Skip to main content

Member Reviews

A great story that alternates between present day and the past. I loved how the story drew parallels between what types of adversity women are still facing. It's a story about an female who creates potions to fight back against troubling men. The present day story is around a woman who is contemplating her future, and whether or not her current situation is holding her back. The stories intertwine, and I found the historical part more interesting.

Was this review helpful?

An engaging mystery with feminist commentary awaits readers of Sarah Penner’s debut The Lost Apothecary. Alternating between three narrators, Penner intertwines historical and current themes of women’s power. In London’s 1791, Nella is an apothecary who has dedicated her life to aiding women. Sometimes with remedies and other times with deadly poisons. Scorned in her younger years, she has transformed the shop she inherited from her mother into a clandestine provider of extreme solutions. Her creations are designed to rid women of the ill-behaved men in their lives, permanently. One day, an unusual new customer appears at her doorstep. Eliza has been sent by her mistress to obtain a concoction to help her husband meet an early demise. Curious about how and why Nella provides her services, Eliza ends up becoming a reluctant friend and de facto apprentice to Nella. The accompanying story line takes place in present-day London. Caroline is pondering her life’s choices after a deep betrayal. She travels solo on a trip to England that was meant to be an anniversary celebration. Her fateful discovery of an artifact connected to the old apothecary reignites her passion for history. With the aid of current day resources and a well-versed librarian, Caroline keeps digging to determine the provenance of her find. As Caroline builds on her investigation, the reader is privy to the events from 230 years ago and accompanies her on the voyage from that standpoint as well. The Lost Apothecary demonstrates how far women have come in terms of opportunities, but also portrays the ways in which we limit ourselves. This is a wonderful novel from a promising new author who already has fans asking for more.
Thanks to the author, Park Row Publishers and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Was this review helpful?

I 100% would recommend this book. I love history and suspense, and this book is full of both! It's so hard to write a review without giving away too much so I will just say this: READ IT!

Was this review helpful?

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!

I love historical fictions but I've also been more into contemporary fiction lately and this book had BOTH aspects which made it absolutely perfect. The story of Nella and Eliza in time of the apothecary, how the two came to meet, and how it all started with Nella learning the healing aspects of apothecaries from her mother was absolutely amazing.

Throw that historical story in with Caroline's tale of coming to London to find herself in such a hard time of her life and discovering so much more from just one small trip to a river with a stranger that asked her to tag along mudlarking! You really wouldn't think such a fantastic story would come from such a small event but I absolutely loved it.

Not only was it a good story, but to be educational on historical herbal remedies and also poisons was fascinating. I felt truly invested in both stories included in this book and wish I could have been uncovering the story right alongside Caroline!

Highly recommend this book!

Was this review helpful?

When I read the premise of this book, I was immediately intrigued. Dual timelines, an apothecary helping women dispose of men with poison, a historian in the future stumbling upon the secret.

Unfortunately, this book was disappointing, predictable and unrealistic. The modern timeline was a complete waste of chapters and neither exciting or surprising. The character of Caroline started out likeable enough but that quickly faded. Her "research" was laughable- sure, you can google a random person from 200 years ago and their name will just pop right up immediately.

I did enjoy the scenes from the past, but not nearly as much as I'd hoped. This story had potential but unfortunately just didn't work well at all.

Was this review helpful?

The Lost Apothecary is a brilliant debut novel! I was pulled into the dual timeline story from the first page and raced through. I can't wait to read Sarah Penner's next book!

Was this review helpful?

This one reminds me a lot of similar mystical books, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great for those who enjoyed "The Scent Keeper" from 2020!

Was this review helpful?

I wasn't sure about this book and it took probably a third of the book to be super interested but overall I thought it was pretty good & I can see why it's popular. I would actually give it more of a 3.5 stars. I like historical fiction in general and I would recommend this one to people who like other popular 'women's fiction' (I hate that genre term please tell me what else are we using in its place??). I probably would not recommend to literary fiction readers or people who are prone to picking apart plot points...

Was this review helpful?

We read this in book club and it was liked by all. Great story, historical, a little bit of mystery, intrigue, and fiction. Just a good story.

Was this review helpful?

This felt like a story I've read before... a woman betrayed across centuries. I never felt the hook, but wanted to!

Was this review helpful?

I found the first half of this book really engaging, but felt that it slowed down a little too much for me in the second half. I wasn’t as interested in the present day storyline outside of the discoveries she made, and found myself losing interest the more that the story focused on her.

