I was obsessed with “wrong number text fics” on AO3 (I actually still am) and I was very excited to see that concept in book form but this didn’t really have the same magic as the fics do. Everything about this just needed a little more; little more explanation, little more pizazz, little more plot.

I think the letters are where it’s losing me. A lot of them were just kind of describing their day to day business and they were not that exciting. It’s cool to see them slowly turn to affection but then when they realize it’s each other in real life (in which they do not really get along) it’s just like oh cool nice.

I get the comp to divine rivals since it’s almost the exact some plot, but idk where Emily Wilde came from.

This was fun and really sweet but no part of it really stood out. Would recommend this if you’re new to the trope of secret letter coupling but I feel I didn’t love it enough to continue this series.

I really like this in audio and think it actually would be preferred. The female narrator does a great job with all the voices. The male narrator has a nice voice but I’m not sure it really fits the cozy tone of the book (would still recommend giving this a try).

Thank you to Netgalley and Hay House/Bita Behzadi for an early copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

#LettersfromtheLastApothecary Tressport Magic Book 1 by #BitaBehzadi is a workplace Romantasy w/ natural magic & a world in shift, causing a lot of problems. #E.M.Wylde & #SamaraNaeymi perform the two viewpoint characters for #PenguinRandomHouse | #HayHouse LLC, each w/ their own strengths, bringing to life the side characters & the world they inhabit. Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to review the e-audio ALC. #BookSky

I went into this one blind mostly, knowing only that it's rival coworkers to lovers, and for that I am always down.

I love that aspect, and I love the aspect of falling in love through anonymous letters.
This was super slow to start, however and I almost dnf, but decided to keep going and it was around 40% that I really got into it.

I would recommend it, just push through!

Thanks to Hay House and NetGalley for this free ARC of the audiobook.

Imagine your anonymous academic pen pal that you’ve fallen in love with is now your new contentious coworker that you can’t stop bickering with. The setting is magical realism meets the turn of the century, all in an apothecary. Not only are they trying to get into a magical Master’s program and fighting to save the apothecary from bankruptcy, but there’s also a murder mystery wrapped up in the mafia.

The female character is relatable in a world of misogyny and career struggles. I’m not sure I totally fell in love with the MMC as the FMC did, but I enjoyed the book nonetheless. He grows in his character development, going from surly to loving of his coworker as he begins to put together the pieces.

The two narrators of the audiobook are wonderful in conveying the emotions of the two characters. I think this is absolutely worth a listen!

3.5⭐️
This was a really unique and enjoyable audiobook!

Set at the turn of the 20th century in a fictional city, this story covered a complex and changing fantasy world. The worldbuilding was thorough and the magic system was distinctive.
I absolutely loved that it dove into the intersections of misogyny and religion, magic, education, science and interpersonal relationships.
I also really appreciated how complex the characters were. Everyone had unpleasant traits to balance out the good; they made mistakes, reacted poorly, or lashed out at people they love. We saw great representation of complicated relationships between friends and family members, too.

I felt like the romance fell just a bit flat for me. We had two timelines: the first via letters, the second in the present storyline. The first timeline wasn’t complete (meaning we weren’t reading ALL of their letters, just a sampling) which would work perfectly if it was providing support and context to the second timeline. However, the first timeline did all the heavy lifting in terms of establishing their feelings for each other. The second timeline was actively counteracting it, which was part of the fun… but we never saw them fall in love in the second timeline, so much as just have the sudden realization that they were supposed to be in love because of the first timeline… where we ALSO didn’t really see them fall in love so much as just announce it.
That made the romantic plotline feel a little flimsy.

Overall, though, I had a really good time listening to this book. The narrators both did a great job and I’m looking forward to what this author does in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the Advanced Listener Copy.

This was such a cozy read. I read this for the vibes but stayed for the characters. I adored the way the letters were written between the characters. We got to see them slowly fall in love through letters but loathe each other in person.

The audiobook was excellent. E.M. Wylde and Samara Naeymi were great narrators. It was such a great listen. I highly recommend checking out the audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bita Behzadi, and Hay House LLC for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars
I enjoyed listening to the audio of Letters from the Last Apothecary. It was a unique fantasy setting with historical fiction vibes. Josie helps organize things in Aufidius’w apothecary shop. She’s opinionated & need the job. He’s grumpy & needs the help. In person, they don’t get along that well. However, unknown to them, they’re also secretly writing anonymous letters to each other. Their romantic connection blossoms in these letters, which leads to the inevitable tensions as both realities collide. I always like epistolary novels & felt the letters were quite well integrated into the story.
*Thanks to Penguin Random House & NetGalley for the free copy

4⭐

Josie Pinova doesn’t believe in fate—until fate seems to believe in her. Aufidius Reid doesn’t believe in luck—and Josie feels like the worst kind. In the shop, they clash. On the page, they fall in love.

I enjoy novels with letters involved. It shows how two people can drastically change how the talk to people when they are vulnerable and open. This is a cozy book with a lot of character growth. Both Josie and Reid are drastically different people through the events of the novel.

There is a strong found family in the book that greatly smooths out the edges of Reid. In the same vein Josie's large family helps her think through things when she is usually a bit more spontaneous.

This is a slice of life book that gets pushed forward with a mystery plot. The mystery plot does not feel too pressing for a bit of time. When the mystery becomes more prominent, it dominated the plot. I enjoyed the mystery plot since not too many things are going on, but I can see some people not enjoy the addition to the plot. It was overall an enjoyable read that I went into blind, and I think that was a great way to fall into this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, epistolary romance, how much I adore you! This was another great example of why I do.

Following Reid and Josie, two people aspiring to get into the Institute of Magic and to finally fulfill their passions, the story unfolds as they anonymously exchange letters, starting with them bonding as university hopefuls and eventually developing feelings for each other.

Let me just say: this was so cute! I am not the biggest dual POV fan, but because the book is interspersed with the main characters' own letters to each other, I thought their different viewpoints enhanced the story very well.

Josie and Reid are two characters who immediately make a bad impression on each other when they meet for the first time, with Reid being annoyed and slightly intimidated by Josie’s expertise and by how well she gets along with his boss, who he’s always felt a little distant from, and Josie being put off by his stand-offish behavior around her. The story did a perfect job of illustrating why these two would never suspect that they're each other’s secret letter writer.

As a heroine, Josie was solidly written, and I liked how this book incorporated her struggles as a woman in a historically inspired world that is very misogynistic, as well as the scrutiny she faces because of an ethnic background that makes her place in society even more precarious.

The book explores a similar theme with Reid, who himself is of a mixed heritage and also has to deal with the otherness and classism of the academic spaces he wants to belong to.

While I did think the book’s slice of life vibes and the day-to-day apothecary happenings were quite fun to follow in the beginning, I also thought the book suffered from feeling a little stretched out and slow until the mystery plot in the latter half unfolded, which reawakened my excitement and interest. Coupled with an ending that felt like it wrapped the story up in a neat way, this really did work for me!

🎧 Audiobook Notes
🎙️ Narration Style: Dual
⭐ Listener Rating: 5/5
This is one of those books I think benefits heavily from being listened to in audiobook form! The two narrators were perfect for their respective characters, and I loved listening to them read the letters that preceded each chapter. Because this is a slower story, the audiobook really was a perfect companion to have on during walks and quieter moments!



Thank you to Penguin Random House for the ALC.

Fantasy
Cozy romance
3rd Person POV

Dual narration - E.M. Wylde & Samara Naeymi
Great narrators.

This one took me a few chapters to adapt to as I do not usually enjoy the third person POV however the story did draw me in. I found the story to be interesting and it kept me entertained while listening. The narrators did a fantastic job bringing this book to life. A good cozy fantasy read.

I absolutely loved Letters From the Last Apothecary! It has the cozy charm of the movie You've Got Mail mixed with a little murder mystery twist, which made it such a fun and refreshing read.

It was a fast listen, easy to get pulled into, and the characters were so lovable. I especially enjoyed the unique magic system, it added such a fresh layer to the story and made the world feel even more special.

This is the perfect palate cleanser between heavier, more emotional books. Cozy fantasy, a touch of mystery, and just the right amount of magic. It was exactly what I needed and can't wait to get a copy of this book to add to my cozy fantasy shelf.

Oh my gosh, this is absolutely the best audiobook I’ve listened to all year!

Premise: “You’ve Got Mail,” but magic users in 1905. Both characters are struggling with gender roles related to their magic, trying to find their way in the world, and butting heads as unbeknownst coworkers. And of course they come together to solve a mystery, save the day, and fall in love!

The characters were beautifully developed and fully fleshed out in a very satisfying way. MMC Reid is prickly (but never ventures into full asshole territory) due to his childhood as an orphan. FMC Josie is stubborn because she’s always been different from others in her family. They grate on each other, but the book avoids the “MMC is a jerk just for the sake of the grumpy/sunshine trope” which I personally hate. The dramatic irony is thick, but never dips into secondhand embarrassment, and it’s incredible to see the character development from both MC’s.

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding as well, particularly the magic system. “High” magic (structured spells) and “owl magic (spontaneous) remind me rather of the wizard/sorcerer dynamic in D&D, and tying that into social gender expectations and the role of magic in the Industrial Era worked perfectly. There were a few passages where the character described how they work with magic, how it flows through them, and it felt like a very real description of any other non-fantasy sensation.

The one but I struggled with was the dual-timeline nature of the epistolary setup. The letter chapters alternate with present day, and the letters are dated several months prior. By the end of the book, the letters were dated from during previous “present day” chapters, and it was a bit tricky to keep track of who knew what at the time.

Despite that, the tension between the characters is very well done and even though I knew there would be a HAE (there has to be, right?), I found myself holding my breath until the end of the book. I loved the ending, and I’m glad to see the book listed as first in a series, as I would love to see what comes next in this world.

I really enjoyed this story. It took me a little bit to get into it, but then I was hooked. I liked both the main characters, and I appreciated the dual pov/narration.

This book was advertised as EMILY WILDE meets DIVINE RIVALS - and I adored Emily Wilde with Divine Rivals on my tbr (may have to bump them up now). We meet Josie, our fmc, who gets a job at an apothecary, working with a grumpy Reid. But they get to know each other and fall for each other through letters - which was really my favorite part of the books! Add in a mystery, and it’s a very enjoyable read!

I loved the vulnerability, the coziness, and of course the correspondence throughout this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced listening copy!

Thank you to the Penguin Random House | Hay House LLC for the ALC copy via NetGalley

What happened to be an accident click on the listen now button on the NetGalley, because I was instantly curious when I saw the word ‘Letters’ in the title, turned out to be a very fortunate mishap.

This was very beautifully written debut historical fantasy novel. Set in the 1900s it all begins with anonymous academic exchange of letters between Josephine and Reid, who can wield magic. A few months later these two find themselves working together as rivals in a magical apothecary that’s struggling with the business. After trying to save the business, mostly with Josephine’s innovative approach, they are faced with a murder mystery which puts them in even closer proximity.

Did I mention there’s mafia?!

This one truly felt like a genuine rivals to lovers because you could feel the animosity. The start was a bit slow for me but after that “hurdle” it really went smoothly onwards.
I really enjoyed the epistolary element! The letters were such a beautiful dimension to the story, showing us another more vulnerable side to these characters and how they slowly fell for each other. It was more based on the emotional connection and depth, so when the reveal finally happened it felt like a sudden shift between character and I couldn’t feel the chemistry between them. The murder mystery was predictable to me but nevertheless I really enjoyed this whole cozy & unique story.

The audio format really was the best choice because the narrators did great job. It was a dual narration and if you’re an audiobook lover I highly recommend it.

Once I head it was an epistolary novel, I was sure I would like. This was a good read, not my usual genre. I did like the dual POVs, and the narrators were easy to listen to and kept my attention. The romance fell a bit flat for me but still overall a good story. I was lucky enough to do an immersive read, thank you to Hay House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.
3.75

This was a very interesting cozy fantasy, definitely a bit different than what I am used to. You’ve got mail with a magical twist some mystery and adventure!! Josie is an incredible FMC who is smart and quirky. Aufisius is grumpy, meticulous and uptight. The relationship build is fabulous and you’re rooting for them from page 1!!

Fantasy version of you've got mail.

This was a cute cozy book, grumpy MMC/Sunshine FMC, and a bit of a mystery involved. I love books with an apothecary because it gives a scientific side to magic. Both characters are very relatable and if you enjoy a slow burn this is for you.

3.5 Stars rounded up to 4 stars.

Thank you to netgalley for allowing me to listen in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wonderful read!

I hadn’t heard much about this book until recently, when I saw the author post about it on twitter. I decided to give it a chance because I was intrigued by the comps, and it sounded like something I would enjoy.

I’m so pleased to say that I enjoyed this book a lot!

I will say that the story took a couple chapters to get going, but once it did, I was hooked. The coziness, the sweetness, and the curiosity-filled pages were everything I was hoping for. And the letters were such a delight.

The characters were also easy to root for, and I was so invested in seeing how Josie and Reid’s stories ended.

The only bit that I was confused about was the magic system, as I’m still not entirely sure how that works, even after finishing the book. But the concept of intuition vs science was an interesting topic to explore for sure.

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House / Hay House LLC and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to the audiobook!

A slow-paced romance that travels through letters and magic. The characters throughout this book were interesting. The use of magic and how it intertwined with the world was something I had hoped would be expanded on. However, the focus of the story, the romance, stayed consistent throughout the narrative. The way in which the letters correspondence between the MC's elaborated on specific details well! There is a focus on religion in a way that I thought was unique. The religions were all fantasy but had weight to their use that reflected of early 1900's. This story had a clear beginning, middle and end that left me happy. Overall a great standalone romance!

Quick Summary: A magical mystery romance

My Review: Letters from the Last Apothecary by Bita Behzadi is book #1 in the Tressport Magic series. It is categorized as a cozy historical fantasy fiction romance. It is scheduled for release on 6/9/26.

