A fresh and interesting book, The Lost Apothecary is a wonderful story. The mystery was interesting and kept me hooked, and the characters were lovely, especially those from the past.

It was a lot of fun reading about the plants and their various uses, nefarious or otherwise. Jumping back and forth between present and historical doesn't always work for me but there was a nice balance in this story: you ended up wanting to learn more about each character who all had nice resolutions to their stories.

Three heroines and one riveting story about poisons, revenge, and courage. The Lost Apothecary is a  page-turner from debut author, Sarah Penner. 
Travel back in time to 1791 where the actions of Nella, an, apothecary who makes poisons for women who wish reparation against men that have wronged them and her helper ,twelve year old Eliza, are uncovered 200 years later by Caroline, a woman traveling to London after learning of her husband’s infidelity. As these three women's lives become intertwined, they find an inner strength and resilience.

I definitely recommend buying this  fast-paced, highly enjoyable book that will keep you guessing until the very last page. A special thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin  for sending me an e-ARC.

Lovely story which kept me reading late into the night. Unexpected twists and turns. I'm so glad I got to read this book!

Great mix of feminism, old london and new london. Interesting mystery, but well played in the end. I thought the younger female character was the brightest star in the book. And i loved the librarian!

A unique, well written, historical fiction told from 3 point of views. The timeline alternates between Nella and Eliza from 1791, and Caroline in present day London.

Nella is an apothecary who lives in secret, making poisons only intended for women to kill men who hurt them. Eliza only 12 years old helps Nella at her shop, and Caroline is a woman traveling to London alone after the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. With the help of an employee at the British Library, Caroline pieces together a 200 year old mystery. Though at different stages of their lives, these 3 women are intertwined, finding strength within their own circumstances.

This novel would be an excellent choice for book clubs. If you love history and research check this one out!
A special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC.

The Lost Apothecary follows three strong women finding their power in their own circumstances. The idea of a female run apothecary that dispenses poisons only for women to kill the bad men in their lives is intriguing and well executed. Sarah Penner does a lovely job of making you care about Nella, Caroline, and Eliza deeply, even though two of the characters are morally grey. The multiples perspectives were different enough in time period, age, and personality that it was never difficult to remember which character was narrating (as too often happens with shifting POVs). The vibes of the book very much reminded me of Deborah Harkness's A Discovery of Witches series. Not in the sense of a supernatural/magic focus (much more minor here) but in the lush descriptions of the minutia of common lives and of course the London location. I read this one in less than a day, which is always a good sign.

A secret apothecary providing poisonous tinctures to women looking to seek revenge or to right a perceived wrong against men ties together the lives of three women across the centuries. Moving between the late 18th century and modern day, the Last Apothecary focuses on themes of love and loss, and the impact that can have on a person.

To prevent being discovered by the police, 18th century Apothecarist Nella must break her oath to create a tincture to harm a women. She finds herself unwillingly partnered with Eliza, a lady’s maid, in order to create the poisonous mixture. This tincture comes with devasting consequences for Nella and her apothecary, however. While staying one step ahead of the law (and the gallows), the pair must attempt to preserve the identities of all the women who have used Nella’s illicit services, their identities and crimes having been documented in her ledger down through the years. The outcome of this endeavour will change their lives forever.

In modern day London, Caroline stumbles upon an unusual, historical vial with direct links to Nella’s apothecary. In her attempts to learn more about the vial, she also unearths some truths about herself and her marriage. Her life too, is altered by the Apothecary and the secrets it holds.

This was an enjoyable and engrossing female-centred tale that seamlessly intertwined the stories of Nella/ Eliza and Caroline. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

"Curate Whimsy and Wonder
this Fall with titles from Harlequin" was the publisher's quote that caught my attention...

I started reading and I was upset with every disruption- just let me finish this book!!
I was at the Apothecary Shop that dispenses honorary healing potions to women only
(and can help with with some poisonous ones also!)

Help for women by women
Wishes -- Secrets -- Suspense -- all wrapped up in a bottle

1 small piece - "...tops of my arms prickled with goose bumps, and I jumped at the sudden tickle of a loose
hair on my neck. Every muscle in my body tensed, ready to run or scream -- or look closer. ..."
Writing had me spellbound!!
You want to read this book!

Lovely, dark, intertwined lives, murky waters, and strong women finding their voice. I truly enjoyed this story of a present day woman facing the fact of her lost marriage, and two 18th-century women giving"strength" to those women of their time. Both centuries collide beautifully. I will read this author again!

