I'll be honest. I know so many people absolutely love this author and like all of his books. But I just couldn't get into this one. Not sure if it's the writing or that it was just so much different than I thought it would be. I had to dnf it. Sorry.

Wallace doesn't believe he is dead until the reaper comes to collect him. Even then he doesn't want to believe it because he missed so much. Hugo helps Wallace see his life differently. Then someone shows up and tells Wallace he has one week. So he uses that week to live. It was a sweet story. An interesting take on grief and how to not dwell on the sad part.

This book is so full of everything great. The message, the charm, the appeal makes this such a wonderful read. I cannot help but to smile just thinking about it!

5 stars

This book has a little warning in the beginning. The author is cautioning the reader that this book is about life and love and loss and grief. He says "Please read with care". And I must admit I smirked at it. I've started reading this in Oct 2021 and one third in, I had to put it down and take a break. I've finished it in Dec 2022. So yes.

Trying to describe or summarize this book feels like trying to describe the colour green to a visually impaired born person.

There is so much depth and the feelings are expressed, explored, related in such a beautiful, profound, sometimes funny, sometimes painful way that is like no other book written.

The author has a surreal gift to capture in words almost indescribable feelings and impossible situations. And best of all, they are funny. he brings you to the brings of tears and then something utterly funny happens and you find yourself crying and laughing at the same time.

Kirt Graves, the narrator of this book is absolutely fantastic! He is doing an excellent job. If i wouldn't know there is only person reading this, I could swear there are multiple people reading it.

It's an absolute delight to read his books as they take yo, the reader, and transform you into a different, better, more serene version of yourself. Such a treat!!

I can hardly wait for the next one!

If you love a good redemption story or unlikely friendship story then pick this one up. While I would have liked to have seen more of Wallace's transformation from the evil guy at the beginning of the book the found family and friendship made it okay. It kind of reminds me of the "Can we skip to the good part" audio for reels/tiktok, but I digress. Wallace is a jerk, he cares about himself and no one else so when he has a heart attack and has to face his mortality and the cast of characters to help him crossover he realizes how he has lived does not make a life he can be proud of looking back on.
When he gets to the wonky looking house with his reaper, Mei he meets Hugo, his ferryman; Nelson, Hugo's grandfather ghost; and Apollo, Hugo's dog ghost. While there are other key characters throughout I really just fell in love with this core group and felt their emotions. There were also interspersed bits of comedy mixed in with the deeper lessons of the book to balance each other out.
While this book will, of course, be compared to The House in the Cerulean Sea I feel like there are plenty of comparisons to be made but it is a book of its own to be compared to only itself. I did, though, appreciate that some of the pictures in the house most certainly seemed to be nods to The House on the Cerulean Sea.

The narration of this one was well done and I would recommend the audio version if you are considering it.

Wallace is a lawyer and embodies all the things people dislike about them. He is structured, demanding and cold and always places tasks and rules above people. When he awakes and finds himself with a reaper at his own funeral, he has to take into consideration the fact that he might be dead.

When he gets to Charon Crossing, the teahouse where the final door resides and meets Hugo who is the ferryman who helps the dead make the final crossing he starts to believe. But he isn't ready to accept. He was in good health! He wasn't ready to go! Wallace tries to change the situation by negotiating, running away and demanding to see someone higher up. But slowly he accepts that he is dead.

But Wallace realizes he hasn't ever lived. There are other people at the teashop. Hugo's grandfather and his dog are there. Mia, his reaper and Hugo are there along with an assortment of those who have died and are waiting to be taken to the door. Slowly, over the days Wallace remains he starts to love these people and adopt them as his family and as he changes and becomes more open and loving, they accept him as family also. Is he finally ready to go through the door?

This is a lovely book with characters that the reader will remember long after the book is over. It was a Locus Top Ten Finalist For Fantasy Novels and one of Buzzfeed's Best Books of 2022. Hugo is a loving character from the start and Wallace's change from a self-centered man who wanted only empty accomplishments to a man who discovers love is life affirming. Wallace and Hugo's love affair makes the reader hope for a happy ending although it is hard to imagine what that will be when one of them is dead. This book is recommended for fantasy readers.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! 4.5 stars
I found this book to be moving and a great read for those who have lost loved ones and also those who may not be living their life to the fullest. There is humor and deep emotion throughout the pages of this book.

I enjoyed Under the Whispering Door but there wasn't anything that made me love it.

I enjoyed the whimsicalness and humour sprinkled throughout, it kept it light without being too much. There were still some quite emotional scenes that tug on the heartstrings. One of my biggest annoyances is that it really hammers it's point into you in a heavy handed manner - being a better person and the value of life.

Wallace initially drove me nuts so I was looking forward to seeing his growth. He has a lot to learn and, though I eventually grew to like him, I never loved him. I also feel we missed something in how the love connection happened, it felt abrupt and unnecessary. the side characters were my favourites, especially Mei, and the quirky tea shop sounds like an adorable charming place that i'd love to visit.