About the Book: "Nestled between steel skyscrapers lies a small shop stocked with old magic and experimental elixirs. This cozy historical romantic fantasy debut is a tale of mistaken identity, reluctant partnership, and the quiet, transformative magic of being truly seen—on and off the page."

In My Own Words: A whimsical meetup of minds and match up of hearts between a somewhat stoic apothecarist who has a way with words and a mage of a woman who demonstrates practical magic but longs for more. The two truly begin to "see" each other as they work to solve the mystery surrounding their employer.

About the Characters: This novel boasts of a collection of characters, each with their own color, quirks, and value. The people ranged in personalities, in abilities, in interests, and in motivations. There was an element of curiosity, of wonder, of progressive mindedness, of misogyny, of classical intent, and of romantic love, as well as familial ties.

Josephine and Reid came across as opposites, but in the end, they shared a connection that was endearing. I loved how they communicated - in private via letters and in public via wit. The story of how they each came into understanding the who behind the letters was priceless.

About the Conflict: The conflict in this story weaved itself together like a ball of threads. Loss, grief, guardedness, transparency, relations, expectations, identity, acceptance, and family were noted themes. Complications related to the idea of to love or not to love, where the featured couple was concerned, played into the story. The mystery around the apothecary's patriarchal figure was a huge part of the storyline. A subtle darkness was weaved into the story.

The way that the story was presented allowed for a degree of thoughtful deduction. I was able to put the clues together to determine what was really going on.

About the Audiobook: This novel was narrated by E.M. Wylde and Samara Naeymi. This duo made the listening experience very entertaining. I loved the old world sound and variations on the characters voices.

My Final Say: This was such a lovely story. It was fantastical, challenging, witty, and romantic. The emotionality and growth of Josie and Reid unfolded slowly but surely. I loved the strength of both leads. The family/found family component told a story that kept going, meaning that it came across like there was more to come. I wanted to know more about Reid's friends who left their old life behind, I wanted to know more about Josie's family, particularly her siblings, and I wanted to know more about the world that existed beyond the apothecary.

Other: Readers who enjoy cozy magic, whimsical intellectualism, supernatural intrigue, and slow burn romance may like this story.

*** I think this is a niche read. It will be very appealing to some readers, but it may not appeal to others. ***

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status/Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format: 🎧
Series: Yes
Cover: +

Thank you to the author, to the publisher (Penguin Random House | Hay House LLC), and to NetGalley for granting access to an ALC of this title in exchange for an honest critique. It was a pleasure to review. I look forward to reading/listening to more books in this series.

I really liked this one! It is a slow burn romance, filled with love letters and a magical apothecary. Josie is newly employed at the apothecary and she does not like her new colleague, Reid. He doesn't like her all that much either.

Both are studying to apply to a prestigious magical graduate program, and they find solace in the anonymous letters they write ... to each other.

I loved the development of Josie's and Reid's relationship through the letters. The respect they had for each other was heartwarming. To be loved it to be seen and they really embody this sentiment. I was so anticipating when they discovered they were writing to each other. The murder mystery plot twist was unexpected but not unwelcome. It allowed the colleagues to find some respect for each other, before the reveal of their identity as pen pals.

This was a great story. The magic was interesting and I enjoyed the world they lived in. I also really liked the side characters.

If you liked You've Got Mail, or just like a slow burn historical romance with a well thought out magic system you will like this book. The narrators were also fantastic!

Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Random House and Hay House LLC for the e-arc!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advance copy of Letters from the Last Apothecary

A cozy, historical-fantasy epistolary romance with a bit of a mafia danger and some mystery. Josie Pinova finds herself out of work, and through a stroke of luck (or fate), she finds herself a job at the last magical apothecary in Tressport. Her new coworker, Reid, seems to be her polar opposite and they immediately clash. Both are in the process of applying to the prestigious Institute of Magic, though neither are open enough to share that with the other. Instead, they find reprieve from the stress in writing letters … unbeknownst to either, they are writing to each other.

The epistolary romance was absolutely the highlight of this book for me. I adored the letter writing, and how the characters were able to construe their innermost thoughts and feelings in such a charming fashion, helping each other through their struggles. In person, each character fails to adequately represent and express themselves, but through their letters, they are open and vulnerable, and it allows them to bond in such an endearing manner. I particularly enjoyed the discussions of how their childhood shaped them, the science and magic, as well as the commentary on misogyny and discrimination.

While it’s a historical fantasy, the dates felt a bit disconnected from the story for me. The setting matched, and some commentary on treatment of people based on their sex/skin color/religion, but the fantasy city was not a real life city. I found it a bit jarring each time a real date or real dollar amounts were given, it just took me out of the story each time and had me comparing the dialogue and other elements to real-life. That said, the cozy fantasy feel was definitely there.

While I adored the epistolary romance, I would have enjoyed a bit more time for the characters to come to like each other in person rather than the pen pal reveal rushing that aspect. I’d love to see more of that build up in the next (maybe Juniper’s story?).

The audiobook is dual narration performed by Samara Naeymi and E.M. Wylde. I think this is a book that’s great to read as an audiobook since it’s a lighter novel, so it’s perfect for casual listening - and the narrators do a great job so it’s easy to follow along.

A beautifully magical read. Beads creates a world that feels both delicate and powerful. It is full of enchantment and emotional depth. I loved the atmosphere and the sense of mystery woven through the letters. It’s a captivating story that lingers.

You’ve Got Mail, but make it magical, historical, and with a side of suspicious danger.

This was a charming cosy fantasy where the real spellwork happened in the letters. Josie and Reid may clash face-to-face, but on paper they become vulnerable, thoughtful, and impossible not to root for. Watching two people misunderstand each other in person while accidentally soul-bonding by post was delightful torture.

The world feels warm and whimsical, with an apothecary setting, layered magic, and enough mystery to keep things interesting. There are thoughtful touches around class, misogyny, and prejudice that add depth without losing the cosy feel.

I did want a little more in-person romantic build-up before the reveal, but the emotional payoff still landed.

The audiobook narration by Samara Naeymi and E.M. Wylde was smooth and engaging, listen.

Sweet, clever, and quietly enchanting.

Josie is a woman in a man's world; yearning to study and practice magic but having prejudices against her background and gender blocking the way.

She seeks solace in the mysterious Mr Clarke, a man with whom she's never met but has been exchanging letters and slowly falling in love with

When she is offered a job at the last remaining apothecary in the city she jumps at the chance, despite her surly and judgemental co-worker, Reid.

Little does she know Reid and Mr Clarke are one and the same.

This book had some excellent worldbuilding and a really interesting magic system.

With religion, cultures and prejudices that mirror the real world it was easy to relate to the characters and their struggles.

The audio was excellent and the two narrators played against each other really well.

Letters from the Last Apothecary is a character-driven historical fantasy romance - light on the fantasy and heavy on the romance in a really sweet way. It's comped to Divine Rivals which I totally felt!! Josephine and Reid are unknowingly falling in love through a series of letters, all while working together in a struggling apothecary. I wouldn't class it as rivals or enemies to lovers, but they simply don't mesh well in the real world. Throw in a possible murder and and a rising tide of anti-magic sentiment and you've got something for everyone.

Josephine and Reid are very different people but they have the same kind of heart and I love how the partly-epistolary format of the story allows the reader to get to know two versions of each character; who they are to the world and who they are when they think no one they know is watching. Background characters are really just there to push the story along and they don't lay a huge active role in the plot but there was nothing I specifically disliked about any of them/the way they were written. I am normally not a romance reader and prefer it to be a minor subplot but I found these characters so charming and well-developed as individuals that I didn't mind at all!

I wasn't expecting it to go in a murder mystery direction but I think the author did a great job of blurring the lines between genres a little bit without the romance being overshadowed. Most fantasy/fantasy romances are about world-changing/ending stakes and epic battles between good and evil and I loved that this book takes a different route and the risks in this book are very personal to the characters as it gives them room to depend on and support one another. There were a couple of great twists and reveals which is always a bonus!

I think one thing that let it down a little bit was a lack of grounding in the historical setting. The story takes place in 1906 and if it weren't for the dates on the letters I would've assumed it was a contemporary urban fantasy world. I didn't feel transported or a nostalgic quality that I expect from historical fantasy and I think the author relied on explicit dates to bridge the gap for the reader. It is also described as cozy but I probably wouldn't class it as one and I was actually surprised going back to read the blurb after reading the book that they chose that word.

This is a debut and I think the author has a fantastic knack for writing characters and chemistry so I'm very much looking forward to what they come up with next!

The audiobook is dual narration and I think the narrators had great tone and chemistry.

I absolutely loved this book! The audiobook is phenomenal.

This book is You've Got Mail but magical and takes place in 1906 in an apothecary. I loved seeing Josie and Reed together in the apothecary and through their letters and how both of their relationships unfolded as the book progressed. Via letters they take the path of acquaintances to friends to lovers and in person they are instant enemies to are forced to work together.

This book was a very long slow burn but the moment they get together is so perfect and the ending was just amazing.

This book does have a murder mystery type subplot that I didn't think was all that necessary especially since it seemed obvious to me who did it super early on. I did think it was okay since it served as a motivation for Josie and Reed to work together for a cause beyond their work at the apothecary.

I highly recommend this story for anyone who loves history colliding with magic, strong women characters, enemies to lovers with forced proximity, anonymous letter exchanges, and slow burn romance.

Also highly recommend the audiobook! The narrators did a phenomenal job with using distinguishing voices for all of the characters but also with adding the emotion of the characters into their voices. It kept me engaged in the story and made me not want to put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Hay House for the advanced audiobook copy.

A You've Got Mail style cozy fantasy story, with a dash of murder mystery.

Main characters Josie and Reid, both aspiring to fulfill their dreams to attend the Institute of Magic when they end up rivals working for the same apothacary.

I often find the pace of a cozy fantasy to be too slow for me, but this one hit the mark just right. The stakes never got too high, but the story kept me invested the whole time.

The book explores the background of both characters and how they're working to overcome their individual struggles. Reid the poverty he was born into and the loss of his family, and Josie the prejudiced (being both a woman and a minority) society of the time holding them both back from their dreams.

The murder mystery elements added just enough extra interest to fill out the rest of the story.

Overall I enjoyed this story and would recommend!

- Advanced reader copy provided by NetGalley

Thank you so much for the opportunity to listen to this book! I really enjoyed both of the narrators, I especially loved the female narrator. This was like a cozy, magical, historical, you've got mail. Perfect for lovers of the cozy fantasy genre and really fantastic on audio.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc.

This book is such a fun cozy fantasy. I had a good time reading this. It has a bit of mystery along with magic. It was fast paced and the narrator did great. Multiple POVs.

This was a fun one with a kind of Divine Rivals vibe. I really enjoyed the anonymous letters. I did think they lasted a little bit long. The story was enchanting and felt magical and sweet.

What a fun story! I always love a slow sweet story with a touch of magic and academia. The letters were a lovely detail to reflect the simple yet heartfluttering romance between our characters, Josephine and Reid. Honestly, I devoured this book in less than a day. The audiobook narrators were both fantastic and did justice to the story with their rich and beautiful voices. Shoutout to Samara Naeymi, whose narration was so warm and exquisite to listen to! Brings so much richness to the story, I loved listening to her voice.

The romance was slow but worth the wait because I loved how they learned to respect each other, especially in their work. Josephine has quickly become a favorite female lead of mine—she’s highly intelligent and thoughtful about her work and studies. Her sister was also a delight, and I hope to see more of her in the next book. The mystery and political schemes added a nice balance, balancing the coziness with the seriousness of the situation. I can't wait to read more of Bita Behzadi's future works.

Thank you, Hay House LLC and Bita Behzadi, for providing me an e-Arc for "Letters from the Last Apothecary" in exchange for an honest review!

This book has a little bit of everything: Enemies to lovers, anonymous letters, mystery and suspense. I enjoyed the dual timeline of the letters vs current day. The romance is very much a slow burn. I especially loved the FMC’s sister and would love to see her get her own book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Cozy magic, slow-burn banter, and a charming apothecary full of heart
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in advance. These are my honest thoughts.

If EMILY WILDE and DIVINE RIVALS had a cozy, magical love child, Letters from the Lost Apothecary would be it. This story has all the ingredients I love in historical romantic fantasy: a grumpy apothecarist, a determined heroine with everything to prove, anonymous letters, and a city caught between old magic and rapid industrialization.

I experienced this as an audiobook, and the dual narration added so much charm and immersion. The voices brought Josie and Reid’s personalities to life — their banter, their stubbornness, their quiet vulnerabilities. It made the whole world feel warm, lived‑in, and just a little bit enchanted.

The strengths for me:

The worldbuilding is whimsical without being overwhelming

The characters feel real, flawed, and easy to root for

The anonymous‑letters trope is executed beautifully

The humor lands, and some of the banter genuinely made me laugh

The overall vibe is adventurous, cozy, and hopeful
If I’m being picky, the first half does move a little slowly.

There were moments where I caught myself wondering where the story was headed or what the ultimate goal was. I also found myself wishing the banter had just a bit more bite — a touch more snippiness to really lean into that grumpy/sunshine dynamic.

But once the plot finds its momentum, it becomes a delightful, heartfelt ride. The second half delivers on the emotional payoff, the partnership, and the magic — both literal and metaphorical.

Overall, this was a fun, charming read with a world I genuinely enjoyed spending time in. I’m excited to see where the series goes next and how these characters continue to grow. Cozy fantasy fans, especially those who love anonymous‑letter romances, will find a lot to adore here.

I liked a lot about this book from the You’ve Got Mail plot line to the mystery in the second half. There is a lot to enjoy. I just felt like the magic system is very fickle, the religious elements were an odd addition, and the relationship moved really fast it was difficult to keep up. Overall this was enjoyable to listen to and I probably wouldn’t have picked up this book if I didn’t get an ARC.

*Letter From the Last Apothecary* by Bita Behzadi delivers exactly the kind of cozy, character-driven fantasy that feels both comforting and quietly meaningful. It leans into its epistolary format in a way that never feels gimmicky. Instead, the letters deepen the emotional core and give the story its charm.

