The Love Elixir of August Stern took me by surprise as someone who typically doesn't delve into the realm of romance or cozy novels. However, I found myself swiftly captivated by the tale of Augusta "Goldie" Stern, an 80-year-old woman with a remarkable story. The narrative unfolds in two distinct timelines, transporting us to the 1920s, where a young Augusta experiences the intensity of first love with Irving, only to have her heart shattered. Fast forward to the 1980s, when Augusta, now in her golden years, retires to a senior living community in Florida, only to unexpectedly cross paths with Irving once more. Unmarried throughout her life, Augusta dedicated herself to a career as a pharmacist, retiring at the ripe age of 80 before embarking on her Floridian adventure. The convergence of past and present creates a compelling and enthralling narrative that is sure to resonate with everyone.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC to read and review.

Only one year after her mother’s passing, a new diabetic drug called insulin was formulated to help others get well. Overcome with grief, the relationship between the sisters and their father, Solomon, began to deteriorate. Wanting to learn more about his work as a pharmacist, Augusta began working in his pharmacy, which led to her obtaining a degree in pharmaceuticals and taking over after her father’s death.
As a child, she began a close friendship with the delivery boy, Irving. Started dating him and then one night after one of their dates, he disappeared. A week later, he was engaged. Not to Augusta, but someone else. Irving moves to Chicago. Heartbroken, wondering what happened to their love for each other, she moves on with her life. After Augusta retires, she moves to Florida to the very same retirement where the old delivery boy from her father’s pharmacy lives too. Forced to deal with old memories and misunderstandings from their past, Irving and Augusta reconnect.

I’d recommend to those who want a gentle, easy read. It’s strongly family oriented. The author does a great job seamlessly weaving the past timeline with the present, making the story move along nicely. But I needed a deeper plot.
For me, there was no magical realism here. It’s homeopathic remedies vs. chemical medicine.

Special thanks to @NetGalley

Loved this book! Chock full of lovable characters, rich with historical details and sprinkled with a dash of magic, THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN has it all. Toggling between Brooklyn in the 1920s and a Florida retirement community in the 1980s, AUGUSTA STERN is beautifully written, fast-paced, thoroughly entertaining novel about family, medicine, love, second changes and, one of my favorite topics: making your way as a strong woman in a man's world. Dare I say this is Loigman's best yet?

This was such a delightful book. It just made me smile reading it. Augusta Stern worked in her father’s pharmacy in Brownsville, Brooklyn in the 1920’s, so it was fun reading about Brooklyn and Jewish Culture during that time. She is such an interesting character, incredibly smart, hard working, open to new ideas, and wants to become a pharmacist. She has also fallen in love with Irvin Rivkin and thinks he will likely purpose soon. Something goes terribly wrong and Irvin leaves Brooklyn. Her Aunt Esther has a special influence on her and teaches her some unconventional holistic medical practices that are magical for some people. After, Augusta’s dream of marrying is lost, she decides to be practical and loses a bit of her belief in miraculous events happening ever again. Augusta puts all her time and energy into being a pharmacist at a time when women were not considered able to do that job. She loves her work, and finally at 80 Retires.

The other timeline is in the 1980’s where Augusta listens to her niece and moves to Rallentando Retirement Community and she meets up with Irvin again. This does not make her happy at first. She decides she is too old for love. Still, could it be possible to take a chance again and have some faith in love again? Even though Augusta is about to have her 80th Birthday, does not mean she doesn’t have much life left in her. The scenes here are both delightful and funny.

I loved that Augusta is her own person leading a fairly unconventional life and that she is vibrant and sharp at 80. She was a great character to follow. You just want her to experience all that life has to offer. I definitely loved reading about all the foods Aunt Esther Cooked, especially her Mouth Watering Chicken Soup. I could go for some right now!

Thank you NetGalley, Lynda Cohen Loigman, and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book. I always leave reviews for books I read.

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman is a heartwarming story of strength and second chances.

At almost eighty and recently retired, Augusta Stern moves to Rallentando Springs, Florida, where she unexpectedly reunites with Irving Rivkin, the man who broke her heart six decades ago.
This meeting sparks memories of Brooklyn in the 1920’s, where Augusta has to navigate between her pharmacist Dad and her Great Aunt Esther’s unconventional remedies.
When an error occurs with one of Esther's potions which leads to heartache and a decision to change her methods forever.

This book is truly a treasure. The author writes of resilience, second chances, and reconciling with past mistakes.
This book is beautifully crafted and profoundly relatable, and Augusta’s journey serves as a poignant reminder that it’s never too late to forge new connections, seek love, and embrace happiness.

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is a touching, poignant, and hopeful read that will resonate with readers of all ages.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing the opportunity to experience this inspiring novel.

