In Return to the DallerGut Dream Department Store, Penny’s journey into the magical and mysterious dream industry takes a deeper, more introspective turn. Having officially survived her first year as an employee, Penny eagerly ventures into the Company District—a bustling hub for dream production. However, the vibrant façade hides a darker side of the industry that challenges Penny’s perception of her work and its impact.

This sequel expands upon the whimsical foundation laid in the first book, exploring not only the mechanics of dream creation but also the emotional and psychological experiences of dream consumers. The introduction of the Civil Complaint Center, where people register grievances about their dreams, provides a fascinating lens into how dreams can shape, haunt, or inspire lives. These complaints, along with the mystery of the disappearing regular customers, add depth to the story as Penny uncovers the reasons behind their absence and evolves from merely selling dreams to understanding the complexities of the human heart.

The book’s greatest strength lies in its comforting tone, blending workplace satire with heartfelt moments. The mythology of the dreamworld is further enriched, offering readers new insights into the industry’s inner workings while maintaining the charm and quirkiness of the original story. The characters are relatable, their journeys reflective of real-world struggles wrapped in a magical narrative.

Return to the DallerGut Dream Department Store is a gentle, thought-provoking sequel that offers a perfect balance of escapism and emotional resonance. Its exploration of the dream industry’s unseen layers makes for a satisfying read, ideal for fans of cosy fantasies with a touch of whimsy and psychological insight.

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I had high hopes for this book after I loved the first one. It did not disappoint. Just like the first novel it had great storylines and characters. I could read these books again and again.

I really enjoyed returning to the world of the DallerGut Dream Department Store. Getting to see more of the world outside of the store was really interesting and this really helped to develop the characters. The book is just as gentle and heart-warming as the previous one and I would definitely recommend. I was ambivalent about the first book but I'm really glad I continued with this one as I enjoyed it much more.

3.5/5!!

A very cute continuation on the first book. I wish there had been more of my favourite character (Maxim!) but it definitely felt more cohesive and fleshed out. I wonder if there will be more stories branching off of this magical dream realm?

“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 recognise happiness after it has passed.”

I could spend forever in this world and I’d never get sick of it, most likely because I’m convinced there will be beautiful, creative, thought-provoking surprises around every single corner.

In Return to The Dallergut Dream Department Store we rejoin Penny as she nervously awaits her first annual appraisal as a front desk employee at the dream store. Her goals for the year ahead include tackling some customer complaints and finding out why regular customers have stopped visiting. Penny does this with the help of Dallergut himself, as well as a host of other favourites from book one.

Now, where this series sings is the conceptual elements and the world building. It is being unpacked so slowly, and it feels like Lee has an endless stream of ideas, vignettes and discussion points to keep the series feeling fresh. A sequel like this can so often flop because after book one you know the broad concept and you’ve done the reflection on the basic implications of the magic system, so what’s left? The experience can sometimes get repetitive or stale. Return to Dallergut’s though was neither.

We didn’t waste time rehashing the magic system or the basics of the dream world and the department store. If something was relevant to what was happening, it was covered in just enough detail to jog the memory, without feeling laborious. It’s honestly a testament to how vast this world is that some elements from book one were barely touched on at all, because we were preoccupied uncovering new buildings, talking thrill rides to previously forbidden areas of the city and even exploring noctiluca laundry caves, HELLO!!

I love the format of this kind of book and to this point I haven’t read anything else like it. The story of the store, world and main characters run in the foreground, while we periodically turn to little vignettes within the main story, delving deeper into the dreams of customers to explore a variety of different themes. I know there are other series that follow this ‘stories within the story’ vibe so I need to pick up more of them and see whether the magic is transferable for me.

A couple of the themes in this sequel really resonated with me and touched on areas I’m super passionate about, which definitely helped my rating bump up from the 4 stars I gave to the first book. I also found with the first one that as much as I enjoyed it when I first read it, my appreciation has grown over time as I’ve mulled over the concept and ideas and related the themes back to my own life. I guess that means I went into Return to Dallergut’s with the advantage that I’ve formed a connection with the world over a period of time.

I’m connecting with the main characters slowly and authentically. Some still feel difficult to distinguish at this point, but the ones that we spend more time with feel whimsical but fully rounded and real. They’re lovable but not in a 1 dimensional ‘cute and fluffy’ way. Our MC Penny can be sweet but a little annoying, prissy at times and full of sass at others; she feels real, and so do the relationships she’s forming.

