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Kleine Wunder in der Mitternachtskonditorei
Emotional und berü Dieses Buch fühlt sich an wie eine Umarmung an einem kalten Tag
Als Yeonhwa von ihrer Großmutter das Hwawoldang, eine Konditorei für koreanisches Gebäck erbt, ist sie etwas ratlos. Denn es gibt zwei Yeonhwa muss das Hwawoldang mindestens für vier Wochen weiterführen – und geöffnet wird nur von 22 Uhr bis um Mitternacht.
Das bleibt allerdings nicht die einzige Kuriosität im Zusammenhang mit der Konditorei, denn Yeonhwa merkt schnell, dass ihre Kunden nicht ganz lebendig sind, und das nicht nur in dem Sinne, dass sie nur einen Kaffee benötigen …
Mit Hilfe von Yeonhwa, ihrem Gebäck und einer magischen schwarzen Katze versuchen die Verstorbenen ihren Liebsten eine Nachricht zu schicken, um so ihren Frieden zu finden. Und auch Yeonhwa stößt dabei auf ein Geheimnis …
Als Yeonhwa von ihrer Großmutter das Hwawoldang, eine Konditorei für koreanisches Gebäck erbt, ist sie etwas ratlos. Denn es gibt zwei Yeonhwa muss das Hwawoldang mindestens für vier Wochen weiterführen – und geöffnet wird nur von 22 Uhr bis um Mitternacht.
Das bleibt allerdings nicht die einzige Kuriosität im Zusammenhang mit der Konditorei, denn Yeonhwa merkt schnell, dass ihre Kunden nicht ganz lebendig sind, und das nicht nur in dem Sinne, dass sie nur einen Kaffee benötigen …
Mit Hilfe von Yeonhwa, ihrem Gebäck und einer magischen schwarzen Katze versuchen die Verstorbenen ihren Liebsten eine Nachricht zu schicken, um so ihren Frieden zu finden. Und auch Yeonhwa stößt dabei auf ein Geheimnis …
261 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 11, 2024
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February 9, 2026
Some places exist in the quiet hours, not just between night and day, but between worlds. Sometimes soft, inviting, but could also be a little lonely. And in retrospect, this novel is very much that kind of story, but in a different like, this book also feels like if The Lantern of Lost Memories and The Amberglow Candy Store had a child! (and I never make a better equation in describing a book).
Set in a small pastry shop that only opens between 10 p.m. and midnight, Yeon-hwa a grieving young woman who inherits her grandmother's bakery alongside a crushing debt, soon discovers that her clientele are spirits. With the help of Sa-wol, a mysterious shaman hiding secrets of his own, Yeon-hwa soon begins to explore what people leave behind when they die and what they still cling to before they can finally move on.
The major force of this book is its core conceit and the melancholic yet uplifting atmosphere it cultivates. Each spirit’s tale is sad, tender, and quietly hopeful, speaking to human bonds, regrets, and love. While the novel deals with death, it never feels heavy or overwhelming. Instead, it carries a warm reminder to carry the torch for the people we love while we still can.
On a personal note, chapter four and five deliver powerful emotional punches that underscore the fragility and beauty of life. The message that emerges is heartrending, which taught us to cherish our loved ones and to find a way to live without being consumed by grief for those left behind. The author handles this difficult theme with delicacy that avoids becoming dark or morbid, leaving the reader with a soft sense of hope.
However, where the story of the spirits shines, the living narrative at its core feels underbaked. The book’s underlying weakness takes in its characterization of Yeon-hwa herself. We learn she was raised by her grandmother after her parents' death and feels estranged from her, but her internal world often feels sidelined. On that ground, when the final revelations come, I expected to feel more stirred than I actually did but it felt like something was missing. And I think that absence comes from not spending enough time truly understanding our protagonist. Her story never fully blooms, which made the ending less impactful than it could have been.
That same limitation extends, more subtly, to the spirits. Though their circumstances differ, still feels emotionally indistinct which becomes more noticeable especially when you have read other books with a similar “helping spirits move on” premise. There is a silent dissonance in seeing souls defined by unresolved longing appear so emotionally subdued, as if the narrative keeps their inner lives at arm’s length rather than fully engaging with their somber complexities.
Even so, as highlighted earlier, Hwawoldang thus far approaches death with notable sensitivity. It treats grief with respect and frames moving on not as forgetting, but as continuing to live. The message may not be groundbreaking, but it is sincere and comforting.
And if you look closely, there is something meaningful to take away from this book. It is gentle, bittersweet, and meekly heartwarming. In the end though, I do not think it was quite for me and that is alright. Sometimes a story can be beautifully told and still not fully remain in your heart.
Set in a small pastry shop that only opens between 10 p.m. and midnight, Yeon-hwa a grieving young woman who inherits her grandmother's bakery alongside a crushing debt, soon discovers that her clientele are spirits. With the help of Sa-wol, a mysterious shaman hiding secrets of his own, Yeon-hwa soon begins to explore what people leave behind when they die and what they still cling to before they can finally move on.
The major force of this book is its core conceit and the melancholic yet uplifting atmosphere it cultivates. Each spirit’s tale is sad, tender, and quietly hopeful, speaking to human bonds, regrets, and love. While the novel deals with death, it never feels heavy or overwhelming. Instead, it carries a warm reminder to carry the torch for the people we love while we still can.
On a personal note, chapter four and five deliver powerful emotional punches that underscore the fragility and beauty of life. The message that emerges is heartrending, which taught us to cherish our loved ones and to find a way to live without being consumed by grief for those left behind. The author handles this difficult theme with delicacy that avoids becoming dark or morbid, leaving the reader with a soft sense of hope.
However, where the story of the spirits shines, the living narrative at its core feels underbaked. The book’s underlying weakness takes in its characterization of Yeon-hwa herself. We learn she was raised by her grandmother after her parents' death and feels estranged from her, but her internal world often feels sidelined. On that ground, when the final revelations come, I expected to feel more stirred than I actually did but it felt like something was missing. And I think that absence comes from not spending enough time truly understanding our protagonist. Her story never fully blooms, which made the ending less impactful than it could have been.
That same limitation extends, more subtly, to the spirits. Though their circumstances differ, still feels emotionally indistinct which becomes more noticeable especially when you have read other books with a similar “helping spirits move on” premise. There is a silent dissonance in seeing souls defined by unresolved longing appear so emotionally subdued, as if the narrative keeps their inner lives at arm’s length rather than fully engaging with their somber complexities.
Even so, as highlighted earlier, Hwawoldang thus far approaches death with notable sensitivity. It treats grief with respect and frames moving on not as forgetting, but as continuing to live. The message may not be groundbreaking, but it is sincere and comforting.
And if you look closely, there is something meaningful to take away from this book. It is gentle, bittersweet, and meekly heartwarming. In the end though, I do not think it was quite for me and that is alright. Sometimes a story can be beautifully told and still not fully remain in your heart.
June 30, 2025
I think I’m officially exhausted of these stories. They’re all the same! I thought this would have more substance, and more about the granddaughter taking over the store, but it’s the usual twee serial short format about communing with the dead.
It was too neat. Too simplistic. Too saccharine. I wanted more substance than the story gave me. The writing and the plot felt more geared to young readers than something for adults. There was a noticeable amount of awkward and repetitive phrasing, particularly in the dialogue, that felt unnatural. Overall, the writing/translation felt super rushed.
Communing with the dead, uncommunicative or passive characters, food, and cats are all starting to feel like tickbox lists that authors include. Like they’re all writing to an assignment brief, but there isn’t any variation to keep things interesting.
I didn’t hate this, but I was bored by it. It didn’t offer anything new or fresh.
My request to review this was approved by Michael Joseph via NetGalley.
It was too neat. Too simplistic. Too saccharine. I wanted more substance than the story gave me. The writing and the plot felt more geared to young readers than something for adults. There was a noticeable amount of awkward and repetitive phrasing, particularly in the dialogue, that felt unnatural. Overall, the writing/translation felt super rushed.
