I had the opportunity to review this book as ARC in audiobook format thanks to NetGalley. On reading the description, I was immediately drawn to the story: three women of different age (Nella, Eliza and Caroline), living in different times (Nella and Eliza in 1800’s England and Caroline in present day America) but dealing with the same problem: betrayal at the hand of men. Sarah Penner weaves the lives of these women: Nella, the apothecary, with a penchant for poison bend on a path of revenge; Eliza, the murderous child; and Caroline, the person that will, centuries later, uncover the mystery behind their existence one chapter at the time. The story is related from the POV of the 3 main characters, back and forth between the events from the past and present time. The story had enough intrigue and kept me guessing until the end. However, for me, the book was just OK and left me wishing for more. In particular, Caroline’s unrevealing of the apothecary’s secrets and her own predicament were not very believable even though I did appreciate the parallel between her story and Nella’s and their very different solutions to their problems. A good first effort for this first-time author.

4.25 Enchanting Stars

“The best apothecary is the one who knows intimately the despair felt by her patient…”

RELEASE DATE - March 2, 2021

I was selected to review the AUDIO version of this book.

As soon as I read the blurb for this book (and saw that gorgeous cover), I was immediately intrigued. The idea of a lost apothecary buried in the walls of London that catered to a secret network of women was fascinating to me.

The story is told in three different POVs that take place between two distinct timelines - one is modern day with Caroline Parcewell who is an American with a love for history, travelling to London for what was supposed to be her tenth wedding anniversary, where she makes a HUGE discovery. The second timeline takes us back to 18th century London where we meet Nella, who runs the lost apothecary, and Eliza, a twelve-year-old girl who is asked to...umm, procure some goods from The Lost Apothecary shop.

All three narrations were excellent. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Eliza, the young girl. Her delivery came across exactly like that of a young fearless girl who was impossibly intrigued by the apothecary shop. Nella's delivery was told with an air of mystique that I really enjoyed as well.

I was engaged in this story the entire time and NEEDED to know just what the heck was going on here. Why did the shop exist? How? What happened to Nella to make her end up in this profession? Why was it "lost" in the past? The story unfolds gradually and these two storylines begin to weave together in some pretty incredible ways. I LOVED the parallels to the 18th century storyline that Caroline's character found herself in.

“The best apothecary is the one who knows intimately the despair felt by her patient…”


This book was unique to probably anything I've ever read/listened to before. There was a pretty good amount of suspense and mystery to it, along with the historical piece. I wouldn't say it's "dark," per se, but it has some definite edge to it.

“Vengeance is its own medicine.”


The last 25% or so is intense and unputdownable. This was also a story that took female unity to a whole new level, and I loved that about it. Not gonna lie, a couple of ex boyfriends come to mind who I would've LOVED to have had this little shop for....kidding! (Kinda..lol!)

I do wish the author would’ve delved further into the backstories on more of the shop's targets (we did get this on a few and I gobbled it up!). And I wish we would gotten more at the end from the Nella/Eliza/18th century timeline. I also wish we would've gotten more on Eliza's love story, but I know that's just the romantic in me. Caroline and the modern-day storyline was definitely more character driven, whereas the 18th century storyline with Nella and Eliza was more plot driven.

All in all, this was an amazingly strong debut and a truly unique read about what lies in the past, finding the truth, magic, revenge, and friendship.

"The hardest truths never rest on the surface..."


An ARC was provided by Harper Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"The Lost Apothecary" is the type of book that would lend itself to good discussions in a book club. It made me think about the role of women in society —and the expectations, external and self-imposed, about that role— and how they have changed, and not, over time. Even though it was an interesting book, I found that it took an easy way out in portraying all the men as terrible people, making it seem like it should be an obvious choice for the reader to side with the women even through questionable moral choices. I think this book, with so much potential and with a very interesting, thoughtful premise, would have been even better by asking more of the reader without such black and white, evident choices. I reviewed the audiobook, and I found that Nella's voice was quite slow, it made her parts very atmospheric, but also hard to get through. I found that I could speed those parts to 1.75 and then it sounded like normal speed.

