The Lost Apothecary Collector's Edition

Sarah Penner is a great writer. I had been postponing reading this book because I wanted to enjoy the different romance and contemporary romance novels I had stocked up on, but I eventually decided to dive in. I started reading it in bits and pieces, but yesterday I went on a deep dive—and honestly, this book is such an amazing read. Beyond the obvious themes of loss, betrayal, and trust, this is also a book about friendship. It's about meeting new people and finding oneself, which brings me to the structure and genre itself. This is more than historical fiction—it's a novel of education, a *bildungsroman*. This book is absolutely well-written, and the writer's mind is fertile ground for historical complexities and nuances. As a researcher, I connected deeply with this story. My dissertation focused on finding bits and pieces about the life and works of Reverend J.J. Ransome-Kuti, and I was fascinated by how many parallels I found with my own research journey. Even now, I'm reflecting on what I might have missed. I learned so much from the main character in the present timeline about tracing the past and how our biases can affect how we read history. The dual timeline narrative really helps us see the past—to see history as something alive rather than something stuck in the past. We simply didn't live in those times, but history continues to breathe and influence us. The ending (no spoilers!) shows what one character thinks is like an ending, but I believe it's quite symbolic of how the past continues into the present. The past never dies; it lives on. What one person throws away will be discovered by someone else who will then begin their own research. This book has spoken to me on so many levels and is truly inspiring me not to give up on my research—to be passionate about what I'm doing because my work is important. I'm really grateful for this book.

The Lost Apothecary is a gorgeously written blend of historical fiction and mystery, laced with themes of betrayal, empowerment, and the quiet resilience of women across centuries. I was completely drawn into Sarah Penner’s dual timelines, each voice distinct, yet deeply connected by the thread of an old vial and a dangerous registry. Nella’s apothecary is darkly fascinating, and the rules she lives by create a moral tension that lingers long after the story ends. I loved the unexpected friendship between Nella and young Eliza; it added warmth and surprise to the darker elements. On the modern side, Caroline’s journey from betrayed wife to independent truth-seeker was satisfying, though I found myself more emotionally pulled by the historical chapters. Penner’s prose is atmospheric without being heavy, and the pacing strikes a thoughtful balance between introspection and suspense. My only reason for not giving it a full five stars is that I wished for a slightly more layered ending, but overall, this was a lush and memorable read. Highly recommended for fans of The Paris Library, The Night Circus, or any story where hidden truths, forgotten women, and a little bit of poison come together in the shadows of history.

☆☆☆☆☆ A Lush Tale of Secrets, Sisterhood, and Poison—Wrapped in a Stunning Collector’s Edition This edition of The Lost Apothecary is more than a book—it’s a treasure. From the moment I held it in my hands, with its stenciled sprayed edges and shimmering foil details, I knew I was in for something special. It’s the kind of book that feels like it belongs in a velvet-lined drawer or a candlelit library. 📖 The Story: Set in both 18th-century and present-day London, the novel follows Nella, a secret apothecary who dispenses poisons to women seeking liberation from oppressive men, and Caroline, a modern-day historian unraveling the mystery of Nella’s legacy. Their lives intertwine across centuries in a haunting, empowering narrative that explores vengeance, healing, and the bonds between women. 🧪 Atmosphere & Emotion: Sarah Penner’s writing is intoxicating—rich with historical detail, suspense, and emotional depth. The apothecary shop feels alive with secrets, and the dual timelines are woven together with elegance and tension. It’s a story that lingers long after the final page. 📚 Collector’s Edition Details: - Gorgeous sprayed edges with intricate designs - Foil-stamped cover and spine that gleam like potion bottles - Illustrated endpapers that add a layer of magic - A ribbon bookmark that feels like a thread through time 🎯 Perfect For: Fans of historical fiction, feminist narratives, and anyone who loves a good mystery with a dash of dark enchantment. It’s ideal for gifting—or for keeping as a centerpiece on your own shelf. If you’re drawn to stories where women reclaim their power in beautifully imagined worlds, this collector’s edition is a must-have.

