The premise of this book grabbed me immediately and was so intriguing for the first few chapters. As I got into the book I found it to be predictable and I found myself rolling my eyes at the characters. At times it felt very melodramatic and over the top, in addition to being predictable. Some of the supplemental characters and storylines felt pointless to me and had me wishing Penner would've dove deeper into others. While I did enjoy the ending, it was not a book that had enough depth, intrigue or dynamic characterization to use in my classroom. This one was overall just a miss for me. I almost DNFed but I'm very glad I didn't because the ending would make me bump this up to 2.5 stars.

This was a great book of secrets and more secrets. I listened to the audiobook and it was fabulous!
The story moves back and forth between 2 timelines, London in the 1790's and present day London. Nella, an apothecary in 1790's London conjures up potions, and poisonous ones at that. She aids those women that need assistance against male wrongdoings, as she, herself, once experienced. Her adoring helper is 12 year-old Eliza. Caroline escapes to London in the present day, while reassessing a failing marriage. She is the catalyst to uncovering the secrets of the past.
The narrators were superb. There were 3 different voices for each of the 3 main characters. Their distinct voices, especially Nella, were so well-defined and created an aura of suspense as each chapter progressed. The unexpected turn of events add to an exciting plot. The interpretation of the book's ending was left up to the reader, to figure who survived or if they survived. It was a perfect ending to an engrossing and entertaining read.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and absolutely adored it. The narrator’s voice changed (or there were multiple narrators) depending on who was talking which made it really simple to know who you were listening to. The book was great and immediately pulled me in. I loved both viewpoints and followed “on the edge of my seat” while I washed dishes over several days.

The Lost Apothecary is a novel told in two timelines: one in London in 1791 (featuring Nella and Eliza) and one in present-day London (featuring Caroline). The titular apothecary, Nella, has dedicated herself to helping women, who were not well served by the 18th century medical establishment. She learned those skills from her mother. But a tragic event earlier in her life impelled her toward creating poisons to get revenge on deceitful men and that is how she meets young Eliza, who arrives at her workshop at the behest of her mistress, whose husband is cheating on her. In the current day, Caroline’s husband has cheated on her and that is how she winds up in London alone, on what was supposed to be their tenth anniversary trip.

Although sometimes a two-timeline book has me losing interest in one of the stories, this book did not have that issue. I found both of the stories quite engaging and I loved how they interacted with each other along the way. One issue I did have is that, in the modern story, Caroline discovered the location of the 1791 apothecary workshop and various documents way too easily. Of course, that made the story move along but in reality, these things would never have come so easily and quickly to an amateur researcher (one week or so). That being said, I was still drawn into the story and was rooting for each of the three women.

I listened to the audiobook and I thought the three narrators were excellent: Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, and Lauren Irwin.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the opportunity to listen to an advance readers copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

First…. <b>That cover!!!</b> Umm. Wow! One of the more stunning covers I’ve seen recently.

I listened to the audio version of The Lost Appothecary. The narrator for Nella spoke very mysteriously and deliberate as she draws you in right from the beginning. You follow three points of view. One in present day and two in the the late 1700s. All set in London. The storyline is simple and easy to follow, yet there was an urgency to see how the story would unfold and I didn’t want to put it down. The present day story wasn’t nearly as interesting as the historic one (but isn’t that always the case?).

This one screams “bestseller”. It is sure to be a favorite with historical fiction fans!

Thank you Netgalley, Harper Audio, and Harlequin Audio for the advance unabridged copy of the audiobook version.

The Lost Apothecary is the story of 3 women. In the late 1700's, Nella is the apothecary, whose purpose in life, like her mothers is to help women with medicines during a time when doctors, who were all men, didn't really try to help or understand and often didn't even believe women and their medical issues. Sadly, Nella was betrayed by a man that led her to become a help to women in another way - by dispensing poisons meant to be used to kill the men in their lives that were hurting them.

