Sixty-two years after the live of her life took off with another girl, what will Augusta finally say?

Retirement is the last thing Augusta wants to be doing. The icing on the cake is being face-to-face with the man who broke her heart.
Part love story, part women's heritage- this book brought up a meaningful perspective. What do age, gender, place and time add up to in the twilight years? While I didn't feel a true link aspects of 1987, the picture of Brooklyn in the 1920s was very well written.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Lynda Cohen Loigman for this ARC.

Lynda Cohen Loigman is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me. In this delightful historical fiction, clean romance tale, we follow Augusta Stern as she navigates retirement and confronts an old flame. 🔥

Have you ever started reading a book and could not wait to return to it at the end of the day? That's how I felt the entire time I was reading this book. It was like a warm hug: wholesome, a little drama, second-chance romance, and a dash of magic.

I also confidently say that I’d love to have Augusta as a friend. She is no-nonsense, smart, and driven, yet she balances her logical approach to healing with her belief in magic. I just wanted to spend more and more time with her ❤️

I wholeheartedly recommend reading this book before the end of the year.

Both genres and timelines were woven into the plot seamlessly, and I never felt confused while reading. Overall, I finished reading “The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern” with a smile on my face. ☺️

Augusta Stern's story covers two time periods as well as two locations -- the 1920s when Augusta (also known as Goldie) is a teenager in Brooklyn and the late 1980s, when Augusta is now an 80-year-old woman living in a retirement community in Florida.

As a teenager, Augusta loses her mother to diabetes. Unable to run his pharmacy as well as care for his daughters, Augusta's father enlists the help of his aunt Esther who comes to live with the family. A curious woman with a penchant for making chicken soup with some unusual ingredients, Esther is soon sought out as the person to see for life's various problems and ailments.

Is it a coincidence that the retirement home Augusta moves into later in life is also the home of Irving Rivkin, the man who broke her heart over 60 years ago? This is a sweet story about second chances, resiliency, and determination.

Lynda Cohen Loigman gives her readers the right dose of magical realism to make this a lovely read. Thank you to #NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this electronic ARC of #TheLoveElixirofAugustaStern.




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This book is a gem- it grabs you from word one and takes you on a great adventure with the titular character. Augusta proves your never to old for a good time!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for my #gifted copy of The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern! TheLoveElixirOfAugustaStern #lyndacohenloigman #stmartinspress

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐱𝐢𝐫 𝐎𝐟 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐢𝐠𝐦𝐚𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟖, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

𝟱★

Oh my heart! This book was everything! Lynda Cohen Loigman, you’ve done it again! This book brought forth so many emotions and I am so sad it’s over. Augusta was such an amazing character and I loved how this book was told in dual timelines, so we could see Augusta as a teenager in the 1920’s and then again as an 80 year old living in Florida. In both timelines, we see Irving Rivkin, who was the delivery boy at her father’s old pharmacy, and now, by chance, living in the same senior community in Florida.

Growing up, Augusta always wanted to be a pharmacist, just like her father, Solomon. After her mother died, her Great Aunt Esther moved in to live with her family. It’s not long before Esther, who considers herself a healer, starts offering Solomon’s customers her own remedies, including her homemade chicken soup and other powders and potions. Augusta can’t help but be attracted to these unconventional remedies. As time passes, and Augusta prepares for pharmacy college, and her feelings for Irving continue to grow, she decides to use Esther’s most potent elixir, but not without consequences. Now decades later, Augusta is face to face with Irving again. Is it too late for a second chance?

🥣Magical Realism
🥣Second Chance Romance
🥣Dual Timelines
🥣Jewish Representation
🥣Strong and Resilient FMC

Posted on Goodreads on October 4, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around October 8, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on October 8, 2024
**-will post on designated date

3.3 Stars (almost an outliner)
One Liner: No magic realism; not that impressed

1987
Augusta Stern had to finally retire from her job as a pharmacist. She moves to Florida upon her niece’s advice. However, not having a busy routine makes her restless. Add to it the reentry of Irving Rivkin, the delivery boy she knew in her teenage years, disturbs her peace of mind.
As a young girl in the 1920s, Augusta was proud of her father’s pharmacy and wanted to follow in his footsteps. Her great-aunt Esther’s arrival brings many changes in their lives, including the biggest one that leaves Augusta with many regrets.
Sixty years later, can Augusta find a way to move on with her life and spend the remaining time in peace? What happened back then?
The story comes in Augusta’s third-person POV in both timelines, with Irving and other POVs at random.

