The Lost Apothecary was an engaging read with an interesting premise. The prose flowed nicely, while the world building and sense of time and place were all good. Nella was a delightful character with whom I immediately connected; however, I found Caroline less impressive, her sections less captivating. In many ways, Caroline's part was only really worthwhile, to my mind, in the way it allowed glimpses of the 'end' of the story. Part of me wondered if I wouldn't have liked the book more had it purely been the tale of Nella, with no modern-time interjections. Nonetheless, I did have fun reading this story overall, and there is plenty in it that will appeal to readers of historical fiction who enjoy dual-era narratives. I would give this book 3.5 stars, but it's a 3.5 that's worth rounding up to a four, rather than down to a three.

(Review will go live on my blog (and I will add to Goodreads and share across social media) on 1 March 2021)

This is an excellent well written mystery novel. I loved the fact that the book went back and forth in time. It keeps the reader on their times never bored anticipating what is going to happen next. The mystery itself is fun, full of historic detail, and very riveting. All in all an great historical mystery novel that will appeal to all readers, highly recommend!

Caroline is in London alone, on the trip that should have been an anniversary celebration with her husband. But she needs time away from him after catching him cheating. While mudlarking she finds a curious apothecary bottle with a bear, which send her on a search for the possible owner. The quest leads her to a hidden alley, murder, a new friend, and a reminder of her own interest in history and people. In an entwined story, Nella uses her mother's old apothecary shop to help women right wrongs and seek revenge in the 18th century. Deftly told, the women's stories blend seamlessly with satisfying conclusions to both.

I love a good mystery and this was a very good mystery. The tale of two stories 200 years apart, placed in London, about women learning their own strengths. What a compelling combination. The author provided an excellent setting with believable characters. I pictured both with ease and familiarity. This book was a page-turning joy.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC for review. The story is intriguing: a female apothecary who helps women with tinctures and salves to heal the body, mind, and spirit, and poison to kill the abusive men in their lives, as necessary. For me, this was a real page-turner with lots of plot twists right up to the end. Recommended.

I found the mystery elements of the book to be well paced and unraveled in an intriguing and engaging way. Dual timelines can be pretty hit or miss but I felt like this was executed well. The characters were interesting and I found the story to be very engaging.

I absolutely loved this book. The dual timelines intertwined beautifully and I loved the main characters. The characters were relatable . The mystery (mixed with a little bit of romance) kept me guessing and turning the pages. There was never a dull moment in the book.

A dual-timeline historical fiction - a style which seems to be greatly in vogue of late - weaving eighteenth and twenty-first century London together through a small vial found by our modern protagonist while mudlarking on the shore of the Thames. Investigating the vial and its small bear engraving leads us to Nella and Eliza in the past, and events that culminate in the inadvertent death of a lord.

While not the best I've read in this style, I enjoyed it tremendously and would read more by this author. Quite frankly, I wouldn't have missed the modern thread if it hadn't been there. Nella and Eliza are much more interesting, and I think they could easily have been the focus of the entire novel.

This was a refreshing, different book. We followed Caroline in the present day as she was unraveling the mystery of a small bottle found in the River Thames, and we follow Nella and Eliza in the 1700's who are carrying all the secrets that Caroline is unraveling. It is wonderfully written and was paced well. I connected with all the women in the story and I feel many others will connect with them as well. Great book and I will be getting myself a copy when it's released.

If you need a man to fall ill and die, visit the apothecary on the backstreet of London. She took over her mother's business and switched from only helping people feel better themselves, to helping people feel better by getting rid of a "problem" Set in 2 different time periods, the reader follows the lives of the apothecary and a young girl that came to her place of business on behalf of her mistress, and the life of a modern day woman who finds a bottle from the apothecary. A wonderful novel that keeps you reading long after you planned.

