Dual timeline, Jewish rep, NYC/FL, soulmates/fated love, prohibition, death of loved ones, mystery/intrigue & a touch of magic

The story follows Augusta "Goldie" Stern in two timelines, first in the 20's when Goldie is in her teens/early 20's and later in the 80's when Augusta is in her 80's. She loses her mother which shapes her future and affects everyone around her. But the story isn't about grief in as straightforward of a way. Her father throws himself into the pharmacy after he can't save her mother and Goldie has dreams of becoming a pharmacist too. She has to contend with stereotypes of women in a time when career women were rare.

Her aunt Esther comes to live with them and through her Goldie learns about a different kind of medicine. There are many other wonderful characters, including her sister, niece and friends and we get to see more of them later.

Augusta finally retires at the age of 80 and moves to a retirement community in Florida. She quickly discovers her first love, Irving, also lives there

Jackie, her niece, visits for her 80's birthday and all of the secrets unravel. I was intrigued throughout!

I am in love with this book and have to read more by this author.

The chapters jumped timelines from 1920's New York to 1980's Florida. It told of their love for each other, and how communication issues led them to lead separate lives.

They reunited sixty three years later. But the story in between! It was so gripping, it had me up late at night and consumed my waking hours until the last page.

I thought an older romance would turn me off, but it was like I was watching a movie, I could picture every scene. It was like that one movie with Ryan Gosling. But no one died in the end. With a little added drama.

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern follows Augusta Stern, an 80 year old pharmacist who is finally forced to retire after an incredible career. Moving to a retirement community in Florida, Augusta finds herself reunited with her first love, Irving Rivkin. Will the reunion result in a second chance or another disappointment?

I found this book absolutely heartwarming. I love the idea of being able to find love at any stage of life so reading about Augusta and Irving’s second chance at love was very sweet. Also loved this book’s description of Jewish life in Brooklyn in the 20s. As a Brooklyn girl, I found that very special.

Augusta Stern wants to follow in her father's footsteps and become a pharmacist in 1920's Brooklyn.
However, she's also mesmerized by her great aunt who is an unconventional healer with herbs and potions.
She becomes a pharmacist.
Sixty years later as she reluctantly retires to South Florida, she reunites with her teenage beau.
This is a lovely story with well drawn characters! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel...

This was such a delightful read for me. This story is about unrequited love, the loss of many decades of friendship, and perhaps love, due to misunderstandings and "not clearing the air". It is about family and those relationships. It is a story about life and the regrets we might have if we don't "throw caution to the wind" and embrace our own need for connections and love. Through the narrator Augusta Stern we go back and forth from her past as a teenager (after the passing of her mother) in the 1920's until her present day in the late-1980's. We are taken from Brooklyn New York to a Florida retirement community. The flashbacks paint for the reader how Augusta came to be the person she is now; nearing her 80th birthday.

I dearly loved the characters in this story. They are such vibrant characters even in their "old age". As they say, age is a matter of the mind; if you don't mind, it doesn't matter or something to that effect. This is a richly told story of heartbreak in different ways: loss of innocence, loss of loved ones, a broken hearted teenager, etc. Throw into this mix a possible mobster during prohibition and you have the makings of a beautifully told story.

I adored this story. Despite the use of three of my least favorite literary devices/romantic tropes (flashbacks, heavy miscommunication, and exes) I couldn’t help but feel compelled to read this from start to finish. It took less than a day.

The plot is fascinating. As the story progresses, each chapter alternates (sometimes timelines and sometimes character perspectives) in such a way that it tells the tale beautifully. This story is funny, intelligent, and incredibly unique.

I really think it will appeal to a range of fiction readers. Lovers of historical, of NYC stories, of lost love romance, and contemporary drama. Most of all, it reminded me that after a point, age is a symptom but a healthy mind remains the same. We all love and we mourn and we move along, regardless of our time on earth. You are never too old to pursue something you enjoy, and much like this story it all comes full circle in the end.

#NetGalley

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy. This was such a feel good heartfelt story about lost loves and the power of forgiveness, with a little bit of magic thrown in. The story goes back and forth between Augustus newly retired and about to celebrate her 80th birthday. When she moves to Florida she finds the man who broke her heart also lives
In her new community. The other part focuses on her as a young woman and paints the picture to not only how she lost the love of her life but the magic her aunt brought into her life.

I loved this story and the character development that happened throughout. The characters were perfectly flawed and I loved the magic that was woven throughout this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martins Publishing for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

While not my usual sort of read I absolutely loved this book! A reflective account that firmly showed that age is but a number. The blending of past and present was well done and always in a way to help further the development of the present. Characters were lovable with some absolutely stealing my heart. The metaphors and imagery was flawless. Groaning and laughing out loud this book was a delight

Thank you St Martin’s Free Press via NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

It took some time for me to get into this book, but once I did I could not put it down! The book tells the story of Augusta Stern, a young woman learning how to be a pharmacist and healer from her father and great-aunt in 1920s Brooklyn. The story alternates between that time and after she has retired to Florida in the 1980s and encounters some people from her past. The author deftly intertwines the stories from the bookends of Augusta's life.

There is so much to appreciate in this story - women in medicine when that was nearly unheard of, a cast of endearing Jewish characters, and feeling immersed in the setting of early 20th century Brooklyn, all with subtle magical elements mixed in. Definitely add to your TBR if you are a fan of historical fiction!

