Caroline is reeling after discovering her husband had an affair and embarks on their London anniversary vacation alone. While meandering through the city she discovers mudlarking -- a hobby of discovering objects in the mud of the Thames. The first meaningful find Caroline has is a small vial with a bear etched on it.

The vial comes from an apothecary in the late 1700s run by Nella, the daughter of an herbalist. Her mother created cures for maladies, but Nella expanded the business and also sells poisons for women to escape evil men.

Eliza is sent by her mistress to procure poison for the man of the house when his wandering eye lands on the twelve-year-old servant. Eliza is enchanted by the apothecary and asks Nella to teach her more about poisons.

The story is told in turns by Caroline, Nella, and Eliza as their lives and connections with the apothecary unfold. Before the story ends, each woman must confront the dangerous consequences of their actions.

The three narrators of the audiobook sound so different that it is easy to imagine each woman reading her story. Eliza's narrator captures her youth and innocence, and Nella's narrator captures the spirit of the world-weary woman. Caroline's narrator sounds more modern, making it easy to imagine her in the present-day.

Recommended for fans of historical fiction, especially Anglophiles and those who enjoy historical women's fiction.

First off I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to listen to this audiobook before hitting the shelves!

This book was so entertaining and emotional. You follow three points of view. One in present day and Two in the the late 1700s London. Sarah Penner created characters that I fell in love with easily. My favorite was Eliza a 12 year old sent by her employer to retrieve poison from a hidden Apothecary. I very much enjoyed the storyline from both time periods and how they synced up perfectly. Naturally there was a happy ending and who doesn't love a happy ending.

The discovery of histroy was engaging and I loved every twist and turn along the way. Thank you for this gem Sarah.

Two time periods. Three women. All intertwined.
Present Day: After her husband’s affair, Caroline travels to London to have some alone time. She joins a mud larking group and finds an old mysterious vile at the bottom of the river. Using her love of history and literature, she heads to the library to research and find out anything about the antique vile.
Late 1700’s: Nella owns an apothecary shop, down back alley, that she inherited from her mother. All of her concoctions are sold underground and she is only there to help women. Women have come to her in cases where they need to rid of their husbands because of abuse, affair, name it all, and Nella will dispense a poison to help the women. She will not use her poisons against women in any form and she stands strongly on that belief.
Late 1700’s: Eliza, a twelve-year-old, is sent away from her family to work as a house maid for a wealthy family in London. She is sent to Nella’s apothecary to bring back a tincture for her mistress’s husband.
I love how the stories intertwined going back and forth between present day and the late 1700’s. The character development was wonderful as all three grew and evolved over the course of the story. All three of these women learned to stand up for themselves and take control of their lives. It is a story about friendship, secrets, betrayal and courage. The story itself was wonderful. This was a truly amazing debut and I cannot wait to see what Penner comes up with next! I am a historical fiction lover and this one is definitely at the top!
The audiobook was well done! I loved that three different narrators were used and it really helped knowing which character you were following.
Thank you netgalley for my advanced readers copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It’s 1791 in London and in a secret apothecary shop on Back Alley we meet the mysterious proprietor, Nella. Nella uses the same ingredients her mother before her used for good to help women kill men that have wronged them. When Nella meets a young charge (Eliza Fanning) seeking help for her mistress, neither knew how much their chance encounter would change their lives. Intertwined is the story of Caroline, a woman on a London vacation for her 10th wedding Anniversary. Unfortunately, she’s on that vacation alone. With time on her hands and a background degree in history, she is suddenly knee deep in a mystery after she discovers a very old blue apothecary bottle while mudlarking near the River Thames. What’s the story behind bottle?? She quickly delves in to find that out. Through her search, she not only finds out the answers to her questions about that little blue bottle, but also the answers to some much needed questions involving her own life. What a riveting, magical debut novel!! Completely unique with a cast of unforgettable characters and voiced by a cast of exceptional narrators, this book was extremely difficult to walk away from!

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is a fascinating book told in dual timelines about a vigilante apothecary who helps women enact revenge on the men who have wronged them and a historian who uncovers the story centuries later.

This is a mystical tale with a feminist twist, and it kept me guessing until the very end.