Communing with the dead, uncommunicative or passive characters, food, and cats are all starting to feel like tickbox lists that authors include. Like they’re all writing to an assignment brief, but there isn’t any variation to keep things interesting.
I didn’t hate this, but I was bored by it. It didn’t offer anything new or fresh.
My request to review this was approved by Michael Joseph via NetGalley.
July 8, 2025
Oh this really was a wonderfully thought-provoking book. Where many of the popular Japanese translated books are typically very cosy and feel-good, I’ve found that the Korean stories are a little more realistic and written to provide life lessons. This book is no exception.
[A HUGE thank you to Netgalley for the ARC]
Yeon-hwa is a bit of a lost soul. A 27-year-old girl who has just lost her grandma, a family member she never felt a close connection with. Upon meeting her grandma’s solicitor, she realises she has inherited Hwawoldang, a traditional dessert shop that has been in the family for generations. But the one condition of her inheritance is that she must not sell it immediately and must open every evening from 10 to midnight.
Yeon-hwa reluctantly agrees, hoping she can sell it as soon as possible. However, as soon as she meets Hwawoldang’s customers, she knows she has a real job on her hands. As she is brought into the memories of each customer, she learns about their deepest regrets and the sadness they feel now that they cannot make amends. And also that these customers are not as normal as they first seem. You’ll have to read on to find out why [:
I really enjoyed this book and learning about each of the shop’s customers. It made me feel that life really is too short and you shouldn’t wait to express your feelings or do the things you’ve always wanted to do. It also emphasises the importance of family relationships. Finally, what was refreshing about this story wasn’t that life is perfect or could be fixed with a hot coffee. Some of the scenes were quite disturbing!
I’m swinging towards a 4-stars with this one!
[A HUGE thank you to Netgalley for the ARC]
Yeon-hwa is a bit of a lost soul. A 27-year-old girl who has just lost her grandma, a family member she never felt a close connection with. Upon meeting her grandma’s solicitor, she realises she has inherited Hwawoldang, a traditional dessert shop that has been in the family for generations. But the one condition of her inheritance is that she must not sell it immediately and must open every evening from 10 to midnight.
Yeon-hwa reluctantly agrees, hoping she can sell it as soon as possible. However, as soon as she meets Hwawoldang’s customers, she knows she has a real job on her hands. As she is brought into the memories of each customer, she learns about their deepest regrets and the sadness they feel now that they cannot make amends. And also that these customers are not as normal as they first seem. You’ll have to read on to find out why [:
I really enjoyed this book and learning about each of the shop’s customers. It made me feel that life really is too short and you shouldn’t wait to express your feelings or do the things you’ve always wanted to do. It also emphasises the importance of family relationships. Finally, what was refreshing about this story wasn’t that life is perfect or could be fixed with a hot coffee. Some of the scenes were quite disturbing!
I’m swinging towards a 4-stars with this one!
January 25, 2026
I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (William Morrow) for promotional purposes.
What a sweet and heartfelt story!
This was very similar to another book I read earlier this month, The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop. Both books deal with the owner of a store helping people move on. In this book, the owner, Yeon-hwa, is helping spirits find closure so they can pass on peacefully before they are reincarnated.
I really enjoyed all of the customers’ stories. Each customer had a unique life story and the stories never felt repetitive or similar. My favorite was Ji-hwan. He was only ten years old and was so precious. Naturally, all the stories deal with death so they were always a little bittersweet.
Since this book is about a pastry shop, there were a lot of descriptions about food. All the pastries sounded so delicious. I’m not super familiar with Korean pastries, but after reading this book I definitely want to try some of the ones that were mentioned like yanggaeng.
While I enjoyed this book, I also felt like it was missing something. I felt a similar way about The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop so it might just be something about this type of story.
Overall, I loved my time at this cute little pastry shop. If you like cozy and emotional stories, consider picking this one up!
What a sweet and heartfelt story!
This was very similar to another book I read earlier this month, The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop. Both books deal with the owner of a store helping people move on. In this book, the owner, Yeon-hwa, is helping spirits find closure so they can pass on peacefully before they are reincarnated.
I really enjoyed all of the customers’ stories. Each customer had a unique life story and the stories never felt repetitive or similar. My favorite was Ji-hwan. He was only ten years old and was so precious. Naturally, all the stories deal with death so they were always a little bittersweet.
Since this book is about a pastry shop, there were a lot of descriptions about food. All the pastries sounded so delicious. I’m not super familiar with Korean pastries, but after reading this book I definitely want to try some of the ones that were mentioned like yanggaeng.
While I enjoyed this book, I also felt like it was missing something. I felt a similar way about The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop so it might just be something about this type of story.
Overall, I loved my time at this cute little pastry shop. If you like cozy and emotional stories, consider picking this one up!
June 27, 2025
Then the door chime sang again, and this time, a middle-aged woman in a flower-print dress entered – and I could tell instantly from the nervous look in her eye and her awkward steps that she had to be a customer.
Sa-wol noticed the customer, too, and whispered, ‘I’m actually a shaman. And I know about the thing your grandmother mentioned in her will. The answer to your “little” problem.’
‘You do?’ I said in disbelief, but instead of replying, Sa-wol grinned obliviously and turned on his heel.
쇠종이 한 번 더 울렸다. 이번에는 노란색 꽃무늬 패턴 원피스를 입은 중년 여자가 입장했다. 낯설어하며 고개를 두리번거리는 몸짓과 불안한 눈빛으로 보아 이번에는 확실히 손님이었다. 사월은 손님이 온 것을 확인하고는 재빨리 목소리를 낮춰 속삭였다.
“사실 난 무당이고요, 할머니 유서에 적힌 ‘그것’도 알고 있지요.”
“예? 정말인가요?” 그가 아이처럼 천진하게 웃더니 등을 돌려 나갔다.
A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang is Slin Jung's translation of 시간이 멈춰선 화과자점, 화월당입니다 by 이온화 (Lee Onhwa).
The novel is narrated by a 27 year old woman Hong Yeonhwa and opens:
Life is a fleeting moment, but our bonds will last forever. Those were Grandma’s last words. The sky was bright and clear when she left on her final journey, like even death had put on a cloak of sunshine in honour of her gentle humility. It was a lovely spring day with the flowers in spectacular bloom. I didn’t cry. Grandma’s passing didn’t destroy my life. I was twenty- seven years old; I could eat, go shopping, and even change the batteries of a dead clock all by myself. I put on a brave face, and life went on as if nothing had happened. I’d known since I was little that even as people died around me, yesterday would still lead into today, which would lead into tomorrow.
Her grandmother has died, her parents having died some years earlier in a traffic accident, and has left her traditional Korean/Japanese dessert shop, Hwawoldang (which conveys a sense of Flower Moon), to her in her will. But the shop is unsellable, and the bequest comes with a large debt (100m Won, or c£55,000), and the promise that she has been left everything she needs to run Hwawoldang and a way to repay the debt, but on three conditions:
- she personally runs the shop for at least one month
- she opens the shop from 10pm to midnight everyday
- she waits in anticipation
The shop itself: I was standing outside the Hwawoldang, its pink neon sign a shock of cherry blossoms in the deep of night. Once a small, single- storey residence, the traditional sweetshop was packed with décor in bright primary colours, the sort of place that might tempt East Asian versions of Hansel and Gretel. The Chinese characters for ‘parting’ and ‘blessing’ were proudly displayed on the wall, below which was an image of a magnificent dragon in flight. The shop interior looked like one massive talisman.
When she opens her first visitor is Sa-wol (literally April) a young man who is a shaman and seems - see the opening quote - to know the secrets of the shop. And her second is a woman who requests a particular dessert - Chocolate Jeonbyeong Crackers (초콜릿 전병) - which she needs by midnight.
