If you’re a fan of historical fiction like I am, put this on your to-read list! It is an excellent debut novel by @sarah_penner_author and will be released in March 2021. I’ve read so much historical fiction and this managed to stand out with a unique premise and addictive writing style.

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The cover is so pretty! It's absolutely what pulled me in. Coupled with the title, it seemed so full of promise. Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me. I did not like Caroline. She felt younger than her age and was rather annoying most of the time. It was hard to have any sympathy for her.

I loved Eliza, though! She was darling and really drove that story. There was a timelessly charming quality about her. And Nella was great, too. I think the older story was done better than the present-day story. It was more interesting and better written, I felt. Caroline's story beat me over the head with the importance of living a fulfilling life, of standing on your own, and following your dreams. It's like, "Okay, I get it".

The importance Nella placed on remembering the names, the lives of the women she helped, that made sense. It fit with the times and wasn't too heavy-handed. I almost would have preferred to just read about Nella and Eliza. But I appreciated the ending. It was beautifully vague and I liked that things were still left to my imagination.

I kind of feel like I was suckered by a pretty cover. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this one.

The Apothecary by Sarah Penner
I absolutely loved this book, it had me enthralled from the first page . Well written, with a great cast of characters. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about the lives of everyday people from the past.

It's a cold night in February of 1791 and in an unmarked back alley in London, Nella sits awaiting her customer.

Nella is an apothecary, as her mother before her was. Women came from all around for her healing potions and salves. Taking care of women. Nella is carrying on the tradition in another way. Women come to her for poisons that will release them from the men who have done them wrong.

Of course, there are a few rules. The poison must never be used to harm another woman. And the names of the victim, poison, and the killer are to be recorded in a register.

When her next customer shows up Nella is shocked it is a twelve-year-old girl named Eliza, whose employer wishes to engage Nella's services to relieve herself of her husband. Little does Nella know that this meeting will alter both of their lives as well as the life of present-day historian Caroline, who is spending her anniversary alone after her husband has an affair.

When she finds a mysterious vial with a bear on it, her research instincts kick in and she is determined to find out everything she can about the apothecary shop, Nella and Eliza.

Women had very few options in this London. One had to put up with whatever situation one found themselves as far as philandering spouses or abusive ones. This was a great look at the lengths women would go to seek revenge. 

This was disturbing and yet honest. A very good debut!

NetGalley/  March 2nd, 2021 by Park Row

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book!! The Lost Apothecary is the perfect blend of history, mystery, real life, and just a touch of fantasy. The story of a 18th century apothecary who “helps” women by providing them with poisons to kill those that have wronged them, interwoven with the story of the modern day tourist who discovers the secret London location, is a great escape from COVID stress. I was completely immersed in both worlds, and am amazed that this is a debut novel. I will look forward to the author’s next book!

My review for Library Journal:
After finding out her husband James has been having an affair, Caroline leaves alone for London on what was supposed to be their ten-year anniversary trip. While on a mudlarking tour along the banks of the Thames, Caroline finds a small glass vial with an imprint of a bear. Believing the vial to be quite old, Caroline becomes intrigued by its origins and sets off for the British Library to see if she can discover any clues to its history. As she digs deeper, the reader is pulled into an intriguing parallel story. In 1791, Nella’s apothecary shop is hidden in a back alley behind a false wall. Nella sells remedies to many women, and some of these remedies happen to be poisons, for women who wish to rid themselves of abusive men in their lives. When one of Nella’s poisons results in the death of a Lord, the authorities begin seeking the apothecary responsible. Nella must flee or risk the exposure of her other clients. VERDICT: Readers who enjoy parallel historical/contemporary narratives about women’s lives, such as Claire McMillan’s The Necklace or Liz Trenow’s The Forgotten Seamstress, will enjoy the historical details and mystery in this engrossing tale.

This was a surprisingly compelling book that I enjoyed tremendously! This is a fun twist on the classic revenge plot and had just enough historical fiction elements to also pull in fans of that genre as well! I really did enjoy this book. Would definitely recommend for fans of mysteries, thrillers, and historical fiction!

