When I was younger I used to love digging over on the old railway line opposite our house, the old Doctors surgery used to back onto it & we'd always be unearthing old bottles & jars.

Loved this. Want to go find my own lost apothecary now!

𝙍𝙪𝙡𝙚 #1: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣.

Beautifully written, loved the plotline & the idea of mudlarking. Told in dual timelines in past & present format. I adore anything that's classed as historical fiction, so a definite winner for me. Totally captivating from beginning to end. Another debut novel masterpiece!

𝙍𝙪𝙡𝙚 #2: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙢 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙮’𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧.

'A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them—setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course'

Many thanks to Netgalley for my ARC in return for my honest review.

𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

Thanks to netgalley and the author/publisher for the free e-copy of this book.

I think I had high expectations of this book due to the buzz that surrounds this book. While I did enjoy it, it didn't quite reach the heights that I was expecting it to.

The historical fiction using the dual-time mode is becoming increasingly popular, and I almost always find myself wishing the author chose one timeline or the other instead of exploring both.
In the context of this book - I didn't care much for the present day story.
I also found the story of Nella, the apothecary owner could have been more fleshed out. I was absolutely fascinated with her and her motives. But we never really delve deep into it and I think that her storyline suffered due to trying to tie it in with Catherine's present day story.
I loved the concept of this book, and if I had read a book about someone like Nella who sold poisons to women in the 1700s, if it went into her backstory, if we got to witness and experience why these women sought her out...I think I would have enjoyed that.
I think based on that, for me this book is a two star book. I enjoyed the concept but everything else fell flat.

Thoroughly enjoyed this novel so much so that I read it in one sitting. Very well written piece of historical fiction. Highly recommended

Set in the late 1700s and current day the book tells the story of a woman apothecary who makes potions for ladies to administer to their abusive husbands.

The current day character stumbles across the hidden shop and finds clues of its past and the perils the apothecary encountered in her mission to help the abused ladies of the time the shop was open.

A pacy interesting description of times gone by.

Interesting novel with an original concept. Two stories, one modern and one from the past, are merged together in the end. One of the best novels I've read in recent years. Highly recommended.

Historical novels with two separate timelines have become very popular. They usually go something like this: someone in the present discovers an old photo / diary / artefact which links to a past mystery / tragedy / secret, and both timelines run parallel as our modern day protagonist finds the clues. I have a kind of love / hate relationship to this kind of story, because I always feel drawn to the premise of an old secret being discovered, and yet on the other hand invariable find one timeline more compelling than the other. #readerproblems

As someone who would dig for Roman coins as a child and dream of becoming an archaeologist in the vein of a 1930’s expedition to Egypt with a panama hat and a camel train, I was instantly excited by the premise of mudlarking. Who wouldn’t be excited to find an old treasure? Therefore, when could-have-been historian Caroline Parcewell finds an old blue glass vial in Thames river mud on her holiday in London, she is intrigued. With only a small etching of a bear in the glass as a clue, she embarks on a search for more information about the origins of her find.

In the second timeline, in 1791, we are introduced to Nella, who owns a hidden apothecary shop inherited from her mother. But unlike her mother, Nella has expanded her knowledge of plants and remedies to supplying poisons to women who need to free themselves of a man, for whatever reason. She does so by her own code of ethics, which includes that no woman must ever be harmed by her poisons. When twelve-year old Eliza turns up in her shop to pick up a poison meant for her mistress’s philandering husband, both Nella as well as Eliza’s lives are about to change forever ...

As soon as I met Nella, I was hooked on her story. She was both mysterious as well as damaged, a strong female defying all the norms of her time, a wise woman who had strayed off the path of a “normal” moral compass through her own tragic experiences. Here was a character who could really drive a story! I also loved the information about the herbal potions and poisons Nella dispenses to her clients, which made me furiously google “poisonous plants in your own backyard”. I now live in fear of some neighbour dropping dead and my search history getting scrutinised by police!

Unfortunately, I soon found my interest waning in Caroline’s story. I became bored of her marital problems, her lamentations about wanting a baby but not wanting a baby, and about her failed aspirations of following her dream to study history at Cambridge. Her “research” into the little glass vial she had found sounded so easy that surely every one of us would be able to unearth a hidden underground city just by trowelling a garden bed and googling a few historical facts. I was tempted to skip through the present timeline just to get back to the “real” story, that of Nella and Eliza, which was so much more intriguing.

