First…. <b>That cover!!!</b> Umm. Wow! One of the more stunning covers I’ve seen recently.

I listened to the audio version of The Lost Appothecary. The narrator for Nella spoke very mysteriously and deliberate as she draws you in right from the beginning. You follow three points of view. One in present day and two in the the late 1700s. All set in London. The storyline is simple and easy to follow, yet there was an urgency to see how the story would unfold and I didn’t want to put it down. The present day story wasn’t nearly as interesting as the historic one (but isn’t that always the case?).

This one screams “bestseller”. It is sure to be a favorite with historical fiction fans!

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

The Lost Apothecary is the story of 3 women. In the late 1700's, Nella is the apothecary, whose purpose in life, like her mothers is to help women with medicines during a time when doctors, who were all men, didn't really try to help or understand and often didn't even believe women and their medical issues. Sadly, Nella was betrayed by a man that led her to become a help to women in another way - by dispensing poisons meant to be used to kill the men in their lives that were hurting them.

Eliza is the 12-year-old girl, who at the request of her mistress and employer, acquired poison to kill the mistress's husband, who was starting to show inappropriate attention to Eliza.

Caroline is living in the modern day. She's arrived in London on her own. The day before she was to leave with her husband on what was to be their 10th wedding anniversary trip, she learned he was having an affair. During a mudlarking trip, Caroline finds an old container in the river that had once belonged to Nella. Caroline's a history buff and pursues finding out more about the container.

The story bounces between the 3 women who narrate. In the audio version, there are 3 different actresses voicing each woman's part of the story. The actress who played Nella was very monotone and flat, which does give a person a sense of who Nella has become. However, it was a little challenging to listen to. The other narrators were more lively and enjoyable to listen to.

The story is slow to start. It takes a long time for Caroline to reveal her husband's affair, referring to it vaguely a few times first. It picks up some in the middle, but is also somewhat predictable. However, I did find the ending fairly satisfactory. There are no real loose threads when you're done.

I really liked the librarian! I assure you it isn't just because I am one. :)

Two things that bothered me with the story:
1) A cell phone's flashlight would not drain the battery quickly. It is only 1 led.
2) Eliza got her period for the first time and it took forever for another woman to explain it to her.

I want to thank Netgalley and Park Row for allowing me free access to the audio version of this book.

The Lost Apothecary follows three narrators, Caroline, Nella, and Eliza. Caroline is in the present time, investigating the story of Nella the apothecary and her young friend Eliza, who lived in the late 18th century. While Caroline is learning about their story, she is coping with complications in her own life and finding some odd similarities between her life and the other two women. This book is beautifully written. The style of switching back and forth between time periods and narrators makes it a hard book to put down. The characters and the setting were well developed, which made for a fantastic debut novel. Each character has her own narrator in the audiobook, which makes the characters feel even more unique and dynamic.

First of all, thanks to Netgalley for an ARC copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Before diving into the contents of this novel, I wanted to note that the narrators of each character were excellent. As for the content....

The premises of the story sounded interesting: A book about poisons and murder, women's friendship and mutual support-not to mention an eye grabbing and wonderfully designed cover! (I should've known better...)
The book develops between alternating narratives. Eliza and Nella are characters in the 1790's and Caroline lives a contemporary story. This recipe for storytelling feels too extensively used lately. There is a mismatch between the timelines and Caroline's affairs are extended with too much inconsequential wording. The juxtaposition between these two timelines appeared disconnected at times, and I found that neither story was properly developed; it seems like the author tried to cleverly align each character's narrative but failed to do so.
Caroline's character is not consistent; her thoughts and her actions are a mixture of trying to be a self-assured, independent woman almost inevitably followed by her displaying an immediate shift in demeanor. In essence, her character lacks depth. While some details were over complicated and drawn-out, others seemed carelessly thrown in. However, she has a good character arc and was relatable to the audience.

