I have these comments to make about The Lost Apothecary. It was a good story and generally well written. Unfortunately, common errors in research and attention to detail in the historical parts dragged it down for me. If this book had already been released, I would not have reviewed it because I would have had to give it a rating of three stars. But the horse has not left the barn and your author can still fix them before release. Many readers wouldn’t notice the problems. As a writer of historical fiction myself, I can’t help but notice them. If the errors were fixed (and they’re all easy), I would have no problem giving The Lost Apothecary four stars.
Problems with historical detail:
1. By the 18th century, no one was writing letters on parchment. Parchment  was still used for important legal documents like land records, indentures, the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, etc. because of its durability. Paper was used for all other ephemeral printed or written matter. “Parchment paper”, used for the artsier kind of writing paper and wedding invitations, is paper. It should not be called parchment. For some reason, this is often source of confusion for writers of historical fiction.
https://www.archives.gov/preservation/formats/paper-vellum.html
2. Bourbon: No one was drinking bourbon in England in 1791. Corn whiskey was invented in the American frontier sometime in the 18th century in what became Kentucky. The term does not appear in Daniel Webster’s 1828 dictionary. 
Brandy was the “strong spirits” of choice in England at the time for those who could afford it. Gin was the cheap liquor. Johnson’s Dictionary mentions Scottish and Irish whiskeys (which he called usquebaugh) but something about his phrasing suggests they weren’t all that common in England. 
3. At one point, an 18th century character uses the word “okay”. This was first used in 1839 in the U.S. https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=okay
4. There’s mention of Lord and Lady Clarence’s “estate” in London. An estate, as applied to land,implies a large area of land with a house. One didn’t have an estate in London or any other town, even if one had a mansion there. Even the wealthy nobility lived in houses, often rather small ones, sometimes without even a garden. Space was extremely limited. 
5. In 1791 there were no constables in blue tail coats. While the term “constable” was in use, it did not refer to anything resembling an organized police force as we know it. Perhaps the closest modern equivalent would be our security officers. See https://www.londonlives.org/static/Policing.jsp#toc4
6. “Banana pudding” was not yet a “thing”. The first bananas were imported into England in 1888; see https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/biography-of-the-banana-1179167.html
 7. On at least a couple of occasions, the author refers to someone carrying a “market bag”. Market baskets were the usual way of carrying small purchases. I’ve spent a good deal of time looking at 18th century engravings and have seen market baskets but no market bags.
8. I let pass the mention of Lady Clarence’s friend’s travel to Lyon, although such a trip seems unlikely. The French Revolution began in 1789 but in 1791 it was still theoretically possible to visit France.
Word choice: 
1. There was a phrase two or three times about someone “crumbling”. The more usual term is “crumple” in this context. The idea of a person crumbling (that is, falling into small bits) is not an attractive one, and believable only in a horror story. Ugh!
2. “…eyes patient if not a bit vexed…” Was the intent is to say the mother’s eyes were patient in spite of being a bit vexed? If so, the usual phrasing would be “…eyes patient if a bit vexed…”
3. “…referenced a couple of your books…” I think the correct term would be “referred to”
4. “…any smarts”: “Smarts” as meaning intelligence is from 1968. See https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=smarts
5. Some sort of seed is referred to as the most “desirous”. Seeds don’t usually desire anything. From the context, it should be desirable.

I appreciate #NetGalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner for an honest review.  I couldn't put this book down!  Usually when there are multiple stories going on at the same time in a book, I only find one of them really interesting and the other is just okay.  Both of the storylines were interesting and I kept reading (way past my bedtime) to see what would happen next.  Seriously, you won't be able to put this book down.  Caroline visits modern-day London alone, while she should be on a 10-year anniversary trip with her cheating husband.  While walking by the River Thames she happens along a mudlarking group.  Mudlarking is searching through the river mud at low tide for valuable or interesting items.  Caroline finds an old bottle which eventually leads her to Nella.  Nella works as an apothecary of sorts in 18th century London.  Nella isn't your usual apothecary, she specializes in potions to help women - most often against men who want to harm them.  Eliza is a 12 year old girl who visits Nella's shop for her employer and ends up embroiled in Nella's dangerous business.  As it turns out, the danger appears to span the centuries, or does it.   Caroline, our modern-day girl, is driven to find out who Nella was and what sorts of things she does.

The Lost Apothecary is a story about women forging paths for themselves, independent of men, and reckoning with what they really want out of life. It is hard to believe that The Lost Apothecary is a debut novel. This well-developed story is both fantastic and original. This propulsive book was completely engrossing, and I breezed through it. I also must commend Penner on her solid execution of multiple storylines from three unique voices. 

I enjoyed the three main characters and their voices. So many novels with female protagonists center on the men in their lives. Penner did a great job ensuring that this trope was avoided. The only thing I found lacking was more detail and context about the time period (e.g., historical insights and architectural descriptions). I also was not able to really emotionally connect with the story or its characters. Do not mistake me. I did think the characters were fabulous. I just did not feel anything when reading this - a personal requirement for a five star read. 

I really enjoyed this book, and I recommend you read it when it is published in March! I think this story will be widely loved. I have already seen it listed as one of the most anticipated books of 2021.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were intriguing, the poisons well researched, and the premise was just really cool. I do have a few qualms about the how it ended... unless there will be a sequel in which case I am happy to be patient. However I do think that there was something more developing with Gaynor and I wish the author had explored their relationship a bit more. Additionally, I think that slightly more information is needed about what actually happened in the past to make for a satisfying ending. Otherwise, this book had me hooked!

I seldom read the reviews written by others on this book. In the advance copy the editors/publisher speak of reading this book in one sitting and immediately knowing it had to be published. I settled in to read it, curious, and found I could not put it down. I read it completely within about a 12 hour period; I agree, this is one of the most engrossing books I have stumbled upon in a really long time. I love the tone, the side-by-side story from London of the late 1700s juxtaposed with a storyline from an American in London in modern times. Nella, Eliza and Caroline are three women who are struggling with the world in which they live - Nella, deep inside her little for-women-only apothecary shop inside a maze of London streets; young, curious Eliza who is learning what it means to be a woman without a voice in her own life, and modern-day Caroline who looks back at her own choices in life, wondering where her path in life veered so far from where she originally thought she would be, and wonders how she became so lost .Each heroine is strong in her own way, yet the odds of their lives seem stacked against them.  Their lives become unknowingly entwined, and yet it seems each of their choices cause them to become deeply affected by one another.

This is a book to be experienced. The plot is incredible, and the characters are all well written and well-rounded, whether we agree with their decisions or not. Truly a great story!

A dual timeline can be hit or miss but this one is a hit. I would happily read more books about historical investigators digging into the story of a particular object plucked from the banks of the Thames. This title will be one I can recommend to patrons who are fans of historical fiction, women's fiction, and mysteries. What a great hybrid - can't wait to see what she writes next!

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)

This is an excellent well written mystery novel. I loved the fact that the book went back and forth in time. It keeps the reader on their times never bored anticipating what is going to happen next. The mystery itself is fun, full of historic detail, and very riveting.  All in all an great historical mystery novel that will appeal to all readers, highly recommend!

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 found the mystery elements of the book to be well paced and unraveled in an intriguing and engaging way. Dual timelines can be pretty hit or miss but I felt like this was executed well. The characters were interesting and I found the story to be very engaging.

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.