I would like to thank the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.

This was an engrossing book, it kept me focused and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. Most of the time. I"m not a huge fan of dual time lines, and I found myself putting the book down when it came to some timeline changes. But I felt that the history was well done and informative and added a lot to the story.

I highly recommend this book.

I enjoy historical fiction and this made we think of what a women's life must have been like back in the 1700's when women got little to no support through the legal system and other sources. Men made and created the laws to their own advantage. And this is the story how a women used her apothecary to help women avenge their rights.

Interesting twist how she blended a modern day story into the women's life from the late 1700's. I don't often get into a book on the first few pages but this was a fun and easy read.

In 1791, Nella is a London apothecary who has made it her mission to help women get revenge on the men who hurt them. She dispenses poisons and teaches women how to use them to kill the men who have shunned them, raped them, cheated on them, or otherwise done them harm. Caroline is a present-day woman who has come to London for what was supposed to be a 10th anniversary trip with her husband. Unfortunately, she's just found out that he's been cheating on her, so she's on her own, asking big questions about the path of her life. Perhaps, if she'd lived in the 18th century, she would have been one of Nella's clients. Instead, she finds one of Nella's vials while mudlarking by the Thames, and is determined to find out the story behind it.

What follows is a dual tale, tracing Nella's possible downfall as one of her poisons is possibly taken by the wrong person, and Caroline's quest to figure out the mystery of the vial and to make the hard decisions about the rest of her life. Both Nella and Caroline are well-written characters, but their lives, both interior and exterior, weren't sketched out quite fully enough for me to understand some of their motivations. Similarly, some of the evidence that Caroline uncovers about Nella felt much too slender to base some of her conclusions on, and the connection between one conclusion and another often felt tenuous.

Still, both Nella's and Caroline's stories are compelling, and together they create a momentum that propels the book forward quite nicely.

The Lost Apothecary goes back and forth between the lives of Nella and Eliza in 1791 and Caroline in present day London. I was immediately hooked by Nella, the former healer who now uses her knowledge and skills to help women who have been hurt by men. The hidden apothecary, women leaving notes and keeping secrets to protect each other - fascinating! Present-day Caroline was reeling from learning that her husband was not the good guy she thought he was. Her hunt to find answers about the mystery vial she found and her gradual realization that there was something missing in her life drew me in as much as Nella's story.

I loved the historical details of this story and the twist that kept me guessing until the very end about what actually happened to Nella and Eliza. What a fun, engrossing read!

I really enjoyed this book. It is writtten in three voices over time. Two of the voices are from the past, one from the present. The story tells how these individuals met up and crossed paths even after the death of the apothecary and her assistant. I loved that someone from the British Library got involved in the present day part of the story. There were twists and turns, and overall, it was an original and very interesting read.

This was such a great book and it grabbed my attention from the get go! The story is told from past and present POVs; one a female apothecary living in London during the late 18th century and the other an aspiring historian traveling alone from the US to celebrate what should be her wedding anniversary.

The history behind Nella and how she helped liberate women from men who wronged them was so intriguing, and I loved her reason for keeping a record of all the women who came to her—so that they would not be forgotten. Caroline was a great character as well, and it was amazing how a little blue bottle with a bear etched onto it led her back in time to discover who Nella was and what happened to both her and Eliza.

This is one of those stories that, though fictitious, really makes me appreciate history and the stories that lie dormant until someone’s curiosity and perseverance leads them to dig further into the past.

Highly recommend!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3660547681

I couldn’t put down this book! The dual story line this had me gripped from page one till the very end. There’s a perfect balance of mystery, relationships, adventure and historic wonder.

Eliza, Nella and Caroline: three different women, three different storylines that converge in dramatic, can’t put your book down, ways.

The Lost Apothecary starts off in 18th-century London, set along the cobble stone streets of a hidden apothecary shop, where owner Nella creates concoctions for women wishing to fulfill dark desires. As we dive further into the book we’re introduced to Eliza, a spunky, quick-witted 11 year old who seeks to learn Nella’s secrets. Then we jump to present day, where we meet Caroline, an American who is looking for an escape. She jets off to London and finds herself in back in 18th-century London with Nella, Eliza and the unsolved apothecary murders.

What a great, fast-paced, highly enjoyable read!

am guilty. Guilty of judging a book by its cover. But how can I be blamed when the cover is as beautiful as this? This debut novel by Sarah Penner is as beautiful on the inside as on the outside. A story part historical, part suspense and part contemporary just one of my favorites of the year

The characters of Nella, Eliza and Caroline are formidable and spectacular.

This book deserves every accolade and praise. I can’t wait to share it with everyone In March.

Thanks to the publisher for the early read

I appreciate #NetGalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner for an honest review. I couldn't put this book down! Usually when there are multiple stories going on at the same time in a book, I only find one of them really interesting and the other is just okay. Both of the storylines were interesting and I kept reading (way past my bedtime) to see what would happen next. Seriously, you won't be able to put this book down. Caroline visits modern-day London alone, while she should be on a 10-year anniversary trip with her cheating husband. While walking by the River Thames she happens along a mudlarking group. Mudlarking is searching through the river mud at low tide for valuable or interesting items. Caroline finds an old bottle which eventually leads her to Nella. Nella works as an apothecary of sorts in 18th century London. Nella isn't your usual apothecary, she specializes in potions to help women - most often against men who want to harm them. Eliza is a 12 year old girl who visits Nella's shop for her employer and ends up embroiled in Nella's dangerous business. As it turns out, the danger appears to span the centuries, or does it. Caroline, our modern-day girl, is driven to find out who Nella was and what sorts of things she does.

