Author Mi-ye Lee has created cozy, imaginative story about a department store that exists in our collective unconscious, and is the purveyor of dreams. One can only enter the store when asleep, and customers' responses to their dreams create Wonder, Flutter, and other important components that help a dream store continue to operate. The Dallergut Dream Department Store has a solid reputation, and is constantly busy offering a variety of dreams created by celebrated dream designers to humans and animals around the world.

Penny is the store's new hire, and counts herself as tremendously lucky to be one of its staff. She meets each floor's managers, who all have distinctive personalities. Each of the five floors offers their customers a specialized experience for their dream, such as ice skating, stardom, food, childhood memories, encounters with loved ones who have died, and flight, though flight is almost always sold out.

Over the course of this quiet story, Penny gets to know her benevolent boss Mr. Dallergut better, meets celebrity dream designers, and learns more about how the dream department store operates, and why it is so popular with dreamers. We also meet specific clients, seeking something from their lives, whether stardom or managing grief, that the Dallergut dreams satisfy. Interestingly, Mr. Dallergut also brings on a nightmare designer, which he instinctively knows will help some clients in their emotional growth.

This is an unusual and sweet story. It is not plot heavy, and the characters are quirky and gentle, which made this charming book a wonderfully soothing experience.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my review.

The story takes place In a mysterious town that lies hidden in our collective subconscious, there’s a quaint little store where all kinds of dreams are sold . . .

Day and night, visitors both human and animal from all over the world shuffle in sleepily in their pajamas, lining up to purchase their latest dream and adventure. Each floor in the department store sells a special kind of dream, including nostalgic dreams about your childhood, trips you’ve taken, and delicious food you’ve eaten, as well as nightmares and more mysterious dreams.

In Dallergut Dream Department Store we meet Penny a new hire and young woman looking for her future. Dallergut is the flamboyant owner of the department store and a host of characters who are the dream makers. Many funny and strange customers regularly visit the store. When one of the most coveted and expensive dreams gets stolen during Penny’s first week, we follow along with her as she tries to uncover the workings of this wonderfully whimsical world.

A captivating story that will leave a lingering magical feeling in readers’ minds, this is the first book in a best-selling duology for anyone exhausted from the reality of their daily life.
It is a fast and easy comfort to read. I gave it 3.5 stars.

5/5 Stars

When I saw the summary of this book, I was very intrigued. Once I saw the cover, I knew I had to read this. The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee was truly a dream, and I don’t use that word often to describe a book.

What if the dreams you had were purchased by you every night, even if you don’t remember doing so? The Dallergut Dream Store–the best store out there for the widest variety of dreams. Located in the collective subconscious of living things, all living creatures, because all dream of course, come in to purchase their new dreams for that night’s sleep. Penny, a new hire to her dream job, finds working here to be wonderful and, at times, scary. Throughout the book she meets a variety of characters, both coworkers and customers who seek to browse.

I really enjoyed this book! This story was so magical and submersible, something I personally love in a work of fiction, and really had me thinking about the dreams that I have and the experiences of déjà vu that have happened in my. I look forward to reading the sequel when it is released! This book half’s a special place on my shelf, I highly recommend reading.

[3.5/5 stars]

Penny is an enthusiastic new employee at THE DALLERGUT DREAM DEPARTMENT STORE. As she works there, she uncovers the mystery of the most famous shop that sells dreams to their sleepy customers.

This novel has Before-the-coffee-gets-cold with fairy tale vibes - the story revolves around dream and its complexity. From self-encouragement to supreme wish, the narrative plays with one's subconscious, inviting one to unexpected places while raising simple questions that demand intricate answers. This is plotless, in which the reader wanders in the customers' unique experiences told from story within story.

Lee cleverly examines the dream world x real world, when the feverish excitement of the dream buyers leads to a deeper understanding of the dream, and therefore, their motives. There is also an interesting relationship between the dream with past/future, which glimpses of the consequences and boundaries feed one's curiosity while offer something for one to digest.

