I'm a lttle tired this morning as I type. The reason is this book, as I stayed up till 2am to finish it (thank Goodness for being off work!)
I knew within the first few pages that this was going to be an absolute reading gem. Don't you love it when that happens? The anticipation and excitement, wondering what journey you will take through the pages.
This book CONSUMED me. For the 3 days I was reading it, I was obsessed. Telling people to buy it, talking to my fiance about how good it was, and thinking about the characters and plot continuously. I have fairly bad insomnia at the moment, but the last few days I haven't minded as it gives me the opportunity to continue reading. Even before I had finished I had already ordered it for a present.
The three characters of Nell, Eliza and Caroline were SO distinctive, it was effortless to follow the dual timelines and the different personalities and stories. This is how a dual timeline novel should be executed- the two stories following side by side until they start to come together.
I have adored this book and will continue to recommend it. My favourite historical fiction novel up to now had been The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (I ugly cried with that book), and while that had an emotional impact on me for months afterwards, this book is now my favourite thriller/historical fiction combo. I have never really thought or a historical book being classed as a thriller, but that's exactly what this book was. Completely, totally THRILLING.
A perfect mixture of historical fiction and thriller executed flawlessly.
Just incredible.

. I loved this story and read it in one sitting because I literally couldn’t put it down. I usually don’t like reading dual times books especially if it’s older than 1980 because I don’t know much of those time periods and I’m too lazy to learn more about them.
I loved how now heroine,Caroline didn’t cave after her husband betrayal and how that makeshifts concludes into an unexpected and very interesting story from now onwards. I wanted to know so much more about Eliza and I honestly couldn’t predict what will happen next for her because I was waiting for a shoe to drop off.
As for the police investigation, that was just hilarious because it was bound to happen.
I know I’m very vague but wouldn’t want to give more spoilers up because it’s a story that needs to be read and savour.

A fun read with a nicely-paced story.

I enjoyed this page-turner. It is not highbrow literature, but it does not pretend to be, and it was good enough to keep me reading with very few breaks. The plot has been well publicised, but there were enough details and small surprises to prevent it from being predictable.

I do often wish American authors writing British people or places would sense-check their work with an actual Brit. 911 *does* work in the UK even though the correct number for emergency services is 999; you can't just rock up at the British Library reading rooms without a reader's pass, and British people don't speak American English (well, some do, but that's another matter...)

But fortunately in this book these were relatively minor quibbles. My main criticism was that the present-day story became a bit too far-fetched in places, but overall this was an entertaining, enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an e-book for review.

Told in dual timelines, The Lost Apothecary explores the lives of three different women, their lives connected over the centuries by a single unlucky vial. In 1791, Nella serves the women in her community, issuing medicines where needed, but more often selling poisons, for desperate women to use against the men who cause them misery. The arrival of a new customer – twelve year old Eliza – sets in motion a chain of events that threatens everything Nella has built. In the present-day, after discovering her husband has been unfaithful, Caroline travels alone to London, taking advantage of their tenth anniversary trip, even if he isn’t there with her.

For me, the start felt just a little rocky. I found myself much more interested in Nella, Eliza and the poisons than I was in Caroline. I don’t know if it was the setting, or things felt like they were happening at a slightly faster pace in the past storyline, but it took me a few chapters to become invested in Caroline.

Things do pick up in Caroline’s story, especially when a particular complication is added. A bit more into the book I did find myself getting invested in the present day storyline, and enjoyed the way this weaved in with Nella and Eliza.

I liked the determination of all the characters, Caroline in trying to re-establish what she wants in life, Nella in protecting the women who have come to her for help, and Eliza in making things right. The relationship between Nella and Eliza was a joy to read, too, as all three re-examine their places in the world and decide on their paths.

Penner does a great job comparing and contrasting the different worlds these women move in, and shows how even though Caroline has more freedom than Nella and Eliza, she is still held back simply by being a woman, and in many respects expected to change her desires, hopes and dreams to placate the man in her life.