It quickly transpires - no spoiler alert needed I think - that the woman is dead, and needs this dessert, which is associated with memories of her death in a fire, to allow her spirit to pass to the other side and be reincarnated. My holding her hand, Yeonhwa is able to enter into memories of her life and death (and the reader is able to read them) as well as significance of the requested dessert.
And that sets the pattern for the novel - each chapter features a recently-deceased person and a particular dessert request:
Chocolate Jeonbyeong Crackers - 초콜릿 전병
Plum-Blossom Manju Buns - 매화꽃 화과자
Green Tea Dang - 녹차 당고
Strawberry Chapssaltteok - 딸기 찹쌀떡
Chestnut Yanggaeng - 밤 양갱
A cartoon picture of them is below, from the Korean edition's webpage, and the author also made a video of each of them here.
Which makes for some mouthwatering food descriptions - this actually from a meal, accompanied by makgeolli (막걸리) rather than one of the desserts:
I thought of so many people as I raised my bowl and took that first sip of thick sweetness. As the pleasant tipsiness set in, I reached for the edges of the pajeon, fried almost as crispy as the jeonbyeong crackers, but savoury with the flavour of the oil and the gentle kick of the onion. Then I went for two pieces of the dotorimuk, moist and smooth but supple to chew. The chilli powder, vinegar and sugar offset the hint of acorn bitterness nicely. This combination always reminded me of a certain day in early summer, when I sat in the living room with Grandma and both my parents, eating and talking about nothing in particular.
But the stories themselves were rather too twee (particularly versus the rather tragic underlying stories) for my taste.
To the extent there is any plot, it revolves around Sa-wol's own story, and its relationship to Yeonhwa's situation. And the growth in her own self-identity:
‘I’m me! Not “granddaughter of Lim Yun-ok”, not the “heir to the Hwawoldang”, just me! Hong Yeonhwa!’
2.5 stars - rather too sweet a dessert, which left me yearning for a savoury main course (and a bowl of 막걸리).
Sa-wol noticed the customer, too, and whispered, ‘I’m actually a shaman. And I know about the thing your grandmother mentioned in her will. The answer to your “little” problem.’
‘You do?’ I said in disbelief, but instead of replying, Sa-wol grinned obliviously and turned on his heel.
쇠종이 한 번 더 울렸다. 이번에는 노란색 꽃무늬 패턴 원피스를 입은 중년 여자가 입장했다. 낯설어하며 고개를 두리번거리는 몸짓과 불안한 눈빛으로 보아 이번에는 확실히 손님이었다. 사월은 손님이 온 것을 확인하고는 재빨리 목소리를 낮춰 속삭였다.
“사실 난 무당이고요, 할머니 유서에 적힌 ‘그것’도 알고 있지요.”
“예? 정말인가요?” 그가 아이처럼 천진하게 웃더니 등을 돌려 나갔다.
A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang is Slin Jung's translation of 시간이 멈춰선 화과자점, 화월당입니다 by 이온화 (Lee Onhwa).
The novel is narrated by a 27 year old woman Hong Yeonhwa and opens:
Life is a fleeting moment, but our bonds will last forever. Those were Grandma’s last words. The sky was bright and clear when she left on her final journey, like even death had put on a cloak of sunshine in honour of her gentle humility. It was a lovely spring day with the flowers in spectacular bloom. I didn’t cry. Grandma’s passing didn’t destroy my life. I was twenty- seven years old; I could eat, go shopping, and even change the batteries of a dead clock all by myself. I put on a brave face, and life went on as if nothing had happened. I’d known since I was little that even as people died around me, yesterday would still lead into today, which would lead into tomorrow.
Her grandmother has died, her parents having died some years earlier in a traffic accident, and has left her traditional Korean/Japanese dessert shop, Hwawoldang (which conveys a sense of Flower Moon), to her in her will. But the shop is unsellable, and the bequest comes with a large debt (100m Won, or c£55,000), and the promise that she has been left everything she needs to run Hwawoldang and a way to repay the debt, but on three conditions:
- she personally runs the shop for at least one month
- she opens the shop from 10pm to midnight everyday
- she waits in anticipation
The shop itself: I was standing outside the Hwawoldang, its pink neon sign a shock of cherry blossoms in the deep of night. Once a small, single- storey residence, the traditional sweetshop was packed with décor in bright primary colours, the sort of place that might tempt East Asian versions of Hansel and Gretel. The Chinese characters for ‘parting’ and ‘blessing’ were proudly displayed on the wall, below which was an image of a magnificent dragon in flight. The shop interior looked like one massive talisman.
When she opens her first visitor is Sa-wol (literally April) a young man who is a shaman and seems - see the opening quote - to know the secrets of the shop. And her second is a woman who requests a particular dessert - Chocolate Jeonbyeong Crackers (초콜릿 전병) - which she needs by midnight.
It quickly transpires - no spoiler alert needed I think - that the woman is dead, and needs this dessert, which is associated with memories of her death in a fire, to allow her spirit to pass to the other side and be reincarnated. My holding her hand, Yeonhwa is able to enter into memories of her life and death (and the reader is able to read them) as well as significance of the requested dessert.
And that sets the pattern for the novel - each chapter features a recently-deceased person and a particular dessert request:
Chocolate Jeonbyeong Crackers - 초콜릿 전병
Plum-Blossom Manju Buns - 매화꽃 화과자
Green Tea Dang - 녹차 당고
Strawberry Chapssaltteok - 딸기 찹쌀떡
Chestnut Yanggaeng - 밤 양갱
A cartoon picture of them is below, from the Korean edition's webpage, and the author also made a video of each of them here.
Which makes for some mouthwatering food descriptions - this actually from a meal, accompanied by makgeolli (막걸리) rather than one of the desserts:
I thought of so many people as I raised my bowl and took that first sip of thick sweetness. As the pleasant tipsiness set in, I reached for the edges of the pajeon, fried almost as crispy as the jeonbyeong crackers, but savoury with the flavour of the oil and the gentle kick of the onion. Then I went for two pieces of the dotorimuk, moist and smooth but supple to chew. The chilli powder, vinegar and sugar offset the hint of acorn bitterness nicely. This combination always reminded me of a certain day in early summer, when I sat in the living room with Grandma and both my parents, eating and talking about nothing in particular.
But the stories themselves were rather too twee (particularly versus the rather tragic underlying stories) for my taste.
To the extent there is any plot, it revolves around Sa-wol's own story, and its relationship to Yeonhwa's situation. And the growth in her own self-identity:
‘I’m me! Not “granddaughter of Lim Yun-ok”, not the “heir to the Hwawoldang”, just me! Hong Yeonhwa!’
2.5 stars - rather too sweet a dessert, which left me yearning for a savoury main course (and a bowl of 막걸리).
February 8, 2026
дуже легко та швидко читається, не очікувала нічого вау бо такого типажу історій дуже багато, але однак все одно було цікаво почитати. фанатам корейської драми "Готель Дель Луна" явно сподобається
dnf
January 27, 2026DNF @ 29% unfortunately there is nothing unique enough about this to make me want to keep reading
November 24, 2025
3.5⭐ C'était fun! Enfin, c'est quand même des histoires d'âmes qui n'arrivent pas à passer de l'autre côté, mais le côté fantastique et pâtisserie était sympa. Les gâteaux sont vraiment au coeur du roman et on sent la passion de l'auteur pour les recettes traditionnelles. C'était ce que je recherchais en achetant ce livre, donc pour ça je n'ai pas été déçue (contrairement à La Boulangerie de Minuit par ex.)
J'ai aussi apprécié que pour une fois, les histoires des clients de la boutique ne soient pas tournées en leçons de développement personnel. Ils racontent leur vie, ils sont morts, le lecteur en retire ce qu'il veut.
Le seul bémol c'est que c'était trop court et du coup pas assez développé. C'est dommage parce que c'est pas mal écrit, il y a une atmosphère mi-douce mi-amère bien maîtrisée, mais la protagoniste fait à peine partie de l'histoire. Sauf pendant les quinze dernières pages et là c'est trop tard pour qu'on s'intéresse à ses états d'âme. Ça aurait pu être un coup de coeur sinon.