Okay this review is long enough now; I’ve been gushing forever. I’m gonna head to bed and hope I can find my way to Dallergut’s Dream Department Store. Sweet dreams everyone x

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC of this book for review.

I'd been looking forward to book 2, so I had high expectations.

I loved the different perspectives that Penny saw in this book - customer complaints, returning customers, making dreams.

I loved the message of the book. I wish I had this in print so I could have highlighted sections (which I couldn't do on the epub I received) - it's now on my to buy/re-read list!

I'd have loved more of the story in epilogue 2 though!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you thought working at a dream department store was all stardust and cozy enchantment, think again!

In Return to the DallerGut Dream Department Store, Lee Mi-ye takes us on another journey into the magical (and surprisingly bureaucratic) world of dream-selling, but this time, with a twist that’s a little darker and a lot more intriguing.

Penny is no longer a wide-eyed newbie; she’s a fully-fledged dream industry employee, complete with access to the mysterious Company District.

Think of it as the Hogwarts of the dream world but with more red tape and unexpected shadows lurking in its corners. From exploring how dreams are crafted to uncovering a Civil Complaint Center full of dissatisfied dreamers (imagine Yelp reviews for your dreams….yikes!), Penny learns that even magic comes with its complications.

The heart of this story lies in the mystery of the regular customers who’ve vanished without a trace. Penny’s journey to uncover their stories are thought-provoking, shifting her role from simply selling dreams to truly understanding the hearts and desires of her customers.

Each complaint she investigates unravels a little more of this enchanting world, and the result is both whimsical and emotionally resonant.

Mi-ye’s storytelling sparkles as she blends charming magical realism with a touch of introspection. The lush, quirky details of the dream industry are endlessly fascinating (raw dream materials? Yes, please!), while the underlying message about human longing and connection adds depth to the whimsy.

Return to the DallerGut Dream Department Store is a dreamy escape with layers of mystery, heart, and just the right amount of magic. If you’ve ever wondered about the business of dreams or craved a whimsical tale with a thoughtful core, this one’s for you.

A sequel that equals the fantastically wonderful original. We rejoin Penny as she celebrates her first anniversary working at the Dream Department store. Along with Dallergut and their many colleagues and friends, they prepare for the first dream festival they’ve had for many years.
A lovely, heartwarming tale.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own unbiased opinion.

A beautifully written follow up to it's smash hit predecessor, this was as enchanting and, if possible, even more magical.

What a delight it was to return to the Dallergut Dream Store and hear about the going ons! Whisky this one didn’t quite have the same charm as the first book, I still loved it and devoured it over a couple of days. I would have loved more stories from the ‘dreamers’ but it was also nice to have more from the main characters involved in the Dream Store!

The first DallerGut Dream Department Store was one of my favourite reads last year as I felt it was childhood favourite meeting the wonderful world of Korean/Japanese cosy fiction.
This book had more of a plot and purpose and in that way I think I enjoyed it more, but for the most part I didn't find it quite as visual as the first book, despite the big set piece.
A fun read and I will keep reading the series if more are translated.

I’m so glad I got to read this book. It has the perfect blend of feel good vibes and cosy writing. Honestly I would not have been surprised at all to hear that Studio Ghibli had done a movie of it. (They haven’t yet but we can only hope!) This book is the perfect escapism from real life.

In the second book, it builds upon this beautifully comforting world by bringing us more details of how dreams are made, more of the quirky characters we met in book one and a wonderfully elaborate pajama party that takes up the whole street!

Though I think I preferred the first book, I really enjoyed reading the sequel. It was lovely to revisit the same characters and world. I honestly could read a whole series of these books and still enjoy them!

Perfect to read as audio or in print versions, you can’t go wrong with this fantastic books!

I’ve really enjoyed this series! The first book made me think about dreams in such a different way and DallerGut has certainly become my fave book grandad. It was great to be on another journey with Penny in her second year at the store whilst she learns more about the regular customers. Without wanting to spoil anything, if you’re looking for a short story that will help with a but of reflecting I highly recommend. Thank you to Headline and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy!

A wonderful, whimsical sequel that carried on the story perfectly. I absolutely adore these books, they are the perfect book to curl up with on a rainy day

‘Return to the DallerGut Dream Department Store’ by Miye Lee is a sequel in the dream department store series. The novel was everything you could want in a cosy sequel. A few major character driven plot points, a fun incident and a perfect reintroduction into the setting of the first book. It felt like we had never left off.

