Thank you so much for letting me listen to Under the Whispering Door. The narrator was perfect. I loved hearing the changes in characters and sinking into the story through the audio. I had been driving my kids like crazy and needed to stay engaged in the book!

Under the Whispering Door is a soft, sweet, heartwarming story of love, death and life. I enjoyed all of the characters so much. While TJ Klune can feel a little slow to me, the wait always pays off. I like how he can make a unique story so incredibly relatable with important themes that make our hearts happy. For fast paced, this is not your book. For cozy, warm and perfect for blanket reading - grab this book.

I go a little back and forth on this. Floating some where between 3.5 and 4 stars. I half wonder if this style is just not my cup of tea? Its beautifully written, there is no doubt about that. The beginning started off great. Fun, quirky, and a little bit tragic. I was very captivated at first, but I found the book started to drag. To the point where I kept checking to see how far along I was and couldn't believe I was no where near the end. It has a very slice of life feel.. but with a bit too many filler episodes in between. Even the ending felt a little too drawn out for me.. but again, I'm not sure if this style is really what I would reach for.

Overall I still enjoyed it but not nearly as much as I'd expected to. I'm glad I got a chance to listen to this on audio vs reading as it was easier to digest and enjoy the slower parts audibly than if I was reading it.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Books for the e-audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4 - 4.5 stars

I am only going to comment on the narration because this is the kind of story that readers (and in this case listeners) should go in without knowing too much. I felt that the narrator was good and really brought the characters and story to life. Their voice sounded so familiar when they were doing Wallace’s voice and a few chapters in it hit me that he sort of sounded like Vincent D'Onofrio lol. So that made me laugh for a second but I quickly got over it and was sucked back in the story.

Like many people have said I laughed, cried, grew exasperated and then delighted. This is such a powerful book about death, self-discovery, and found family. I couldn’t recommend it enough!

ARC given by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Another tender and sweet story from TJ Klune. If you loved The House in the Cerulean Sea, like I did, you won't be disappointed by this new book. However, I do think readers need to manage their expectations before diving in. This is not as lighthearted; House had it's moments of 'darkness, but Door doesn't hesitate to get down in the depths at times. This is a book about death and dying. But, Klune still managed to handle grief, legacies, and what it means to be alive realistically and genuinely. The main characters was really well-developed - I especially enjoyed Mei and Nelson. There were some things I didn't latch onto fully, mainly the romance between Wallace and Hugo. It felt like it dropped out of nowhere, they went from a tenuous acquaintance to love and I felt like I missed when that actually happened. Maybe that was the point, but I felt it could have been fleshed out a little more. The narration by Kirt Graves was very good, I had not heard him narrate before, but will watch for his name now. Overall, a solid outing from Klune; I've already recommended it to several readers.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ALC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Wallace Price was used to getting his own way and something of a jerk in life. He's shocked and in disbelief to find himself attending his own funeral - there must be some mistake. Can he speak to manager? Luckily he is engaged by a reaper named Mei who leads him to a tea shop in a small village, run by a man named Hugo. Hugo has two jobs - the tea shop's owner and is also a ferryman to help souls that need to cross over into the afterlife. Looking back on life, Walter isn't ready to move on - he missed so much in life, there are so many things left undone. With Hugo's help, he starts to learn about the things he missed in life.

Don't hate me for saying it, but for me this is a case of "It's not you, it's me." The book was well written, I liked it, but I didn't love it. I think I just wasn't really in the right headspace to get into it. I loved the diversity and the representation, the characters and their relationships were really lovely. It was all about the relationships and Wallace's emotional growth, so there was not a lot of action and I felt like the middle dragged a bit. Maybe my mind was just more in the mood for something with a faster pace. There were good points and bad points and for me it was just ok. I experienced this book as a dual read - I switched back and forth between the audiobook and the ebook. The audiobook was very well done and I enjoyed listening to it. The narrator did a fabulous job with the various voices and distinguishing between the characters. All in all, a good book, but just not the right one for me at the moment.

Thank you to Netgalley,Tor Publishing and Macmillian Audio for the gifted copy.

