Thanks to the publisher for the advance review copy.

I got this book for review nearly two years ago (over two years ago?). I try to get through every single book I get for review, so for the past 18-24 months, I have repeatedly picked up this book and tried to plow on through it. Each time, I've never gotten further than chapter 3.

A lighthearted, funny book about a lawyer who dies seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately, I just couldn't stand the writing style, and the characters and dialogue seemed juvenile, like they belonged in a YA novel. There also just wasn't enough propelling this book forward. Almost as soon as I read the first page, I felt like I knew what the outcome would be: that the lawyer, who was an unfeeling workaholic in life to the detriment of all his personal relationships, will ultimately realize that friendship and love are the most important things in the world by the end of the novel. Of course, I didn't get far enough in to find out — but really, what other endings could there be?

I'm not leaving a rating on Goodreads because I don't rate books that I did not finish.

Wow. Another stunning book by TJ Klune. Hopeful and heartbreaking, with moments that were hard to read. Most of all, a book about life and love.

Read with care.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

I absolutely adored TJ Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea and had to read Under the Whispering Door and it did not disappoint! I love the interesting story of Wallace, a recently deceased man, living his best life at an in-between life and death tea shop. Like Klune's other book, you laugh at the same time as learn an important message about life. It's a great read for everyone.

I started to read this and it didn't grab my attention within the first 50 pages. I stopped reading at that point. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Honestly, I don’t know what to say. I really enjoyed reading this book! It’s definitely got a similar, if slightly less cozy, vibe to Cerulean. The characters are very different, though, and while it took a little to warm up to them all, I did enjoy my time with them. It was hopeful and heartfelt in the best way.

I really enjoyed Cerulean Sea so had high hopes for this one. I enjoyed it but did not fall in love with the characters as much as the other. Still worth a read, though!

I attempted to read the ARC of one of my most anticipated 2021 books and after 40% I couldn't make myself care about this boring and dull story so I quickly dnfd and never looked back. The most interesting thing about this book is the cover, which is a bummer because it promised so much! But alas....it seems only house in the cerulean sea was a good book from this author for me.

I really tried to love this book, but it just wasn’t for me. The beginning was just too slow and I ended up DNFing

I absolutely loved this book. The dialogue was so quick and easy to read. I flew through it because the romance was just the perfect amount of slow burn. I cried for Wallace and Hugo. I cried when Apollo crossed. I just cannot say enough amazing things about this one. I will continue to read TJ Klune releases!

Under the Whispering Door was a beautiful story about family and queer love without making the queerness of it all the main plot point. I love TJ Klunes writing style and am always looking forward to new heartwarming and sometimes refreshing supernatural stories by him. He shows that it does not always have to be a steamy vampire or any other type of supernatural creature to give the world a little bit of romantic magic.

It is difficult for me to put into words how much I loved this book! I have loved all TJ Klune's books so far, and every time I am transported into fabulous worlds, with quirky and flawed characters, and such heartwarming relationships that it gets me every time!

Wallace Price is a lawyer, who doesn't have the time for his employees' complaints, relationships, or for the reaper that has come to take him away during his funeral... Wait, he died ?! He needs to speak to their manager about it!
He is transported into a small teashop in the middle of nowhere by Mei, his reaper, to meet with the ferryman, Hugo Freeman, and death takes on a new meaning, as he realizes that death is not the end of something, but also the beginning of something else.

This book is an exploration of grief, and death in different forms, so it can be difficult and triggering at times for some, but it is done in such a delicate and powerful way that gives an overtone of hope in this story.
Please read if you love a small dose of magic in your books, and a heavy dose of cute relationships and found family!

