Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book. I loved it! What a great mystery and storyline. I also loved the narrator of this audiobook. She did an excellent job switching between the past and present day.

This was a great audiobook to get lost in. The apothecary's story was so interesting. I was intrigued by her knowledge and her processes. The story unfolded in twists and turns that I did not see coming. I guessed Caroline's storyline pretty quickly but I still enjoyed it nonetheless.

I would highly recommend this book if you're looking for a great mystery.

I loved the subject and the lives of two separate groups of people from two completely different eras melding together to form a very believable and touching story.

Wonderfully told story told in in flashbacks. A unique blue embossed bottle found in modern day London leads to a mysterious Apothecary operating during the 1700s and the particular rules for it's patrons.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is told from three different viewpoints and narrated by three different women, which I loved. The first is Caroline, a modern day woman who is on her ten year anniversary trip to London without her husband, who she just found out cheated on her. The second is Nella, from the late seventeen hundreds. Nella has an apothecary shop and she sells not only remedies, but poisons to women who need to escape certain situations. When twelve year old Eliza, the third person in the story, arrives at her doorstep, everything changes. Eliza needs a poison to put in the breakfast of her master, per her mistress' instructions. The story is told in two timelines. The first is with Caroline, who discovers a bottle from the apothecary while digging in the water on an expedition. As she learns more about the apothecary and the murders that happened there, she learns more about herself and her marriage. The second story line follows Nella and Eliza as the events Caroline is discovering are actually happening. Very fascinating stuff and a well researched book. I really enjoyed it. The narrators did a fantastic job. I actually could have just kept on listening if it hadn't ended! Way recommend. You should go get it and listen to it!
Thanks to #NetGalley for the chance to listen to this great book! #thelostapothecary #bookstagram #all_the_pages

This is a dual timeline story that follows Nella, an 18th century woman apothecary and present day Caroline who is on her 10th anniversary trip to London. Nella, once an upstanding apothecary, is now secretly dispensing poisons to free women of men who have wronged them. Caroline, an aspiring historian, is reeling from the discovery that her husband is cheating on her. Caroline finds an old apothecary vile near the river Thames and goes on a journey to discover where it came from only to find links from the vile to the unsolved “apothecary murders”.

Overall, I liked this book. I really enjoyed the dual time lines and discovering mysteries about the characters as I read on in the book. However, some parts just felt to kind of drag and my attention wasn’t grabbed the whole time. The slow burn mystery was nice, but I kind of wanted more from it. I would give this book a try if you like historical fiction, dual time lines and slower paced mysteries.

I saw this book recommended as a must read in 2021. It caught my eye that it was about a woman in 1791 concocting poisonous liquids for evil men. The synopsis drew me in. I was lucky to get an audiobook version thanks to netgalley. I enjoyed this book very much. I found it fast paced and entertaining. I am now interested in more about this time period.

I received this audiobook as an ARC from Net Galley. This novel is like nothing I have ever read before. The two timelines compliment each other perfectly and the storyline is unique and unexpected. The characters are complex and strong despite their flaws. History, research and magic all play an integral role in the story. It is wonderful as an audiobook, excellent narrators. A must read!

In 1791 London, Nella’s apothecary isn’t just any normal apothecary: it dispenses well-disguised poisons to help women liberate themselves from problematic or abusive men. When Eliza visits her shop, Nella finds herself with a 12 year-old shadow. In a dual storyline set in present-day London, American Caroline is taking her tenth anniversary trip alone after learning of her husband’s infidelity. The story alternates between Caroline, Nella, and Eliza’s points of view as their stories intersect.

I think that I finally have to concede that historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, because I really enjoyed this book. Considering my childhood reading preferences (I loved the American Girl and Dear America books, thought The Secret of Vesuvius was the COOLEST thing ever, and often fantasized about becoming an archaeologist), I’m not sure why this is a surprise. It also doesn’t take much to sell me on a book set in the UK.

I inhaled this one, and was completely sucked in. I received an advanced copy of this one in audiobook format, and while I typically read audiobooks while I’m doing other things, I just sat on the couch and listened to most of this one. I loved the interplay between the storylines, and unlike many of the reviews I’ve read, I slightly preferred following Caroline in the present. In the historic storyline, I enjoyed the morally grey decision-making, and the exploration of the role of women within the time period. In the modern storyline, I loved seeing Caroline grapple with the unexpected place her adult life took her, and the ways she renegotiates what she wants from her future as the story progresses. Also, Mudlarking? How did I never know that this was a thing? It’s fascinating.

Don’t pick up this book expecting thrills, big twists and turns, or horror- this is historical fiction/women’s fiction with some mystery elements. While I was invested things just felt a little too convenient for the purposes of plot development at times, and there were some strange anachronisms in the past storyline. I’m not particularly bothered by a predictable story, nor do I have enough knowledge of this time period to notice the historical inaccuracies, but I know other readers might find these factors to be a deal breaker.

