This truly is a “read in one sitting” kinda book, Fantastic. Thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

This was an interesting and different historical fiction. I loved the idea of an apothecary dispensing poisons to help other women. I enjoyed all of the POVs and just wanted to hug all of these women. Each had a way different story and I liked how the author weaved them together at the end. If you’re looking for something different historical fiction wise, I recommend checking this one out.

I received an advanced reading copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

This book alternates perspectives between a modern day woman whose life has just been turned head over heels, a woman who does both kosher and non-kosher apothecary work, and the 12-year-old girl who befriends the apothecary. These three characters’ experiences transcend time in a fun (though not funny) and engaging story. I recommend, particularly to historical fiction readers and readers who enjoy strong female lead characters.

Nella is the owner of a shop that used to be a renowned apothecary to treat women but, after her mother died and Nella faced unspeakable loss, her shop is now is the bringer of death to men who have wronged the women in their lives.
In present day, Caroline is spending her 10th wedding anniversary alone in London after discovering her husband is a lying, cheater. When she finds a vial while mudlarking, she cannot resist the pull. What is the story behind this vial? Thank you to Harper Collins for my copy of this book.

I was shocked when I saw this book listed as fantasy and magical realism. It is a wonderful historical fiction. The magical thinking of the characters in the past are consistent with the day. This is a wonderful book and I loved every minute.

Sarah Penner is a wonderful author and spins quite a lovely tale in the book. This book takes place n two different time periods and follows about three main characters. I really enjoyed the 1790's timeline with Nella and Eliza and the mystery and mystique that went with apothecary. I was less hooked into Caroline's modern day timeline but did love how they ended up connecting.

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

An American exploring London discovers a clue that leads her to a historical mystery: a series of unsolved poisonings in the 18th century. Switching back and forth between the historical murderess and the contemporary historian, the author draws parallels between them, and provides a compelling conclusion to both storylines. An engaging read, likely to be popular with fans of historical mysteries.

First of all I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Dual time lines is one of my favorite tropes! I really was pulled into both story lines. I felt a connection to Caroline and I was cheering for her! I also think Eliza has some darkness and I would love a follow up! I need more! So good! I am impressed by this debut. She is one to watch.

This is one of those books about two women in two different time periods and how they relate to one another even if they never meet.

I found the mystery of the apothecary, Nella, to be enchanting. She deals in healing and death and her only rule is you don't harm another woman. Everything always goes wrong, doesn't it?

Then you have Caroline, the modern woman who's just discovered her husband is crap and is on a journey of self-discovery...alone. She starts unraveling the mystery of this poisonous Apothecary and learns about herself along the way.

This was a fun read. It was atmospheric and feminist without crossing that line into full-on man-hater. The end was like a warm hug. That said, I don't know if it's the type of book I'll ever re-read.

This book deserves every accolade it has been given. An absolutely fascinating combination of present day and historical times. For my money we could have left out t he failing marriage and just focused on Caroline's research into the history of her find while mudlarking. But the ending! oh my gosh - don't read the ending first, When you have completed the book I dare you to not say -
WOW, what a book!

The Lost Apothecary, Sarah Penner’s debut book, is a wonderfully written page turner that historical fiction fans will devour. Penner’s ability to meld the past with the present was on point. Highly recommended and definitely one of my favorite books that I have read this year. I am hoping for a sequel as I want to read more about these women. #TheLostApothecary #NetGalley

While I’m in love with the cover, the story as a whole, not so much. From the rave reviews, I see that I’m probably going to be in the minority in this. I’ll explain later. First, the story.

So, this story was set in two different times – in 1791 in London and present-day London. Nella, the apothecary, whose job, on the surface, was to heal, but hidden behind a secret wall, was a room where she kept her potent poisons that she concocted, to help women kill the men who betrayed them. Eliza, a strong-willed 12-year-old maidservant, came to Nella’s shop on behalf of her mistress Mrs. Amwell, to seek for her help. It was from this meeting that their lives were forever changed.

In present-day London, Caroline was spending her 10-year-anniversary alone after discovering her husband’s infidelity. On a whim, she joined a mudlarking tour when she stumbled across a vial which, being an aspiring historian, intrigued her. Her discovery led her to a series of research, and eventually the story of the apothecary 200 years ago. As ecstatic as she was with her discovery, she still couldn’t take her mind away from her marital problems.

