Truly a cozy and thought-provoking book - the perfect, fizzy accompaniment to a vacation or long weekend at home. The Dallergut Dream Department store sells dreams, yes, but even more so, it meets the unspoken needs of its sleepy clientele. Mr. Dallergut is a clever, Wonkaesque figure with true warmth and wisdom. His customers come and go each night, selecting dreams written by celebrity dream makers and assisted by an attentive and hardworking staff. This book is truly unique and meaningful while remaining airy and sweet - I’m sure I’ll return to it again when I need something comforting but thoughtful, too.

A delightful premise…a department store in which sleepers browse for dreams. This promises to be a series, and I hope that it will allow for better world-building and character development, as those areas were a bit lacking. Some details were charming (Eyelid Scales), but many of the dreamers’ stories seemed thrown in at random…like a short story in the middle of another novel. This created a choppy read, with a lack of actual plot.

Penny is a new employee at the Dallergut Dream Department Store, a place where you buy the dreams you want for the evening. The store serves all time zones so it's usually open 24/7 unless dreams sell out.

A whimsical novel, each chapter reads as a vignette or story within the larger book. The book explores different types of dreams and the quirky happenings of the store and it's employees. From customers who pay in emotions based on their dream experience, to the big 5 dream makers, to seasonal December dreams by Nicholas, there's quite a bit here

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC on NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was such a light, whimsical read. The book doesn't take itself too serious, so you can enjoy this dreamy, sort of magical story with ease.

While it was a cute and quick read, I did find the translation (Korean to English) to be a little too simple. It's almost like you're reading a lighthearted middle grade book at times. I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters for this reason. I wish that it more world/character building, because the impact was ultimately not as strong as I wish it would have.

This book was different. It showed different types of dreams and how they can affect us. Sadly, I thought the story was slow and didn’t hold my attention very well.

I enjoyed the pace as it felt like a leisurely read. The short stories that supplement the larger storyline were very sweet. If you were to read this without reading the description the reveal when the reader is made aware that Penny's world is the dream realm in our subconscious and people are only there when they fall asleep was gentle. I loved how the interwoven stories touch on things that most people dream about - better lives, being in love, family - and how they were both not in your face and complemented the larger story of Penny and the Department Store. I particularly enjoyed the story where soon-to-be departed loved ones create dreams for those they love to be delivered at a later date and how much care Dallergut gave to each of them. It humanized him as a character and tugged on my heartstrings. Penny's inquisitiveness drove both her and the stories progression as well. My one complaint is Maxim. He just kind of disappeared from the story when it had felt like he and Penny may have a cute budding romance on the horizon. It left me wanting more.

3 Stars - thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and Hanover Square Press for the English translation ARC of this story. It was a sweet and enjoyable read.

Absolutely loved this! While reading you are transported to a universe where everyone is asleep and you get to buy dreams based on what you would like to experience. We meet Penny, who starts at the Dallergut Dream Department Store, working the front desk, and learns more and more about the history of dreams and how they can be purchased. Each chapter presents itself a different story with different characters and a new meaning. I really like how Miya Lee incorporated the dreams of animals and how important their dreams are!

This book feels like warm hug and gives you a wonderful look into the importance of our dreams and what we can learn from them! I will re-read this for sure!

I really enjoyed this book because the premise is so intriguing. Penny, a young woman, has landed her ‘dream’ job at Dallergut Dream Department Store. The store where the sleeping masses, including animals, come to buy their dreams. The story focuses on some of the sleeping patrons and also on the dream creators. It is a story built on the different dreams that most humans have, like repetitive, nightmares, aspirational, or totally random. It was fascinating to read how Miye Lee wove them all together along with inspirational quotes and common dream theory.

Where I think the story fell down for me is possibly in the translation aspect from Korean to English.
The sentence structure at times was juvenile and hard to follow. Some of that may indeed be because of translation, but it became frustrating to read.

All in all a pretty good book. I think it would make a really good television show.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Hanover Square Press, and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

This is such a sweet and heartwarming book.

Dallergut interviews Penny for his dream department store and offers her a job. She is beyond excited. We follow her journey as she navigates the ins and outs of the business, what makes a dream good or a nightmare and how it helps people.

Basically, the world building is this parallel universe that humans from our world visit when they dream.
So as we fall asleep, we have a choice to “buy” our dreams at these stores. But when we wake up, we can’t remember their world, even if we remember our dreams.

It’s a very unique concept and I found it very interesting.
I couldn’t help but imagine it being one of Hayao Miyazaki’s movies. That’s the vibe I was getting.

All the side characters were fun to read and the human experiences were so sweet too. The chapter about meeting the dead in your dreams made me tear up a little.

I’m only giving it 3 stars because I felt like the main story wasn’t expanded enough but apparently it’s a duology and I hope to read the second book as well!


Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC!

The Dallergut Dream Department Store is a dreamy (pun only mildly intended—there’s genuinely no better word) wondrous piece of fiction. At once cozy and dramatic, its world I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know and living in for a few days while I savoured the book in bites. A fantastical premise and utterly charming writing.

I admire the translation of the novel, which manages an atmospheric, whimsical prose that (I can only hope) keeps the charm of the original novel but brings it to an English-speaking audience.

My only quibbles are that the dialogue is sometimes unnatural and stilted. I imagine due to some cultural expressions or norms that are less translatable, and that the ending felt…abrupt. Not a bad ending, for sure, but one that I’m not sure did all the justice needed to Penny’s story.

I will absolutely be on the lookout in case Miye Lee writes more, as this is world I can only hope to return to. If only in my dreams.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Hanover Square Press for the book ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

Just finished this book and WOW. Absolutely loved it. Good vibes and a cozy read is something I’ll always love. It was entertaining, I couldn’t take my eyes off it at all.

