The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this novel.

Wow! After reading The Matchmaker's Gift and enjoying it thoroughly, I was excited to receive a copy of The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern. I started it immediately after downloading it to kindle, and I'm so glad I did. This did not disappoint.

Once again, Loigman successfully combined culture, research, and an enchanting fiction tale into one book. Augusta Stern moved to Florida upon retirement, and is visited by characters of her past. The story flipped between the 1920s and the 1980s, with elements from each time period connected to the other. The reader learns about Augusta's past working with her pharmacist father, as well as with her great aunt, a healer. I was mesmerized by the passages describing the herbs and magical elements employed by her great aunt, along with the medical and scientific pharmaceutical options of the early twentieth century. Throw in a 'missed connections' past love story, and it all comes together in an intriguing manner.

I definitely recommend this to fans of historical fiction, romance, and magical realism. 5 stars!

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Loigman

"Because you can't have the highs without the lows. That's how love works."

Lynda Loigman is one of my favorite authors—and humans. And she's done it again! Remember her captivating, beautiful The Matchmaker's Gift? In her latest novel, Lynda also crafts a heartwarming story with characters readers will cheer across the finish line.

Pushing 80, newly retired pharmacist Augusta Stern moves from NYC to a Florida retirement community. She never expects to run into Irving, the man who broke her heart sixty years ago. August thought Irving loved her back then, but she had been horribly mistaken.

Based on the adage, "You're never too old, and it's never too late," this novel weaves stories set in 1980s Florida and 1920s Brooklyn. It is an enchanting read.

Lynda Cohen Loigman's 'The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern' is a captivating novel that weaves together elements of romance, magic, and self-discovery in a way that is both enchanting and thought-provoking.

The characters are beautifully crafted, each with their own complexities and vulnerabilities that make them incredibly relatable. From the first page to the last, I found myself completely immersed in this magical tale, unable to put it down.

What a unique book with multiple layers and complexities that add such dimension and depth to the characters and story. It pulled on my emotions - joy, regret, sadness, hope - to experience Augusta's journey from the beginning when it all went wrong, to the end when there is new hope for old wounds.

This one really got me in my feelings. It was so incredibly sad but also managed to put me back together? The plot will have you bawling but by the ending the heart might be mended.

A 62 year love story in the making. What a beautiful story of enduring love, forgiveness, second chances, medicine and magical healing. Well developed, likable characters that you can relate to. This book will stay with you long after you turn the last page. My first time reading Lynda Cohen Loigman, but hopefully not my last.

Big-hearted and whimsical! A story of “it’s never too late for love.” Readers will adore this book set in the 1920s and 1980s about two star-crossed young loves who find their way back to one another—with a little help! —Dianna Rostad USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of You Belong Here Now

Lynda’s books are such a pleasure to read. Great story with great characters and unputdownable. This was no different. I loved this new one and it was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024. I was pulled in from the very first page and now I’m sad it’s over. You do not want to miss this one!

This was one of the best books I have read for a while. This was Augusta's story, switching between her eighties and her growing up years. She was one of the few women in her time to attend college and earn a degree in pharmacy. While she devoted her life to her career, she always regretted missing out on love and her own family. There's so many layers to this story, you will have to trust me when I say do NOT miss this book. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read it. Definitely recommend!!

This was such a fantastic book! The old world healing. The family entanglements. Love finding its way again after 60 years. It just was such a wonderful book of all could have beens and all there is to come if we let it. This was just such a great story of all the people in the "old neighborhood".

This was a love story unlike any that I have read before. Augusta Stern is probably the first main character that I have ever read about in her eighties. The book does have a dual timeline so we learn about Augusta in 1987, but also about her life growing up in the 1920s. There was so much to enjoy.

The background of what Augusta's life was like growing up Jewish in New York City during the 1920s was really interesting. Seeing how she handled the loss of her mother as well as the struggle to become a pharmacist when women were still expected to just marry and have babies. The best part though was her relationship with her Aunt Esther and the magic/mystery surrounding her. The reader also learns about Irving and what his life entailed. However, hands down, the best part of the book was Augusta and Irving's life in their Florida retirement village. This was a fantastic novel about second chances with a dash of magic. This was a great read and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Hands down my favorite book I’ve read in a long time. I genuinely could not put it down. I loved the dual timelines equally and the growth and arc of Augusta and Irving were both completely believable. The questions of what happened in the past kept me reading for hours on end. All in all this book was a beautiful and engrossing love story that felt tender, light, and impactful.