J'ai aussi apprécié que pour une fois, les histoires des clients de la boutique ne soient pas tournées en leçons de développement personnel. Ils racontent leur vie, ils sont morts, le lecteur en retire ce qu'il veut.
Le seul bémol c'est que c'était trop court et du coup pas assez développé. C'est dommage parce que c'est pas mal écrit, il y a une atmosphère mi-douce mi-amère bien maîtrisée, mais la protagoniste fait à peine partie de l'histoire. Sauf pendant les quinze dernières pages et là c'est trop tard pour qu'on s'intéresse à ses états d'âme. Ça aurait pu être un coup de coeur sinon.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I enjoyed this thought provoking story about life and what it means. With themes of family and relationships, the shop customers were my favorite!
*many thanks to William Morrow, Harper audio, and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review
*many thanks to William Morrow, Harper audio, and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review
February 4, 2026
Die einzelnen Kapitel sind wie Kurzgeschichten aufgebaut und haben mich trotz ihrer schweren Themen berührt und eine Leichtigkeit/Lebendigkeit vermittelt.
January 16, 2026
This was my first work of Japanese fiction and I really enjoyed it! I always love a sprinkling of magical realism in my reads, and I really enjoyed the pastry shop setting (as well as the pastries, which inspired my own sweet tooth this week)! I also liked the formatting of the book, how each chapter was a different person’s story paired with a different Japanese dessert. This was a sweet and lighthearted read that I really enjoyed!
January 6, 2026
Het enige wat ik heb na het lezen van dit boek is honger.
December 17, 2025
A light, touching with a cozy slice-of-life in a magical realism setting told in an interconnected tale of Hwawoldang; a traditional sweet and pastry shop where spirits with unfinished business came to seek a request on particular dessert to help them find closure and prepare for the afterlife. I followed Yeonhwa who inherited the shop from her grandmother that has recently passed away leaving her in the help of a shaman; Sawol to operate the shop in between 10pm and midnight, to serve the shop’s special customers with their preferable taste of comfort from jeonbyeong crackers and manju buns to dango, chapssal-tteok and chestnut yanggaeng as well making delivery if requested.
“Hwawoldang was the crossroads between the living and the dead. Every death is a tragedy. But not every spirit can pass on with a smile…”
Loved Yeonhwa’s love-hate interaction with Sawol as well how each tale begins in a neat surreal intro with a magic touch for Yeonhwa to delve into the customers’ perspective and preparing the said desserts for them. Having comforting prose with nothing that tensely and I liked how the author observed those vivid relationship and friendship in between the tales and the mystery revolves around the Korean spiritual belief of 49th-day rite and the three-year mourning that answered my curiosity about those lingering souls.
My fav stories were both about Mae Hyeon with his unrequited lovestory and the tale of the little boy Ji Hwan with his older sister (bit heartwrenched it sadden me when I read that short letter to his sister). Of one’s emotional healing, memories, connection, of grief, loss and compassion that struck a journey of realisation and acceptance for the customers and the people they left behind as well Yeonhwa who came to learn on the details about her grandmother (and the black cat!) and the truth about Sawol. An episode of resentment nearly the end, foreseen yet it grasped a charming reflective ending for me.
Frankly similar to any magical healing premise that I have read previously and still an enjoyable uplifting read nevertheless. Appreciate the readers’ letter from the author at the end!
**Thank you Times Reads for sending me a copy to review!
“Hwawoldang was the crossroads between the living and the dead. Every death is a tragedy. But not every spirit can pass on with a smile…”
Loved Yeonhwa’s love-hate interaction with Sawol as well how each tale begins in a neat surreal intro with a magic touch for Yeonhwa to delve into the customers’ perspective and preparing the said desserts for them. Having comforting prose with nothing that tensely and I liked how the author observed those vivid relationship and friendship in between the tales and the mystery revolves around the Korean spiritual belief of 49th-day rite and the three-year mourning that answered my curiosity about those lingering souls.
My fav stories were both about Mae Hyeon with his unrequited lovestory and the tale of the little boy Ji Hwan with his older sister (bit heartwrenched it sadden me when I read that short letter to his sister). Of one’s emotional healing, memories, connection, of grief, loss and compassion that struck a journey of realisation and acceptance for the customers and the people they left behind as well Yeonhwa who came to learn on the details about her grandmother (and the black cat!) and the truth about Sawol. An episode of resentment nearly the end, foreseen yet it grasped a charming reflective ending for me.
Frankly similar to any magical healing premise that I have read previously and still an enjoyable uplifting read nevertheless. Appreciate the readers’ letter from the author at the end!
**Thank you Times Reads for sending me a copy to review!
July 16, 2025
A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang
by Lee Onhwa is an endearing, emotional, thought provoking read. Introducing us to Yeon-hwa, who having been orphaned at a young age was brought up by her emotionally remote grandma who has recently passed.
In her will, her grandma left her business to Yeon-hwa - Hwawoldang, a traditional dessert shop that has been in their family for generations but of course there’s a caveat, Yeon-Hwa cannot sell the shop straightaway and must open every evening from 10 to midnight. Yeon-hwa reluctantly agrees to take the shop on temporarily until she can sell it but, on meeting Hwawoldang’s clients, Yeon-Hwa is immediately drawn into their lives, experiencing the memories, sadness and regrets of each.
Having recently lost my Mam, I was touched deeply by this book and the stories of each of the shop’s clients. This book isn’t saccharine sweet and doesn’t presume that a coffee or a dessert will solve every problem or fix every mistake. This book is a reminder that life is short, often brutally and unexpectedly short, that those you love are important, and that honesty about your feelings and emotions is truly valuable.
Lee Onhwa has written a more realistic and thought-provoking story that doesn’t promise to dive all problems but, does make you feel, think and of course hunger for the delicious sounding traditional Korean desserts.
Thank you so much Michael Joseph, Penguin Randomhouse and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest and sincere review.
by Lee Onhwa is an endearing, emotional, thought provoking read. Introducing us to Yeon-hwa, who having been orphaned at a young age was brought up by her emotionally remote grandma who has recently passed.
In her will, her grandma left her business to Yeon-hwa - Hwawoldang, a traditional dessert shop that has been in their family for generations but of course there’s a caveat, Yeon-Hwa cannot sell the shop straightaway and must open every evening from 10 to midnight. Yeon-hwa reluctantly agrees to take the shop on temporarily until she can sell it but, on meeting Hwawoldang’s clients, Yeon-Hwa is immediately drawn into their lives, experiencing the memories, sadness and regrets of each.
Having recently lost my Mam, I was touched deeply by this book and the stories of each of the shop’s clients. This book isn’t saccharine sweet and doesn’t presume that a coffee or a dessert will solve every problem or fix every mistake. This book is a reminder that life is short, often brutally and unexpectedly short, that those you love are important, and that honesty about your feelings and emotions is truly valuable.
Lee Onhwa has written a more realistic and thought-provoking story that doesn’t promise to dive all problems but, does make you feel, think and of course hunger for the delicious sounding traditional Korean desserts.
Thank you so much Michael Joseph, Penguin Randomhouse and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest and sincere review.
December 4, 2025
Wanneer Yeon-hwa haar geliefde grootmoeder verliest, de raadselachtige eigenaresse van de gelijknamige nachtelijke bakkerij, besluit ze de zaak nog één maand open te houden. Niet overdag, maar uitsluitend ’s avonds, tussen tien uur en middernacht.
Al op de eerste nacht staat er iemand klaar om haar te helpen. Hij kent de bakkerij beter dan zijzelf en onthult dat Hwawoldang allesbehalve een gewone winkel is: sommige klanten komen van heel ver… en niet allemaal uit de wereld van de levenden.
Met de stille steun van de zwarte kat die door de bakkerij dwaalt, leert Yeon-hwa welke wonderlijke gebakjes hun bezoekers precies nodig hebben om verder te kunnen op hun reis. Terwijl zij hen helpt, beginnen de geheimen van haar eigen familie zich stukje bij beetje te ontvouwen. En zo ontdekt Yeon-hwa niet alleen de magie van de bakkerij, maar ook de verborgen kracht in zichzelf.
Mijn ervaring:
Wat een prachtig en ontroerend boek is dit. Vanaf de eerste pagina voelde ik de rustige, warme en soms emotionele schrijfstijl van Lee Onhwa, en dankzij de prachtige vertaling van Teun Meeuwsen werd ik volledig meegenomen in de sfeer van de middernachtbakkerij. De verhalen van de bezoekers en dat van Yeon-hwa zelf, raakten me op verschillende momenten echt diep.
Het verhaal begint bij het verlies van Yeon-hwa’s grootmoeder. Ze erft niet alleen spullen, maar ook een bijzondere taak: de bakkerij een maand lang openhouden, elke avond tussen tien en middernacht. Vanuit dat startpunt ontvouwen zich vier verhalen van klanten die allemaal met iets anders worstelen. Rouw, twijfel, liefde, hoop; het zit er allemaal in. Het mooie is hoe herkenbaar en menselijk deze ontmoetingen aanvoelen, alsof je zelf even naast Yeon-hwa in de warme bakkerij staat.
Tussendoor leer je Yeon-hwa steeds beter kennen. Je ziet hoe ze groeit, hoe ze voorzichtig nieuwe verbindingen aangaat, en hoe de band met onder andere April langzaam vorm krijgt. Het vijfde verhaal, dat meer draait om haar eigen emoties en verleden, vond ik misschien wel het meest ontroerend. Het raakte precies dat plekje waar verdriet, herkenning en heling samenkomen.
De manier waarop Lee Onhwa alles samenbrengt in het slot vond ik echt prachtig. Het voelde rond, liefdevol en helend, alsof niet alleen de klanten, maar ook Yeon-hwa een stap verder komt in haar leven.
Kleine wonderen in de middernachtbakkerij is voor mij zo’n boek dat je dicht bij je houdt, omdat het je raakt op een zachte en troostrijke manier. Een verhaal vol herkenbare emoties, bijzondere ontmoetingen en mooie inzichten. Het laat je de wereld even net iets warmer en zachter zien.
Al op de eerste nacht staat er iemand klaar om haar te helpen. Hij kent de bakkerij beter dan zijzelf en onthult dat Hwawoldang allesbehalve een gewone winkel is: sommige klanten komen van heel ver… en niet allemaal uit de wereld van de levenden.
Met de stille steun van de zwarte kat die door de bakkerij dwaalt, leert Yeon-hwa welke wonderlijke gebakjes hun bezoekers precies nodig hebben om verder te kunnen op hun reis. Terwijl zij hen helpt, beginnen de geheimen van haar eigen familie zich stukje bij beetje te ontvouwen. En zo ontdekt Yeon-hwa niet alleen de magie van de bakkerij, maar ook de verborgen kracht in zichzelf.
Mijn ervaring:
Wat een prachtig en ontroerend boek is dit. Vanaf de eerste pagina voelde ik de rustige, warme en soms emotionele schrijfstijl van Lee Onhwa, en dankzij de prachtige vertaling van Teun Meeuwsen werd ik volledig meegenomen in de sfeer van de middernachtbakkerij. De verhalen van de bezoekers en dat van Yeon-hwa zelf, raakten me op verschillende momenten echt diep.
Het verhaal begint bij het verlies van Yeon-hwa’s grootmoeder. Ze erft niet alleen spullen, maar ook een bijzondere taak: de bakkerij een maand lang openhouden, elke avond tussen tien en middernacht. Vanuit dat startpunt ontvouwen zich vier verhalen van klanten die allemaal met iets anders worstelen. Rouw, twijfel, liefde, hoop; het zit er allemaal in. Het mooie is hoe herkenbaar en menselijk deze ontmoetingen aanvoelen, alsof je zelf even naast Yeon-hwa in de warme bakkerij staat.
Tussendoor leer je Yeon-hwa steeds beter kennen. Je ziet hoe ze groeit, hoe ze voorzichtig nieuwe verbindingen aangaat, en hoe de band met onder andere April langzaam vorm krijgt. Het vijfde verhaal, dat meer draait om haar eigen emoties en verleden, vond ik misschien wel het meest ontroerend. Het raakte precies dat plekje waar verdriet, herkenning en heling samenkomen.
De manier waarop Lee Onhwa alles samenbrengt in het slot vond ik echt prachtig. Het voelde rond, liefdevol en helend, alsof niet alleen de klanten, maar ook Yeon-hwa een stap verder komt in haar leven.
Kleine wonderen in de middernachtbakkerij is voor mij zo’n boek dat je dicht bij je houdt, omdat het je raakt op een zachte en troostrijke manier. Een verhaal vol herkenbare emoties, bijzondere ontmoetingen en mooie inzichten. Het laat je de wereld even net iets warmer en zachter zien.
January 31, 2026
This was such a beautiful story!
First I want to say, I love the cover! So beautiful and welcoming! As soon as you pick up this book you feel transported to the Hwawoldang Pastry Shop.
This story is about Yeon-hwa who inherits a pastry shop from her grandma who passed away. She is trying to cope with the grief while managing the pastry shop that is required to be open late at night. As the first customer walks through the door we find out why this store is so important.
I loved the fact that the author took her time to describe each customer's story. They were heartbreaking but at the same time heartwarming by knowing that each character got their closure.
The book references a lot of different Korean and Japanese treats both sweet and savory, which I really enjoyed learning more about.
This was an easy 5 star book for me. I highly highly recommend it!
Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow and the author for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.
First I want to say, I love the cover! So beautiful and welcoming! As soon as you pick up this book you feel transported to the Hwawoldang Pastry Shop.
This story is about Yeon-hwa who inherits a pastry shop from her grandma who passed away. She is trying to cope with the grief while managing the pastry shop that is required to be open late at night. As the first customer walks through the door we find out why this store is so important.
I loved the fact that the author took her time to describe each customer's story. They were heartbreaking but at the same time heartwarming by knowing that each character got their closure.
The book references a lot of different Korean and Japanese treats both sweet and savory, which I really enjoyed learning more about.
This was an easy 5 star book for me. I highly highly recommend it!
Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow and the author for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 13, 2026
Comecei essa leitura esperando uma coisa específica, e o livro entregou isso e muito mais. Apesar de a maioria dos personagens aparecer apenas em partes da história, o tempo dedicado a cada um deles é suficiente para torná-los profundos, com trajetórias ricas em detalhes e sentimentos reais e tocantes, que tiveram um impacto emocional em mim.
O enredo e os temas abordados são bem construídos, e a escrita da autora é muito boa, ela consegue transmitir com clareza exatamente a ideia e o sentimento que quer passar. Achei a história muito delicada e muito bonita.
O enredo e os temas abordados são bem construídos, e a escrita da autora é muito boa, ela consegue transmitir com clareza exatamente a ideia e o sentimento que quer passar. Achei a história muito delicada e muito bonita.
January 15, 2026
A cozy, sentimental, and wistful story about spirits moving on to the afterlife via a pastry shop. The stories were very simple and short, some were very detailed about the deaths, and it seemed like all of the deaths were tragic. Overall, it was a good read but I probably wouldn't read a sequel since it was a little depressing.
*Provided a DRC (digital review copy) from the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.
*Provided a DRC (digital review copy) from the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.
January 29, 2026
I wish there was more
July 5, 2025
Wunderschöne Geschichte 🩷
September 25, 2025
The concept of a magical bakery for spirits before they cross over was really fun, but the execution was sadly lacking. It just felt like the pastry shop was a pretty set up for a story, but the author didn’t bother with the effort of context or substance to really offer anything deeper than surface level. An example of this would be when the FMC Yeon-hwa just accepted the nature of the bakery without batting an eye the first time she encountered a spirit. I get that with magical realism oftentimes you just go with the flow, but that was just lazy writing.
