The idea of this book was better than the book itself. The characters lacked depth, and there wasn’t a climax at any point throughout the novel. It was moderately entertaining and easy to read, but without any real build up, it was difficult to grow attached to any of the characters.

For a novel about dreams in a fantasy world, I expected more world building and interesting interactions between the characters. The first few chapters started off well with this, but it slowly dissipated and left the novel feeling robotic and grueling to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! It was a little reminiscent of Midnight Library by Matt Haig, in terms of the wonderful worlds you can just imagine and explore in your head. I was surprised to find a copy at Barnes & Noble before its release date, but took that as a sign that this book is going to skyrocket. It really was lovely and Penny is quite the character to follow, I felt that I was walking in her shoes as she learned the ropes of the Dallergut Dream Department Store. There were a few curiosities that I still didn't quite understand, don't want to spoil the reveal for you though!, and I just let it pass because this is such a nice short story and it had me hoping that reading it before bed would increase the likelihood that I would have a memorable dream. Alas, it was not meant to be, but wow, this book does make you think about the role dreams play in your life. This book was truly a nice escape.

This is the perfect cozy comfort read for anyone wanting to escape the stresses of our modern world! I love magical realism, and this novel is full of the whimsy and imagination that I crave in this genre.

Where I got stuck was I found myself longing for more of a plot line, whereas this felt more like multiple short stories strung together. I am a big mood reader, and unfortunately realized pretty quickly that I was not in the mood for this type of book when I picked it up. BUT, I can easily think of difficult times in my life where this is exactly what I needed, and I wish I had it then! I will be filing this book away for times like that in the future.

If you’re looking for a sweet book to transport you to a dreamlike place (pun intended), then look no further!

This story was quirky and different. These are great characters, that were easy to like and I really liked the look into this dream world.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

This was essentially a book of interconnecting short stories focused around dreams with a whimsical spin. People arrive at this store while sleeping and purchase all different types of dreams!

The story was so creative and fun. The characters were lovable. And despite being mostly lighthearted, there were a lot of deeper lessons throughout.

Definitely recommend for something light and unique.

I loved the concept. It was a fun, heartfelt story. It's a comfort read for those who enjoy a calm and satisfying read with no high stakes or major plot twists.

I really enjoyed Rod so much! It’s so cute and creative! The writing is so beautiful and near poetic at times. I love this so much. I love experiencing this world!

This is a lovely little book that takes you into a whole new world. It's cozy, warm, whimsical, creative, and farfetched, but somehow you want to believe. You really do. It has you yearning for this to somehow be a reality--as if you could travel somewhere and find the street with this department store. There are a few cultural differences that may make it hard for some American readers to understand, but I think you just have to have faith and suspend belief. It would not be inappropriate to be drinking a nice cup of cocoa as you read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It is simply charming and will be cherished by many readers.

The Dallergut Dream Department Store was the perfect heartwarming read. Miye Lee blends this cozy dream world with real like seniors of the dreams who come to purchase dreams from the department store. I loved the glimince into each person's life and the touching ways the staff of the departments store cared for them. This book would be perfect for fans of "before the coffee gets cold".

This book was the perfect cozy read. In the style of When the Coffee Gets Cold (but with less angst), we journey through several people's dreams along with the staff of the Dallergut Dream Department Store. I am kind of obsessed with the premise, that we (the readers) go to a dream department store when we fall asleep to pick out what we will dream that night. You're just thrown into the world building of the dream world, but it becomes easier to pick up as you keep reading. I adored Penny and Dallergut and Weather and all of the staff! I hope we get more books in the future delving into everyone's pasts a bit more...there are definitely some interesting threads established in this book.

I'm going to be the odd one out. The one who just didn't enjoy this whimsical, plotless collection of stories about dreams. Penny is an interesting character but she's not the focus, only the instrument, Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Over to others.

“…we all sleep to get closure on yesterday and prepare for tomorrow. In that sense, sleep is no longer a waste of time.”

I genuinely enjoyed this book so much. There isn’t really a classic plot structure, but rather a glimpse into the inner workings of this “department store,” the people who work there, the creators of the dreams, and, most importantly, those who dream them.
Sandy Joosun Lee, the translator for the book, wrote in her end note that this book was “both fun and deep” and “unpretentious yet full of life” and I think that held true. I enjoyed taking some time to enjoy the world building and the featherlight tone of this novel. It felt like it was winking at you a bit and I found that really delightful.

I loved diving into a world where dreams are for sale the way books are. The way you pay is the emotion you feel after you experience them. If they are dreams of a crush, you pay in the flutter of your heart. If you experience past trauma, you pay when you are able to overcome the trauma and start to heal.

Though this book is is told from a very whimsical standpoint (which I loved), I could not help but be moved by so much of the content.

