This book took a few chapters to become truly interesting to me, but once it did I was hooked! I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys reading Then and Now type historical fiction, especially those keen on women's history and their lack of representation throughout history. Stick around until the end to find a surprise ending as well as a recipe or two!

For: Historical Fiction lovers, books clubs, feminists, lovers of women’s fiction, those who need a little dose of magick, and amateur sleuths.

This delightful book is a mystery at heart, it’s heroines’s lives fraught with disaster—swirling ever closer—with each turn of the page. It’s every bit as fun on the inside as the out.

THE LOST APOTHECARY is a dual timeline, as Caroline Parcewell latches onto the mystery of an unsolved vial with the tenacity of a woman who’s life is quite wrecked. Her story as mixed with poisoner Nella and youngster Eliza weaves a tale that’s at once compelling and immediate. And just downright fun! Strange how women’s married lives, in some aspects, haven’t much changed through the years.

So here we have a woman at the beginning of life, a woman at the end, and a woman “in the middle.” Caroline’s voice is compelling as we look at her with the eyes of a friend, saying—honey, take charge of your life! Nella’s voice is wise and sad, yet so very strong, as we take notes from her and her life choices. Eliza’s is both hopeful and heartbreaking, as we cheer her on with the hope that, despite her circumstances, she can rise above. And then there are the men, who, if they could lecture us, would be glad that poison is now completely detectable. We are glad they can’t lecture us.

I like books that take their time to build and then become a compulsory read. While APOTHECARY jumps right in, the twists lying in wait are great surprises, worth the read. Most will find this hard to put down both going in and coming out.

Also HUGE bonus for the recipes at the end. I wonder how many book clubbers will be bringing their own wine and food to eat from on their night of discussion?


Thank you to the publisher for providing me an arc.

If you like a story that causes you to lose track of time and feel fully immersed in the lIves of the characters this is one for you. In the late 1700s many women decided to take matters into their own hands when it came to the untrustworthy men in their lives. The local apothecary could help with such matters. Little was known about the lives of the apothecary or the women she helped, but in a dual timeline, 200 years later, a woman on a solo trip to London finds a vial along the Thames and decides to do some research.
Fantastic story! Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC!

Great book! Engaging from the beginning to the end. Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommended!

The Lost Apothecary kept me guessing until the very end! I loved the characters of Nella and Caroline, and the historical aspect of the story was fascinating and obviously well-researched.

An intriguing premise for a historical novel, unfortunately afflicted with the dual timeline trend.

The section set in the late 18th century apothecary shop, where Nella uses her knowledge of poisons to help ordinary women trapped in desperate circumstances by men, had great promise, and I would have liked to read more. I was especially interested in Eliza, a cool customer who calmly gets rid of her master at age 12 and continues to take matters into her own hands as needed.

As is often the case with this format, the modern section is the less interesting one. Finding the apothecary vial while mudlarking was a neat introduction, but Caroline's marital problems and her haphazard research efforts aren't enough to sustain another storyline. A prologue/epilogue would have sufficed, and more time could have been spent on the main story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Very interesting novel about an apothecary that dealt with only female clients and supplied poison to them as needed to rid themselves of abusive men. Great storyline.

I en joyed this novel a lot. It was gripping, exciting, I loved the idea of women taking back their power. The world building was engrossing and the seamless ability to switch between past and present was excellent.

This story goes back and forth from present day London to London 1791. Interesting story of the life of a woman who has an apothecary store with a different type of function. The characters are well developed. There are a couple of twists and turns I didn't see coming. Easy to read and kept my attention.

Wow! What a delicious read! I loved Nella & Eliza and all their apothecary secrets, and I rooted for modern-day Caroline the whole way, never wanted to shake her for a moment!

Great read, NetGalley. Watch for this book, coming in March.

1790s London, alternates with present day. An anniversary trip doesn’t go as planned, but the resulting adventure reveals lost secrets and suppressed desires. A good escape.

I generally don't like books that jump back and forth between past and present, but I feel like this book utilized the trope well. For some reason, all the elements I liked - the plot, characters, writing - still didn't add up to quite a great read. I enjoyed it, but for some reason I didn't love it, and I can't quite put my finger on why. Feelings like that generally indicate a "me" issue rather than an issue with the book or author, so I'm not taking anything away for that, but it's still worth noting that it didn't quite stick the landing in my eyes.