I received an audioARC in exchange for an honest review.

A bit of a slow burn, but filled with strong characters who were a delight to follow.

Often with stories split by multiple narrators, I end up preferring one character over another and long for their chapters. In this case, I think each character contributes something meaningful and interesting that pushes the story forward (though, I'll confess that for most of the novel, I preferred Nella and Eliza's stories to Caroline's).

My only complaint would be that I felt Caroline's attachment to the past was cursory and not quite as deep as I'd hoped.

I think many will enjoy this story. There's a lot of commentary on a woman's power in the face of social structures that seek to minimize them.

I finished this one rather quickly, and never really found it dragging (despite being slower paced).

This novel, using the dual timeline strategy, told an interesting and entertaining story. However, I disliked how easy everything came together for Caroline, the present-day protagonist who pieced together clues from the past. For example, google searches quickly and conveniently help solve huge mysteries that scholars would spend years piecing together. Also, she commits acts that are impossible - apply for grad studies in one evening? Impossible! Several details like that affected the solidity of the narrative.

Absolutely loved The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner! Once I saw this beautiful cover, I knew I was going to read it as soon as I was given the opportunity. This was one of those books where I felt it was truly written for me. Like literally the main character, Caroline, is a history major that lives in Cincinnati with a disappointing marriage. ***WAVES HANDS WIlDLY IN THE AIR BECAUSE THAT WAS LITERALLY MY LIFE (I'm divorced now, but that is besides the point). ***

The Lost Apothecary combines the story of an apothecary, her young apprentice, and the modern woman who is trying to uncover their past. On a trip to England, Caroline unexpected finds an old apothecary bottle with a bear symbol etched on the side. This sparks her into trying to find answers to where this bottle came from and what happened to those everyday people that history tends to forget.

Going back and forth between three story lines, Caroline's story in the present is matched with the stories of Nella and Eliza in the late 1700s. Nella inherited the apothecary from her mother and has developed somewhat more sinister practices since she has taken over. Women reach out to Nella when they need help ridding themselves of their abusive or unfaithful husbands. Eliza and Nella meet when Eliza is sent as a maid to get a potion from Nella to kill her lady's husband. This sparks an unlikely friendship, and Eliza begins to help Nella with her work.

I enjoyed the back and forth from Modern England to the England of the 1700s and loved the way the stories wove seamlessly together. The audiobook was great because there were different voices for each of three women. Very much enjoyed, and if you are a lover of historical fiction you will love this book!

Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for granting me a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner was such a great story! It effectively wove together the stories of two women and a child who lived centuries apart, but seemed to have much in common. Nella, Caroline, and Eliza were brave, strong, and resilient. The story captivated me from the beginning and the ending was perfect! I thought the narrators were spot on for each of the characters as well. Really enjoyed this one on audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook for a honest review.

I loved this story! 5 stars to the narrator, told thru three points of view it was easy to tell which was which. The story itself kept my interest and I enjoyed the journey. I liked the premise of women in the 1700's forging their own path and how it wasn't completely historical as we had our present day main character with her own struggles.

Good narration; I appreciated having the 3 distinct voices for the 3 characters. I enjoyed the general story, but the ending is a little pat and annoying.

This was incredible!!! One of the most atmospheric books I've read in a long time, while not sacrificing lovable characters, plot etc.

The Lost Apothecary
Sarah Penner
3/2/21

I was very excited to have been given an early audio version of the Lost Apothecary. I was immediately drawn in just by the narration. This story is told by three women and their lives are intertwined through the chapters. The story takes place in London 1791 told from Nella and Eliza. Nella owns an apothecary, passed down from her mother. She provides medicines but more recently she secretly sells poisons but she has a few rules... the poison may never be used on a woman and all info is kept in a secret registry. Eliza a lost girl is sent to Nella’s apothocary at a pivotal moment of time and their budding relationship blossoms. These are complex characters and as the story unfolds it becomes so captivating. The narration brought a whole other level to this book. You could hear the anguish, pain and hope through their voices.