This story rates a solid 4.5 stars! It's such a fun read about how as a youngster, Augusta learned about mixing healing herbs and flowers from her Great Aunt Esther. It's about how she fell in love with the young Irving, and how Aunt Esther's herbs changed the course of her life, and the destiny of Irving's life. This book moves us easily back and forth in time from the 1920's in New York to the 1980's in Florida. It's well written and compelling, but I might have edited down just a tad. The ending was perfect and satisfying. Highly recommend to readers who love a good love story that leaves them with a sweet smile.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern.

Augusta Stern, a devoted pharmacist, is forced to retire at age 79. At the behest of her favorite niece, she relocates to a lovely retirement home in Florida. When she hears her nickname,Goldie, she turns to find her first love, Irv Rifkin, beside her at the pool. In 1922, Irv, the love of her life ,suddenly married a gangsters daughter, leaving Augusta heartbroken. She never saw him again. Augusta built a cocoon around herself, to avoid being hurt. At the retirement home, their love of swimming throws them together and they realize they are not too different from the young couple that fell in love sixty-two years ago.
As usual, the author adds a pinch of magic to this delicious recipe for falling in love, at any age.

The Love Elixer of Augusta Stern is definitely one of my favorite books this year--I absolutely devoured it. It's quiet and beautiful and I was completely drawn into Augusta's story in both her past and present narratives. This will be one I'll be recommending for sure.

Thank you to the publisher for making this book available to read and review through NetGalley.

This heartwarming novel opens as Augusta Stern, on the cusp of turning eighty, relocates from New York City to a retirement community in Florida where she reconnects with old friends including Irving Rivkin, the boy who broke her heart. Told in chapters that alternate between 1920’s Brooklyn and 1980’s Florida, The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern captures the full scope of its protagonist’s life story.

After losing their mother to diabetes shortly before the discovery of insulin, Augusta and her sister are raised by their pharmacist father who teaches them the importance of his work. When Augusta’s Great Aunt Esther comes to New York to help raise the girls, she brings her old world healing knowledge with her, and soon her soups and tinctures are rivaling the pharmacy’s medicines and pills. Aunt Esther never had the chance to go to college and study pharmacy, so she learned her craft from folktales, comparing herself to Baba Yaga, the witch of the woods who concocts spells and remedies with her mortar and pestle. Esther is able to help customers when modern medicine can’t, curing influenza and infertility with her magic words and potions. She teaches Augusta all she knows, cautioning her about the limits of the craft and explaining that it can provide comfort even when it cannot cure. Augusta’s world is turned upside down when she tries to use Aunt Esther’s love elixir to help her boyfriend Irving see and feel more clearly. When they meet again in the retirement community and old sparks fly, Augusta is faced with the temptation of using the “not love potion” once again to reveal the path their romance should take.

I loved this sweet novel which perfectly captures the soda counters of 1920’s Brooklyn and the retirement community of 1980’s Florida. The octogenarians are fully drawn characters with rich pasts and dramatic futures, and Loigman artfully weaves their backstories into the movement of the plot. By placing senior citizens at the heart of a romance novel, the author transforms the way we understand age, showing that when we are in our eighties, we also retain some sense of who we were at twelve, fourteen, and eighteen years old. In addition to being a romance, The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is also a book about navigating the inevitable changes of life, overcoming loss and grief, and understanding the enduring love of family. Pick up a copy of this hopeful story; you won’t regret it!

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

When pharmacological science combines with herbal remedies, the effects can be amazing. Augusta Stern wants to be a pharmacist like her dad, but when her Aunt Esther moves in with them, Augusta sees another side of healing. Her life does not turn out liked she had hoped. When she finally retired, at 80, and moved to a retirement community in Florida, Augusta runs into her first love. The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern, by Lydia Cohen Loigman, takes the reader back and forth from 1920s Brooklyn to 1980s Florida to tell the story of Augusta’s love lost and love found. It was an interesting read.

It's been such a treat to follow Lynda Cohen Loigman's writing career over the years, and it is evident that the success of The Matchmaker's Gift unlocked an influential shift towards magical realism writing that continues in this cozy fall book release.

Loigman's prose sparkles on every page of this new novel, offering readers lightly embedded historical research details, insights into treasured Jewish foods and customs, and assured timeline and viewpoint shifts that make it easy to slip into.

Readers have the opportunity to unravel a sixty-year-old mystery surrounding two childhood sweethearts. Their seemingly destined love story never came to fruition, but they are now offered a surprising second chance in their eighties.

As a child, Augusta shadows her pharmacist father, assisting him in caring for the town's residents. She discovers he is the keeper of the town's biggest secrets and the only one with the remedies. But, when her mother unexpectedly passes away, their household falls apart, and her aunt is called upon to fill in as their caretaker.

