The Dallergut Dream Department Store is about a department store in which all sorts of dreams are sold, and customers can choose their latest adventure. Dreams can grant users the ability to fly, relive a childhood memory, converse with a loved one, and just about anything you can imagine (one dream was about becoming an orca and traversing the ocean!). Penny, the main character, is a girl who works in the department store and learns more about the nature of dreams and time as she interacts with various customers and employees throughout the story.

I thought the premise was very interesting, but wish that there was a bit more of an overarching plot or higher stakes. That said, this was still a quick, fun, and whimsical read that transports you to a different world and encourages the imagination.

"Could you at least give it a name? Shall I call it a miracle? Or an illusion?” The Third Disciple asked desperately.
“Call it a dream.”

3.5 stars rounded up

This book is comparable to “Before the Coffee gets Cold” in both style and substance. It’s not one story, but a collection of several little stories all connected through The Dallergut Dream Department Store — a store that sells dreams to you while you’re sleeping. But, just like “Before the coffee gets cold” it’s more than just a collection of little stories. It’s an exploration of how we deal with trauma and disappointment and loss. And how the little everyday moments make up something much bigger.

PLOT
Penny dreams of working at the famed Dallergut Dream Department Store, and when she unexpectedly gets a job there, she soon learns that there is a lot more to selling dreams than she thought. We join Penny in her first days as an employee of Dallergut’s, learning the intricacies of dream payment collections (spent more time here than I cared for) to the various types of dreams offered.

There was an interesting sub plot at the beginning about a god and his disciples and the need for dreams to connect the past with the present, but it wasn’t really explored, which I was bummed about. There was a lot of potential there.

PROSE
The author used the writing tense to help the reader distinguish between the real world and the dream world: The real world is told in past tense, and the dream world is told in present tense. It’s a unique approach I haven’t seen before, and it definitely helped keep the two worlds separated.

PEOPLE
First off we have Penny. I’m not going to spend much time here, there was nothing particularly exciting about her.

then there is the infamous Dallergut, the…owner?… of the dream department store. He was interesting and I would’ve liked to get more info on him. By the end he was still a mystery.

And Vigo Myers! Why did he have to come out of nowhere at the end like that and leave me crushed??

Also can we talk about some of the names for a second? Speedo? Weather? BABYNAP ROCKABYE???

FINAL THOUGHTS
This is perfect for fans of “Before the coffee gets cold”. Similar concept. Similar vibes. A little more *magical*. I actually liked this one more, I thought there was a little more substance here.

Some of the stories are a little harder to read than others, the topics get progressively more difficult the further along you get, but the author handled even the difficult topics beautifully.

I recommend this book if you like:
Before the coffee gets cold
Saccharine sweetness
Sleeping

TW: death, child death

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC

Anticipated publication date 7/9/2024

The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee is a beautifully written story about a woman named Penny who is a new employee at the store. This story is set in a universe where there is a plane of existence for those that live in the dream realm and humans who go there in that in between state of just falling asleep and dreaming. They can buy dreams from any dream maker and or store. What follows is a series of small tales about the lives of those in this realm and the customers who come to the story.

I really loved how well thought out this story is. It is smart and heart warming. There were times when the story was describing the way dreams influence our feelings throughout the day and I was like, "oh man that is clever!" All of the characters have their own personality and I cared the most for Penny, Weather, and Dallergut. The atmosphere is cozy, and for a lot of the book I kept this as my bed time book.

There was only one chapter I had a hard time reading. It dealt with death and a few times I decided to just skip it. The story was great though and I wanted to know how the characters would handle it, so I went back and read it. I wasn't disappointed.

The translator's note is so sweet. You can tell they loved their work on this book and I hope they (and the reader's) get their wish for a sequel.

Thanks to the author Miye Lee, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are mine.

This book was exactly what I needed to get out of a slump. I loved the cover and title which made me want to read it at first and I have no regrets

This was such a delightful novel!

I read DDDS as a treat for making it to my university's reading week, and I made the perfect choice. This book is uniquely comforting in the way it shows such care and tenderness to each of the characters and their personal stories. Similarly, I appreciated the care that went into the translation of the book into English- the flow felt seamless, with none of the linguistic quirks that can pop up when a work is translated without a proper understanding of the feeling behind the words.

This book is less plot driven, and focuses more on delivering small vignettes that give us just a brief idea of the many happenings of a town that exists solely in the sleeping mind. This was perfect for a break from some of my denser reads, and I can't recommend it enough if you're looking for a short, sweet story where you know that everything will turn out all right no matter what. If you are a fan of books like Tress of the Emerald Sea I think this would be a great fit.

I feel that DDDS is the perfect foundation for an extended series of books, with each of the vignettes creating a thread that could easily be pulled into a full story of its own.

I greatly enjoyed this book, and can't wait to see what Miye Lee puts out next!

