Oh my! What a surprising treat this book was! It takes place in dual timelines of London 1791 and present day. The stories weaved brilliantly to design this tale of three women.

The modern struggles of Caroline seemed to shadow those of the combination of Eliza and Nella. They all have so much to work through internally and grow despite the vast difference in ages. I loved the three person narration on the audiobook that helped truly distinguish the difference of life chapter. Nella's voice was weathered and tired but experienced and careful. Eliza's voice was childish and inquisitive with a never-ending sense of optimism. Then, Caroline's voice came across as not innocent but still not mature. She was faced with so much uncertainty and it was clear.

I cannot finish this review without talking about how beautiful the cover is! I want to make the cover of this book the background on my phone!

I highly recommend this book to anyone! It was a fantastic read.

I received an audio version of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest personal review.

I loved this story. The narrator was fantastic.. I was expecting this story to be a fun, feminist historical adventure/mystery but the story got so much deeper than I expected. I greatly connected with the main character and her journey. Highly recommend.

It's 1791 in London and on a hidden back street Nella waits in her apothecary for her latest customer, young Eliza Fanning who has come desiring to poison her master. Nella's mother was a healer for good, but now Nella also dabbles in the dark arts. She uses her craft to poison men who have made their women's life unbearable. She has one hard and fast rule, never poison women, and she records all her medical dispensaries, both the benign and deadly, in a book which is kept in the hidden room of her apothecary shop.

Fast forward to present day. Caroline has come from the USA to London on what was to have been a ten year anniversary celebration with her husband. Just prior to leaving, Caroline found out that he had strayed so she has come to London on her own, As the book opens she is "mudlarking", searching the muddy banks of the Thames River for memorabilia from the past. (The author actually did this and it was inspiration for the story). She finds a glass vial with the impression of a bear. Caroline had been a budding historian prior to marriage and this find intrigues her, sending her on a search to unlock the secret of the unusual bottle.

The book, which I listened to on audio, has three viewpoints.: Nella, Eliza, and Caroline. All the readers did a good job of sounding like they were the age of the person speaking and they were easy to distinguish between each other. I tore through this book in a couple of days. It is a fairly quick listen (or read) and kept me totally involved, wanting to know what happened to the characters.

In the 1791 scenario, Nella breaks her rule about poisoning a woman and no good comes from this. She and Eliza will be running for their lives. Meanwhile in present day, Caroline's husband has come looking for her and she is confused about her future. These two stories neatly intertwine in what I thought was a very clever way. There was a theme running through about women finding their power. I very much enjoyed the glimpses into the back streets of old London, and in the present day story I relished the description of Caroline slowly solving the clues of the lost apothecary.

I absolutely loved this story and can heartily recommend the audio version. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author Sarah Penner for the opportunity to enjoy this ARC.

When I saw this on Netgalley with the description stating "Named Most Anticipated of 2021 by Newsweek, Good Housekeeping, Hello! magazine, Oprah.com, Bustle, Popsugar, Betches, Sweet July, and GoodReads!" I felt I should give it a shot. 
I love good historical fiction and this had just a touch of magic to it. I loved the characters and the multiple narrators really helped make the audio that much more wonderful to listen to. I had a really hard time believing that this was a debut novel! Recommended to anyone who enjoys mystery, historical fiction, or a strong female character.

(Thanks to NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.)

This was one of the better books I've read in the past few months. It was certainly captivating and left me wanting to listen to one more chapter! Usually I'm not a huge fan of the split time narrative but it actually worked for this novel. I also appreciated the use of different narrators for different characters instead of one using a different voice - it really added to the atmosphere of the story. While I didn't care for the husband part of the story I couldn't wait for our modern day character to figure out the mystery and our historical characters' next steps. Would definitely recommend this novel as it has a satisfying ending as well.