Nella and Eliza's storyline was more interesting, albeit did not produce a cathartic ending to the book. Eliza's story begins with many details about her family, which are never mentioned again after the first few chapters. She shifts between being precocious and acting extremely naively. Again, some details were too drawn out, such as her inner monologue concerning her period. Nella also had many overused facts- she continuously mentioned the baby that had dropped out of her "belly," far more than necessary to advance the plot. However, her character was cleverly developed as the reader found themselves pitying and empathizing with a serial killer.

To me, the ending of the novel seemed rush and left many loose ends. Overall, however, it was charming and entertaining, and most people seem to be thoroughly enjoying it.

The Lost Apothecary has officially made it onto my top 10 list of favorite books. It took me a few days after finishing it to get my thoughts together because I just wanted to soak up the book for a while.

First, author Sarah Penner did an amazing job writing this book. With a dual timeline and three different perspectives, it could have gotten very confusing, very fast. But it didn’t - it wasn’t hard to keep track of times and dates, characters and perspectives.

I listened to the audiobook of The Lost Apothecary and in addition to being well-written, it was also well-spoken. The narrators -- Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony and Lauren Irwin -- were top notch, appropriate for their ages and eras. I particularly enjoyed the richness of Bennett’s voice, who spoke as Nella in the audiobook.

This book had twists and turns and moments of such heartbreak, poignancy and wonder. It kept me wondering too, and guessing, and honestly, it made me want to drop everything and go mudlarking on the river Thames.

The ending of the book still has me reeling and wondering. I was very surprised by how the book ended. It’s a wildly interesting book with strong female characters, family legacies, what it means to be maternal, what it means to have faith and maybe, just maybe… there’s magic too.

The writing, the plot, the twists and turns, the characters and the narration -- I’m still savoring them days after finishing the book. It was a pleasure to experience this book and I look forward to reading it again.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Audio.

I really enjoyed this book.. It was beautifully narrated, giving distinct voices to each character. Penned beautifully weaves plot lines across generations for a seamless story.

This was so fascinating a story full of secrets.
It follows two POV, both in London, one in 1791 and the other in our present time.

• Nella is a talented healer, secretly uses her knowledge to help women kill their husbands or men of whom they are victims.
• Caroline is a young historian. When she finds a old vial apothecary she does not resist investigating a 200 year old mystery.
The stories of both women are intertwined, they may be 200 years apart, but both have suffered the same disappointments and yearn for the same.

Caroline is determined to solve the mystery of apothecary, she visit the library for records in the library and soon discovers that there is not much information.

Nella has a double life, selling remedies to heal everyone and products to kill men. She has promised to help every woman who asks for her help until someone arrives and she will have to reject her, putting her life in danger and her assistant Eliza, a 12 year old girl.

Through the newspapers, Caroline finds an old article about the murders, but not the author or motive behind the murders. She is determined to find out who did it and the reasons.

Alternating between the two women, you are part of the mystery, the novel is fast-paced and rich in detail.

Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose — selling well disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But an unexpected friendship sets in motion a whirl of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose many. Two centuries later, a young historian, Carolina, begins the search to uncover the truth about the Lost Apothecary. 
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Sarah Penner had me interested after just reading the description. I loved the dual timelines and was really enthralled by the notion of a mysterious apothecary helping women “escape” from the men that did them wrong. The story kept my interest up until the very end where I was left feeling a bit disappointed because of how quickly Caroline’s situation wrapped up.
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I enjoyed how believable and realistic each of the characters were and the relationships they had with one another. There were a few twists at the end that added to the story. I also really appreciated the overarching theme of women coming together to help one another.
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Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Penner, and the publisher for the free e-ARC in return for an honest review.
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Favorite Quote:
“It was beginning to seem like every person and every place, carried an untold story with long buried truths resting just beneath the surface.”

I've been anticipating this book for some time since I saw it in a Goodreads giveaway. And I appreciated a lot of it. But I had some issues with it that just made it kind of dull.

I really enjoyed the writing style. The narrative switches between multiple perspectives which were all fairly well-developed. I wish I had heard more from the character Caroline, who was in present time and who's story had the only well done plot twist. I wanted more of the story to be at that pace, but most of it was very slow - even though it was about women poisoning terrible men in the 1700s (hence where my high interest came from).