The Dallergut Dream Department Store beckons readers into a world brimming with potential, but unfortunately falls short of its promising premise. While the exploration of trauma and loss within dreams offers glimpses of depth, the story ultimately veers into a more mundane direction, leaving behind the complexity it initially hints at. The lack of plot and character development may leave some feeling unsatisfied, as the narrative fails to fully capitalize on its intriguing concept. Despite its captivating beginning and occasional moments of charm, the execution ultimately falls flat, resulting in a read that may leave readers longing for more substance. While "The Dallergut Dream Department Store" offers an interesting concept, its potential remains untapped, leaving it to be a cozy yet ultimately forgettable read for some.

This books feels very....ethereal? It's really vibey and dreamlike, which I definitely think some people will get a kick out of. Personally, I don't like that style. For me, it's very reminiscent of purple prose, but in a tonal/atmospheric way. I tend to really enjoy translated literature, because I like how the prose usually translates very simply, for lack of a better word, without a ton of extra fluff--and this was no exception to that. However, I do think that there were some continuity problems with this story, and at times I would stumble upon a sentence that made very little sense/was confusing, or lacked anchoring from the surrounding context. The concept of this story was really compelling, but I think the dreamlike atmosphere coupled with the slightly confusing translation made this a story that just was not for me.
If you're a fan of very floaty and dreamlike prose, and you're better at following sentences/translated works than I am, then you'll definitely get a kick out of this. Also, that cover was stunning, I'm sad that I didn't love it but I know there are some folks who will.

this was a nice read. i loved the atmosphere and characters. super cozy and comforting! Although sometimes i did have a bit of trouble following along, overall i understood the story well and enjoyed reading it.

You definitely read this one for the vibes. I sat down to read this book and I'm sorry I was so distracted by the fact I was daydreaming while reading that I can't recall what I read. The point I'm making is this book feels like you are dreaming.

This quaint book is a cozy, slice-of-life, speculative fiction story that consists of short interactions with little overarching plot. Penny works for the Dallergut Dream Department Store, a store that sells…dreams. Over the course of the book we get to meet her, her colleagues and her customers - both human and animal.

This is an English translation, from the Korean original, and I thought the writing (translation?) was very basic - middlegrade even at times. I found the verb tense occasionally jarring, descriptions and characters lacked depth, and prose often tells instead of shows. Perhaps this was because I read an ARC, but I also noticed occasional continuity and grammatical errors. Overall, I found the writing to be frustrating and I almost stopped reading this altogether, but the concept is imaginative and I was curious what would happen next.

In the end, the whimsical concept was worth a quick read, but the writing was not for me. I don’t think I’d pick up the intended sequel, but do think someone should adapt this into a tv show!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Harlequin and NetGalley for letting read an ARC of this heartwarming story!! 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. Just an all around cozy read!

Dallergut Dream Department Store is like a fine meal in an expensive restaurant where the courses are at the whim of the chef. Dream starts slow, and slowly builds, with beautiful small stories about the need to dream and the power of dreams. Mr. Dallergut owns the eponymous store that sells sleepers, including animals, the dreams they want. Sometimes Mr. Dallergut sells customers not what they want but what they need, and those stories are so satisfying. The lead is a young woman, Penny, who we follow through her first year as an employee as she becomes a valued assistant to Dallergut and the staff. I fell for her curiosity, intelligence, and sensitivity.
This is a beautiful translation from the Korean best-selling novel. Thank you to NatGalley for the ARC. The review is my own.

Welcome to the Dallergut Dream Department Store! Opened 24 hours around-the-clock, it’s the only place where you’ll find patrons in their pajamas adding to cart the newest in-demand dream blockbuster. Here you will find 5 floors packed with every concoction imaginable boxed and sold for both animal and human consumption. You name it, they got it: dreams of achievement, memories of your childhood, futuristic dreams, foodie dreams, and even nightmares are sold! Some opt to revisit their lost loved ones while others may seek travel. And if your premade purchase isn’t doing the trick, a specialized dream can be created and made-to-order just for you! Follow along with our protagonist Penny and meet all the others staffs on board as she navigates her first day on the job at Dallergut’s. As for method of payment? Why, you’ll have to read the book in order to find out ALL its quirks and whimsies.

My initial thoughts were: this would be a cute, fanciful, and highly imaginative read into a world of dreams based alone on its cover. There is a heap of magical realism with fairytale elements that requires a jolt of the imagination when you first dive in. It immediately gives off Before the Coffee Gets Cold vibes, which I’m a fan. I didn’t realize this was a duology and although it lacked a central plot line and is nil on action/tension, the dream-like themes and creative inner workings of the store along with the animated casts made it a fairly entertaining read and a cozy escape at the end of the day. You will either love it or snooze on this one.

Thank you Hanover Square Press and HTP for my advance e-readers copy of this book.

Where do I start?
I wanted to love this book. I was excited to read it based off the premise and the beautiful cover design. But I could hardly get through it.
This book felt completely disjointed. Main characters weren't given enough weight, while side characters were talked about for too long. There was hardly a consistent plot through the entire story. It was abruptly sectioned, although that didn't feel like the intention.
My biggest gripe is how amateur the writing felt. I know it was a debut for the author, but I wasn't allowed to think anything for myself because she overly explained every little thing she could've. Some characters had ridiculous names, some had normal names that felt like they belonged to a different world. The world building started off strong, but quickly fell apart with too many inexplainable loopholes. This was a whimsical world, yet familiar faces like Santa Claus and Paul McCartney showed up.
I just wasn't a fan. The premise was so intriguing, but it was too lost on me with how poorly this was written.