I wanted this to hit so bad, but it was a huge letdown. I’m not sure if it was just the translation, but the writing style was not enjoyable to read at all, it felt very clunky and juvenile. The premise lends so well to having a story and characters with immense depth, but unfortunately both were lacking. It read more like general ideas for a book rather than a full story. Super disappointing.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

I enjoyed this book. It’s cosy and whimsical. It’s about a dream store, dreams for sale and how the payment is done and a whole staff running the store. There are even awards for best dreams at the end of the year. While I found the premise to be an amazing hook and the world to be intriguing, there wasn’t much more to it than what I knew from the blurb

I loved the idea behind The Dallergut Dream Department Store, and since I enjoyed Before The Coffee Gets Cold, I gave this novel a shot. That customers could browse for the dreams they wanted delighted me. I found the characters interesting, but the author didn't dig deeply into the motivations of many, including Penny. You don't really get to know two of the characters until the epilogues.

Unfortunately, The Dallergut Dream Department Store left me unsatisfied. It reads like a series of character sketches or scenes, instead of a complete narrative fiction. The story relegates Penny, the protagonist, to little more than an observer once she achieves her story goal very early in the book. Personally, I love low stakes books, but even when the book has low stakes, I still expect to read a complete story with a beginning, middle, and satisfying ending. I kept reading this novel hoping to find a unified message to tie the whole thing together. Alas, it was not to be.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

gorgeous fantasy with very cozy vibes. not super complex but definitely has a great feel, so would recommend. thanks for the arc.

Cozy, charming, and a beautiful break from the inundations of the digital world — The Dallergut Dream Department Store will whisk you away to where dreams are made... and sold! Told through the eyes of our charming narrator Penny, along with several dreamers along the way — I really enjoyed this novel, and I hope there's more of Dallergut to come! I'm interested to see how it's formatted for final review, as I think that will be key in readers enjoyment! I can see this becoming a land unto itself!

A whimsical idea connecting isolated stories at the Dallergut Dream Department Store. It's a low stakes plot filled with many different and interesting characters. I think the translation is fine, but the story was missing depth overall.

This is a well written book, with some fine lines and a few well-conceived set pieces. That said, try as I might I found neither the characters, nor their situations, nor the overall narrative engaging enough to arouse or hold my curiosity and attention. As a consequence, it doesn't seem fair to write much more of a review, apart from encouraging inquisitive readers to give the book a try.

This is such a vibrant and imaginative story. With so many fun dreams to explore I was able to fly through this fast paced book. There is relatively little plot but the vibes of the story are able to keep you hooked. It makes you contemplate dreams and how they are created and even left me wondering maybe I’ve visited the Dallergut Dream Department Store in my sleep.

2.75/5: Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for a review

While the premise of this book was promising, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. However, if you enjoy a VERY low stakes story that is purely vibes - this might be for you. The eccentric and quirky cast of characters were fun, but I found myself wanting more out of the plot itself and became a bit of a task for me to finish.

The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee was so delightful.

What a fantastical look at how we dream the dreams we do. The world building was wonderful and a fun peek behind the curtains. The cast of characters are great and each one so unique.
My husband has super vivid dreams and so detailed so I pictured him visiting Dallergut’s and going to the different floors to pick out what dream he wanted that night.
I am certain he has an Eyelid Scale there.

I can definitely see myself rereading this when just want a cozy read and jump back into this magical space.
Thank you Net Galley, Miye Lee and Hanover Square Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a lovely book! The narrative voice is so whimsical and joyous and the worldbuilding and character development is spectacular. A sweet, wonderful read that warms you up from the inside out.

This was such a lovely, cozy read with the message that sleep matters and makes our lives better. This, of course, works on the purely physical level, but in this book there is also a team of dream sellers who, if you're lucky enough to visit Dallergut's, works to make sure your dreams have meaning and will direct our lives down more fulfilling paths. While this certainly isn't an action packed novel, it is definitely a comforting read.

A whimsical fantasy about dreams. What if there's a place where one can purchase dreams, but only while you sleep. This is a story about that. Penny is looking for a job and has an interview at DallerGut Dream Department store, which she gets. It's a 4 floor store with different style managers on each floor who each sell different types of dreams, including a floor of discount dreams. The story follows Penny during her first year at the store as she meets different customers and even a few of the dreammakers (those that create the different dreams available for sale). A fun, light, quick read.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

The author describes this as a love letter to dreaming and I can’t think of a better way to describe it.

Each chapter reads like a short story with multiple POVs, but it all laces together so intricately into a perfectly executed dream web.

As a lucid dreamer myself, this concept was hard to grasp at first. I couldn’t understand that this was happening in a dream world. But if that’s the case then do the employees and the store of Dallerguts only exist in a dream state? Do the employees ever sleep. I feel like the holes I feel in understanding the plot come from the translation of the original written in Korean. But also there are so many different customer POVs they all seem to run into another, and for me it’s hard to discern if it’s a new person/ idea/ story or a continuation of a different dream.

Nonetheless, a whimsical, completely original concept, that I hope will continue to unravel in sequels to come.

3.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for sending this book! I really loved the cover, blurb, and beginning half of the book. Around the 52% mark it felt like either the translation or the story tone changed and it became harder for me to keep up with all that was happening.

The world of dreams is so fun, but there were so many characters in dreamland and stories to keep up with in the real world that started to confuse me a bit halfway through.

Such a fun, fantastical book!