Author Sarah Penner narrates this audiobook, and the run time for this novel is 10 hours and 18 minutes.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

18th century London, there is a shop that sells poison to women whose husbands are unfaithful. Nella has only 2 rules, she must write down the name of every woman who poisons their husband and rule number two, the poison must never be used on another woman.

Eliza is a 12 year old who goes to Nellas shop to get a bottle of poison for her mistress. She becomes an apprentice and helps Nella around the shop. Eliza makes a grave error that has Nella on edge.

Caroline is present day in London when she stumbles across a tiny vile with a bear etched on it. She decides since she is on her anniversary without her cheating husband she will track down where the bottle came from. She finds everything she is looking for and then some.

The audio version follows all 3 of these woman and their stories. I am so very thankful I was able to listen to the advanced version. This book has been on my TBR since it was announced last year!

This review is for the audiobook. 🎧 "The Lost Apothecary" is part historical fiction, part mystery, and part women's fiction. An 18th century apothecary—a poisoner of men who've done wrong—and her apprentice anchor the historical storyline, and a modern day historian who has learned her husband has cheated on her carries the "now" storyline. Despite the seemingly dark topic of vengeful poisoning, this book is a light and easy read. The three narrators (for the three POVs) seem to be having fun with this story and give it a strongly dramatic flair. Great debut by Sarah Penner, whose prose evokes London past and present and three women seeking their purpose and how to fulfill it.

Caroline is ready to celebrate her 10th wedding anniversary when she stumbles on some information that has her taking off to London to enjoy anniversary trip alone. Once a history major, she decides to try out mudlarking where she finds a centuries old apothecary jar with the symbol of a bear. She decides to do some research on this object. Meanwhile in the late 1700s, Nella is in her hidden closet brewing tinctures that help her clients rid themselves of abusive or otherwise awful men. When a client sends a 12 year old servant for a "remedy" - a series of events is set into motion that could threaten the lives of many women. There are many parallels to Nella's and Caroline's stories, regrets about the paths not chosen and how their lives are impacted by their secrets.
This is a beautifully written story with a gorgeous cover. It is told from the perspectives of Caroline, Nella, and the 12 year old Eliza. I found this to be a compelling, slow moving story that kept my attention throughout.
The audio narration was somewhat uneven - the one who voiced Nella's story - the narration was so incredibly slow and monotone that I had to speed it up to at least 1.25 - but then I would have to slow it back down again when it changed narrators for Caroline and Eliza's stories. This, of course, took me out of the story which affected my overall enjoyment.

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of The Lost Apothecary by Susan Penner. This was a very enjoyable audiobook. I loved the 2 different storyline. The narrator was very good too. Thank you!

This is a breathtaking story of self discovery, mystery, betrayal and friendship that empowers women and embraces the notion that no woman should be forgotten or disregarded. Giving women a voice is a recurring theme in the story. Having three women read the Audiobook rather then one reader really made the book come alive and gave the distinct characters their own voice. The Lost Apothecary intertwines the lives of three women, spanning over 200 years.  Nella, who sells well disguised poisons in 18th century London, Eliza,a 12 year old servant girl that makes a fatal mistake putting Nella and the Apothecary in danger and Caroline in present day who had gone to London for her tenth wedding anniversary alone to figure out her marriage and life after finding out that her husband had been having an affair. Caroline finds a vial marked with a bear while Mudlarking and becomes interested in distracting herself by delving into the past to learn more about where it came from and what it could have held. This story pulls one in and keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what could possibly happen next. The tale travels back and forth from present day to the 1790s to solve the mysteries of the small blue vial and while helping Caroline find herself.

A few chapters in, I ended up noticing that this was the second book featuring women acting against "bad men" that I was reading at the same time. In the other book The Lady Upstairs, they were conning them and getting money from them (for the most part) but in this historical mystery/thriller, The Lost Apothecary is determined to help women by giving them special drinks & poisons if the need to kill an abusive husband (among other things) arises. However, when a plan doesn't turn out the way she expected, she and the girl who helps her are in danger of being found out. I loved that we also followed in present time a young woman searching for the truth of what happened while dealing with a not so great husband of her own. She'll search the truth that was kept by this Apothecary that she doesn't know the name of.

