Many thanks to Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for access to the eARC in exchange for a review

On the same day a reckless boy finds a mysterious strand of starlight, a magical curiosity shop suddenly appears in a perfectly unsuspecting alleyway. And later on that same day, the ordinary daughter of an extraordinary performer chases rumors of the shop no-one can seem to find.

When Quinta and Twain first meet outside The Vermillion Emporium, an adventure like no other begins to unravel before them. With the starlight Twain’s discovered and the magic hiding within Quinta, the two set out to learn lacework, a secret craft that’s been lost to history - and begin weaving the silvery threads into magical garments that have their own magical capabilities. Their talents catches many an eye, but not all those who want Quinta’s magical lace have the most noble intentions, and they’ll do anything to discover her secrets.

I’m convinced magic was woven into the very threads of this story. Pitched as Howl's Moving Castle meets The Radium Girls, The Vermillion Emporium is a marvelous blend of fantasy and romance, complete with shimmering moments that are tinged with a lurking darkness around the edges.

While some may not like the insta-lovey dynamic between the two main characters (i myself not minding), it just felt right for this kind of story. Quinta and Twain are such captivating characters, and i really enjoyed watching them fall in love with each other and explore their world together. Watching these two interact read and felt like a daydream.

For rep: the main characters consist of a white bi fmc and poc mmc. There are lesbian side characters who are in a relationship, and there are various minor and major characters of color. Few if any vague skin color descriptions are given, and most often if a character was introduced their race was described in terms of White, Black, Tan, and Brown.

The opening hook of this book was great, and I loved the echo of the same first line in the second chapter, tying the two characters together from the start. However, I DNFed at 13%. The interior monologues felt repetitive, and it made the story drag for me, and once I started to see how many similes there were I couldn't unsee them. That said, I think there are lots of readers who would really love the slow lyricism of this book because it wasn't bad, it just wasn't for me.

I really enjoyed this book. It has been a while since I read a YA book, but the world that Jamie Pacton wrote was so enthralling. I could not put it down. This book felt really nostalgic to me, and it just made me so happy. I think this is a great book for any age to read!

This was a beautifully done fantasy-romance novel, it had what I wanted from this type of book. The characters were wonderfully done and I was invested in what was happening to them in the story. It was a great blend of The Radium Girls and Howl’s Moving Castle, that was the perfect description for this book. Jamie Pacton has a great writing style and I can't wait to read more from the author.

"You are meant for great things. She didn’t want to stay in Severon. She didn’t want to say goodbye to Twain. But could she really give up a life of wealth and power? For a chance at love?"