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.

The Lost Apothecary was a fun escape that was hard to put down. I loved the setting of the hidden shop that Penner created and was fascinated by the descriptions of the poisons Nella prepares there. Oftentimes, when I read a novel that alternates between historical and present points of view, I find myself only interested in one of the storylines, but in this case I was really engaged in Nella, Eliza and Caroline's storylines.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book provided some interesting historical facts about a 18th century London apothecary, but I found the present day woman who found a bottle in the Thames to be a convenient plot twist to connect to the historical story. The fact that she could actually find the old apothecary stall was farfetched, although the apothecary and her helper from the past were believable with a bit of independent women underscored.

This is an intriguing story of an eighteenth century woman, who once scorned, turns her efforts to helping other women escape the oppression of the men in their lives. She runs an apothecary shop where she concocts poisons from natural elements.. A second woman of present day, dealing with her own broken relationship, vacations in London where she finds a small old bottle that peeks her curiosity. The little bottle leads this aspiring historian on journey of discovery.

I really enjoy historical fiction, especially dual-timeline stories. Out of the two timelines I much preferred Nella and Eliza in 1791. Nella was a woman forging her own path, with strict guidelines surrounding her unpleasant occupation, supplying poisons to women who want revenge on a man in their life. But Nella will never have one of her potions harm a woman, until a fateful request leads to heartbreaking choices and a life or death situation. Sarah Penner is skilled in building the tension, and creating rich, descriptive text that transports the reader into the smoky, claustrophobic environment of Nella and Eliza. Caroline in the modern timeline didn't hold the same interest for me, I was hoping that Gaynor and her father (the mudlarker) could have more page time, they had more personality and spunk than Caroline. I did love the twist after Caroline's husband arrived and how that twist connected her to Nella and her timeline.
With the historical fiction market being saturated in World War II, this was a wonderful period of time to read about and the I loved how the author absorbed the darkness of the time with the darkness of the profession and then cast a light with the sweetness and youth of Eliza. Definitely looking forward to Sarah Penners next book.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC, this is my honest review,

I had a very hard time connecting with the characters in this novel for some reason. Maybe the right book, but the wrong time?

This was an intriguing story set in two time periods-today and the late 1700s. Both narratives were compelling and I enjoyed exploring the parallels between the characters.

The Lost Apothecary is a true gem--a thoroughly original, page-turning blend of historical and women's fiction. Over the last few tumultuous days, it's been such a comfort to escape into the pages of Sarah Penner's addictive debut. In 1791 London, Nella is an apothecary with a cure for all that ails the women who come to her hidden, back alley shop, including the dangerous men in their lives. Nella is secretly a purveyor of poisons, but she will only sell them to women in danger. When Eliza, a twelve-year old housemaid, walks into her shop, Nella's carefully ordered and secretive life will be forever changed.

In the present, Caroline is on a solo trip to London after discovering her husband has been unfaithful. She discovers a mysterious glass vial in the Thames and embarks on a treasure hunt to discover the mystery of the unknown apothecary. A highly recommended treat for fans of historical suspense! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the librarian preview copy.

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to preview Sarah Penner’s debut novel The Lost Apothecary. Its parallel plotlines, one historical and one modern are sprinkled with mystery, scholarly sleuthing, the secret knowledge of apothecaries, and unexpected plot twists. While there were a few points where my interest lagged and parts that would have benefitted from further development, I found the overall reading experience enjoyable. The Lost Apothecary is well-researched and well-written. It is the perfect book to partner with a rainy weekend, a mug of coffee, and a roaring fire.

I was expecting something different from this title. Unfortunately this wasn't for me; I don't think it would fit into our collection or meet our normal readers desires.

I was looking for an engrossing read, and this was it. I read it through in one sitting. The characters are engaging and the setting is the apothecary shop comes alive through the authors writing. I was, however, disappointed at the ending. It was as though it was nailed on at the last minute, and without much thought attached. It really took the pleasure out of it for me.

This was a good story--an interesting historical aspects, a decent plot, solid characters, but it was also a little lacking in luster. The ending also left me wishing for...more. I appreciated the two story lines and how they intertwined, and the author did well to weave them together. The characters were well crafted but not, perhaps, overly memorable. The story was interesting enough to keep me reading, but it's not one I'll ever go back to. A solid, enjoyable book, great for a summer beach read.

a truly fascinating premise! I much preferred the historical portion of the book versus the contemporary, but that's not uncommon for me when reading dual-timeline books. the characters were a bit flat, but the idea of the story and the situations that were occurring made up for that, I think. all in all, something I really enjoyed. and something that I think anyone who is interested in historical fiction with a distinct feminist edge would appreciate.

This story was quite interesting, with murder, poison, with a modern day mystery. I enjoyed reading about the mudlarkers and exploring the history of London from a female apothecary and then modern a researcher perspective. There were some strong references to infidelity, infertility, etc that may be triggering for some, but overall an interesting read and one of female empowerment. Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy.

The Lost Apothecary

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed reading this novel; I was pulled into the story and invested in the characters almost immediately. The Lost Apothecary alternates between the 1790’s and present-day London. In the 1790’s an apothecary, Nella, helps women rid themselves of the troublesome men in their lives. Eliza is the young girl who befriends Nella, despite her reluctance to let anyone grow close. More than 200 years later, Caroline finds herself visiting London as she tries to sort out her life. Caroline stumbles across an artifact from Nella’s apothecary and is drawn into the mysteries of Nella and Eliza’s lives.

All 3 main characters come to life on the page as they tell their own stories. Despite the 200-year gap between the characters, there were parallels to their lives. Each struggled to make her own decisions and not let her life be decided by chance or the men in her life. I found myself guessing about what would happen next - and then being surprised by what did happen next!

I did find that the story seemed to get bogged down a little toward the end of the book. I wanted the story to pick up pace as the tension built near the end of the story, instead the paragraphs seemed to get longer and the details seemed too dense. There were also a couple of minor characters who acted in one way when we first met them but differently later on – the changes helped to move the plot along, but didn’t make sense in terms of character development.

Overall, this is a fun read and I think that anyone who enjoys historical fiction or contemporary fiction will enjoy it. This is Sarah Penner’s first novel. Her writing is smart and well-crafted and I look forward to reading more of her novels in the future!

The Lost Apothecary
bySarah Penner
Turn the corner on to a back alley, located on a dark crooked lane, there is hidden door to a tiny concealed shop. Inside is a clandestine store with bottles and brews of poisons waiting to be sold to ladies of wealth. At the turn of the 18th century we are taken back to London for an unsolved crime. The details and atmosphere of this historical
fiction make you feel like you are there, smelling the Themes River, walking the streets of London. A young ragamuffin’s knocks on Nella’s door and request a poison for her mistress. So starts the beginning of the mysteries of many murders, betrayals, thefts and scandals that take place two centuries ago.
Presently Caroline and her husband are ready for their 10th year anniversary but the anniversary will turn out differently than they had originally planned. Caroline finds a blue bottle, has an archaic mark while on an mudlarking outing on the banks of the River Themes. So begins the mysteries of murders, thieveries, betrayals, and new beginnings. Does Caroline find the murders from the poison death that happened two centuries ago? Who has new beginnings? Why use alias?
I would have given this book more than 5 stars but 5 stars are the limit. This book in my opinion would be a great Netfix series.
Thank you Netgalley for this copy..

This book far exceeded my expectations. It was a quick read and every in the book served a purpose. I really like the flow of telling two parallel stories from the past and present. I'm definitely going to choose this book for book club once it's published!