The compare and contrast also applies to the three women, and I liked how the three POV characters are each shown at very different areas of their lives. Eliza is just reaching the point of ‘womanhood’, with a lack of understanding about her own body and the world around her. Nella is trying very hard to make amends for the wrongs committed against her, and help other women while doing so. She starts the novel very much set in her ways, unable to contemplate the idea of doing something else or even taking on an apprentice. There’s a sense throughout of losing control over your own body, influenced by external and internal factors, and this is also reflected in Caroline, as she adjusts to the jetlag, and struggles to picture her, her husband and a child, even though they have been trying to start a family.

This is a book I thoroughly enjoyed, slipping into this world, with great descriptions that really ground the reader, especially in the scenes of the past. The three women are great characters, and there are some truly tense moments to keep you thoroughly engaged.

Thank you to Legend Press for providing this book via NetGalley. All views remain my own.

What a wonderfully intriguing debut novel from Sarah Penner! Set in London it is written two timelines, the first 1791 told by Nella and Eliza. The second present day told by Caroline Parcewell, who is an American spending her 10th Wedding Anniversary alone in the city after discovering her husbands infidelity. The book is well written with a clever storyline, showing strong women who have suffered a betrayal of trust. I loved the descriptions and historical content depicting the apothecary and London in 1791. Also including the ‘recipes’ at the end of the book were interesting too, i would definitely recommend!

The Lost Apothecary is a beautifully written and atmospheric story, I loved being in late 18th century London and in Nella's Apothecary, the way the dual timelines in this story weaved together and told the tale of female friendship was perfectly done. I will happily read anything Sarah releases in the future.

4.5 stars overall.

This was such an intriguing read. The Lost Apothecary awakened my love of historical fiction, especially those with different timelines (used to love those type of stories!). It was a dark and richly evocative story full of mystery and suspense. I thought that the different perspectives and past and present time lines worked really well in adding to the suspense and intrigue. I found myself anticipating all of the characters' chapters and appreciated what each one added to the story.

Set in my favourite place in the world, The Lost Apothecary brought London to life. The book transported me back to the London that I love, with it's hidden lanes seeped in history and the contrast of new and old around every corner. I also found myself trawling through maps online, following in the footsteps of Eliza and Nella, accompanying Caroline in her research of the past. It's clear to see that Sarah Penner did her research and it's evident in her detailed, intricate descriptions of London. I love nothing more than being fully immersed in the setting and The Lost Apothecary didn't disappoint.

I sometimes felt a little frustrated with the characters and felt that some parts of the story was a bit far fetched, but overall it only added to the intrigue and the suspense. I also felt a little disconnected from Nella's character but I wonder if that was on purpose, due to her being the mysterious "lost" apothecary.

The Lost Apothecary was an exciting read that had me staying up way past my bed time to uncover the secrets between its pages. True, it didn't knock my socks off completely, but it reignited my love for historical fiction and has made we want to concoct my own... research (not poisons, don't worry!). I'd definitely recommend this to those who love historical fiction and tales of intrigue, secrets and suspense. Also, anyone who watches Bailey Sarian's true crime videos and has seen the Aqua Tofana video, then this is the book for you! ;)

I absolutely adored this novel. I loved every single character, every clue reveal, every everything. It's easily my favourite of all historical fiction I have ever read. Usually I don't care so much for the past sections in novels that alternate between past and present, I always want to charge through them to learn what is happening in the future, but gosh I wanted to be in the past always with this. It was such an intriguing tale.

A really beautifully written mystery. I will be reading all I can get my hands on from Penner from now on!

I've been recommending this book to everyone!

Thanks to NetGalley, Sarah Penner and Legend Press for an eArc copy of this novel for review!

In 1790s London, behind a wall, in a shop, in an alley, an apothecary brews her poisons to free women from the men who have wronged them.

