I love the way Loigman writes her characters across time, giving them depth and allowing us to see into their motivations. This story follows Augusta Stern as she is forced to retire when she turns 80 and she moves down to Florida in the 1980s. We then hop back in time to when she was a teenager in 1920’s Brooklyn, and toggle between her life as a young adult and her life now in her 80s. I loved getting to know young Augusta and see her teenage motivations, and then catch up with her in her 80s and see how the choices she made for herself affected her life. At the retirement home in Florida she runs into multiple people from her old neighborhood in Brookly, including Irving, the one who broke her heart.

Loigman is so good at writing characters that make me want to hug them at the end, even if I don’t always agree with their choices, Loigman explains so well why they make those choices. She is absolutely an auto-buy author. The Matchmakers Gift, is one of my favorite books of all time.
The Love Elixir is a solid book that I will absolutely be recommending to anyone who loves a good character driven story with a dash of romance thrown in.

*The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern* is a novel that explores the resilience of the human spirit through a heartwarming and thought-provoking narrative. The author, Loigman, demonstrates exceptional storytelling skills and rich character development, making this book a notable work in contemporary fiction. The novel serves as a poignant reminder that new beginnings are always possible and that the past, despite its challenges, can provide strength and wisdom.

This book is highly recommended for readers who appreciate historical fiction with elements of magical realism. Its engaging plot, well-developed characters, and insightful themes offer a rewarding reading experience. Whether you seek a story of love, redemption, or simply a beautifully crafted novel, **The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern** is likely to leave a lasting impression.

This book is absolutely adorable and as sweet as one of Aunt Esther’s apple cakes. In this book, Lynda Cohen Loigman weaves a tale of second chance love, medicine and healing.
The story of Augusta Stern is told in then and now timelines in the 1920s and 1980s, toggling between Brownsville, NY and a retirement community in Florida. It explores the mystery of what happened between Augusta and her boyfriend, Irving Rivkin on one disastrous day in the 1920s, when they meet again in their 80s. Their inevitable reunion is wonderfully predictable and getting there is a lot of fun.
I love Lynda Cohen Loigman’s stories that center Jewish history and Jewish joy and cannot wait for the next one.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a heartwarming story of love and second chances with a hint of magic, read THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN. This dual timeline novel follows Augusta as a young girl working at her dad's pharmacy and learning to make her great aunt's 'special recipes' and jumps to her as an 80 year old woman, who is reunited with a past love. I loved learning about Augusta's life growing up in the 1920's and her retirement community in Florida. The characters jumped off the page and the Jewish rep in this was top tier. I genuinely loved the message that it is never too late to find happiness. Pair this with a bowl of chicken soup. Thank you St Martins Press and Netgalley for my physical copy and earc. This is the cozy, uplifting read you are looking for this fall.

In The Love Elixier of Augusta Stern, in the late 1980s, an 80 year old woman, Augusta, is forced into retirement and relocates to a Florida. In her community, she is reunited with her first love as a teenager so the story flips back and forth between the 1920s in Brooklyn and the 1980s. And the 1920s was Augusta’s life with her dad, sister and her aunt who had homemade remedies to heal all the ailments of their neighbors. I loved every second of this book. I loved the magical realism. I loved the back and forth with the timelines. I loved the retirement community folks. I loved seeing Augusta mature and stand up for herself. I laughed out loud so many times. A true delight to read.

