This review is for the audiobook. 🎧 "The Lost Apothecary" is part historical fiction, part mystery, and part women's fiction. An 18th century apothecary—a poisoner of men who've done wrong—and her apprentice anchor the historical storyline, and a modern day historian who has learned her husband has cheated on her carries the "now" storyline. Despite the seemingly dark topic of vengeful poisoning, this book is a light and easy read. The three narrators (for the three POVs) seem to be having fun with this story and give it a strongly dramatic flair. Great debut by Sarah Penner, whose prose evokes London past and present and three women seeking their purpose and how to fulfill it.

Caroline is ready to celebrate her 10th wedding anniversary when she stumbles on some information that has her taking off to London to enjoy anniversary trip alone. Once a history major, she decides to try out mudlarking where she finds a centuries old apothecary jar with the symbol of a bear. She decides to do some research on this object. Meanwhile in the late 1700s, Nella is in her hidden closet brewing tinctures that help her clients rid themselves of abusive or otherwise awful men. When a client sends a 12 year old servant for a "remedy" - a series of events is set into motion that could threaten the lives of many women. There are many parallels to Nella's and Caroline's stories, regrets about the paths not chosen and how their lives are impacted by their secrets.
This is a beautifully written story with a gorgeous cover. It is told from the perspectives of Caroline, Nella, and the 12 year old Eliza. I found this to be a compelling, slow moving story that kept my attention throughout.
The audio narration was somewhat uneven - the one who voiced Nella's story - the narration was so incredibly slow and monotone that I had to speed it up to at least 1.25 - but then I would have to slow it back down again when it changed narrators for Caroline and Eliza's stories. This, of course, took me out of the story which affected my overall enjoyment.

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of The Lost Apothecary by Susan Penner. This was a very enjoyable audiobook. I loved the 2 different storyline. The narrator was very good too. Thank you!

This is a breathtaking story of self discovery, mystery, betrayal and friendship that empowers women and embraces the notion that no woman should be forgotten or disregarded. Giving women a voice is a recurring theme in the story. Having three women read the Audiobook rather then one reader really made the book come alive and gave the distinct characters their own voice. The Lost Apothecary intertwines the lives of three women, spanning over 200 years.  Nella, who sells well disguised poisons in 18th century London, Eliza,a 12 year old servant girl that makes a fatal mistake putting Nella and the Apothecary in danger and Caroline in present day who had gone to London for her tenth wedding anniversary alone to figure out her marriage and life after finding out that her husband had been having an affair. Caroline finds a vial marked with a bear while Mudlarking and becomes interested in distracting herself by delving into the past to learn more about where it came from and what it could have held. This story pulls one in and keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what could possibly happen next. The tale travels back and forth from present day to the 1790s to solve the mysteries of the small blue vial and while helping Caroline find herself.

A few chapters in, I ended up noticing that this was the second book featuring women acting against "bad men" that I was reading at the same time. In the other book The Lady Upstairs, they were conning them and getting money from them (for the most part) but in this historical mystery/thriller, The Lost Apothecary is determined to help women by giving them special drinks & poisons if the need to kill an abusive husband (among other things) arises. However, when a plan doesn't turn out the way she expected, she and the girl who helps her are in danger of being found out. I loved that we also followed in present time a young woman searching for the truth of what happened while dealing with a not so great husband of her own. She'll search the truth that was kept by this Apothecary that she doesn't know the name of.

Overall, this book started out slowly but after a little while, I got invested in the story and its characters and from there, it was a really good book. I ended up loving it and if the author publishes anything else, I'll be interested in checking it out!

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

This was the story of three women: Nelly and Eliza in 18th century London and Caroline today... the Apothecary made potions and tinctures to help woman escape from their horrible partners or situations, but swore never to harm a woman. Nella’s assistant, Eliza, made an error and set off a series of events. Caroline’s husband was just caught cheating on her and she went alone on a vacation to explore London. I liked flipping back between the stories and loved the ending! Lorna Bennett’s narration was perfect! Thanks @netgalley for the ARC!

I was invested in this story immediately. The Lost Apothecary follows the story of three women: Nella, Eliza and Caroline. Nella runs an apothecary shop in 1790s London that helps women by creating concoctions to rid themselves of men who have betrayed them. Eliza is a quick-witted 12-year-old girl who becomes Nella’s unlikely assistant. Caroline heads to London present-day after finding out about her husband’s infidelity. What was once supposed to be an anniversary trip turns into one of self-discovery when her passion for history is reigniting after finding a peculiar glass vial in the Thames. She becomes enwrapped in the mystery of this lost apothecary shop, and the stories of the three women come together.

I listened to this book on audio and loved the three different narrators. My only complaint is that occasionally, Nella’s narration sounded a bit robotic and echoey; however, this did not take away from the story at all.

This was a great fast-paced historical fiction read with elements of mystery and magic. The twists kept coming and kept me engrossed in the story. An amazing debut from Sarah Penner; I will read everything she comes out with in the future.

Thank you to the publisher + NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner and narrated by: Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, and Lauren Irwin is a great dual timeline historical fiction novel.

This book weaves a tale of three characters: Nella, the owner of a hidden word-of-mouth apothecary in 1791, Eliza, a 12 year old who’s life crosses paths with Nella, and current-day Caroline.

I enjoyed the concept of the mysterious and dark shop and its owner Nella that helped women right some of the wrongs that have been done to them and how her story weaved with Eliza’s. I also like how Caroline’s life was able to be pieced into the past story lines as well.

I loved the idea uniting the women that they were all trying to figure out not only their own lives, but also how to find some control in a seemingly powerless situation. The way the author weaved these women together was impressive. I enjoyed the suspense and mystery as well.

The audiobook was enjoyable as there were several narrators that kept the characters separate, unique, and fresh.

All in all a great and addictive read.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Harper Audio for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

This is the story of two women: Caroline, who is in London where she was scheduled to celebrate her tenth wedding anniversary before she found out her husband was cheating on her. So now she's made it to London alone and stumbles on an apothecary vial near the river which then sets her off on a journey to figure out where it came from. And Nella, an apothecary in late 1700s who has moved away from her mother's traditional apothecary shop to a much more nefarious one where she sells poisons for women to kill to be free of the men in their lives. The book goes back and forth between the two women as you see Nella's story unfold and Caroline's story colliding with it.

While I enjoyed both women's perspectives, I liked my time with Nella more and found myself looking forward to those chapters. This is not your modern mystery where everyone is over the top and there are giant twists and all the characters are unreliable. This is old-school mystery that develops its characters, brings the setting into the reader's mind and imagination, slowly unwinds, builds up to some twists to show you life is not as expected and finishes with a very satisfying coming together of the story. Much more my kind of mystery.

with gratitude to harper audio and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

“All that I’ve lost.” It weighed on me now, a lifetime of misery, like the raw earth pressing into an open grave.”

Past and present are beautifully interwoven in this dramatic historical fiction that hosts a sprinkling of magic and mystery. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner takes place in dual timelines; one in late 18th century London exploring the bittersweet life of an apothecarist and her attempts to serve justice for women who’ve been wronged, and the woman in the present who begins to unravel the mysterious apothecarist’s past. A single vial connects the women, condemning one and freeing another.

Told by three narrators, Caroline in present time, planning a celebratory 10th anniversary trip to London with her husband, ends up traveling alone when she finds that he’s not quite the prince she thought he was and, in the past, Nella, once a healer who through her own pain and loss has turned to assisting other women with problematic men and Eliza, a twelve-year-old Lady’s maid who becomes Nella’s friend and assistant.

I primarily listened to this on audio, thank you Harper Audio & I was generously gifted a physical copy, too, my thanks to Park Row Books, and this was an amazing way to soak in this beautifully written story. The full cast narration is done splendidly by Lauren Anthony, Lorna Bennett, and Lauren Irwin. Each narrator giving depth and personality to the characters, making them unique and unforgettable.

At heart, this is a story of women helping women, and women determining their own story, apart from the need for any other controlling influences. I saw this in Nella’s story and in Caroline’s but each was significant to the era they lived in. Beautifully plotted and quickly paced, any fan of the genre is not going to want to miss out on this.

Book 16 towards my goal of 240! 5/5 stars for this dual timeline read! Loved that it switched up from Historical England to present day! Loved the cover. Absolutely loved the apothecary MC and her friend! Loved the cover! Dual timeline and multi POV is my jam! Highly recommend!

**I received this book in exchange for honest review from Netgalley**

I really enjoyed this book so much, I never thought was going to be so magical but at the same time with the right doses of drama that will make this book more intriguing and more appealing.

Nella has been living under the shadows for a long time she was more like a ghost now, a betray made her this way, a betray from the worst person, someone whom she loved so much and believed blindly, but circumstances weren't the great ones and she had to move on bowing to help many women with similar experiences, she will help them to recover their happiness and dignity. even if that meant poisoning a few of these bad men.

The Apothecary came with rules, rules Nella's mother was so determined to keep in place no matter what

Rule 1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.
Rule 2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.

The lost apothecary is the story of three different women in a different time and ages that were suffering from the same betray, the Apothecary store was somehow what links them and made their story merge into one.

Caroline was ready to celebrate 10 years of marriage but she didn't know her celebration was about to be postponed or better said cancel thanks to something she found out before their trip. she leaves alone hoping she will find an answer or a solution to her pain, not knowing this trip will change her life forever especially when she found the Apothecary. she is not ready to forgive him but she is ready to move on.

Eliza Fanning a 12-year-old with a very special heart that will save Nella and so many ways, Eliza was an amazing character for me she was the strongest of the three even if she was so young she was a character that I really love. strong, bold, and sometimes more aware of things that you can expect from her young age.

Eliza came to Nella's life when Nella was very lost, she was determined to only provide help to other women in need, but life played tricks on her and she was not ready to break that promise. Eliza helped Nella in so many ways to recover the faith and the trust she lost a long time ago but at the same time, Eliza came to fill something in Nella's heart that has been so empty.

The narrations were amazing Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, Lauren Irwin gave so much depth to the story and the characters making the book more enjoyable and really bringing everything so alive.

Overall it was a great book, the story of three women facing the challenges of being in love and betrayal, three women fighting to recover themselves in a world made for men.

This book surprised me, at the beginning I thought it was a bit slow but then halfway things do a 180 and suddenly I'm hooked. We establish who Caroline, Nella, and Eliza are and see what they're going through which is why it's not as exciting right away. I was rooting for Caroline to leave her sleazebag husband and move to England without looking back. Things start to build up and then our characters are trying to avoid police and people are dying! That's when it all came together for me.

I really liked the apothecary Nella ran. Helping women get rid of the abusive, terrible men in their lives and refusing to hurt other women. Yeah it's murder, but so what? These men suck and you reap what you sew lol. The way this tied into the present was pretty interesting and as for Caroline's husband, karma sucks!

I appreciated that this wasn't paranormal and focused on the women and the mystery surrounding the missing apothecary and her young assistant. The ending was satisfying, though more poisoning would have been appreciated.

I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Right from the beginning, I was hooked. The narrators are awesome, the writing is smooth and pulls you in. I immediately started caring about the characters, wondering about their backstory, and wanting to read more about them and their journey. I'm so surprised that it's a debut novel because w0w, it's so good. The first half goes at a steady pace and it starts to pick up more in the second half, which I didn't mind because before this I read a beginning to end fast-paced book so it was nice to just enjoy the journey. I loved the history, witchy vibes, and the focus on family intrigues that plagued the women of 18th century London and a bit of present-day women as well. I can't wait for more from the author Sarah Penner because this one just blew me away.

This book is INSANE!! imagine a apothecary where a woman is cooking up poisons to specially kill men and only men for the wrong doings they have done in life. There is also a parallel timeline of a woman in present time who is trying to uncover the past of the apothecary and what exactly happened to cause it to go so suddenly out of business. I found myself not able to put this Book down. Highly recommend . I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Lost Apothecary started off pretty slowly for me. I'll admit 25% into the audiobook things were nice to listen to but I was a bit bored with what was going on. Don't get me wrong, the addition of having three narrators to listen to was a nice touch.. but I was just bored because nothing was really happening.

Luckily for me, that changed pretty quickly after my first update. I was honestly really happy that things were getting better and I was getting a lot more betrayal. Again, don't get me wrong.. the first part does mentioning some betrayal and affairs.. but I've read so many books that throw that out there in the beginning. So I was just waiting for the wow moment.

It came. I saw. It conquered me and that's why I devoured this book. I honestly zoomed and enjoyed the rest of the book after that first quarter. It was like a flip of a light switch, things clicked and became so clear to me that I couldn't help but root for Karma.

Karma came but I so wanted more.

In the end, I was kind of sad it over. I wanted a bit more just because I was enjoying it so much. I guess that means I need to dive into the next book by Sarah soon.

What a lovely little book about murder. This book, told from multiple POV, tells us about the lives of very different women who all have something in common: they have a bad acting man on their hands. In Victorian London, the women had little by way of recourse against their oppressors, so The Lost Apothecary that this book is named after provided poisons and solutions. In present day London, the mystery of finding the apothecary helps a woman find her inner strength to deal with the things that have gone awry in her own life. A book about friendship, strength and discovery, The Lost Apothecary provides a strongly feminist vibe as well as a long buried mystery to solve.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the opportunity to listen to an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

CW: sexual abuse, loss of pregnancy, lots and lots of talk about vomit 🤢

Thank you, Net Galley, for my advance audiobook of The Lost Apothecary.