I absolutely loved this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for this ARC.

Historical fiction isn’t my go to, but I really enjoyed the setting and character building of this book. The way the author created the world on London in the 1790s was so captivating. I loved the development of all the female character and the intentional lacking of development for the male characters. Penner is 100% successful in creating 18th Century feminists.

I especially liked to variety of POVs as this helped keep a story which is not focused on big plot engaging and really developed the characterisation of our protagonists.

I loved this book and it really reminded me of Lydia Kang’s work.

Brilliantly evocative

Mysterious and deadly

Oh there's something about an apothecary shop in 1790's London....

Potions, poisons, desperate women trying to take back control, but this is no anti man novel. It's a look a the struggles women of the time had and the belief that such potions might just be able to give them a little bit of an escape. It was a dark and dangerous world. this shop, hidden away down a narrow alleyway in London was supposed to be a shining light of hope...

Really enjoyed this one.

This book checks a lot of boxes that are personal favourites of mine when done well. Sometimes, I enjoyed how the author handled them and other times I did not at all.

Firstly split POV. Split, historical POV. In this case the book is told by Nella, who owned an apothecary in 1791, and Caroline, who is navigating present day London alone when she should be celebrating her anniversary. It is also the story of women and the strength they must display to survive. It is a story of secrets, lies, and the threads that connect us to our past. Later on in the book we also get chapters from the point of view of Eliza, who visited Nella at her shop.

Nella owns a small Apothecary shop in London, which she inherited from her mother. Unlike her mother, she doesn't only sell remedies. She sells poisons, which she gives to women who need to take vengeance on the men that have hurt them. She only has two rules: the poisons cannot be used on another woman, and she must record what poison she made and who she gave it to. One day, she meets 12-year-old Eliza fanning, and their meeting sets off a chain of events that could expose Nella's crimes. In present day London, Caroline finds a vial which belonged to Nella. She is supposed to be celebrating her tenth wedding anniversary, but after finding text messages on her husband's phone, she is in London alone. Caroline begins to uncover Nella and Eliza's story, with the help of those she connects with on her trip to London.

I liked the pacing of the novel. You are thrown into the action at the very start, as Nella is mixing a poison and Caroline is arriving in London. And yet it never felt like too much. The chapters were also of a good length. They weren't very long, but I also never felt like the story was disjointed as it switched perspective.

Both Caroline and Nella had an interesting story to tell. I really felt for Caroline, who has been dealing with a controlling husband for years. A husband who she sacrificed her career for, and whose advice she took, like so many women feel like they should, even though he was telling her to give up on her dreams. I loathed James with my entire soul. He was such a prick, but the worst part of it is that he's a prick in a realistic way, which just made my anger spike even further. I give credit to the author for writing such a realistic portrayal of a complete asshole.

I wish some of the secondary characters had been developed a little more. There was something lacking, although I can't really put my finger on it. I also found Nella and Eliza's voice very similar, which was a bit disappointing. Especially as they are completely different ages, so you'd expect for them to have very distinctive voices. I wanted to know what would happen to all of the characters, but I didn't really connect with them in a very deep way.

Also, there were a couple of cultural things that I just found weird, as someone from England. When Caroline tells Gaynor that she almost applied to Cambridge, this is the response she got.
“Cambridge?” Gaynor gasped. “Like, the university an hour from here?” I find this such a weird response. That's like saying "Harvard, the university an hour from here?" Not "Harvard, as in, Ivy League Harvard?" In short, Cambridge being an hour from London is secondary to Cambridge being one of the most prestigious universities in the country. Also, Caroline ends up applying to Cambridge, and the next day she's talking to Gaynor about it and thinking about how she'll arrange housing. Getting accepted to Cambridge is far from guaranteed, and yet Caroline acts like it's a given as soon as she submits her application. Not to mention that she just submits it one evening with no forethought.