With translated stories, it’s also hard to distinguish sometimes if the translation was just done poorly with awkward word choices and phrasing, or if I would still feel the same about the cheesy prose had I been able to read it in the language it was originally written in. Either way, this wasn’t my favorite translated work, but it was still a decent read.
Digital arc provided by NetGalley and HarperCollints in exchange for my honest review.
With translated stories, it’s also hard to distinguish sometimes if the translation was just done poorly with awkward word choices and phrasing, or if I would still feel the same about the cheesy prose had I been able to read it in the language it was originally written in. Either way, this wasn’t my favorite translated work, but it was still a decent read.
Digital arc provided by NetGalley and HarperCollints in exchange for my honest review.
July 15, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!
This was a really emotional read. I was not expecting going into this book the amount of grief and healing it would talk about. I thought it was a beautiful book. I loved following the tragedies and healing of the customers that paralled Yeon-hwa’s healing journey too/navigating grief. Even though it was a sadder book, it still had a delightful and cozy air to it too. The elements of traditional Korean pastries and foods were mouthwatering and every food I read about felt like a warm hug. Yes, this book made me cry but it was such a pleasant read. Would recommend!
July 12, 2025
Book Review 📚
Title: A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang
Author: Lee Onhwa
First of all, I absolutely love this cover! It’s so cute! I wish I could go to this pastry shop.
Yeon-hwa inherited an enchanted bakery from her grandmother. She soon learns that the bakery is not an ordinary bakery. Spirits visit the bakery before they head to the afterlife. She learns how to help her customers. She also learns some secrets about her family.
I loved this book. It was so magical and sweet. I can’t recommend it enough.
Thank you NetGalley, Lee and William Morrow for the e-ARC!
Publication Date: January 13 2026
Rating: ✨✨✨✨✨
#NetGalley #AMidnightPastryShopCalledHwawoldang
Title: A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang
Author: Lee Onhwa
First of all, I absolutely love this cover! It’s so cute! I wish I could go to this pastry shop.
Yeon-hwa inherited an enchanted bakery from her grandmother. She soon learns that the bakery is not an ordinary bakery. Spirits visit the bakery before they head to the afterlife. She learns how to help her customers. She also learns some secrets about her family.
I loved this book. It was so magical and sweet. I can’t recommend it enough.
Thank you NetGalley, Lee and William Morrow for the e-ARC!
Publication Date: January 13 2026
Rating: ✨✨✨✨✨
#NetGalley #AMidnightPastryShopCalledHwawoldang
February 8, 2026
A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang
by Lee Onhwa
4 out of 5 stars
Another healing fiction that I read this year. Actually, I decided to read this book not just because I really like healing fiction, but also because I wanted to complete the New Release Challenge, a reading challenge I found on Storygraph. This challenge requires you to read a book released in every month of 2026. So when I found out that one of the editions of A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang came out last month, I immediately borrowed it from the library. Thankfully, I managed to read it in time.
So, Yeon-hwa's grandmother has just passed away. Even though she's lived with her grandma since childhood—her parents died when she was little—Yeon-hwa wasn't really close to her. Not that her grandma didn't love her or anything, but grandma kept a lot of secrets, and Yeon-hwa didn't want to pry. So when grandma passed and Yeon-hwa inherited her traditional pastry shop, a lot of things just didn't make sense. Why did Hwawoldang only open at night? Why did grandma insist on keeping Hwawoldang running when it had such a huge debt and kept losing money?
At first, Yeon-hwa wanted to sell Hwawoldang right away. But grandma's will stopped her. In it, grandma said Hwawoldang was the answer to Yeon-hwa's financial problems. Turns out, this traditional pastry shop that barely had any customers was actually the last stop for souls before they moved on to the afterlife.
Of course, Yeon-hwa couldn't believe it at first. Finding out she could see ghosts was pretty shocking. Luckily, she had Shawol—a supplier who's also a shaman and used to help grandma run Hwawoldang. With his help, Yeon-hwa finally stepped into her role as the shop's manager. She makes the snacks that the souls request and helps guide them to the afterlife. So what kind of souls will Yeon-hwa meet? And what secrets does Shawol know about grandma and Hwawoldang?
What I really love about this book is how easy the translation is to read. I need to check out more of Slin Jung's translation work.
The whole concept of a last stop before the afterlife reminds me of The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi. In this book, souls stop by Hwawoldang to eat their most memorable snack or food, while in The Lantern of Lost Memories, souls get to see flashbacks of their lives through a photo studio. Either way, we get to learn about the lives they lived before they passed.
What makes this book interesting, in my opinion, is that we also uncover the secrets of Hwawoldang itself. How did grandma manage to build this place, and what's really the point of it? Who exactly is Shawol? I even wondered whether he was actually alive or not. Fortunately, most of my questions got answered as the story went on. There's even a chapter with a twist about the whole thing. Though honestly, I think most people can guess who the last guest is.
I also loved learning about all the traditional snacks mentioned—Jeonbyeong crackers, plum blossom manju, green tea dango, strawberry chapsal-tteok... and uh, I forgot to write down the last one. It was really interesting to discover more varieties of traditional Korean pastries.
Overall, I'm really happy I finished this book. The story is pretty lighthearted and everything connects nicely. Even though the plot gets a bit messy in the last chapter, I still enjoyed it a lot.
by Lee Onhwa
4 out of 5 stars
If grief was as much a part of life as happiness, there was no point trying to escape. That was what being an adult meant: moving forward. That was the future I had to endure.
Thankfully, I wasn’t alone.
— Yeon-hwa
Another healing fiction that I read this year. Actually, I decided to read this book not just because I really like healing fiction, but also because I wanted to complete the New Release Challenge, a reading challenge I found on Storygraph. This challenge requires you to read a book released in every month of 2026. So when I found out that one of the editions of A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang came out last month, I immediately borrowed it from the library. Thankfully, I managed to read it in time.
So, Yeon-hwa's grandmother has just passed away. Even though she's lived with her grandma since childhood—her parents died when she was little—Yeon-hwa wasn't really close to her. Not that her grandma didn't love her or anything, but grandma kept a lot of secrets, and Yeon-hwa didn't want to pry. So when grandma passed and Yeon-hwa inherited her traditional pastry shop, a lot of things just didn't make sense. Why did Hwawoldang only open at night? Why did grandma insist on keeping Hwawoldang running when it had such a huge debt and kept losing money?
At first, Yeon-hwa wanted to sell Hwawoldang right away. But grandma's will stopped her. In it, grandma said Hwawoldang was the answer to Yeon-hwa's financial problems. Turns out, this traditional pastry shop that barely had any customers was actually the last stop for souls before they moved on to the afterlife.
Of course, Yeon-hwa couldn't believe it at first. Finding out she could see ghosts was pretty shocking. Luckily, she had Shawol—a supplier who's also a shaman and used to help grandma run Hwawoldang. With his help, Yeon-hwa finally stepped into her role as the shop's manager. She makes the snacks that the souls request and helps guide them to the afterlife. So what kind of souls will Yeon-hwa meet? And what secrets does Shawol know about grandma and Hwawoldang?
What I really love about this book is how easy the translation is to read. I need to check out more of Slin Jung's translation work.
The whole concept of a last stop before the afterlife reminds me of The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi. In this book, souls stop by Hwawoldang to eat their most memorable snack or food, while in The Lantern of Lost Memories, souls get to see flashbacks of their lives through a photo studio. Either way, we get to learn about the lives they lived before they passed.
What makes this book interesting, in my opinion, is that we also uncover the secrets of Hwawoldang itself. How did grandma manage to build this place, and what's really the point of it? Who exactly is Shawol? I even wondered whether he was actually alive or not. Fortunately, most of my questions got answered as the story went on. There's even a chapter with a twist about the whole thing. Though honestly, I think most people can guess who the last guest is.
