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avnitsch1's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Enjoyable read - liked the different perspectives and timelines/dates. All main characters/perspectives were women.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Suicide attempt
jlee52's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 ⭐️ Historical Fiction. Set in two time lines. The apothecary side of the story was fascinating with intrigue and murder. It moves quickly and you will not want to put it down. The present time line had ups and downs. Still I throughly enjoyed the book.
The story could of expanded a bit more if she had befriended Eliza and through that told stories about the customers. Nella’s character for me fell flat.
Caroline’s adventure had a lot of promise. Once she found the hidden treasure that led to her adventure to Bear Ally, I expected a bit more with that find. Gaynor would of been a great co-hort. That part left me a bit unsatisfied.
Still this with just a few picky issues, this is a great read.
The story could of expanded a bit more if she had befriended Eliza and through that told stories about the customers. Nella’s character for me fell flat.
Caroline’s adventure had a lot of promise. Once she found the hidden treasure that led to her adventure to Bear Ally, I expected a bit more with that find. Gaynor would of been a great co-hort. That part left me a bit unsatisfied.
Still this with just a few picky issues, this is a great read.
sophescapesreality's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
rosaliech's review
3.0
Interesting. Main character Caroline was kinda annoying though, not gonna lie :P
asmalley's review
2.0
Disappointing.
There were two concurrent stories being told here and I had a hard time rooting for any of the characters in either timeline. The apothecary murderess had a trauma, yes, but it was a bit of a leap to take up a role as a full time killer. The modern day character was whiny and also hard to root for. It’s a shame because there is a lot of potential in the writing style and the cover art is stunning. The stories though, fell flat. Some very unrealistic events in the modern day timeline that made me roll my eyes - it’s like the author didn’t think about how time and urban development actually work.
Overall, not the worst book I’ve ever read, but I wouldn’t waste your time.
There were two concurrent stories being told here and I had a hard time rooting for any of the characters in either timeline. The apothecary murderess had a trauma, yes, but it was a bit of a leap to take up a role as a full time killer. The modern day character was whiny and also hard to root for. It’s a shame because there is a lot of potential in the writing style and the cover art is stunning. The stories though, fell flat. Some very unrealistic events in the modern day timeline that made me roll my eyes - it’s like the author didn’t think about how time and urban development actually work.
Overall, not the worst book I’ve ever read, but I wouldn’t waste your time.
erinalt90's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I loved this story so much. I read it in a day. The characters are so well thought out and their journeys are so relatable. Highly recommend.
jbh57's review
3.0
The description and premise of this book sounded so much better than the actual book. So many things could have been developed more and other things left out. It was a book. The End.
crescentlizzy's review against another edition
4.0
While I liked the book overall, there are a few things that could have been left out. Mostly James. I wish we had more of Eliza's story instead of what we were given. Maybe it was because she was a child so got a child sized story. Things to ponder but give it a read. You won't regret it.
alana_is_booked's review
2.0
I wanted to love this one, but it was honestly just a letdown for me. I thought about DNF'ing it, but ultimately pushed through, and while I'm not mad that I read it, I also wouldn't be mad to pass it up if I had the choice again, overall, it bored me.
This is written in dual timelines, and while I enjoy that concept, Nella and Eliza's timeline (past) felt deeper and more developed and interested me a lot more than Caroline's timeline (present). Caroline's timeline felt like if you were to write a book with the intention of teaching a bunch of clichés to a preteen girl (follow your dreams, you don't need a man to be worthy, surround yourself with people who care about you) all good lessons, all completely cliché in this book.
The writing also treated the reader like they were stupid. Everything is so blatant and spelled out, like a reader is unable to make inferences or form opinions of their own. It made the book significantly less enjoyable for me.
This is written in dual timelines, and while I enjoy that concept, Nella and Eliza's timeline (past) felt deeper and more developed and interested me a lot more than Caroline's timeline (present). Caroline's timeline felt like if you were to write a book with the intention of teaching a bunch of clichés to a preteen girl (follow your dreams, you don't need a man to be worthy, surround yourself with people who care about you) all good lessons, all completely cliché in this book.
The writing also treated the reader like they were stupid. Everything is so blatant and spelled out, like a reader is unable to make inferences or form opinions of their own. It made the book significantly less enjoyable for me.