I did not particularly like the way this story ended for one of the characters. There was one twist in particular that I actually found quite disturbing. I'd enjoyed the book up until that point, but I didn't like how everything resolved after that. The only thing I liked was Caroline choosing to prioritise her own needs over the constant demands of her husband.

I appreciated the level of research that went into the novel and I felt that the first half was particularly strong. A more forgiving reader would probably enjoy it, however the ending let it down for me.

A female apothecary in the late 1700s secretly dispenses poisons to women, only to be used on men who have wronged them. This intriguing, feminist premise – coupled with a gorgeous colour in my favourite colour – drew me into reading this little historical debut.

The story is told using a dual timeline, with three female narrators. There’s the apothecary herself, Nella, and a young servant who visits her shop called Eliza. Our present day protagonist is Caroline, an American tourist in London.

Despite these women being divided by the years (both age and era), I did feel that all of their voices felt fairly similar. The writer has a poetic and slightly flowery writing style which worked well for the historical parts of the novel, but felt a little jarring and off in present day.

The historical parts of the book were my favourite, and the author evokes the feel of the era and the secret shop, hidden away in London’s back alleys through beautiful language. I really liked young Eliza, but was less sure about the apothecary herself, Nella. I’d been excited about the premise of wronged women through history getting their vengeance, courtesy of a strong female heroine. But it just didn’t really come off that way when I actually read about it. Nella doesn’t really have any bite or confidence – instead of strength and fearlessness her story is shrouded in secrecy and tragedy. We do get a little of her back story and how she came to start dispensing poisons in this way, but personally I’d have just liked a little more.

Then, there’s Caroline. In present day, she finds herself in London on what was supposed to be a romantic anniversary getaway, but after a shock revelation of her husband’s infidelity she takes the trip alone. She’s always harboured a love for history, so when she discovers a mysterious vial washed up in the River Thames, she can’t resist an investigation.

I’ve got mixed feelings about the present day storyline. Caroline was sympathetic, and I liked the way she dealt with her own husband’s infidelity, but I couldn’t really relate to her. There’s a lot of talk of her big wild adventure, and breaking the law for the first time, when all she’s really doing as far as I can see is Googling and visiting the library, with one solo trip to an abandoned building. I liked how her character arc came together in the end, but it did feel a little cliche.

All in all, this is a great premise and a clever exploration of women in history, their relationships with men, each other and motherhood. It’s evocative and beautifully written, but it just didn’t compel me to keep coming back and turning the pages. I feel like some of this might be me rather than the book, and maybe if I’d read it at a different point in my life I would have liked it more. It also could have been marketed differently – this book is much more focused on women’s friendships and relationships than mystery, intrigue and murder. But, there’s definitely a lot here that readers will love, and it’s a skilled and imaginative debut.

I started this book after reading a few books which were only average. From the very beginning it had me engrossed. It tells the story of Nella, an apothecary, who inherited her little shop from her mother. The shop is located among the back streets of London. The story begins in 1791.. Nella began her work helping women with potions to improve their health.. However this progressed to helping women who wanted rid of a man for one reason or another. Poison was sold to these women and each sale was recorded in a ledger. Eliza, aged 12, was sent to Nella by her mistress to acquire poison. Nella is fascinated with the work and wants to help Nella. Set alongside this story, is a modern day story featuring Caroline, an American on holiday and escaping a failing marriage, finds a sky blue vial in the Thames while “mudlarking”. This object draws her into researching its history. The story jumps between these 2 timelines with great success. Each time it changed, I wanted more of the one I had just been reading! So, I think it worked very successfully.
I thought the story was the right length, and kept me wanting to read just one more chapter. The characters were realistic and I easily identified with them. I wasn’t expecting the ending, but it was perfect.
I would like to thank NetGalley for the ARC copy and also Sarah Penner and Legend Press.