I am under the impression, since this is a Korean best seller, it may have been translated into English. But I do not think much was lost in the translation and still feel the soft coziness of the dream world permeating through the realm the author is building. I do think there are nuances about the dream world which are culturally specific to Korea which we may not understand but I cannot say enough good think about this book and the warm feelings it gave me to read.

It even highlighted the idea that animals get to have dreams as well and there is a floor in the dream department store where their sleepy little selves go to find their dreams. I also like that the "clients", the dreamers, do not often remember they've visited the department store in the past because we, as dreamers, do not often remember our dreams. It truly does leave a magical feeling and this is one I will be recommending to my viewers on my YouTube channel in the near future. I want to thank NetGalley for the chance to read this and it does say this is the first of a duology, so I cannot wait to read the second.

This is such a lovely concept! The imagery is beautiful and the worldbuilding is so intriguing.

It starts out with the protagonist, Penny, preparing for her job interview at the famous dream department store where you can buy your dreams for the night. This gives the chance to tell heartwarming and bittersweet stories.

What I didn't connect with ultimately were the characters. They felt flat and I didn't feel very much for any of them. I think this would have worked better for me as the beginning to a longer story, or as a graphic novel. I did enjoy the overall vibe of the book, so if there is a sequel I will definitely be reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley & Hanover Square Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The most refreshing, whimsical book I’ve read in a long time. I adored the characters, the world building, and imagining a place/time where you could purchase dreams in this way. This book is charming, touching and uplifting - truly something very special.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing + NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is set to be published July 9, 2024.

The Dallergut Dream Department store is a beautiful novel by Miye Lee about a department store that sells dreams. We meet Penny, a young woman who interviews for and gets a job at this department store. We get to learn with her all the intricacies of a dream department store and get to meet a wonderful host of characters (floor managers, customers shopping for dreams, and dreammakers) along the way. Each chapter is a little vignette over the first year or so of Penny's employment and we also get stories within the story, about different customers she meets along the way.

4.5 stars rounded up. I really, really enjoyed this book. I think fans of other translated fiction titles like Before the Coffee Gets Cold and There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job will really like this. Originally written in Korean, this novel was translated by Sandy Joosun Lee. I think Miye Lee created such a beautiful world with the most wonderful characters and Sandy Joosun Lee really kept the heart of the novel while adding a personal touch, as well. I fell in love with the characters and the world in this novel. I would highly recommend this if you like contemplative novels with heart.

The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee is a whimsical, cozy fantasy that would transport the reader into a floating bubble of dreams. Expected Publication is July 9th, 2024.

Penny has just started working in a department store that is a highly coveted job. But this is not any department store. This is a store that sells dreams to humans and animals. She slowly but steadily learns how dreams make a difference.

Have you ever wondered what effect a dream can have on us? This is a translation of a Korean book and is a good version. It is so whimsical that I felt I was in a candy land, but with dreams. Though, on the surface, it feels that there is not much going on in the story, the interwoven stories tugged my heart. It definitely makes me think about how our dreams inspire us. I enjoyed this book so much.

Thank you, htp books, Hanover Square Press, and htp_hive for this book.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Hanover Square Press. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Korean Fiction, Asian Literature

*THE DALLERGUT DREAM DEPARTMENT STORE* is a delightful, feel-good read. It superficially reminds me of *The Kamogawa Food Detectives* because there isn't a western style plot. There really isn't an antagonist either. Both of these books work in snippets that are strung together.


For this book, it begins as Penny gets a new job and we see everything from her perspective. There's always a new wonder, a small surprise as the tale moves from one "scene" to another. There's a thread about lost money, who the most well-known and respected dreammaker is, someone trying to live their dream, more about comforting those are are grieving, and overcoming past hardships.

I felt like I was floating a bit in this book—as if I were in a dream too.

If you love books from Asia, this is perfect for you. If you love experimental fiction, you should definitely try this. And if you want a feel-good read, then you're set with this book. This is a book you could have your kids read too.

Happy reading!

A cozy urban low fantasy. The stuff that dreams are made of…literally. In this book we follow Poppy as she begins working at Dallergut’s Dream Department store: the place sleeping people go to buy their dreams. It’s the “dream” job. Learning the ins and outs of dream selection, dream currency, prepaid dreams, pet dreams, dream makers, and the value of the right dream, it’s a slow paced relaxing story for fans of books like “When the Coffee Gets Cold” with just a touch more humor.

A cozy little collection of stories, coming live from the Dallergut Dream Department Store, where sleepy people's subconscious helps them find the dreams they need- at the low cost of sharing emotions!!

This book was cozy, reflective, and a strange combination of simple and deep. I absolutely loved getting to imagine the world of dreams, and found myself thinking about what my subconscious would pull for me to dream about. I laughed and found joy in some of the dream scenarios, and unexpectedly found myself sobbing at the last one. This was so great!!

Thank you so much to Lee Mi-ye and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!