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!

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...

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Dual timelines in both modern on historical London make the The Lost Apothecary unique in a sea of fiction. This intricately woven novel explores the lives of three strong women from three different generations.

Within a few chapters, I was hooked. The characters are wonderfully complex and the pacing quickens as the novel progresses. Sometimes historical fiction gets bogged down with details. Penner has details, but manages to keep the pacing up to keep your interest.

This novel had me laughing, angry, intrigued, and wistful. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys genre bending novels that fit into historical fiction or women's fiction with a hint of urban fantasy. .

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin/Park Row for the chance to read a copy of The lost apothecary by Sarah Penner. This is another dual timeline story and while I truly enjoyed reading it, I enjoyed the historical timelime more than the contemporary.
In 1791 Nella hides herself in her small apothecary shop in a dark London alley dispenses poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. Her latest customer turns out to be twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, on an errand for her mistress and this sets up in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.
In present-day Caroline comes to London alone after discovering her husband has had an affair. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As an aspiring historian she finds her life turning around, but soon her investigation may end up causing her harm.
As I said, I really enjoyed the story but did fine the ending was rushed. I enjoyed the relationship between Nella and Eliza, the apothecary and apprentice. I would have liked the the present timeline more had there been more to the plot, but overall the story kept me interested and I would recommend it. 31/2 stars rounded up to 4

I really enjoyed this book, it touches on some historical fiction but still provides interesting twists. The various perspectives you see in this work makes it more interesting as you try to learn how their stories fit together. I would recommend.

You know those books that you can’t wait to read so you keep putting it off and putting it off? That is what I did with this one, but sadly it did not meet my expectations. This story was nothing like I thought it was going to be. While I loved the story set in the past, the story told in the present was just boring and so far stretched. I rolled my eyes out about everything that happened in those sections, which made me dislike the book. I thought the ending was well done though. Overall, definitely not the book for me. This story had such good potential so I hate that I didn’t enjoy it.

This was an enjoyable summer read. Penner handles the parallel timelines well and spent just the right amount of pages in each time period to keep readers engaged, but not lost in one or the other.

I adored this book. There was lots of mystery and suspense, a little magic, and a lot of love for the characters. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I would definitely recommend.