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!