My Thoughts:
I’m more of an outliner for this. I wish I could have liked it more.
Firstly, there is no magic realism here. There’s possibly an attempt made but it is just fancy descriptions and wishful thinking. Every healer woman is not a witch nor does she work with magic even if people think otherwise.
This is mainly a second-chance romance for characters in their 80s. While it is great to read books with senior citizens where they lead active lives, seeing the MCs act childish doesn’t really feel heartwarming. I did empathize with the FMC’s resentment to an extent.
The side characters like Esther and Shirley could have had more development. Esther especially could have been a lot more than what she ends up here. It would have also helped create a more definite setup for magic realism. And a special yay to Jackie. Love her!
I do like the topics chosen – women in medicine, gender bias, parental death, medical advancements, bullying, mafia, etc. However, when I realized the core of the plot rests on miscommunication (or the lack of communication), I lost interest. It’s bad enough to read 30 and 40-year-old characters making a mess of relationships. These people are in their 80s and still cannot have a decent conversation until the end!
Also, the 1987 (present timeline) feels like it is set in the 2000s. My guess is that the age was calculated from the 1920s to decide when the present timeline should be. However, the rest of it feels more contemporary (like after 2010) except for the lack of mobile phones and social media.
The pacing dips in the middle. Though we see both timelines, there isn’t much movement in the present one.
Also, we get the first chapter from Irving’s POV around 35% or so. By then, I was sure this would continue in Augusta’s. The sudden change pulled me out of the story. We also get a few scenes from the omnipresent third-person. The changes should have been introduced earlier. For example, having the first Irving’s chapter at 10-12% would have set the pattern for the rest of the book.
The Jewish rep is well done without providing too much detail but making it stand out just the same.

To summarize, The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is a cozy read about first love, second chances, missed opportunities, misunderstandings, and women in medicine. I wish I liked it more but it is not a bad book by any means. Guess I wasn’t in the mood for it.
Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

It's the late 1980s in Florida and Augusta Stern is a newly retired pharmacist, never married, who is about to turn 80. She unexpectedly runs into a man she knew when she was young at her new retirement community. The book goes between her current life and her life as a young woman in New York City in the 1920s. This was a cozy book that I really enjoyed reading.

Augusta is on the cusp of her 80th birthday and living in Florida at a retirement committee when she encounters a childhood friend who broke her heart. The book then takes the reader back to 1920s Brooklyn, when Augusta was a teenager working in his father's pharmacy and living with her great aunt Esther, who had the gift of making herbal concoctions to treat ailments. The book travels deftly between the two time periods, telling the story of the two former sweethearts. This was such a sweet story about love and second chances. It's also quite humorous! I could not put it down. Highly recommended!

A lovely dual time line novel set in 1920s New York and 1980s Florida. Augusta was in love with Irving, who worked for her father's pharmacy but something went awry and she spent her life as a single woman but now, by chance, she's moved into the senior community in Florida where he lives. But she's angry with him, still-why? Augusta's great aunt Esther, an apothecary moved in to care for the family and brought with her a world quite different from the scientific remedies her father compounded. And special. Esther is a treat, a woman who uses both folk medicine and herbs to heal but there's one thing- the love potion- that she keeps aside. I liked both time frames- both are atmospheric (love the senior community activities)- and they tie together well. No spoilers as to what happened but this is a case as so many are of mixed signals. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I very much enjoyed this.

This started a bit slow but I ended up really enjoying it! I loved the dual timelines, and I found them both interesting. The stories of life in her father’s pharmacy in 1925 Brooklyn were fascinating. But Augusta’s move to a retirement community in florida in 1987 and the old friends she met again was also really good. After the first 15% I found myself flying though the book and rooting for Augusta to get her hopes up and her happily ever after. I truly love Augusta, her aunt Esther, her niece Jackie, her new and old friends, her sister, and these characters truly came to life in this book. It’s a beautiful story.