Josie and Reid carry the book with ease. Their dynamic in the apothecary feels sharp and grounded in frustration, miscommunication, and reluctant respect. They clash in ways that feel natural, not forced, and the dialogue between them keeps the story moving. At the same time, their anonymous letters reveal a completely different side of each character. That contrast works incredibly well. You see who they are when they are guarded, and who they are when they feel safe enough to be honest.

The romance builds with patience. It does not rely on dramatic twists or exaggerated tension. Instead, it grows through small moments, shared thoughts, and the slow realization that they understand each other more deeply than they expected. The “You’ve Got Mail” comparison fits, but the magical setting gives it its own identity.

The apothecary itself feels alive. It stands in quiet defiance against the industrial world closing in around it, filled with plants, old magic, and a sense of history that you do not want to lose. That contrast between the warmth of the shop and the harsher outside world adds weight to the story without overwhelming it.

Josie’s arc adds another layer. Her determination to prove herself, especially in a system that does not easily make space for her, gives the story direction. Reid’s struggle with his own magic and past complements that well. Their individual goals never disappear behind the romance, which keeps the story balanced.

The tone stays light without feeling shallow. It touches on loss, change, and belonging, but it never loses its sense of warmth. The letters, in particular, create moments that feel intimate and personal in a way that is hard to replicate in more traditional formats.

*Letter From the Last Apothecary* succeeds because it knows exactly what it wants to be. It tells a smaller, more focused story and does it well. The characters feel real, the setting feels comforting, and the romance feels earned. It is the kind of book that lingers quietly after you finish it, not because of high drama, but because of how sincerely it connects.

I genuinely just think I'm at the target audience for this book. I can see myself getting it from the library in the future and buying it at the bookstore in the future, but I am so not in the mood for a read like this and I don't think I'm a target audience either.

I enjoy the narrators voice though, and I can see myself picking this up at some point in the future

Thank you for allowing me to sample this audiobook. I appreciate the opportunity to leave honest feedback voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this book & the narrators were incredible. The overall vibe was cozy and romantic. It made me want to curl up in an overstuffed leather chair next to a fire with a glass of good red wine. Bita Behzadi has a beautiful way of writing, like being wrapped up in a soft blanket right after the dryer.

I absolutely loved the aspect of the main characters falling in love through anonymous letters. That's the kind of romance that I'll always be a sucker for. It was fun to watch the way they interacted with each other after they met. Even the way Josie and Reid talked about the things they disliked about each other, there was an underlying sense of endearment.

The story also gave a little mystery. While it didn't feel central to the story, it was needed for the main characters to work together and figure their stuff out.

Overall I found this to be incredibly easy to listen to and I sunk right into the world. I would happily pick up anything else Bita Behzadi writes again. I loved her style and approach to story telling.

Letters from the Last Apothecary was such a wonderful cozy ride! This you’ve got mail trope gives us spitfire Josephine Pinova who is always doing the unexpected, and her opposite- serious Aufidius Reid is trying to keep the apothecary afloat while working on his future. From letter meet cute to in person first clash I loved every minute of this story! It had some magic, some mystery and some sadness. Told with duel pov, the narrators did a great job setting the mood and keeping me on my toes.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for providing an alc. This is my honest, voluntary review.

Hay House ALC
What a cozy, magical book with the beloved You've Got Mail trope. I was hooked right away because of the dual narration, and I kept going because this was a story of trust and desire and fighting gender expectations in the early 1900s. This romance was a slow burn, and I loved seeing how they grew through their letters and how that juxtaposed with their in person interactions. This relationship needed a lot of time to develop because they had to learn trust, and I felt the pacing was good. This is perfect for a reader wanting a magical world with low spice romance. There's also a bit of a mystery here, and I felt like that really helped the plot move along. Overall, it was a sweet book, and I look forward to the next in the series.

Josephine Pinova, also known as Josie, dreams of attending the local university of magic, but she knows that it'll be an uphill battle, since women are very rarely accepted. After losing her typing job, she stumbles into a job at the last live apothecary in the city. Fighting the growing anti-magic sentiment, the apothecary will have to close unless Josie can quickly increase the store's revenue. Unfortunately, she's constantly butting heads with her coworker, the apothecarist Mr. Reid, as she works to improve business and save the store. Unknown to them, they have already fallen in love with one another through letters.

I'm a sucker for dramatic irony like this! It was wonderfully done to create a humorous enemies-to-lovers story. Josie is sharp and witty; I really loved her! Reid's complexity, shaped by his poverty-stricken childhood, was well done. I enjoyed seeing the two show a softer side of themselves through their letters to one another. The magic system, while convoluted at some points (mainly when Josie and Reid were teaching each other through letters), made the world interesting. I feel like we could have gotten a little more backstory about the fire that started the anti-magic sentiment, since I'm not really convinced that people with magic would be so quick to let go of it in favor of industrialization. Overall, it was a fun and cute story about two very smart and stubborn people who love magic and their apothecary shop!

Narration Review: E.M. Wylde's performance was well done, and I thought he did a great job as Reid. I thought that a few of his character voices, like Philipe and even Josie sometimes, sounded a little too much like Reid, causing me to have to rewind for clarity on which character was speaking.

Samara Naeym's voice was clear and suited Josie very well! I would sometimes get confused about who was speaking when Josie's sister, Juniper, was also in the scene, since Naeym's voices for Josie and Juniper were so similar, but the other characters' voices were distinct enough for me to tell them apart easily.

This book was a lovely little audiobook to whisk me away from my own burnout job with a sweet retelling of one of my favorite movies. Listening to the audio book felt being transported to a different world that felt familiar. This book was perfect for readers who enjoyed reading Divine Rivals in a universe that could rival a Miyazaki film. The dual narration is always a pleasure to listen to, and my heart was seized in the tension built between them. I cannot wait to see this on shelves soon!

I loved the concept of communicating through letters. It took me a while to get into, but once I was I became very invested. I loved the main character, but I didn't connect as much to the male main character, though they were both quite likeable. I also enjoyed the way themes of misogyny and religion were explored.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

⁀જ➣ ❝ This may read as daft, but I am glad I can write to you, because I do not have to wonder if some secret of mine will eventually put you off. I do not have to hold my breath in anticipation that you will recognize something terrible in me. ❞

Release Date : June 9, 2026 ⟢

⌞ What To Expect: ⌝
⌗ 1900s Chicago
⌗ Anonymous Pen Pals
⌗ Magical Apothecary
⌗ Office Romance

What a delightful debut by Bita Behzadi! For those who know me, I'm a fan of "Divine Rivals" and the Emily Wilde series. When I learned that this book was compared to those, I became very excited and curious about the similarities. Behzadi's writing is straightforward and easy to understand, yet thoughtful, providing just the right amount of description and information. The world she creates feels similar to our modern environment, with a touch of magic woven throughout.

Now that I've read it, I can see that the overall atmosphere and anonymous letters definitely remind me of Divine Rivals, while our female lead's thoughts and attitude toward academia remind me of Emily Wilde.

୭˚ ❝ Truthfully, I do not know where my future leads. If any of the immovable pillars of my identity, my gender, or my race are what triggered my rejection, then there is nowhere I can climb. ❞

𓏲⋆💌.* Josephine 'Josie' Pinova: I admire a strong, independent woman. She knows what she wants and does her best to prove herself. If that doesn't work, she'll do her best to talk her way into getting it.

❝ You have cut into my center in a way so few have. You are so complete in my mind, so fully formed, and I can only hope that you see me just as completely. ❞ ་࿐

𓏲⋆✨.* Aufidius Reid: I have mixed feelings about this man. He was pretty stuck-up for most of the book and clearly needs therapy for his anger issues. Just when I think he's an okay guy, he does something that makes me dislike him again. I don't blame Josephine for the strong dislike at the start because I see it too. By the end, I guess he was okay.

❝ Truthfully, I do not know where my future leads. If any of the immovable pillars of my identity, my gender, or my race are what triggered my rejection, then there is nowhere I can climb. This is where I am competent, and it did not matter. I have spent my entire life fighting to be seen, and I am not sure if I can continue much longer without anything to show for it. ❞

The romance didn't develop immediately, which I loved, and I admired how they took the time to get to know each other and learned to respect one another during the months they've worked together in the apothecary. There were also themes surrounding prejudice based on ethnic backgrounds, and since there is a growing anti-magic sentiment in the city, people's perception of those with magic is scrutinized.

Another thing that threw me off was when the mafia act comes in. I enjoyed the slow pace and day-to-day work in the apothecary, but when the action and high stakes kicked in, the vibe changed completely for me, unfortunately.

The audiobook version is such a delight to listen to with the e-arc. I absolutely loved Samara Naeymi's portrayal of Josephine. I loved her enunciation, and her voice was such a treat to listen to. I wouldn't mind if she narrated the whole book because, unfortunately, Reid's narration was lacking and sometimes doesn't do the scene justice.

Overall, I was pleased with the story and can't wait for Book 2 of the Tressport Magic series. Hopefully, we follow Josephine's sister, Juniper, since I loved her character so much, and her clairvoyance magic is such an intriguing aspect to see.

❝ When you live with someone, you say hello, you give them a little kiss, every day. You don’t think about it. But when you are drawn apart, letters are the only way to touch. They are proof, a reminder, that you think of one another. Every one is a window into your heart. ❞

Thank you to Hay House, LLC and, of course, Bita Behzadi for providing an advance copy of this ebook and audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Please remember that this opinion is my own. ⭑

Overall, a very interesting story with a premise that felt unique.

I kept forgetting that it was set in the early 1900s until there would be little reminders here and there about women's position in society and whatnot.

My biggest criticism is that Reid's personality felt drastically different in the letters than it did anywhere else in the story (his POV or his dialogue).

Rating: 3.5 ⭐

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the audiobook ARC.

I needed a new audiobook and was pleased to find this one as a “listen now” on NetGalley.

I’m really glad I went with the because it’s dual narration, and it just works so well for this story. Being able to hear both of their perspectives added a lot, and both narrators did a lovely job with their tone and emotion.

It’s a cozy (work) fantasy with a grumpy MMC. 2 people who don’t like each other in real life, but are secretly writing letters to each other without realizing it. That alone gave me 90s rom/com vibes and had me invested.

It leans very character driven, and they’re both flawed and have their own way of dealing with things. The world building and magic system are present, but they unfold more slowly. I personally liked that because I’m not quick to build that out in my head. If you’re looking for something faster paced, you may not have a great time.

Overall, it’s a really cozy, easy listen and one that benefits from the audiobook format.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hay House for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

This was a cozy, romantic fantasy. While it was also historical fiction, I'm not sure I would have really noticed that, had it not been for the dates listed with each letter. I enjoyed the narrators, and felt that they brought the story to life. I enjoyed the magical elements, as well as the hint of mystery. Overall, it was an enjoyable listen.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio ARC of Letters from the Last Apothecary! I loved listening to this audiobook—the narrators did a wonderful job. I devoured the letter-writing aspect of this story and how close and open the FMC and MMC got through exchanging letters! It is definitely a lost art in my eyes and was a wonderfully big part of this book. I also adored the magical apothecary and the path Josie went on once finding it. This book was not only a magical joy but had whimsical vibes and quirky, strong-willed characters.

Set in a gaslamp fantasy city where industrialization threatens to eclipse intuitive magic, Letters from the Last Apothecary explores a world divided by gender and class. Here, structured university magic is the domain of men, while "pagan" practices are dismissed as feminine and inferior.

The narrative follows Josie and Reid, two strangers who fall in love through a correspondence that begins with academic hopes and deepens into intimacy. Their romance takes a bittersweet turn when they finally meet as reluctant colleagues in the last surviving apothecary, failing to recognize the person behind the ink. Josie, a fiercely independent woman of lower status, clashes and connects with Reid, a stoic apothecary of similar humble birth.

The pacing is deliberate, allowing the emotional stakes and the tension of their dual identities to breathe. The result is a charming, poignant dance between two characters that balances humor with genuine heart. While the story stands perfectly well on its own, its classification as a series opener leaves one wondering what lies beyond this self-contained tale. Ultimately, it is a delightful read that makes you eager for more from the author.

Note: the dual narration does a great job at portraying both characters, as well as the minor characters that appear throughout the story

I absolutely devoured Letters from the Last Apothecary by Bita Behzadi! This was such a fun and immersive listen on audiobook. It gave me Divine Rivals vibes in the best way, with its blend of heartfelt connection, a unique magical system, and an underlying mystery that kept me curious the whole time. The world-building felt fresh without being overwhelming, and I found it really easy to sink into the story.

The pacing worked well for me, and I loved how the plot threads slowly came together. By the end, everything wrapped up in a satisfying way, which I always appreciate, but it also left me wishing I could spend more time in this world. I’d happily read more set in this universe.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy lighthearted fantasy with a touch of romance and mystery. It's the kind of story that's easy to devour and hard to put down.

This was such a sweet cozy fantasy book. I loved the rivals to lovers aspect and how we saw both sides of the two main characters. The letters back and forth were just so sweet and had you rooting for them from the very beginning. The audiobook was phenomenal and had me so engaged that I listened to the whole thing in one sitting. Both voice actors did a great job with their characters and really brought extra life into them. Thank you to Netgalley and Bita Behzadi for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an exciting book! Part romance, part whodunnit, this magical retelling of ‘The Shop Around the Corner’ kept me on the edge of my seat.

This was SO FUN!!! I love the magic system and these characters are so organic and the relationship pacing SO GOOD!! I love the tension of the letters create especially when they meet. The greater plot beginning at the halfway point was actually very well executed, i didn’t feel like the first half was slow but like the foundational pillars of the relationship and magic were being set down to allow for a complex plot to happen! Really impressed by this!! I can’t wait for the next book!!
IREALLYYYYYY loved these narrators so very much!! Really really hope they do the rest of the series, what a fantastic job they both did!!!

✨️ This was such a cute, cozy, quick and light read, that I surprisingly found quite engaging

🎧 I requested this title because I was looking for a cute romance with a touch of magic that was easy to listen to and this defintely did not disappoint. I loved the dual narration and both narrators did a fantastic job at bringing the characters to life. I was extremely excited when I realised that I recognised Samara's voice and definitely look forward to more narrations by E.M. Wylde in the future.

