Return to the DallerGut Dream Department Store

Continues the wonderful, fantastical narrative I came to love from the first book in the series. I fell in love with the department store all overf again. I didn't think that Lee could replicate the feeligs and sensations of the first book agaun, but she did!

I enjoyed the first in this series of books even though this is not my usual genre of books to read and I really enjoyed it, so I was more than happy to be gifted the second book. Wow what a follow up, nothing has been lost between the books and the relationship between the main characters is evolving to show what friendship in the workplace could be like. You would need to read the first to understand how Penny ended up working at the dream department store. This is a family friendly book that any age could read, oh and I am sure I dream more whilst reading these books.
An absolute read for all

A thought provoking return to the Dream Department Store. I loved Pennys progression and looking deeper into some of the other employees lives & background. It was deeply moving to see how inclusive the
dream makers wanted to make their dreams. The Dallergut Dream Department Store is a big warm hug.

Returning back to the world of the DallerGut Dream Department Store, it delves deeper into the dream industry and its customers. Why do some of the customers buy a dream and then never return back to the store? Will Penny and the team be able to bring their regulars back?

I absolutely adored the first book so when I saw there was gonna be a second book, I absolutely needed it and it was everything I dreamed of it being and more. I am absolutely obsessed with these bunch of characters and their dynamic personalities that happen to compliment each other so well. Being back in this world made me so happy and I absolutely loved not only getting to learn more about the characters and the world but about the dreams and how even in this world, they are striving for inclusivity for disabled people by having different accommodations, which was beautiful to see. I really loved the conversations around disabilities that happened in this book, it created so much hope and it genuinely made me so happy to see it being spoken about as I think even if you don’t have the same disabilities as the characters, you can still relate to what is being said. It was interesting to learn more about the dreams that the different customers have, as it made me feel like I was experiencing the dreams with them.

This book does a superb job at creating the most warm and inviting atmosphere and making you feel like you are there with the characters, being able to visualise what the world looks like. It is a world that I would absolutely love to visit in my dreams. The writing style only adds to this beautiful, whimsical world that is so easy to get lost in.

I truly didn’t want this book to end as I wanted to be in this world for longer with the characters so if there are going to be any more books in this series, I would be so excited as it’s one of my favourites. It kept my enjoyment the whole time and I was so intrigued by what was happening in the book.

Thanks to Wildfire and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

⚠️ CWs: illness, mental health illness (depression); mentions food/dieting, alcohol use ⚠️

This book did not fail me. I dropped everything to read this and I am so glad I did.
This lived up to the joy that the first book brought me, it filled my cup to overflowing.
Such an easy and heartwarming read

I really enjoyed this book, which is not surprising because I loved the first one. It is Penny’s second year at the store and there are more dreams and more events and the staff continue to be wonderful and I wish I worked there.
I loved the idea of the second disciple in this book, the introduction in the beginning with Penny’s card reading and then the continued reinforcement throughout the book to the ending. Really sweet and perfectly done.
I love the way we continue to see the dream the way the customer does, that is often my favourite part of the chapter.

The sequel to The Dallergut Dream Department Store, we have returned with our favourite characters in this fun fantasy setting - and I for one am so glad to be back in this world.
What I love the most about these two books is the workplace environment which I find to be so humorous. In a couple of chapters in this instalment we go to the customer complaints centre which was particularly relatable. I think what is especially important is Penny's development arc over the two books, I've grown to really love her along with all the other characters: the floor managers, dreammakers and the Noctilucas!
It is a heavy hitting and emotional read yet so heart-warming at the same time. I cried multiple times yet had the best time reading this book.
The first book was a solid 5 star for me and this sequel didn't quite live up to book one but I'm still rating it 4.5 overall. This is just my perfect translated fiction in a fantasy world, I have so much love for this duology. Without spoiling the ending there is also a very sweet budding romance and I would just adore a novella to focus on their relationship.
4.5 stars (rounded up to 5 for NetGalley)

Thank you to NetGalley, Headline and Miye Lee for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.

Review posted to Goodreads and The StoryGraph. Review to be posted on Amazon and Instagram on publication date.

I was lucky enough to be sent an ARC by Headline and NetGalley, thank you for the opportunity.

Where do I begin? I was so excited to rejoin Penny’s journey, learning about her role at the dream department store and seeing what has changed after her first year. Being an established member of the Dream industry, Penny gets to show us behind the scenes, and honestly going behind the curtain was fantastic.

I loved learning more about Dallergut, Motail and some of the other characters I first met in Dallergut Dream Department Store. And hearing some more back story on Penny’s parents was cute!

As before, I got to learn a bit about individual customers’ lives - and again some more challenging themes were explored here (including themes of mental health).

Miye Lee has written another heart-warming story. Although I’ve heard this described elsewhere as a duology, I think it’s been left open enough that she could revisit these characters to write more (although I found it to be a satisfying ending even if she chose not to revisit).

An easy to read sequel, with fantastical yet charming characters set against a whimsical backdrop. A must read if you enjoyed the first book!

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.