4/5 stars

Things I liked:
- found friends/family
- Hugo, Mei, Nelson, and Apollo were all fantastic
- this book deals with heavy topics such as grief, death, etc., but it is also full of a lot of funny and heartwarming moments that balanced out the heavier parts
- a variety of diverse main characters
- LGBTQIA+ rep, including a main M/M relationship
- positive mental health rep

Things I didn't like:
- Wallace - he had a ton of emotional growth, which was great, but I just struggled to like him as a character

4 Stars

I have to be completely honest whilst reviewing this, it took me so long to read through no fault of the book, mainly just me being super busy and only reading when I've had time which is so unfortunate.

I have to say with TJ Klune books I always seem to love the characters, they're all so different and wonderful in their own ways and you can't help but feel the feels and think that you're part of the family with them.

There's so much to unpack when reading this and it really does make you think. This is one that I hope to re-read and enjoy even more the second time around!

I had very high expectations for this book. Not only because I loved this author’s other book, the house in the cerulean sea, but because one the main themes of this book is death and grief, and when I received this ARC I was grieving my grandmother. it took me a long time to actually dive into this book because it hit so close to home and I often had to put it down even when I was loving the writing and story

Well, I finally finished it and it was wonderful.

The premise of this book does not do it justice because while it is a story about a person who dies and tries to live life in death to the fullest, It is above all else about forgiving yourself and learning everyone is a little bit sad all the time and that’s okay.

Wallace was a very frustrating character at first. He was harsh and selfish and had seemingly no humanity, but as the book progressed, we got to see Wallace come alive in death. He made connections, he found a purpose and he found love.

Klune’s writing evokes such strong emotions from me and this book was no different. He is a master at melancholic prose but still manages to be hopeful.

My only gripe with this book is that it was a little too long for the sort of “slice of life” story it was trying to tell, but other than that I loved it so much. I can’t wait their next work!

Thank you Tor and NetGalley for the eARC (electronic advanced readers copy) in exchange for an honest review.

TJ Klune does amazing work. This one was not my favorite but I did enjoy! I will likely read more books in the future by this author

Oooof, TJ Klune broke my heart into a million pieces again. In the best way possible, of course. I loved Wallace’s character arc and the relationships he had with each character. I would’ve enjoyed more backstory for each one, but it was still an excellent book.

I was hoping Under the Whispering Door would sell me on this fantasy world, but it still fell short, much like Hiuse in the Cerulean Sea. The premise sounds nice, but the execution just doesn't work for me.

Among the scones and variety of teas found at Charon's Crossing is a portal to the afterlife. Wallace was a taciturn lawyer with no friends when he died. Arriving at the tea shop, he reflects on his life before passing on, making new friends- both dead and alive- at the same time.

The best parts of this book were the dog, Apollo, and the queer love storyline. Everything else was dialogue-heavy with little action until over halfway through the book. I'd definitely recommend The House in the Cerulean Sea over this book. 3☆

3.5 stars

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace must accept that he is dead. Wallace is brought to a place called Charon’s Crossing where he meets the ferryman, Hugo, and his afterlife is changed forever. Wallace gets the opportunity to reflect on his life and the choices he’s made while helping the Reaper and the Ferryman with their work. But then Wallace is given a deadline on this little slice of afterlife, and he must decide what comes next.

TJ Klune is one of my all time favorite authors and I love watching his rise to success. So many of his previous romance novels are some of my favorites, but this book and the book before it (THITCS) fell flat for me. They’re both too long and the pacing too slow. There’s still a beautiful story and wonderfully written characters, but I was reading this book for over a month and it dragged. It honestly put me into a reading slump while reading it.

Overall I enjoyed this book, but it’s lacking the magic I come to expect from a Klune novel where I devour the book as fast as I can because I have to know what happens. That aspect was missing and it took away from my reading experience.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

As a huge fan of "The House in the Cerulean Sea", I couldn't wait to pick up this book. It still delivers the same level of sweetness but with a touch of sadness. I love a book that examines how a character develops when confronted with death, and this one delivered a protagonist who seemed like a completely different person at the end of the book. While I found his development a little too extreme, I still grew to love him and the rest of the characters. The tone and feeling of the book have stayed with me long after reading it.