I no longer feel comfortable recommending this author's books due to how problematic the House in the Cerulean Sea is.

Klune is a master storyteller. Philosophically, I do not agree with this story, but it is a sweet, tender wonderfully written story.

I was sorry to have this come to an end. I'm grateful that my friend, Gretchen, pointed this author out to me. I will look for more of his work. Really great characters. I just want to take them home with me. Quite an intriguing premise. Lots to ponder. Absolutely delicious!

I no longer feel comfortable recommending this author's books after I learned about him being inspired by residential schools to write a cozy, fluffy fantasy book series and never apologizing for it.

TJ Klune's "Under the Whispering Door" welcomes readers to Charon's Crossing, a place where the tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through. In this delightful queer love story, Klune combines elements of "A Man Called Ove" and "The Good Place" to create a narrative that is both heartwarming and humorous.

The story follows Wallace, who begins to suspect he might be dead when a reaper comes to collect him from his own funeral. When Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, offers to help him cross over, Wallace decides to embrace the opportunity. However, even in death, Wallace is not ready to abandon the life he barely lived. Given one week to cross over, he sets out to live a lifetime in seven days.

Klune's storytelling once again exudes the same cozy and comforting feeling that captivated readers in "The House in the Cerulean Sea." The charming and heartwarming atmosphere is complemented by the hilarity of watching Wallace navigate the afterlife and discover the true meaning of living, even when you're dead.

The characters in "Under the Whispering Door" are endearing, each contributing to the overall warmth of the narrative. The exploration of life, death, and the choices we make is poignant, offering moments of reflection and insight into the human experience.

As a fan of TJ Klune's previous works, I appreciate the author's ability to blend humor and heart in a way that resonates with readers. "Under the Whispering Door" is a testament to Klune's talent for crafting uplifting and emotionally resonant stories. I gave it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars, thoroughly enjoying the journey beyond life that this novel provides. TJ Klune continues to establish himself as a favorite author, delivering stories that leave a lasting impact on the heart and soul.

If you're looking for a book that will make you sob the entire way through, this is the book for you! I sobbed quite literally 80% of the way through my audiobook. "Under the Whispering Door" is an evident tale through grief and what it means to live your life to the fullest. While not all the crying may be bad, some is actually good, it is one of the most emotional pieces I have read and absolutely worth the time.

This was a hard one to review, because I loved the concept and the story itself but there was so much in the writing that left me wanting something different. The majority of the book feels so drawn out, yet the characters were never fully fleshed out. There is this great idea of Wallace changing for the better once actually faced with death, but I never really understood the why of him actually changing. The romance also seemed to come a bit out of nowhere. I also love a happy ending but this one felt unfair, because I can't see a reality in which death would make the exception for this one man amongst the millions of people who die every day. Instead of giving a more true to life ending where Wallace floats through the door after making a dramatic change in who he is, he's for some reason only the second person in the entire history of humanity to be given a second chance.

I wanted to love this so badly! I can see why so many people would like this. The concept is intriguing. The writing style is beautiful. I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea, because of the connections and character arcs. However, these characters just didn't land it for me. I also found that it dragged a lot and after the main character figured it out and it fell into the whole purpose and him leaving the shop I just found I couldn't care.

In line with some recent trends in literature that examine death and regret, and being offered chances to redeem oneself, and to see what really matters in life and the beyond.

The premise of this book was interesting and had potential, but it fell a bit flat and came across more Hallmark-y. The plot was very disjointed, slow, and quite random. The characters did develop, but their development came out of left field and didn't add much to the plot or the progression of the story, in my opinion. The imagery was really powerful and well done, so kudos to the author's ability to paint vivid scenes and settings. Overall, it wasn't the book for me, but the descriptive work was well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

So much emotional torment in this one. It took 3 days to read it because the beginning of the book was so depressing. I enjoyed it. It was good the ending left us filled with hope.

I just can’t get behind this author knowing how problematic Cerulean Sea was. I’ve now tried a couple of times and I just can’t do it.

Of course, I had to read Under the Whispering Door after falling madly in love with The House in the Cerulean Sea. This is a very different story, and much harder for me to read - it deals deeply with grief and death and you'll either buy into the characters or you won't. Did I like Wallace? No, I did not but similarly to House in the Cerulean Sea it seems that Klune likes to take unlikeably curmudgeons of characters and take you on an emotional journey with them. I did enjoy Cerulean Sea much more, I thought that Linus was much more redeemable than Wallace. Death and grieving are very close to my heart, I'm not sure if those who have not dealt with a very close death in their life will want to give Wallace a chance. I thought this book was heartwrenching, beautiful at times, and pretty difficult to get through without tissues close by.

A story and world full of charm, Under the Whispering Door will grip you from the first page and never let you go. The characters shine on every page and feel oh so real. This is a beautifully crafted story and romance filled with magic.

This was an ok story, I didn’t like nor did i hate it. I like the authors writing style and will continue to read from her.

This book was such a nice warm hug that I didn't know I needed until I read it! TJ Klune is fantastic at writing books that have a strong "found family" plot. The book opens up with a sarcastic main character who just is an awful person. Throughout the book, we get to see the realization of his own flaws and him discovering things he didn't have when he was alive.

Good book! It is reminiscent of A Man Called Ove. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. It wasn’t as quick of a read as I expected but it was worth it all the way to the end. Many will enjoy this book. It explores grief, changing your outlook, love, family and so much more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the DRC.

TJ Klune is a huge hit in my system. I knew there would be a long holds list for this one and I was happy to order extra copies so that I could recommend it to anyone and everyone without worrying as much about their wait.

Such a heartwarming read with an incredible cast of characters. I fell in love with every single character and their own personal storylines.