Eliza is the 12-year-old girl, who at the request of her mistress and employer, acquired poison to kill the mistress's husband, who was starting to show inappropriate attention to Eliza.

Caroline is living in the modern day. She's arrived in London on her own. The day before she was to leave with her husband on what was to be their 10th wedding anniversary trip, she learned he was having an affair. During a mudlarking trip, Caroline finds an old container in the river that had once belonged to Nella. Caroline's a history buff and pursues finding out more about the container.

The story bounces between the 3 women who narrate. In the audio version, there are 3 different actresses voicing each woman's part of the story. The actress who played Nella was very monotone and flat, which does give a person a sense of who Nella has become. However, it was a little challenging to listen to. The other narrators were more lively and enjoyable to listen to.

The story is slow to start. It takes a long time for Caroline to reveal her husband's affair, referring to it vaguely a few times first. It picks up some in the middle, but is also somewhat predictable. However, I did find the ending fairly satisfactory. There are no real loose threads when you're done.

I really liked the librarian! I assure you it isn't just because I am one. :)

Two things that bothered me with the story:
1) A cell phone's flashlight would not drain the battery quickly. It is only 1 led.
2) Eliza got her period for the first time and it took forever for another woman to explain it to her.

I want to thank Netgalley and Park Row for allowing me free access to the audio version of this book.

The Lost Apothecary follows three narrators, Caroline, Nella, and Eliza. Caroline is in the present time, investigating the story of Nella the apothecary and her young friend Eliza, who lived in the late 18th century. While Caroline is learning about their story, she is coping with complications in her own life and finding some odd similarities between her life and the other two women. This book is beautifully written. The style of switching back and forth between time periods and narrators makes it a hard book to put down. The characters and the setting were well developed, which made for a fantastic debut novel. Each character has her own narrator in the audiobook, which makes the characters feel even more unique and dynamic.

First of all, thanks to Netgalley for an ARC copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Before diving into the contents of this novel, I wanted to note that the narrators of each character were excellent. As for the content....

The premises of the story sounded interesting: A book about poisons and murder, women's friendship and mutual support-not to mention an eye grabbing and wonderfully designed cover! (I should've known better...)
The book develops between alternating narratives. Eliza and Nella are characters in the 1790's and Caroline lives a contemporary story. This recipe for storytelling feels too extensively used lately. There is a mismatch between the timelines and Caroline's affairs are extended with too much inconsequential wording. The juxtaposition between these two timelines appeared disconnected at times, and I found that neither story was properly developed; it seems like the author tried to cleverly align each character's narrative but failed to do so.
Caroline's character is not consistent; her thoughts and her actions are a mixture of trying to be a self-assured, independent woman almost inevitably followed by her displaying an immediate shift in demeanor. In essence, her character lacks depth. While some details were over complicated and drawn-out, others seemed carelessly thrown in. However, she has a good character arc and was relatable to the audience.

Nella and Eliza's storyline was more interesting, albeit did not produce a cathartic ending to the book. Eliza's story begins with many details about her family, which are never mentioned again after the first few chapters. She shifts between being precocious and acting extremely naively. Again, some details were too drawn out, such as her inner monologue concerning her period. Nella also had many overused facts- she continuously mentioned the baby that had dropped out of her "belly," far more than necessary to advance the plot. However, her character was cleverly developed as the reader found themselves pitying and empathizing with a serial killer.

To me, the ending of the novel seemed rush and left many loose ends. Overall, however, it was charming and entertaining, and most people seem to be thoroughly enjoying it.

The Lost Apothecary has officially made it onto my top 10 list of favorite books. It took me a few days after finishing it to get my thoughts together because I just wanted to soak up the book for a while.

First, author Sarah Penner did an amazing job writing this book. With a dual timeline and three different perspectives, it could have gotten very confusing, very fast. But it didn’t - it wasn’t hard to keep track of times and dates, characters and perspectives.