The plot fell flat and was underdeveloped. Not much happens in the story and what does happen is predictable. I wanted there to be more twists and turns for a historical fiction mystery, and they just didn't happen. I don't think I can recommend this unless you just want something you can zone out to as an audiobook. Even if you weren't paying much attention, you could still tell exactly what was going on.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Lost Apothecary.

This book's premise and gorgeous cover immediately grabbed my attention, but sadly it did not live up to my hopes for it. Women helping women escape abusive men, mystery, magic... I expected to be fully engrossed. I just couldn't get myself to care for any of the characters or their problems and had I not been given the audio version I surely would have set this down and moved on to something else.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook. I am sorry to say that I only made it to about 45%. I definitely enjoyed the 1700's storyline more so than the present day, but it all seemed to move too slowly for me. I gave it several tries before deciding it was time to move on to something I enjoyed more.

If you want a good witchy/apothecary story that isn't young adult; this is definitely your book. Two stories combine though they are separated centuries from each other. Carolina in present day comes to London to clear her mind after finding out her husband of 10 years has been having an affair. She approaches the trip with sadness but also a fresh perspective on where she wants her life to go moving forward. Fast forward back to mid 1700's and Nella, an apothecary owner who brews tinctures for wronged women to give to their husbands, is approached by young Eliza who has an eager interest to learn of magic. The two end up striking up an unique friendship and embarking on their own journey.

I listened to the audiobook of this and it was too good! I loved the fact it had two narrators to showcase Nella and Eliza in their British accents and Caroline in her American accent. The speed of the book is quick, so when you get to a point where you just can't wait for the answer, Sarah Penner gives you the info you need. The ending left me very fulfilled and just wanting to dive into more history.

Thank you Sarah Penner, Harper Audio, Harlequin Audio, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Sarah Penner’s debut novel is imaginative, atmospheric and captivating. The dual timeline story (alternating between present day and late 18th century London) sucked me into the mystery surrounding a series of unsolved murders dating back over two hundred years ago.

The story follows an American woman, Caroline, on vacation in London as she deals with a personal heartbreak. She finds a welcome distraction when she happens upon a historical artifact which leads her on a quest to learn the story behind it. Her research rekindles her passion for history and makes her reevaluate her life choices.

In the alternate timeline we follow 12 year old house maid Eliza whose path intertwines with 41 year old apothecary owner Nella who secretly helps women seek vengeance on men who have wronged them.

I preferred the timeline in the 18th century because it explored the lives of girls and women whose stories we will never know about because history did not record them in any meaningful way.

The present day timeline fell a little flat for me because I didn’t feel an emotional connection to Caroline despite the fact that I was cheering her on her quest to solve the mystery of the “apothecary killer”.

I recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction about the lives of girls and women. It’s an entertaining and easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I was not quite sure how the two stories, one in the present day and one in the 1700"s, would come together, but Penner did a great job. I highly recommend this book.

A very special thanks to NetGally and Harper Audio for sharing this AMAZING Arc with me for my honest review. Sarah Penner's debut book has been excited to see what she has in store for her next novel. This mystery kept me guessing the whole time. With dual timelines that was intertwined beautifully kept me on the edge of my seat.

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. She records their names and the tinctures she uses. One night a 12 year old Eliza comes to make a request for her mistress. Nella and Eliza end up becoming old friends as their lives entangle.

In the present day, Caroline has caught her husband cheating on her. They were due an anniversary trip to London. Caroline decides to travel alone. On her first day there she goes mudlarking, which she finds a blue potions bottle with a bear mark on the side. Finding this bottle sets her off on a journey of a lifetime.

Caroline is reeling after discovering her husband had an affair and embarks on their London anniversary vacation alone. While meandering through the city she discovers mudlarking -- a hobby of discovering objects in the mud of the Thames. The first meaningful find Caroline has is a small vial with a bear etched on it.