I also loved learning about all the traditional snacks mentioned—Jeonbyeong crackers, plum blossom manju, green tea dango, strawberry chapsal-tteok... and uh, I forgot to write down the last one. It was really interesting to discover more varieties of traditional Korean pastries.
Overall, I'm really happy I finished this book. The story is pretty lighthearted and everything connects nicely. Even though the plot gets a bit messy in the last chapter, I still enjoyed it a lot.
November 28, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for providing me with an eARC copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang is a cozy, emotional read that you can finish in a weekend, though I highly recommend you do so with a box of tissues close at hand.
This book was often funny and lighthearted only to have me dissolving in tears several pages later. Reading each spirit’s story from their perspective is a tragic experience, as you know that their death is a foregone conclusion, but you hope for something to change anyway.
All of the stories the main character comes into contact with hold a similar theme: The idea that we can put off something important until later in order to work, save, or better ourselves. After we do that “thing”, we can finally enjoy our lives and our loved ones. These stories starkly demonstrate that we never know how many days of our lives we have in the bank when we spend them this way. It’s a reminder that life is not a goal or destination, but the hundreds of small hours and seemingly insignificant things that fill it almost like background noise. The dead have no regrets, which means the living must carry them instead.
I had some difficulty with the pacing of the translation at times, and I feel that some of the poetry and depth of the original work might have been lost in that translation, feeling a bit rushed or stilted at times. That being said, I was still very moved by the stories of the spirits in this group and loved all of the characters, having an easy time connecting to them.
A Midnight Pastry Shop is going to be absolutely perfect for fans of the game Spiritfarer, as it explores similar themes and takes you through the same kind of bittersweet emotional cheese grater. For readers, if you were fans of Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon and Until the Coffee Gets Cold, you will definitely want to add this book to your shelf. A lovely, wistful and cathartic read.
A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang is a cozy, emotional read that you can finish in a weekend, though I highly recommend you do so with a box of tissues close at hand.
This book was often funny and lighthearted only to have me dissolving in tears several pages later. Reading each spirit’s story from their perspective is a tragic experience, as you know that their death is a foregone conclusion, but you hope for something to change anyway.
All of the stories the main character comes into contact with hold a similar theme: The idea that we can put off something important until later in order to work, save, or better ourselves. After we do that “thing”, we can finally enjoy our lives and our loved ones. These stories starkly demonstrate that we never know how many days of our lives we have in the bank when we spend them this way. It’s a reminder that life is not a goal or destination, but the hundreds of small hours and seemingly insignificant things that fill it almost like background noise. The dead have no regrets, which means the living must carry them instead.
I had some difficulty with the pacing of the translation at times, and I feel that some of the poetry and depth of the original work might have been lost in that translation, feeling a bit rushed or stilted at times. That being said, I was still very moved by the stories of the spirits in this group and loved all of the characters, having an easy time connecting to them.
A Midnight Pastry Shop is going to be absolutely perfect for fans of the game Spiritfarer, as it explores similar themes and takes you through the same kind of bittersweet emotional cheese grater. For readers, if you were fans of Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon and Until the Coffee Gets Cold, you will definitely want to add this book to your shelf. A lovely, wistful and cathartic read.
Read
January 5, 2026Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang by Lee Onhwa is a mixed first and third person multi-POV Korean fabulism novel set in Korea at a magical pastry shop that serves the spirits of the dead. When Yeon-hwa’s grandmother dies, she has no choice but to continue running her grandmother’s pastry shop or else be saddled with a massive debt. But the shop only opens for a few hours every night and every customer has a special request that must be made in the moment to help them move on and be reincarnated.
Like The Chibineko Kitchen, I Prescribe You a Cat, and Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this book is essentially a series of grief narratives. Yeon-hwa is able to see the last few days of her customers’ lives through touch and the reader not only sees the lead up to the death, but also the actual moment of death as well as a bit of the aftermath through the people they left behind. The main difference between this one and the others is in the shop and use of Korean snacks, some of which came to Korea during the Japanese occupation, which adds another layer of grief to the concept and story.
I did really like how Yeon-hwa is dealing with her own questions around her grandmother leaving the shop to her and how she finds some kind of healing in helping others move on. There is something very valuable in depicting different ways people grieve and also showing compassion for those who have both died and those who loved them.
I would recommend this to fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and books like it and readers interested in dipping their toes in the Japanese and Korean cozies
A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang by Lee Onhwa is a mixed first and third person multi-POV Korean fabulism novel set in Korea at a magical pastry shop that serves the spirits of the dead. When Yeon-hwa’s grandmother dies, she has no choice but to continue running her grandmother’s pastry shop or else be saddled with a massive debt. But the shop only opens for a few hours every night and every customer has a special request that must be made in the moment to help them move on and be reincarnated.
Like The Chibineko Kitchen, I Prescribe You a Cat, and Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this book is essentially a series of grief narratives. Yeon-hwa is able to see the last few days of her customers’ lives through touch and the reader not only sees the lead up to the death, but also the actual moment of death as well as a bit of the aftermath through the people they left behind. The main difference between this one and the others is in the shop and use of Korean snacks, some of which came to Korea during the Japanese occupation, which adds another layer of grief to the concept and story.
I did really like how Yeon-hwa is dealing with her own questions around her grandmother leaving the shop to her and how she finds some kind of healing in helping others move on. There is something very valuable in depicting different ways people grieve and also showing compassion for those who have both died and those who loved them.
I would recommend this to fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and books like it and readers interested in dipping their toes in the Japanese and Korean cozies
February 4, 2026
A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang is a gentle, comforting read that leans heavily into cozy magical realism. The author creates a warm, atmospheric setting where food, memory, and grief intertwine, making the novel feel like a late-night cup of tea feeling soothing, familiar, and quietly emotional.
The premise is one of the book’s strongest points. A pastry shop that opens only at night to serve spirits seeking closure is both imaginative and tender, and each visitor’s story carries a soft emotional weight. The desserts, tied to memories from the spirits’ lives, are especially evocative and add charm to every chapter.
That said, the pacing can feel a bit uneven. While some encounters are deeply moving, others feel repetitive, following a similar emotional rhythm that slightly dulls their impact over time. The protagonist, Yeon-hwa, is relatable and kind, but her personal growth unfolds slowly, and readers may wish for deeper exploration of her inner conflict and relationships particularly her connection to her grandmother.
Overall, this is a sweet, reflective novel best enjoyed for its mood rather than its plot. It may not linger long after the final page, but it offers moments of warmth and quiet insight that make it worth the read, especially for fans of cozy fantasy and healing fiction.
Recommended for readers who enjoy soft magic, episodic storytelling, and emotionally gentle narratives.
Thank you Times Reads for sending me a copy in exchange for honest review.
The premise is one of the book’s strongest points. A pastry shop that opens only at night to serve spirits seeking closure is both imaginative and tender, and each visitor’s story carries a soft emotional weight. The desserts, tied to memories from the spirits’ lives, are especially evocative and add charm to every chapter.
That said, the pacing can feel a bit uneven. While some encounters are deeply moving, others feel repetitive, following a similar emotional rhythm that slightly dulls their impact over time. The protagonist, Yeon-hwa, is relatable and kind, but her personal growth unfolds slowly, and readers may wish for deeper exploration of her inner conflict and relationships particularly her connection to her grandmother.
Overall, this is a sweet, reflective novel best enjoyed for its mood rather than its plot. It may not linger long after the final page, but it offers moments of warmth and quiet insight that make it worth the read, especially for fans of cozy fantasy and healing fiction.
Recommended for readers who enjoy soft magic, episodic storytelling, and emotionally gentle narratives.
Thank you Times Reads for sending me a copy in exchange for honest review.
November 25, 2025
Thanks to Net Galley and William Morrow Books for an ARC copy of this book!
I picked this up the other night and devoured it in one sitting - I couldn't put it down as the story hooked me from the beginning.
