Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

151 reviews

pinetree_reads's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

At first I was unsure if I should read this book. The reviews here weren't the best but I still gave it a try.
And it was a great decision.

I really like the characters and the depth that they have to them. The Author really knows how to highlight the struggle of the woman who lived in this time.

It was heartfelt and emotional.
I hope Caroline gets to live her dream. I think she and Gaynor will have a great friendship - maybe even more.

The only thing I would say was not as good as the book was the marketing. I think the description leads a lot of people into reading the book with false expectations. It's not even clear that the path of not two, but three woman interwind. I think people would not be disappointed by the book if it was made clear that it would talk about the life of these three - in different times.

I'm not sure how Eliza survived but I'm sure glad that she did. I'm also not really sure what happens to Bella and her illness, but I hope the news article Caroline finds at the means that she got to live with Eliza a bit more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Moderate: Vomit, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Chronic illness

Minor: Blood

bluebellfallen's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

1.25

This book felt like a lot of ideas of story lines or plots that an author brainstormed, added a page count to, and then published without any further thought. The characters are deeply rooted in sexism and patriarchy, even though the author seems to imply this is a feminist, women-empowering kind of novel. It isn't. 

Every single plot is centered around women wanting children and whether or not they have them and how that ruins or fulfills their lives after. Every single one. All of them. (I don't get it)

There are so many flaws (and I have so few spoons right now) that I will just say - it wasn't a good book, and it certainly wasn't the right kind of bad to be worth reading. 75% or more of the book crawled by, while the last 25% did all the heavy lifting in the most annoying, James Patterson writes chapters that are max 2 pages long and then jumps perspectives / scenes entirely to keep the tension up and he inspired me - esque way. 

It just wasn't (in any way) worth my time, but because it's so mildly written and the author tries to hide behind "dark murder mystery" vibes to get away with a lot of shitty things (and the book isn't even a dark murder mystery btw - that's just the vibes she's going for), it would also be so very easy to just think "wow, that book was mid, but I wouldn't mind recommending the book if someone is bored or something", and then accidentally pass on, perpetuate, and re-normalize things like baby-obsession and "casual" emotional and mental manipulation at the hands of a spouse (which - if you know, you *know*).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Infertility, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Self harm, and Infidelity

The husband thing, for if you don't know, want to know, but don't want to read the book:

The husband literally poisons himself to try and manipulate Caroline into staying with him after he cheated on her (you know, instead of apologizing). The police think she tried to kill him herself on purpose, and she is almost arrested because of it (and honestly, she should have been - that whole scene is also b.s., and is beYOND unrealistic). When she figures this out, she is briefly a little bit angry, but otherwise? Nothing. They part ways on relatively okay terms (they're not getting back together, but they're chill somehow??), she never tells the police what actually happened, and the author makes it very clear that they think this behavior was normal and fine. Not even ONCE does the author even beGIN to imply that this man needs help or that he's abusive (and yes, two things can be true at once - he needs help for this obvious mental health crisis, AND he's an emotionally and mentally abusive f*ck).

gottbooks's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

I really enjoyed this book. This story gave me Eat, Pray, Love vibes with the current day main character taking some time away after a fight with her husband. Additionally, there are mystery thriller vibes from the events in the late 1700s. Kept me engaged and interested through its entirety. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Murder, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, Vomit, Pregnancy, Death, Infidelity, Infertility, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship

brennacathleen's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Abortion, Death, Suicide, Medical content, Infertility, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Alcoholism, Blood, and Child death

onlyvitro's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Sexism, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Terminal illness and Vomit

Minor: Incest and Sexual harassment

linwood's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

The idea behind this book is very intriguing but fell flat for me in the execution. Having three narrators, two in the past and one in the present was jarring. I found myself wanting to skip to the contemporary parts. The modern day character was the most interesting to me and the more mysterious part of the story, however this section often had to be rushed in order to make room for the past stories. I find myself wishing this book was different. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Murder, Pregnancy, Vomit, and Miscarriage

turrean's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

2.0

Instead of a plot, there’s a wild concatenation of coincidence. Nearly impossible scenarios are engineered by mistake, and police investigations are derailed by pure dumb luck. The author definitely created a gripping sense of tension and excitement, but it’s largely built on the fact that characters—particularly the gormless American woman and her manipulative man child partner—inevitably make the wildest and most illogical choices possible.

And sheesh, the mAgiCK pOtiOnS…Please note, that’s magic with an “ick.” If Ye Olde Tyme remedies and potions worked a tenth as well in the real world as they do in fiction, a lot of modern medicine would be unnecessary. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder and Pregnancy

enlamont's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Grief, Pregnancy, and Murder

Moderate: Medical content, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Vomit, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Terminal illness, and Suicide

katsherms's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

Unfortunately a ton of potential in the first third winds up mostly being a "The straights are not okay" drama

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Pregnancy, Infidelity, and Murder

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, and Miscarriage