📖 This book was such a cute and easy listen. I think the story pacing was perfect. The initial world building and foundations of the story in the start were interesting without being overly complicated and I really liked the magic system. I was also surprised by how well the author was able to include politics, women's rights, religion and other important topics into the story while still feeling true to the romance. I think this was executed perfectly.

💌 The romance was so cute! I loved the letters and the whole dynamic between the MCs. The FMC was head strong, determined and knowledgeable. The MMC was great, broody, a little grumpy and with a rough past.

✨️ I look forward to reading the next books!

Read if you like:
✨️ love letters
✨️ MMC with a rough past
✨️ banter
✨️ strong, smart and determined FMC

3.5
This was a sweet story that leans heavily into cozy fantasy, with a strong emphasis on mood and character over plot. While I appreciated the attention to detail, the early chapters felt quite slow for me.
At the center of this book are Josie and Reid. Their characters are a strong anchor for the book and I liked that their connection is rooted in shared passions and respect. I really love epistolary books and this was no exception. It was really sweet. I love that it’s clear a lot of thought went into the magic system. I found myself wishing for a bit more emotional grounding earlier on between the main characters, but the second half finds a better rhythm. There’s more interaction, higher stakes, and a mystery that helps move things along.
Overall, this is a gentle, character-first fantasy that will work well for readers who enjoy a slower pace and a cozy atmosphere. For me, it occasionally felt like it was juggling more themes than it needed, but it’s still a thoughtful and promising debut.

I really enjoyed the voice actors' portrayal of the characters. It was really well done and enhanced my experience of the book!

Aufidius Reid and Josephine Pinova take an instant dislike to each other upon their meeting. As a result of various trials and tribulations, Josephine arrives at the apothecary shop where Aufidius works on the same day that a reporter has come to interview the shop in hopes of garnering some attention - and therefore, business.
Josephine is unaware of the delicate circumstances, but quickly catches on when the journalist takes an interest in her and begins to ask her questions. Josephine interviews so well that the owner of the shop, who observed the entire interaction, offers her a job on the spot.
Reid is affronted. While he did his best to interview well, he struggled with the questions, and he can't help feeling like Josephine's success in the face of his perceived failure is some kind of jab.
Reid's stoic surliness butts against Josephine's bright tenacity, and it seems to the two of them that they will simply never get along.
For some time, Josephine has been working towards attending the city's magical university. Whilst preparing to take the entrance exams, she's had to study rigorously on her own, and in doing so, has ended up with a pen pal who is studying for the same opportunity. She and this pen pal have bonded over their shared dreams and ideas, eventually declaring their love for one another - all through letters. Interestingly, Reid has been doing the same.
Unbeknownst to the pair of contentious coworkers, they have just so happened to fall in love with each other.

Watching Josephine and Reid discover each other was so fun! While Divine Rivals has been compared to this title, Letters from the Last Apothecary very much stands on its own and is absolutely enchanting. Josephine and Reid are complex characters who experience believable growth throughout the story, and each of the side characters were interesting enough that I hope I eventually get to read their stories - Juniper in particular. I loved both the book and the narration, and will definitely be looking for more from this author!

What a beautiful debut!
Adored this audiobook! The story, the magic, the characters AND the amazing narrators. It's giving cozy fantasy romance.
I felt immediately enveloped into the world and thoroughly enjoyed the story all the way through.
The duality of the characters interactions through letters and such made me laugh.

I picked this audiobook up due to its comparison to Divine Rivals in the synopsis and it did not disappoint. I loved the anonymous pen pals story line and seeing their reactions once they finally find out who they’re actually writing to. I did not expect there to be a murder mystery aspect, but that helped keep me engaged and wanting to find out if my guesses were correct. 
I listened to the audiobook version and after reading other reviews think it might have helped better my experience, as I did not have to focus on formatting and was able to listen faster than I read, so the pacing comments I saw in other reviews didn’t have much of an effect on me. 
This audiobook was dual narration and I think they both did a great job. 
5 ⭐️ rating for the female narrator. I felt like she was Josie. 
4 ⭐️ for the male narrator, only because he sounded like he was in a constant state of exasperation and would make almost sighs that seemed to be a bit excessive and a little distracting. It was less noticeable the faster speed you listened. However, I do think he did a great job when narrating female parts. I mostly listen to audiobooks and the female part can be difficult to do without sounding annoying and pitchy, excellent work with the tone that was used.

3.75 Stars 🌟

This cozy fantasy has such a unique charm, featuring a magical apothecary, anonymous pen pals, and a soft grumpy/sunshine dynamic that slowly grows on you. The story leans more character-driven, with a mystery in the 2nd half of the book and a brewing romance woven throughout.

I will say, the story does start out a bit slow. It takes some time to fully settle into the world and characters, but once it picks up, especially toward the end, it becomes much more engaging and rewarding
.
I really loved the use of letters in the storytelling. It added an intimate, personal feel.

The audiobook narration also added to the cozy atmosphere and brought the story to life nicely.

Overall, this was a solid listen for me. If you enjoy cozy fantasy with light mystery, soft romance, and character-driven storytelling, this one is definitely worth picking up.

Thank you to Penguin Random House | Hay House LLC and author Bita Behzadi, for providing me with the ALC of “Letters From The Last Apothecary”.

This is one where I will tell you, audiobook only. At least for me, I enjoyed it being read to me versus me trying to read it. While it does have some mystery it is a slow build up.

Josie is strong and willing to do anything in order to make her dreams come true. Even after she gets that dreaded denial letter. Her sister is not my favorite, but thankfully she barely shows up.

Reid is GRUMPY. Way too much for my liking, but it is his character and past that made him that way. But he really could use a couple head smacks….

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
Spice Level:
Dual POV (I think it’s in 3rd)

Fantasy
Magic
Grumpy x Sunshine
Office Romance
Penpals
Banter
1900s Chicago
Mystery Twist of Who Did It

🎧 Dual Narration 11h 14m at 2x
🎙️ E.M. Wylde and Samara Naeymi
Narration Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publisher: Penguin Random House

E.M. and Samara narrated this book wonderfully. Their tone and cadence was perfect. Loved the story so much as an audio.

TW: Death of a loved one

This is an absolutely adorable fantasy romance story, with a subplot of trying to save a magical shop from financial ruin and sabotage. The timeline is split between the two love interests meeting in real life only to become work rivals and their pen pal romance which occurred several months prior, switching back and forth between the two so we see two versions of their relationship develop in parallel.

The subplot of keeping the shop going is heavier than you might expect from such a cute book, and the characters do carry trauma which affects their behavior and gets dealt with on the page. I liked that, though - it made it feel more authentic. It was approached from a similar angle that I've seen in cozy murder mysteries, where bad things might happen but usually occurs offscreen and we only deal with the consequences rather than be directly confronted. It kept the vibe closer to cozy while still being very emotional.

I love that the book kept true to the rivals-to-lovers vibe instead of trying to make the pair enemies. Neither is ever cruel to the other, never going past casual work sniping / competition and exasperated eye rolls. They also genuinely respect each others abilities and intelligence even when still in the rival phase before they revealed they'd been sending letters to each other months. It made it easy to root for them to realize who they really were to each other and hope for them to get together.

The book is marked as being the start of a series, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the next book will focus on the clairvoyant sister. Whoever the focus is, I'll definitely be checking it out when it releases.

Both narrators of the audiobook version did a wonderful job and their voices suited their characters so well. This is the second audiobook of Samara Naeymi's that I've had to joy of hearing and I recognized her distinctive style almost immediately. The male narrator, E.M. Wylde, does have a very slow intonation so I found myself adjust the speed slightly on his chapters.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Bita Behzadi for the opportunity to read and review an Advance Reader Copy of this book!

This was incredible. From the very first page, I was completely hooked. The way Bita Behzadi structured and wove this story together was so impressive, everything felt intentional and interconnected. This is one of those books that made me wish I annotated, because there were so many layers and details I wanted to hold onto.

The emotional turmoil this book put me through was something I wasn’t expecting. I didn’t think I’d be crying over academic or workplace struggles, but because of how deeply I connected to the story, I absolutely did.

The romance in this book is grounded in effort, perseverance, and choosing each other even when circumstances aren’t ideal. It’s about navigating challenges and deciding that something is still worth fighting for, which made it feel especially meaningful.

I also loved how this story blended elements of murder mystery with love letters, it created such a unique and compelling reading experience.

Audiobook Portion:
I will always recommend immersive reading, especially for a book like this, but the audiobook narration by E.M. Wylde and Samara Naeymi truly elevated the experience.

Both narrators did an incredible job bringing the story to life—their emotional delivery added so much depth to the characters and made every moment feel even more impactful.

I’m really grateful I got to experience the story this way.

Thank you again to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Bita Behzadi for the opportunity to read and review an Advance Reader Copy of this book!

This was such a cute and sweet read! Perfect for a sunny day on the beach. I found this book to be so heartwarming and wholesome, like a warm cup of tea and the sun on your face. It reminded me a lot of Divine Rivals and the Dream Harbour Series, however, I didn’t find it very similar to Emily Wilde.

The audiobook narrators’ voices were a perfect fit to the characters. I really liked that the narrator for Josephine sounded mature and intelligent rather than infantilized, which I’ve noticed sometimes happens with audiobooks. The narrators voice suited her perfectly and really conveyed the character well.

Same with the narrator for Reid, he does a great job matching Reid’s grumpy attitude and tone and I found his voice also matched really well to the character. It was a really enjoyable listen! The voices were easy to understand and follow and kept me engaged.

The first half of the book had a couple moments that were a little slow for me. I think it would have benefited from a bit more worldbuilding and a faster pace early on to get going. I liked the letters Josephine and Reid sent back and forth, I think they could have used a bit more substance in them at times as well but overall still very cute!

Watching them argue in person while secretly swooning over the letters and their crushes was so adorable and made me want to kick my feet in the air! Loved them!

All in all a great book with even better narrators to really bring the story to life.

Thank you Penguin Random House, Hay House LLC, NetGalley and Bita Behzadi for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks, @bitabehz, @netgalley for the copies.

1905. Tressport. Meet Josephine Pinova, a university scholar hopeful, bored to tears in her work as a typist while she prepares for the postgraduate application process in the study of Magic. She desperately needs a book that has been checked out forever by a 'Mr Clarke'. She writes him a letter and that sets of an early 1900s 'You've Got Mail".  When she loses her job at the insurance company, the Fates intervene and she is hired at the local (and one of the last apothecaries), where broody and dismissive Aufidius Reed also works. When she crosses that door, she has no idea that he is Mr. Clarke. And he has no idea that the annoying Josie is actually the lovely 'Miss Davis'. 

As days go by and they have to deal with numerous threats and hardships at the apothecary, they start to see a kinship and form a reluctant partnership, while Mr. Clarke and Miss Davis fall in love through the exchange of letters. 

The audiobook is beautifully narrated by two new narrators to me: Samara Naeyemi and E.M. Wylde. Samara's expressive voice is wonderful and her performance is mesmerizing. EM has a warm, captivating tone that embodies all the turmoil in Reeds life. They are a joy to listen to and I will look for more of their narration work.

This book is sort of hard to categorize genre wise. It's a cozy fantasy, witchy, paranormal, historical, closed door romance. It will definitely hook those looking for fantasy and those looking for a sweet, slow burn, delicate romance. There's a lot of world building as is expected in a first in a fantasy series. 

What you get: secret identities, a sort of epistolary romance, whimsical and magical elements, a 'historical romance', a little dislike to love and a dash of mystery. 

Content notes (including but not limited to): mentions of loss of parents, complicated family dynamics, misogyny, betrayal, murder, fire

I loved this book. The characters and their relationships felt real to me and I enjoyed learning about the side characters as well. The narration was also easy to follow and enjoyable. Looking forward to the next book (Im hoping it will follow two of the side characters 😆😅)

5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for giving me the opportunity to listen to this ALC. Due out June 2026, Letters From the Last Apothecary is must add to your TBR.

Magic, historical romance, cozy fantasy. This book has it all. Josie is determined to be admitted to the local university, where she hopes to study magic. During a time when women weren't typically allowed to do those things, Josie refused to be stopped. While waiting for her admission letter, she gets a job at the apothecary where she must deal with Aufidius Reid, who she forms a sort of rivalry with. Reid has been trained as an apothecarist, and is rather standoffish towards Josie to begin with.

Josie has been mailing letters to a Mr. Clark for quite sometime under the name of Miss Davis. In a missed connections type of telling, this book tells the story through the eyes of four people, but the twist is told early on, and makes it so much more. It becomes a will they, won't they that you can't help but root for. With each letter, they fall more and more in love, until they finally must come clean.

The narrators of this book did a lovely job. Nice and clear voices, and each character was given their own spin. It was very easy to follow along with them.

Overall, this book was a solid 4/5 star book, and a must add. I enjoyed the way the magic was integrated into a normal, every day setting. The romance was not explicit, and the characters had a good chemistry between them. Pick this up in June for your next cozy read!

Letters from the Last Apothecary is one of my favorite books of this year! The setting, the characters, the culture, all of it was incredible. I was fortunate enough to receive an advance listening copy and I found the audiobook to be effective and charming. This is definitely a book I would love to read a physical copy of and highly recommend to any one who loves a cozy, witchy romance.

The love story is multifaceted and complex, the characters have layered interests and motivations. Just perfection! Loved it!

I really enjoyed this book. It was such a cute, cozy read with a little bit of suspense. This book is about a FMC who was hired at the last apothecary in Tressport while awaiting her admittance to the magical university. The MMC is the apothecarist at said apothecary and is grumpy and dismissive towards.

Little did they know that each of them have been exchanging secret letters and have been developing feelings for each other.

I enjoyed their banter and the slow build romance into them realizing who each other are.

I love the dual POV and I really enjoyed the narrators as well.