Was this review helpful?

This was a quick, fun, easy read - a combination of historical fiction and a cozy mystery. I loved the idea of this book - a woman in the 1700s in England who dispersed solutions for many reasons, (good and bad) including helping women to murder husbands. Timelines alternate between modern day (a wife who goes on a 10 year anniversary trip by herself and finds a vial from an apothecary) - and the original timeline of the woman who made tinctures, with a little from a 12 year old girl who is sent to retrieve a tincture.

I felt like some of the story wasn’t especially believable (the instant friendship with the museum archivist), the idea of the apothecary existing all these years later with an open door... but it was a fun read.

Was this review helpful?

This was a fascinating read. The way the historical events influenced the contemporary ones was seamless.

Was this review helpful?

I was so excited to read this book, however, in the end, I struggled to finish it. Overall, I found it difficult to relate to the main characters and the inconsistencies in the plot and timeline. It seemed to me that Caroline's present day story didn't really relate to the historical lives of Nella and Eliza and this left me feeling a bit confused and let down. I did enjoy all the sections about mudlarking, which I find fascinating and would love to try some day. I know others who have read this book and loved it, so I think this may be a case of, "it's not you, it's me."

Thanks to NetGalley, Sarah Penner, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I read this for a book club. I enjoyed the feminism of the book. The magical wasn't over the top. Until the very end where it brought me out of the book and got me lost as to what happened.

Was this review helpful?

From its first pages, "The Lost Apothecary" engages and intrigues the reader. The clear, strong dialog and descriptions move easily between centuries with the distinct voices of three characters: the 18th century's apothecary, bitter Nella; Eliza, the young maid who learns from and helps her; and modern-day Caroline, who uncovers their efforts with poisons to rid women of men who have harmed them in body or soul. In tracing their long-lost secrets, Caroline finds her way through her own troubled relationship, and into the future, she has wished for and delayed. The characters are interesting and you won't be able to rest until you learn their fates. I don't normally enjoy the format that this book was written in, jumping back and forth from past to present, but I dug this.

Was this review helpful?

I wanted to love this one more than I did. I found the dual timelines less engaging than I normally like and really wish we could have spent more time with just Nella and Eliza. That said, I did enjoy some of the mystery elements of this book and I think I probably would have liked this one more on audio! I've heard the narration was quite engaging.

Was this review helpful?

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Rating 4/5 Stars
Published by Park Row
Published On 2nd March 2021

Thanks to Netgalley, Park Row, and of course, Sarah Penner, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Lost Apothecary takes place over two timelines - the late 18th century and the present day. We follow Nella, an Apothecary who dispenses poison in order to help other women. In fact, the one rule she has is that her work does no harm to women. We also follow Caroline, who stumbles into the mystery of the apothecary in the present day.

This book is EXCELLENT. Somehow, Penner is able to intertwine magical realism and contemporary fiction seamlessly. The secrets of the 18th-century mix with the modern-day and create such a beautiful story you don't want to put down. I would call this a page-turner as I found myself wanting to finish it in one sitting! My only negatives would be that I found the book lacking a bit in character. I loved them, but I felt they could have been flushed out a bit better!

Was this review helpful?

What an interesting read that evolves two time periods with one as a mystery and one as a life of survival. Loved the characters along with learning about making potions and holding onto one’s convictions. An excellent book club discussion title. Looking forward to more from this author.

Was this review helpful?

The Lost Apothecary opens in London, 200 years ago. Nella runs a different shop than her mother, who was a trusted women's apothecary. Nella caters to a different kind of clientele - women who wish to rid themselves of the awful, controlling men in their lives. Nella helps them to do so with mysterious, lethal potions that can be added to food or drink. A young girl visits the apothecary for her mistress but makes a fatal mistake, setting things in motion that have repercussions throughout the coming centuries. Move forward to present-day London where Caroline Parcewell arrives after having her life turned upside down. Caroline happens upon a clue to murders unsolved for two hundred years. Caroline's life collides with Nella's in a strange twist of fate, putting Caroline in danger and spinning a tale of vengeance and secrets across time. This is a terrific first novel full of history, well plotted twists and excellent narrative. I enjoyed reading it as will people who enjoy historical fiction, mysteries, or a book that will transport you to another time and place. There is a lot of possibility for discussion, making the Lost Apothecary a great choice for book clubs. Thanks so much to Net Galley for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?