Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - The Lost Apothecary

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner was just as good, if not better, than I expected it to be. I tried not to let all the praise surrounding the book skew my reading experience, but I can now say it was definitely well earned (not to mention how much I LOVE the cover). Historical fiction is not a favorite genre of mine, but I loved the way this story was discovered through researching the past and filling in the pieces. I think this was a really clever framework and it made the women of this story feel as though they were interacting, even if they never could have possibly met. I love a story with a good vigilante character, and this book certainly delivered. If you haven’t had a chance to read this historical fiction gem, definitely add it to your TBR.

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lora_g's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

4.0

I thought The Lost Apothecary was an enchanting and mysterious story with great world-building and relatable characters. We follow the stories of Nella, an apothecary in 1791 whose shop is dedicated to helping women with healing tinctures and poisons to use on the abusive men in their lives; Eliza, an inquisitive and vivacious 12-year-old, who also happens to be Nella's newest customer; and Caroline, a present-day history lover who has embarked on a solo trip to London to process her recent marriage troubles, when she happens upon a fascinating discovery that leads her on a life-changing research project.

I really loved the representation of female friendships throughout this book. The dynamics between Nella and Eliza as well as Caroline and Gaynor were spectacular. I feel like anyone who has ever had a relationship with a toxic and/or dysfunctional man can relate to one of more of the women in this story. Penner does a great job at transporting her reader to an immersive experience in London. Although there were a few parts that I felt were a little repetitive, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a historical fiction with a little bit of fantasy and some great female main characters.

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huntress's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

1.0

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lyfeistrip's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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ashley_mrose530's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

I didn't really care for this one. I like stories that connect to history and everything so I thought it would be good, but I could not empathize with the main character in this one at all.
I think I'm just too gay for this. The whole thing is that women are upset with men for their wrong-doings but the author tried so hard to make Caroline go back and forth about what she was going to do about her husband's infidelity: did she still want to be with him, did she still love him, etc. and all I could think is "just leave him!" He was an absolute bastard especially when

it was revealed at the end that he drank the oil on purpose to manipulate her

. I was definitely not surprised by that at all. I just had no empathy for her and her wishy-washy feelings about him.
On another note, I support women's rights, but more importantly I support women's wrongs! Nella and Eliza's story was arguably the most compelling part of this book. Poor Eliza went through so much at such a young age but I'm so glad that her mistress had her back and was willing to kill her husband in order to protect Eliza.

And then to get her first period shortly after he dies and not knowing what it was was so heartbreaking and proves how important sex ed is

.
And Nella

deciding to help her lover's wife kill him after he made both of them miscarry

was fantastic honestly. He deserved nothing less imo. I also liked seeing these two come together and

Nella almost seeing Eliza as the daughter she never got to have was cute,

but again there was a disconnect even in these parts of the story where it didn't really make me feel as strongly as it should have.
So yeah, I liked the premise of this story but the execution could have used a little more work I think.

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