Overall, this book started out slowly but after a little while, I got invested in the story and its characters and from there, it was a really good book. I ended up loving it and if the author publishes anything else, I'll be interested in checking it out!

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

This was the story of three women: Nelly and Eliza in 18th century London and Caroline today... the Apothecary made potions and tinctures to help woman escape from their horrible partners or situations, but swore never to harm a woman. Nella’s assistant, Eliza, made an error and set off a series of events. Caroline’s husband was just caught cheating on her and she went alone on a vacation to explore London. I liked flipping back between the stories and loved the ending! Lorna Bennett’s narration was perfect! Thanks @netgalley for the ARC!

I was invested in this story immediately. The Lost Apothecary follows the story of three women: Nella, Eliza and Caroline. Nella runs an apothecary shop in 1790s London that helps women by creating concoctions to rid themselves of men who have betrayed them. Eliza is a quick-witted 12-year-old girl who becomes Nella’s unlikely assistant. Caroline heads to London present-day after finding out about her husband’s infidelity. What was once supposed to be an anniversary trip turns into one of self-discovery when her passion for history is reigniting after finding a peculiar glass vial in the Thames. She becomes enwrapped in the mystery of this lost apothecary shop, and the stories of the three women come together.

I listened to this book on audio and loved the three different narrators. My only complaint is that occasionally, Nella’s narration sounded a bit robotic and echoey; however, this did not take away from the story at all.

This was a great fast-paced historical fiction read with elements of mystery and magic. The twists kept coming and kept me engrossed in the story. An amazing debut from Sarah Penner; I will read everything she comes out with in the future.

Thank you to the publisher + NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner and narrated by: Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, and Lauren Irwin is a great dual timeline historical fiction novel.

This book weaves a tale of three characters: Nella, the owner of a hidden word-of-mouth apothecary in 1791, Eliza, a 12 year old who’s life crosses paths with Nella, and current-day Caroline.

I enjoyed the concept of the mysterious and dark shop and its owner Nella that helped women right some of the wrongs that have been done to them and how her story weaved with Eliza’s. I also like how Caroline’s life was able to be pieced into the past story lines as well.

I loved the idea uniting the women that they were all trying to figure out not only their own lives, but also how to find some control in a seemingly powerless situation. The way the author weaved these women together was impressive. I enjoyed the suspense and mystery as well.

The audiobook was enjoyable as there were several narrators that kept the characters separate, unique, and fresh.

All in all a great and addictive read.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Harper Audio for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

This is the story of two women: Caroline, who is in London where she was scheduled to celebrate her tenth wedding anniversary before she found out her husband was cheating on her. So now she's made it to London alone and stumbles on an apothecary vial near the river which then sets her off on a journey to figure out where it came from. And Nella, an apothecary in late 1700s who has moved away from her mother's traditional apothecary shop to a much more nefarious one where she sells poisons for women to kill to be free of the men in their lives. The book goes back and forth between the two women as you see Nella's story unfold and Caroline's story colliding with it.

While I enjoyed both women's perspectives, I liked my time with Nella more and found myself looking forward to those chapters. This is not your modern mystery where everyone is over the top and there are giant twists and all the characters are unreliable. This is old-school mystery that develops its characters, brings the setting into the reader's mind and imagination, slowly unwinds, builds up to some twists to show you life is not as expected and finishes with a very satisfying coming together of the story. Much more my kind of mystery.

with gratitude to harper audio and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

“All that I’ve lost.” It weighed on me now, a lifetime of misery, like the raw earth pressing into an open grave.”

Past and present are beautifully interwoven in this dramatic historical fiction that hosts a sprinkling of magic and mystery. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner takes place in dual timelines; one in late 18th century London exploring the bittersweet life of an apothecarist and her attempts to serve justice for women who’ve been wronged, and the woman in the present who begins to unravel the mysterious apothecarist’s past. A single vial connects the women, condemning one and freeing another.

Told by three narrators, Caroline in present time, planning a celebratory 10th anniversary trip to London with her husband, ends up traveling alone when she finds that he’s not quite the prince she thought he was and, in the past, Nella, once a healer who through her own pain and loss has turned to assisting other women with problematic men and Eliza, a twelve-year-old Lady’s maid who becomes Nella’s friend and assistant.

