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.

A lovely read that goes back and forth describing Augusta's past and present life. And I love a strong female characters... and one who breaks all kinds of molds.
For readers who like a story of a nice Jewish girl who ends up retiring in Boca Raton, this is your book! It has senior romance, senior foibles, and a happy ending, of course. It's a light read, but has some fascinating elements relating to pharmacy and the use of herbs for healing... and perhaps a touch of magic.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's just what we need to face our own old age!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Augusta Stern’s life has always been centered on her work as a pharmacist. It’s 1987, and the hospital she works for is computerizing personnel records. Augusta’s only option is to retire as the hospital discovers discrepancies in the dates of her records, revealing she is about to turn 80. Her niece convinces Augusta to move to Florida for a new beginning.

Once in Florida, Augusta runs into Irving Rivkin, the man who broke her heart 60 years ago. The story then alternates between Brooklyn in the 1920’s and Florida in the 1980’s, and tells their story. It's never too late for new beginnings is the theme that runs all through this story. Family, love, romance and relationships are explored, with a touch of magical realism. It’s predictable but entertaining, and the perfect beach read or if you are looking for something on the lighter side

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Thank you to St Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and the author for access to this ARC.
The Love Elixer of Augusta Stern is a fun read taking place in 1925/6 Brooklyn and 1987 South Florida. A young Augusta helps her father at his pharmacy and forms a strong bond with the delivery boy, Irving. An old Augusta finds herself newly retired in Florida and just so happens to buy a condo in the same area as none other than Irving, the one who got away and whom she is very angry with. The book alternates each chapter amongst both timelines, revealing a little at a time about why the two never ended up together. Truly an enjoyable read about second chances in love and love, and to keep an open mind for possibilities.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Augusta Stern through two periods of her life, in 1980’s as she’s forced into retirement and moves to a retirement community and finds out her old teenage flame, Irving, is also living there.

In the 1920’s we follow teenage Augusta as she meets Irving and learns the about homeopathy from her great aunt.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, but the latter began to drag, particularly regarding the chapters set in the ‘20’s. The story just seemed to meander and became somewhat convoluted, and I would have preferred if it mainly focused on the romance with Irving and the lessons she had with her aunt. At the very end we finally learn why Irving and Augusta broke up and it seemed silly and unreasonable.

A lovely light and engaging read. Well written characters with interesting stories. The setting was its own character- I felt like the pharmacy and apartment played a huge part in the overall plot. I enjoyed the contrast of the do gooders - Solomon, Augusta and Esther vs. Zip, Mizti and Lois.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all of Lynda Cohen Loigman's novels, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to finally get my hands on her latest book, The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern. And let me tell you, it not only met my expectations but exceeded them!

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is an engaging blend of historical fiction and romance with a hint of magic. The characters in this book are so well-developed and endearing that you can't help but feel invested in their journey. The author's writing style is so captivating that I found myself completely immersed in the story, eagerly turning each page to find out what happens next. This book would make an excellent choice for any book club looking for a thought-provoking and stimulating read. There is so much to discuss! If you're looking for a 5-star novel that will stay with you long after you've finished reading it, The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is definitely worth checking out.

Augusta is one sad lady. She just never got over her first love. 80 years old and finally sees him again. If you believe there is only one love meant for you then you will enjoy the story. I liked the chemist in her. Not a big fan of the book but didn't hate it. It was an okay story.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this sweet story and the characters. Augusta and Irving are amazing, and I am still rooting for them. I love Jackie. Great read.

What an extraordinary, beautiful piece of work.

In this book, we follow Augusta Stern through dual timelines—one in the 1920s in Brooklyn, and one in the 1980s in Florida. Tying together themes from both eras, we watch a tale unfold that involves family, love, second chances, female empowerment, and so much more.

The author is immensely talented at weaving compelling characters with a poignant storyline. And there were several scenes where I had to stop and take a moment to appreciate her absolutely beautiful writing. With this book, she has created a world that's enchanting and full of heart and humor.

Augusta and her story will stay with me for a long time.

At 14% … loving this book. Has the same vibes as The Matchmaker’s Gift. Remembering how much I loved The Matchmaker’s Gift prompted me to check it out of the library for my mother who is in rehab after breaking her femur. Really enjoying this new book, The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern!

