In 1791 London, women went to apothecary Nella when they were out of options again the men who harmed them. In present day, Caroline does not need such a remedy, but she is traveling to London for her 10th wedding anniversary – alone. When Caroline finds an old apothecary vial, it leads her on a journey that connects her to Nella, and to a better understanding of herself.

The stories of Caroline; Nella; and Eliza, Nella’s 12-year-old accidental apprentice, celebrate women supporting women and the inner strength that might be buried but not completely lost.

This parallel timeline book would appeal to readers who enjoyed Recipe for a Perfect Wife or The Lions of Fifth Avenue. Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row/Harlequin for an advanced copy of this book.

I was eager to read The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner based on the intriguing premise of a woman who dispenses poisons only to women who are planning to use them on men who have wronged them. It sounds like extreme vengeance, which it was, but was started by a traumatic event in Nella's past. Imagine Nella's surprise when her latest customer is a twelve-year-old girl who shows keen interest in the ingredients and methods Nella uses in her apothecary shop. Such begins the relationship between Eliza and Nella.

The modern timeline introduces us to Caroline, who is traveling to London without her husband to do some soul searching after learning about his recent affair. She discovers a blue vial on a mudlarking expedition with other tourists. This discovery reignites Caroline's love of history as she visits a local library to learn about the origin behind her finding. This begins the relationship between Caroline and Gaynor, the librarian. It is no surprise to the reader that the vial came from Nella's shop over 200 years ago.

The parallel female friendships played a strong role in the book. Nella was a mentor of sorts to young Eliza, while Gaynor was a guide of sorts to Caroline. The way the women could rely upon one another formed the backbone of the story.

I loved the way the dual narrative played itself out, especially near the end when the action picked up. We learned a bit more each time the timeline switched over to the other one. I really liked the author's writing style and the character development. While Nella's mission may have started out of vengeance, she learned lessons along the way and her transformation seemed authentic to me. Eliza was my favorite character and I found myself rooting for her to find her place in the world. The resolution was satisfying all around.

I give this 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 . I will recommend this to readers who like historical fiction about strong women who empower each other.

I look forward to more titles by Sarah Penner!

Many thanks to the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book was an okay split-time book about two women - one past, one current. As with many books that use this device, the current-time woman (Caroline) is a historian who stumbles onto the mystery of the past-woman (Nella). I must say I was far more interested and invested in Nella's story and all that it contained, than in Caroline's, and I think I would have personally enjoyed it much more had the book been only about Nella and her world, her past, her interactions, and so on. I mean, a hidden apothecary who deals in poisons and tinctures by word-of-mouth to women in need? with a haunting past? whose mother died young? (Also a bit like "The Witchling's Girl" by Helena Coggen, but not as good, if I'm honest).

Current-time-Caroline just seemed a bit superficial as a character and I couldn't bring myself to care much about her and her terrible husband. Really, the only need for Caroline is to find out more about Nella and the past via her research discoveries. All told, again, an okay read for this kind of story. Ultimately, a story about women helping women, and women finding their places in their own lives (whether it's as a wife, a mother, a scholar, etc.) and figuring out whether they are settling or doing what they need for themselves.

The stories of three women intersect in this dual timeline tale of infidelity and murder as it moves between centuries and unusual characters who are searching for solutions to their individual problems.

IN THE PRESENT: For Caroline Parcewell, surviving the boredom of working at a job she literally hates was nothing to her discovery of the marital betrayal of her husband of ten years. She is now alone in England on a trip she and her husband had booked prior to her discovery. While on a “mud larking” visit to the Thames she discovers an old apothecary bottle that piques her investigatory instincts as a historian (a career she had planned to follow before her marriage to her faithless husband).

TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO: A hidden apothecary shop run by a woman named Nella operates a “side line” of selling poisons to women who wish to rid themselves of the persons causing pain in their lives. But the apothecary’s business is placed in jeopardy when Eliza, a twelve-year-old and wise beyond her years, enters Nella's life precipitating a string of unfortunate events.

For this reader, of the two stories separated by centuries, Nella and Eliza’s portion of the narrative was atmospheric and proved to be much more interesting and compelling. 3 1/2 stars

Thank you so much for this ARC!

Wow, what a gem - such an interesting storyline, very different from what I typically read.

I loved the magic aspect of this book, and yes, the poison! I enjoy reading stories from multiple point of views and I really enjoyed all three.

Looking forward to reading more from Sarah Penner

The Lost Apothecary takes place in the present day and in 1791 England. Caroline is shocked when she finds out her husband has been having an affair, and goes to England on their romantic getaway alone. Here, she uncovers a mystery of an old apothecary jar and begins to unravel the past. In 1791, we follow Nella, an apothecary specializing in poisons, and Eliza, a young girl who comes to her for assistance. This book had me hooked from the very first page. Each of the characters are intriguing and have very unique voices. I couldn't put it down because I wanted to know what happened next. Will definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

I've heard so much about this book for months, I was thrilled when it came through as a NetGalley book. I've gotten to know Sarah Penner through one of our author groups so I can't say enough good things about her and how excited how everyone is for the launch in March. What a cool story Sarah has weaved! Part historical fiction, part suspense, part women's fiction. And all done with the backdrop of London and the Thames River. A secret alleyway that is discovered. The story told between two timelines: 1700s and present day. What women will do when they band together. A must read for 2021! It's on every list (Oprah, Entertainment Weekly) and there's a reason why!

Told in three voices, two eighteenth century and one modern, this tale examines the lives of women who are injured by men. In 18th century London, a whispered-about apothecary gives poison to women for men in their lives and a housemaid in the same time becomes intrigued while helping her mistress contact the apothecary, while modern day Caroline, alone in London for a wedding anniversary trip, follows a trail that leads back to the apothecary. When things begin to go badly for all, can something save them, or will poison take its toll?

I fell for this book and read it in one sitting into the night. Well done, Penner!

** spoiler alert ** I wanted so much more from this.

First and foremost, it barely felt like the stories between the 1700s and present day were actually that intertwined. I would’ve actually preferred them much more as their own stories; together, they felt long and forced.

I really disliked the fact that Eliza, a completely innocent 12 year old, is written off as a self-sacrificer at one point to then be like “just kidding, magic is real!” What?! Nella was so hellbent on saying only nature saves you and instead we have Eliza surviving diving into a river off the bridge. It just felt like it was put in there JUST to make it so both could survive. It felt like an easy plot line.

Meanwhile, Caroline is possibly being charged with murder out of nowhere, but that’s all solved and pointless within the hour. Another place that felt like throwing in tension just to throw it in. Her plot line was already complicated enough, that possibly killing her husband to try and force another connection between the stories, that none of this was necessary.

The writing was fine and I liked the characters for the most part, but the overall story left me unsatisfied. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the advanced copy and chance to review this

This was an interesting historical fiction novel that features a dual timeline. In the present day, Caroline comes to London on an anniversary trip without her husband James. She recently learned that he had an affair so she is taking the trip alone. A spontaneous decision to go mudlarking sets her on a journey of self discovery.

The other piece of the story follows Nella living in London in the 1790s. She meets Eliza and her life is forever changed. Several aspects of the Caroline storyline just didn't ring true to me, but I don't want to give any spoilers. However, the addition of Gaynor to that plotline and the details about the library research were enjoyable. The relationship that developed between Nella and Eliza drew me in. Eliza was by far my favorite character. Overall, if you are looking for a unique, historical fiction novel this is a solid choice.

This story was so unique and I was pulled into historical London immediately. The way the chapters move throughout history between different women and their stories was flawless and I loved it. I could vividly see (and still can) so many scenes in this book, Caroline alone in her boots digging through the mud. Her story was amazing and I'm so glad I got to take the journey.

This historical mystery thriller is a cathartic and wicked screed about women's rage, women's desperation, and rebellion against The Patriarchy across centuries. Told in two timelines and three perspectives, THE LOST APOTHECARY is about Nella, an 18th century apothecary owner who creates poisons for wronged women to use against treacherous men, Eliza, a servant girl who is sent to Nella by her mistress, and Caroline, a 21st century woman who finds a vial that used to belong to Nella's shop during a trip after finding out her husband was unfaithful. As Caroline slowly starts to piece together who Nella was and what she was doing in her shop in the modern time, we see Nella and Eliza in their time barreling towards a dangerous fate when a client's poison attempt goes wrong. I thought that the two timeline device worked really well, and I thought that all of the women felt realistic in their portrayals and motivations. But what I liked most about THE LOST APOTHECARY is how it draws parallels between two very different times in how misogyny and sexism can make women feel less than, trapped, and desperate. Whether it's a woman wronged by a treacherous and violent lover, a servant who is victimized by a power dynamic in the house she serves, or a wife who gave everything up for a lout, we see the pain that all of these women feel, and how hard it is to find justice for the pain they have had to endure.

THE LOST APOTHECARY is a wicked and fun historical thriller that I enjoyed quite a bit. As I said above, it was cathartic to read in a lot of ways.

Historical Fiction and a mystery all rolled into one? Sign me up! The Lost Apothecary Told from three different women’s perspectives and between two different time periods, The Lost Apothecary was an excellent read!

Caroline was suppose to be in London on her ten year anniversary trip but life had other plans for her. Instead of going on her planned itinerary she stumbles upon a a group of folks searching the Thames for old artifacts. Caroline joins in and soon finds a a glass vial with a small marking of a bear engraved on it. Now not only is Caroline uncovering the next steps of her marriage but also trying to unravel the mystery of the glass bottle.

Over 300 years before, Nella, who runs an apothecary for women maladies where she meets young Eliza. When Eliza enters Nella’s shop, on the instructions of her mistress, she quickly becomes Nella’s friend and hopeful assistant. When things to turn deadly the two women, one young and one old, must find a way to survive.

I extremely enjoyed the way the stories of both time periods were woven together. While Nella and Eliza both have their own point of views within the book, the way they seamlessly line up and talk about the same events but in such different ways was wonderfully done. Add in the present tale of Carolina and the transition between the two time periods is excellent.

Penner does an excellent job of evoke emotion from both the characters and the reader. There were so many men in this story that I just was so done with. Caroline’s husband in particular is just the biggest jerk in the history of jerk, but is also a fairly typical male in today’s society. While women’s rights have come along way in the past 100 years, our society is still dominantly a patriarchal one. Many of the same issues women in the 18th century experience are still experienced today, if not to a lesser degree. Without going down the rabbit hole, Penner really makes you think about the plight of women over the last few centuries.

I only have two negatives for this story, which dropped it down a star for me. I listened to this book on audio and while I loved the narrators for Caroline and Eliza, Nella’s was not my favorite. Since it’s the first narrator we are introduced to, I almost decided to stop listening but I’m glad I kept listening. I did however, enjoy that they used three distinct narrators since all of our leading ladies are extremely different in age and life situation. The ending also dragged a little bit and I felt it could have been compressed just a bit.

At it’s heart this is a story about women, friendships between women, women helping other women, and women looking to be remembered and create their own legacies. If you enjoy historical fictions or women’s stories, I highly recommend this book.


The Lost Apothecary comes out March 2, 2021. Huge thank you to Harlequin, Park Row, and Netgalley for my advance copy. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books.

The Lost Apothecary was such an entertaining read and was a quick page turner. The dual timeline flowed so nicely, which can sometimes be hard to achieve. The plot itself was unique and unlike anything I've ever read before. I loved Nella and her apothecary and the stories behind it. Eliza really added a lot to the story as well.

I struggled a little more with the present day timeline. I felt that all the characters, especially Caroline, lacked depth. The decisions she made sometimes did not make sense to me, and in the end, I felt she was a bit unlikeable.

Overall I think this was a great debut from Sarah Penner. I did not expect any of the twists as they came, which was great! The story was also never boring, there's a lot of things happening at all points and it was quick to get through. I really enjoyed reading this!

A very interesting book. I loved how the chapters went between past and present. So much detail it made me feel as though I were there. There were a couple questions I wished had been answered but it didn’t take away from the story. Also I wish a character or two from early in the book had been revisited but that just goes to show how great the author’s character development is when even minor characters matter.

I absolutely loved this super-good book! The story goes back and forth from 18th century London where Nella Clavinger runs an apothecary that her mother previously ran dispensing natural remedies for various medical ailments. After her mother died, Nella somehow got into dispensing poisons to women who have been wronged by their husband, boyfriend, etc. Nella meets 12-year-old Eliza Fanning who was sent to the apothecary by her mistress for something for her husband. Eliza is immediately intrigued by Nella and her shop.

Fast forward to present day London where Caroline Clavinger arrives in London on a holiday which is supposed to be to celebrate her 10th anniversary to husband James. James did not come with her because Caroline found out he had been cheating on her. Caroline finds what looks like an old medicine vial in the Thames River which leads her on a quest to find out where it came from. This story takes a lot of twists and turns in this then and now format and being a history buff, I loved every minute of it.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin/Park Publishing for the ARC of this fantastic page-turner in exchange for an honest review.

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 devoured this book in two days. I’m a big fan of dual timeline historical fiction and The Lost Apothecary did not disappoint. The story is told from three different points of view (two historical and one present day) and flowed nicely. I’m looking forward to reading more from Sarah Penner.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is set in London with 3 Female Protagonists and a Dual Timeline.
There is something darkly eerie about urban London, especially along the foggy Thames and the bridges that cross it. It’s the perfect setting for a mystery, and if it includes a few chase scenes, so much the better. Along those lines this book does not disappoint.
In 1791, Nella Clavinger is an Apothecary who has taken over her deceased Mother’s shop. She has been discretely dispensing poisons to women for administration to the men who have wronged them. Women who desire her services leave a discrete message hidden in a barrel of barley and then are given a time to meet with her for instructions. Rule #1 is: “The Poison must never be used to harm another woman”. The incident is recorded in a registry using a form of shorthand.
Eliza is a precocious street urchin turned ladies’ maid-in-training who meets Nella while running an errand for her mistress. Eliza becomes attached to Nella and the shop and spends time learning from Nella. Nella is quite the loner, but appears to enjoy her time with Eliza and seems to imagine her the child she never had.
Fast forward to Present Day and we meet thirty something Caroline Parcewell, who came to London to celebrate her tenth anniversary, but is traveling alone because of a marital upset just prior. Caroline is also lamenting a missed opportunity of 10 years earlier when she passed up the opportunity to continue her history studies in London. Caroline discovers an artifact from the Apothecary while “mudlarking” (similar to today’s Geocaching). Thus proceeds Caroline’s research into the Apothecary as told in alternating chapters.
Suspense and murders ensue, in alternating chapters describing Caroline’s research and marital issues. A couple of descriptions of the actual poisonings, a couple of chases, dark alleys, hidden passages, all add to the ambiance. A surprising twist at the end added to the satisfaction of this story. But what made it a 4 star for me was the epilogue that contained the descriptions and dispensing instructions for the poisons. This book is described elsewhere as “wickedly fun”, and that is exactly how I experienced this read! #TheLostApothecary #NetGalley

This was one of my most anticipated reads for Winter 2021 and I'm thrilled to say I loved it! I was captivated by this debut novel by Sarah Penner in which we follow two women, learn how their secrets affect them and watch as their stories weave together. Nella, in 1700s London, is an apothecary who provides women with means to avenge themselves with the men who have hurt them. Caroline in present day London finds one of the apothecary's vials while mudlarking along the Themes. She had come to London alone on what was supposed to be her 10th anniversary trip. While there she rediscovers her passion for history and research as she tries to find out more information about this vial she found.

I found both storylines very compelling. I thought the writing drew me in with the descriptions. I felt like I was right with the characters at times. I loved comparing how secrets affected these women, both emotionally and physically, and what they chose to do about it. I loved the surprises along the way and how much I came to care about what happened, especially to Nella and her young friend, Elise. I never care much for books where infidelity is part of the story, but am pleased with the direction this took for Caroline. I appreciated the struggle we saw her go through and her decisions by the end.

I would absolutely read more books by Sarah Penner and am so thankful to Netgalley and Harlequin - Trade Publishing (Park Row) for allowing me to read an early copy of this book.