I was lucky enough to get advanced access to this through NetGalley. This story is set in London, focusing on 3 courageous women, set in two different time periods: current time and 1791. An apothecary, her "assistant", and a historian, are all connected by their search for truth, revenge, and the uncovering of secrets. There were so many beautiful & important life lessons in this and so much powerful symbolism. The last few minutes of the novel that focus on the blue vial that ties these women together despite the time and secrets that lay between them really got to me. I loved the strong, feminine energy of this book and the central theme of women helping other women. The concept of a woman in the 18th century helping women poison their lying, cheating, no-good husbands is just *chefs kiss* 8/10

I think this is one of those situations where my expectations were so high for this book and they just weren't met. The story goes between the past and present. Caroline, in the present, travels to London to get away from her cheating husband and finds a small blue bottle while mudlarking. Intrigued, she starts to do research to figure out where the bottle is from and then into the mysterious apothecary. The past follows Nella, the apothecary, and Eliza, a twelve year old girl who approaches Nella for help. I think I really just wanted this book to be darker and to have more individual stories about the women who come to the shop. A lot of the story follows Eliza and I was honestly bored with her. Even just following Nella's journey into becoming an apothecary and going down the path she did would have been more interesting to me. I just wanted more than I got.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53288434-the-lost-apothecary" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Lost Apothecary" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1593013000l/53288434._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53288434-the-lost-apothecary">The Lost Apothecary</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19788573.Sarah_Penner">Sarah Penner</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3819648334">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I think this is one of those situations where my expectations were so high for this book and they just weren't met. The story goes between the past and present. Caroline, in the present, travels to London to get away from her cheating husband and finds a small blue bottle while mudlarking. Intrigued, she starts to do research to figure out where the bottle is from and then into the mysterious apothecary. The past follows Nella, the apothecary, and Eliza, a twelve year old girl who approaches Nella for help. I think I really just wanted this book to be darker and to have more individual stories about the women who come to the shop. A lot of the story follows Eliza and I was honestly bored with her. Even just following Nella's journey into becoming an apothecary and going down the path she did would have been more interesting to me. I just wanted more than I got.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3819648334

The Lost Apothecary was an excellent story with three voices, 2 from the 1790's and 1 current day. I enjoyed the presentation (I was provided the audio book to review) There were 3 very distinct voices reading. I wish that Caroline's discovery (I won't spoil by saying what) was fleshed out a little more. It was a very exciting find indeed! I wish she had shared this with Gaynor and they explored it together. I did enjoy the unexpected ending to Nella and Eliza's story, it captivated me!

Caroline is on a journey to finding out and becoming who she is. While self discovery often comes in late teens or early twenties, sometimes a reality check makes you evaluate your choices and possibly make surprising ones in our thirties or beyond. This is the case with Caroline, who has a very eventful first few days of her Anniversary trip to London.

All in all I really enjoyed this book. The app leaves a lot to be desired, but that's not on the book!

This was a wonderful book and I really enjoyed the audiobook platform. This is a rotating narrative between the main characters Nella and Eliza from 1791, and Caroline in present day London who is slowly discovering their hidden secrets from 200 years before. A mysterious apothecary. This is an adventure that I never wanted to stop listening to. It is a unique mystery with a different kind of dramatic, dark suspense that I have not read before. The narrators each pulled me into their adventures with rich attention to detail. In the end it’s about 3 different women trying to find their path in life and how they can live their lives for themselves and take control. I really loved this book and would recommend it even if it doesn’t sound like your typical genre. It’s a delightful listen.

Navigating between historical and contemporary fiction, The Lost Apothecary follows the actions and consequences of an old apothecary named Nella and a young girl named Eliza from 18th century London and in the modern day, Caroline, who is dealing with her husband’s infidelity, an unused history degree, and a now solo vacation to London. From the description, I was hooked: “female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them.” However, I may have overly extended my expectations. I could not fully get on board with this book past the first quarter. All the men in this book were bland and vapid while I could not feel conflicted while reading because there was barely any conflict. It felt all repetitive both in the historical and modern timelines. I was hoping for more of a complex dark and twisted tale. I’m not opposed to reading more of Penner’s work in the future, but I will make sure to work on my own expectations.

I did get this audio and enjoyed the narrators for the most part. Like other reviews, I also had the issue with narrators sounding robotic when I increased the reading speed, but I assume that is likely a production issue.

Thank you to Harper/Harlequin Audio for an advance copy.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is a great listen! Thank you #NetGalley for this wonderful book. I loved the imagery of "mudlarking" in the story. The way the author wove two storylines (past and present) into one was well done. I found myself to be pulled into the story, The three narrators all gave brilliant performances and brought their perspective to life. Narrated by: Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, Lauren Irwin, each were fantastic.

The Lost Apothecary was a wonderful story that was really rich in history and lore. I was really drawn to the subject and reading the book I became attached to the characters. I was thrilled when Sarah Penner announced that she would be writing another book soon. I would recommend this for any historical fiction fans.