With captivating prose, Lee crafts an imaginative world-building populated by realistic characters whom one easily embrace. The story isn't emotionally laden however it's not devoid of some empathetic moments.

Utterly creative and dazzlingly magical, DEPARTMENT (tr. Sandy Joosun Lee) delivers a fun ride for those exhausted from the harshness of real life. A whimsical read perfect for summer vibes.

This whimsical gem of a story was the perfectly right book at absolutely the right time for me! It found me during a particularly difficult week, and served as the perfect escape to stop my mind from running in circles about life and just succumb to the delightfulness of this immersive dream world. With all of the cozy feelings, heartwarming storylines, and valuable, thought-provoking life lessons that we’ve gotten in similar books like Before the Coffee Gets Cold and What You Are Looking For Is In The Library, The Dallergut Dream Department Store was a fantastical warm hug of a book that I just need a print copy of so I can go back to it over and over again!

This slice-of-life story follows Penny, a new employee at the Dallergut Dream Department Store, as she starts her dream job (only a little bit of a pun intended) and becomes part of the team that keeps the store running like clockwork. The store is just as it sounds - it’s a department store in humanity’s shared dreamland that sells dreams to sleeping people from all over the world, with each floor of the store featuring different types of dreams from nap dreams and dreams for animals (yes, animals need to buy dreams too!) to nostalgic childhood events and “groundbreaking activity-based dreams” and more! Interspersed are vignettes from customers after experiencing dreams, and we get to see the lessons they learned along the way from those dream experiences.

The world-building of this magical dreamland and the department store itself was just fantastic and completely immersive, all while featuring a fabulous cast of characters alongside Penny that are completely charming and will all steal your heart. Featuring stories within stories, unique dreams that you’ll swear you’ve even had yourself, all sorts of emotions from start to finish, and a sprinkle of magic, everything about this super cozy book came together in such a perfect way.

This one is a perfect pick for when you’re looking for a book that feels just as satisfying and comforting as a cup of hot chocolate. Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴? 𝘖𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥?

Step into Dallergut Dream Department Store which belongs to a shopping village where you can only enter when you're asleep. The 5-storey bulding offers unique dreams and helps people connect, reconnect, inspire, remind, and realize.

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺...𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨.

This strange and unique world built around dreams where the currencies are half the emotions brought about when customers are satisfied with their dream purchases put me in awe especially with how Dallergut carefully offers dreams. While anyone can purchase any dreams they like, Dallergut has a special eye for those who need special dreams.

"... 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘯-𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥."

Told in the perspective of a new employee named Penny, we get to tour around Dallergut Dream Department Store and know about the different 'genres' of dreams and the colorful store managers in each floors, discover the wonders of different dreams from dreaming of your crush to finidng an inspiration to write a story and compose a song, from overcoming trauma to feeling inadequate, and sending a message to loved ones.

There's so much lessons to learn from this story that while the whole idea felt really peculiar for my taste, I was immersed into this world and made me appreciate more about what it means to dream - to feel freedom and wonder, to feel regret and loss, to overcome trauma, and to feel happiness. And while everything is possible in a dream, you get a chance to make it happen when you wake up - build a new perspective in life and find a sense of excitement to live.

I gave this book 4⭐.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC!

I wish this had more of a solid plot line throughout. The premise was solid. It was very whimsical and interesting, just hard to stay interested since I felt it was missing a main focus. It felt more like a collection of short stories. It definitely has an audience. Cozy fantasy, low stakes, book lovers would be so into this.

The Dallergut Dream Department Store follows Penny as she starts a new job at a store that specializes in selling dreams. The cover is beautiful and is just a glimpse of what is waiting inside.

This novel sort of feels like a Ghibli movie with its whimsical atmosphere. It feels like a warm cup of tea on a cozy afternoon but also has the hidden emotional punches that make you reflect on your own life. It's a slow story, without much of a driving plot or tension as it changes focus from events at the story to stories of their customers. This won't work for everyone, but fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold or Restaurant to Another World will love this.