I have always enjoyed stories laced with murder and poison, but I do not know if I have ever read these themes in a more poignant, thrilling story as Susan Penner’s, “The Lost Apothecary.” I found myself enthralled by the story and its themes, wanting to devour it all in one sitting.
This story is set in the past and the present, the past focusing on an old apothecary who, after a betrayal in her own past, sells poison to women whose husbands or mates have betrayed them in some way. Now she is so tightly bound to this life of holding onto other women’s dark secrets that she cannot find a peaceful way out. She usually sells to older women, so when a twelve-year-old girl by the name of Eliza comes into her shop one day, her already unstable life is thrown off the rails.
In the present, the story focuses on Caroline. She has held onto hopes and dreams for her whole life, but her life comes shattering to the ground when she discovers her husband’s infidelity. Distraught, Caroline goes to London to get away from her husband and reprioritize her life. While doing so, she delves into the secret of the lost apothecary, discovering the past of the women who sold poisons to get her mind off her own seemingly horrible future.
Penner combines the past and present so flawlessly in this story, where Caroline is discovering the past just as the apothecary and Eliza are stepping into an uncertain future. The ending held twists I never saw coming that thrilled me and kept me glued to the page. To anyone wanting to feel a little “girl power” in their life, this is definitely the book to read.

Reviewed by Bailey Day, author of “The Amazing Imagination Machine” by Suspense Publishing, an imprint of Suspense Magazine.

An apothecary is a person who sells and distributes drugs. Nella is an apothecary in late 18th century London. She dispenses drugs that will heal all sorts of maladies. But Nella has a secret agenda as well and only serves the women of London. Eliza, a twelve-year-old girl is sent to see Nella by her mistress for just such a potion. Eliza unwittingly sets into motion a series of events that may bring Nella and her enterprise to an end. Caroline, in present-day London for what was supposed to be a ten-year anniversary celebration. Caroline stumbles upon a small vial which she traces to the lost apothecary. While she tries to unravel the mystery of the vial, she also must make some hard choices about both her marriage and her life.

I hesitate to give negative reviews, but I could not enjoy this book. I really wanted to, but could not get past the way feminine characters were portrayed in this book. It also dealt with triggering topics that was not disclosed at the forefront. Child abuse and sexualization of children should not be used as a means to propel the narrative. I found this book to be rather distasteful.

For the most part, I enjoyed The Lost Apothecary. The narratives of Nella, Eliza, and Caroline feel well-balanced, although if you don't love multiple timelines and narrators, then this isn't the book for you. There's a lot to keep up with. Penner did a great job at handling the themes of feminism and revenge and the settings and atmosphere are gloriously portrayed. At times, I felt the narrative and particularly the dialogue became a bit repetitive, which bogs down the story and feels slightly immature. I wish the author and her editor had trusted the reader to "get it" and move on. But overall, the novel crackles with suspense and atmosphere. A dark revenge fantasy about strong women recommended for fans of Diane Setterfield and Deborah Harkness.

eminism and Murder in the 1700's
I'm always conscious of the sage advice to not judge a book by its cover, but I have to admit that the moment I saw the beautiful cover of The Lost Apothecary, I knew I had to get my hands on it! Sarah Penner's debut historical fiction tale of herbs, potions, murder, and feminism did not disappoint, and had me burning the midnight oil to find out all of its secrets. Beyond the excitement of the plot, the book has a surprisingly strong inspirational vibe relating to female friendships, the importance of women supporting women, and never giving up on your dreams just because life gets in the way.

Nella, the Apothecary, works in late 1700's London, doing the bulk of her business in selling poisons. Her clientele is exclusively female, because she believes that women should never do harm to women, and must work to protect each other from the greed and violence of men. She meets twelve year old Eliza, when she sells her the poison to help her kill her employer's husband. The husband takes advantage of young servant girls in the house, so he surely deserves his end...as do Nella's other victims. She is a serial killer with heart, and as such takes Eliza under her wing, and they develop a strong friendship. Nella tells Eliza that one of the most important things she learned from her mother, who had also been an apothecary (albeit not one who dabbled in poisons), that it was important for women to have a place where they could be safe, and receive treatment for ailments that male doctors did not understand. She keeps close track of her clients, as her mother also did, because their records may be the only mention in history that those women had ever existed. Nella was acutely aware of the subordinate role that women play in history, and was trying to do her part to overcome that.