A surprising book that lured me in with the promise of murder, intrigue and poison, but it is the journey of self discovery of the three main characters that kept me turning the pages. Told from each of their perspectives, I delighted in the way that each gained much of their strength through offering and receiving support from fellow women. Indeed, it is the role of women that is key to the book. Part of this explores the personal and social idea of female disguise and deception, and the way that each character acknowledged this in her own life cleverly mirrored the gradual revealing of the truth as Caroline researches the history of the vial and the apothecary in the present day.

Despite the dark subject matter, the book has a lovely undemanding lightness to it and I felt as much a sense of serendipity at reading the book as Caroline must have when she discovers the curious vial on the banks of the Thames.

My thanks go to the publishers and NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

Wow! I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. It was the perfect mix of history, drama, well-rounded characters and mystery. I liked reading each of the character’s chapters and felt that each added to the story in their own way.
The mystery of the apothecary’s glass vial stretching across centuries really intrigued me and kept me reading on!
The book was really well written and I enjoyed it immensely.

London in 18th century. Nella has a hidden apothecary which serves all wronged women. Her mother was known as a healer for all women troubles, but Nella has a different approach. Tragically dissapointed in love, she starts to sell poisons, miscarriage potions and other dangerous concoctions. Every customers demand is written in her register as a preservation the memory of these women and to grant them their indelible mark on the world. With arriving of her latest customer, 12 year old maid Eliza, dangerous and strange events start to occur.

In the present Caroline is in London on her 10th anniversary alone. She finds an old apothecary bottle and as an avid historian starts to investigate the history behind it. Investigation leads her to an old murder case and her life entwines with Nella and Elizas.

Beautiful and enchanting story of women power and alliance. Also, what killing and secret-keeping can do to a person, rotting and tearing persons inside. Is healing even possible? Nella and Eliza are really captivating characters, Caroline is weaker and her story is not so believable.

Overall good read.

In 1971 Nella was once a well respected healer, after traumatic life events, she now dispenses poison to fellow wronged women from her hidden Apothecary. Her latest customer, 12 year old Eliza, sets a motion of events off that threaten Nella and her shop as well as every customer who has bought a potion.
In the present Caroline is in London on her 10th anniversary alone. She finds an old apothecary bottle and the historian in her can’t resist investigating it further. As Caroline solves the old apothecary murder case, her life begins to entwine with Nella and Elizas, and in doing so she begins to heal herself too.
The Lost Apothecary is a brilliant attention grabbing, gothic read. I love how the three females stories intertwine and connect. All three lead females are incredibly strong with likeable personalities that have you rooting for them all the way through. It is very well written so Jumping between the three characters in alternating chapters is very easy to keep up with, and the chapters aren’t too long that you forget what was happening with each character previously. The story is fast paced, pulls you in and keeps you turning the pages.
Learning more about apothecaries and London in the 1700’s has been interesting and I definitely want to go mudlarking next time I’m in London!

Stepped back into C18th London for this fascinating dual-narrative about a sisterhood of healing and revenge. Evocative & empowering, I admired Nella & Eliza's determination & feminist interpretation of the apothecary's oath. I must say I was less invested in Caroline's story which seemed weak and contrived at times.

I was hooked by the first few pages, but rattled by the term 'trash' rather than rubbish in Georgian London (perhaps this will be corrected in the final print version, I read the Net Galley ARC). I felt a little disappointed by the 'magic' turn towards the end of the novel, and I had hoped for a stronger resolution for the protagonists as a finale.

CW: infidelity and sexual abuse (of minors), the effects of poisoning, miscarriage and suicide. None of this is graphic or in detail.

I am finding it difficult to review this book, because I loved half of it… and really didn’t care about the other half. When I saw this gorgeous cover on Netgalley I was immediately drawn to it, and reading the start of the blurb about women killing their husbands made me request this book. Had I read further I would have known that this book follows two plot lines… which in itself isn’t a bad thing. Apart from that I didn’t care for one of them.

