I loved The Dallergut Dream Department Store last year and would have been content with just a stand-alone novel in this universe, but when I heard that Lee was publishing a sequel, I was thrilled! I was so excited to return to the dream world, to see how Penny would continue to evolve as a character after her growth in the first book, and to perhaps see a more in-depth (and maybe even slightly critical?) look at the dream world.

However....I was a bit let down by the sequel. The writing is still beautiful and dreamy (no pun intended), and the world of dreams is still a joy to read through. The characters are still interesting, though could have used a little more time to explore them again. I think if I had gone in with lesser expectations, I would not have been so let down, because it is very much in the same vein as the first in the series. The plot meandered about quite a bit (as I found in the first, so no surprise there), and the problems of the plot all seemed very surface-level, easily solved, and never leading to real growth.

I would still happily read more by Miye Lee, but perhaps I'll adjust my expectations for future installments. Thank you to Netgalley and
Harlequin Trade Publishing | Hanover Square Press for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

Man, how did we get here? Last summer I devoured The Dallergut Dream Department Store and even begged for a sequel in my review. Be careful what you wish for, I guess? Maybe I just felt thrown off this time around because I think I thought Penny was going to have to work through this conflict with her parents and then that plot line goes nowhere? And maybe that’s on me, maybe I’m turning Penny’s complaints about her parents into a whole thing when it wasn’t but it made for a confusing reading experience. Otherwise this was a nice continuation of the series and expansion of the world. It did feel a bit same old same old at the same time though. I don’t know, maybe the idea blew my wig off last summer because it was so original and I didn’t know what to expect and now I do so that changed the experience?

Either way, I ship Penny and Maxim. Do people still say that?

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The world that Miye Lee creates through the Dallergut Dream-Making world is really fascinating and I keep getting drawn back to it. Would love to read more installments about this world. I really enjoyed both books and look forward to more from this author in the future.

I absolutely loved the first book in the series! I was so excited to read the second one!

Penny has officially survived a year at the store so now she’s an employee of the dream industry! Penny finds out about the company’s secrets. She decides to get to the bottom of the complaints. Will Penny and her coworkers be able to bring their regular customers back? I really like Penny and her willingness to help others! She definitely my favorite!

This is a nice and easy read! It will have you feeling happy and cozy!

Thank you so much Harlequin Trade Publishing, NetGalley and Miye for the eARC!

Rating: ✨✨✨✨
Publication Date: June 24 2025

#TheDallergutDreamMakingDistrict #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin/Hanover Square Press for the e-arc!

I read the first book in this series last year and did not love it. I felt the story could have been better but it felt flat. I had high hopes for the sequel to get me but it also did not grip me as much. I do think there were certain elements done better but overall it was just an alright story. I like the world of this series but the characters and main story make it boring. I will not be continuing this series.

I really enjoyed the first book so I was excited to read this sequel too. It was great to see the cast of characters again, and seeing people reflect on their dreams and experiences made me think about my dreams and past as well. I loved the concept of the dream department store and I'll treasure this duology in my mind.

I thought that this was a great sequel to The Dallergut Dream Department Store which I had absolutely loved. The writing style and tone, one of my favorite aspects of the first book, had the same great vibe in the sequel that really immersed me in the dream-like nature of the book.

I really enjoyed getting to experience more of the dream world in this sequel and getting a 'behind the scenes' look at everything Penny was exposed to in book one. It added a lot of depth to the business of selling dreams in a fascinating way. Much like the first book, we mainly follow Penny in this book as well as some specific characters who interact with Penny in their dreams. All of the other Dallergut employees are also present and it was so much fun to read about them and all of their quirks again.

The emotions explored in this book felt quite raw and melancholic at times, but there was also a lot of hope and healing emphasized through the plotlines. I definitely was able to relate to the struggles of some of the characters as well as their processes of accepting the past in order to embrace their futures.

All in all, I really enjoyed returning to Miya Lee's dreamworld and getting to explore it more alongside Penny!

The Dallergut Dream Making District by Miye Lee is the sequel to The Dallergut Dream Department Store. Penny, who works at the front desk of the dallergut dream dept store, gets a pass to the company district. She works at the complaint department trying to remedy dreamers’ complaints. Each of the dreamers have moments of reflection within their dreams that change how they view their awake lives.

I recommend this heartwarming book for fantasy readers. It’s a deep dive into an immersive, imaginative world of dreams and how that could work as a business. The dreamers choose an adventure such as being a shark crossing the Atlantic Ocean and pay with emotions such as affection, longing, or happiness.

“Live in the present for the happiness you have now. Look forward to the future for happiness yet to come, and reflect on the past, for you only recognize happiness after it has passed.” Quoted from unedited proof.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Absolutely loved this sequel. I'm a little saddened by the inclusion of dream catchers, since this has a very distinct history for the Ojibwe people. I acknowledge that South Koreans wouldn't be versed with this knowledge in the same way many Western audiences wouldn't know the nuances of their history and culture. That said, I was still disappointed by its inclusion and use, even if it was used to create a sweet moment between two characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin books for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts!

