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.

I haven't read a book like this before, and I really enjoyed it. We follow Augusta both in the 20's and in the 80's, and this dual timeline was really fascinating. I loved learning about her life both past and present, but I particularly enjoyed her teen years. As a pharmacist myself, I really enjoyed the background of how Augusta followed in her father's footsteps, and also learned so much from her Aunt. There are plenty of heavy topics here, but there is enough levity in between that I found this just to be pleasant and enjoyable all around. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

Lynda Cohen Loigman has written a wonderful book about love and second chances that is filled with hope. The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern spans over 60 years and has a dual time-line. The main character , Augusta Stern, is a woman ahead of her time. She becomes a pharmacist during an era when women only aspire to be a wife and mother. Some mysticism and Yiddish is thrown into the mix. I love this book! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Augusta Stern knows better than most how love can be wasted on the young. As a teenager Augusta worked in her father's pharmacy-it was there she learned how medicines can help people-and because of this experience Augusta also chose pharmacy as a career. But it wasn't just her dad that influenced Augusta's future-her mom Irene died mere months before insulin was introduced, a drug that might have saved Irene's life, and this early loss was a defining moment for Augusta. Another person to inspire Augusta was her aunt Esther who came to live with the Stern family after Irene's passing. A single woman with no children, Esther also devoted her life to helping people through the use of "medicines." Esther made potions of herbs, plants and flowers, and sprinkled them with a little of her "magic" to help with infertility, menstrual cramps, and other illnesses. But the thing Augusta dreams of most is a life with Irving-the delivery boy at her father's pharmacy, and her first love. Augusta was sure she and Irving would be married, but Irving abruptly left town and married the daughter of a local mobster, leaving Augusta confused and bereft. Decades later (and I mean decades!) Irving and Augusta are living in the same Florida retirement community. A mix of Practical Magic and "The Golden Bachelor" The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is a sweet and sentimental look at the enduring power of love, how life can change in an instant, and the importance of pursuing your dreams no matter your age. The plot can be predictable, but the idea that true love is patient enough to wait a lifetime makes it worth it. Be like Augusta and discover the best "love potion" anywhere in The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern.

Thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress, and @lloigman for the gifted e-book. Thank you to Macmillan Audio @macmillanaudio #MacAudio2024 for the gifted audiobook.

This enchanting tale is skillfully woven through dual timelines, transporting you from 1920s New York to 1987 Florida. Augusta's unwavering determination to pursue her passion for pharmacy, coupled with her fascination with her aunts' potion-making skills, makes her a truly compelling character. The poignant love story between Augusta and Irving unfolds seamlessly across the two timelines, keeping you hooked until the very end. The supporting characters add humor and warmth to the narrative, making it a truly delightful read.

I had the pleasure of experiencing this story through its narration, and the narrator's skillful delivery brought the characters to life in a way that truly enhanced the storytelling. Her voice and pacing were absolutely perfect.

If you're a fan of magical, heartfelt stories, I highly recommend this book! The book will be available on October 8.

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is a delightful blend of romance, history, and magic, wrapped in a nicely balanced dual timeline tale. It kept me under its spell from the first magical page to the last. I highly recommend this one.

Thank you Lynda Cohen Loigman, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Absolutely one of my favorite books of the year! I've loved all of Lynda Cohen Loigman's books so far, but The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is extra special! Though it's not marketed as a romance, it is most definitely a romance...between two octogenarians! The characters in this book came alive on the page. They made me laugh. They made me feel. They made me feel all the feels. Honestly, this book is an absolute gem. Run, don't walk.

It has been a long time since I have truly enjoyed and admired a character as much as I did with Augusta. I have liked other characters and enjoyed their adventures, but Augusta's character made me wish I knew her in real life. Even as a young woman, she's intelligent and is full of spirit. As an 80-year-old woman, Augusta still has all of that and more.

Augusta likes to stay busy, and because of that, she's still working at nearly 80 years old. Her job thinks she's barely 70 since she and her niece did some careful edits to her paperwork, but when the HR department asks her when she plans to retire, she knows she's busted. So she reluctantly retires and moves from Brooklyn, New York to Florida, and her new retirement community of Rallentando Springs. She hasn't fully moved in when she runs into Irving Rifkin, the first boy she ever dated.

