An empowering story of female friendship and magical realism, told in both the past and present. Caroline is spending her 10-year wedding anniversary alone in London, having flown-out immediately after discovering her husband's infidelity. Bewildered at how her life has gone so off track, she stumbles upon a mudlark tour group and joins in the digging. Caroline's discovery of small, colored vial on the banks of the Thames reignites her dream of a graduate program in history, which had been deferred by her "sensible" husband. Helped by her new found female friend, a librarian at the British Library, Caroline seeks to uncover the vial's origin, guided by the its barely-discernible etching of a bear. Interspersed between Caroline's story, we learn the stories of Nella and Eliza from the late 19th century. In her apothecary, hidden behind a false storefront off of Bear Alley, Nella dispenses a variety of poisons that enable women of all stations to discreetly rid themselves of the men who have harmed them. Suffering from pain both emotional and physical, Nella isolates herself as much as possible. But this becomes impossible with the arrival of 12-year-old Eliza, a girl both smart and loyal, who wants to know more about Nella's work. When catastrophe strikes, in both past and present, each newly formed set of friends must learn to trust each other and themselves. A good read, both charming and inspiring.

Not my personal cup of tea, but we ordered multiple copies because our readers loved it! Personally, DNF at about 20%- the storyline just didn't hook me and the style of writing wasn't to my personal taste. That said, I can definitely see the appeal for readers and I can see why this book has been so popular in book clubs and on BookTok.

I wish this book could have 100 stars for its exceptional excellence in writing , plot and charcters. I was enthralled from page one and read it through without stopping . It is so good you will want to return to this book again and again . This is the best Net Galley book of 2021 that I have read . Thank you with gratitude to the publishers and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own. A wonderful read.

The author seamlessly transports the reader between time periods from 1700 England to present day England. In 1700 England a angel of mercy Nella hides behind a quaint Apothecary shop . Her secret business is creating potions to end the life of abusive,. cheating men for women. ( Well done to the author !) She has a regular business of women wanting freedom from the abusive men in their lives and she is good at what she does so no one suspects when these men appear to pass away from natural causes. She keeps a discreet book of all of the potions, customers and victims only for her eyes. When she employees a young girl at her store her secrets begin to unravel and her customers may be exposed.

At present day a historian Caroline Parcewell finds out her husband is cheating so she travels alone to London, meeting with a mudlarking group on the shores of the Thames. She is hopeful to unearth some historic items. She finds a glass vial which brings out her curiosity of its history and its many long hidden secrets. With the help of a librarian of the British library she attempts to solve a 200 years long mystery. Soon her inquires take her to the history of the shop in the 1700's and she is drawn into finding out Nella''s secrets.

This is a exceptional book . The writing is so well crafted, the charcters are brilliantly written and the history is timeless and enthralling to the reader. I will be giving this book for gifts and buying a copy for my home library.

Well done to author Sarah Penner for her very successful debut book

3.5*
Nella is an apothecary in 1791 London. But instead of peddling cures, she only distributes poison. Not only that, she only gives it to women who want to rid themselves of a man. Nella does this because, years earlier, she was betrayed by a man. Now she helps other women exact their own revenge.

A twelve-year-old servant comes to Nell on behalf of her mistress and she is befriended by the apothecary. Nell’s shop is hard to find as it’s in a back alley and the poisons are hidden behind a fake wall. Nell has managed to avoid the notice of the authorities, but when the young servant Eliza unknowingly leaves behind incriminating evidence, Nell knows her business and her very life may be doomed.

In a separate plotline set in contemporary America, Caroline Parcewell has just discovered her husband has been unfaithful. This leaves her on a solitary trip to London for what was supposed to be a 10th Anniversary celebratory vacation. By chance, she discovers an artifact with unusual markings. This sets Caroline off on an adventure, researching the origins of the mysterious object. With help from an astute and capable librarian, Caroline learns it is over 200 years old and may be part of a dark mystery which leads her to further her search into the dark corners of London.

Penner captures readers with her plot of intrigue. The characters in both timelines are nuanced and unforgettable. Betrayal is at the heart of the story and it takes strong women like Nella and Caroline to rise above the hurt and change their lives.

I heard so many great things about this book and I am convinced it is a near-perfect book at least for me.
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The Lost Apothecary follows the story of a woman in the midst of an emotional crisis as she heads to London to gain peace of mind and figure out what she should do and the tales of two women in the 18th century. What follows is an adventure through history that I couldn't stop reading.
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As an archaeologist by trade I am obsessed with stories like this. The book was so well done and it's an easy 5⭐ review for me.
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What I loved
♥️The multiple timelines and the author's ability to create memorable characters with flaws and somehow make them all endearing
♥️The historical references! Especially to those the history books forget
♥️Strong female characters and not-your-typical woman spurned trope
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What I didn't love
🤷‍♀️Just one thing. The discovery of the undisturbed apothecary underneath a modern building wouldn't happen. Every time a building is built upon an existing structure, especially a historical one, a survey or archaeological investigation is undertaken. However, the story wouldn't have been as cool if this happened. I'm just being nitpicky but that was my nerdy self and it really didn't bother me.