WOW! This was one of my most anticipated novels for 2021 and I now understand why some people may be torn in their reviews. While I still LOVED the story and rate it 5 stars, I contemplated knocking it down a few stars for a couple of reasons (below) but don’t feel like they have necessarily anything to do with the actual story, but more so my expectations. I’ve decided to break it down like this:

THE NARRATION: 5/5 stars. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and let me tell you…the cast for this book was incredible. Having 3 narrators really made the characters come to life. The low, slow, scratchy and ever so wise voice of Nella was remarkable. The eager, care-free, enthusiastic, and charming voice of Eliza was done perfectly. The concise, clear voice of Caroline (who also does a great job switching up her voices for some of the other characters in the book) was easy to follow.

THE STORY: 5/5 stars. I loved that the story had a strong focus on women. Confiding in other women, working with other women, helping other women, caring for other women…it’s all there! It's beautifully written. Although I had an audiobook, I’ve already placed my pre-order for a hard copy to read and have for my library. The descriptions of 18th century London and the apothecary made me feel like I was there. It had enough depth of characters where I felt I knew who they were and what they stood for.

THE SYNOPSIS: 2/5 stars. Here is where things get a little tricky. After reading the synopsis for this book, I knew I wanted to get my hands on a copy ASAP. And while I still loved the book, I feel like the synopsis was a little misleading. It reads “the fatal mistake sparking a string of consequences through the centuries” and “With crackling suspense” made me think the events of the past would somehow tie into the present day, with centuries of suspense and intertwining storylines or some sort of chain reaction of events. I was expecting a “historical thriller” or “mystery” after seeing a few descriptions of this book being labeled as such. This didn’t happen, and that’s ok, just threw me off a little bit. The book read more like 3 separate women’s diary entries in 2 different eras. Caroline, in present-day, stumbling across a vile from an 18th-century apothecary. Nella and Eliza, both in 18th century London, providing the backstory about the apothecary and how ultimately, that vile came to be in the hands of Caroline. AGAIN, I was torn between whether to knock the book down a star or two for this reason, but If I’d never read the synopsis and went based off on the cover alone (WHICH IS ALSO 5/5 in my book!) I would have gone with 5/5 stars overall without a doubt!

An engrossing historical fiction novel, focusing on the hidden history and stories of women. The full cast narration of this audio book was absolutely wonderful!! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel!

This was the first print book I finished from April to about September. It took me a month, but I did it! The Rona pandemic has left me without much concentration for reading, and I went from reading 2-3 print books per week before all of this, to apparently 1 every three months or so. It sucks, but this book did not. The audiobook was just as engaging and delightful, and it definitely take me a month to get through.

In modern day, Caroline Parcewell was supposed to take a trip with her husband to London, but when she finds out he’s been cheating on him, she leaves him behind and makes the journey solo. While combing the shores of the Thames, she comes across an old glass bottle with an engraving, and as an aspiring historian, she embarks on a quest to discover its origins.

In Eighteenth-Century London, Nella serves as an apothecary. She and her mother used to dispense remedies for women suffering from various ailments, but ever since a dark moment in her past, Nella also helps women who need to rid themselves of the men in their lives. When she meets housemaid Eliza, the girl takes a shining to Nella and while apprenticing for her, makes a mistake that just may cause them their lives.

The story moves seamlessly back and forth between the two time periods, and while I wasn’t overly interested in Caroline’s story at first, I found myself rooting for her and wanting to take the journey with her and not just leave her behind when the story moved back to the Eighteenth Century. I absolutely loved Nella and Eliza, their relationship, and I was fully invested in their outcomes.

I loved the mysterious aspects of the unfolding story. I’m not one for the genre myself, but I love an intriguing story that has mysterious elements of discovery as long as it’s not a whodunnit. This book is so much more. It’s a story about the inner lives of women that time has forgot. What they must have been through, how they lived, what they did. Things we’ll never know because they weren’t written down in the books of men but are so so important to our history.

I was so happy to finally finish a book, and I’m so grateful that this story was so good to encourage me to keep going, even when I was so tired I could only do a chapter or two per night.

It’s not out until March, but in my humble opinion, it’s worth the wait.