The Lost Apothecary is told from two periods in time centuries apart, tied together by a mysterious apothecary. Half of the audiobook attempted a spooky narrating tone but sometimes felt melodramatic rather than scary. The other half was a modern story of a couple realizing the faults in their relationship but struck a more accessible tone.

The story was enjoyable with parallels of love, heartbreak, loss, and revenge present throughout both storylines. This book would make a great beach read and is perfect for someone who prefers a lighter approach to heavy subject matter.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, narrator, and publisher to access to this advance audiobook. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

A solid 4 stars on this NetGalley ARC. The story that transcends time taking us on a tale of intrigue, mystery and vengeance. It is an epic tale that makes one ask how much they can take before they lose part of themselves. The story looks at modern day, Caroline, searching to find herself while stumbling upon a theory of the lost apothecary... and attempting to use that story to help solve her own challenges.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC audio of The Lost Apothecary. I really enjoyed this story. I am a fan of duel timelines and enjoyed the back and forth. I was hooked from the beginning and had to find out how this story ends up. The only con was I did not like the character Eliza all that much. She was rather annoying and I didn't enjoy the narrator who voiced her character.

I will definitely be looking forward to more by author Sarah Penner!

I would recommend this as a wonderful read for any book club and will be recommending this to my book club and other reader friends.

Thank you Harper Audio and Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy of this book for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.

This story goes back and forth between two-time lines with three different points of view (POV). The first time line takes place in present-day London and the POV is from Caroline. The second time line takes place in 1791 and this is where the other two POVs take place, first we have Nella an Apothecary and then we have Eliza a 12-year-old girl.

Nella who was wronged in a horrible way has turned to the darker side of her profession. She begins creating poisons for women in dire situations to free them of the men who have harmed them. Nella records every transaction as a way to record these women since she wants their stories to be remembered. Nella has let her loss and grief harden her until she meets Eliza a 12-year-old girl who has come for her mistress. Eliza takes a liking to Nella and comes back to the shop and their fates become intertwined.

Caroline who has taken her anniversary trip to London alone after finding out her husband has been cheating on her. She came to London to figure things out and she gets much more than she has bargained for. This is a story about Caroline’s self-discovery as she unravels the past connected to an old vile she found mudlarking along the Thames. Caroline learns how much of herself and her passion she has buried these past 10 years when she gave up her dreams to take a safe job and get married.

This was such an amazing story and I think that there is a lot to learn from Caroline’s journey. I won’t spoil anything but what her husband does in the end just infuriates me so much. I am just happy that Caroline had come so far even though the time was short to see what he was doing.

If you want to read a beautiful story then pick this one up.

A wonderful split narrative, historical fiction novel. The author brings the reader through so many real life issues through the characters. There are many trigger warnings because of the real life struggles that women have been facing for years, including loss of a child, suicide, sexism, death, infidelity, and depression. My attention is not always so easily kept with this genre, but the author did a great job tying it all together.

Covers aren’t everything, but how can you pass this beauty up?!

When I saw this book had a late-1700's setting, I knew I had to read it!

Here's my breakdown:
Characters 4/5
These were some fun characters. The contemporary storylines really dragged some of the characters down for me, but it's hard to get into why without spoilers.

Plot 4.5/5
This was such a fun mix of contemporary, historical fiction, and murder mystery. My genealogy/history-loving brain really loved the entire concept of this whole book. If you enjoy the thrill of the search and questing to find answers, this will probably be a great book for you!

Storytelling/Writing 5/5
The dual timelines of present day and the late 1790s was handled quite well I thought. I never got bogged down in one timeline over the other. They were both so fun to be in.

Enjoyment 5/5
I loved every second of this book. Such a fun one!

Atmosphere 3.5/5
My history-loving brain really could have enjoyed this book being completely set in the 1790s. While the dual timelines were handled well, I think it would have been more fascinating in a completely historical setting. Because of the dual timeline, there was a little more deliberate mentioning of the lack of women's rights in the time, and I think a more nuanced or "in-world" look at it could have been more fun.

Overall Rating 4.4/5
Highly recommend you check this one out if it sounds up your alley! This was really so great, and the audiobook cast did a great job in bringing the various characters to life.

Thank you to Harper Audio for my advance listeners copy of The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner.

This was a story of secrecy, unfortunate timing, and discovery. It is set in London and told in dual timelines between of Nella in 1791, and Caroline in present day. Nella is a master of potions and poisons. She learned how to use them for good from her mother, and then after she passed and Nella had her own horrible tragedy, she began to use her knowledge for evil too. She helps desperate women out of horrible situations, and has an oath to herself that she will never harm another woman, only deserving men. After ignoring a bad feeling, she finds herself thrown into the middle of a mess that there is no way out of. 

Caroline comes to London alone, on what was supposed to be her ten year anniversary trip of a lifetime with her husband. After Caroline stumbles upon a little jar, she begins a search for information that will lead to trouble and also truth. 

Overall, I thought it was a delightful mystery with a dash of magic.

The narration by Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, and Lauren Irwin was fantastic! The parts told as Nella were my favorite of all, but each character was done so well. I will definitely be recommending this one very highly!

Unspoilery Blurb
This story is about Nella, but it is also about Caroline and Eliza. In London during the 1970s, Nella is running a hidden apothecary store to help women’s ailments, and she is secretly dispensing poisons to customers to get back at the men who have wronged them. When young Eliza comes to the store one day, a series of events follows which could bring the downfall of the apothecary.

In present day, the story follows Caroline, a young married woman who is traveling to London alone after learning of her husband’s infidelity. While there, Caroline finds a mysterious bottle that leads her on a hunt through history to discover the secrets of the apothecary lost to time.

Unspoilery Review
This book was just magical! Although it deals with an apothecary full of earthy, herbal remedies and poisons, there was still an element of witchy magic in this story.

When I first started the book, I was a little hesitant. I’m all for a fun, thoughtful feminist book, but I do get frustrated when feminism only thrives by the putting down of men. I strive for equality, not just a reversal of gender power. That being said, this book was phenomenal and it mostly stayed away from harmful stereotypes.

The story unfolded into a mystery about the lost apothecary and its history. The multiple points of view were perfectly done, and the story wove together stunningly. I was never confused with jumping back and forth in time (which was wonderful!), and each character really had their own voice and personality.

I loved getting to know these characters and seeing the story unfold. This book was stunning account of three women’s lives, and it was great to follow the story in the past while it was being discovered in the present.

Also, this was the eARC of this book’s audiobook from NetGalley, and I loved the narration! Each voice was unique and lovely, and I felt like it really added to the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and it blew away my expectations! I highly recommend this story to people looking for a book about female empowerment, questionable methods, and mystery.

If you are looking for a story about women who find their voice and strength, this book is for you!

The Lost Apothecary is written in the perspective of three women, across two different time periods. They are all connected and tell a story of strength and growth.

Present Day: Caroline escapes to London alone on her 10 year anniversary, after discovering her husband's affair. After finding a mysterious, antique vial at the bottom of the river, she finds herself escaping into the world of history and literature, a part of herself that she had forgotten about.

Late 1700’s: Nella is an apothecary shop owner, which she inherited from her mother. Her concoctions are not always legal and used to help women who want to dispose of the men in their lives because of abuse, infidelity and more. Eliza is a 12-year old girl who is sent to the apothecary on behalf of her mistress, to use against her husband. Nella and Eliza form a friendship and find themselves in a predicament, where their lives and the privacy of the apothecary are in jeopardy.

Caroline, Nella and Eliza’s lives and stories are intertwined beautifully by Sarah Penner. She does an incredible job of keeping what could be a confusing story very clear and easy to follow. The growth and development of these three women is incredible. A wonderful story of resilience, courage and friendship.

Thanks to Netgalley, Harlequin, Park Row and Sarah Penner for my advanced reader copy!

