A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang
ARC Review
Publisher: William Morrow Pub Date: 1/13/2026
What It’s About
This is a gentle magical fiction novel about Yeon-hwa, a young woman who inherits her grandmother’s bakery under two unusual conditions: keep it open for one month and only from 10 p.m. to midnight. She agrees, not really understanding why, until the first customers walk in. They are spirits passing through on their way to the next life, each holding onto one last memory tied to a specific dessert. Yeon-hwa’s role is to help them find whatever they need before they move on, just as her grandmother once did.
It is a familiar Korean theme, that soft space between life and afterlife where people try to put their hearts in order. The book leans into that tradition with sincerity, and it creates a world that feels comforting rather than eerie.
What Stuck With Me
This is one of those books that feels like settling into a warm corner for an hour. The magical moments are treated with such calm acceptance that you stop questioning the rules. None of the spirits feel gimmicky. They arrive with their regrets, their memories, their desserts, and somehow each encounter feels meaningful even when the moment is small.
Yeon-hwa herself is not the emotional weight of the book, and I did not need her to be. She is more like the thread that ties these stories together. The grandmother storyline gives the book its frame, but for me the heart was always in the late-night visitors and the quiet kindness she offers them.
And the food. I loved the desserts in this book. Not in a cute or whimsical way, but in the way food can pull you into a memory or a feeling. Every time a new dish appeared, I wanted to look up a recipe and see if I could make it. I get a lot of inspiration from food in books, and because I already love Korean cuisine, these details added a warmth that stayed with me long after I finished reading.
The tone reminded me of Before the Coffee Gets Cold. Light but not shallow. Cozy but with enough emotion to matter. It is the kind of book you let wash over you rather than analyze.
Would I Recommend It
Yes, absolutely. This is a healing book, the kind that gives you something gentle to hold onto. It is full of small comforts, a little sadness, and moments of connection that feel human even when the characters are not alive.
If you struggle with magical realism or need strict logic in your stories, this may not be for you. You have to be willing to go along with the premise and let it be what it is. But if you enjoy quiet stories about memory, grief, kindness, and the sweetness of everyday rituals, this is a lovely and comforting read.
My takeaway: sometimes healing comes from the smallest acts, and sometimes dessert really does help.
Thank you William Morrow and Net Galley for the early read.
Where to Read It:
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