Sometimes you get a second chance at love

Eighty years young, pharmacist Augusta Stern is finally being forced to retire. Her niece Jackie, as close to her in many ways as a daughter, has helped her to find a condo in Florida in an active senior community called Rallentando Springs. She has no sooner arrived than she bumps into someone she knew when she was a young woman back in Brooklyn, Irving Rivkin. He isn’t just some random fellow, though; he is the man with whom she had fallen in love back in the 1920’s and whom she was sure she would marry….until he abruptly moved to Chicago and married the wealthy daughter of a mobster. Now, six decades later, she is determined not to make the same mistake twice and succumb to his charms, despite Irving’s flirtatious behavior and the attraction she can’t quite dismiss. Life may have just thrown her another curveball, but Augusta has kept herself safe from heartbreak these many years. Does she dare risk her heart one last time?
There are some characters with whom you quickly fall in love and find a place in your imagination to tuck them away, and this book has quite a few of them whom the reader meets as chapters flip back and forth between present day Florida and a 1920’s Brooklyn neighborhood. First there is Augusta, who loses her mother as a relatively young girl and whose intellect and curiosity lead her to overcome numerous obstacles and become a pharmacist as was her father before her, ultimately taking over his drugstore. She is also a young woman in love with the boy who works in her father’s store, a boy who seems to see her for who she is and loves her because of rather than despite it, a young girl who is as intrigued by her father’s world of pharmacology as she is by her great aunt’s world of herbal healing. Then there is Irving, from impoverished circumstances but with a caring and generous heart, who finds Augusta’s intelligence and drive to be beautiful. Augusta’s father and great-aunt, her sister, and the people in their neighborhood whose lives they touch, including a ruthless mobster, a woman desperate to have a baby, and more come to life in amidst their small neighborhood, while the Florida community becomes the backdrop against which two men will fight over Augusta even as other women scheme to land one themselves. Humor is interwoven with love, loss, pain, hope and the magic of healing in a story which I tried desperately to make last as long as I could, knowing that I would miss these quirky, nuanced characters even as I rooted for a happily-ever-after ending for a couple who had once dreamed of a future together until fate and their own choices intervened. Perfect for lovers of the books of Elizabeth Berg, Elizabeth Strout and Elinor Lipman, trust me….grab a copy of The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern and sink into a world where its never too late for new beginnings. Many, many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for allowing me early access to this gem of a novel.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman on NetGalley.

Published: 10/08/24

Stars: 4.5

Days after reading the book I'm thinking about the characters; these were not real people, but could be and I don't know them. The story feels realistic. I had the corresponding love/hate relationship with the characters. I laughed, chuckled and giggled. I also was saddened, was choked up a couple times, and yes, I teared up.

Augusta is something else in all ways good. I love the relationship she had with her niece.

The synopsis says a lot and I don't want to hint at any spoilers.

I thoroughly loved this book. Loigman told a magnificent story. What does it say that I knew (guessed and never swayed) the ending early on, and I never figure them out? I think the author told a story and I listened.

I recommend without hesitation. Is it a Dad book? Mine would have received a copy....

Another winner from the one and only Lynda Cohen Loigman! Rife with Jewish representation and a tinge of magical realism, I was sad when it was time to say goodbye to the endearing Augusta Stern!

Lynda Cohen Loigman’s The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is a charming and bittersweet novel that beautifully blends romance, family secrets, and the search for identity. Set against the contrasting backdrops of 1920s Brooklyn and a senior community in present-day Florida, the story offers a poignant reflection on aging, second chances, and the choices that shape our lives.

Augusta Stern is an engaging protagonist. On the brink of turning eighty, she is grappling with the unsettling feeling of being adrift after a lifetime of working as a pharmacist. Her move to Rallentando Springs brings a reunion with Irving Rivkin, the man who broke her heart decades ago, triggering memories of her youth and the mistakes she made when she dabbled with her Great Aunt Esther’s unconventional remedies. The story expertly shifts between past and present, allowing readers to slowly uncover the heart of Augusta’s pain and the events that led to her estrangement from Irving.

The novel’s setting in 1920s Brooklyn is one of its strongest elements, vividly evoking the time and place where Augusta’s father’s pharmacy served as the heart of the neighborhood. The dynamic between Augusta’s father, the pragmatic pharmacist, and her eccentric Great Aunt Esther, a healer with her own brand of magic, creates tension that is both emotional and intellectual. Augusta’s struggle to reconcile these two influences — her father’s science-based approach and her aunt’s mystical methods — adds depth to her character and gives the novel a unique twist.