This is a Paranormal MM Romance. I really could not decide if I should pick this book up because I was not sure if I would like it. This book has a lot about Ghosts, and I really love books with Ghosts. The romance in this book was not a big thing. I loved the writing in this book, and I loved all the characters in this book. The cover to this book is everything. If you have read and loved The House in the Cerulean Sea then I think you will love this book because I think the characters and the writing in this book is very similar. I listen to the audiobook of this book, and I really loved the narrator. If you like audiobooks you should listen to this book's audiobook. I feel the narrator made this book come to life. I was kindly provided an e-audiobook of this book by the publisher (Macmillan Audio) or author (T.J. Klune) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

A huge thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this advanced audio edition. I am so thankful! <3

I'm....emotional???

Once again T.J. Klune reaches into my brain to create a book that was obviously written just for me. Found Family? Friends to Lovers? Epic friendship and love? A quiet tea shop? What more could I ask for. But of course I sobbed as well because you get poked with that sadness stick (but sad in a happy kind of way)

I just loved it! It was just the book I needed!

I won’t be reading this because my mental health has taken a massive hit and the CW warned about some subjects that would be talked about and I didn’t feel secure moving forward I am sure this is an amazing book and I’m really saddened that my mental health took a unhealthy turn

This book is just. So nice. It's like being wrapped up in a hug. TJ Klune does it again, making me care about characters I wouldn't necessarily care about or even like. Just. Thank you. Thank you so much.

As usual, T.J. Klune has made me feel all the feels. This book was such a unique narrative on the stages of grief, the need to actually live the life we’ve been given, and a beautiful love story all in one. I can’t imagine a more beautiful story could be told by anyone else.

The narrator was perfect for this story. His voice was melodic and encouraged me to sink into the story.

DISCLAIMER: I received this book free from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the narration for this book. It definitely cracked me up qute a few times. I will continue to read anything by TJ Klune.

🐝 R E V I E W 🐝

Under the Whispering Door
By TJ Klune

☕️☕️☕️☕️/5

Happy Pub Day to this gem 💎! This one’s going to be everywhere!! It’s so well written and so well thought out. And, there were some laugh out loud moments despite the heaviness. I adored the characters!

🫖 Synopsis: Wallace is a callous attorney in life. Putting work before everything and treating everyone terribly. When he suddenly dies, a reaper comes and takes him to a tea shop run by a man named Hugo. Wallace begins to learn so much about life, and perhaps what he missed out on during his own while visiting the tea shop. And, he falls in love, but he’s dead. Wallace is given seven days to cross over, and his whole world@is turned upside down again.

🫖 I keep thinking this is like a modern, non-holiday A Christmas Carol. Bah humbug! Add in a romance and 😍This story, while familiar, is just unique enough that it will keep you intrigued. A book that will make you think, make you wish, and make you cry to get through. It’s a story about grief and regret over things lost, and time having slipped away from you. It will stay with you long after you read it.

🫖 A Fave Quote: “Everyone loses their way at some point and it’s not just because of their mistakes or the decisions they make. It’s because they’re horribly, wonderfully human.”

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC!

Wallace Price is a jerk. He is a workaholic, has no friends and is very self absorbed. Did I also mention that he is a lawyer and that he is dead? This is his story. Wallace must come to terms with his death and the life he left behind. His journey begins when a reaper takes him to a small tea shop where the ferryman, Hugo, is there to patiently answer his questions and guide him to the next place. As Wallace begins to accept the fact that he is actually dead he begins to see that the life he lived wasn't much of a life. Supported by a unique and heartwarming cast of characters Wallace begins to experience feelings that he has never felt before.

This story will have you laughing and crying throughout as only TJ Klune can do. The subject of death is a serious topic that is handled with great empathy and hope. I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to more from this very talented story teller.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review. The narrator did a great job!!

✨𝐑 𝐄 𝐕 𝐈 𝐄 𝐖✨

𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐓𝐉 𝐊𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐞

Happy pub day!! 🙌🏼 📖 I’ve seen many mixed reviews about this new release, but I ended up enjoying it overall 💙

This story centers around Wallace, a real a-hole 😂 who suddenly passes. He isn’t immediately taken to the afterlife, but to a small village with a tea shop & quirky characters where he reflects on his past life and what it means to truly live.

👍🏼: I really enjoyed the overall concept of the story with dark, emotional moments surrounding death/grief paired with light, heartwarming moments as Wallace transforms & forms relationships in this new, strange environment.