I think I would have preferred to read this one with my eyeballs. The audiobook was full-cast and well-produced, but (at least in the version I listened to) the difference in narration speed between characters was jarring.

Thank you Netgalley, Harper Audio, Harlequin Audio, and the author for the advance unabridged copy of the audiobook version.

I really enjoyed The Lost Apothecary from the very beginning, the 2 timelines and POVs were so well intertwined and kept the pacing of this book very fast and I didn't want to put it down. Nella in particular was fascinating to me, choosing to secretly become this apothecary and kill men deemed worthy of it through poisoning while also vowing to never harm a woman. I found myself connecting with Caroline, I really enjoyed her character growth throughout and found her story at the end to be really satisfying. It was also beautifully written and very atmospheric without being overly descriptive which I always appreciate! I've never read a book like The Lost Apothecary before and immensely enjoyed it and would highly recommend it to everyone. I cant wait to have a physical copy for my bookshelves and bask in its beautifulness.

Caroline travels to London for her wedding anniversary, leaving her cheating Husband behind, back in the states. She has to decide where her future will take her with the choices laid out in front of her.

While going on a tour to keep her mind off her troubles, she finds an old apothecary jar. Excited to find out the history of her found treasure, she embarks on a research journey that may change her life forever.

At the same time that Caroline is researching the found bottle, the story of Nella and Eliza unfolds bringing potions, poisons, death, friendship and mystery.

This dual timeline story was so interesting! I really loved the story of Nella and Eliza from the late 1700’s. The events that brought them together and the relationship that was created was both intriguing and heartfelt. I would have loved more time spent on this timeline throughout the story as it was my favorite part.

The timeline for Caroline was also interesting but as her research unfolds the mystery of the apothecary bottle, the events felt a little forced to me. She made a lot of assumptions that, of course, fit with the story, but I’m not certain were realistic.

Readers that love female friendships, female empowerment, mysteries and dual timelines will be fans of this story. The narrators were also fabulous with proper American and English accents. I highly recommend this version!

Thank you to #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.25 stars

It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. Penner does a remarkable job of crafting a dark and atmospheric yet fascinating historical fiction that alternates between the late eighteenth century and modern day. It was nice reading a story of this genre that didn’t revolve around a war!

In the first timeline, the 1790’s, Nella is an apothecary whose craft has transformed to a darker side. She sells poisons to women who have been wronged by a man. Her first rule is to never do harm to another woman. She meets Eliza, a 12 year old companion. Her mistress is looking to kill her husband with Nella’s poison. As the story progresses, Eliza becomes more entwined with Nella, and her potions, which has disastrous consequence.

In modern day, Caroline is in London by herself on what was supposed to be her tenth wedding anniversary trip. Days before she left the US, she discovered her husband had been unfaithful. While trying to process the betrayal, she comes across a mudlarking group and opts to join them. Upon finding an old vial, she puts her historical skills to work and delves into this centuries old mystery.

The pacing of this plot driven fiction was perfect. The author leads the reader down a twisted and dangerous road of vigilante justice and what happens when things go wrong. I also enjoyed the modern day timeline. It was a lighter reprieve from the heavier topic and balanced the story out well. The two timelines merged seamlessly in a satisfactory conclusion.

The audio performance was superb. The acting of the three characters was done by different narrators and all were brilliant. Absolutely recommend the audiobook. Nella’s narrator in particular was incredibly engaging and added an element of foreboding.

A gracious thank you to Netgalley and Harper Audio/Harlequin Audio for an advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I really enjoyed this story. So very unique and creative that it captured my attention right away! The story follows three main characters in two time lines. In 1791 Eliza, a twelve year old girl, is ordered by the lady of the house to fetch a poison to kill her husband. Nella, the owner of a secret hidden apothecary shop, inherited it from her Mother and learned from her the art of making poisons. I truly loved the relationship that develops between Eliza and Nella. In present day, Caroline, a woman from Ohio, leaves her husband after finding out he cheated on her and she uses the trip they had planned to take time to think. She arrives in England and meets a group of mudlarkers. It is then, she finds a little blue apothecary bottle with a bear on it that washed up from the Thames River and from that bottle brings up mysteries from the past. No spoilers but I highly recommend this book as it made it to my 2021 Favorites List and I can not wait to read more from this author!

3.75 ⭐️‘s

A secret apothecary dispenses poison to women who are seeking vengeance against the men who have wronged them in their lives. The rules are simple, no poison should ever be used to harm another woman, and all names of the murderers and victims will be recorded by Nella the apothecary. This novel alternates between the late 1700s and present day in a story that weaves a modern historian to uncover the hidden secrets of the apothecary murders, the apothecary who dispensed the poisons, and a 12 year old girl that gets wrapped up in it all.

