A review by wizardingwisteria
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

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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