This book was written through the perspectives of three characters: modern day Caroline, struggling with her marriage and own identity; Nella, an aging apothecary with dark secrets; and Eliza, a brave, yet naive young character unfamiliar with 18th-century England. The story switches perspectives/narrators every chapter which keeps readers enticed. Sarah Penner did an excellent job at leaving the reader in suspense as one chapter ended only to pick up on the same thread of storyline in the next, with a different time and narrator. The only character I feel was not well developed was Lady Clarence; I felt that she was a bit historically inaccurate in her dialogue. However, this book overall is an enjoyable and suspenseful read for anyone interested in books on magic, women's empowerment, and historical fiction.

Really intriguing, well-researched premise and a gorgeous cover, this was a great book. My only issue with it was structural in nature. As with any book that flips between the perspective of different protagonists or different time periods, invariably one of those halves just isn't as interesting as the other. For me, that was the case with this book.

I would have loved an entire book about Nella and Eliza and the drama and details of the apothecary. While I felt like the Caroline storyline (set in modern times) became more touching and compelling toward the end, for the first half of the book those chapters felt like a distraction. (I would have rather read about Nella/Eliza having those experiences in the past than Caroline researching those experiences in the future.). However that's not really an issue with the writing per se, but more with my personal taste.

I appreciated the information on different recipes/tinctures at the end of the book (However again, I would have liked more of that throughout the entire book--I remain intrigued by the whole notion of the apothecary and how Nella ran it). I also appreciated the well-rounded characters who had fascinating interior lives. This isn't so much a murder-mystery as an examination of women--their desires, motivations and relationships. And on that front, this book excels.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Good read to transport you to 16th century London juxtaposed with modern London. The glimpse into the lives of women and how they are perceived in both eras is interesting and shows some of the issues we still face as women.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book since I expected it to be "fluff". It was not. The story, presented during two time frames, was intriguing and well presented. There was good character development which is important to me. Fun read!

Thanks to NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
18th century London, and a secret apothecary dispenses poison for women to do away with the man who wronged them. Her one rule is to never turn the poison on another woman, but what happens when she is forced to break her rule?
In today’s time, Caroline is on holiday in London when she discovers a vial on the banks of the Thames. With a knack for research and history, will she uncover the answer to a 250 year old mystery?
The book has a great pace and had me early. It’s a face paced read and not too long so I could read it in just a few days. I think this would be a good book discussion and will likely recommend it to my patrons. I also liked that it was a good mystery type book yet clean for my readers as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed losing myself in this book. The story was compelling-- who doesn't dream of finding an artifact and discovering its source-- and possibly unravelling a historical mystery? Some surprising plot twists made the story even more satisfying. The service Nella provides and her dedication to recording transactions so her customers will be remembered-- and her general perspective on the roles and treatment of women make this a good choice for book clubs. Young Eliza, with her strong interest and faith in magick was a perfect sidekick for Nella--we all want to believe in magick!

Fairly interesting story. A bit simplistic. Why toss the bottle which started everything and why not tell Eliza's story? ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I really enjoyed the three narrators and the switching from past to present. It was very poignant that the modern day woman has similar issues to those of the women Nella supplies. I personally really liked seeing the process of the character’s historical research because it made it seem more realistic.

Wow, another new book I can give high marks to! Lovers of historical fiction, especially involving women's issues, will really like this very believable new story. The setting is partly contemporary and partly set in Georgian era London. A female apothecary, a young servant girl, and a twentieth century woman in London for her wedding anniversary are the primary characters. The latter walks in the footsteps of the former two and uncovers a mystery that may impact her life in America more than she expects.

I have to say I would have done the same digging if I'd been the American (using my history and librarian degrees).

The Lost Apothecary tells the story of three people whose stories intertwine in an unlikely way. Caroline is in London celebrating her ten year anniversary alone. Nella is an apothecary in 1791 who primarily deals in posions. After she meets 12 year old Eliza, things start to go awry for Nella. Caroline finds a small link to the past which leads her down a search for the past while she debates what her future holds.

I loved this book and how everything intertwined but you weren't quite sure how intimately until the end.

Before we begin, I’d just like to say this is the first print (prose) book I have finished since April. It took me a month, but I did it! The Rona pandemic has left me without much concentration for reading, and I went from reading 2-3 print books per week before all of this, to apparently 1 every three months or so. It sucks, but this book did not.

In modern day, Caroline Parcewell was supposed to take a trip with her husband to London, but when she finds out he’s been cheating on him, she leaves him behind and makes the journey solo. While combing the shores of the Thames, she comes across an old glass bottle with an engraving, and as an aspiring historian, she embarks on a quest to discover its origins.

In Eighteenth-Century London, Nella serves as an apothecary. She and her mother used to dispense remedies for women suffering from various ailments, but ever since a dark moment in her past, Nella also helps women who need to rid themselves of the men in their lives. When she meets housemaid Eliza, the girl takes a shining to Nella and while apprenticing for her, makes a mistake that just may cause them their lives.

The story moves seamlessly back and forth between the two time periods, and while I wasn’t overly interested in Caroline’s story at first, I found myself rooting for her and wanting to take the journey with her and not just leave her behind when the story moved back to the Eighteenth Century. I absolutely loved Nella and Eliza, their relationship, and I was fully invested in their outcomes.

I loved the mysterious aspects of the unfolding story. I’m not one for the genre myself, but I love an intriguing story that has mysterious elements of discovery as long as it’s not a whodunnit. This book is so much more. It’s a story about the inner lives of women that time has forgot. What they must have been through, how they lived, what they did. Things we’ll never know because they weren’t written down in the books of men but are so so important to our history.