This book was a delight to read. I loved to imagine the pharmacy and all of the science that went into making the medicine. Of course there is a wonderful love story or two but I loved the relationship with Augusta and Aunt Ester.

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern, by Lynda Cohen Loigman is such a breath of fresh air in this genre. I was captivated and fully immersed in this story at chapter one. The 1920s, dual timelines, magical realism, and interesting protagonist make it an amazing book.

What a great book! This is magical realism done right! I loved the very light magical realism that actually felt real, like I could be talked into it and believe it.

We see Augusta as a young girl apprenticing and working with her father in his pharmacy. She loves the work and she loves the medications and plans that this will be her future. We then see Augusta in year 80 after she has retired as a successful pharmacist. Between these two storylines we learn of her life and also a taste of her becoming future.

I know it's a good book when I love both POV's equally! When young Augusta's chapter ended, I was equally excited to dive back into 80 year old Augusta.

Not only was this basic literary fiction along with magical realism, but also a light mystery surrounding Augusta's love life. I think that the title is very fitting and enticing!

I recommend this for most readers!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance e-copy of this book.

This delightful, at times poignant, story of second chances was so much fun to read.
Told in alternating time/place settings.
The character list is small, but mighty.
I would love for Hollywood to cast Susan Sarandon as Augusta Stern.
Thank you, NetGalley.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for my free book for review.

"The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern" is a beautifully crafted ode to second chances.

The novel's alternating timelines masterfully weave together Augusta's present-day struggles with glimpses of her past, creating a compelling mystery around a heartbreaking first love. Loigman's skillful narrative not only piqued my curiosity about Augusta's romantic history but also illuminated her lifelong passion for medicine. Inspired by her father and intrigued by her great-aunt Esther's old remedies, Augusta's character depth is beautifully layered throughout the story.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the book is the subtle hint of magic realism. I found myself wondering about the true power of Aunt Esther's soup and the enchanting qualities of her songs. These elements add a touch of whimsy and mystery to the narrative, elevating it beyond a typical second-chance romance.

The author's writing style is inviting and accessible, making Augusta's journey feel intimate and relatable. There's never a dull moment as Augusta confronts her past resentments and navigates the challenges of her new life in a retirement home.

The novel excels in its portrayal of complex relationships. From Augusta's interactions with her well-meaning niece and her confrontation with her ex-beau, to the new friendships she forms in the retirement community, each connection feels authentic and adds depth to the story. These relationships serve as a backdrop for Augusta's internal struggle: is she willing to revisit a painful chapter of her life for the chance at closure or perhaps even rekindled love?

"The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern" is more than just a second-chance romance; it's a poignant exploration of aging, regret, and the courage it takes to confront one's past. Loigman has crafted a story that resonates on multiple levels, inviting readers to reflect on their own lives and the power of love to heal old wounds.

As I turn the final page, I feel a sense of satisfaction and warmth. It’s a heartwarming tale that reminds us it's never too late for new beginnings or to find the answers we've been seeking all along.

Just when I think that I don’t enjoy magical realism, Lynda Cohen Loigman comes along with another one of her charming stories that I get completely lost in.

THE LOVE EXIXER OF AUGUSTA STERN has just a touch of magic, a tiny tincture if you will, but is otherwise firmly grounded in a typical Floridian senior community. We meet pharmacist Augusta Stern after her recent retirement at the ripe age of 80 when she reconnects with the man who left her broken-hearted 60 years ago.

Told in past and present timelines we witness the separate directions their lives took them and the ways fate brought them back together. Themes of found family, new beginnings, and a long-awaited second chance romance will make reader’s hearts swell.

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: October 8, 2024

READ THIS IF YOU:
enjoy reading age-positive stories
aren’t sure if magical realism is for you (it's just a touch–I promise!)
believe it's never too late for a new beginning

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman

I have a bit of mixed feelings around this one. It was quite slow and repetitive and also predictable. But, the overall story and message behind it slowly won me over.

I appreciated the older characters, and how it showed how long life can be but how quick it can change.

I always love stories about the power of women, and the healing they offer, and the community that builds around them which this story delivered in a subtle way

Also I loved the authors note, sometimes these notes just bring it all together.