Fastforward to present day, when Caroline comes across an old apothecary bottle while on a mudlarking expedition in London. Caroline had been a history major at one point, but had given up on her dreams of grad school at Cambridge to marry her college sweetheart and settle in the Midwest, where she took a job working on her parents' farm. Now on what was supposed to be an anniversary trip to London, she finds herself on her own after uncovering her husband's infidelity. Her discovery of the bottle reminds her how much she loved researching the minutiae of regular peoples' lives from history, so she makes up her mind to uncover the bottle's origin and secrets. She ends up tracing the clues of Nella's apothecary and killing streak, along with her friendship with young Eliza, realizing that history has unfairly overlooked their stories. But, she also realizes, that if she got back in touch with her love of history, and pursued an advanced degree, that she could change all of that. Luckily for Caroline, her own female friends are there to remind her that she is worthy of happiness and fulfillment, even if it looks different than what society expects.

"History doesn't record the intricacy of women's relationships with one another; they're not meant to be uncovered."
There was nothing I didn't love about The Lost Apothecary! The characters were richly drawn and nuanced, the ties between past and present were realistic, as were all the personal dramas that played out across the arc of the plot. The message of women supporting women was timely, and Caroline's awe at getting back in touch with her youthful passions was poignant and inspiring. I cannot recommend this book enough, make sure you pre-order a copy today!

There's a special shop that only women know about it is run by Nella who had been taught remedies in the past by her mother. A special apothecary that dispenses all sorts of remedies for women's troubles (men). It is 1791 and a girl (Eliza) comes to the shop to get a remedy for her mistress whose troublesome husband is in need of such remedies. In the present day Caroline is off to London to enjoy her anniversary trip alone since she has discovered that her husband has been having an affair. This is an amazing book that shows how similar women's lives have been across time. Nella, Eliza and Caroline encounter each other at pivotal moments in their lives. Caroline never meets Nella and Eliza but their story draws her attention when she really needs the distraction. Eliza is drawn to Nella, learning from her. After Eliza makes a mistake that draws attention to Nella and her secret apothecary they have to help each other or it's the gallows for them both. This is an engaging story of women's lives that crosses time and is universal in how women come to rely on each other through difficult times.

The Lost Apothecary is a refreshing historical fiction novel with a narrative bouncing between an 18th century woman apothecary that dabbles in poison, and a present day woman struggling with her marriage and purpose in life. The story dips its toes into multiple genres, from mystery to women's fiction, and the multiple perspectives keep the story fresh and quick. It's clear that Penner spent a great deal of time researching herbal treatments and poisons, which resulted in an extremely believable, atmospheric tale of women seeking justice against men who have done them wrong.

I really wanted to read this because it reminds me of the story of Aqua Tovana, the perfume that was allegedly used to poison hundreds of men, and it was a great book! I loved this so much.

A well written and intriguing title with appeal for those who like British history, dark fantasy, and connections across time.

I was attracted to this book immediately as I just recently reread Practical Magic and wanted something similar. Those who enjoyed Alice Hoffman’s books will feel right at home in Sarah Penner’s novel of herbs, concoctions, and strong, intelligent women.

Nella is a middle aged woman who has taken over her mother’s apothecary shop in London during the late 1700s., Unlike her mother, Nella doesn’t simply help women with their health issues or with live potions. Nella helps women with their troublesome men issues - with poison.

In modern day America we meet Caroline, a frustrated former history scholar who has fallen into a rut in both her job and her ten year old marriage. She is about to embark on an exciting anniversary trip to London to visit all the historical sites she studied in university when she receives some devastating news that causes her to rethink the direction her life has taken.

Flipping between the narratives of Nella, Caroline and the precocious but naive Eliza, this story draws parallels between the injustices faced by women through history and how they can still be trapped in lives they don't want with no real idea of how it happened.

I won't be finishing this book. It's probably mostly me, but I just... I am seven chapters into this and am so bummed by the two women. I had expected some bad ass ladies, but really just felt like they were both so depressing.

Rating 4.5. I enjoy reading historical fiction and I've enjoyed reading this book. It had some originality to it with tales of revenge and feminism intertwined with poison. The book focuses on three different women and had a POV from 18th Century and Present time period. I happy the story only focused on two different time periods and with a limited POV among characters. There are some other unique characters in the story. I greatly enjoyed this book. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I took a chance on this book, lured by the cover!
I really enjoyed it and think you should really go in blind when reading. I enjoyed the historical aspect and learning about the potions and powers behind them.
This was a very enjoyable book, I'd highly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy.