Really liked this story. The back and forth between present and past flowed well and connected the stories easily. I do feel like the ending was a bit rushed and I would have liked it to have been fleshed out a bit more, but overall a quick read I had a hard time putting down!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

Loved this book! I felt like it was almost too short but that could be because I basically devoured it. I wish we heard more about the past women Nella helped, but I was still happy with it! Will for sure recommend.

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

The premise sounded so intriguing and I love books with strong female characters so I was pleased when my request was approved.

Told in alternating timelines with three very different yet similar women, what binds these women are the secrets and power behind an apothecary that provided comfort, assistant and support for women from all levels of society.

I was hoping for a more suspenseful, mysterious narrative and though the historical setting and theme was fascinating, the narrative tended to drag.

Caroline was a modern cliche; a woman who put her dreams as a historical researcher on the back burner to marry her college sweetheart, who turns out to be an adultering louse.

She embarks on their tenth wedding anniversary trip on her own and discovers a vial when she joins a mudlarking group on the spur of the moment.

Her interest sparked, she delves into the history of where the vial may have originated from.

Nella and Eliza's story was more dramatic but it dragged. It read like the author was stretching each chapter just to catch up to Caroline's timeline so the dual narratives matched.

I loved the recipes at the back and the historical note about poisonings, which I'm familiar with, having read a nonfiction book about the history of poisonings from years back.

Caroline and Eliza's stories are wrapped up neatly (too neatly), but I did want Eliza's story to end well. I wasn't a fan of Caroline.

The Lost Apothecary wasn't bad, but I was hoping for something darker, with poisonous shenanigans and mischief.

I just couldn't get inot The Lost Apothecary. On the surface, this book should have been RIGHT up my alley of interests, but once I got into it, it couldn't hold my attention. I think part of it was the pacing was off; three characters means three lines of exposition in the first few chapters, which REALLY slows things down.

What an intriguing premise! I flew through this book in a few hours because I wanted to see how it played out and I was not disappointed. Also, how pretty is the cover? I definitely recommend reading this one.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book - READ IT! So good. I was so wrapped up in this story. Very interesting!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review. I reserve 5 stars for books that i WILL read again.

It is hard to point to one thing that made me love this story. I think it's the contrast between the short timeline in both periods that the stories take place and the slow, restrained way the story is shown and told. I liked the mirrored lives of Caroline in present time with Nella's and Eliza's in the past.

It's a coming of age story in so many ways. It hit some of my favorite reading buttons : academia, libraries, archeology of sort. Sarah Penner writes wonderful, strong and interesting women characters.

It has the rough patches of a first novel, a bit too much telling but I much enjoyed the journey I took with Caroline, Nella and Eliza. It's a mystery, a treasure chase and finding yourself in the process for all of them.

The Lost Apothecary was an engaging read with an interesting premise. The prose flowed nicely, while the world building and sense of time and place were all good. Nella was a delightful character with whom I immediately connected; however, I found Caroline less impressive, her sections less captivating. In many ways, Caroline's part was only really worthwhile, to my mind, in the way it allowed glimpses of the 'end' of the story. Part of me wondered if I wouldn't have liked the book more had it purely been the tale of Nella, with no modern-time interjections. Nonetheless, I did have fun reading this story overall, and there is plenty in it that will appeal to readers of historical fiction who enjoy dual-era narratives. I would give this book 3.5 stars, but it's a 3.5 that's worth rounding up to a four, rather than down to a three.

(Review will go live on my blog (and I will add to Goodreads and share across social media) on 1 March 2021)

Caroline is in London alone, on the trip that should have been an anniversary celebration with her husband. But she needs time away from him after catching him cheating. While mudlarking she finds a curious apothecary bottle with a bear, which send her on a search for the possible owner. The quest leads her to a hidden alley, murder, a new friend, and a reminder of her own interest in history and people. In an entwined story, Nella uses her mother's old apothecary shop to help women right wrongs and seek revenge in the 18th century. Deftly told, the women's stories blend seamlessly with satisfying conclusions to both.

I love a good mystery and this was a very good mystery. The tale of two stories 200 years apart, placed in London, about women learning their own strengths. What a compelling combination. The author provided an excellent setting with believable characters. I pictured both with ease and familiarity. This book was a page-turning joy.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC for review. The story is intriguing: a female apothecary who helps women with tinctures and salves to heal the body, mind, and spirit, and poison to kill the abusive men in their lives, as necessary. For me, this was a real page-turner with lots of plot twists right up to the end. Recommended.

I absolutely loved this book. The dual timelines intertwined beautifully and I loved the main characters. The characters were relatable . The mystery (mixed with a little bit of romance) kept me guessing and turning the pages. There was never a dull moment in the book.

A dual-timeline historical fiction - a style which seems to be greatly in vogue of late - weaving eighteenth and twenty-first century London together through a small vial found by our modern protagonist while mudlarking on the shore of the Thames. Investigating the vial and its small bear engraving leads us to Nella and Eliza in the past, and events that culminate in the inadvertent death of a lord.

While not the best I've read in this style, I enjoyed it tremendously and would read more by this author. Quite frankly, I wouldn't have missed the modern thread if it hadn't been there. Nella and Eliza are much more interesting, and I think they could easily have been the focus of the entire novel.

This was a refreshing, different book. We followed Caroline in the present day as she was unraveling the mystery of a small bottle found in the River Thames, and we follow Nella and Eliza in the 1700's who are carrying all the secrets that Caroline is unraveling. It is wonderfully written and was paced well. I connected with all the women in the story and I feel many others will connect with them as well. Great book and I will be getting myself a copy when it's released.

If you need a man to fall ill and die, visit the apothecary on the backstreet of London. She took over her mother's business and switched from only helping people feel better themselves, to helping people feel better by getting rid of a "problem" Set in 2 different time periods, the reader follows the lives of the apothecary and a young girl that came to her place of business on behalf of her mistress, and the life of a modern day woman who finds a bottle from the apothecary. A wonderful novel that keeps you reading long after you planned.

The Lost Apothecary jumps between two timelines, 1791 and present day. In the present day Caroline is running from a failed marriage when she goes mudlarking in the river Thames and finds a small blue glass vial with a bear etched in the glass. Her research leads her to an apothecary in 1791, who we see in real time with all her poisonous intrigue. Fast paced, with characters you'll want to know about, this novel is perfect for fans of historical fiction looking for something a little different.

Overall a great story with interesting characters. It kept me sucked in the entire time and I'm completely in love with that cover.

Loved this title which runs two storylines in separate time periods. Two women facing infidelity and motherhood in very different time periods must reconcile their choices. There is a strong undercurrent of women's issues running through this novel. Although in two very separate time periods, the theme of life choices and the consequences runs deep.

this was a great read, I loved the use of poison and the use of apothecary, the characters were great and I really enjoyed reading this book.

Overall, I believe that the concept was great and very original, but the story (for me) held a sluggish pace until the last few chapters. Caroline is presumably in her 30's, on what was supposed to be her and her husband's 10-year anniversay trip to London, gifted to them by her parents. However, her husband, James, is found out as an adulterer the day before they are to leave. She flies to London, sans James, in order to process everything and think about what their future will hold. While there, she attends a mudlarking session and finds an old vial that once belonged to an apothacary. After making new friends with a librarian, she follows the research trail that the vial leads her on and discovers the hidden truths of the Lost Apothecary, her old passion for history, and how to handle her relationship with James. I felt like this story started out very original, but then just followed every trope there is for women's fiction: lying/cheating husband, baby fever, do-I-stay-or-do-I-go delimma, and finally I'm-an-independent-woman-who-don't-need-no-man. There were nice twists towards the end, and one I was not necessarily expecting (which was very pleasant). All in all, it was a decent read. I would recommend it to those who thoroughly enjoy this blend of historical and women's ficition. Also, lovely recipes at the end that I hope to try over the holidays.

**Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for allowing me an eARC.