The narration, as well as story, was slow and I had to increase the speed to 1.5 to make it bearable. I did not finish the book - the writing was dull and the characters were trite. Caroline was especially weak and annoying. Gorgeous cover, and intriguing premise, but a disappointment.

I was given an ALC from Netgalley to review. Thank you.
Yes! Yes! Yes! I loved this book. The audiobook was amazing! Three different points of view read by 3 different women. The whole premise of an apothecary from the late 1700's providing secret medicine to women to rid them of the horrible men in the lives was riveting. Moving from the present to the past with the different characters was really well done.
I also had an ARC of this title from NetGalley so when I couldn't listen to the audiobook, I could continue with the ebook. When I am reading a book and switch back and forth between audiobook and ebook so I can keep reading I know it's a winner.

AMAZING!! This was such an interesting and unique story, I couldn’t wait to find out how it ended, but I was so sad when this beautiful story came to an end because it was THAT GOOD.

I hit the 55% mark on this one and I just can't bring myself to finish it. I am normally all for a slow moving story but I was just so confused by what the purpose of it all was and found myself dreading reading it. The audio couldn't be listened to at a higher speed which didn't help. I'd be willing to give a physical copy of this a shot but this audiobook just wasn't for me.

I was provided an ARC of the audiobook via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. It is told from 3 different perspectives, and narrated by 3 different women which helps the reader distinguish Eliza, Caroline, and Nella. They have 3 very different voices which makes it very easy for the reader to distinguish which perspective the story is being told from.

Caroline is an American on holiday in present day London. She is supposed to be celebrating her 10th wedding anniversary, but has just discovered that her husband has been having an affair. She decides to take their anniversary trip without him and do some sole searching and self-discovery. She was once an aspiring historian and rediscovers her spark and passion for historical investigation while mudlarkng in the Thames. She finds an old apothecary's jar that leads her on an unsolved murder investigation. Roughly 200 years prior Nella runs an women's apothecary. It was once respected for curing women's maladies, but when Nella's own skills were used against her she began using her skills for a much darker purpose. She now uses her apothecary skills to help women seek revenge against the men in their lives who have wronged them. Enter Eliza, who was tasked to pick up and administer a poison for her mistress. Eliza is drawn to Nella and becomes caught up in her schemes and attempts to not only save her shop but the women who have used her services.

While I normally don't like dual timeline or multiple perspectives, this book is an example of how to do both right! Penner did a wonderful job connecting the three characters and the timeline. I think having Caroline investigate the history of what happened to the apothecary was the perfect way to tie her back to Nella and Eliza. I also really loved the way Eliza was portrayed, just as I was beginning to wonder if anyone was going to set her straight about some of her naïve thoughts, Nella gently explains what is going on with her. I thought the author did a great job writing her as a 12 year old girl from another time, she was so grown up about some things but so innocent about others. I also very much enjoyed watching the relationship blossom between Nella and Eliza. Even though it was only over a very short period of time, it pulled you in and you were immediate wrapped up in what happened to them.

I struggle to write this review without spoilers because while this is a bit of a historical fiction it also has some mystery elements as well. There is an interesting twist at the end, but I will say as a big thriller reader I kind of saw it coming. Overall I very much enjoyed the audiobook of this. I think I finished it in 2 days and couldn't wait to get back to it every time I turned it off. I believe this is Penner's debut, and if so it is a solid one and I can't wait to read more from her! I'll be looking forward to more of her work.

Set in both the late 1700s and present-day London, this dual timeline intertwines the loves of 3 women through an apothecary shop. Caroline plans to spend her 10-year anniversary with her husband in London, but when she discovers that he's been cheating on her, she decides to go on her own. While there, she finds an old apothecary bottle and begins researching it, reigniting her passion for British history along the way. Caroline's find takes the reader on a journey into the past where Nella dispenses both healing tinctures and deadly poisons to women in need.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for an advanced listening copy of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it! All 3 narrators were engaging and made this a pleasure to listen to.

