This was an overly hyped book on Bookstagram that I didn't feel lived up to it unfortunately.


A huge thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this publication which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Secrets can hurt. Secrets can be deadly. In 1791, an apothecary helps women in medical need. She also provides poisons to women to administer to men. In the present, Caroline goes to London for her anniversary – alone, after discovering her husband’s secret infidelity. On finding an old apothecary vial in the river bank, she begins the search to discover its story, Nella’s story. This is such a wonderful portrayal of three women across time, their determination to help other women and keep their stories alive. This will make a great book club book!

Fun book, however somewhat predictable. The ending could have been improved, but otherwise a very nice story with some good drama and character development.

The Lost Apothecary takes place across two different timelines: 1791 and modern-day, and volleys between three protagonists: Caroline, Eliza, and Nella. After finding out that her husband was cheating on her, Caroline decides to take what would have been their anniversary trip to London on her own. She joins up with a mudlarking group searching for treasure by the river Thames and comes across an odd object: an old vial with a mysterious marking of a bear on it.

Her curiosity piqued, Caroline begins to research the origin of the vial, and soon finds herself immersed in the history of London circa 1791 – where an unnamed apothecary helped women get revenge on the men who scorned them was whispered about.

Nella, this apothecary, has been hurt by men she trusted in the past. She once only sold potions to heal. Now, she deals in poisons for women who are in need of a way to escape from the men who mistreat them. In her well-hidden apothecary shop is where she meets Eliza, a young girl in search of some poison for her mistress. Over time, Nella and Eliza strike up a friendship, and Nella starts to mentor the young girl on the healing properties of herbalism.

However, there’s more at play than simple salves and perfumes, and soon both Eliza and Nella’s safety is in jeopardy.

The Lost Apothecary IMMEDIATELY piqued my interest. Because, well, how could it not? An 18th-century serial killer who poisons her victims, specifically men who have mistreated the women in their lives? I LIVE for that.

However, while The Lost Apothecary may have an incredible premise, the execution fell a little flat. Not that it was bad! It was still a very interesting story!

For starters, I really liked Nella and Eliza. Nella in particular had a very interesting back story, and I loved the parts that focused on her apothecary business. Those were definitely my favorite. Eliza was so spunky and strong-minded, she was impossible not to like. I did wish their story had been a little faster-paced. Despite this novel being a fast read, the plotline itself wound up being a little underwhelming.

Meanwhile, I didn’t care for Caroline as much and was personally hoping for bigger revelations from her in the end. Her husband is a Piece Of Work, let me tell you. But given her characterization, I think her story arc was satisfactory and did make logical sense. I was still on the edge of my seat for the majority of this novel, even for Caroline’s chapters.

Overall, The Lost Apothecary is a solid book, and I think likely to be enjoyed by fans of Women’s and Historical Fiction alike. For me, while it didn’t stand up to my sky-high expectations (especially given such an INTRIGUING premise), it was still an enjoyable read that I sped right through.

Thank you to the publisher, Park Row/Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I really liked this book. I have recommended it to several friends and family members. I liked reading about these secret apothecaries and treatments for women several hundred years ago.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this a,axing book. I am always weary of hyped books, but this lives up to all the great reviews. Amazing story, really fast paced read, highly recommmend.

This book held so much promise , and started with promise yet just kept going downhill for me. After about half way, I found myself skimming the pages just to find out what happened …

✔️ easy and fast read
✔️some interesting facts about poisons ( I’m just gonna assume they are true )
✔️did I mention the cover is gorgeous ?
✖️why do all historical fiction novels have a present story line lately ? Definitely was not needed in this story . I guess the author tried to add a mystery component but … meh
✖️ we are surrounded by women in this book, but they all were… meh … characters .. I honestly couldn’t care less what happened to any of them

This book is an awesome novel about good vs evil. About strong women fighting back. A good person punishing the naughty husbands with her poisonous potions. She had rules and a moral code about which of the husbands could get her concoctions.

It was a well paced, satisfying read.

I loved everything about this book! I loved the cover, the dual timelines, the characters and how their stories were interwoven. The women in this book are all at different stages of their life, and each has a unique perspective on the events that are happening. This was one aspect that drew me into the story. I love how Eliza is young and somewhat naive and how she is developing an understanding of things as the story progresses. I like how Nella is so knowledgeable about her job, but also has a moral code that she follows. I like how Caroline grows and develops insights about herself and her relationships. Their stories are interwoven beautifully by Sarah Penner, with different chapters told from different perspectives and in different time periods. This book will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Our book club will be reviewing this interesting and enjoyable book. Set in both the 1800’s and current day London, the book centers around an apothecary where women assist other women poison men who have wronged them. I had difficulty understanding why the names of those who bought the poison were immortalized.. The reviews on this book were very mixed. I would rate it as above average.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I usually do not like books that switch perspectives, but this one drew me in. In 1791, Nella, an apothecary specializing in mixing potions to help women get revenge on the men who have wronged them, meets Eliza, sent by her lady mistress for such a potion. Present day, Caroline comes to England, not for the tenth anniversary trip as planned, but to run from her husband’s infidelity and decide her future. How their stories intertwine is well written, especially for a debut novel.

I made the mistake of reading the reviews of this book on Goodreads and I have to say that I’m baffled. It’s rare to find 1-star and 2-star ratings mixed in with 5-stars ones, especially when the critical ones are scathing. First, giving a book only one star is suspicious; if a book is that bad, why not stop reading it? Second, writing a book is difficult, especially one that is traditionally published. Issuing a one-star rating is just plain mean. (Incidentally, the book is being translated into forty languages and Fox is developing it as a drama series—not too shabby for a debut novelist). 1 star? I don’t think so.