I absolutely loved this cover and was super interested when I initially read the synopsis of this novel. This book had all the right ingredients to be a really exceptional novel. I think it just fell a little flat for me. It felt pretty linear throughout the novel, and I wanted more depth from the characters. I enjoyed a lot of aspects of the novel and think it’s a really interesting concept. I think I just wanted more from it, something was just missing for me. The narrators of this audiobook did a great job and probably boosted the rating for me. Overall though, I did really enjoy it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Lost Apothecary was a quick and engaging read. I flew through it on the audiobook I received from NetGalley. It is not generally a book I would be interested in, but I kept hearing about it and decided to give it a try. I am glad that I did. This story has 3 main characters and splits time between 2 women of the past and a woman in the present day. All 3 are very strong women with very different backgrounds. I was intrigued by the back alley apothecary that sells poisons to women to harm men through word of mouth.

The ending of this book seemed to be too tightly wrapped up. Almost not believable. While I enjoy a story that wraps up in the end, this seemed to fall flat. It seemed too happy.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Narrators: Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, and Lauren Irwin
Format - Audiobook
Genre - Mystery/Magical/Suspense
Rating - Book 5 out of 5 start; Narration 5 out of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book! First off I always like an audiobook that has different people narrating the different characters. This book has three for the three main women in the book. They all do an exceptional job at narrating their characters.

This book is about an Apothecary in the eighteenth century and a woman in the present day who dives into the story of the apothecary when she finds a unique bottle while exploring the banks of the Thames river.

This book is full of twists and turns and double crossing. It is full of revenge and poisons used to get that revenge. Also an apothecary owner that is called a repeat killer since she doles out poisons to kill the elite men of the city for ladies to get revenge on the men in their lives.

The book ends with a big twist. Which I will not say here because I don’t like to give spoilers. This is a must read or listen book of the year. The book is coming out on March 2nd 2021 so you don’t even have to wait too terribly long.

I absolutely love this book! such a different story idea! It took me a few chapters to get used to switching between the past and present story line, but once i got passed that It all flowed together so well!! I loved how the the characters really came into themselves, and learned about themselves throughout the novel. I love that it is such a woman positive - I can do it - story line. Much more exciting then the usual woman needs man story that in flooding the market currently! Most of the characters are very likable, and from their descriptions and story lines they felt more like friends then just fictional characters I was reading about which is nice because i find I have a hard time connecting with characters sometimes. This novel made me laugh and cry, I could not put it down honestly i stayed up until 4am even thought i had to work in the morning , I tried to go to bed and couldn't stop thinking about The Lost Apothecary I had to get up and a finish it I had to know what happened and how it ended, although when it did end i was so sad i wanted more! I think Sarah is definitely an Author to watch and I cannot wait until she comes out with a new Novel so i can dive into that as well! Thank you for the opportunity to review!

3.75 stars

This book was a super fun and easy read. The audio book was very easy to comprehend because of the different narrators for each character. It was so witchy, magical and exciting! I would have loved a bit more character development, but overall I liked the three parallel stories.

*I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, the writing of this book was beautiful...definitely fitting with the captivating cover. Beyond those components, however, I felt that the narrative was lacking.

This story utilizes dual timelines, which I usually love. Typically, a story with a dual timelines unfolds bit by bit, with different parts of the plot being revealed by different characters. In this book, however, the same information was repeated over and over again. There was very little to the actual plot, and truthfully, I don't think the current timeline added any value to the story. It felt rushed, and I didn't feel that the two timelines had a relevant connection. I was hoping for more from this story.

Wow!!! As I listen to the final words of this audio book shivers run through me and I am a completely satisfied reader. Penner has done a magical justice of weaving a tale of women from different times and how their lives overlap.

Starting out as a trip to England to celebrate the 10th anniversary of an American couple every page keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. As the times and narrators change throughout we allowed only specific information as each chapter jumps to past or present.

To add to the enjoyment of this book I listened to the audio which was read by three separate narrators and was a genius decision but necessary addition to this book with the ages of the characters and the different accents.

Characters have full depth and the story kept enough hidden throughout that I had to keep on listening. I received this digital copy from Netgalley and these are my own opinions.

Women might be the fairer sex, but...as the saying goes...hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

When a Georgian-era woman is scorned, she turns to Nella, a mysterious female apothecarist. and her special drafts with fatal side-effects.Through a series of unfortunate events, Nella's life and livelihood begin to unravel when customer sends her young maid to procure one her special drafts.

Present day London: Caroline, an aspiring historian is spending her anniversary alone after discovering her husband's infidelity. While exploring London, she finds a clue that leads her to a series of unsolved apothecary murders. Pushing her own worries aside, she investigates the centuries old mystery of the murders.