This book comes out in October. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

wonderful read! loigman doesn't disappoint ! love the characters. fun read and interesting. felt like i was right there with them!!! great book club selection. lots to discuss here. a must read!!!

Augusta is finally retiring from her position as a pharmacist. She's 80, although her paperwork shows her as ten years younger. Her niece Jackie has found a lovely place for her to retire in Florida, but when she gets there, who does she see but Irv Rivkin, her boyfriend from 60+ years ago? He was the delivery boy in her dad's New York pharmacy, until he broke her heart. The story is told in two timelines: the 1920's when Augusta was growing up, and the 1980's when she moves to Florida. Her great aunt lived with them after her mom died, and was very skilled at using herbal medicine, which annoyed Augusta's pharmacist father. The characters really come to life in both time periods, and they have secrets which are eventually revealed. Usually older people are practically invisible, as one character notes, but here they shine, and their stories are amazing in this feel-good read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advance copy.

I am so glad I got to read this novel by Lynda Cohen Loigman thru NetGalley. It’s a wonderful dual timeline story of a strong young woman growing up in Brooklyn along with her as she begins hers retired life at 80. Loved all the characters, the timeline and the writing,

I really loved this book! Lynda Cohen Loigman has a knack for infusing just the right amount of magic into the everyday. Both the worlds created in the 1920s and the 1980s felt real, grounded, and whole. I especially appreciated the thoughtful treatment of romance in our sunset years. Fabulous! 4 Stars.

What a heartwarming story! I love historical fiction that alternates between a contemporary timeline and a historical one. This book moves between 1920s Brooklyn and 1980s Florida. Our protagonist, Augusta, is newly retired and about to turn 80 years old. Though mostly satisfied with the way her life turned out, she has one big heartbreak that shaped her life. When she runs into her past, all the memories and emotions come flooding back.

I adored Augusta and loved the Jewish representation and representation of a senior citizen woman who still has so much life to live. The cast of supporting characters, especially Augusta's great aunt Esther were wonderful - I would love to read a prequel about Esther. Though her character and plot adds a bit of magical realism to the story, I don't think readers who shy away from magical realism would be put off by it.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This was a "finally" happy ever after book with life getting in the way. Two young to old star-crossed boy & girlfriend giving getting life elixirs that seem to keep them apart. You are never to old for find your soul mate!

I want to thank NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an advance reader's copy of Lynda Cohen Loigman's The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern in return for an honest review.

Pharmacist Augusta Stern reluctantly retires as she approaches her 80th birthday and is persuaded by her niece to relocate to a Florida retirement community. She is surprised to encounter the man who broke her heart 60 years prior living in the same community. Their interactions reveal long kept secrets, misunderstandings, and also the joys and growth of imperfect lives.

The story reveals Augusta's life story in alternating chapters within a 1920's and 1980's timeline. I enjoyed the characters who were very human with the quirks that make them endearing, well at least most of them! I enjoyed the dual timeline and the bit of possible magic in Augusta and her aunt's healing elixirs.

I really enjoyed this book and had requested it as I had loved her prior book The Matchmaker's Gift.

Lynda Cohen Loigman is a gifted storyteller. Having loved her previous book about a young Jewish matchmaker, I was excited to hear about her new book The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern.
This book follows Augusta Stern from childhood to her 80th birthday. Heartache and misunderstanding seem to follow Augusta.
It isn't until her 80th birthday that Augusta learns the truth that ultimately brings her peace and love.
Augusta's relationship with her Great Aunt and her sister Beth were some beautiful things in Augusta's life. I highly recommend this book.

Another delightful story by Lynda Cohen Loigman! This time we have Augusta Stern who is turning 80 very soon. She has reluctantly retired from being a pharmacist in New York City and moved to a retirement community in Florida (somewhere near Palm Beach and Boca Raton) that her niece Jackie found for her. This is the late 1980s. Augusta never married, having had her heart broken 60 years before by Irving, who left Brooklyn suddenly and married someone else. Lo and behold, Irving lives in this particular Florida community and is overjoyed to see Augusta. But Augusta hasn’t forgiven him.

We gradually get the backstory of Augusta’s young life in Brownsville, Brooklyn, in the 1920s. I loved all the period details, including the fact that pharmacies were pretty much the only legal dispensaries for whisky during Prohibition! Augusta learns the pharmacy business from her father, but also learns more “traditional” healing methods from her great-aunt Esther. The scenes of Esther concocting her herbal remedies in the moonlight in their kitchen felt magical. This book will have you craving chicken soup, for sure.

I loved the Jewish representation and smiled at the “snowbird” culture of the Florida retirement community where Augusta lands. There were some very funny scenes around the swimming pool!

Why did Irving disappear so abruptly from Brooklyn back then? Will Augusta give Irving a second chance?

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Loved this book. The characters were so real, since I live in south Florida like the main character, born in Brooklyn like the main character.
Wonderful storyline, believable characters, and I had a warm feeling while reading it.

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern promised historical fiction and magical realism. It follows Augusta Stern as a young woman in Brooklyn in the 1920s and as a Florida retiree in 1987. I really wanted to like this book, but it felt one-dimensional.

The magical realism was under utilized. The plot fell short for me, it felt really hard to bridge the impacts of the 1920s to the woman she became. Thank you Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of this book. My opinions are my own.