👎🏼: The middle of the story did seem to drag, with some unnecessary plot lines. I had to push through the middle, but overall enjoyed the last few chapters of the story. I wasn’t blown away or deeply moved by the ending, but thought it was an interesting, comical, thought-provoking read about what happens after we pass ✨

Thanks to @torbooks @netgalley & @macmillan.audio for both the ebook & audiobook advanced copies in exchange for my honest review! I enjoyed both reading and listening to this story 📚🎧

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was exceptional.
There's really no way to describe it.
I laughed, cried, laughed some more and now I want a cup of peppermint tea.
Amazing writing, story, characters.
So many feelings. Painful in a delicate way.
Yep, this is Klune. I love it.

The narrator's of Klune book are always perfect and that's true in this case, too. If you love Klune books and love audiobooks, then you must listen to all of them!

I think I enjoyed this story even more than The House in the Cerulean Sea, which was the first book I read by Klune. I'm not sure if that is just because I knew what to expect of his writing style though. Both were similar in style with characters grow through the events in the story.

I again love the whimsical cover which immediately draws me to book and I like Klune's writing style. His books tend to be tied up a little neatly, but I like the closure. His characters are well-developed and show growth throughout the story. I came to care for them and was hoping for a good ending for them. I found his interpretation of the afterlife in this one to be interesting and engaging. The questions I had about how and why were answered by the end.

I listened to the audio version which was very well narrated by Kirt Graves. I would recommend this format to listeners.

4.5★

Thank you #Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune in exchange for an honest review. This was my first Klune book. I have been seeing them and reserved one with my library, but it's still on hold. When I saw the audiobook available for this book from Netgalley, I jumped on it. This book was so good. My mom is battling stage four ovarian cancer and I have been having to think about death and dying a lot. This is a main theme in this book and I cried so much! I loved the storyline between Wallace and Hugo, between all the characters. I loved the development of all of them and how they all helped each other grow. I am not a fan of tea, but I would love to visit the tea shop and meet Hugo, Wallace, Mei and if possible Nelson and Apollo. This story will hold a special place in my heart and stick with me through the tough times ahead.

Wow. TJ Klune is an undeniably gifted author. I plan on devouring his backlist like a big bag of potato chips! I went into UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR completely blind, and I am so glad I did. The story Klune weaves features nuanced prose and undeniably beautiful characters into a hard-to-put-down and ultimately heartwarming story.

Channeling Scrooge from A CHRISTMAS CAROL in the body of a jerk middle-aged lawyer, the story starts with the death of our main character Wallace. From there, Wallace discovers that death is just another step in the journey. With the help of a rich and diverse cast of characters, he slowly figures out the importance of found family, friendship, and love. The romance in this book is woven sweetly and slowly as Wallace figures out how to care for others.

There were so many beautiful and unexpected moments in this book, but I think my favorite scenes were the funny ones. Wallace could be cutting and mean… but he could also be hilarious and kind. My favorite character was Mei! She was the grim reaper after my own heart, and honestly, she stole every scene she was in.

There were some repetitive scenes in this book that kept me from giving it a full five stars. I felt like the middle dragged, and there were a few too many subplots. But that didn’t take away from my ultimate enjoyment of the book.

Kirt Graves’ narration was MASTERFUL. His nuanced vocal changes with each character and emotion kept me hanging on his every word. Which is saying something, because this is a long audiobook!

Fantastical, queer, diverse, TJ Klune has created a world I left wishing was real. I could feel his deep exploration of grief and what happens after death. This is a beautiful story to get lost in for a few hours.

**I received a free copy of this audiobook in order to provide an honest review**

Adore TJ Klune's writing but I very much feel like I need to be in a particular mood for it. This one had super similar vibes to House on the Cerulean Sea which was a 5-star read for me, but some aspects let me down. I didn't quite love the concept as much nor the characters. I also felt like this one droned on a bit and felt kind of repetitive.

I really liked and recommend the audiobook version! Great narration and moves a bit better than reading.

At his own funeral, Wallace realizes that he's dead. He gets escorted to a tea shop by a reaper, Mei. There he meets Hugo, the tea shop owner who gives him room and time to be ready to move on to the afterlife. But as Wallace never really lived, it's going to take him some time.

Most people are going to start reading this and comparing it to the Cerulean Sea. This is a mistake. The author might be the same, but this book deals with accepting death. As Cerulean Sea deals with children and, therefore, a hopeful future, this deals with accepting that your hopeful future is over. If it sounds painful, that's because it is, but it's a good pain.

Klune is excellent when writing characters and settings. The people are lovely. They have an infinite amount of patience when dealing with people with grief. The location is cozy and warm.

The audiobook is well done, and it's always warming to have a TJ Klune audiobook to listen to while doing housework.

Review based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.