RATING: 1.75 stars

I was a huge fan of "The Dallergut Dream Department Store" when I first read the story. The characters were bright and memorable, the premise of the story felt so heart-felt and joyful, and the plot was the first cozy story that I fully enjoyed. I was delighted when to discover this book would have a sequel, and while those elements were still present in "The Dallergut Dream-Making District", the ending of the book left an immensely vile and sour taste in my mouth.

To start with the moments I enjoyed, it was a delight to return back into Miye Lee dreamworld. This story felt like a proper sequel with readers following characters that are now immensely familiar, but with an added layer of new characters and new world building elements to explore. The introduction of the Civil Complaint Center lent itself readily to the vignette storytelling we have come to know and love, where perspectives shift fluidly between dream-makers and dreamers, immersing readers into the many dimensions of the story. I liked seeing Penny mull over creative ways to alleviate the complaints received about the Dallergut Department store, as well as the impact her decisions had on the dreamers. And while the final arc of Dallergut's Big Surprise was fantastical and highly immersive upon all the senses, my most favorite part of the story was with Maxim and Nick's hijinks. Most notably, Lee's signature flair for animal justice shone bright and clear within this facet of the story, and I was saddened to see the end of their collaboration in the story.

With that said, the final portion of the story takes a sacrilegious approach to dream catchers that is frankly appalling, and the biggest reason this book rates so lowly for me. First, the story introduces a kitschy "electric dreamcatcher" item that is marketed to dreamers as a nightmare detractor. Never once in the story is the American Indigenous cultural importance of the dream catcher discussed, nor does the plot attempt to explain the item much further than a "nightmare detractor". Next, and more egregious, Penny then takes it upon herself to make her own dreamcatcher out of "macrame and trinkets and thrown together feathers". It feels like the author and the story takes great liberties to smear an item of such importance, and I was tempted to DNF this book at the 94% mark. I am not an Indigenous person, so I would definitely seek out the perspective of an Indigenous person on this issue, but this whole aspect felt disrespectful to Indigenous culture, akin to a White woman selling dreamcatchers on Etsy.

The choice to include this in the story felt so jarringly out of place in comparison to the rest of the story that Miye Lee has crafted, but despite my enjoyment of every other portion of the story I cannot in good faith recommend this book to others. This moment being the ending of the story completely ruined a good story for me, and I will not be purchasing this sequel for my shelves.

It's just as sweet,cozy, and moving as the first book. Return to the dreamworld that Miye Lee created. There are so many heartfelt, feel-good moments that will make you cry and your heart swell. I found myself cheering for Penny as she helps to resolve each customers complaint. I wonder and hope I'm a customer at Dallergut's when I'm asleep.

This story is one part saccharine and one part melancholy. It’s a solid enough combination. But I agree with the people calling it substanceless. It’s a bit like cotton candy it dissolves on impact. But I understand its appeal. It’s almost like the dreams in the book itself. It’s an easy read, cozy and light.

(Thank you to NetGalley for the arc)

I loved the first book in this series and have fallen in love all over again with this one. Miye Lee is such a talent and I love the world of the Dallergut Dream. This book made me feel just as happy as I had in the first book. The writing is light and airy while also reflecting the deep desires and dreams of humans and our emotions. The book continues to explore the world and the dreams of those who walk amongst it. I loved this and I really hope more of this world comes soon.

Dream world with talking animals and magic elements where dreams can be sold and manufactured by dream studios (designed to be much like movie studios).

The premise had so much promise - I mean dreams are limitless and you would expect the story to be also imaginative with fantastical elements for world building. Ultimately, the plot and characters had very little complexity, and the dream department store does not move past the movie studio analogy. Penny is a dull character and Dallergut, our titular character, does not do much in the novel other than being mysterious.

I also noted the book relies heavily on dialogue, which I think is also a disservice to world building and the endless intro of various characters render the novel pretty bloated with simple characters.

I had high hopes for this one since it’s following a popular book, The Dallergut Dream Department Store (which I didn’t read but good books should be able to stand on their own merits), and the book cover is gorgeous.

Special thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press, and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest, independent review.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend others to read it as well.

This second book in the duology from Miye Lee was heartfelt, thoughtprovoking and somewhat lighthearted (if that makes sense). I loved seeing more of our main character grow in her role and really delve deep into herself and find out how she wanted to grow from then on in her job and in her life. Her friendships growing with her colleagues, friends and family was so much fun to watch. I know the author said this was a duology, but I really hope we get to see more from the main character, but also maybe from some other characters from this world as well. The Dallergut Dream-Making District will be published on June 24, 2025, make sure you prepare by reading the first book!