Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book. I liked it much better than Klune's other popular work, The House in the Cerulean Sea. The vibes of this book were much more my style, and although there was a good amount of well-done humor, it mainly focuses on how people deal with death and grief. The relationship between Wallace and Hugo was a slow burn, but it was very heartfelt and really destroyed me in the end. The side characters of Nelson and Mei were also great and added a lot to the story.

4.5 stars

TJ Klune has become one of my favorite authors and a definite auto-buy. He writes heartbreaking yet heartwarming stories with the most beautiful characters; his books are the kind that stay in your heart forever and Under The Whispering Door is my favorite!.

This was a book I put off for a long time because I knew this would be a cry fest. I knew it would make me feel things I was not ready to deal with. But I read it at the best time. I was apprehensive at first but I loved every moment of this book. I fell in love with all the characters, Even the ones that were only in the story for a brief moment. It was so beautiful and I am officially the biggest Klune fan.

Under the whispering door does an outstanding job of exploring death, love, and family in non-threatening ways that will make most any reader feel comfortable and interested to learn more. The world-building is phenomenal as is characteristic with Klune's works. I absolutely adored all of the characters and loved the nuanced love between Hugo and Wallace. This was such a good book and I can't wait to read more from Klune.

I loved this book so much! It was such an interesting concept and told with such an interesting plot. I really just enjoyed reading this book and felt like it really dug deep into my heart strings about what life is truly about and to enjoy every moment you get on planet earth.

Under the Whispering Door is a basically a redemption arc for a Scrooge-like character who realises what's worth it in life after he's dead. I feel that it basically turns out exactly how you would expect, every story beat predictable -- it felt like there was a heavy Moral Of The Story, or like it was a Hallmark movie or something. It was heartwarming, but in a very obvious way; it was all about savouring life while you have it and being a good person, and the importance of family, but you could see the "point" behind every scene.

That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book: I flew through it, I cried at the right moments, and I thought the relationships were sweet. I laughed at a couple of scenes. All in all, I had fun. Hugo is a lovely guy, Nelson is hilarious, Mei probably shouldn't be trusted with knives, and Wallace is a complete asshole until he isn't.

I had basically the same experience with The House in the Cerulean Sea, to be honest. There was a point, a moral, and the story was gonna get me there and make me feel things about it. It's effective, which keeps it from being simply annoying, but it was very perceptible to me. Your mileage will definitely vary on whether it pushes your buttons or not.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Books for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

I wasn't too sure about this book when I first started it, but I absolutely loved the story that came to light and the found family that was formed. I was so annoyed by Wallace at first, but his journey and growth is so real and I adored watching him begin to understand himself and the meaning of life.

The romance was so sweet and I just wanted more of them together! I loved the way that Wallace simply becomes part of the family and is touching and refreshing.

This is definitely a heavy book that will make you think, and I really enjoyed getting into the depths of it and reflecting on everything. It's funny, deep, full of sorrow and grief, and I enjoyed every second!

I DNF'd this book. I was absolutely obsessed with The House on the Cerulean Sea, but there was something missing from this book that brought me in to the other read. I don't think I've given up on this author but I didn't really like this read unfortunately.

Klune is basically cozy fantasy royalty in todays day and age. If you want to cry a little but also feel like you are having the warmest embrace at the same time, pick this book up now. The characters are amazing and beautiful. The storytelling is like sitting around a fire on a perfect night which a sweet old man telling you tales about anything and everything. This book and all of Klune’s books are amazing and worth your time!

I was a little worried about this one to start with, but It was absolutely fantastic. There is nothing more I love than a book that has a ghost in it, and while it had the same “vibe” as The House on the Cerulean Sea, it was just … different. It dealt more with grief and loss and was unbelievably heart-warming in its own way. The character development was second-to-none, and while I started the book absolutely hating the MC, i wound up not only enjoying him, but empathizing with him in the end. Theres nothing I love more than a book that subverts my expectations.

This book made me laugh out loud. It made me feel things which- with as many books as I read- doesnt happen as often as I would like when reading. This is the kind of book I WAIT for.

Sigh. Where to even start with this book.

It’s dreamy. It’s funny. It’s wise. It’s the kind of book that builds a world so beautiful that you wish you could just escape inside and live there.