I listened to the audiobook of The Lost Apothecary and in addition to being well-written, it was also well-spoken. The narrators -- Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony and Lauren Irwin -- were top notch, appropriate for their ages and eras. I particularly enjoyed the richness of Bennett’s voice, who spoke as Nella in the audiobook.

This book had twists and turns and moments of such heartbreak, poignancy and wonder. It kept me wondering too, and guessing, and honestly, it made me want to drop everything and go mudlarking on the river Thames.

The ending of the book still has me reeling and wondering. I was very surprised by how the book ended. It’s a wildly interesting book with strong female characters, family legacies, what it means to be maternal, what it means to have faith and maybe, just maybe… there’s magic too.

The writing, the plot, the twists and turns, the characters and the narration -- I’m still savoring them days after finishing the book. It was a pleasure to experience this book and I look forward to reading it again.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Audio.

A narrative written in the past and present. One going on in England during the 1700’s and then present day England. Following three separate women, Nella the owner of the apothecary, Eliza a twelve year old house maid. As well as present day Caroline who is visiting England from Ohio for her tenth wedding anniversary. There alone after finding out her husband had been unfaithful. She finds a piece of glass during a mud larking tour and then finds herself tangled in the mystery of the lost apothecary.

I listened to the audiobook, the production was okay. I find I’m not that big a fan of three separate readers but it was well done. There was nothing specifically wrong with this book I just wasn’t very impressed. I wouldn’t say don’t read it but I didn’t find myself drawn to finishing it. I also thought a lot of the plot had holes in it, especially the present day stuff. The author did do a very good job of mixing the past and present. I liked that the answers from the present could be answered by the past or vic versa. I would say this is a nice light read if you like historical fiction and women’s fiction, empowerment of women. Review written for NetGallery. Thank-you to NetGalley and Harper Audio/Harlequin Audio for an advanced reader copy of this audiobook which releases March 2nd, 2021

I really enjoyed this book.. It was beautifully narrated, giving distinct voices to each character. Penned beautifully weaves plot lines across generations for a seamless story.

This was so fascinating a story full of secrets.
It follows two POV, both in London, one in 1791 and the other in our present time.

• Nella is a talented healer, secretly uses her knowledge to help women kill their husbands or men of whom they are victims.
• Caroline is a young historian. When she finds a old vial apothecary she does not resist investigating a 200 year old mystery.
The stories of both women are intertwined, they may be 200 years apart, but both have suffered the same disappointments and yearn for the same.

Caroline is determined to solve the mystery of apothecary, she visit the library for records in the library and soon discovers that there is not much information.

Nella has a double life, selling remedies to heal everyone and products to kill men. She has promised to help every woman who asks for her help until someone arrives and she will have to reject her, putting her life in danger and her assistant Eliza, a 12 year old girl.

Through the newspapers, Caroline finds an old article about the murders, but not the author or motive behind the murders. She is determined to find out who did it and the reasons.

Alternating between the two women, you are part of the mystery, the novel is fast-paced and rich in detail.

Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose — selling well disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But an unexpected friendship sets in motion a whirl of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose many. Two centuries later, a young historian, Carolina, begins the search to uncover the truth about the Lost Apothecary. 
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Sarah Penner had me interested after just reading the description. I loved the dual timelines and was really enthralled by the notion of a mysterious apothecary helping women “escape” from the men that did them wrong. The story kept my interest up until the very end where I was left feeling a bit disappointed because of how quickly Caroline’s situation wrapped up.
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I enjoyed how believable and realistic each of the characters were and the relationships they had with one another. There were a few twists at the end that added to the story. I also really appreciated the overarching theme of women coming together to help one another.
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Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Penner, and the publisher for the free e-ARC in return for an honest review.
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Favorite Quote:
“It was beginning to seem like every person and every place, carried an untold story with long buried truths resting just beneath the surface.”

I've been anticipating this book for some time since I saw it in a Goodreads giveaway. And I appreciated a lot of it. But I had some issues with it that just made it kind of dull.