This is such a fun take on You’ve Got Mail/The Shop Around the Corner! All of those dynamics but now with MAGIC.

I was hooked at the beginning because I wanted to know what happened with Josephine’s job search. The middle part drug a little bit because it was soooo much like “The Shop Around the Corner.” Then towards the end I couldn’t put it down! The mob? A mystery? The slow burn romance finally ignites? Yessss!

I listened to the audiobook and it is excellent! I really enjoyed both of the narrators.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Hay House for an ALC of this book! This is my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.5/5
Absolutely loved the relationship between the main characters. Their connection felt genuine, emotional, and easy to get invested in from the beginning. The pacing stayed steady throughout, which made it such an enjoyable audiobook to sink into without dragging or feeling rushed.
The “who done it” mystery aspect kept me intrigued the entire time, and I found myself constantly wanting just one more chapter. Overall, such an atmospheric and enjoyable read with beautiful narration and memorable characters. Definitely recommend for readers who love cozy gothic vibes, mystery, and emotional character-driven fantasy. 🎧📚✨


#AudiobookReview #Bookstagram #NowListening #FantasyBooks #HistoricalFantasy #AudiobookLover #LettersFromTheLastApothecary #BitaBehzadi #FantasyReaders #BookReview #ReadersOfInstagram #AudiobookAddict #MagicalReads #BookishLife

This was a cozy and charming light read. Definitely you've got mail vibes with magical and mystery elements. I enjoyed the characters, writing flowed nicely, and the audiobook narration was well done. I think the ending felt a little rushed as the in person relation could have had a little more build up and development but still a very sweet read that I enjoyed.

Thanks to Hay House and Net Galley for the advanced listening copy of the audiobook. Opinions are my own.

3.75 Rounded up


Letters from the Last Apothecary is a slow-paced cozy fantasy set in the early 1900s, at a time where magic intersects with a rapidly industrializing society with a mystery subplot. Josie and Reid have been unknowingly corresponding for sometime time before the events from this book, as they pursue entrance to the local university, falling over each other as they correspond. In reality, this is far from the truth when they meet, when Josie works her way into the apothecary where Reid is employed and is determined to keep afloat. Together, they have to work together in order to keep the last remaining independent apothecary open in the face of several sabotage events. I adored the old timey industrial ambiance and the pacing - it feels true to the time and very reminiscent to early Chicago.

Josie and Reid’s romance is nuanced and real and develops over time, much like the romance that started over correspondence. I could sympathize with Josie as a character with a singleminded drive, while being caring for the people around her, she isn’t inherently selfish. Reid reads standoffish, but he contains a multitude - a troubled childhood and uneasy adolescence that leads him to become stoic as an adult. While the characters cannot initially stand each other, they start to see each other’s merits much like how they recognize each other as intellectual matches.

I would have liked to see some more fleshed out world-building, as the author seemed to tackle quite a few topics such as sexism, racism, religion and anti-magic protesters, as well as the beginnings of Josie and Reid’s romance. Overall, I enjoyed this audiobook and would recommend to readers of Heather Fawcett.

Thank you NetGalley and Hay House LLC, for the ALC; the opinions are my own.

A lighthearted read that I quite enjoyed. The characters are colorful and fleshed out and evenly paced enough to keep my interest while making the plot seem haphazard. The letters helped building up the chemistry between the two main characters despite them butting heads in the book's timeline. If there's any criticisms I can point out, it would have to be that considering the year these events supposedly happened, some dialogues comes off as a bit too modern. I appreciated the world building but some lines pulls me out of the book's world. All in all it is still a book I enjoyed and a good quick read.

This book was a bit of a slower read for me, but I enjoyed getting to know each of the main characters and following their love story unfold through letters.

The audiobook was narrated by E.M. Wylde and Samra Naeymi, and I truly enjoyed listening to them. They helped bring the characters to life and made the story more engaging.

** Thank you, NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Bita Behzadi, for an eARC copy of ‘Letters from the Last Apothecary’.

🤔 Overall I liked this book, but some of the world building was just super weird to me, so allow me to rant for a minute. Like why not just set it in 1906 North America? Why make up new names for ethnicities and religions when everything is functionally the same (other than magic existing)? It felt too close to being set in actual NA, but it wasn't called NA, and there was no Christianity but there was baptianity, etc etc. I just didn't understand why the changes in names if everything was still basically the same. I would've liked to see a bit more distinct world building. If there are further books set in this world, it would be great to get more into that.

📚 Rant aside, however, the story was fun and adventurous and magical and romantic and diverse. All good things. It was slightly predictable, but what is a romance if not a bit predictable. I liked both MCs, the You've Got Mail of it all was done pretty well, the magic+plants system was interesting, and there were some action-y scenes that kept me hooked.

🎧 This was dual POV 3rd person, with epistolary elements thrown in at the end of the chapters as well. Dual narrators. Samara Naeymi (aka Samantha Brentmoor) is one of my fave female narrators, performing well as always, and EM Wylde (the male narrator) did an excellent job as well.

🌶️ 1/5 No spice. There's one scene where they're making out a bit heavily and then they have to stop. That's as spicy as it gets.

🏳️‍🌈✊🏾 Many of the characters in this story are people of color, but the book uses fictional nationalities/ethnicities so I can't say it's representative of actual cultures in our world. That being said, the MMC's mother was of the conquered indigenous people of the land they live on, and the FMC's father is, roughly speaking, from MENA (or whatever the equivalent is in this world). MMC is queer (bi?). It's unclear to me whether this is a queer normative world, or if it's just that the only people who know about him (his friends/pseudo-family) are cool with it, while society at large isn't.

🙏Thanks to Hay House & Penguin and Netgalley for the advance listener copy!

This book is sweet, poetic, and an easy read. I enjoy a cozy, low stakes fantasy from time to time and this was perfect for that. Reid’s character growth was lovely and Josephine was a great compliment to his development. The narration was perfection!

This was such a fun cozy fantasy for spring. Thank you to Penguin Random House | Hay House LLC for the ALC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Pitched as Emily Wilde meets Divine Rivals (with just a touch of the You’ve Got Mail), this has a little bit of many things I love, so it's no surprise I enjoyed it. There's an apothecary and its grumpy owner, Aufidius Reid, and Josephine Pinova who's been tasked to save it from closing. Contrasting the industrial revolution, the last apothecary leans on old magic and cures for what ails you.

Reid and Josie are like oil and water in their working environment, comparing each other constantly to their perfect magical graduate program pen pals (we see where this is going and we love it). This has a bit of mystery and the stakes get higher as it goes on. I'll be excited to read the next one.

Obsessed with the narrators on this: E.M. Wylde and Samara Naeymi knock it out of the park!

🎧 First thank you NetGalley, Penguin Random House & Hay House LLC for this advanced reader copy of "Letters from the Last Apothecary"(Tressport Magic, Book 1) by Bita Behzadi | Narrated by E.M. Wylde and Samara Naeymi | Publishing June 9th, 2026.

E.M. Wylde and Samara Naeymil absolutely rocked this audiobook. They're delivery kept me saying 1 more chapter all day long listening to this to the point I devoured it in a day (I usually swap audiobooks around during my workday).

Reid and Josie's sweet letters bonding over their love of alchemy partnered with the quick witted grumpy/sunshine banter when these two finally learn who the other is, was perfect 👌. Then you throw in a mob murder mystery that gives Peaky Blinders vibes and I was SAT! Also THAT TWIST!

All in all this was a solid 4 star read and a STELLAR DEBUT. I will absolutely continue this series if Bita decides to continue it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🫑

Big thank you to NetGalley for letting me listen to this book!

This is a book that I couldn't get enough of. I have a soft spot for any book that has an apothecary in it, and this book hit the spot big time.

The rivalry IRL and the love letters had me going the entire time, and them falling in love at the end had me kicking my feet like a little schoolgirl.

But, if you like romance with a dash of mystery, I highly suggest you pick this up!

Content review: This book was the perfect mix of cozy fantasy, romance, and mystery! I loved the letter writing trope, it reminded me of Divine Rivals! It allowed you to connect with the main characters intimately.

The book did start off a little slower, but about midway through I could not stop listening. I loved the magic system in the story and how it manifested differently in different people. Overall, it was a gripping story.

Description: We follow two characters in this cozy historical romantic fantasy: a grumpy apothecarist and a passionate woman who thinks she has what it takes to save the apothecary from going under. What they do not know is that their letters secretly unite them. In a world that is not as accepting of magic and is geared towards industrialization, can our characters save the shop?

This review the audiobook of _Letters from the Last Apothecary_ by Bita Behzadi narrated by E.M. Wylde and Samara Naeymi is courtesy of NetGalley and Penguin Random House
#LettersfromtheLastApothecary #NetGalley.

This was my first experience with Bita Behzadi as an author as well as first experience with the narrators E.M. Wylde and Samara Naeymi.

I'm much more of a written word reader than an audiobook listener since it's typically faster for me to read than it is to listen at an understandable pace. That said this dual book narration was easy to understand with the narrators being clear speakers. Their voices were in the mid range, neither too low nor too high pitched which made for a comfortable listen.

The audiobook was labeled as a romance while the equivalent book was labeled as historical fiction, romance and sci-fi & fantasy. From the description it sounded like a romance in a fantasy world given talk of magic but turned out to include some light mystery as well. It's also labeled as Tressport Magic, Book 1, suggesting that there will be subsequent books, though it's unclear whether the same characters will play a part.

From the romance standpoint, I enjoyed listening to the points of view of both Josephine Pinova (Josie) and Aufidius Reid (Reid) and how they felt about each other via the mix of "real time" events as well as their letters (initially written with pseudonyms). A tricky thing was keeping track of dates which preceded each sequence, so while I know the gist of the story, I don't actually know the exact order.

On the fantasy side, the magic system seemed to be a soft one. There may be "rules" but we're not made fully aware of them. Maybe we'll learn more if we end up following a character to university to learn about structured magic.

All in all an enjoyable book, thus a 4/5 rating but not one where I'll "drop everything" to read.

Rating 4/5
Publication Date: Jun 09 2026

This book was a cozy mix of historical romance, mystery, and fantasy. Magic, academia, and a slow-burning love story. The beginning was a little slow going for me, but I kept with it and ended up really liking this story. The world-building isn't intense, and there was no insane magic system to grasp (though I hope that it is explained in a later book). The title says it is first in the series, but this reads as a standalone. The narrators did an excellent job performing the audiobook, and the cover is gorgeous as well.

Thank you, Netgalley and Penguin Random House, for the advanced audiobook!

I really liked the narrators (duel)!! I didn’t know the female by name but have def listened to her before and really enjoy her performance. And the male is great too!! My only complaint about the audio is that to me they were differently paced enough that I upped the Reid chapters by 0.25x speed…
Otherwise it was great.

In terms of story and plot, I liked the cozy like magic system. Plus a little murder mystery. And throw in epistolary pieces since they’re writing to each other (hidden identities- enemies to lovers in real life), it all makes for a very cute story.

It dragged just a bit in the middle for me but overall enjoyed this one!

Thank you to Bita Behzadi, Hay House, and NetGalley for an advance listeners copy of Letters from the Last Apothecary.

Letters from the Last Apothecary:
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Review:

Letters from the Last Apothecary is about a grumpy apothecarist, the woman who turns his life upside down as she helps to save his shop, and the secret letters that tie the two together.

Set in a bustling, industrialized city, where the rise of anti-magic sentiment pushes the apothecary Reid, our MMC, works at to the brink of closing. In comes our FMC, Josephine, who just lost her latest job and lands a job at the apothecary determined to bring in more clients and money so they won’t close. Right from the start Reid’s and Josephine’s personalities clash, neither are able to stand each other, but unbeknownst to either of them they have been exchanging anonymous letters to help study together the last few months.

The dual timeline in the novel shows the progression of their relationship from the first letter sent to the last one Josephine sends to Reid, the reader is able to see them fall in love with each other through their letters. In the present timeline, we have the recipients of the letters clashing over how things are conducted in the apothecary. Eventually, Reid and Josephine must work together as the dangers outside the shop hits closer to home, and only working together will ultimately help save the apothecary.

The plot does start out really, really slow. Like to the point I wasn’t sure when we would get to point in the novel where Josephine and Reid would figure out who their pen pal was. However, once we do get to the point of one of them figuring it out, we don’t have the second discovery happen until later in the novel. While this helps to progress their relationship outside of the letter, I just really wanted them to both know!

Both E.M. Wylde and Samara Naeymi are new to me narrators, but both were great! I enjoyed their narration for each characters POV, Samara definitely brought Josephine’s sunshiny personality to life, and Wylde did the same with Reid’s grumpiness. Listening to the audiobook definitely helped me stick with reading this when the plot was moving very slowly, I don’t think I would’ve been able to finish as quickly if I hadn’t.

Thank you NetGalley, publisher, and author for the ALC.

Cozy fantasy, old school ‘You’ve Got Mail,’ with a murder mystery twist. I think this book is beautifully written. It has a classic romance vibe. I love the letters/correspondence between Josie and Reid.

Narrated in both FMC and MMC POV. The narrators did a great job of getting the listeners interested in their character’s’ emotions.

Book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrator (dual) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Letters from the Last Apothecary is a deeply character driven fantasy that understands not every story needs an overly intricate magic system to feel immersive. The magic here is relatively simple and familiar, but that simplicity ends up serving the story well. Instead of getting lost in over explanation or convoluted rules, the story stays grounded in its characters and relationships. The emotional core always feels like the priority.

What stood out most to me was how much time the book allows its relationships to breathe. Motivations unfold gradually and characters are given room to simmer instead of being rushed from plot point to plot point. This pacing made the emotional beats land much harder for me. The story feels thoughtfully developed in a way that’s becoming increasingly rare in fantasy that prioritizes spectacle over interiority.

I do wish the worldbuilding had a bit more texture. Not necessarily more complexity, but more specificity. The world occasionally felt slightly out of focus around the edges and I would have loved a stronger sense of place woven into the background of the story.

Still, the strength of the characterization more than made up for that for me. This is the kind of fantasy that trusts its characters to carry the story and thankfully, they absolutely do.