I loved the theme of reintroducing old customers to the store, getting a good insight into the operations outside of the store. I really thought this added to Penny’s ARK and I loved her ability to discover things about the store and its customers.

I would highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy cosy books as this is the pinnacle and those who enjoy light fantasy, as the magic is on the lighter side and isn’t delved into that much.

A solid enjoyable read.

I loved the first book and I have loved reading the second book. It’s a beautiful book that transports you back into the dream department store. I loved following penny through her daily work and the relationships with the characters in the book:

Enjoyed coming back to this world, cosy and whimsical with some beautiful moments and imagery. But again, the capitalism vibes are so at odds with everything else in this world it's kind of jarring. The juxtaposition of the Noctiluca laundry cave and the complaints department is so weird!

Return To The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Lee Miye

I read the first book in this series after an impulsive purchase based on the beautiful and engaging cover and was delighted to be approved for an advance ebook copy of the second book in the series by @wildfiredoesbooks and @headlinebooks

I was excited to discover how Penny had developed. Penny is a young girl whose dream of working at Dallergut had come true the year before. Penny is blossoming in confidence, learning new skills and making friendships with customers and the dream makers.

All the floor managers reappear like old friends and you learn more about their characters and back stories. I loved the burgeoning friendship between Penny and Maxim one of the nightmare makers and there is clearly more to this story! I chuckled aloud at the antics of Nicholas and Maxim and how they ensure customers balance their dreams with a dose of humility!

This book is pure fantasy with moral tales at the heart of the story. As with book one its more of a snapshot of fables than an overarching plot which allows you to dip in and out of the story.

I look forward to more in the series, as I NEED to know what will happen between Maxim and Penny, will Dallergut ever retire?? I'd love to see these books adapted for screen.

Thank you @wildfiredoesbooks and @headlinebooks for making my dreams come true!

Return to the Dallergut Dream Department Store is a sweet sequel to the bestselling first book. Following Penny again, we learn more about the strange and fantastic world of dreams.

This time, we move outside of the department store and learn more about the production of dreams. There is wonder as the magical world expands but also some hard hitting truths. The story delves into the complaint centre and we learn more about the difficult dreams people have to face. This story had a good balance of levity and lightness to it. I really liked that was a heartwarming fantasy that had a real grounding in reality.

I would recommend this book to fans of the first book and series like ‘Before the Coffee gets cold’. There is something magical about these translated works!

I absolutely loved the first in this series - DallerGut Dream Department Store - when I read it last year and have been on tenterhooks waiting for this book to be translated and released here. I know I usually bang on about starting from book one and reading in order and it's always a good idea to do that with all series, but some really do warrant that effort. Like this one, which is, as was book one, also deliciously, quirkily, bonkers... And brilliant!
So, at the start of this book we catch up with Penny who is just about to celebrate her one year anniversary of working at the DallerGut Dream Department Store. As with all employees that have accrued this length of service she is now allowed to take the commuter train to the Company District where all the magic happens and where the dreams are produced. But as well as that, it is also home to the Civil Complaints Centre. And it is there that Penny also learns of the people who used to shop at DallerGut but do so no longer. She is determined to find out why, and more importantly try and coax them back...
As with the series opener, I slipped back into the wonderful world of the dream industry very easily. Sometimes it takes a wee while for my brain to recall the story and the characters but in this case it was all there pretty much from the start. And before long I was fully re-immersed in the wonderful world that the author has created.
Penny is a wonderful character, she blossomed during the first book and her development continues in this book. As does the world in which the series is set, expanding more outside the store which also gives rise to the introduction of a few more quirky characters as well as revisiting those we already met in the first book.
An analogy that I usually use in translated books is also quite pertinent here, if you don't notice a referee in sport then they've done a good job, likewise if you forget that it is a translation, the translator has done a good job and, herein, it is seamless...
The story contained herein is compelling and fascinating and held my attention all the way through, I think it's more emotional than book one but it is also more wholesome if you get what I mean. Maybe a bit sugary at times but hey, it's fun!
I see from reading other reviews that some are referring to this as just a duology rather than a series, but Fantastic Fiction has a third book mooted for release in 2025. I really do hope that this is the case as I would really love to continue my relationship with characters and their world...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.