First, I must admit, I found the premise intriguing. It was set in 18th century London (one of my favorite settings), an apothecary whose expertise was used in helping women avenge men who betrayed them, and thought they had no other choice but murder; It sounded dark, mysterious and fascinating. It had all the ingredients I love in stories. (like Jess Kidd’s Things of Jars)

As I mentioned, it was set in two timelines, but I much preferred the one set in the past, that was about the apothecary, Nella and her young friend, Eliza. What I loved reading was the friendship between Nella and Eliza despite their huge age difference. Nella was very protective of Eliza, while on the other hand, the young girl found herself drawn to Nella, whom she thought could teach her about magick, and therefore offered to volunteer her services to Nella when her mistress was away. Due to the risky nature of her job, Nella turned her away despite her persistence. But as fate would have it, Eliza was at Nella’s place when her help was unexpectedly needed. And this incident forever changed their course of lives.

I loved the mystery of whether or not Nella’s secret will be discovered, if so, how, and will Lady Clarence’s (one of Nella’s clients) action be the end of it all for Nella, and what was to become of Eliza? And I loved Nella’s hidden room. I also thought the pacing of the story, for a debut, was done well.

Now, what kind of spoiled the fun for me though, was the story and actions of some of the characters. For one, Caroline’s findings and research felt too easy and coincidental. Two, the story about Caroline’s husband, James, felt so far-fetched and unbelievable. And I had a hard time differentiating the voices of the three women.

This next one really bothered me a lot. Nella had this registry which she kept the names of her clients, and when she was trying to escape from the police, she decided to leave it behind because if she got caught, the list “would then be alongside [me] behind the iron bars”, and those names would be lost forever, as it had been her intention to make sure the women won’t be forgotten. This didn’t sit well with me. Because by leaving it behind, won’t that incriminate the women when her secret room is discovered?

And one of the reasons I love and read historical fiction is to learn something from it, but in this case, besides learning about mudlarking, I didn’t learn anything new. However, it did get me curious about mudlarking and of course I started doing a search on it, and true enough, mudlarking is a thing in Thames! When traveling is allowed again, and if we were to ever visit London, I’m going to add that to our to-do list.

I think this being a debut, the author was trying to achieve a balance between character and plot development. While I thought the pacing was good, the plot felt contrived and its characters could’ve been stronger.

That said, I didn’t regret reading it and believe that the author has a lot of potential. I’ll still be looking out to reading her future works.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

The Lost Apothecary is the story of 3 strong women reclaiming control of their lives and I loved it! There is darkness, murder, mystery, friendship and hope in this fascinating debut novel by Sarah Penner.

The story takes place in London in a dual time line. In the 1790's we meet Nella, the knowledgeable Apothecary who secretly helps women who want to escape men that have wronged them, by providing poisonous solutions. She wouldn't allow her poison to be used to kill another woman. We also meet Eliza the 12 year old apprentice with a thirst for knowledge. An unexpected friendship develops between Nella and Eliza that becomes the heart of the story.

At present day, we meet Caroline who is at a standstill in her marriage and discovers a lot about herself and others throughout the book. At the turn of each page, you are left wanting to know more, and every chapter ends with a cliffhanger. Once you pick this up, you won't want to put it down until you're finished.

The Lost Apothecary is a beautifully written novel that historical fiction fans will love. I learned so much from this book including what not to ingest and that I would love to go mudlarking someday! I really hope Sarah pens a sequel because there is more of this story to be told. 4 stars!

This book was a quick read for me. I have to say I like those kinds of books, and this one does not disappoint!
Fast passed. Good storyline. I will highly recommend this author for its creativity and great plot!

This book scratched all kinds of itches for me! Historical fiction (eighteenth-century London),
revenge (via poison), crossing the borders of time (to present-day London and an American protagonist who is rediscovering who she is), and friendships between women who lean on one another at their most vulnerable moments. It's fast-paced and suspenseful--no wonder it was an instant NYT bestseller!

An excellently written debut novel that blends mystery, danger, tension and suspense, Sarah Penner’s debut novel The Lost Apothecary is a magical tale you will not want to miss!

In eighteenth century London, deep in the depths of the city, a secret apothecary exists that caters exclusively to women. All over the capital, women have started whispering about a mysterious figure called Nella who concocts and sells brilliantly disguised poisons for them to use against the males who oppress them. Nella’s secret enterprise continues to gather momentum and popularity amongst the women who use her services – until a precocious client makes a fatal mistake that will have shocking repercussions not just in the present, but in the distant future through hundreds and hundreds of years…

In modern-day London, Caroline Parcewell is an aspiring historian who is spending her ten year wedding anniversary alone hiding from persistent demons that refuse to leave her alone. When she stumbles by chance upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that have haunted London for the last two centuries, the past and the present intertwine in the most surprising and unexpected of ways. With everything to lose and her life in danger, will Caroline manage to solve this centuries-old mystery and emerge unscathed from this terrifying quest? Or will her determination to piece together the pieces of this twisted puzzle end up costing her everything…including her life?