I love a good cozy fantasy romance. Was there a reason for them to ever be enemies... no. But did I love it anyway? Yes!
Narrators were great.

*Letters from the Last Apothecary* by Bita Behzadi was such an atmospheric and emotional read. I really loved the writing style and the way the story slowly unfolded through the letters. The characters felt real and layered, and the themes of grief, healing, and connection stayed with me after I finished. Overall it was beautifully written and definitely worth reading.

☆☆☆.5

The book has cozy rivals-to-lovers and murder mystery vibes. It is interesting, and you look forward to the interactions between Josephine and Reid. The romance is cute and heartwarming, and the entire journey of self-reflection and growth is lovely.
The book didn't captivate me entirely, but it was a good audiobook.

This is my first book by this author, but the synopsis made it sound like something right up my alley, so I requested it, and I ended up quite enjoying it. It's definitely inspired by or a retelling of You've got mail, which is a trope I enjoy, so I liked it. I expected it to have more of a typical fantasy plot or to have more of the world or politics in it, but it is more of a romance set in a fantasy world. I liked the characters and the story, the way the magic was written about, and the simplicity of the setting and story, and the differences and similarities between the main characters. I had some mixed feelings about the narrator's voices, specifically, I didn't really like the voice narration choice for Reed in the beginning, and I wasn't sure about the choice for Josie, but I still enjoyed the audiobook. Overall, I enjoyed it, and I am curious as to what the next book in this series will be about.

Once I started reading this, I couldn’t put it down. It had a little bit of everything: magic, early 1900s historical, nursery mystery, mafia, and of course romance. The romance is a slow burn where coworkers are unknowingly pen pals with a love interest in one another. Something about the way this story was told just sucked me in. I loved how the story centered around the apothecary, which was centered over a vortex in the industrial part of their town. The day to day scenes in the shop were so fun, where much of the banter and relationship development occur. The imagery is fantastic, truly allowing for the reader to immerse into the story. The characters are interesting with an adversaries type relationship by day and allies in magical research by letter way. I would definitely categorize this as a historical urban fantasy and recommend to anyone who loves those kinds of books. It was really fun to see two smart, talented people be blinded when it comes to love and grow a strong relationship despite it not being something they expected. Highly recommend.

I’ve been loving a cosy fantasy recently, so I was really excited to get stuck into Letters from the Last Apothecary. I went into the audiobook with no real expectations as I hadn’t heard much about the book, and had a lovely time with it. I love when letters are included in the story telling, and it really added to the cosy atmosphere for me. The romance was sweet, the magic system was intriguing, and I loved the murder mystery aspect.

Thank you netgalley for the early audio and book of Letter from the Last Apothecary. Bita took us on a magical journey to the city of Tressport, where we follow Josie and Reid working at the last remaining apothecary, as they navigate coming into their own, finding love in the most surprising places. This debut novel is a historical romantic fantasy taking place in the early 1900’s, where letters set the scene and a romance unfolds. This was both a beautifully written and narrated novel and I look forward to Book 2 in Tressport!

This was a sweet book, really diving into knowing a person from the inside out. It was an enjoyable listen and I loved the quirky characters.

I loved the premise of this one. A grumpy apothecarist, a woman trying to save his shop, and two people falling in love through letters while driving each other crazy in person.

The beginning pulled me right in, but the middle lagged for me. The letters between the characters leaned heavily on academics and magic theory when I just wanted more heart. I am an emotional reader, and I needed to feel the love story more than I was thinking about it.

It does pick up in the last third, and the ending delivered. The female narrator also brought real warmth that I appreciated.

A 3.5 from me, rounded up to 4 stars. Promising debut, and I would read this author again.

I received an audiobook copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the world-building in this cozy historical romantasy (a perfect blend of my favorite genres). It’s a slow burn with low spice but a lot of emotional impact. I loved the You’ve Got Mail style romance and watching the characters unknowingly fall for each other through letters while clashing in real life. The writing was beautifully immersive, and the audiobook made the experience even better. Having both a female and male narrator really helped the dual POVs feel natural (I can’t stand male narrators do female voices). If you love cozy fantasy, grumpy/sunshine dynamics, and emotionally driven romances, this is definitely worth picking up. I’m looking forward to the next book in the Tressport Magic series! Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An enjoyable debut from Bita Behzadi. This is set in 1906 in a parallel magical world.

The use of letters to provide flash backs to before our couple met is very well done and engaging.

Behzadi has created such a detailed world and I appreciated her engineer’s eye when talking about structures and mechanics.

I really enjoyed the parallels with actual history including referencing a factory fire similar to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York, which had similar impacts on changes to society. It also had interesting themes, including the impact of the rise of industry on traditional skills - in this case magic, gender roles and race.

I listened to the audio and very much enjoyed it.

Thank you netgalley and Bita Behzadiifor allowing me the pleasure of enjoying Letters from the Apothecary.

Both voice actors did such a good job, I loved both their voices. They really complimented each other.

This story was cozy and cute and romantic. I loved the setting, I enjoyed the magic system. The story was written in such an elegant way. It gave just enough of back and forth between our two love interested.

It was interested to watch them be opposites in a lot of ways, yet balanced each other out by the end. When the apothecary was described in such detail, I could see all jars and plants and greenhouse in such beautiful detail. I personally think this book was refreshing and light hearted in the best way. Once again, I'm so thankful I got to enjoy this novel to it's fullest. My overall rating is going to be a 4 out of 5.

A good but long listen... A well written mystery and a love story in one.

The love story begins with letters to Mr. Clark and Ms. Davis who are really Mr. Reed and Ms. Pinova, coworkers who irritate each other. The letters and writers are just one mystery that must be solved in this story. This does end in a HEA.

E.M. Wylde and Samara Naeymi did a very good job at narration. I normally listen to audiobooks at 1.5-1.75x speed. I was able to listen to this book at 1.75x with no issues.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House/Hay House LLC for the opportunity to listen to this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House | Hay House LLC for this Audiobook ARC.

Bita Behzadi's Letters from the Last Apothecary is described as Emily Wilde meets Divine Rivals. I haven't yet read Emily Wilde (but I am planning to), but I really liked Divine Rivals and there is definitely similar feeling in this. It tells a story about Josie Pinova and Aufidius Reid who both have applied into the Institute of Magic and wait to hear if they are accepted. Josie is unexpectedly hired to last magical apothecary in Tressport where Aufidius is working. Soon they start to get on each others nerves and develop a sort of rivalry between them. At the same time they have been secretly exchanging letters with fellow anonymous Institute applicants not knowing they are actually corresponding with each other.

This was quite a delightful cosy historical fantasy romance with some mystery elements too. What I liked about this one more than Divine Rivals, was that at first neither one of the characters knew who they were writing the letters to. Also the rivalry was more believable in this. It was actually slow burn which I liked. Cast of characters was interesting and I wouldn't mind reading a book where some of the other characters were the main ones.

I listened to this as an audiobook with dual narration by Samara Naeymi and E. M. Wylde who both did excellent job.

This book features my favorite tropes; romance epistolary, historical setting, cozy apothecary, and a slight murder mystery. With that being said, I had a really good time with this story!!

The characters falling in love through the letters while unknowingly working together had me kicking my feet!!!! There is nothing more romantic to me than characters opening up in a way they cant in words, through letters, and finding that comfort in the other. I eat it up every single time.

The magic system is very cool through their senses. I really loved that its an important feature in the story and also makes sense. By that, I mean i didn't feel like i needed a reference or guide to keep up with any terms.
I will say, i wasn't expecting the twist with the murder and the plot shifting to a bit more of a murder mystery. But i really loved how it tied everything together with the characters.

If you liked "Divine Rivals" by Rebecca Ross for its historical settings and letters, i definitely think you will enjoy this book. Theres something very similar yet totally unique comparing the two books.

I listened to this on audiobook and loved the narration. Thank you so much to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the ALC.

Letters from the Last Apothecary by Bita Behzadi.

Letters from the last apothecary is a historical fantasy romance set in a magical city. It deals with rapid industrialization, anti-magic prejudice, social pressure, and sabotage.

I enjoyed the narration and I thought it was excellent.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

A fun, cosy story with a cool magic system! It’s bit a bit of romance, mystery, murder all centred around a little apothecary.

A very quick and easy read. I loved Josie’s sister and the dynamic between them. The letters gave little insightful glimpses into the depth of the characters.

The relationship between Reid and Josie felt a little rushed at the end and a little cheesy for me personally but it was an enjoyable read.

The dual narration was the perfect casting for the characters personalities and I enjoyed the different POVs of each character.

<b>Review of ARC received from net galley for an honest review</b>

Verdict: A tender and atmospheric romantic fantasy that prioritizes emotional resonance, rewarding readers who enjoy slow-burn love stories, cozy witchy vibes, and intimate storytelling.

Bita Behzadi’s Letters from the Last Apothecary is a cozy romantic fantasy that blends epistolary storytelling with a gently mysterious apothecary setting, offering readers a character-driven narrative grounded in emotional intimacy, magic, and slow-burning romance.

Set in the atmospheric city of Tressport, the novel follows Josie Pinova, a recently unemployed young woman who unexpectedly finds work in a struggling magical apothecary. There, she encounters the reserved and often irritable apothecarist Aufidius Reid. Their dynamic in person is defined by friction and ideological differences, yet an anonymous exchange of letters between them reveals a more vulnerable and authentic connection, one that neither realizes is developing with the very person they clash with daily. The novel’s central tension lies in this duality: the contrast between spoken disagreement and written intimacy, and the emotional irony that drives the romantic arc.

The apothecary is filled with experimental elixirs, fading traditions, and quiet resistance to modernization, which creates a backdrop that feels both whimsical and melancholic. There’s also tension here, as not everyone in their city is amenable to their existence.

Characterization is another highlight. Josie is portrayed as determined and intellectually curious, while Reid is reserved, meticulous, and emotionally guarded. Their interactions evolve organically, moving from antagonism to reluctant collaboration and eventually to emotional openness. While the pacing is on the slower side, this aligns with the novel’s emphasis on gradual emotional romantic development.

If there is a limitation, it lies in its measured pacing and introspective tone, which may feel understated for readers seeking high-stakes fantasy or fast-moving plots. However, for those who appreciate atmospheric storytelling and emotionally grounded romance, the novel is a satisfying and immersive experience.

Overall, Letters from the Last Apothecary is a thoughtful debut that combines romantic fantasy with literary charm. It excels in mood, emotional layering, and the delicate unfolding of connection, making it particularly appealing to readers who enjoy cozy fantasy, epistolary romance, and character-centered narratives.

Very PG rated romance for those looking for more spice.

I loved this book! It has that comfy, cozy vibe similar to "The Spellshop" and "Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore." This book follows a headstrong female who slowly befriends a disgruntled apothecary owner. Writing letters, unknowingly, too each other, they come to live each other. This part reminds me of "You've Got Mail." I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me early access to this audio book for my honest opinions.

Find me on goodreads.com (Kate Ballard)

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an audio ARC of Letters from the Last Apothecary! I loved this book - such a fun and cozy read. Both narrators did a great job. Samantha Brentmoor is amazing and provides a lot of emotional depth to her narration which just adds to the listening experience overall. The characters are ones you can't help, but consistently root for throughout the book despite their flaws. I especially love that their strengths in casting magic were actually flipped from what the gender-stereotypical magic strengths are supposed to be in this magical society with Reid being more instinctive/emotional driven magic casting and Josie being more structurally based magic casting. Josie also reminded me of a Hermione-esque character and I love reading confidently competent female characters. The plot progressed at a good pace and it held my attention all the way through. I'd definitely recommend this for readers looking for a cozy fantasy read who loved Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross.

This book was such a fun read. loved the magic. Loved setting. Definitely gave me You've Got Mail vibes but with Magic which I loved. Cozy magical mystery vibes.

•Interesting, unique magic
•Anonymous pen pals
•Mafia
•Murder mystery
•Yearning

Comp’d to Divine Rivals and Emily Wilde, along with You’ve Got Mail vibes. Cosy historical fiction, murder mystery. The witty banter, endearing sister, supportive friends circle, make this such a fun read.

Magic vs industrialization
1900s Chicago

Discussion surrounding racism, sexism, and going against gender norms.

Dual narration. Both had lovely voices and brought a lot of emotion and life to the characters, I especially loved Samara Naeymi. Although, sometimes the narrators didn’t differentiate enough between characters, so I had trouble telling which character was talking.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ALC

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: ½ 🌶

Thanks to Hay House for providing me with this ALC.

Letters From The Last Apothecary by Bita Behzadi is a cozy historical fantasy romance with a mystery subplot. It follows Josie and Reid, who butt heads at the apothecary where they work-unaware that they're also pen pals.

Who would like it:
-Fans of historical fantasy who want to get into romance
-Fans of historical fiction who want to try fantasy
-Fans of very low-spice romance
-Those who enjoy fiction that discusses spirituality and personal growth
-Those who appreciate diverse historical stories
-Fans of the “You've Got Mail” microtrope

Who might not enjoy it:
-Those who want romance with swoon-worthy, palpable chemistry between the leads
-Those who prefer fast-paced stories
-Those who need a book to hook them right away to keep reading
-Those who see the “cozy” label and think this book will be all sunshine and rainbows. It definitely *is* cozy, but it also deals with life's hardships and has an almost bittersweet quality to it at times

This was a lovely listen! I was surprised to learn it was published by Hay House since they're known for spiritual and self-help nonfiction. From what I can tell, this is their first novel-and it's a promising one.

Aside from being an enjoyable historical romance with light fantasy elements, there's also an emphasis on personal growth and the metaphysical that sets it apart from most books in the genre. Yet unlike a lot of “faith-based” media, these elements never feel forced or preachy. As a romance reader who's also drawn to all things spiritual, this novel brought together two of my favorite things.

Listening to LFTLA felt like curling up with a classic film in the best way. Something about the writing made it seem delightfully old school and timeless. This made for a refreshing change from so many popular romances that feel like they're written and marketed based on what's trending (though I love many of those books too).