I was so happy to finally finish a book, and I’m so grateful that this story was so good to encourage me to keep going, even when I was so tired I could only do a chapter or two per night.

It’s not out until March, but in my humble opinion, it’s worth the wait.

PS the cover is stunning.

I devoured this debut, atmospheric novel set in London. Themes overlap in both the present day and 1790’s settings; feminism, survival, and crossroads guiding the plot. Ms. Penner’s dual timeline story, from 3 points of view, was a joy to read and the historical detail was not lost on this former expat.

“Bachelor Alf ’s words on the mudlarking tour, about how finding something on the river was surely fate. I hadn’t believed it at the time, but I now knew that stumbling upon the tiny blue vial was fate—a pivotal turn in the direction of my life.”

Caroline’s discovery, while on an anniversary trip gone awry, sets in motion the story of 18C. women, and how they protect and defend one another. Friendship and guidance are mirrored in both timelines throughout this novel which I predict will be a hit among the historical fiction crowd (card-carrying member here). Fans of Lauren Willig, Diane Setterfield, and Kate Morton, all masters of this genre, should put this debut novel on their TBR lists. Expected publication March 2021.
Thank you NetGalley and Park Row Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

It’s not the 10th anniversary celebration that Caroline Parcewell would have wanted. She’s spending the day alone, studying the two hundred year old apothecary murders that have intrigued and captivated London ever since they occured. It would seem a mysterious woman known only as Nella, would help women escape the clutches of evil men by way of a poisonous elixir. Nella was widely sought after for her abilities, until a young patron makes a fatal mistake. As Caroline searches through history for Nella, the fate of both women become entwined. A thrilling and dangerously addictive story of women taking back their power by whatever means necessary

An engaging tale of women helping women that transcends time. I modern day London a recently betrayed wife finds a vial that connects back to an eighteenth century apothecary. This is a hidden secret apothecary that serves only women, most of whom have been betrayed by men. As the modern woman researches the vial we learn the tale of the secret apothecary and the young customer who may be her undoing.

This is the story of three women whose lives are interwoven though separated by 200 years.
Nella has inherited her apothecary shoppe from her mother, and is dedicated to helping women. Unfortunately, due to a deep betrayal, Nella has turned to darker remedies for women who have been mistreated, to poison their abusers. While helping one of her customers, she apprentices a young maid, Eliza.
In current times, Caroline is grieving the breaking of her heart and marriage. She travels to London, on a planned second honeymoon, without her husband. When she was a young college student, she had dreamed of pursuing an advanced degree in British history. So, her first afternoon in London, she goes mud-larking with a tour group and finds an old bottle in the Thames. In the course of finding out everything she can about the bottle, her life becomes linked to Nella and Eliza. I found this book to be fascinating and enjoyed learning about 18th century medicine and the research Caroline did with the help of a librarian at London’s iconic British National Library.
And just to make the book a little better, there’s magic!

This book actually gave me an adernaline rush and literally kept me at the edge whole time. This is all a  reader can ask for!
I loved how it blended in the multiple genres along with dual timelines and ending of each chapter left me in a thirst of  knowing more and more.
I love reading about old London and omg the description of the old city is so atmospheric and fasicnating that you can actually visualize the scenes, but not overly detailed that you get lost in the description.
I felt sad when the book ended as I was so into and I wanted to know more about the characters. Especially about  Eliza fanning and her survival journey.
If you enjoy a fast paced, page turner thirller that keeps you guessing till the end. This book is a must read for you.

This book has definitely won my heart and ofcourse the 5🌟 from my side.
Thank you @harlequinbooks for my digital review copy. This title will be out on shelves on Mar 02, 2020.

What an enchanting novel . I loved reading the story from three women’s point of view. We have Nella, the apothecary who dispenses poisons to women . Eliza , there on behalf of her mistress who discovers she has a strong stomach for the sinister . And Caroline who is set in present day and finds an old vial by the Thames river. The twists and turns of this book kept me reading until the early hours of the morning. I highly recommend to anyone who loves a good historical fiction as well as a mystery.

Fascinating and just a bit spooky. I love books that revolve around magicks and poisons, and this book did not let me down! Really interesting. The crossovers between time periods was not hard to follow at all. Great read!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this beautiful piece of work! The Lost Apothecary is gorgeously written and had me hooked until the end. The characters made quite the impact on me, especially Caroline and Eliza. Caroline because she is basically me without the James; Eliza because she is such a sweet curious loving young lady.
The only critique I’d have is some questions about how easy some things ended up for the characters at the end where as magical the book was, I wanted a bit more reality to their situations.
But with that said, I do recommend this book to anyone who loves a little bit of late 1700s Murder and magic on top of some modern day historical investigation.

Wholeheartedly and truly obsessed with this book. Will be recommending it to all of my fellow historical fiction readers. And I was shook when I found out that this is Sarah Penner's debut novel!

The novel jumps in time between present day and eighteenth century London focusing on three extraordinary women whose paths cross in the most unexpected of ways. My heart broke for these women, in very different ways, and I was simultaneously struck by their strength and thirst for knowledge. Penner has crafted incredibly well-drawn characters woven together in a storyline that needs to be read to be believed. All centering on one small vial from an apothecary shop.

I don't want to say too much - so I'll simply encourage you to do whatever possible to get your hands on this intoxicatingly beautiful novel. I won't soon stop thinking about these amazing women, and the hidden apothecary in the alley.

Thank you immensely to NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.