Historical fiction is my jam, and The Lost Apothecary definitely falls into that genre. I love books with strong female characters and stories that involve healing and herb lore. This book is fun to read because it interweaves the stories of two women, one in the past and one in the present. Alongside Nella, the herbalist, plying her trade in the late 1700s in London, England, is Caroline, an American, arriving solo to London for a planned ten year anniversary trip after catching her husband cheating on her with a work colleague. Caroline's anger, grief and confusion over her husband's infidelity force her to confront the direction her life has gone and to question if there isn't something more for her to pursue beyond marriage, children, and making herself fit into the spaces that make her husband's pursuits more attainable. She reflects on her love for British history, Victorian authors and their stories, and her unfulfilled dream of attending Cambridge whilst (don't you just love the word "whilst"?) walking through London. As she walks, Caroline is invited to try mudlarking, a tourist activity involving mucking about on the Thames after the tide is out to find odd, old, or valuable bits left behind from the water. As it happens, Caroline does find something rather rare and, thus, begins her journey to discover its origins, the people related to it, and in the midst of all of that, she reignites her passion for history, research, and herself. I enjoyed the other, more minor characters in the story. Alfred, the mudlarking tour guide, and Gaynor, his research librarian daughter, provided bright spots in an otherwise dark story and provided the help Caroline needed to uncover the secrets of Nella's world. The conflict between Caroline and her husband, James, is believable, and it helps to drive the story forward. The twist with the events that happen in the middle of the story and how it ties into Nella's storyline is canny and makes you want to keep reading until the end. I have been anticipating reading this book since I heard about it coming out last fall. This is the author, Sarah Penner's, debut novel, so I had no previous works to check out, but as a herbalist and former practicing holistic healthcare practitioner, stories involving plants as medicine and women cunning enough to use them always capture my attention. It is well known in herbalist circles that almost any healing substance in the wrong dose can be used to hurt. It was all for the better that in this story the herbs being used were to poison men taking advantage of women in a time when women had little to no power at all. Love those strong, wily, feminist characters! Bring it! It was disappointing for me to learn, then, while reading the first few chapters how Nella managed clientele seeking her sinister services -- a setup involving almost no protection of her identity. The story lost a star at this because this part of the plot was too difficult to believe. Additionally, there is young Eliza, a girl, who comes to deliver Nella a request from her employer. Her naiveté regarding her own body and events in the home in which she serves form are difficult to give weight to, and yet, they are the whole basis of why she seeks to remain with Nella. Eliza's reliance on magic to resolve the dilemma at the end was also too much to swallow, and so the story lost another star. Finally, while there were many other interesting characters in the story in Nella's timeline such as Lady Clarence, her maid, Lord Clarence, and Miss Berkwell, these figures were not as fleshed out as they could have been and would have given the story better plausibility. Favorite Excerpt “At this, I stopped in my tracks. A decade ago, in college, I'd graduated with a degree in British history. i'd passed my coursework with decent grades, but I'd always been most interested in what lay outside the textbooks. The dry, formulaic chapters simply didn't interest me as much as the musty, antiquated albums stored in the archives of old buildings, or the digitized images of faded ephemera--playbills, census records, passenger manifest lists--I found online. I could lose myself for hours in these seemingly meaningless documents, while my classmates met at coffee shops to study. I couldn't attribute my unconventional interests to anything specific, I only knew that classroom debates about civil revolution and power-hungry world leaders left me yawning. To me, the allure of history lay in the minutiae of life long ago, the untold secrets of ordinary people." Rating I liked The Lost Apothecary. Aside from the previously mentioned plot hole with Nell's business setup and the issue I had with Eliza, the story has a fun concept with otherwise well-developed main characters and good attention to historical detail. This book is recommended especially for folks who like strong female characters, stories based on the healing arts or herb lore, intrigue, and historical fiction based in London.

As a fan of historical fiction, I really enjoyed this book. Great characters, lots of atmosphere, and a compelling, dual-timeline plot. I will be reading this author's other novels!

Two stories intertwined in one great story. Set in late 18th century and the present, one half is a female apothecary who helps women with all kinds of female physical issues using well known, to her, herbal remedies. We learn that even beneficial herbs will do harm taken in large quantities. This part reveals lots of facts about life in 18th century London. The other part of the book deals with a youngish couple celebrating their tenth anniversary with a trip to London. Problems arise in their marriage and Caroline goes to London on her own. She is rethinking how her life is and what they are going to do to resolve their problems. She has loved history since her college years, and her interest leads to the search for the truth about the apothecary's life. It was hard to put it down. Highly recommend!

I loved THE LOST APOTHECARY. The author, Sarah Penner, did an amazing job with writing two tales that went back and forth between the late 1700s and present day London. The older tale involves a woman who inherited an apothecary from her mother. She's often sad and lonely, missing her mother and a family life that she never had. In addition to creating medicine to help people, she secretly creates poisonous tinctures to help wronged women in London get revenge on their husbands. It's only known by word of mouth. In present day, a woman comes to London from the U.S. to for a trip that was supposed to be a tenth anniversary trip for her and her husband...until she finds out right before the trip that he cheated on her. So she goes alone. While there, she goes "mudlarking" in the Thames River on a tour, and discovers an old apothecary bottle that once was used to dispense poison to one of the women of London in the 1700s. Penner does an amazing job penning (pun intended) these two interweaving stories, leaving the reader hanging from chapter to chapter with a mini cliffhanger that forces the reader to keep going. I was really impressed with Penner's writing skills and use of words. She's definitely talented. And I'm a bit envious. The character development of the main characters was fantastic, and I loved the clever, little twist that was added (no spoilers!). While there's a mystery throughout the novel, it's not a "thriller" type of book. But the author really held my interest throughout each and every chapter. I'm looking forward to reading Penner for years to come.

It was an engaging read with a unique mix of history and mystery. Loved the dual timelines and the theme of women finding hidden strength. The ending felt a bit rushed, but overall it’s clever, and definitely worth reading.