In between the chapters you fast forward to present day London. Caroline a historian is coming to London to celebrate her 10th wedding anniversary but this trip is anything but a celebration. She throws herself into researching a mysterious vial she finds in a mud bank of River Thames. And her life will never be the same after that.

This is a beautifully written story that has many layers and as they are peeled away you will have met three courageous, brave and loyal women who will stop at nothing to find the truth and protect one another at the same time. This is a must read by debut author Sarah Penner!

Sending a sincere thank you to NetGalley, Harper Audio and Harlequin Audio for an advanced copy of The Lost Apothecary my honest review! Can’t wait to see what comes next!!

Review posted on my Instagram blog and Goodreads.

www.instagram.com/donnasnotsosecretbookdiary

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/12409011-donna-beiderman

#TheLostApothecary #NetGalley #sarahpenner #bookworm #booknerds #booksofinstagram #booklife
#bookofthemonth #bookbub #bookclub #bookclubbook #ilovereading #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookadvisor #betweenthechapters  #goodreads #100bookchallenge
#readacrossinstagram #readingnook #bookreviewer

I really loved this book! And the narrator was great as well. I was immediately drawn to the story and enjoyed the two timelines.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for an advanced audio book in exchange for an honest review.

3.9 stars

First off I have to give a huge shout out to the narrator of Nella. Your voice is fantastic and you brought such depth to Nella. I just don’t know which of the three narrators, Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, and Laura Irwin, you are. Having each main characters have their own narrator was helpful in following along with the audio book.

The book goes back and forth from Caroline in modern London to 200 years ago with Nella the apothecary and Eliza, a 12 year old maid to a wealthy woman. Nella brews poisonous potions for women to use against men who hurt them. Not sure why Nella gets the label of killer when its the women who come to her, or really their maids, doing the killing. I did enjoy the story especially with the top notch narrators.

First of all, I want to thank Net Galley and Harper Audio/Harlequin Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook which will be release on March 2, 2021. I was so happy when I got an email that I was approved for an advance copy of the audiobook and the book did not disappoint.

The story from the past and the present intertwined beautifully. I also love the fact that the audio version got three different narrators. The reader for Nella sounds darker and intriguing and I love it. The story did kept me guessing from the beginning to the very end. I was not able to guess the plot twist which I like very much. Love the ending and the story did wrapped up beautifully with a neat bow on top.

Please also read my full review in Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/anacskie

I absolutely loved The Lost Apothecary. This is my first five star read of 2021. This novel has all of the elements I love: history, strong female protagonists, murder, and a little bit of magic! Penner's writes like this is her tenth novel, not her debut. And what a strong debut it is! The novel switches between the owner of a hidden apothecary, Nella, her want-to-be apprentice Eliza, and the modern day budding historian, Caroline. I loved Eliza and Nella from the beginning and their story is fascinating. Caroline took me a bit longer. She is in London for what would be her tenth wedding anniversary but she discovers that her husband is cheating on her and goes alone. For a while Caroline seems like a bit of a weakling - she has some trouble standing up for herself in her marriage and chasing her dreams, but trust me when I say that she does a lot of self discovery and you won't be disappointed in her choices in the end.

I listened to the audio version of this book and three narrators were spot on! I loved the different accents and they really brought the characters to life. I highly recommend the audio.

I loved the female friendships in this book, and the imagery was great! This book had me wanting to hop on a plane to London to go exploring. It certainly led Caroline on the adventure and discovery of a lifetime. Congratulations Sarah on your debut book - it is fantastic and I cannot wait for your next novel! Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Audio for an advanced copy.

