What's Next? discussion

Entertaining debut by Sarah Penner, interweaving two London-based plot lines set in 1791 and present day. The eponymous Apothecary, Nella, dispenses poisons to help desperate women looking to free themselves from their (always male) oppressor from a secret shop in central London. Her young assistant opens up Nella’s heart but sets off a chain of events leading to disaster. Modern-day Caroline, a would be historian, is running from her own marriage issues and escapes to London. The stories run parallel until Caroline finds a glass vial belonging to Nella and the girl...I found this readable and enjoyable but the writing was, at times, pedestrian, but the characters were well written and sympathetic. Lovers of historical fiction, fantasy, and female empowerment may enjoy this book 3.5/5 stars, rounded down to 3.