The ending was disappointing and not what I was expecting. But overall, I enjoyed the read and it was cute and quirky.

I really enjoyed the narration. Kirt Graves did a great job bringing the characters to life and balanced the humour and emotion well.

I’m just not feeling it. I honestly don’t care what happens. I have such a massive tbr, and while I loved Cerulean and wanted to love this, I don’t want to finish this one and if I did it’d be because I’m forcing myself through it. The narrator was fantastic though. Wonderful voice.

TJ Klune writes stories that take you on a emotional rollercoaster. The characters are described so well that you feel their emotions deep in your soul. Also, he ensures you can see how the characters change and become better throughout his books. The audio version of this book was fantastic! The narrator makes each character different which helped me keep them straight in my head, but also helped with how they were described.

If you haven’t read this book yet, you need to! It was just as good as the first book in the series. This book had me laughing, crying, and falling in love with the characters. This book was filled with witty banter, heartfelt moments, and touched on loss and grief. I highly recommend checking it out!

Grab your tea and tissues folks, because you'll want both for this book. In my monthly wrap-up I classified it as producing "all the feels" and I think that sums it up nicely.

"The first time you share tea, you are a stranger. The second time you share tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share tea, you become family.”

- TJ Klune, Under the Whispering Door

Imagine this - after death you end up at a tea shop where a "ferryman" helps to guide you to the next life. While this probably sounds pretty good to a bunch of us (cool afterlife tea shop? heck yeah!), the pompous, self-centered main character of this story is convinced otherwise. Having spent his life obsessed with work, money, and status, he remains unimpressed and resistant to the fact of his death.

To be honest, at the beginning of the book my cold, black heart felt zero sympathy for the MC. However, as the story progressed, I found myself unconsciously sucked into the pervading theme of kindness and redemption in this story. As Klune's message subtly crept in, it did a mental takeover without me even realizing it. By the end, I felt so invested in all of the characters - including the protagonist - that I was laughing and crying alongside them. That's some magic right there.

While there isn't necessarily anything groundbreaking about either the plot or message, it was a wonderful read. The story encourages living
your life to the fullest and loving others - things we all need to be reminded of regularly. Where T. J. Klune really shines is his ability to create memorable, quirky characters. This, coupled with a biting sense of humor is what elevates his books. His characters have a way of worming their way into your heart, and his message of love and
inclusion is so refreshing in today's world. Reading Klune is like drinking a cozy cup of tea on a cold, blustery day.

Be forewarned - this book obviously deals with death, grief and loss. For that reason, it's a bit "heavier" than The House in the Cerulean Sea. However, I think fans of that book will also appreciate this one.

Thank you to @Macmillan.audio for my complimentary ALC!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXCjKxkLOyT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

TJ klune never fails to write a perfect book. Dealing with grief in such a beautiful way with such loveable and charming characters, this book will be one of my favourites for all time

I truly loved this audio book. The narration, production and story came alive while listening! I laughed, cried and fell in love with the cold main character and the amount of growth for all the characters is incredible. Truly a great heart warming read during colder months and fall. When death is a part of life but brings a new stage of life to appreciate. It is a comfort read I would happily listen to again as well as great dry comedic relief added in.

What a charming audiobook!! If you love a book with all the "feels" you will love this one! I fell in love with the characters and I both laughed and cried throughout the book. I am now a new TJ Klune fan!!

This book was heart wrenching but I loved how sweet it was. Such a feel good cup of tea! I loved the characters and the pacing was just right.

I absolutely loved this book! It was humorous yet it dealt with tragedy in a way that meant something to the reader. I liked both of the MC's a lot and I thought the characterization and character development was particularly well-done. Wallace undergoes some real changes as the plot thickens, which I enjoyed watching come to fruition. I also am one who really enjoys a romance that builds more slowly rather than sex/lustful thoughts the minute they lay eyes on each other. I thought Klune did a fantastic job with the topic of death in ways that made me question some things myself, and I assume it will do the same for others.

The narrator was excellent and, in my opinion, definitely added to the enjoyment of the story. I would have liked the written book alone, I am sure, but I am also positive that this narrator's reading of the book added something that gave me more insight into the characters.

I highly recommend this book to others, even if death is a subject one doesn't typically like to read about.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for an e-ARC of this book.

It was utterly charming! It tugs only your heartstrings, makes you laugh, gives you the warm fuzzies… all of it! I want to give this book a hug!

If you like found families, endearing characters, and silly hijinks, this is your book!

Well that was one heck of a wonderful, creative book. I fell in love with all of the characters and found myself hilariously laughing out loud and sloppily crying my heart out. I don’t want to give the story away but if you’re in the mood for a cup of tea and someone to be there for you, pick up this book. It’s brilliant. Just all the more reason for me to read all of Klune’s books.
Full review to come on YouTube.

Title was received and then archive shortly days after. I did absolutely love the book before this and I already am going to pick up a personal copy