A fascinating, immersive and lyrical tale, The Lost Apothecary is a terrific debut novel that is beautifully layered and wonderfully beguiling. A superb page-turner that exquisitely blends the past and the present, The Lost Apothecary is a told with such style, flair and élan that it it difficult to believe that this is Sarah Penner’s first novel. Full of characters that leap off the pages, nail-biting suspense and vivid descriptions of the past, The Lost Apothecary is a book that is sure to stay with you long after the final page has been turned.

18th century London: Hidden in a dark London alley is a small apothecary, which secretly dispenses poisons to women seeking revenge on men who have betrayed them. The details of these deadly transactions are meticulously recorded in a registry hidden inside the shop. Business is steady until one client's revenge goes wrong, and the authorities begin an investigation that could risk the lives of all those who have used the apothecary in the past.

Present-day London. While vacationing alone, Caroline finds a small vial on a mudlarking tour in the River Thames (Mudlarking is the practice of scavenging for old or valuable objects- usually on the shore of a river). Intrigued by her find and determined to take her mind off her husband's recent betrayal, Caroline attempts to uncover the vial's secrets.

The Lost Apothecary is the debut novel of Sarah Penner. I was first lured in by the beautiful cover but soon found it an intoxicating and engaging read. I flew through it, couldn't read it fast enough. It is empowering and uplifting (even with all the murder and betrayal!). Penner left me feeling inspired- to embrace the unknown, seize upon second chances and discover the magic of life. It is one of my favourite reads so far this year!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is such a hard review to write. I was so ready to love this book. Raging feminists? Yesss. Georgian London? Yessss. Female apothecary? Yesssss. I was so ready for this story. And it ended up being a disappointment.

Told in dual timelines, THE LOST APOTHECARY tells the story of Nella and her young assistant, Eliza, as they navigate the perils that faced women in 18th century London. We also follow Caroline in present day London as she uncovers the mysteries left behind by Nella and Eliza.

Here’s what I loved:
- The imagery of Nella’s workshop and how she created her poisons and their vectors.
- Lots of female characters.
- The British Library.

Here’s the longer list of what I did not like:
- I didn’t really like any of the characters and found it hard to identify with them most of the time. They made super questionable choices. I think the author was trying to show them as flawed women, but they just came across as tiresome and foolish.
- I am a feminist. I love seeing strong women in books. But I don’t think men are evil, and the only male character we spend any time with is Caroline’s narcissistic, manipulative husband. It left a bad taste in my mouth.
- Some specific issues:
x Nella’s choice to leave behind her ledger was just plain stupid (and I don’t use that word lightly). The woman listed there would almost certainly have preferred to remain anonymous if it meant that they wouldn’t be held accountable.
x What historian in their right mind would throw away an artifact? I was just shouting NO NO NO when Caroline did what she did. Also, that’s a huge thematic contradiction in the book: why would Nella want to preserve women’s identities for posterity while Caroline wants to banish someone to oblivion?

Overall, I think THE LOST APOTHECARY suffered in the execution. If you have a keen interest in poisons or apothecaries, you’ll probably enjoy this novel. Otherwise, well, you decide.

Overall - I really enjoyed this story. I love a dual timeline historical fiction, so when I saw this I knew it would likely be up my alley. The time period is one I haven’t read much in, so that was a nice change.

I really liked Eliza and Nella’s stories. Their relationship growing, the secrecy, the feminism before we had language for that - I loved it. The present dah story didn’t sit as well with me, and some of it felt a bit unnecessary. I had a hard time thinking about how “realistic” someone getting that caught up in finding an old vial would be and how so much of her story was based off believing that. And, how “bad” walking down an abandoned alley and taking a peek in a centuries old building was made out to be. Minor things really, but they just stuck out to me as not feeling super believable, and I found myself not really caring about her story (and her marriage to be honest).

Overall - this was fun and something different that I haven’t read before and would absolutely recommend!

I highly recommend this book. I literally could not read fast enough. Everything this Genre should be and more!!
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me the thrill of reading early.

I had several failed attempts at starting this. That should have led to an official DNF sooner, but I had been so excited about the premise the moment I heard about this one and that was the fuel for my determination. With a handful of hope, I picked it up one final time.

I do feel the author did a wonderful job developing distinct tones for two times periods and that takes talent. I am not very untested in any of it, though. It truly pains me to say this, but my expectations were all wrong and I am not the right reader for this book. I am not able to finish it.

I am immensely grateful to Park Row Books and NetGalley for my digital review copy.