The Lost Apothecary was an atmospheric page-turner and if I didn’t need to work and sleep, I would have read it straight through. My heart pounded at the delightful twists and turns that were frightening without being gory. Of course, I don’t advocate poisoning your mate to get out of a bad marriage, but the plot was ingenious and well-conceived. In Georgian-era England, women were powerless, and I appreciated how one woman protected others in one of the few ways she could. The three narratives were nicely developed, but the contemporary one was the least effective, a common issue in this genre. I loved the historical detail, the author’s ability to engage my senses, and her vivid depiction of the characters. Although it wasn’t up to my 5-star standards, it was a solid 4.


Genre: Historical Fiction
Read-alikes: The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish, The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor, The Necklace by Claire McMillan

I had really high expectations for this and unfortunately it was a bit of a let down. For a story about poison and bada$$ women I found this pretty tame. I enjoyed the flashbacks in time the best, the present day storyline felt cheesy to me. Definitely falls into the women's fiction category and those who love those types of books will enjoy this one.

Caroline Parcewell is spending what was to be a celebratory 10th anniversery trip to London, alone. Her husband has been cheating on her and so Caroline decides to go on the trip to try and clear her head and decide what she wants to do about her marital situation. As she begins touring the city she meets a man who invites her to join a group of mudlarkers. Caroline joines the group along the Thames where she finds a small glass bottle with abear on it. Caroline has always had an unfulfilled desire to be a historian so she decides to investigate what this little bottle was used for and what the imprint means. She heads to the library and as she begins her research with the help of a librarian she discovers that the imprint on the bottle appears to be an apothecary’s symbol.

We are then taken to 1791 London where Nella, an apothecary, is waiting for her next client. Nella’s mum was an apothecary who used her knowledge of herbs to help women in a positive way. However, Nella does not use her apothecary for good. Her potions are given to women who want to take revenge on men who have wronged them. Nella is, in fact, a serial killer. Her only rules are that her potions must never be used against women and the record of her transactions are kept in a ledger. When the client arrives it is a twelve year-old girl named Eliza. Her mistress has sent her to retrive the potion . Nella befrends young Eliza and that begins her downfall.

As Caroline learns more about the apothecary’s stamp she becomes determined to try and find where her apothecary shop was loacated and in the process discovers what she really wants to do with her life and marriage.

Going back and forth between the present London and 1791, I was fascinated with the three strong female characters in this book. I loved the premise of this book, the setting and the characters.

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for providing me with ARC for an honest review.

I've had an advance copy of this book for.... well, let's just say a long time. I received one from NetGalley (which I never got around to opening), then a paper copy from one of book suppliers for the library I work for. I heard from several patrons this year of how much they liked this book, so I finally decided to read it (and of course I chose the Overdrive version!).

First of all, that cover is amazing. Good job, marketing department! The book itself, however, was a little lackluster for me. I think my biggest beef with this is just how everything came so easily to Caroline, in regards to doing research. My undergrad degree is in history, so I've had to do original research, and let me tell you, it's not as easy at it seems in this book! It seemed like she would walk into the library, type like three things into the search engine, and then magically her information was available (because of course, everything she was looking for was digitized, lucky her). Real research takes a lot more than that, and I'm sad it wasn't reflected in this book. I also found some parts very unbelievable, like [her hotel is literally 10 feet away from this hidden apothecary, and in 200 years, despite the fact that the whole building and area have been renovated, no one has ever come across this place until she stumbles on it (hide spoiler)]. Little things like this killed it for me. I found the parts of Nella and Eliza a lot more interesting, and I wish the narrative had just stuck with them.

Okay guys, this is another one of those books where the reason I requested an ARC was almost purely for the amazing cover (but I mean...can you blame me? Just look at it!).

Thankfully the insides were just as wonderful as the outsides of this book. Penner does such a wonderful job interwining the past and the present through this book. The narrative is told between two perspectives: Nella (past) and Caroline (present). Both have been wronged by the men that they loved and have lost their original chances at building a family. But the two have different ways of overcoming their heart ache. One sets up an apothecary shop for women to buy poisons for their lovers and husbands, the other takes a London trip for herself and sets about learning about the past and discovering her present.

Loved this book and its wonderfully developed characters. I can't wait to see what more Penner has in store for us. 10/10 would highly recommend.

Readers will be hooked. I found myself more interested in the past story than the present, but it didn't stop me from devouring it still.

What a great mystery. Set in two time periods with an intriguing topic. Loved the connection between the two main characters as well as the history of the apothecary. With a setting in England and a great message about the role of women. Loved it.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book.

I enjoyed the 3 person perspective of this story. I felt like I was stepping into the London streets of the 1790s. I like how the author tied the story lines together. I enjoyed Caroline's research into the "apothecary killer".

I would recommend this book to students that enjoy historical fiction and mysteries.

This book was SO good as an audiobook. I’d received it as an ebook ARC nearly a full year before I found it as an audiobook, and I just enjoyed it so much more in that form. The narrator voices were great, and fit the way I pictured the characters so well. Sometimes tension in books can stress me out too much, which is why I used to look up spoilers in order to relax and enjoy the book knowing how it ended, but this one kept me on my toes just enough. I normally almost exclusively read domestic thrillers, but this novel had everything I needed to stay engaged- female friendships, female MCs, mystery, fast-paced plot development, with multiple storylines that weren’t confusing to follow.