As a debut novel, I feel like the packaging for this was well done. The marketing as well so. I honestly listened to this on audio and whoever read for Nella had an intoxicating voice. A perfect choice.

Nella is an apothecary in London, hiding her trade for a distinct clientele—women. Her mother taught her well, but as she learned herself, her remedies could only be for women who had particular needs and she makes sure to meet them, cautiously. Eliza Fanning, a customer, might make that caution difficult. In modern day, Caroline is in London, on what was originally an anniversary trip, trying to ignore her heartache. Whilst out on a tour, she finds on old apothecary bottle along the banks of the river. Intrigued, she goes on a hunt to find out where it comes from, remembering her old love of history. When her husband shows up , things get stilted and so does Caroline’s hunt.

Okay. So let’s talk Nella. I feel like this whole book could have been Nella. Write me a book starting from when Nella was a little girl and show me the relationship that soured. Show me when she first started making remedies and created the shop. Show me when she changed gears and started creating poisons. I want to see her frame of mind. That book would have been something I sank my teeth in and gloried in. It was such a rich narrative on her end and I revelled being in her world.

But then we went to Caroline’s world. And sure her finding the bottle and going on a mystery hunt to find out about the shop was fun. Her husband showing up though? Trying to get her to take him back? Gag. It ruined her whole storyline for me. Just let her hunt and enjoy solving the mystery. It would have been so much more fulfilling.

Overall, I enjoyed this. I just wish the book had been about Nella alone. Thank you for the arc!

This book has some great things gong for it...an absolutely beautiful cover and a great idea. I'm sad to say that is really where it ends for me. I loved the concept- a serial killer female apothecary set in a time period of Jack the Ripper or Sherlock Holmes. However, how can that actually be boring?? But it was. Also, I usually enjoy a dual timeline but the present day character was mostly just annoying and completely unbelievable. So, thanks to Net Galley for the read and I wish more covers were this gorgeous!

This book pulled me in and kept me interested. A great story where the past and present collide in a sweet mystery with a twist.

A fantastic mystery going back and forth between 18th century London and 2021 about an apothecary shop and the women it serves - it will draw you in and keep you turning pages until you finish. A lovely debut by Sarah Penner!

An engaging story told from three different perspectives and two time periods. It was a fast read and I really enjoyed it.

This book is a historical research mystery with two timelines. I have to admit, I was reluctant to read a story of someone who sells poisons to murder, but so many people have enjoyed it so I gave it a whirl. It was a very compelling read!

In the 1800s there is an apothecary shop in the back alleys of London and the woman who runs the shop sells poison from her secret shop. The poison is sold to women to murder men who have done them wrong. Throughout the book, you learn how Nella came to this occupation.

Meanwhile, a woman comes to London for an anniversary trip without her husband. He cheated and she needs to get away and think. On an afternoon of exploring, she finds a glass vial in the river when she takes a mudlarking class. This artifact leads her to research at the library and she begins to unravel a story of a lost apothecary.

This book is well written and keeps moving the plot along. The contemporary and the historical story were easy to keep track of and were both interesting. I would recommend this book!

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.