The romance between Augusta and Irving is tender but complicated, marked by misunderstandings and regret. Their reunion in Rallentando Springs feels both nostalgic and hopeful, as Augusta must come to terms with the past and decide whether she’s ready to let love back into her life.

While the novel explores themes of healing and redemption, the pacing can feel slow at times, particularly in the middle sections, and some of the revelations, while touching, are a bit predictable. However, Augusta’s journey of self-forgiveness and her eventual acceptance of both the scientific and magical aspects of her heritage make for a satisfying and emotionally rich read.

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is a heartwarming novel about the magic of youth, the mistakes that haunt us, and the possibility of second chances at any age. It’s a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever wondered about the roads not taken, and it’s filled with charming moments that celebrate love, family, and the unexpected turns life can take.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern" and all opinions expressed are my own. I listened to the audio book. I thought this was an interesting story. I did enjoy listening to it. Augusta is a wonderful character. It's never too late to fulfill your dreams.

Contemporary • Apothecary • Love Story
Published • 8 October 2024

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the free digital copy and audiobook.

This book was a warm hug: funny, wise, magical, and slightly witchy. All the things you would want in a cozy, heartwarming story.

Did I mention it’s set in a south Florida retirement community and has curmudgeonly old people protagonists? Including a mensch or two!

🍵 Read if you love ✨
• Apothecaries and pharmacies
• Second chance romance
• Crotchety banter of the elderly
• Brooklyn, New York City
• Feminism in the 1920s

The timelines flip between 1920 Brooklyn and late 80s Florida retirement community, where Goldie settles after a forced retirement.

I loved this book as a woman of science *and* a believer in magic, miracles, and old-world healers.

An absolutely fabulous tale of second chances. Recently forced into retirement, eighty years old and never married, Augusta Stern has just moved into a south Florida retirement community and is just settling in. She loves to swim and has barely gotten out of the pool when who should call out to her but the man who broke her heart sixty years ago.
Delightful characters populate this story of lost love. From the wise old great aunt Esther to the rough around the edges Irving, the characters make this story a joy to read. Flipping between Augusta’s New York childhood and her new life in Florida we get to really know and understand the characters and what makes them tick. With just a touch of magic, it is a wonderful love story that was a joy to read. 5 stars

This is a cute rom com where a woman on the cusp of her 80th birthday runs into the love of her life- a man she hasn't seen since she was 18. The story alternates between when they were teenagers and present day.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! This book was like a warm hug. Future/past storyline of Augusta, her aunt, and family/love. Augusta retired and moved to Florida and runs into her ex love of her life. I adored this book and look forward to more by this author. 5/5 stars from me!

This book was a refreshing light-hearted read with unusual characters and a bit of magical realism. The format of two timelines was not only entertaining but really went a long way to develop the characters of Augusta and Irving. The miscommunication and tension between the main characters was typical of romantic comedy but the couple being 80 years old and the dispute going back 62 years created a different aspect to the story. I found the dialogue to be witty and humorous and the book was an enjoyable and quick read. I also really enjoyed Esther, the wise great aunt who tried to guide Augusta without being overbearing. Her sage advice was a nice addition to the story. The senior living community was a great setting and the pros and cons of residing in this type of community seemed realistic. I would recommend this book for readers looking for a uplifting read to get out of a rut.

Augusta Stern is about to turn eighty, and she’s being forced into retirement, darn it. Her beloved niece persuades her to leave New York and spend what remain of her golden years in a Florida seniors’ community. From there, a wave of surprising events unfolds, changing Augusta’s life.

My thanks go to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the invitation to read and review. This book is for sale now.

Loigman’s debut novel came in 2016, and as of now, she’s published three more. Every single one is golden. This author writes with warmth and intentionality, and although the first was wonderful, each subsequent one has been better than the last. And so, although I have gone on to read other novels by other authors since I finished this one, this is the one I’m still thinking about.