I really enjoyed the writing style. The narrative switches between multiple perspectives which were all fairly well-developed. I wish I had heard more from the character Caroline, who was in present time and who's story had the only well done plot twist. I wanted more of the story to be at that pace, but most of it was very slow - even though it was about women poisoning terrible men in the 1700s (hence where my high interest came from).

The plot fell flat and was underdeveloped. Not much happens in the story and what does happen is predictable. I wanted there to be more twists and turns for a historical fiction mystery, and they just didn't happen. I don't think I can recommend this unless you just want something you can zone out to as an audiobook. Even if you weren't paying much attention, you could still tell exactly what was going on.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Lost Apothecary.

This book's premise and gorgeous cover immediately grabbed my attention, but sadly it did not live up to my hopes for it. Women helping women escape abusive men, mystery, magic... I expected to be fully engrossed. I just couldn't get myself to care for any of the characters or their problems and had I not been given the audio version I surely would have set this down and moved on to something else.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook. I am sorry to say that I only made it to about 45%. I definitely enjoyed the 1700's storyline more so than the present day, but it all seemed to move too slowly for me. I gave it several tries before deciding it was time to move on to something I enjoyed more.

If you want a good witchy/apothecary story that isn't young adult; this is definitely your book. Two stories combine though they are separated centuries from each other. Carolina in present day comes to London to clear her mind after finding out her husband of 10 years has been having an affair. She approaches the trip with sadness but also a fresh perspective on where she wants her life to go moving forward. Fast forward back to mid 1700's and Nella, an apothecary owner who brews tinctures for wronged women to give to their husbands, is approached by young Eliza who has an eager interest to learn of magic. The two end up striking up an unique friendship and embarking on their own journey.

I listened to the audiobook of this and it was too good! I loved the fact it had two narrators to showcase Nella and Eliza in their British accents and Caroline in her American accent. The speed of the book is quick, so when you get to a point where you just can't wait for the answer, Sarah Penner gives you the info you need. The ending left me very fulfilled and just wanting to dive into more history.

Thank you Sarah Penner, Harper Audio, Harlequin Audio, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Sarah Penner’s debut novel is imaginative, atmospheric and captivating. The dual timeline story (alternating between present day and late 18th century London) sucked me into the mystery surrounding a series of unsolved murders dating back over two hundred years ago.

The story follows an American woman, Caroline, on vacation in London as she deals with a personal heartbreak. She finds a welcome distraction when she happens upon a historical artifact which leads her on a quest to learn the story behind it. Her research rekindles her passion for history and makes her reevaluate her life choices.

In the alternate timeline we follow 12 year old house maid Eliza whose path intertwines with 41 year old apothecary owner Nella who secretly helps women seek vengeance on men who have wronged them.

I preferred the timeline in the 18th century because it explored the lives of girls and women whose stories we will never know about because history did not record them in any meaningful way.

The present day timeline fell a little flat for me because I didn’t feel an emotional connection to Caroline despite the fact that I was cheering her on her quest to solve the mystery of the “apothecary killer”.

I recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction about the lives of girls and women. It’s an entertaining and easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I was not quite sure how the two stories, one in the present day and one in the 1700"s, would come together, but Penner did a great job. I highly recommend this book.

A very special thanks to NetGally and Harper Audio for sharing this AMAZING Arc with me for my honest review. Sarah Penner's debut book has been excited to see what she has in store for her next novel. This mystery kept me guessing the whole time. With dual timelines that was intertwined beautifully kept me on the edge of my seat.

In the late 1700's, Nella runs a secret apothecary shop where women leave letters asking her for poison to kill a man in their lives. She records their names and the tinctures she uses. One night a 12 year old Eliza comes to make a request for her mistress. Nella and Eliza end up becoming old friends as their lives entangle.

In the present day, Caroline has caught her husband cheating on her. They were due an anniversary trip to London. Caroline decides to travel alone. On her first day there she goes mudlarking, which she finds a blue potions bottle with a bear mark on the side. Finding this bottle sets her off on a journey of a lifetime.