In the end, I felt that the whole book could easily have done without Caroline’s timeline, and those pages used to flesh out the peripheral characters in Nella’s story instead. I wanted more Gothic vibes, I wanted to hate the villains and understand Nella’s true motivations on a much deeper level. I think that the problem was that Caroline had no real emotional involvement in unearthing the past secret her little vial held hidden, which made both timelines run parallel rather than connect in any meaningful way, such as – for example – an old family secret would have done. Instead, it takes her only a couple of days to solve a mystery that has been missed by every single person in London for the last 200 years. I just didn’t buy it.

In summary, THE LOST APOTHECARY offered both the highs and lows I often experience in historical fiction – a potentially 5 star timeline diluted by one I felt woefully uninvested in. However, I loved the way the author brought Nella to life for me, and eagerly followed her story. I think that the book will appeal to readers who enjoy a pleasant, entertaining story that is neither too dark or too mentally taxing but which still offers an intriguing past mystery to explore.

The Lost Apothecary

Great historical fiction book with very strong women, fantastic historical description and perfectly well written by @sarah_penner_author.

Topics like solidarity to women otherwise forgotten in a man's world, women empowerment and heartache that will lead to revenge are explored very eloquently in this book.

This book presents two timelines, late 1700s in London with Nella and her apothecary shop of remedies and Eliza her very clever and brave young friend and the present time with Caroline, living in Ohio and her unfaithful husband celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary in London, their story intertwining due to a aphotecary jar with a bear's mark that Caroline discovers in the river Thames, leading to new discoveries, revelations and a breakthrough that will change the main character's lifes forever.

Thank you to @netgalley and @legend_times for this #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were compelling and the story well written. Nella's story was very sad and I couldn't help but sympathise with her, even though she is helping killing people (well, killing bad men). Caroline was also touching, what with all her questions about her marriage and realizing that James wasn't as sweet as he seemed... I found the part following Nella and Eliza a little more stressful and I was always eager to read more of the book, so I think it's a really good thing !

TW : suicidal ideation, death, poison

I seem to be reading a lot of timeslip books at the moment, and this one has to be one of the best so far. The storyline on reflection seems far fetched, but it really works and leaves you feeling Ella is doing a real kindness to womenkind !
Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, there is a secret apothecary shop which caters to a rather unique clientele. Whispers among the women of the city speak of Nella who sells poisons disguised to use against oppressive men who need to be put in their place...
Meanwhile in present-day London, Caroline spends her wedding anniversary alone, trying to run from her own troubles.
Great plot , lots of twists to hold the readers attention.
Will definitely be looking out for other titles by Sarah Penner.

I found this quite easy and quick to read. Really enjoyed the history and section set in old London.

Fabulous historical fiction intertwined with a modern-day story.
A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons from her hidden shop. She helps wronged women rid themselves of the offending men. When twelve-year-old Eliza Fanning arrives on the scene, she starts a chain of events that end up putting both women in mortal danger.

In the present-day story, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell comes to London to celebrate her tenth wedding anniversary without her husband after discovering his infidelity just before leaving home. She finds an old apothecary vial on the banks of the River Thames and can’t resist investigating. Her unfulfilled dream of being a historian comes true when she finds a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago.

It's a great story with carefully interwoven plots and a surprising twist.

I really enjoyed this book. A very interesting story. I liked that it was set across two time-periods and brought the past to life.

I loved this just as I thought I would, female MC who is deep sensing medicine for women for all sorts of things including the death of a lot of women’s ‘better’ halves. I’m not that into historic novels but at the same time I really enjoyed this, to the point where I might even pick up a physical copy to read it again! If this doesn’t sound like your thing I suggest you just give it a go, you might be surprised as to how much you like it!

A book that intertwines two timelines, The Lost Apothecary is at its best when exploring the historical section in 18th century London. While the modern section does provide a nice framing, it did seem that it could have been reduced to give more room to the section in the past. Still, a great read.

