A very interesting story told over two different time periods. Some parts were a bit slow and it dragged at some points but still a good book overall. The narration was great. Looking forward to seeing what’s next for the author.

This story told in two time periods. Current Time Caroline Parcewell has recently found out her husband was having an emotional affair. She takes their anniversary trip to England solo, to decide what she wants to do about life now. On a chance mudlarking adventure she finds a glass jar with a bear engraving. As someone who used to study history, she is intrigued and starts digging for answers.

At the end of the 1700s, down a dark black alley, and hidden behind a wall is an apothecary that specializes in teaching bad husbands a lesson. Many times that lesson ends in death. When Nella was young her mother ran the shop that was known as a place of healing. But Nella was burnt, and burnt bad, and sees the work she does as a salve to her own emotional healing, and to others as well.

But death is a funny thing. Eventually, it becomes suspicious. A twelve year old girl named Eliza Fanning is both a danger, a savior, and a problem.

This book is an emotional roller coaster. It’s not really this reader's type of book. There were many times I just wanted it to end, but it felt like it was dragging on. I felt many of the events at the end were not surprising, but expected. The stories between time points were okay, and was done well with switching between Eliza, Nelle, and Caroline's points of views. There is a bit of magic talk, along with medicine, and crazy events. Overall I thought it was a good book. It will be read in book clubs for years to come. I can see it being a high check out title at my library. But for this reader, it was just ho hum. But I do thank the publisher for the book, the bag, and the audio book. I can see why so much umph was put behind the marketing for this book.

This audiobook as well put together! The characters voices were great. Deposit book was interesting at times, but also a little boring. I felt like the plot could’ve had more to it. But all in all this book was good. Age recommendation is 14+.

Not at all what I expected. Well, I didn't know what to expect. How intriguing of a story, a female apothecary serial killer. And yet it was done in a very non-mysterious way. Simply straight forward. In fact, very character driven as there weren't a lot of plot points. I actually felt like if the story had focused more on Nella and Eliza's story, without the cumbersome addition of Caroline's, then we could have felt more of the mystery of the apothecary. It is quite the popular trend in books right now to flash back and forth between historical point of view and present day point of view, but in this case I didn't feel like it added a single thing. I didn't feel like Caroline's research and point of view added any perspective the story that we didn't find out through Nella and Eliza's until the very, very end, and that could have still been discovered in other ways. The present day timeline could have been cut completely and I think the story would have been better and more enchanting for it. (I didn't care for Caroline as a character at all, and certainly didn't care about her marriage trials. Her whole story and character was very underdeveloped. Although the misunderstood arrest was the most entertaining part of her story.)

All in all I would have rather heard more from Nella. She hooked me from page one and wow, I really loved her.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book. This books was incredible. I had never heard a story quite like this. This would make a great movie or tv series.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Narrated by Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, & Lauren Irwin
Publisher: Harper Audio & Harlequin Audio
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | Women's Fiction
Publication Date: March 2, 2021

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is a beautifully told story filled with intrigue, women's struggles & power, murder, suspense, and a little bit of fantasy.

Told from the perspective of three women, we find that lives intersect when most needed. Caroline is a modern day American woman visiting London to deal with/escape from marital issues. She finds an empty apothecary vial and it stirs her curiosity. Her quest to discover the origin takes her on a path to her own self discovery!

The historical part of this story takes place in 18th century London, where we meet Nella and Eliza. I absolutely loved their storyline and their characters! I couldn't get enough of their stories!

Overall, I really loved this book. I found the story to be so interesting and moving! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loved historical fiction or women's fiction. This was such a beautiful story! Who knew that a vial could change your life?

The narration by Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, & Lauren Irwin is absolutely incredible!!! I loved how they brought their respective characters to life and gave them so much depth!

I'm so grateful to Sarah Penner, Harper Audio & Harlequin Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

It's 1791 and Nella runs a very specific apothecary shop. She only helps women with their maladies, as taught by her mother. Unlike her mother, she also helps women with other problems in their lives - men. After her own horrible experience, she began the fine art of dispensing poisons. And according to her ledger, she is quite good. But one day Eliza arrives to purchase a poison for the master of her house, and things begin to go horribly wrong...

Present day, Caroline arrives in London for her 10 year honeymoon trip. Alone. Having recently discovered her husband's cheating, she has made the trip herself in attempt to sort things out. On a whim, she goes mudlarking and finds a bottle with a little bear etched on the side. As she researches the meaning of the etching, she struggles to come to terms with the events in her own life.

I love the idea of an apothecary dispensing poisons at a time when women had little choices, and less chances. The book moves effortlessly between the two timelines. It didn't quite end up where I thought it would, but I thought it worked perfectly.

Wonderful debut novel by Sarah Penner! I listened to this through Netgalley audio. The story was engaging and I enjoyed the narrator. Would love to read anything else that Penner writes. 4.5 stars!!

The Lost Apothecary took a minute to sink my teeth into but I ended up really enjoying the book. Penner pulls the three different perspectives together to tell the ultimate story of the lost apothecary, a shop that two hundred years ago was used as medical haven for women in need. All three readers for the text,. Loran Bennett, Lauren Anthony, and Lauren Irwin, lend unique voices to each of their characters which brings the characters further to life. While I expected a more sinister story, The Lost Apothecary ultimately is a story of the strength of three women persevering the wrongs done to them by the different men in their lives.

I was super excited to receive this ARC from NetGalley. This novel started out very slow for me. It really dragged until about 70% of the way in and then it picked up. I thought this book would be totally different than it was. It was enjoyable at the end, but it wasn't anything I felt like I had to read. The cover & the hype were way higher than what I thought of the book. It was enjoyable, but more of a story. I found the different timelines to be a little confusing at the beginning, but as the novel went on they were a little easier to follow. I would give this a 3.5 stars.

This book, told in two different timelines, kept me enthralled throughout.

The modern day storyline of a woman, finding herself again after learning of her husband's affair - and later, learning more of her husband's duplicitous ways - was a fresh take on the usual "cheated on housewife" trope. She was angry and sad and envious and scared, all in believable, relatable quantities. I feel like I could really understand her and her struggles and her motivations were understandable.

The plot in the past, a female apothecary who helps women get rid of men who have wronged them, seemed like the opposite side of the same coin. The stories told in the past and present had similar themes, with VASTLY different end results.

The mystery surrounding the little glass jar deftly spanned the two timelines, and seeing how history remembered the event in the present - versus how the actual history actually played out - was refreshing and satisfying in it's originality.

Have you ever wanted to mudlark in the Thames? I've always wanted to I even follow a couple of accounts here about it! If you don't know, mudlarking is going into the river thames when the water is low and searching in the mud for artifacts. And mudlarking is what starts off this whole mystery when Caroline finds a small apothecary jar. I want to be Caroline, I mean her marriage is a wreck so not that part but her trip to London and her amateur historical sleuthing that would be a dream come true for me. So right from the start I am all in on this book. I loved the characters and the connections they all had. I loved the feeling of being in London both now and in the past, and if I've said it once I've said it a hundred times, I love historical mysteries.
The only reason the book wasn't 5 stars for me is being a little nitpicky about the writing since some of the dialogue between the historical characters was inaccurate. But I still fully recommend this book.

I wanted to love The Lost Apothecary so much. As a pharmacist, I could not have been more excited for a story about a hidden apothecary shop and the cover is absolutely stunning.

The premise is brilliant- a female apothecary that secretly dispenses poisons to women intending to kill the evil men in their lives. A register of all the apothecary's customers and the name of the intended victim found years later. Unfortunately the story fell flat for me. I kept hoping for a twist or something to happen that would capture my attention, but alas it never did. Like many historical fiction books, the story is told in alternative perspectives between past and present day. I didn't care for the present day protagonist or her story at all. I had high hopes for this novel and think it had a lot of potential, but in the end, I found it quite dull.

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advanced copy of the audiobook to review! I did enjoy listening to this story on audio and thought the narrators did a good job.

I really enjoyed this book, although, I wish it was longer. I wanted more background on the Apothecary.

Usually, I am not a fan of the split time period device used in historical fiction; however, the way this story took place left me wanting more. Apothecaries have always intrigued me, so this story hooked me from page one. The premise is one that you don't come across every day "harm no women" it's not something that is prevalent in today's society that's for sure.

The story jumps between 1791 and the present day. You have Nella, a sickly apothecary owner catering to the needs of the women of London. From normal everyday ailments to husband disposal, a 13-year-old maid determined to learn the trade to help her mistress with a disposal, and an ornery old broad who's out to ruin everyone for her own gain.

Present-day, we have Caroline who is battling her own man troubles, trying to find herself in a world that was dedicated to someone who wasn't dedicated to her, and suddenly finds herself wrapped in a mystery gone too far.

Are Nella and Caroline both in over their heads? Can they find their way out of their predicaments? Are their stories a little too entwined? Only time will tell.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

Admittedly, this book took a while for me to find engaging. I think this was due to the changing perspectives/time periods (something I personally don't usually like reading). However, right before the middle of the book- I started to really enjoy it. I listened to the audiobook of this so I enjoyed the narrators quite a bit and I think listening it to it instead of physically reading it made me finally get into it. After fully finishing this book, I found I actually really enjoyed it. It was very unique and interesting and the storyline (while fictional) was great! The topic of a 'deadly apothecary' and the connection to the present day was quite unique! I think this would be a great adult book club pick and thought the topics within the book are important and interesting to discuss. Overall, I would recommend this book and as I know my library will be getting this book in- I know I will be recommending it often!

Poison is a woman's weapon.

It's often been said that those who use poison in murderous plots are women, and rightly so. Poison, the silent killer, is the perfect instrument for a woman seeking vengeance - it requires no strength to employ beyond the woman's will, and in the days before forensic science and modern medicine, was virtually untraceable. Yes, women often got away with murder by poison, and such is the secret enclosed in the pages of The Lost Apothecary, a debut novel and LibraryReads Favorite by author Sarah Penner. Written in a dual timeline, this novel tells the story of two women, one in the 1790s and one in present day, who become connected through a secret long thought buried and forgotten.

Caroline Parcewell is in London on what was supposed to be her 10th anniversary trip. There's just one problem - she recently found out that her husband has cheated on her. So she ventures off to London alone to take some time to think and figure out what she wants to do with her life and marriage. Little does she know that she is about to stumble upon an apothecary bottle that sends her on a journey through London's history, researching the past and attempting to discover the deadly secrets held within this little bottle.

Nella is a woman of secrets. She runs a covert back alley apothecary shop in 1790s London where women come to seek revenge on the men who have hurt them. To the ordinary eye, there's nothing deadly about Nella's concoctions, but one drink would prove otherwise. Nella is used to catering to women of her own age, so she is surprised when she receives a 12 year old girl named Eliza as a customer. Eliza seems innocent enough, but she will actually be Nella's undoing. A simple mistake is soon to change Nella and Eliza's lives forever, leaving behind a murder mystery that Caroline discovers over 200 years later and is determined to solve.

There's so much to love about The Lost Apothecary. I honestly was a little wary going into this novel because I worried that it would be overwritten and wrought with detail, but thankfully Penner proved me wrong. This delightful story sticks to the plot without straying too far off the main storyline, so if you are a reader like me who isn't a fan of subplots that go nowhere, then you won't be disappointed with The Lost Apothecary.

Furthermore, I was also a bit nervous about the dual timeline, which isn't my favorite plot device, but again, Penner delivers. What makes this novel so compelling is that there are parallels between the book's two main characters - Caroline and Nella. Both are women who have been wronged by the men in their life and are striking out on their own in hopes of following their heart and discovering their true purpose. Penner ties the two storylines together effectively, relating in alternating chapters what is happening in present day to what happened in the past. This novel did not leave me confused or with questions, which to me, is the mark of good storytelling. I hate to feel as if I missed something at the end of a book.

I also enjoyed the uniqueness of The Lost Apothecary's plot and the vibes the book gives off. I have never read a story such as this one that deals in herbs and potions used to poison men, and appreciated the fresh perspective this reading experience gave me. Furthermore, this plot is ominous and atmospheric, enveloping me in the perils and precariousness of the story. I love an author who can effectively build mood and tone as Penner did.

The Lost Apothecary has strong feminist vibes, but not in the tone of "in-your-face" politics. Rather it deals in the issues and choices that women have faced throughout time and are still scrabbling with today. The novel features strong women who aren't afraid to go against the status quo to be true to themselves. Furthermore, it develops the idea that we are stronger when we, as women, stand together as a united front, working towards our goals and offering a helping hand. While a book that is too feminist-driven can sometimes grate my nerves, The Lost Apothecary's subtle hints at "girl power" touched my soul and made me reflect on the female experience throughout time - on the ways it has changed, and on the ways it has remained the same.

I received a complimentary audiobook of this novel through NetGalley and Libro.fm, and as an avid audiobook listener, I can solidly recommend this novel to fans of historical fiction. The audiobook is narrated by three different readers - one for each of the main characters - Nella, Caroline, & Eliza. Nella's narrations may take listeners a few chapters to adapt to, but once a rhythm has been established, I found the tone and timbre of the reader's voice to take me back in time to the 1790s and build in me the importance and gravity of the work being done by Nella. Caroline's narrations were what I would describe as normal, which is what I want and expect from someone with a character such as hers. Eliza's reader does an effective job of conveying the voice of an innocent young girl, learning the ways of the world around her. In all, I found this audiobook easy and enjoyable to listen to. I was able to enjoy this book both in my car and at work without becoming bored, distracted, or sleepy, which are all common problems with me when it comes to audiobooks!

This is one of the best books I have ever listened too!!! I finished this book in one day. If I wrote a book this would be it. At first I didn't think I was going to Caroline and the modern day parts but soon changed. I loved the historical parts. The only thing I wish was that Caroline spent more time searching the apothecary shop and there was more details about what she finds there. That is only because I'm hungry for more!!! The goes flawlessly from past and present. Every other chapter is past and present. At the beginning of each chapter it tells what period your in and who is being talked about. All three women/girls are lovable characters no matter what they have done/are doing. The ending had a great twist. I cannot recommend this book enough. I want more please!!! I really liked the narrator. She did a great job. Even when the the apothecary is murdering people she is still not a bad person. She does what she does to help women. It is in a time when women had no options. No one else to turn to for help. So it is almost forgiveable. I never thought I would say that!!! Great read I definitely recommend this one. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I loved this book! The dual timeline between Nella (circa 1791) and Caroline (Present Day) really draws you in and each woman's story was mesmerizing. That both women are trying to find their way in a male-dominated world, where decisions are always dictated for them, yet they remain strong, led me to not be able to put this book down. Although this is Sarah Penner's debut novel, you would never know it, the writing is exceptional and the story flows beautifully. The Lost Apothecary is sure to be on many a "Best Book" of the year lists! This author should be on everyone's radar now,

I absolutely devoured this story. It was the perfect dose of "magic" while also being a story that was entirely believable, and I loved the wimsy of it. I was worried it was going to break my heart, and in some ways it absolutely did, but the happy ending was the cherry on top and everything that I needed. All of the rave reviews about this book are accurate... it's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely!