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.

This book is a wonderfully comforting and whimsical story about death and humanity. Each character we follow develops as the story progresses, and learn to challenge their own behaviours and expectations. It has a heartwarming feel of found family with a slow burn romance woven throughout.
I think there’s a lot of similarity in tone to The House In The Cerulean Sea and I’m not sure this book was as successful partly due to pacing. This book did feel a little longer than needed and the timeline felt very rigid and restrictive purely because of the book’s concept. Overall I really enjoyed this one.

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.

Wallace Price is a man who likes everything in its place; he is careful, a workaholic, and very unlikeable. So, when he wakes up at his own funeral he is in disbelief. When a reaper comes to collect him to pass on he is indignant. And, when he finally meets the ferryman, Hugo, he is downright angry. But, as he begins to truly live in his afterlife, he sees that he was never really alive in his life (just going through the motions). So, when upper management gives him a week to move on to whatever comes next, Wallace is determined to make the last moments of his afterlife worthwhile.

This book was beautiful. For anyone who has suffered a loss it can be quite soothing and healing. The amount of times they truly talk about death, grief, and leaving behind our loved ones, with such honesty and depth makes your heart grow. Wallace went on such a soul changing journey, from an aloof, uncaring man to someone desperate to keep his connection to his found family. This book touched on the pain, anger, and acceptance of death; but also the human ability to see death as more than just an end.

Wallace was quite the character, and I am still unsure if I ended up liking him or not, for sure I had a hard time connecting to him. His past self was just so different from who he ended up becoming and I just never really understood or saw enough of his character transitioning from one extreme to the next. Sure, I saw moments of growth, but I was never sure how he even allowed himself to start this journey. If I had one issue with this book it was that. Otherwise, by the end Wallace turned out to be quite an amazing person, one who ended up changing the very realm of death.

I adored the connections that Wallace made at Charon's Crossing. His effortless attachment to Hugo, who was such a charming character it was hard not to love him. Hugo's Grandfather Nelson is chipper, truthful, and willing to help Wallace find himself. But my absolute favourite character was Mei, the reaper. She is funny, she shows emotion easily, and she is willing to see the best in people. Her moments were some of the best in the book and really made Charon's Crossing come alive.

However, what I loved most about this book was the world building. I found every aspect of it fascinating, from the reapers, the way stations, the ferryman, to the teashop itself. I felt it just seemed so soothing for something so sad and often tragic. I also found that it made so much sense, this need for souls to truly accept that they are dead and have made peace with themselves in order to go on to their next journey. Just so caringly written and thought out.

This book had a lot of heart, but it also had a lot of humor. This balanced so well with how dark the book could be, making it a much more accessible read. The idea of death is so haunting and looming, you need those brief moments of laughter to really calm and soothe. And what is life if not both light and dark.

This book definitely has a slow start, but much like TJ Klune other recent book, once I was invested in the world of UNDER THING WHISPERING DOOR, I was completely hooked. This is a heartfelt story with incredibly endearing characters. This book also covers important mental health topics, such as anxiety, which I appreciate in a fantasy read. Though a bit drawn out, I loved the plot and the romance.