What a journey this book took me on. The premise of the book is what drew me in, and yes the gorgeous cover! The idea of potions and tinctures that could heal but of course could kill only men was interesting. This book had mud larking for old treasures, artifacts, library records, research, magic and mystery. It was told from three POV, Nella the apothecary, little Eliza, the eager apprentice and Caroline, the woman in present day who found a small bottle from over 200 years ago and how the search for where it came from mead her on a journey where she would find herself. The story is fascinating. The audio version was so well done that I was disappointed when it was over. These characters will stick with me for a long time. There were some shocking twists along the way and hidden messages that make you literally stop and ponder. This book is like finding a hidden gem at the River Thames. Thank you to NetGalley for the honor of getting to read this gorgeous book.

The Lost Apothecary was a unique dual timeline story, going back and forth to London past and present. The writing of each character in their time was very well done. We felt the change between Nella, the 18th century apothecary, Eliza, the young girl who was fascinated with Nella, and Caroline who visited present day London & made some surprise discoveries while there. The women in this novel struggle with decisions they need to make and challenges they must face on their own. I was riveted from the beginning and very much liked how things progressed throughout the novel, building to an exciting ending!!

The narration for this audiobook was very well done. Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, and Lauren Irwin matched their characters beautifully. I enjoyed listening to the story and definitely think it enhanced the experience.

Review Posted : January 25, 2021
The Lost Apothecary will be released on March 2, 2021.
Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Audio, Harlequin Audio, and the author, Sarah Penner for the advance unabridged audiobook.

Audiobook provided by NetGalley and Harper Audio in exchange for an honest review.

So I LOVED the premise of this novel and generally enjoy the multiple timelines setup. Perhaps I would have enjoyed THE LOST APOTHECARY more if I had physically read the book as I didn't enjoy the three narrators on the audiobook.

A female apothecary who secretly dispenses poisons to women in need of doing something with the horrible men in their lives? AWESOME! A modern day aspiring historian who stumbles onto an old vial while mudlarking on the Thames who is driven to uncover the story behind it? GREAT! But then Penner lost me... for anyone who has conducted their own obscure historical research attempts... how the events unfold is so unrealistic that it takes away from the entertainment of the story. It's never that easy or cut and dry. Caroline ends up at the exact location after a quick Google search? I don't think so.

To stick with this story as a reader, there is a certain level of suspension of disbelief needed. And unfortunately I got hung up on those details and ultimately for me they overpowered the good parts of this book. There was a lot of potential here but it just didn't add up for me, the whole investigation/mystery was too easily put together to be believable.

Thank you NetGalley, Sarah Penner, and Harlequin Books for allowing me to read this ARC.

Nella runs an apothecary in 1790s London that formerly belonged to her mother; although, she has changed the purpose of the apothecary after a former lover used her substances against her. Now, she runs the apothecary to help women (and the poisons are only used on men). Eliza, a young farm girl, works as a servant for a wealthy couple, and she meets Nella when the wife sends her to collect a poison. A unique friendship is formed between Nella and Eliza as life experiences and knowledge are shared. In current day London, Caroline is on an anniversary trip, alone, when she finds a glass vial while mudlarking in the River Thames. As the book unfolds, the characters discover the power of secrets, the importance of friendships, and how to be true to themselves in a world that often revolves around men. While I loved the unique storyline of this book and thought the character development was great, I wish the author would have included more facts about the poisons that were commonly used during this time as this information often felt a bit underdeveloped.

I read this book using predominately the audiobook, but I did switch over to the ebook some. I love historical fiction, and I thought the dual narratives were done quite well. In terms of the audiobook, I liked that the narrator noted the character and timeframe (day/year) at the beginning of each chapter as this makes it much easier to follow the dual timelines! In addition, the narrators did a great job telling the story of Nella, Eliza, and Caroline with the necessary emotion and emphasis. However, Nella's narrator spoke much slower than the other narrators. So, while I listened to Eliza & Caroline on speed 1.25, I needed to hasten Nella to 1.5 to keep the same pace.

I liked the two stories individually, but for some reason didn’t like when they came together. I almost wished they were seperate stories