You see, in 1922, Augusta’s mother became gravely ill. Try though they might, neither the doctors nor her pharmacist father were able to help her, and she died. Augusta, her sister, and her father were all plunged into a dark and terrible place without her. Great Aunt Esther showed up to run the household, and she brought with her a case full of herbs and tinctures; Esther was an apothecary. Her methods, which were sometimes unconventional, put her at odds with her nephew, but they got results, sometimes where conventional medicine had failed. Soon Augusta was spending her hours after school helping her father in the pharmacy, and sneaking out of bed in the middle of the night to observe Esther devising natural concoctions of her own. Esther declared Augusta to be her heir; she had a loving heart and a healer’s instincts.

Her social life was very limited, absorbed as she was with the family business, but the brightest spot in her day was when Irving Ripken, her father’s delivery boy, came to work. Often, they would talk as they worked; in time, they fell in love. Imagine her horror, then, when he abruptly married someone else and moved to Chicago! Augusta never recovered from the blow, and so she has never married.

Now, imagine her astonishment when sixty years later in Rallentando Springs, Irving shows up at the pool!

Much of what follows is what a reader might expect, but the details and character development take the story to a higher plane, and as we follow it, we also see the events of 1922, and these enable us to understand these characters and what drives them. There’s an unusually clever twist at the end, and it’s one that I absolutely do not see coming.

Ordinarily I would include ways in which the novel fell short or could be improved, but that’s impossible in this case. Loigman has spun magic for us from start to finish, and all I can do is bow in appreciation, and recommend this novel to you.

A lovely, lovely story of second chances for 80 year old Augusta and 83 years old Irving who were teens in love but thwarted at every turn. The sweetness of young romance in the 1920’s is told against the confusion and misunderstandings of the 1980’s. A very, very enjoyable novel.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As a bona fide baby boomer, I have come to enjoy stories of aging women. Lynda Cohen Loigman delivers in her novel about an 80-year-old spinster pharmacist who lied about her age on her resume, and when discovered, is forced into retirement. With the help of her niece, she ends up in a retirement community in sunny Florida, only to find that some of her life-long acquaintances are living there. Like Boogie, Augusta laments “of all the gin joint in all the world. . .”.
As a retired female living in Florida, I found this book entertaining.

Lynda Cohen Loigman is one of my favorite authors so I have been looking forward to reading this book for months. For the first time in well over a year I finished a book in less than 24 hours (the perks to a power outage- time to read!)!
It’s 1987 and nearly 80 year old Augusta Stern has just retired from her job as a pharmacist in a hospital in NYC and at the urging of her niece she decides to move to a Senior Living Development near Boca Raton, FL. On her first morning there she is unpleasantly surprised when she runs into Irving Rivkin, the delivery boy from her father’s pharmacy and who broke her heart 60 years earlier. Seeing Irving again brings up all of Augusta’s past regrets and she has to decide whether she’s ready to put her heart on the line again or if she’s done trying to find love.
This book was definitely worth the wait! There were so many laugh out loud scenes and just as many poignant ones. Mrs. Loigman takes us back to 1920’s NYC in such a wonderful and descriptive way. The way she developed each character is simply wonderful and in reading this book you feel like you are there both in 1920’s NYC and 1987 Boca Raton.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this. The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern hit the shelves on October 8th.

I read THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN by Lynda Cohen Loigman with arms crossed with high expectations for a writer I have long enjoyed. This story of a pharmacist retiring to Florida is uplifting, entertaining, and solid inspiration that life isn't over because you've left the world of work -- especially when you are eighty-year-old Augusta Stern, looking back to the 1920s and her father pharmacist and aunt herbalist, healers with different arts. There is magic, there is romance, there is lush, beautiful prose in a memorable, heartwarming story of the past and the present and the possibilities for love, healing, and a meaningful life. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.