Wallace is a very unlikable man, and when he dies, no one really seems to care. When he gets picked up by a super fun Reaper, he is still in denial…he’s pretty much bouncing back between denial and anger the whole time. He gets taken to this wonderful sounding tea shop where Hugo, the charming and warm owner, is tasked to help him crossover…along with Hugo’s grandfather and dog, both ghosts who have decided to stick around awhile.

If books could hug you, that’s what this one would do. I cried, of course, but they were happy, emotional, YAY! tears! TJ Klune should truly get his own MasterClass. Who do I need to contact to get this done?!

I'm not very objective about this one. TJ is one of my favorite writers, so I was going to love it in a way or another.
As always, TJ finds the way to show you how much something can hurt and comfort at the same time. Please, give it a chance.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

TJ Klune has yet to disappoint me, and has mastered the grumpy character once again. This story covers themes of death and what comes next and is nestled in a cozy little tea shop that serves as the perfect back drop. I love the settings this author weaves around his stories and I always fall in love with the characters. A lovely read that will squeeze your heart.

LGBTQ rep: Bisexual MC & M/M

This book gave me solace and comfort in a way I’ve never had done before. The discussions on grief, death, and how to live through, and with, it all were absolutely phenomenal. I haven’t found myself this attached to characters in such a long time but even weeks later I’m still thinking about them. Aside from how much I loved the characters and everything about their relationships, the writing style was like a warm hug. This book has just solidified Klune as an auto buy author for me.

Wallace starts to wonder if he's dead when a reaper shows up to take him away from his own burial. When Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead.Even in death, though, Wallace is unable to give up the life he barely lived, so when he is given one week to live, he decides to spend a lifetime in that time. Beneath the Whispering Door is a funny, eerie, and compassionate tale about a life at the workplace and a death building a house.
The book is slow in the beginning but eventually develops into an amazing plot. Its a story of grief, loss and friendship. It provides an interpretation of afterlife in a light hearted way. It pushes one to think. It is a thought provoking light hearted read that I definitely recommend.

Rating: run out and buy it<3⁣
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Ahhh, I just ADORED this book. ⁣
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It felt like a warm hug💛⁣
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This book follows Wallace after he passes away. He’s collected by a reaper and taken to a “crossing station” where he is meant to cross over to whatever comes after death.⁣
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But Wallace isn’t quite ready. The people that he meets at the crossing station make him realize that maybe there was supposed to be more to life than just work. ⁣
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(,:⁣
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Loved this book. Especially loved Mei’s character!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan-tor for letting me read and review this book. TJ Klune is a great author, their writing style and characters are stunning. I like their world-building, I feel like I am transported to Klune's world with Wallace and Hugo.

The story is about a reaper collecting Wallace Price at his funeral. The reaper takes Price to a small village and he meets a tea shop owner named Hugo. Hugo helps Wallace learn about everything he missed in his life. This is a heartwarming and emotional story of grief and hope.

After how much I absolutely loved The House in the Cerulean Sea, I was sold on reading anything released by T.J. Klune, so I was very excited when I heard about Under the Whispering Door, and thought the concept sounded really interesting too.

It was still a good story, and much like Cerulean Sea, it had a coziness to it, and it was uplifting and heartwarming, and I am finding that I absolutely enjoy cozy fantasy stories, and I want more of these simpler tales. Sure, I love a good epic fantasy where a band of misfits have to band together to save the world. It’s classic. But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a more low-stakes tale.

Following Wallace and Hugo and everyone else at Charon’s Crossing made for a lovely reading experience. And the whole story solidified my belief that I want to keep reading these books by T.J. Klune. I mean, come on, how interesting is it to have a story where the protagonist truly learns to live after dying. It’s also fascinating to have a cozy story with such a focus on death, and how death can make you see what’s important with life.

But I wasn’t as wholly lost and captivated by this one compared to the previous one. It wasn’t as magically heartwarming, and it took me a bit longer to get through everything. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though. It’s nice to have some tales that take you a little longer to get through.

Honestly, I probably should do a Cerulean Sea and Whispering Door re-read. I feel like reading some more cozy fantasy books sounds pretty darn good right now. So…if you have any cozy fantasy recommendations, let me know!

Sooo good! One of my faves to read! Definitely would recommend picking this one up if you see it in the store