But let’s start with the good. This book tells us about Nella, whose mother used to run an apothecary to help and heal women with anything like period(pains), mental health, abortion and everything regarding pregnancy and birth. Awesome. When her mother dies Nella takes over the apothecary, but when wronged by her fiancé she decides to extend the help she provides to women by selling poison. This is set around 1790, where women had very little rights and it was almost impossible for them to divorce their husbands, making poison a last resort (though this is not discussed in the book which is a real shame. It would have been nice to have a bit more motivation as to the why all these women needed to poison these man). Through her business Nella meets the 12 year old Eliza, with whom she forms an unusual but very special friendship. And then things go wrong… I would have loved to read a whole book about these two characters and their relationship. Nella has a lot of struggles, but she is incredibly strong and deals with them ever so well. Eliza is a smart, kind and fun girl who is very headstrong and doesn’t take no for an answer. Although I find it hard to believe that a 12-year old girl who has grown up on a farm has never heard of ‘monthly bleeding’, I did really like her as a character overall. If this book had given more time to them, establish an apprenticeship and let them help more women, it would have been the perfect read.

Instead their chapters get alternated with those of Caroline in the present day. She is an American woman who goes on holiday in London after she finds out her husband is cheating on her. She discovers an old apothecary vial and decides to find out what it’s story is. And I didn’t care… I didn’t really like Caroline as a character from fairly early on when she was surprised people judge her looks and still gave her customer service after she got stuck in the rain. She decides to keep things for herself without any good reason, even when she gets in a police interrogation and is accused of murder. She thinks very highly of herself for the discoveries she makes and treats them as if she solved the Ripper case… while what she finds is certainly nice, but not really That big of a deal. She doesn’t do anything special and all the answers fall into her lap with a few library searches. Certainly not worthy of it to be labeled as ‘secret’. And then there are all here inner struggles about what to do about her cheating husband. Which of course is valid. But I didn’t care for because it took page time I would rather have spent with Nella and Eliza.

Overall, I feel this book could have been a Lot stronger if it had left out the story line of Carolina. It really doesn’t serve a purpose of its own and is only used to further Nella’s story… which it could have done just fine by itself. Instead more time should have been given to establishing the relationship between Nella and Eliza. In this way we could also have gotten a better sense of the time period, and maybe actually have learned something. This story had a lot of potential of really being something special and impactful, but as it is it is merely light entertainment. Such a shame… it is the author’s debut though, so I will keep an eye out for what Penner gets up to next.

I love this book. You should definitely go and buy it.
Shortest review ever? But it tells you what you need!

OK, a bit more about why I loved The Lost Apothecary. I love historical fiction, almost as much as I love a dual timeline, mixing historical fiction with a modern day story and this mixed the two perfectly. This is a novel about strong women, doing what they think is best for them. It’s about men doing what they shouldn’t and getting their comeuppance for it (obviously there are women committing murder here, but I’d be giving away for too much if I were to tell you what price they had to pay for their actions).

Sarah Penner has created three very strong, very different female characters, all of whom were crafted brilliantly. You always think of the murderers as the bad guys but here they’re not. They’re good women, trying to help other women and I never really saw them as doing anything wrong.

Usually when you have a novel written in two different timeframes with three different narrators there is one story that is not as strong as the others. You know the one where you don’t get as invested in what they’re doing and flip the pages that bit quicker to get to the storyline that you enjoy more. That didn’t happen here. At the end of each chapter I was completely absorbed in whatever that character had been telling us and I was upset that we were leaving her behind, but I was also excited to be picking up someone else’s storyline.

The world that Sarah Penner described to us was done with such realism that I could picture myself sitting inside the pokey back room, watching Nella stir up her potions; or wading through the mud looking for long lost treasures.

There were enough twists and turns throughout the novel that you never got bored and even towards the end, I had no idea how things were going to work out but I thought there was a satisfactory ending for all the characters.