The vial comes from an apothecary in the late 1700s run by Nella, the daughter of an herbalist. Her mother created cures for maladies, but Nella expanded the business and also sells poisons for women to escape evil men.

Eliza is sent by her mistress to procure poison for the man of the house when his wandering eye lands on the twelve-year-old servant. Eliza is enchanted by the apothecary and asks Nella to teach her more about poisons.

The story is told in turns by Caroline, Nella, and Eliza as their lives and connections with the apothecary unfold. Before the story ends, each woman must confront the dangerous consequences of their actions.

The three narrators of the audiobook sound so different that it is easy to imagine each woman reading her story. Eliza's narrator captures her youth and innocence, and Nella's narrator captures the spirit of the world-weary woman. Caroline's narrator sounds more modern, making it easy to imagine her in the present-day.

Recommended for fans of historical fiction, especially Anglophiles and those who enjoy historical women's fiction.

First off I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to listen to this audiobook before hitting the shelves!

This book was so entertaining and emotional. You follow three points of view. One in present day and Two in the the late 1700s London. Sarah Penner created characters that I fell in love with easily. My favorite was Eliza a 12 year old sent by her employer to retrieve poison from a hidden Apothecary. I very much enjoyed the storyline from both time periods and how they synced up perfectly. Naturally there was a happy ending and who doesn't love a happy ending.

The discovery of histroy was engaging and I loved every twist and turn along the way. Thank you for this gem Sarah.

Two time periods. Three women. All intertwined.
Present Day: After her husband’s affair, Caroline travels to London to have some alone time. She joins a mud larking group and finds an old mysterious vile at the bottom of the river. Using her love of history and literature, she heads to the library to research and find out anything about the antique vile.
Late 1700’s: Nella owns an apothecary shop, down back alley, that she inherited from her mother. All of her concoctions are sold underground and she is only there to help women. Women have come to her in cases where they need to rid of their husbands because of abuse, affair, name it all, and Nella will dispense a poison to help the women. She will not use her poisons against women in any form and she stands strongly on that belief.
Late 1700’s: Eliza, a twelve-year-old, is sent away from her family to work as a house maid for a wealthy family in London. She is sent to Nella’s apothecary to bring back a tincture for her mistress’s husband.
I love how the stories intertwined going back and forth between present day and the late 1700’s. The character development was wonderful as all three grew and evolved over the course of the story. All three of these women learned to stand up for themselves and take control of their lives. It is a story about friendship, secrets, betrayal and courage. The story itself was wonderful. This was a truly amazing debut and I cannot wait to see what Penner comes up with next! I am a historical fiction lover and this one is definitely at the top!
The audiobook was well done! I loved that three different narrators were used and it really helped knowing which character you were following.
Thank you netgalley for my advanced readers copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It’s 1791 in London and in a secret apothecary shop on Back Alley we meet the mysterious proprietor, Nella. Nella uses the same ingredients her mother before her used for good to help women kill men that have wronged them. When Nella meets a young charge (Eliza Fanning) seeking help for her mistress, neither knew how much their chance encounter would change their lives. Intertwined is the story of Caroline, a woman on a London vacation for her 10th wedding Anniversary. Unfortunately, she’s on that vacation alone. With time on her hands and a background degree in history, she is suddenly knee deep in a mystery after she discovers a very old blue apothecary bottle while mudlarking near the River Thames. What’s the story behind bottle?? She quickly delves in to find that out. Through her search, she not only finds out the answers to her questions about that little blue bottle, but also the answers to some much needed questions involving her own life. What a riveting, magical debut novel!! Completely unique with a cast of unforgettable characters and voiced by a cast of exceptional narrators, this book was extremely difficult to walk away from!

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is a fascinating book told in dual timelines about a vigilante apothecary who helps women enact revenge on the men who have wronged them and a historian who uncovers the story centuries later.

This is a mystical tale with a feminist twist, and it kept me guessing until the very end.

Author Sarah Penner narrates this audiobook, and the run time for this novel is 10 hours and 18 minutes.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.