The Lost Apothecary jumps between two timelines, 1791 and present day. In the present day Caroline is running from a failed marriage when she goes mudlarking in the river Thames and finds a small blue glass vial with a bear etched in the glass. Her research leads her to an apothecary in 1791, who we see in real time with all her poisonous intrigue. Fast paced, with characters you'll want to know about, this novel is perfect for fans of historical fiction looking for something a little different.

Overall a great story with interesting characters. It kept me sucked in the entire time and I'm completely in love with that cover.

Loved this title which runs two storylines in separate time periods. Two women facing infidelity and motherhood in very different time periods must reconcile their choices. There is a strong undercurrent of women's issues running through this novel. Although in two very separate time periods, the theme of life choices and the consequences runs deep.

this was a great read, I loved the use of poison and the use of apothecary, the characters were great and I really enjoyed reading this book.

Overall, I believe that the concept was great and very original, but the story (for me) held a sluggish pace until the last few chapters. Caroline is presumably in her 30's, on what was supposed to be her and her husband's 10-year anniversay trip to London, gifted to them by her parents. However, her husband, James, is found out as an adulterer the day before they are to leave. She flies to London, sans James, in order to process everything and think about what their future will hold. While there, she attends a mudlarking session and finds an old vial that once belonged to an apothacary. After making new friends with a librarian, she follows the research trail that the vial leads her on and discovers the hidden truths of the Lost Apothecary, her old passion for history, and how to handle her relationship with James. I felt like this story started out very original, but then just followed every trope there is for women's fiction: lying/cheating husband, baby fever, do-I-stay-or-do-I-go delimma, and finally I'm-an-independent-woman-who-don't-need-no-man. There were nice twists towards the end, and one I was not necessarily expecting (which was very pleasant). All in all, it was a decent read. I would recommend it to those who thoroughly enjoy this blend of historical and women's ficition. Also, lovely recipes at the end that I hope to try over the holidays.

**Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for allowing me an eARC.

The Lost Apothecary was a fun escape that was hard to put down. I loved the setting of the hidden shop that Penner created and was fascinated by the descriptions of the poisons Nella prepares there. Oftentimes, when I read a novel that alternates between historical and present points of view, I find myself only interested in one of the storylines, but in this case I was really engaged in Nella, Eliza and Caroline's storylines.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book provided some interesting historical facts about a 18th century London apothecary, but I found the present day woman who found a bottle in the Thames to be a convenient plot twist to connect to the historical story. The fact that she could actually find the old apothecary stall was farfetched, although the apothecary and her helper from the past were believable with a bit of independent women underscored.

This is an intriguing story of an eighteenth century woman, who once scorned, turns her efforts to helping other women escape the oppression of the men in their lives. She runs an apothecary shop where she concocts poisons from natural elements.. A second woman of present day, dealing with her own broken relationship, vacations in London where she finds a small old bottle that peeks her curiosity. The little bottle leads this aspiring historian on journey of discovery.

I really enjoy historical fiction, especially dual-timeline stories. Out of the two timelines I much preferred Nella and Eliza in 1791. Nella was a woman forging her own path, with strict guidelines surrounding her unpleasant occupation, supplying poisons to women who want revenge on a man in their life. But Nella will never have one of her potions harm a woman, until a fateful request leads to heartbreaking choices and a life or death situation. Sarah Penner is skilled in building the tension, and creating rich, descriptive text that transports the reader into the smoky, claustrophobic environment of Nella and Eliza. Caroline in the modern timeline didn't hold the same interest for me, I was hoping that Gaynor and her father (the mudlarker) could have more page time, they had more personality and spunk than Caroline. I did love the twist after Caroline's husband arrived and how that twist connected her to Nella and her timeline.
With the historical fiction market being saturated in World War II, this was a wonderful period of time to read about and the I loved how the author absorbed the darkness of the time with the darkness of the profession and then cast a light with the sweetness and youth of Eliza. Definitely looking forward to Sarah Penners next book.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC, this is my honest review,

I had a very hard time connecting with the characters in this novel for some reason. Maybe the right book, but the wrong time?