I really, really enjoyed this story. Penny and her coworkers sell dreams to people and they pay with their emotions once the dream is concluded. It was a fun story, very different than anything I have ever read.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started this book but I was pleasantly surprised. It is chock full of cozy, all the feels, and life lessons with some great passages for tucking away and reading when you need a little comfort.

"People praised the dream, claiming it allowed them to experience true freedom. But it got me thinking about my own freedom. I can walk, run and fly in a dream unencumbered, but when I wake up to reality, I can’t do any of those things without support. Yet the whales roaming the ocean are not free on land, and the eagles soaring through the sky are not free in the ocean. Freedom comes in different shapes and forms; every living thing is granted limited freedom."

The start of the book was probably the roughest feeling but our knowledge of the dreaming realm expands as Penny learns more while working at Dallergut. I think my second favorite person in this story is Animora Bancho – the dreammaker who crafts dreams for animals. I also completely ship Penny and Maxim – I hope to see more of them in the second book. Dallergut himself reminded me of the Albus Dumbledore portrayed by Richard Harris (the first Dumbledore). The cast of characters were a big part of Penny’s story and I really enjoyed experiencing the lives of the people the dreams were crafted for.

If you’re looking for a magically cozy book with a great supporting cast, i highly recommend this one. I truly hope Harlequin has the second translated and published – I will be keeping an eye out for it. I would like to thank The Hive/Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this heartwarming story. Rounded from 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Hanover Square Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Miye Lee’s novel, translated by Sandy Joosun Lee, explores the fascination and possibilities of dreams in The Dallergut Dream Department Store. The story follows Dallergut’s newest hire, Penny, as she navigates a fantastical world where dreams are tickets for people to revisit aspects of their lives that are important to them such as their pasts, their futures, and their loved ones. Lee’s writing imbues magical realism into a compelling narrative about one of humanity’s most significant shared experiences.

I had a hard time getting through this book because there was no real plot or story line. Some of the “tales” told within felt like they were mounting to something profound and then the tale was over with no profound conclusion or meaning. The entire plot was unrealistic and simply whimsical, so if you are looking for something to take your mind off real life or any semblance of it, this would be a good book to “take you away from it all” and lead to nowhere. I truly feel like a lost 5 hours of my life I will never get back after reading this and have no new thoughts to walk away with. A lot of it I didn’t even understand and am left wondering if I missed something important at the beginning that would have explained the lack of narrative to follow along with. The reason I didn’t give it less than 4 stars is because it wasn’t exactly “painful” to read. It flowed, it’s just that the chapter ideas didn’t lead anywhere and they just ended, so it was a little frustrating, but some of the bazaar’ness of the stories were entertaining enough to keep me turning the pages to get through it. This author has quite the imagination, I will say that, and that deserves a star in itself, so this book is really a 3 out of 5 that earned an extra star for keeping my interest, and hopes of a profound ending alive throughout.

Reading this is such a delightful experience. The concept of a store where dreams are sold is both whimsical and thought-provoking. Lee does a fantastic job of creating a magical yet relatable world that kept me hooked from start to finish.

The characters are well-developed and each has their own unique charm. I particularly enjoyed the interactions between the store employees and the customers, which added a lot of depth to the storyline. The pacing was just right, and there were enough twists and turns to keep things interesting without feeling overwhelming.

The only reason I'm not giving it a full 5 stars is that I felt some of the subplots could have been explored a bit more. But overall, it's a heartwarming and imaginative read that I'd highly recommend to anyone looking for something a bit different. If you're a fan of magical realism, this book is definitely for you!

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows a woman who starts working at a department store that sells dreams. This book is a hit in Korea and has just been translated into English.

This book was very whimsical and a bit cozy. I am not a huge fan of this genre but I know a lot of people are. I bet a lot of people will love this one. While this book didn't necessarily work for me, I think there is definitely a big audience out there for it.

I just felt like it was too whimsical for my taste. While I don't think this is a bad book, it just wasn't for me. I also felt like there were too many side stories and characters and it was a bit hard to follow at times.

I hope others love this one!