The dynamics in the home and town change more significantly than expected because Aunt Esther knows a few things about healing what ails people. However, her methods are mysterious, unconventional, and a little witchy. The magical results are astounding when many women find themselves in situations where remedies lie in Esther's magical chicken soup or carefully concocted powders ground with her unusual mortar and pestle. This homeopathic operation begins straining these family members as alliances shift between these dueling pharmacy operations. But as Augusta becomes more curious about her aunt's work, she brews a love potion with disastrous results, leaving her single and brokenhearted.

Now in her eighties, Augustus is a spunky firecracker of a woman who was forced into retirement when people discovered she doctored her records to prolong her pharmacist career. She's starting her new chapter at a retirement community where, it turns out, the love of her life, Iriving, has lived for years.

Prepare for laugh-out-loud witty banter as they navigate their old feelings and chemistry. Loigman skillfully weaves intricate secrets about their separation over sixty years, creating a thoughtfully crafted plot for the reader. But one of the most refreshing aspects of this story is the vibrant portrait of life in your eighties. There is no talk of creaking joints or slowing down. Instead, there are daily swims, book club, fabulous meals, and a cocktail or two.

This delightful novel is a tribute to her husband's great-grandmother, a 1921 Fordham College of Pharmacy graduate and the namesake for her entertaining character. She stuck the landing with this book, and I count it among my new favorites from the writer—I can't wait for you to escape into this fabulous story.

I loved how this book went back and forth in time. I really felt for Augusta. And pulled for her to be happy. And the Jewish component was very special. Plus it is so nice to read a book about older characters. Highly recommend this book.

What a wonderfully lovely story written in a magical way. The author intertwined two stories as a brilliant weaver, past and present. A strong female lead, warm and well developed characters …. I felt like I was there with them. A story of love, friendship, family, redemption, and a touch of magic.

Thank you net galley for the opportunity to have read this book in exchange for an honest review. My heart is full after reading this one.

Such a great story about a retired pharmacist who runs into an old flame. I loved jumping back in time and the world building for the 20’s was great. I loved Augusta and her story.

Imagine retiring and moving to a retirement community only to run into your ex flame! Such a cute story that will make you laugh and cheer for Augusta.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy.

This book is a delight! I couldn't put it down. Told in a dual timeline format, we are taken through the life of Augusta Stern. In the 1920s she is an emotional, ambitious young woman who works in her father's pharmacy with hopes of following in his footsteps. She is also greatly influenced by her Aunt Esther, who takes an old world, homeopathic approach to helping people. Toss in Augusta's great first love with the pharmacy delivery boy, Irving, and the seeds have been planted for her life's path. Flash forward to the 1980's, and now Augusta is retired and living in Florida. The ghosts of the past have come back as she revisits the lessons and disappointments of her youth, with a glimmer of a chance that things can be made right after sixty two years.

Full of great messages, the most important being "it's never too late," The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern takes the reader on a terrific journey of regret and redemption. I highly recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this novel for review purposes.

This is such a poignant, sweet novel written in two timelines. The switch between the timelines is smooth and intuitive.

I enjoyed the touch of mysticism combined with the sharp scientific mind that make up the two sides of Augusta. The historical aspects of the story are written in such a way that make it easy to picture the time and events.

The tension between the characters is well managed and keeps the level of interest engaged.

Pharmacist Augusta Stern is almost 80 and recently retired. She has moved to a retirement community in Florida. Much to her surprise and discomfort she finds her old love, Irving Rivkin, is a resident. She finds herself reexamining the past, recalling her mystical Aunt Esther and wondering what went wrong.

Loved this story of love lost and found. Nice to have a book written about senior citizens that shows them alive and well and actively living life. Love can still be found in retirement!

Augusta Stern, age 80, is finally retiring. Never married and having worked from a very young age, she's not sure about this retirement gig. Her niece finds a retirement village in Florida and Augusta makes the move from New York City to Florida. One of the first people she sees is her former boyfriend, Irv. Augusta is not happy to see him as he is the reason she never married. The dual timeline, New York in the 1920s and present-day, makes for an interesting story. Augusta's Aunt Esther practices her own brand of healing, using herbs and possibly a bit of magic. Augusta's father is a pharmacist and Augusta becomes one as well (finding a school that accepted women into the pharmacy program was difficult.).

As the story unfolds, we learn more about Augusta of the 1920s, and we learn what happened to Irv and why he and Augusta never married. Is there possibly a second chance here?

Courtesy of Netgalley, I received the ARC of The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman. This dual timeline story spans 60 years, starting in the 1920's with the introduction of Augusta Stern in her young teen years as she helps her father in his pharmacy and then becomes entwined with the herbal medicines of her aunt. Themes of family, relationships, obligations, miscommunication, expectations, missed opportunities, and healing dominate this coming of age love story, while the aroma of chicken soup permeates throughout! Highly recommend!