71% … still really enjoying this book. The point of view alternates between the 18 year old version of Augusta Stern and her 80 year old version (62 years later). Having an 80 year old as the protagonist was priceless! Love Augusta! What a wonderful character, so many great characters in this book.

Completed now. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martins Press for approving my request to read the advance read copy of The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern in exchange for an honest review. 320 pages, publication date is Oct 8, 2024.

This book was, plain and simple, a gift.

It was a wonderful story of resilience, second chances at love, mistakes, and finding peace with those mistakes.

Anytime I read a book where the main character is much older than I am, I always worry I won't be able to connect or resonate with the character and their struggles and goals, since I haven't reached where they are in life yet. With this book, however, all I could think of was how important it was to never give up and to always remember that as long as you're alive, it's never too late. To make new friends, find new love, to be happy. It's never too late. Live your life. And you can start over again at any time.

This book was beautiful and heart wrenching and touching and hopeful and I love every character.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this title!

I LOVED this book. I have been a Loigman fan since I read the Two-Family House, and this book was NO exception. Augusta Stern's story is told in alternating timelines, going back and forth between the 1920s and 1980s. I made some predictions about how things may fit together but Loigman remains at the top of my list of great storytellers.

Oh how I loved this book. I was literally on a vacation in Spain and still made time to finish this in 3 days. The dual story line kept me intrigued; though by the end I loved both timelines so much it hurt to switch between.

Augusta Stern's story is told in alternating timelines--the 1920s in Brooklyn and 1987 in Florida. Her mother has died, and teenager Augusta is working part-time in her father's pharmacy, looking forward to becoming a pharmacist herself. Little by little, as she furthers her education, her father allows her to work on more of the true pharmaceutical duties. But now that her great-aunt has come to live with them, she also finds herself intrigued by Esther's abilities to help customers find cures for their ailments when traditional medicine is not working, Esther creates compounds and potions in a special mortar with mysterious engraved characters, not to mention her homemade chicken soup with its own special powers. Along the way, Augusta falls in love with the store's delivery boy, Irving, but their romance is never fulfilled, and Irving moves away.

Augusta ultimately takes over her father's pharmacy, then works at a hospital until almost age 80, when she reluctantly retires and moves to a senior community in Florida. Unexpectedly reunited with Irving, she is surprised to discover he has changed quite a bit in the intervening years. Can Augusta and Irving pick up where they left off many decades ago, and does either really want to do so?

I particularly enjoyed the chapters set in the early time period, especially the juxtaposition between traditional and nontraditional medicine. Augusta, Irving, and Esther are memorable, if not particularly engaging, characters. I didn't find the relationship between Augusta and Irving especially convincing in the later chapters, but it is an interesting story. My favorite Loigman novel is The Matchmaker's Gift, one of my favorite reads of 2022.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

This was a lovely trip back and forth through time. The characterizations were done well, the story timed beautifully. I really enjoyed this book and feel comfortable recommending it to anyone, but especially to my friends "of a certain age".

St. Martin's Press eARC
I love this author's books, so I was so excited to get to read this one early. The first thing that drew me in was having a main character in her late seventies. I love books with older protagonists. I also liked the formatting here. Each chapter alternates between the present 1987 and back to the 1920s of Augusta's childhood. I think this added some mystery and drama into the story because it hooked me in and I had to keep reading to see how all of the different plot elements would tie together. In the past timeline, I liked how the author chose to have such a deeply layered character in Augusta's aunt and her ways. This also juxtaposed so nicely with the relationship she had with her pharmacist father. I liked the drama in the present timeline because of running into childhood friends and seeing how different things went than was expected. Loigman does such a great job at creating richly detailed characters with interesting plots that really get the reader invested in their day to day lives. I can't wait to see what she does next.

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman is such a lovely book. I loved her last book The Matchmaker's Gift and I might even like this one more. Augusta Stern has recently, and not very willingly, has retired to Florida. There she runs into the love of her life, who was her missed opportunity. I really appreciated older characters who are smart, funny, have great personalities, and romantic lives. The bits of magical realism also always works beautifully in Loigman's r books. I've already recommended this book to several people and will keep doing so..