and worlbuilding and this book is full of sweet and funny moments, that made me laugh and swoon so much, but also it's a story about grief, hope and love and the author deals with these delicate themes with care and love, humor and empathy. I also loved the way the author talked about panic attacks and anxiety. I cried more than once, I laughed, I hugged my blanket and I smiled through tears.

Under the Whispering Doors is heartwarming and heartwrenching, filled with amazing characters and I love it so much I can't barely talk.

TJ Klune is definitely a writer that is making his name known. I really enjoyed "The House in the Cerulean Sea" and this one didn't disappoint either. We find Wallace who has died and is a ghost and trying to figure out if he wants to cross over yet.
I really enjoy Klune's quirky characters. I liked that there were trigger warnings stated at the beginning. And this book does deal with a lot of death and grief, but it is also funny and hopeful.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This book had all the whimsy, imagination, gentle queer love, and found family goodness I've come to expect from TJ Klune. The first few chapters grabbed me, then everything slowed down for a while in the middle and I found myself getting impatient. However, the last third or so was terrific. I'll definitely recommend it.

Another amazing book from TJ Klune!

For those wondering, this is not similar to THOTCS, even if the cover art is similar. Although there is a small nod towards Klune's previous adult title, they ultimately exist as separate entities and they do not hit the same story or emotional beats, so please read this one with an open mind!

In Under the Whispering Door, we meet Wallace Price. For lack of a better term, Wallace Price is a huge ASSHOLE. He's your Scrooge type; friendless, bitter, lonely, and focused on the bottom line at his law firm over anything else. Not long after we meet Wallace, he dies from a heart attack, and when he comes to, he's at his incredibly empty funeral save for five people and a stranger he's never seen. That stranger is the Reaper Mei, who guides Wallace to the next stop on his journey to the afterlife: a tea shop on the outskirts of town, home to a ferryman named Hugo who tries to help Wallace accept his fate and find his way to the afterlife. But along the way, Wallace begins to discover that while he may have lived his life all wrong, his afterlife could be different.

This story has a lot of Klune's humor and heart mixed in with some serious musings on death, the afterlife, and the legacy of the lives we live. Klune does a wonderful job navigating a character who's going through grief over his own life, and it plays out in really interesting and creative ways. It's not an easy story to imagine, and I think Klune absolutely should be applauded for what he managed to create with UtWD.

Obviously, I'm a huge ghost romance fan, and this one totally delivers. Without spoiling much, we get to see Wallace grow and evolve as a person/ghost, and Hugo is naturally a huge part of that development. Of all the things that remind me most of Cerulean Sea, it's Hugo and Wallace's relationship compared to Arthur and Linus' relationship. There's a similar will-they-won't-they vibe, because in both situations, the characters need to be careful with their hearts since neither situation could possibly be permanent.

(And obviously I won't spoil how this doomed romance wraps up... but I'm satisfied. It's well done, and surprising enough that I didn't find it predictable.)

Other stand-outs are, of course, the supporting characters, which is a true Klune trademark. Mei is especially a delight, but the characters that appear within the tea shop also make for an interesting story!

Overall, I found this book to feel like a warm hug, and to be exactly what I needed right now. I think I read this one much quicker that Cerulean Sea, too, because it's more magical realism than fantasy and does a great job of balancing reality with the afterlife elements. If you're not already, definitely look forward to this title when it comes out later this year!

Well this is my first ever e-ARC and what a way to start. I fell in love with T. J. Klune's writing in The House on the Cerulean Sea, so when I recently re-joined Netgalley and saw Under the Whispering Door available for request, I instantly hit that button and to my utter delight (and shock), I was accepted.

Under the Whispering Door was an absolute delight to read. I literally laughed out loud in parts and couldn't stop crying in others. The characters are simply wonderful, and the relationship between all of them is so very heartwarming.

T. J. Klune has a way of drawing out your emotions without you feeling manipulated by the text. Klune weaves his story and message together with very real feelins and emotion, but does so with a light whimsical touch. It never feels heavy-handed nor manipulative.

Utterly brilliant. I flew through this and I cannot wait to read more stories by this author.

I never thought a book could break me and put me back together. This was so good with so many lessons you can take to heart: ie appreciate what you have, death is another beginning, family isn’t determined by blood.

Klune put a different twist on death and the afterlife that makes it not so scary. Actually something beautiful.

And the ending? *chef’s kiss* So. Good. I will recommend this over and over again.


Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge publishing for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinion.

After reading and ADORING 'The House in the Cerulean Sea' at the beginning of the year, I was so worried that this would fall short of my expectations. Oh boy was I wrong. This has the same wrapped in a warm hug feeling as his previous book, filled with endlessly loveable characters and heartfelt overarching messages.

We follow Wallace, who after suffering a fatal heart attack, finds himself attending his own funeral. Awkward. He is soon informed by an overenthusiastic reaper that he is a ghost, and promptly escorted to a half-way house in order to cross over. At this house, he meets Hugo, a ferryman to the souls that need to pass over. But is Wallace ready to cross? Or is there still a chance to start truly living, even when one is dead?

Filled with Klune's usual charm, this novel tells a beautiful tale of grief and hope. We get to watch Wallace grow so much, and find true value in himself and those around him. The romance was beyond adorable. I laughed and sobbed in equal measure, the telltale sign of a brilliant book.