The story moves slowly, but thanks to the intriguing characters and cozy setting I was never bored. I absolutely adore the microtrope of “the leads correspond and fall in love without realizing they know each other in real life.” I’ve eaten it up in every book or movie I could since I watched You’ve Got Mail as a child. Here, the author put a great spin on it that made it feel fresh.

Tressport and its magic are interesting, believable, and well-constructed. The titular apothecary is incredibly charming and almost feels like a character in its own right. I was also pleasantly surprised by the mystery element that's introduced about halfway through the book. It kept me guessing right up until the big reveal!

The characters are all written with depth and nuance, so much so that they feel like real people. I connected with both leads and found each of them relatable to a certain extent. The way they bond, heal, and grow through their letters (and eventually in real life) is beautiful.

I also enjoyed the book's rich, diverse representation. Both the leads are casually referred to as bisexual, and there's a gay side character. Reid and Josie are both people of color. We even get disability rep in the form of Reid dealing with the lingering effects of polio. There's also insightful commentary on race and class. This book may be set in an alternate magical version of the early 20th century but many of the same struggles those in our world faced at that time (and are still facing) apply to these characters too.

As for the audio, both of the narrators spoke clearly and did a wonderful job of bringing their characters to life. I could understand what they were saying even at 3X speed. The sound quality was great with no noticeable issues. Samara Naeymi's narration was especially impressive-her voice reminds me of another narrator I love, Samantha Brentmoor.

Despite these strengths, the romance fell a little flat for me. While I could appreciate Josie and Reid's story, I didn't actually feel the connection between the two of them most of the time. I never once got that swoony, giggly, kicking-my-feet feeling romance readers know and love. As someone who enjoys books of all spice levels, I usually don't mind when a book has little to none. And I love a good slow burn. But there was so little chemistry here that unfortunately, it was more like a “no burn.”

Still, I enjoyed this one and look forward to seeing what the author (and the publisher) come out with next!

Loved how cute and mystery this book was! How they both were able to find each other even through the letters was heart warming. I enjoyed the mystery and thriller of it. The voice actors did a great job!

Letters from the Last Apothecary is a charming historical romantic fantasy! I had a wonderful time reading it. It was such a delightful story, and made me cry several times. The world is super interesting--it's set in a 1900’s Chicago where mages, apothecarists, and witches exist. However, society carries an anti-magic sentiment, which led to some interesting politics in this world.

The storytelling and plot structure is also very unique. As the reader reads each chapter, they’ll switch back and forth between Josie and Reid in the present day in 1906, and then Josie and Reid writing letters to each other in the past anonymously in the past in 1905. I loved how the timelines were intertwined, and gave the reader insights into each character's psyche individually. There also is a pivotal moment about 50-60% into the book, where the book's genre shifts substantially. I didn't see the genre shift coming, and it was super interesting to see the direction the story took instead!

Lastly, there are so many great themes in this book that touch on racism, classism, misogyny, and more. Both Josie and Reid are mixed race and come from multicultural backgrounds, and it’s very fundamental to how they navigate society, their careers, religion, and their friendships. The way these themes were explored added a deeper layer to Josie and Reid as individual characters and also to their romance.

I definitely recommend the audiobook when picking up this story! I've been a fan of Samara Naeymi's narration under her other pseudonym, Samantha Brentmoor, and it was wonderful to hear her narrate Josie's chapters in this book.

**Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House and Hay House LLC for this ARC!!**

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook! I found the letters between Mr. Clark and Ms. Davis to be so sweet the farther along I got into the story. I appreciated the slow burn between our main characters and the mix of murder mystery to the plot line. This had a little bit of everything but mostly, was the sweetest little romance!!

I loved this book! I was blessed with getting to listen to the audiobook, and EM Wylde and Samara Naeymi hit this out of the park! This is a very cozy romantasy. It gives you all the warm and fuzzies, the frustration, yearning, insecurities, thrills, and magic that you could dream of! A little Ron and Hermione, You've Got Mail, Divine Rivals, The Villains Apprentice... all the good warm rom commy grumpy sunshine feels, complete with found family and a happy ending. Truly enjoyable read.

This is an entertaining cozy fantasy. I liked the characters right away, but didn't really become invested in the story until I better understood how magic in this world worked. Another hiccup I experienced was the order of the letters. They build up to one event--a meeting to celebrate or share condolences on university acceptance, but once that event happens, I couldn't place whether the remaining letters included in the story were from before or after. This confusion led me to see the letters after the big event as more of an author tool than part of the story. I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series. I want to find out what happens with this couple and their apothecary.

A charming blend of magic, academia, and slow-burn romance, this audiobook completely pulled me in. I especially loved the dual narration. Josie and Reid’s chemistry crackles from the very beginning, especially with the anonymous letter exchanges adding so much heart and tension to the story. The narration did a great job capturing both the cozy atmosphere of the magical apothecary and the emotional depth of the characters. While the pacing lagged slightly in the middle, the world-building and character development kept me invested. A delightful listen for fans of fantasy romance with rivals-to-lovers energy.

This book was a delightful clean romance about a female apothecary and magic user in a society where magic is demonized. It had Industrial Revolution/gilded age vibes and the villain was definitely "big business" I thought it was really interesting that the author challenged the in-world gender roles for magic wielders and had the Hero use more traditionally feminine magic and the Heroine use traditionally masculine magic.

Letters from the last apothecary by @bitabehz Thank you @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for the ARC!

I'm definitely getting lucky when it comes to ARCS, this one was another enjoyable listen. The narration was easy to listen to which is a must for me! The narrator made it for me, the storie unfolds through two peoples letters, which turn into love letters!

Thank small cozy apothecary shop which is facing closure, until Josie comes along! A mix of story telling, love letters and a grumpy co-worker!

The best bit, is that when I went to Bita's instagram... its listed as book 1...!!

🍄 Charming Gaslamp Romantasy
 ✉️ Semi-Epistolary
 🌿 Found Family
 ✨️ Women in STEM (m=magic)
 🍄 Rival Coworkers to Lovers
 💌 Pen Pals
 🌿 Grumpy × Sunshine
 ✨️ You've Got Mail ... with a Magical twist
 🍄 Unstoppable Force FMC, Immovable Object MMC 

I keep saying I'm not a slow burn girlie and then I keep falling in love with slow burns. 

I requested an ARC of this (thank you NetGalley), almost on a whim, after seeing a recommendation from a fellow bookstagramer and I'm so happy that I did and was lucky enough to receive one! It was then available as a Listen Now ALC and I'm so glad I was able to listen to this.

I could've easily read this in one sitting and only didn't because I couldn't stay up late. This book was everything and has consumed my every thought. The pacing, the character development, the magic system, the semi-epistolary style, the murder mystery subplot ... everything perfect and came together so well. I can't wait to experience the rest of this series!

The narrators of this audio were impeccable and the only thing that would have made this better would be for it to be a duet narration.

I loved this reader as an e-book, and now as an audiobook! The voices fit Josie and Reid perfectly and as if I could not love this book any more, I've been proven wrong. The tone, the voices, the feelings, ah!! I was totally immersed and tressport came to life right there in my car to work <33

I think books that include secret letters is fast becoming a favourite genre, especially when there's a rivals-to-lovers element (you really can't say enemies to lovers is the vibe of this story).

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and ended up listening to it instead of reading other books I have on the go as I wanted to see how they discovered who was really sending the letters.

As well as the romance side of things (which has no spice FYI), I enjoyed the world building and the detailed magic system. There are several layers to the magic, which add additional depth to the story without slowing it down or being too complicated.

Every character was interesting and fully fleshed out, which makes the ultimate mystery pretty difficult to unpick as you don't want anyone to have perpetrated the crime (no spoilers here!).

I also loved the letter extracts that show how thoroughly the two main characters fell in love before they even met. This also provided a nice juxtaposition with their in-person relationship.

The book is dual POV so the audiobook has two narrators, both of whom are great and very easy to listen to. The character differentiation was strong through the use of clear voices so the story was easy to follow and the pacing was excellent.

This is an easy but very interesting romance with plenty of magic.

Thanks for allowing me to read this lovely audiobook! The narration was well done, and the voices matched the main characters well.

I adored this cozier take on romantasy. It balanced strong personal stakes and had solid local stakes as well. I went in with very few expectations, mostly selecting this story because it was available to read instantly. I'm also a sucker for anything with the word "apothecary" in the title. It absolutely delivered (and then some). The MC is smart, analytical, and ambitious. The MC and the love interest both feel like real adults, and the layered love story (some in letters, some taking place in real life) was lovely to follow from start to finish.

I'm also always thrilled to have a bi male love interest! The side characters added a nice balance between the MC's, and I particularly liked the dynamic between the MC and her sister.

There are some thoughtful themes around class and status, beautifully woven into the story!

I'll definitely be adding Bita Behzadi as an author to keep an eye on in the future! Thanks for letting me read!

This was really cute, the gaslamp fantasy cozy vibes were great! I didn't love how the plot felt the need to diverge into a murder mystery but I can forgive it. But I did greatly enjoy both Josie and Reid and all the sub characters.

The narrators for both MMCs were great as well. Very nice cadence and overall pleasant voices.

It says #1 but this also appears to have been a standalone with complete resolution so perhaps in the future there'll be off shoots? Not entirely sure.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the ALC.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the ALC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Found this to be an unexpected cute story of rivals to (unknowingly) lovers. Josie and Reid are academy hopefuls who find themselves exchanging letters after trying to obtain the same book for their studies. Their letter exchanges are woven within the story of their growing friendship that grows into a sweet fondness of each other's intellect and banter. Unknowingly, outside of the letters, they are coworkers who butt heads while working for the last apothecary in the city of Tressport.

While this was not a burning romance story, I found myself enjoying their banter in their letters as well as their distaste for each other in person. I found the rivalry to be reasonable as any two coworkers may be like if their first impressions and assumptions of each start off on the wrong footing. Mixed with this is a murder mystery in the second half of the book which finally bring our two leads closer together in person outside of their letters.

Having said that, I did wish there was more to their in person development. I loved their letter exchanges that I wish there had been more interaction of their romance vs their need to solve a mystery. Aside from that though, I enjoyed the story and the narrators did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life.

Thank you to NetGally for the advanced audiobook version- This was a fantastic fantasy with cosy elements, but also covered strong and difficult themes well. It's set in the 1900's and had a really unique magic system. The use of writing letters between the two main characters was beautifully done.

1st person Dual POV
Fantasy with cosy feels
Exchanging letters anonymously
Rivals in work
Women in STEM (magic)
Inspired by 1900's Chicago
Closed-door romance, no spice.


Our main characters are Josie and Reid, who both want to get into the Institute of Magic for differing reasons. They begin to write letters to one another after Joise wrote a terse letter requesting Mr Reid return a library book she wanted to borrow. I loved Josie's character and found her relatable.

I loved the letters to each other at the start of each chapter, how their respect grew, and eventually their feelings. And I found that the author wrote a mix of misogyny and religion, magic, education, science, and interpersonal relationships well.

Audiobook Notes
Narration Style: Dual
Narrators: Samara Naeymi and E.M. Wylde
Comment: The narrators did an amazing job bringing this book to life. I believe it's an absolute 5-star rating in audiobook form. I adored hearing the narrators read the letters, and it really brought something special to the story.

A thought provoking and well written read, Letters from the Last Apothecary cleverly explores class, ethnicity, and gender based prejudice in an alternate magical 1900s Chicago.

The epistolary romance between the main characters is reminiscent of Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross, but different with the lower stakes and more angst between the pair. The cosy every day happenings in the beginning are enjoyable to read about, but the story does drag in the middle before the mystery plot takes over.

Our FMC, Josie, is an unapologetically strong and independent woman facing prejudice against her because of her gender and ethnicity background, as she pursues her goal of attending the Institute of Magic. A goal she shares with the MMC, who on the other hand, comes off as quite stuck up and a little annoying. Though he does improve towards end. Their behaviour with each other in person is at contrast to the how they write to each other, and plausibly explains why it takes them so long to figure out the truth.

The story wraps up nicely with a satisfying, if typical, conclusion.

Rounded up from 4.75.

Absolutely gobbled up this audiobook copy that was sent to me through Netgalley.

We have rivals to lovers, secret letters and unknown identities, magical elements and a combination of old and the modern and it makes for a really brilliant blend. The romance is spice free oh and there's a subplot of investigating a murder!

It's listed as the first one in the series and for that I am able to forgive some of the depth of the magical world building elements because I can imagine it being built upon more in the follow on book. Instead this one focussed more on a small amount of the magical world and a huge amount on the characters and the letters involved.

I found pretty much all of the characters loveable as we got to know them and understand them more; There was one character I had a mixed feeling on for about 75% of the book but it became a realisation of it perhaps being a misunderstood person (though not completely).

It absolutely falls into the category of a slow burn, not just in terms of the romance, but in terms of all the other plots really starting to come together. I can find slow stories to be problematic for my attention span but this was fantastically written (that and it's got multiple narrators in the audiobook which absolutely helps too!)

More thoughts will come on YouTube/Socials over time.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House and Hay House LLC for this ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: 4 stars.

I really enjoyed this audiobook and found myself becoming more emotionally invested the further I got into the story. The slow burn romance was incredibly sweet, and I loved how it was intertwined with the murder mystery plotline. The structure of this novel was unique, alternating between Josie and Reid in the present and their anonymous letters to each other. Seeing both timelines unfold simultaneously gave so much insight into their lives and made their growing connection feel very intimate.

The letters themselves were easily my favorite part of the book. They felt vulnerable and authentic, which made the emotional core of their story stand out. The prose was beautiful and captured longing and tenderness very well! I also appreciated how thoughtfully the story explored themes like classism, misogyny and multicultural identity, and how deeply those experiences shaped both Josie and Reid as individuals and within their relationship.

In the second half of the book, the story took a major turn that genuinely surprised me, and while I personally preferred the mystery elements over the cozier romance, I still found the shift interesting.

I only struggled to fully connect with some of the characters at times. Still, this was a very emotionally immersive read, especially with the great work of the narrators!