I think I went into this book with a certain perception of this story but it turned out different than what I thought. I was expecting more magical realism but fantastical so that's on me. It took me a bit to get into the story and, overall, I did enjoy learning about the characters at the Dallergut Dream department store but this book also seemed not to have a general direction which made the overall story stall a few times for me.


I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a sweet, heartwarming story that really, really made me think about dreams!

Imagine you could go to a department store and buy dreams! What an interesting concept for a story! I really enjoyed the exploration of what could happen if we were really in control of our own dreams like that.

This is a low risk story with not a whole lot of plot. It’s told in short overlapping stories that all connect in some way and really demonstrate how the small things can be so meaningful.

It's definitely a feel good story that is the perfect palate cleanser.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC copy of this book!

The Dallergut Dream Department Store is a fantastical place where people can buy their dreams for the night and meet its amazing personnel. I love learning about sleep and dreams so this book was easy to get into.

My favorite aspect of the book was learning about the different types of dreams and clients. I felt just as curious as the main character through the whole book. Each story within the book left me wondering about my own life and even wishing I could buy a specific type of dream when I went to sleep.

The pace was fast for me, but again I felt a bit biased because I love reading about sleep, dreams, and anything brain related. Will definitely recommend to my friends and will be rereading at some point.

A sweet set of stories to read before bed that guarantee good dreams.

"The Dallergut Dream Department Store" was exactly the feel-good story I needed. It follows Penny after she gets a job in the store and learns how to help people not only find their dreams but gives them dreams that can change their lives. Each chapter, Penny encounters a colorful set of characters that each have different perspectives and challenges in life. It's one of those novels you're able to take something away with every turn of the page.

I think the characters were great. Every floor offered new insights and new workers who were so different from one another. I loved being able to "meet" them and explore their ways of helping customers. I think I'd gravitate more to the romance section, if I were to visit, but I'm not sure which one I would buy.

That leads me to my next point. This concept is so imaginative and fun. You show up to the store while you're asleep, but you never remember going when you're awake. It's like your subconscious chooses what you need to most. Don't think about the mechanics too hard, just have fun reading!

It's a great read that I highly recommend!

The Dallergut Dream Department Store is a really cute novel about the power of dreams. In the book, Penny gets a job working at the aforementioned Dallergut Dream Department Store, where she helps with customer service and the overall store management. The store helps patrons find the dreams they’re looking for and collects payment from their emotions afterwards. The world is whimsical, featuring furries who make sure patrons stay clothed while asleep and talented dream makers who create vivid experiences. Each chapter featured a different patron and story. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it to others who enjoy thought-provoking and character-driven stories.

5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC

In the whimsical world of Miye Lee’s The Dallergut Dream Department Store, readers are invited to explore a realm where dreams are not just figments of our imagination but tangible commodities sold in a bustling department store. This novel, translated from Korean by Sandy Joosun Lee, offers a delightful escape into a universe where the boundaries between reality and dreams blur in the most enchanting ways.

The story follows Penny, a young woman who lands her dream job at the Dallergut Dream Department Store. Each floor of this magical store specializes in different types of dreams, from nostalgic childhood memories to adventurous escapades and even nightmares. Penny’s journey from a novice employee to a seasoned dream-seller is filled with charming encounters and whimsical challenges.

One of the novel’s strengths lies in its richly imagined setting. The store itself is a character, with its various departments and quirky employees adding depth and color to the narrative.

Miye Lee’s prose is gentle and evocative, capturing the essence of dreams and the human desire for escapism. The narrative is interspersed with vignettes of customers who visit the store, each with their own unique dream needs, adding layers of depth to the story.

The novel touches on deeper themes such as the processing of trauma, longing for lost loved ones, and the pursuit of happiness. 

The Dallergut Dream Department Store is a comforting read, perfect for those looking to escape the mundanity of everyday life. Its blend of fantasy and reality, coupled with its heartwarming characters and imaginative setting, makes it a standout in contemporary fiction. Whether you’re a fan of magical realism or simply in need of a gentle, uplifting story, this novel is sure to leave a lasting impression.