This book was SO GOOD! I just loved it. In 1791, Nella is a healer with an apothecary, and after a vicious betrayal by a man she loved, she starts creating poison tinctures for women in similar predicaments. On the surface, her workshop seems sparse and plain, but she has a hidden room where she does her work. She has a few rules, the main one being that her potions never be used to harm other women, only men. She has quietly been helping women take care of their problems when a young girl name Eliza arrives at her apothecary one day. While there on behalf of her employer, who is a wealthy woman, Eliza becomes fascinated by Nella's work and wants to learn how to do it.

In the present day, Caroline has been betrayed by her husband of 10 years and has gone to London to clear her mind. A series of events leads her to discover the apothecary and the hidden notebook that lies within. Betrayal and loss are huge theme in this novel, and we experience both through the two women and the two timelines. This book is also about women being empowered and the choices they make. It had me captivated.

This is an incredible debut, and if you like female driven historical novels like those of Philippa Gregory, you will enjoy this one.

I truly enjoyed the themes that coursed through this novel, fierce females, unlikely friendships, and revenge.

This brilliantly written novel will capture your love for history and your womanly desire for revenge.
Carefully crafted dueling storylines introduce you to Nella, an Apothecary in 1791, London, and Caroline a women who has travelled to the city in the present day, days after revealing her husband’s infidelity.

The narration is told beautifully through Nella, Caroline and once a impracticable friendship develops between Nella and 12 year old girl name Eliza, Eliza jumps in with a truly innocent perception of the world around her, and adds a unexpected sweetest to the novel.
The Lost Apothecary is a fully engrossing novel that could easily be devoured in a day.

Dark revenge. Interesting people, a lot of dept in the small characters. Slow paced with diverse story lines that come together.

An intriguing well written story. In the late 1700’s , Nella runs a secret apothecary shop where women leave letters asking her for poison to kill a man in their lives. Recording their names and the tinctures she creates in her register, Nella is still one step removed from her customers until the evening 12 year old Eliza comes to make a request for her mistress. The two become odd friends as their lives entangle.
In present day, Caroline and her husband are ready for their 10 year anniversary trip to England, when she discovers he’s been cheating on her. She travels to England alone, and on her first day there is talked into mudlarking, which is standing at the rivers edge looking for items left from long ago. She serendipitously finds a blue potions bottle with a bear marked on the side, which sets her off on a journey of discovery.

Strong well developed likable characters, a great storyline, filled with fascinating recipes and tales of poison, this is a great read.

Penner’s <i>The Lost Apothecary</i> is a spellbinding novel (pardon the pun) told in dual perspectives. The first is the apothecary owner, a woman who has made it her life’s work to craft poisons—but only for women to exact revenge on men who have scorned them in some way. The owner keeps a detailed log book of these concoctions—and their unfortunate recipients.

The second perspective is of a woman in the present day, who happens upon one of the original apothecary bottles and begins to dig into the history of the hidden shop and it’s mysterious owner. This is a welcome distraction, as she too is running from her own cheating spouse.

The two women’s stories collide in a wonderfully written, heart wrenching novel. Penner does a fantastic job of weaving both of the tales so seamlessly, as well as meticulously researching the time periods, that you truly feel that you’re in the novel with the characters. I couldn’t put this one down and I don’t think you will be able to either!

I was forced to stay up half the night because I HAD to see how this book ends! With alternating narratives - one from the late 18th century and one from modern day - we have an intersecting story in one of the most unusual ways. Fans of herbology and nature lore will be fascinated by the more nitty gritty details of the story, while anyone who loves mystery and / or historical fiction will be intrigued by figuring out exactly how it all goes down...

This historical mystery meets women’s fiction is page-turning, can’t put it down, twist within a twist good. Moving between modern day and the late 1700s, parallel tales of women finding their place in the world are anchored by a mysterious apothecary in a literal back alley. The contemporary story of overcoming heartbreak, betrayal and all the “easy” ways a life (and marriage) can go wrong provides delightful twists and turns. Solving a historical mystery as a journey of self discovery would be a solid enough story alone! When combined with a well researched window into the historical use of poisons, potions and women’s power, this story will have you up way past bedtime promising “just one more page.”

This book blew me away! It was first brought to my attention during a virtual BEA livestream and the premise had me instantly hooked. The Lost Apothecary is a perfect blend of historical fiction and contemporary with a dash of fantasy. I loved the back and forth storytelling from present day to historical England, and I was curious to see how the stories would connect. Usually with alternating timelines I prefer one to the other, but I was equally engaged in both worlds and the character's lives. I loved reading about the apothecary's methods of distribution and the affect it had on her life and the lives of others. There were a lot of surprising twists and turns along the way which I didn't see coming. I found myself rooting for the main character in the present day and was pleased to see how much growth and fulfillment she found at the conclusion. An epic read - I would highly recommend!