This story has a dual timeline of Brooklyn in the 1920s and Rallentando Springs in the 80s. First, I enjoyed seeing both timelines. The author does an excellent job at bringing both places to life and it was easy for me to see everything in my mind, and this book would make a great movie. The visuals that were invoked were that good.

You could technically call this story a second-chance romance, but it's so much more than that. This story explores grief, and heartbreak, and makes you question what you thought you already knew all along. It was also interesting to see how even a minor miscommunication can alter the course of a relationship, whether it be platonic or romantic. This one made me do a lot of thinking, and would likely be great for a book club discussion.

I can confidently say this book is one of the best I've read all year. The writing is beautiful and the story is even better. If you enjoy second chances in life and in love, you'll love this one.

THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN by Lynda Cohen Loigman is a beautiful, enchanting story filled with long-lost love, second chances, and a little bit of magic and mystery. I was completely immersed from start to finish. When Augusta is forced to retire and reluctantly moves to a retirement home in Florida, the last person she expects to run into is her long-lost love, Irving, who used to work in her father's pharmacy. Told in dual timelines, we learn what really happened between Augusta and Irving. With well-developed characters and layers upon layers, this novel shows us how things aren't always what they seem, and that there's always time for a second chance.

This was a very sweet, heartwarming book! I liked the dual timelines and the hint of magical realism (although, I wish there had been a little more).

What a lovely book this was! This is my first book by Lynda Cohen Loigman and will definitely be read in more. This was a dual timeline as well as chapters from different POVs. This book did a great job at having magical realism elements without going overboard. I loved the parts about the holistic medicine and honestly would have enjoyed more of that, but I won’t be nitpicky. The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern will get you in your feels, make you laugh and keep you invested. I would recommend this book to anyone! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I flew through it once I started. It didn’t take long for me to feel invested in Augusta’s story. From the minute she hears “Goldie?” at the pool in Florida, my curiosity was peaked. The book is charming & witty, & I like the jumps in time that gradually reveal the events that brought Augusta & Irving to this point.
As much as I like their core story, I also like the insights into the love Augusta has for her work, & the other important people in her life. There are some great side characters woven into the story. How each deals with loves, losses, regrets, aging, facing fears, & believing in a touch of magic adds to the depth. Second chance is one of my favorite tropes, & this well-deserved one left me with a smile on my face.
Now I’m hungry for chicken soup…
Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy via NetGalley.

“You and I have not known each other long. You have seen only my most fortunate outcomes. But do not mistake a few successes for an unblemished past.”

Omg! It wasn’t until I started to listen to this and heard the authors name that I realized that this is the author that wrote one of my favorite books ever, The Matchmaker’s Gift. I can probably just rate this now at 5 stars. 😂👏🏻

Annnd I was correct. Five (million) stars. I did not want this book to end! I could have read/listened to another 700 pages of this story with these characters. They are so real to me now that I feel like I just watched a movie. I will be thinking of them for quite awhile.

The author’s note just gives this story the exclamation point after those 5 (million) stars. I couldn’t possibly rate this book higher! The end gave me literal chills.

“‘But you said . . . you told me that words could heal!’ ‘Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Sometimes, no matter the powders or words, a person’s time on this earth must end. There is no magic any of us have that can make someone live forever.’”

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I liked the dual timeline, and how the two wove together. I really liked Augusta and her relationship with the aunt was something I wish would have been fleshed out a little more.

At 12, Augusta Stern's mother died of diabetes months before insulin was available. Her Pharmacist father had no drugs to save her. Augusta's fascination with her father's career expanded when her great-aunt Esther came to live with them. Esther taught Augusta the ancient use of herbs to heal . This opened a 2nd career for Augusta who became a medically trained pharmacist at a time when women were not valued, and took over her father's pharmacy.

Augusta's life long friend and love of her life, Irving Rivkin, shocked her when he suddenly marries someone else. On Augusta's 80th birthday her niece arranged a party in Augusta's new apartment home back in NYC where she started life. Encountering old friends and new adventures brings hope and romance once again.

An excellent story of a life filled with loss and love.