Reviews with content warning for Pregnancy - The Lost Apothecary

Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

152 reviews

rblack1515's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

2.75

Unfortunately this book takes about 200 pages to truly get interesting. Caroline's story is equally predictable and infuriating. Nella and Eliza could have carried the story on their own, though the three perspectives read very similar in tone and personality.
Far too much mention of fertility, pregnancy and "the womb" for my personal taste

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ballousclues's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - phenomenal. highly recommend to all

My friend recommended this book to me recently since she read it and loved it. I didn't expect to fall in love with the story like I did. This book does an excellent job of reminding us that sitting in our own discontent doesn't do anything to aid us and that sometimes a leap of faith is necessary. The book follows the parallel lives of women in two different time periods and draws light to the similar stories they are writing. The story heavily focuses on character development and has a clear plot. The book was an easy read for me and the writing was well done. I could see there being a second book! It would be fun to get a bit of a follow up on Caroline through a bonus chapter or something.
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SPOILER

Like I said, I didn't expect to love this story as much as I did. It made my heart very happy that Eliza's potion worked as she had intended for it too and that she was able to share her success with Mr. Pepper. I like that the book leaned heavily into "we are all writing our own story" and that if we settle into our own discontent, we can't be surprised when it comes around to bite us. I love that the book allowed for Eliza, and maybe Nella, to continue on with their lives and gain a better hand in life from their run in with the law. I also really liked how the book talked about Caroline's toxic relationship. I think many folks have had a partner that has threatened, or attempted, suicide as a way to gain control in the relationship. I appreciated the message that you are more than what you may give yourself credit for and it's never too late to pursue your passions.

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asanders88's review against another edition

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adventurous reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I'm not sure why I let this book sit on a shelf for so long! The twists and turns at the end had me captivated!
The story follows a centuries ago apothecary full of poisons and secrets and the clues she left behind for a present-day woman, going through her own struggles, to find.
While I did find the book a little slow in the middle, the ending more than made up for it!

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wizardingwisteria's review against another edition

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dark inspiring tense fast-paced

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

4.75

This was my first audio book and I'm glad it was. I loved the fact that each character had their own dedicated narrator. The narrators were fantastic. Each voice fit each character perfectly.

As someone with a BA in history and conflicted feelings about grad school I related to Caroline quite a bit, especially during and after her historical investigation. I found all three women to be compelling in their own ways. The relationships that blossom in this book are fantastic. The side characters are also great. (I had a massive crush on Gainer the entire time).

I took the .25 off because, while the ending was overall satisfying, I didn't totally love it. There is a moment where it seems like

Caroline is going to get back together with her (dumbass) husband. Thankfully they didn't, but I didn't like how close that call was.

Aside from her relationship,

I didn't understand why Caroline threw the glass bottle back into the river. If she planned on writing her dissertation on the apothecary, then that bottle is an incredibly valuable artifact that would greatly help her research. She had pieced the story together. She understood the significance of that bottle. And she tossed it?

I feel like the author sacrificed an authentic moment for a plot point that served as symbolic representation for Caroline in the end.

Overall a great read with a mostly satisfying ending. I could see myself listening to this one more time.

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