This delightful new novel brings us a story of second chances. It's about finding happiness in life after getting rid of the baggage from the past. It's a dual time line story set in the 1920s in Brooklyn and the 1980s in Florida. Both timelines cover the life of Augusta Stern from a young girl to her life at a retirement home and asks the important question about whether it's possible to find the magic of youth no matter how old you are.

1920s - Augusta lives with her sister and her father in Brooklyn. Her father owns a pharmacy and she knows from a young age that she wants to follow in his footsteps. She works with him and is in awe about how much he is able to help the people in their neighborhood with their health issues. When her mother dies, Great Aunt Esther moves in to help take care of the family. The aunt is very old country and uses unconventional methods to help the sick - everything from chicken soup to herbs and potions. Solomon is not happy when Aunt Esther starts to treat some of his customers with her magic potions. Augusta is torn between believing in medicine as her father does but is also drawn to her aunt's mysterious methods. She is also falling in love with the pharmacy delivery boy, Irving, and thinks that he may be in love with her. To find out, she secretly uses one her aunt's love potions on him and the results are disastrous. When she realizes what she's done, she turns her back on her aunt's 'magic' and vows to follow the scientific methods. She goes to pharmacy school and takes over her father's store and later works in the pharmacy department of a hospital until they force her into retirement.

1980's - Her niece decides that she needs to move to Florida to a retirement community after she retires. She never had a chance to make friends or get married and her niece decides that Florida would be a great place for her to spend her remaining years. Sixty years after she lost the love of her life, she meets him again at the retirement community where he now lives. Irving wants to renew their friendship but she isn't sure because he hurt her vary badly when he married someone else. She has to decide whether he ever really loved her or whether he was playing a part to keep his job. Despite his desire to renew their friendship, she is still consumed with anger towards him. Can their rekindle their relationship from the past or is it too late?

I absolutely loved this book. By using the two time lines, we get to know and understand Augusta better and she becomes a fully fleshed out character. I usually don't read books with magical realism but it fit perfectly in this book and made it even more enjoyable. I'm beginning to question why I've avoided books with magical realism for all of these years - it looks like I've been missing some good books.

No matter how old you are or how far you have traveled in your life - it's never too late for new beginnings.

A nice breath of fresh air from all the thrillers that I've been reading. I loved the characters and the journey they all took. Every day magic and love, such a sweet story!

Review will be posted on 10/4/2024

It's 1987 and Augusta Stern, at the age of 80, is reluctantly retiring from her pharmacy job. She is starting another chapter of her life in Boca Raton, Florida, in a retirement community. While there, she runs into Irving Rivkin, a man she knew from her hometown of Brooklyn. Irving was her father's delivery boy at her family's well known pharmacy, which is also where Augusta worked and spent most of her time. But this isn't just any old acquaintance. Irving broke Augusta's heart years ago, a heartbreak that was so deep, that she never really moved on from it. Now that Irving is back in her life, she remembers those years in Brooklyn at her father's pharmacy, along with her sister and her Aunt Esther. Aunt Esther, while not an actual pharmacist, fancied herself as an apothecary of sorts. She helped her neighbors with her herbal concoctions and was usually quite successful. This has always captivated Augusta and played a part in her young adult life. Readers wonder if Augusta can really give her "new" life in Florida a try and move on from her past. Lynda Cohen Loigman's The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is a charming novel about second chances, family, and of course, love.

Augusta is a delightful character from the start of The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern. I was afraid I would not be able to relate to an 80-year-old living in a retirement community, but it was quite easy. I enjoyed her antics, her run-ins with Irving, and the other quirky neighbors. The flashbacks to her youth in Brooklyn were also well done and I liked how the story unfolded. Loigman slowly pieced together how Irving and Augusta met, their love story, and ultimately, what went wrong. Loigman also brings 1920s Brooklyn to life very well; I felt like I was there in her family's pharmacy and interacting with all the memorable neighbors.

Loigman's novels are always cozy and it was just what I needed in between stressful thrillers. The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern was like putting on a comfy sweater; I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to fans of historical fiction. It does have a touch of magic in it, so that makes it the perfect novel to snuggle up with this month. Let me know in the comments if you are a fan of Loigman and if The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is on your TBR this month. Also, it's a Book of the Month pick, so check it out if you haven't already.