I primarily listened to this on audio, thank you Harper Audio & I was generously gifted a physical copy, too, my thanks to Park Row Books, and this was an amazing way to soak in this beautifully written story. The full cast narration is done splendidly by Lauren Anthony, Lorna Bennett, and Lauren Irwin. Each narrator giving depth and personality to the characters, making them unique and unforgettable.

At heart, this is a story of women helping women, and women determining their own story, apart from the need for any other controlling influences. I saw this in Nella’s story and in Caroline’s but each was significant to the era they lived in. Beautifully plotted and quickly paced, any fan of the genre is not going to want to miss out on this.

Book 16 towards my goal of 240! 5/5 stars for this dual timeline read! Loved that it switched up from Historical England to present day! Loved the cover. Absolutely loved the apothecary MC and her friend! Loved the cover! Dual timeline and multi POV is my jam! Highly recommend!

**I received this book in exchange for honest review from Netgalley**

I really enjoyed this book so much, I never thought was going to be so magical but at the same time with the right doses of drama that will make this book more intriguing and more appealing.

Nella has been living under the shadows for a long time she was more like a ghost now, a betray made her this way, a betray from the worst person, someone whom she loved so much and believed blindly, but circumstances weren't the great ones and she had to move on bowing to help many women with similar experiences, she will help them to recover their happiness and dignity. even if that meant poisoning a few of these bad men.

The Apothecary came with rules, rules Nella's mother was so determined to keep in place no matter what

Rule 1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.
Rule 2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.

The lost apothecary is the story of three different women in a different time and ages that were suffering from the same betray, the Apothecary store was somehow what links them and made their story merge into one.

Caroline was ready to celebrate 10 years of marriage but she didn't know her celebration was about to be postponed or better said cancel thanks to something she found out before their trip. she leaves alone hoping she will find an answer or a solution to her pain, not knowing this trip will change her life forever especially when she found the Apothecary. she is not ready to forgive him but she is ready to move on.

Eliza Fanning a 12-year-old with a very special heart that will save Nella and so many ways, Eliza was an amazing character for me she was the strongest of the three even if she was so young she was a character that I really love. strong, bold, and sometimes more aware of things that you can expect from her young age.

Eliza came to Nella's life when Nella was very lost, she was determined to only provide help to other women in need, but life played tricks on her and she was not ready to break that promise. Eliza helped Nella in so many ways to recover the faith and the trust she lost a long time ago but at the same time, Eliza came to fill something in Nella's heart that has been so empty.

The narrations were amazing Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, Lauren Irwin gave so much depth to the story and the characters making the book more enjoyable and really bringing everything so alive.

Overall it was a great book, the story of three women facing the challenges of being in love and betrayal, three women fighting to recover themselves in a world made for men.

This book surprised me, at the beginning I thought it was a bit slow but then halfway things do a 180 and suddenly I'm hooked. We establish who Caroline, Nella, and Eliza are and see what they're going through which is why it's not as exciting right away. I was rooting for Caroline to leave her sleazebag husband and move to England without looking back. Things start to build up and then our characters are trying to avoid police and people are dying! That's when it all came together for me.

I really liked the apothecary Nella ran. Helping women get rid of the abusive, terrible men in their lives and refusing to hurt other women. Yeah it's murder, but so what? These men suck and you reap what you sew lol. The way this tied into the present was pretty interesting and as for Caroline's husband, karma sucks!

I appreciated that this wasn't paranormal and focused on the women and the mystery surrounding the missing apothecary and her young assistant. The ending was satisfying, though more poisoning would have been appreciated.

I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Right from the beginning, I was hooked. The narrators are awesome, the writing is smooth and pulls you in. I immediately started caring about the characters, wondering about their backstory, and wanting to read more about them and their journey. I'm so surprised that it's a debut novel because w0w, it's so good. The first half goes at a steady pace and it starts to pick up more in the second half, which I didn't mind because before this I read a beginning to end fast-paced book so it was nice to just enjoy the journey. I loved the history, witchy vibes, and the focus on family intrigues that plagued the women of 18th century London and a bit of present-day women as well. I can't wait for more from the author Sarah Penner because this one just blew me away.