“What is the point of loving someone if you won’t share it with them?”

Letters from the Last Apothecary by Bita Behzadi is a charming mix of romance, fantasy, and historical fiction, epistolary and a lil dash of mystery as a treat. Behzadi wrote two complex main characters and let us both love and loathe them; we to watch them fall in love through letters, clash in person, and then reconcile the dualities to fall in love, real and truly, with every part of them.

Behzadi managed to weave a darling love story in a fictional magical world, but still was able to touch on the effects of classism, sexism, and racism. While the first part was rather slow paced, I still adored it. I’m a sucker for an epistolary and I just couldn’t wait to see Reid and Josie interact on and off paper.

I listened to the audio and adored both narrators. They spoke clearly and infused just the right amount of emotion and personality.

Thank you NetGalley and Hay House for letting me preview this enchanting tale!

This book had such a fun and charming concept. Falling in love through anonymous correspondence for months, while somehow not realizing the person you’ve been pouring your heart out to is also the coworker you can barely stand? SIGN ME UP 👀

I really loved the tension between them and watching their relationship slowly evolve through the letters. The emotional connection felt genuine, and I found myself getting attached to Josie so quickly.

What hit me the hardest though was the FMC’s journey. She worked SO hard for her career and independence that my female rage was fighting for her the entire time 😭 I just wanted her to have everything she had worked for and still get the love story too.

My only complaint is honestly that the ending felt a little rushed for me. Once everything was revealed, I needed more time with them together because I was not ready to let them go yet 🖤

A great adventure slowburn romance!
Loved the story behind and the characters development.
A great read! Have recommended

There is something wildly unfair about a book showing up with anonymous letters, a failing magical apothecary, yearning academics, industrial-era gloom, and a romance built almost entirely on emotional repression and ink stains. That combination is engineered in a secret underground laboratory specifically to ruin me.

Letters from the Last Apothecary drops readers into a city slowly choking the life out of magic. Tressport feels heavy with smoke, progress, and exhaustion, like the world is bulldozing wonder in favor of factories and efficiency. Yet hidden inside all that decay is an apothecary stubbornly surviving on herbs, recipes, old traditions, and pure spite. The atmosphere in this novel is incredible. Every scene smells like rain, paper, dried lavender, and secrets people should probably discuss in therapy rather than in handwritten correspondence.

Josephine Pinova is exactly the kind of heroine I love reading about. Smart, ambitious, emotionally messy under the surface, and deeply unwilling to accept the life everyone expects her to settle for. After losing her academic position, she ends up working at the apothecary and immediately collides with Reid Blackthorn’s carefully ordered existence like a bookshelf tipping in slow motion.

And Reid. This man could turn emotional repression into a competitive sport. He is gruff, reserved, painfully routine-driven, and somehow manages to become romantic almost entirely by accident. Watching these two slowly unravel around each other was exquisite torture. Their chemistry thrives in tiny moments: arguments over shop organization, reluctant teamwork, lingering conversations, and letters that reveal the vulnerable versions of themselves neither can manage in person.

The anonymous correspondence storyline absolutely carried me away. The letters create a strange dual intimacy in which both characters unknowingly fall for each other twice: once in real life, through friction and trust, and once through words written in private. It gives the romance a soft ache that lingers throughout the novel.

What makes the story stand out beyond the romance is its balance of cozy fantasy elements with genuinely weighty themes. Underneath the warm candlelight and the brewing of potions lies a story about disappearing traditions, misogyny in academia, class struggles, and the fear of becoming obsolete in a rapidly changing world. The apothecary itself becomes symbolic of everything fragile that people are desperately trying to preserve before modernity grinds it into dust.

The pacing is quieter and more deliberate, but it works beautifully for this kind of story. The tension builds gradually through emotional revelations, social pressures, and the growing sense that the apothecary is standing on borrowed time. By the final stretch, the emotional payoff lands like a sealed letter finally opened after years hidden in a drawer.

The audiobook experience made the story feel even more intimate. The narration captures the melancholy warmth of the world perfectly, especially during the letter exchanges, where every pause and shift in tone adds another layer of longing. Reid’s reserved nature comes across beautifully in audio because you can hear the restraint constantly cracking beneath the surface. Meanwhile, Josie’s determination and frustration feel sharp, lively, and deeply human. Listening to this book honestly felt like being handed secret correspondence beside a fire while rain battered the windows outside.

This is the kind of book that wraps itself around readers who love cozy fantasy but still crave emotional depth and melancholy beneath the surface. It feels like equal parts magical realism, historical fantasy, and romantic yearning. The entire novel carries the energy of reading old correspondence by candlelight while the world changes outside the window.

Also, this book personally attacked me by making handwritten letters seem romantic again. Now suddenly I’m considering fountain pens and dramatic stationery like some Victorian scholar on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Letters from the Last Apothecary is tender, atmospheric, quietly heartbreaking, and full of characters trying to hold onto magic, purpose, and each other before time sweeps everything away.

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC!
Who doesn’t love a book about magic and love?
I really enjoyed the letter writing that is shared between these two and the magical world. I also really enjoyed seeing how they come together and shift their perspectives of each other after knowing each other in writing and in person. It has a You’ve Got Mail vibe.
The class divide parallels show a glimpse into prejudices and is always timely. The sense of mystery and crime finding also adds a more complex storyline. I enjoyed the character development and the happily ever after.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Audio, Hay House LLC, and Bita Behzadi for the advance listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

Letters from the Last Apothecary was a cozy fantasy that immediately reminded me of the Emily Wilde series. It combines magic, academia, and a slow-burn romance with a touch of historical atmosphere that made it easy to settle into the world.

One of the aspects I found interesting was the society’s belief that men and women are naturally suited to different types of magic. The way this idea shaped opportunities, expectations, and the characters’ ambitions added an extra layer to the story. Josie’s determination to challenge those limitations made her an easy protagonist to root for. Watching the relationship develop through written correspondence created a sense of intimacy and anticipation that kept me invested. While the first half moved at a gentler pace and occasionally felt a bit slow, the second half introduced a twist that significantly increased the momentum. I found myself much more engaged and eager to see how everything would come together in the second half.

The audiobook narration was excellent and helped bring both the characters and the atmosphere to life. Overall, this is a cozy, romantic fantasy filled with magic, ambition, and heartfelt connections. Readers who enjoy Emily Wilde, epistolary romances, and quieter fantasy stories with strong character relationships will likely find a lot to enjoy here.

I love an epistolary story so I was really excited to read Letters from the Last Apothecary. As a debut author, BIta Behzadi did a great job capturing the coziness of this magical rom-com.

Josie hasn't had a great day, she was fired and lands a new job in an apothecary. Unfortunately for her, that's not as good as it sounds! Aufidius Reid (Reid please) isn't thrilled when Josie comes to work and they are immediately like oil and water.
This definitely makes for some funny moments and excellent banter.
Unknowingly, they are corresponding via letters as want-to-be students of the magical institute, and they get along much better in that format, so much better in fact, it's a burgeoning love story.
Mayhem ensures and mysteries abound, but the heart of the matter is love.

Dual POV's give us a close up into the hearts and minds of both our main characters. Both Josie and Reid's voices are well thought out and some of the themes of the story are deep and certainly relevant today.

As I was given the opportunity to listen by audiobook I feel that it does the story a great benefit. Hearing the dual narration always provides a depth to the story, especially with the letters themselves, and the narrators E.M Wylde and Samara Naeymi were terrific voice actors.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin/Random House for the opportunity to read and review. My thoughts are my own.

Ok, I loved this book. I do not care for stories set way in the past but this being set in the early 1900s, the author didn't make it feel like that time period. I really liked the writing style, the verbage was not hard for me to follow, and the characters were great. I found this book very easy to listen to, the narrators were great as well and easy to understand. I would definitely listen to this book again in fhe future. Just the perfect amount of romance for me.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced listening copy via Netgalley! This has in no way influenced my reading experience or opinions.

I hate it when a book is so good you get cursed with the dreaded reading slump because you couldn’t stop thinking about it while your TBR and Netgalley feedback ratio just stares at you like 👁️👄👁️. It hasn’t happened to me for the longest time until Bita Behzadi’s Letters from the Last Apothecary came along.

Easily belongs in the top three of the strongest debuts I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Hands down. It has everything I love in a romantasy book and more. There’s some god-tier banter, elite yearning / mutual pining, soft and tender moments, lots of secrets and mysteries, multi-faceted BIPOC and queer characters, and complex worldbuilding.

Samara Naeymi did a phenomenal job in bringing half of Letters from the Last Apothecary to life. Her voice was really pretty to listen to and so soothing (I fell asleep listening at some point), and I could not imagine anyone better to be Josie’s voice. I loved the creative choices she made throughout her narration. As a beginner audiobook listener myself, one of my biggest concerns when it comes to audiobooks was keeping up with the dialogue. Fortunately, Samara made it easy to distinguish which character was speaking. While I found her male voices a little awkward (except for Willy [?Idk the spelling or if I was hearing his name right]), I don’t think it’s too concerning. I loved how expressive her narration was because you can truly feel the characters’ emotions in it. Her Josie voice in particular was exceptional. I can tell Samara understood her as a character and was able to capture her heartbreak, longing, hurt, joy, and all. There were definitely moments where I had to stop what I was doing and sit down for a bit because I was so engrossed. What a talent, truly!

Overall, I had a blast listening to the ALC. It was my first audiobook experience, so it’s a little chaotic.

Safe to say, Letters from the Last Apothecary belongs in my top three my favorite reads of the year. No doubt a solid debut from Bita Behzadi. It’s definitely one of those books where I’m SO inclined to grab a physical copy. I’m putting it down on my to-do list when I get the opportunity to visit the US again in case it won’t be available in the Philippines because I’m treasuring it so much.

It’s also been more than three weeks since I finished the ALC, and it seems the chokehold this book has on me is not going away any time soon. Thankfully, there will be more books in the Tressport Magic series (interconnected standalone ala Bridgerton from what I heard). I’m so excited for what the future holds in this series! I’m in love with the characters, the world and the magic, and Bita’s ephemeral writing. I am officially obsessed and I can’t wait for everyone else to discover it come publication day!

I received Letters from the Last Apothecary on audio from NetGalley.

For fans of Divine Rivals, this story follows Josie and Reid, who find themselves borrowing the same books from the library to prepare for the entrance exams into the Institute of Magic and begin a relationship by swapping letters tucked away within said books. While maintaining anonymity, they find themselves opening up to each other in ways they have rarely allowed themselves and begin to fall in love. Taking the next step and actually meeting is daunting for both of them, but perhaps they are closer to finding each other than either of them realize.

Behzadi builds a lush world in which technology and magic coincide, and two people who have always had to be strong for those around them are able to find each other and find a safe space to be vulnerable I really liked both Josie and Reid as characters, and found each of their backstories unique, well developed without being unnecessarily detailed or over-complicated. The South and West Asian influence on their respective cultural backgrounds add a dynamic and under-explored perspective on academic magic stories that I found fresh and deftly wielded.

The writing was lush, yet accessible and I found the story overall nicely balanced between the romance, personal relationships, internal character conflicts and narrative arc. Where stories that touch on multiple facets of their characters' perspective and experience sometimes find themselves over-committed and thus underdeveloped, Behzadi covered topics of colonialism, sexism, classism, racism, and more, each element was meaningfully explored without feeling preachy or clunky.

I did find Reid a bit too boorish at times, to the point that I found myself questioning if he really was secretly nice and good enough for Josie, and I did feel like he kept that side of him maybe *too* hidden until he finally puts everything together in the end, but in the end I was mostly won over.

Overall I had a good time with this story and loved getting a bi for bi historical-ish romantic fantasy. It combined a lot of things I loved and overall combined them well! The audiobook was also well produced and the two narrators did a good job for each of their sections and embodied the characters well.

This was a charming story with a magical twist on the You've Got Mail story. The switch between past letters and the current plot was a nice way to build it together, I think a paper copy would make it easier to double check dates than the audiobook. The narrators were excellent and really added to the story. I definitely called out the bad guy before it was revealed, but watching them get there felt realistic.

It felt very much like a romance set in the early 1900s, just add magic.

I received a free copy through NetGalley, I am leaving this review voluntarily.

✨⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Letters from the Last Apothecary completely swept me away. Imagine the cozy whimsy of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries mixed with the aching romantic tension of Divine Rivals, wrapped in a magical historical fantasy all its own.

The story follows Josie, an ambitious and determined young woman who stumbles into one of the last magical apothecaries in a rapidly industrializing city, and Reid, the grumpy, reclusive apothecarist trying to keep it alive. Their dynamic is EVERYTHING. The slow-burn enemies-to-lovers tension had me hooked from the start, but what truly made this book shine were the anonymous letters between them. Watching them unknowingly fall in love on paper while clashing in person was equal parts heartwarming, hilarious, and emotionally devastating in the best way.

The worldbuilding felt rich without being overwhelming, full of old magic, experimental elixirs, and the bittersweet feeling of a changing world leaving certain traditions behind. Beneath the cozy atmosphere is a story about purpose, belonging, and wanting to be truly seen for who you are.

I adored every page of this debut. It’s tender, clever, magical, and deeply romantic — the kind of book that makes you want to curl up with tea and stay in its world forever. If you love cozy fantasy, grumpy/sunshine romance, secret identities, and epistolary love stories, this is absolutely one to pick up.

I truly did not want this story to end! While I did struggle to grasp what was happening in the beginning of the story with the letters and the MC’s once it clicked I WAS IN!

The narration was beautiful and well performed. I absolutely loved how the letters added another element to Josie and Reid’s relationship, as well as the dual POV for giving a deeper insight into each character.

At one point they stopped being penpals, for understandable reasons, and I really missed those love notes. When the final scene is their last letters to each other I was crying those “omg that’s so sweet” tears and then almost fell over when that was the end.

I think this is a fantastic debut novel from Bita and while I hoped and desired for a bit more meat and a longer story, this truly was a delight and I look forward to reading future books from her.