I received an audio ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

In a hidden shop off a secluded alley in London, Nella serves a specific clientele. She crafts poisons for the women of the city to use against the oppressive men in their lives. When 12-year-old Eliza steps into Nella's, shop, however, it sets forth a chain of events that put the apothecary, and both Nella and Eliza, in danger. In present day London, Caroline spends her tenth anniversary alone. While mudlarking in the Thames, Caroline finds a vial with a bear carved into it and cannot help but wonder about its origins. As she investigates, she quickly discovers that she has found a link to the unsolved apothecary murders from over 200 years ago.

This was an interesting story, although I never quite felt connected to the women who are the main characters. Nella in particular seemed to keep herself at a distance, even as we heard first-person narration from her. I found it a little unbelievable that Eliza, having grown up on a farm, didn't know anything about periods or how babies are made. 3.5 stars

The Lost Apothecary's premise intrigued me, but the execution left me unmoved. In this book, there are three female narrators; one in present day and two in eighteenth-century London. And even though I found Nella's story the most tragic of the three, I couldn't connect with any of the main characters.

I thought the audiobook will be a better match for the book's eerie tone, because as the description promised this was "A legacy of poison and revenge." But unfortunately, this wasn't the spine-chilling and hair-raising book I anticipated. I found the book extremely wordy (or maybe I should say chatty) in some cases, so due to the format, I wasn't able to skim through it. I really liked the theme music, though.

Overall, the story seemed to have so much potential and I was disappointed by the predictable result that lacked in depth and twists.

Read if you're in the mood for:
-historical fiction told in a past/present dual narrative
-a story that focuses on everyday women in history

I thought I would absolutely love this book -- it has everything I want in historical fiction: dual narratives, 1700s London setting, an interesting premise (an apothecary who secretly dispenses poisons to aid women) but it just didn't quite come together.

I think the biggest thing missing for me was a great sense of atmosphere and place. There aren't a ton of historical fiction novels set in the 1700s and I was so excited to really lose myself in the setting, but 18th century London was barely described and I felt like the book could have easily been set in the 1800s or even the 1900s. For that matter, present-day London was hardly drawn for the reader either.

I did enjoy the dual timelines aspect and I liked the characters well enough, but I didn't quite connect with some of their motivations and thoughts and actions, and some of the plot points felt rather unrealistic.. And the apothecary-poisoner aspect should have been fascinating but I just wanted more somehow -- maybe more descriptions of the poisons themselves and how they were made. I guess I felt like the whole story was too brief -- I wanted more plot, more background, more atmosphere.

If you do decide to read this, I can say that I enjoyed the audiobook. It features three narrators, one for each perspective, and I thought they did a good job.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the free review copy.

*Note: I will also be sharing this review on Instagram.

4.5 Stars This book was very different from other books that I have read and I enjoyed reading about the Apothecary and her role in the past. The dual timelines made it very interesting and I enjoyed both storylines. Eliza and Nella's friendship was sweet to see it unfold throughout the book! Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book. I will be recommending to others!

Thank you to Park Row Books for a gifted copy of The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. All opinions are my own.

A found apothecary bottle in current day London sparks curiosity in a visitor to the city to discover the identity of the original owner. Caroline is interested in history and very curious about the unique apothecary bottle with the bear emblem. Nella is an apothecary who feels compelled to help women in compromising situations.

The Lost Apothecary is a dual timeline historical fiction. Caroline is in the present day while Nella and Eliza are in 1791. The story alternates between the perspectives of the three characters.

Audiobook: It is narrated by Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, and Lauren Irwin. The narrators have clear and concise speech which made it easy to listen to the audiobook comfortably at two times speed.

I enjoyed this one and found it very interesting. The beginning drew me in immediately and felt a bit like a mystery as Caroline tries to uncover the past to understand why there are no obvious records easily available to find the apothecary connected to the bottle. It slows down a bit in the middle but overall I enjoyed the story. I also love the cover on this one. It's very vibrant and beautiful.

General Fiction (adult)
Historical Fiction
Women's Fiction
Release Date: March 2, 2021