The Lost Apothecary is a story about women forging paths for themselves, independent of men, and reckoning with what they really want out of life. It is hard to believe that The Lost Apothecary is a debut novel. This well-developed story is both fantastic and original. This propulsive book was completely engrossing, and I breezed through it. I also must commend Penner on her solid execution of multiple storylines from three unique voices.

I enjoyed the three main characters and their voices. So many novels with female protagonists center on the men in their lives. Penner did a great job ensuring that this trope was avoided. The only thing I found lacking was more detail and context about the time period (e.g., historical insights and architectural descriptions). I also was not able to really emotionally connect with the story or its characters. Do not mistake me. I did think the characters were fabulous. I just did not feel anything when reading this - a personal requirement for a five star read.

I really enjoyed this book, and I recommend you read it when it is published in March! I think this story will be widely loved. I have already seen it listed as one of the most anticipated books of 2021.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were intriguing, the poisons well researched, and the premise was just really cool. I do have a few qualms about the how it ended... unless there will be a sequel in which case I am happy to be patient. However I do think that there was something more developing with Gaynor and I wish the author had explored their relationship a bit more. Additionally, I think that slightly more information is needed about what actually happened in the past to make for a satisfying ending. Otherwise, this book had me hooked!

I seldom read the reviews written by others on this book. In the advance copy the editors/publisher speak of reading this book in one sitting and immediately knowing it had to be published. I settled in to read it, curious, and found I could not put it down. I read it completely within about a 12 hour period; I agree, this is one of the most engrossing books I have stumbled upon in a really long time. I love the tone, the side-by-side story from London of the late 1700s juxtaposed with a storyline from an American in London in modern times. Nella, Eliza and Caroline are three women who are struggling with the world in which they live - Nella, deep inside her little for-women-only apothecary shop inside a maze of London streets; young, curious Eliza who is learning what it means to be a woman without a voice in her own life, and modern-day Caroline who looks back at her own choices in life, wondering where her path in life veered so far from where she originally thought she would be, and wonders how she became so lost .Each heroine is strong in her own way, yet the odds of their lives seem stacked against them. Their lives become unknowingly entwined, and yet it seems each of their choices cause them to become deeply affected by one another.

This is a book to be experienced. The plot is incredible, and the characters are all well written and well-rounded, whether we agree with their decisions or not. Truly a great story!

A dual timeline can be hit or miss but this one is a hit. I would happily read more books about historical investigators digging into the story of a particular object plucked from the banks of the Thames. This title will be one I can recommend to patrons who are fans of historical fiction, women's fiction, and mysteries. What a great hybrid - can't wait to see what she writes next!

Really liked this story. The back and forth between present and past flowed well and connected the stories easily. I do feel like the ending was a bit rushed and I would have liked it to have been fleshed out a bit more, but overall a quick read I had a hard time putting down!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

Loved this book! I felt like it was almost too short but that could be because I basically devoured it. I wish we heard more about the past women Nella helped, but I was still happy with it! Will for sure recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Lost Apothecary.

The premise sounded so intriguing and I love books with strong female characters so I was pleased when my request was approved.

Told in alternating timelines with three very different yet similar women, what binds these women are the secrets and power behind an apothecary that provided comfort, assistant and support for women from all levels of society.

I was hoping for a more suspenseful, mysterious narrative and though the historical setting and theme was fascinating, the narrative tended to drag.

Caroline was a modern cliche; a woman who put her dreams as a historical researcher on the back burner to marry her college sweetheart, who turns out to be an adultering louse.

She embarks on their tenth wedding anniversary trip on her own and discovers a vial when she joins a mudlarking group on the spur of the moment.

Her interest sparked, she delves into the history of where the vial may have originated from.

Nella and Eliza's story was more dramatic but it dragged. It read like the author was stretching each chapter just to catch up to Caroline's timeline so the dual narratives matched.

I loved the recipes at the back and the historical note about poisonings, which I'm familiar with, having read a nonfiction book about the history of poisonings from years back.

Caroline and Eliza's stories are wrapped up neatly (too neatly), but I did want Eliza's story to end well. I wasn't a fan of Caroline.

The Lost Apothecary wasn't bad, but I was hoping for something darker, with poisonous shenanigans and mischief.

I just couldn't get inot The Lost Apothecary. On the surface, this book should have been RIGHT up my alley of interests, but once I got into it, it couldn't hold my attention. I think part of it was the pacing was off; three characters means three lines of exposition in the first few chapters, which REALLY slows things down.

What an intriguing premise! I flew through this book in a few hours because I wanted to see how it played out and I was not disappointed. Also, how pretty is the cover? I definitely recommend reading this one.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book - READ IT! So good. I was so wrapped up in this story. Very interesting!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review. I reserve 5 stars for books that i WILL read again.

It is hard to point to one thing that made me love this story. I think it's the contrast between the short timeline in both periods that the stories take place and the slow, restrained way the story is shown and told. I liked the mirrored lives of Caroline in present time with Nella's and Eliza's in the past.

It's a coming of age story in so many ways. It hit some of my favorite reading buttons : academia, libraries, archeology of sort. Sarah Penner writes wonderful, strong and interesting women characters.

It has the rough patches of a first novel, a bit too much telling but I much enjoyed the journey I took with Caroline, Nella and Eliza. It's a mystery, a treasure chase and finding yourself in the process for all of them.