Penner did an excellent job of telling dual stories- both set in London but at different times. In the 1791 story we meet Nella, an apothecary who makes poisons for cheating and abusive men, and her would be 12 year old apprentice Eliza. In present day, we meet Caroline, a woman who's in London on a vacation that she was supposed be sharing with her husband- in celebration of their 10 year anniversary. On having found out that he was having an affair, she takes the trip by herself.

The two stories link up pretty quickly when Caroline finds an old vial, and with the help of a local librarian, starts to unravel it's mystery. That same vial is dispensed with poison by Nella in 1791, in an interaction that goes awry, creating far-flung consequences that reach into the present.

I liked how the novel was explicitly feminist with Nella making a point of writing her customers' names in her register, with the knowledge that it may be the only place where these women's names are recorded and remembered. To the best of her ability, she also makes sure that her craft to be used against other women.

This was a satisfying read and will appeal to fans of historical fiction, mystery, women's fiction and books set in London.

The back and forth between time periods and characters was well done. I felt the ending was a bit dissatisfying and could have done with a bit of an edit. Still, I would pick up another by the author.

This was a fun historical. So glad it was selected as one of the Girlybook Club books.

It was an interesting dual story line.

Caroline is coming on her wedding anniversary and has been planning the trip she has dreamed about. She can’t wait to go London and see some of the history there. Caroline has always been passionate about history. She discovers shortly before her trip that her husband has had an affair and she decides to travel by herself.

Nella operates an Apothecary to help ease women’s suffering

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, Park Row Books and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Ms. Penner's debut novel is nothing short of extraordinary. It takes the Historical Fiction genre and levels up. A storyline from multiple points of view and times, nothing is lost in the telling of the story.

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

I found The Lost Apothecary on Netgalley and was intrigued by the premise. I don't usually like dual timelines but was willing to give it a go. The story was told through three points of view: two in 1791 and one in present day, all set in London. If I recall correctly, two were told in first person and the other in third person.

From the start, I was not nearly as invested in the present day storyline. Part of that was the same reason I struggle with non-chronological storylines: the present spoils what will happen in the past.

But mostly, I simply didn't care about Caroline and therefore was not invested in her chapters. The problem was that the reader doesn't get to know her as anything but the wronged woman suffering because of her cheating husband. I've had similar issues with other books when a character is only presented as a victim of something but the reader is not given the opportunity to get to know them before. It makes those characters defined by what happened to them rather than feeling like well-rounded characters. And although Caroline did have some character development by the end, I'd be hard pressed to come up with any descriptors for her. I've been sitting here and literally cannot think of a single adjective to describe her personality. And it's pretty bad for one of the main characters in a supposed female empowerment story to have no identifying personality other than "woman who was cheated on."

I was expecting more wily, powerful women hell-bent on revenge. Frankly, Nella came across as pretty tepid. The story didn't pack as much of a punch in the Girl Power department. I expected more from a vigilante serial killer. Some deviousness. Or passion. Instead, Nella was rather pathetic. The "Poor me; I'm damned for harming people so I guess I'll just keep on doing it," bluster got old quick. Despite the attempts at life affirmations, the self-pity and victimization dominated most of the book leading to a bleak tone.

Eliza was your typical feisty orphan type character. While not original, she was at least entertaining and somewhat endearing. Although she wavered inconsistently between street smart and ridiculously naïve. So the characterization in The Lost Apothecary was not a strong point.

The plot was slow to start, but I was never bored with the story despite my disinterest in the present day timeline. I wouldn't really call this a mystery, which was a little disappointing because I was expecting that to be a stronger element of the story. It was mostly character driven. Someone who was more invested in the characters would probably find the story more riveting.

I expected some man hater vibes since this is essentially a story of women taking vigilante justice against the men who mistreated them. But this black and white delineation of all men being bad felt one dimensional and overly simplistic. I know this was supposed to be a story about women finding their way in a sexist world despite the men abusing them, but it was over the top that every single man was a villain. Though I suppose one could make the argument that it is a good thing that the author didn’t make the story too inspiring in the whole “murder the men who dun you wrong” message. There are laws against that after all...

The ending somehow managed to wrap things up too quickly and conveniently, but the more I thought about it, the more holes I saw. It was the sort of ending that seemed too near at first glance and too messy on closer inspection.