Hong Yeon-hwa finds out that she has inherited her grandmother's traditional sweets shop that happens to be in an inauspicious location, comes with lots of debt, and only opens from 10 PM until midnight, so how is she supposed to pay off the debt in just one month? Once Yeon-hwa opens the store, she meets Sa-wol who is a bit of a mystery and seems to know more than he lets on. She figures out quite quickly that her customers are spirits who need the shop's assistance to move on from this life and be reincarnated. Yeon-hwa meets four spirits whose stories revolve around a specific type of sweet. At the end, Yeon-hwa finally learns more about Sa-wol and his connection to her grandmother.
The writing style and intriguing customer stories quickly drew me in. Since I've read a few similar style books (Before the Coffee Gets Cold, The Dallergut Dream Department Store, etc.) I had an inkling of where the story was headed, but the specifics were still unique to this book. The transition from Sa-wol's story to the conclusion felt a bit abrupt. I think that is because I felt like Yeon-hwa was able to quickly adjust after hearing some potentially life-shattering information about the deaths of her parents and her grandmother's role in that. Maybe she's just a more evolved person than I am. Still I really enjoyed how this story had a more realistic ending, in my opinion. I liked how Yeon-hwa is still honoring her ancestor's legacy while remaining true to herself. Highly recommend reading this one.
I picked this up the other night and devoured it in one sitting - I couldn't put it down as the story hooked me from the beginning.
Hong Yeon-hwa finds out that she has inherited her grandmother's traditional sweets shop that happens to be in an inauspicious location, comes with lots of debt, and only opens from 10 PM until midnight, so how is she supposed to pay off the debt in just one month? Once Yeon-hwa opens the store, she meets Sa-wol who is a bit of a mystery and seems to know more than he lets on. She figures out quite quickly that her customers are spirits who need the shop's assistance to move on from this life and be reincarnated. Yeon-hwa meets four spirits whose stories revolve around a specific type of sweet. At the end, Yeon-hwa finally learns more about Sa-wol and his connection to her grandmother.
The writing style and intriguing customer stories quickly drew me in. Since I've read a few similar style books (Before the Coffee Gets Cold, The Dallergut Dream Department Store, etc.) I had an inkling of where the story was headed, but the specifics were still unique to this book. The transition from Sa-wol's story to the conclusion felt a bit abrupt. I think that is because I felt like Yeon-hwa was able to quickly adjust after hearing some potentially life-shattering information about the deaths of her parents and her grandmother's role in that. Maybe she's just a more evolved person than I am. Still I really enjoyed how this story had a more realistic ending, in my opinion. I liked how Yeon-hwa is still honoring her ancestor's legacy while remaining true to herself. Highly recommend reading this one.
January 2, 2026
Souvenir gustatif
Encore un joli roman que nous offre Nami!
Yeonhwa est une jeune femme qui vit avec sa grand-mère depuis la mort de ses parents pendant sa jeunesse.
Au moment du décès de sa grand-mère, Yeonhwa ne rêve que d’une chose : vendre la pâtisserie de cette dernière pour payer les dettes et recommencer sa vie un peu plus loin. Évidemment, rien ne se passe comme prévu. La grand-mère a stipulé, dans son testament, que Yeonhwa devait tenir la boutique pendant une longue durée, avant de pouvoir la vendre.
Désemparée, la jeune femme n’a pas le choix. Mais ce qu’elle va découvrir dans cette patisserie est au-delà de ce qu’elle a pu imaginer! Cette pâtisserie accueille les âme qui attendent de passer dans l’au-delà, pour la réincarnation.
Les âmes en peine viennent raconter leurs derniers souvenirs et manger un dernier morceau ici, dans cette boutique. Yeonhwa se retrouve donc à vivre des petits morceaux de vie qui ne lui appartiennent pas, mais aide les autres sans rien attendre en retour…il se pourrait même qu’elle découvre des secrets sur elle-même!
La plume est jolie et simple, les récits se suivent mais ne se ressemblent pas. Comme d’habitude avec Nami, on a fait le choix d’un manuscrit qui soulève de jolies questions, dans un ton doux et agréable.
Encore un joli roman que nous offre Nami!
Yeonhwa est une jeune femme qui vit avec sa grand-mère depuis la mort de ses parents pendant sa jeunesse.
Au moment du décès de sa grand-mère, Yeonhwa ne rêve que d’une chose : vendre la pâtisserie de cette dernière pour payer les dettes et recommencer sa vie un peu plus loin. Évidemment, rien ne se passe comme prévu. La grand-mère a stipulé, dans son testament, que Yeonhwa devait tenir la boutique pendant une longue durée, avant de pouvoir la vendre.
Désemparée, la jeune femme n’a pas le choix. Mais ce qu’elle va découvrir dans cette patisserie est au-delà de ce qu’elle a pu imaginer! Cette pâtisserie accueille les âme qui attendent de passer dans l’au-delà, pour la réincarnation.
Les âmes en peine viennent raconter leurs derniers souvenirs et manger un dernier morceau ici, dans cette boutique. Yeonhwa se retrouve donc à vivre des petits morceaux de vie qui ne lui appartiennent pas, mais aide les autres sans rien attendre en retour…il se pourrait même qu’elle découvre des secrets sur elle-même!
La plume est jolie et simple, les récits se suivent mais ne se ressemblent pas. Comme d’habitude avec Nami, on a fait le choix d’un manuscrit qui soulève de jolies questions, dans un ton doux et agréable.
September 9, 2025
Ich habe schon einige japanische Wohlfühlbücher gelesen. Nun ist es mein erstes koreanisches Buch und ich kann sagen, dass es bisher mein liebstes asiatisches Buch ist. Es ist ein magischer, tiefgründiger und warmherziger Roman.
Das traumhaft schöne Cover passt hervorragend zur Geschichte. Genauso stellt man sich die Protagonistin Yeonhwa in der Konditorei vor. Die Details auf dem Bild begeistern mich immer wieder.
Auch den Schreibstil von Lee Onhwa mag ich sehr. Das Buch lässt sich flüssig lesen und hat viele feinfühlige und poetische Abschnitte. Die Charaktere wurden super ausgearbeitet. Sie sind unterschiedlich und authentisch. Die Kunden, die in die Konditorei kommen, haben mich mit ihren Geschichten sehr berührt. Es war oft traurig, aber dennoch hatte ich ein schönes Gefühl beim Lesen. So ist es nicht nur ein Wohlfühlbuch, sondern hat sehr viel Tiefe. Themen, wie Freundschaft, Liebe, Familie, Gesundheit und Tod werden auf eine einfühlsame Art behandelt. Am Ende gibt es einige Überraschungen.
Fazit: Das Buch hat mich sehr zum Nachdenken gebracht. Ich habe mit den Charakteren mitgefühlt. Diesen tiefgründigen und warmherzigen Roman kann ich nur empfehlen!
Das traumhaft schöne Cover passt hervorragend zur Geschichte. Genauso stellt man sich die Protagonistin Yeonhwa in der Konditorei vor. Die Details auf dem Bild begeistern mich immer wieder.
Auch den Schreibstil von Lee Onhwa mag ich sehr. Das Buch lässt sich flüssig lesen und hat viele feinfühlige und poetische Abschnitte. Die Charaktere wurden super ausgearbeitet. Sie sind unterschiedlich und authentisch. Die Kunden, die in die Konditorei kommen, haben mich mit ihren Geschichten sehr berührt. Es war oft traurig, aber dennoch hatte ich ein schönes Gefühl beim Lesen. So ist es nicht nur ein Wohlfühlbuch, sondern hat sehr viel Tiefe. Themen, wie Freundschaft, Liebe, Familie, Gesundheit und Tod werden auf eine einfühlsame Art behandelt. Am Ende gibt es einige Überraschungen.
Fazit: Das Buch hat mich sehr zum Nachdenken gebracht. Ich habe mit den Charakteren mitgefühlt. Diesen tiefgründigen und warmherzigen Roman kann ich nur empfehlen!
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