This is a feminist historical fiction tale of strong women helping other women in need back in the 1790’s. The apothecary starts helping when women in a time when women did not have the help from physicians like we do in present times. But soon after, the apothecary changes to help women in need with something much darker.

The Lost Apothecary is told from three different points of view: Nella, Eliza and Caroline. Nella and Eliza are telling the tale of the apothecary in the 1790’s and present day with Caroline.

This book is slower paced but after about 25% of the way in the story starts to come together and pick up. About 90% of the way in their is an utterly shocking twist that rocked the whole story. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to listen the this story, it kept me interested throughout and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
I listened to Audiobook version of the story. I loved the dark, gothic, haunting atmosphere. The story is read by Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, and Lauren Irwin. All of the narrators did a fantastic job. The book is 10 hours and 18 minutes long.

Many thanks to Sarah Penner, the publisher, and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!

A very good book. I was drawn into it instantly. I loved the herbals and floral pharmacology. The two main characters of the two different time periods were clearly described. What a great debut novel!

The Lost Apothecary
by Sarah Penner
Pub Date March 2, 2021

Historical fiction told in dual timelines and points of view by women who are struggling to find a foothold in a time where they garner little rights and today when identity and forging your own path is just as crucial.
What lengths might you go to?

The Lost Apothecary is about Nella, who mixed tinctures and poisons for women who have no one else to turn to. A precious girl who makes a critical error setting off a chain of events that will send ripples through time. Leading to Caroline In our modern times who makes a discovery while on her own journey. What she finds will unravel the pieces of poison, murder and the lost apothecary that plagued London 200 years ago.

Penner has crafted a remarkable debut story not to be overlooked!

My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for my advanced copy.

I listened to the audiobook as I was given an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The setting of the story is set in present day London and then the story flips to 1790’s London. The story is told in 3 perspectives and in putting the stories together a mystery is solved from the 1790’s. Running alongside the old story is one of a troubled marriage in present day. While solving the mystery of the lost apothecary, Caroline comes to the realization that happiness and fulfillment are two separate things. With this realization comes the ability to make difficult decisions about what she wants in her life. The audiobook was enjoyable once I got accustomed to the voice of Nell which was somewhat monotone. Otherwise, the audiobook was well done. The pace was good and the narrators spoke clearly and were able to be understood without any issues.

I can’t believe this is a debut. I’m really impressed with the journey this book took me on. It’s a book that is outside of my typical genre of choice; thrillers/horror. I don’t know how to classify this one! Suspense? Paranormal? Fantasy? I can’t quite put my finger on it and that alone is one thing I loved. It doesn’t fit into a specific box and it’s different from anything I have read. It did, however, give me The Uninvited and The Broken Girls vibes with the dual timeline.

This story follows three women. Two of them living in the last 18th century London, the other in modern day. The 18th century timeline involves an apothecary who specializes in killing men, and only men, as vindication for their wrongdoings against women. The modern story follows Caroline, a woman who discovers the apothecary and seeks to uncover the truth about the apothecary and its mysteries.

I feel like this book has something for every reader. There is a bit of fantasy, there is history, there is romance, and above all, female empowerment.

Thank you very much to NetGalley for an advanced look at this book for my honest review!

A very engaging dual timeline story told in three distinct points of view. There is an ominous tone that keeps the reader engaged, as well as the interesting way the present storyline mirrors the past one.

The author was a bit heavy handed in her vilification of men, and there was an annoyingly excessive withholding of information by the characters.

The audiobook was well produced with separate narrators for each POV.

Oh wow. I enjoyed this book extremely. I related to the modern day Character so much . I couldn’t read it fast enough. I will be recommending this magical journey for years to come. Thank you for allowing me a chance to read.

I enjoyed this book, I have been trying to get more into historical fiction lately and I think this was a good read. Eliza was my favorite character, she was so sweet and kept her belief in magic all throughout the time we knew her. I also loved how she was so terrified of ghosts and yet so nonchalant about murder. I also loved the relationship she had with Nella, I love the found family trope and they had such a sweet mother-daughter relationship. Nella is of course a murderer who sells women poisons so they may kill their husbands. It isn't a new idea by far but I loved how The Lost Apothecary told the story. I enjoyed Caroline's narrative although I didn't love the fact that after all this talk of wanting to tell the stories of ordinary women she didn't want to tell Eliza's. Other than that, I feel Caroline's point of view was a nice addition, I did enjoy her chapters very much. Overall I'd give this four stars.