Overall, the story was engaging even with the issues mentioned above. It shows promise for a debut. I liked it well enough, but it isn't a story that will stick with me.

What a book and a concept! The Lost Apothecary allows women to take revenge on the men who have wronged them. The main caveat is that the Apothecary has to have record of the buyer and the victim. I've been kind of "over" the two timelines in a book, but it absolutely worked in this one!

What a great book by a debut author! I loved the characters, the stories, and the jacket art. I think this book would appeal to fans of Katherine Howe's "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane" and the All Souls series by Deborah Harkness.

Men don’t fare too well in Sarah Penner’s unique historical novel about a 1791 apothecary hidden in a back London alley. There Nella, a strange woman with a disturbing past, concocts poisonous mixtures and sells them to women intending to kill unfaithful men. Nella’s secret work is in danger of discovery when twelve-year-old Eliza Fanning visits the shop for a potion to kill her employer’s husband. Can a twelve-year-old be trusted with Nella’s deadly work? Shifting to present-day London, Penner introduces Caroline Parcewell who is taking a time-off vacation from her own unfaithful husband. Caroline happens upon a clue about the old apothecary and with help from a British librarian tries to re-form what exactly happened to Nella, Eliza and the old apothecary. Poison, murder, secrets, unfaithful men…what could go wrong?

Really enjoyed this unique story! This dual timeline book flowed smoothly, was easy to follow and moved at a steady pace. I was surprised to discover that it is a debut novel as it is very well researched and well written. Looking forward to future books from Sarah Penner.

I enjoyed this book. It was a story inside a story during different timelines. We follow Nella and Eliza in 1791 and Caroline in current time.
Nella and Eliza is the real story here and I enjoyed reading chapters from both of their povs. Nella runs a apothecary and provides solutions for women who have been betrayed by their loved ones. Eliza comes in as a customer and ends up being so important to the story. Their story sucked me in from the get go. I had to know the outcome.
The story of Caroline I felt was unnecessary. She’s one of those characters that if she’d just stop for a second and use her voice all her problems would go away. I see how she lead the story but I would have read a whole book about Nella and Eliza.
This was well done and I really enjoyed the read.

This was a really interesting alternating view point, dual time period story which some interesting character parallels that kept me guessing until the end.

I loved seeing the way Nella, the apothecary’s story played out and the look at a very little know area of work, fictionalized in such an intriguing way. It was a neat twist to see how Caroline’s story in the present day interwove with Nella’s in the past but ultimately I found Nella and Eliza’s chapters more intriguing and leaving me wanting more. The book was a quick read and once you see where the book is going it goes from slow to a page turner.

This is a great book for readers who love historical fantasy with a bit of a mystery and murder element, and centers on empowering women to take charge of their own lives. It’s definitely not as much of a thriller as I would’ve imagined, but it was an entertaining and memorable read nonetheless.

Thank you NetGalley and Park Row Books for the ARC!

CW: suicidal ideation, suicide, miscarriage, grief, death, mention of statutory rape and inappropriate behavior of adult men to minor girl.

Suspensful, foreboding and gothic. Feminist historical novel that focuses on three points of view while jumping back and forth from two time lines.

This was an entertaining, well-paced dual timeline novel with a unique plot and I really enjoyed it!

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley for an honest review.

In this dual time, we learn about Nella, an apothecary who secretly dispenses poisons for betrayed women, her 12 year old friend and accomplice, Eliza, and in the current day, Caroline, an aspiring historian with a failing marriage who finds herself on the trail of the unsolved "apothecary murders" that haunted London centuries ago. As she continues to investigate, Caroline's life collides with Nella's and Eliza's in a twist of fate - and not everyone will survive.

What a literally wicked twist on historical fiction. This is totally different to the usual, in that it's written in a very suspenseful and thrilling manner. There's murder, betrayal and revenge, and I really wanted to know what was going to happen next.

I wasn't sure how I would feel about the "potions" side of it because I'm generally turned off by anything "magickal" but it's moreso different herbs and tinctures that can be healing... or deadly. I enjoyed the historical timeline more than the current day, but I find that's usually the case for me in a dual timeline.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and/or thrillers. It is a quick and easy read.

Thank you to Park Row and NetGalley for the eGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

A secret apothecary that dispenses poison to help women murder the men in their lives. The Lost Apothecary has such a unique and intriguing premise. The novel has a dual timeline, alternating between present day and the 1700s. While I enjoyed Nella and Eliza's portion of the novel taking place in the 1700s, the flashes forward to Caroline in the present day didn't hold my interest as much. If this novel focused more on the historical side and went into more depth with the actual apothecary, I would've enjoyed it a lot more. This book would be enjoyed by fans of fast-paced thrillers more than myself, as I expected a slow burning historical fiction story.