I am beyond excited to read the edited version of this! I will 100% be hand-selling this! I don't want to give anything away, but this will definitely be one of my top reads in 2021. It's such a fascinating subject and the story is so enchanting and gripping and exciting! Thank you for the early readers!!

This is a sad book, but it was very good. I enjoyed the historical part of fit. Nella had a hard life and in revenge of a terrible wrong someone did to her she turns her healing into murder with horrible consequences that she brings to herself. Meanwhile in the future, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell is struggling with her own terrible wrong and in the end discovers something that was lost to herself. This book is not about romance or healing between people, but healing of ourselves and what with do with what life has given us for better or worse. How do you pick up the pieces of your life if you don't know what they are? I enjoyed the recipes in the back of the book.I confess I had a hard time getting into it at first but then it got interesting.

I am so glad (Y-A-W-N) that I didn’t start this spellbinding novel (Y-A-W-N) on a work night; I could not turn the pages fast enough. Author Penner uses dueling timelines and three heroines in the novel of poisons, potions, revenge, intrigue, betrayal and discovery.

The first timeline is London, February 3-11, 1791. Nella continues her mother’s work in a hidden back alley apothecary shop. Her business is strictly word of mouth; the shop is hidden for one reason… to help women get rid of the men in their lives who have abused and/or betrayed them. As the novel opens, Nella is awaiting a new customer, the second heroine, Eliza to arrive. Eliza is on a mission of mercy from her employer. Eliza is captivated by Nella’s work and becomes her unwanted assistance.

The second timeline is London, present day. Caroline Parcewell has arrived in the city on her 10th anniversary trip, sans husband James. She is devastated by James’s infidelity and must decide what course her marriage will now take. The worst part is that Caroline and James had decided to try for a baby a few months earlier. Unwilling maintain the itinerary she had planned with James, she stumbles upon a group of mudlarkers about to embark on a new adventure. This group scours the muddy bank of the Thames, looking for items from long ago. A waylaid historian, Caroline joins the group and discovers a light blue vial with a single logo---that of a bear on all fours. The historian in Caroline’s heart bubbles to the surface and sends her on a journey that will lead her to her true self.

I highly recommend The Lost Apothecary, which receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

At first, I had this book confused with another due to its' title. However, I quickly realized just how unique the storyline was. Taking place in dual timelines, the reader follows Caroline Parcewell as she delves into history in London while trying to escape the betrayal of her husband. The history that she seeks is that of Nella, an apothecary in 18th-century London who has turned from the gentle kitchen arts practiced by her mother to a life of vengance on behalf of those who seek her assistance.
Enjoyable and satisfying.

Reminiscent of the real-life story surrounding Aqua Tofana, The Lost Apothecary finds itself distinctly found. With a writing style suitable to suc quick but engaging reads, this book will be a fantastic discussion point, and appealing to readers of multiple genres.

If this makes you think of books like <i>Possession</i>, that's fine: the trope of the modern person/researcher delving into the past, with flashbacks to the past that illuminate what's being uncovered is strong here. Set in London, Caroline is struggling to figure out who she is after learning her husband was cheating on her; turns out, he was a controlling type who kept her from realizing her potential. Also in London, but several hundred years earlier, Nella continues her mother's apothocarian work in a hidden shop that can - if you know what to do - provide potions that can kill. There's a neat crossover moment with James (the cheater/manipulator) being ill, but the story of Nella and Eliza could also have stood on their own. Perhaps because of the situation, none of the characters are particularly fleshed out, while giving us more of Caroline would have helped.

eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley.

I need more books like The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner, its suspenseful historical fiction that is so devious, compelling, and thrilling, I enjoyed every chapter.

I think I may have written about this book a while ago, it’s worth repeating! The Lost Apothecary reminds me of Aqua Tofana, the true story of a woman who made poisonous concoctions to end the lives of abusive men. I am just waiting for a talented author to write a fictional account of Giulia Tofana. Read her fascinating story here.

Synopsis:

One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose—selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.

In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.

This book is not to be missed! It comes out on March 2 and its definitely a must-read.

I loved this book so much! I'll absolutely be buying a couple of copies for the library because our patrons are going to adore it. Thank you so much for allowing me to read early!