In order to enjoy this book, you’ll have to put aside quite a few things: the improbability of the plots and their intersections, the wrong register of 18th century speech and the dewy-eyed American view of London.
Having firmly dispensed with all of the above, it’s not a bad lil book.
American woman flees from cheating fiancé to London, finds a phial in Thames mud which leads her to a pharmacy left untouched for 200 years. Swing back to that very pharmacy in the late 1700s: dispensing medicine to women and poisons for them to administer to their noisome partners. All neatly documented in a ledger that obvs stays legible for hundreds of years in a derelict hovel in an alley at the back of Farringdon Street. Yup, I hear you!

🌟 2.5 stars 🌟

The Lost Apothecary tells the story of two women from two different centuries; Nella and Caroline and a young girl named Eliza. The story is told from each of their points of view and dual timelines.

The beautiful cover and intriguing synopsis made me want to read this book, however for such an interesting concept, this book just didn’t work for me.

Nella is the owner of a female only apothecary in 1791, who provides women with poisons to ‘liberate them from men who have wronged them’ - so, murder them. I expected a darker more intricate tale with a complex female serial killer, but what I got was a rather dull plot that is far-fetched at times and characters I just didn’t connect with.

Caroline is a woman who seems to regret her choices in life in giving up her academic dreams to marry her husband. After finding out about her husband’s infidelity, she decides to go solo on their pre-planed trip to London. Once there she goes on an ‘adventure’ by mud-larking in the Thames where she discovers an old vial of Nella’s and goes on a quest to find out more about it.

I thought Nella was interesting but wanted more character development and her friendship that formed with Eliza was sweet, but I found Caroline’s story and point of view rather boring, I found myself waiting for her chapters to end.

It’s also purely personal preference, however the writing style just didn’t work for me as I found there to be too much repetitive narration and not enough dialogue. The idea behind plot is actually very interesting, however the overall execution just didn’t have me hooked.

The Lost Apothecary is a dual timeline novel full of secrets and mysteries. The story centres around an 18th century apothecary shop, which serves an unusual type of clientele. Nella sells poisons, disguised as benign medicine, that women administer to the oppressive men in their lives. But one day, a 12 year old girl makes a bad mistake, and unleashes a whole set of events that reverberate down the generations. .

In the present-day strand of the novel, historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, battling with her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s, leading to a fateful journey. .

I loved this dark, twisty tale, part historical, part contemporary. The story was totally engrossing, the characters believable, and I can't wait to read more from Sarah Penner.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is a well written historical mystery and female driven story. The premise of the book was very interesting but I must admit it was a stunning cover that immediately grabbed my attention.

We follow points of view of three different women in a dual timeline - in the 1790s and present time London, and I loved to watch their stories weave together. While both storylines are compelling I was instantly drown into Nella and Eliza's chapters. It was very fascinating to read how the women supported each other and the dynamics of the relationships they developed. The author created a perfect balance between mystery and historical aspects full of intrigue and suspense and turned it into a wonderful page turner.

If you love to read books about the strong, fearless female characters I highly recommend The Lost Apothecary.

I kept seeing this book and everyone saying it’s a must read. I was dead excited when I got to read the book. I found the beginning a bit slow but when I got in to it . I could not put the book down . I liked how it was told by three women. Two in the past and than one in the future. I enjoyed all three characters and it was easy to warm to them all. I loved the writing style it was really easy read and I liked the history and past theme which was good.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book.

Do you want a book that you can not put down? Well look no further this is the one!

Due to a deep dark secret a female apothecary starts secretly dispensing poisons to women who's husbands have wronged them.

The story is split between two different time periods 1791 and present day. Covering the events of the 3 main characters. The apothecary Nella comings into contact with a 12 year old Eliza. Who has been sent by her mistress to acquire poison. They form an unlikely friendship. Then one day a customer demands something that Nella has voided never to give. Will the events that follow change the course of history.

In the present day, Caroline is going through a rocky marriage and comes to London. After an unexpected find that causes her to change plans. She embarks to solve the mystery but will the events that follow change her life forever?

This page turner book will take you through some exciting turn of events that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The descriptions of the characters and places will make you feel as though you are there living the same lives sharing their feelings.
This book which I loved so much, is not predictable and the final twist at the end will amaze your all.

For a debut book this is brilliant, truly stunning, infact i would go as far as saying it is in another class. Out of 5 stars I give it 6.
Put this author on your one to watch list. I can't wait to read any future titles this author publishes.