The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman celebrates strong women breaking barriers.

Augusta’s father is a well known pharmacist who teaches his daughter all things pharmacy. Then you throw in her aunt Esther with her non traditional healing methods- Augusta ends up with the perfect balance of science, and old world home cures. Sometimes a bowl of homemade chicken soup has the power to heal more than any pill could. Esther taught Augusta of the power to heal through words. Truly a woman ahead of her time.

Common themes were that it is never too late to live your life, and it’s never too late to correct the wrongs from the past. Another theme was the reality of women and the workplace - it is all too familiar, even today. As aunt Esther would say: if a male was producing elixirs- he would have been an apothecary, but women - it’s all witch craft.

Augusta had some serious hardships throughout this coming of age story. You just felt for her. You wonder why she made certain decisions, but the author seamlessly goes between 1920s and 1980s and you understand exactly why she’s on her own trajectory.

Read this if you:
-love historical fiction and are looking beyond the WWII stories
-like the grumpy vs. sunshine storyline
-enjoyed Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford

Thank you to Cindy Burnett with the Thoughts From a Page podcast / Page Turners Patreon group for arranging ARC copies. Thank you to the publisher; the author; and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.

Augusta is a retired pharmacist, leaving her home in the New York area to move to a retirement area in Florida. She is almost 80 and feels a bit lost without her work. She ends up meeting Irving, an old friend who used to work in her father's pharmacy, and she has no interest in renewing this friendship with him.

The story is told in two time periods - the 1920's and the 1980's -so we get to know Augusta and Irving as teens working in the pharmacy together. And also in the retirement village, mostly around the pool where many gather to swim laps, play cards, read or have lunch - the social place.

There is obviously something to the story of a close friendship when they were teens and then decades later where Augusta wants nothing to do with him.

I enjoyed Loigman's previous book, The Matchmaker's Gift, but enjoyed this book even more! There is a mystery that slowly unwinds between the two time periods as we learn about Augusta's life and Iriving's life and the secrets they didn't know about in each other's lives.

My thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this e-book.

This book made me laugh out loud a lot, while also having a bit of sadness for the life Augusta had. We see Augusta's life from the 1920s and then again as a retiree to Florida in 1987. As someone who grew up in Florida, the snowbird jokes were 100% accurate. I loved all the characters and stayed up past my bedtime to finish the last 100 pages. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a chance to read this one early in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW 💫

The Love Elixir Of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman

Something about the writing in this book was super readable. I spent most of the book thinking this was just an average 3 star read. Nothing bad about it, just lacking in plot and/or vibes. I liked the characters throughout the whole book though. The cozy/heartfelt/slightly magical vibes came in the last quarter of the book and increased my rating. It also made me look back on the rest of the book with more positive feelings.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Lynda Cohen Loigman for this ARC ebook. The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern will be published October 8, 2024.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reading Challenge 2024: 107/100

Strong female characters, dual timelines, Brooklyn, Florida
What’s not to love, in this book?
Augusta Stern has recently retired to a lovely community in Florida. However, she soon finds out, several people from her old neighborhood are also living there. The story begins to weave together her life, and her heartbreaks. We are left to discover what second chances she may be willing to take.
This is my first Lynda Cohen Loigman book, but it won’t be my last.

If “The Lost Apothecary” and “The Notebook” had a love child, it would be this book. I absolutely adored Augusta getting so into her father’s passion of medicine and science, but the internal struggle she had of appreciating her great-aunt Esther healing people in other ways. As a woman growing up in the 1920s and wanting to pursue such a scientific career, Augusta had to face such challenges. The back-and-forth between then and the late 1980s after she retired from her successful career was beautiful but bittersweet to know the heartbreak she suffered for so long. I thought the banter within the privileged south Florida retirement community was exactly what I’d expect from places so close to where I grew up. The ending felt so perfect, and I know I won’t be able to stop thinking about how incredible of a read this was for a very long time.

A tender and heartwarming tale of how love overcomes decades of regret, resentment, and loss. The story is illustrated in a dual timeframe set sixty years apart. We meet our titled character - Augusta Stern - when she was a teen - in the early to mid 1920s. Then, when Augusta retires at age 79 (in 1987) and moves to Florida, we learn how her life unfolded and the critical events that impacted her decisions.

The plot lines are thought-provoking (gender and age discrimination, poverty, coping with the loss of a parent at an early age) and relevant. If you are a fan of Lynda Cohen Loigman’s earlier works (The Two-Family House, The Wartime Sisters, and The Matchmaker's Gift), this newest offering will not disappoint! If you are new to Loigman’s writings, get ready to enjoy a special escape with a story that is as comforting as a cup of homemade chicken noodle soup on a cold Winter day. She beautifully writes about close family relationships and cherished cultural traditions.

This was a five star read for me and will be at the top of my recommendation list. Thank you St. Martin's Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This warm hug of a book is like a steaming bowl of chicken soup for your cold dead heart.

There’s nothing I love so much as a second-chance romance (unless it’s a second-chance-romance with a dash of magical realism), and this one delivers in spades. The book alternates between two timelines, Augusta’s childhood in the 1920s, and the 1980s, as Augusta is about to turn 80. When Augusta is forced to retire from her career as a pharmacist, she follows her niece’s advice and makes the move from Brooklyn to a South Florida retirement community, as one does. To her unpleasant surprise, she finds Irvin Rifkin living at Rallentando Springs. Irving - her first love. Irving - the boy who broke her heart. Irving - the boy she hoped never to see again. But here he is.

As a girl, Augusta plans to follow in the footsteps of her father, the trusted owner of the local pharmacy and the neighborhood expert on every ailment. But when Augusta’s mother dies and Great Aunt Esther moves in, August is drawn to Esther’s unconventional healing remedies ranging from homemade chicken soup to a variety of powders and potions. Caught between her father and aunt and the worlds of science and magic, Augusta attempts one of her aunt’s strongest elixirs with disastrous consequences and turns her back on the world of enchantment. But not forever.

This is a book about the magic of second chances and the fact that it’s never too late to find love. When past misunderstandings are cleared up and egos can be put aside, it is truly a thing of beauty. I loved Augusta Stern and I know you will too. This book was one of my favorites of the year and a book that will stay with me for a long time to come.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the Advanced Reader Copy. All opinions are my own.

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is a historical fiction novel with some romance elements. Augusta is the main character, though we do get some POV chapters that focus on her Aunt Esther and Irvin (the beau). I liked this story, it had a little bit of everything - romance, mystery, and a little bit of 1920s mobsters. I think the ending was a little rushed for me and some of the dialogue kind of suffered for it.

Each chapter is told between the present day (late 1980s) and the past (the 1920s). In the past, the focus is on Augusta in her formative teenage years and how after her mother passed away, her Aunt Esther comes to live with her family. It starts off with Augusta being pretty singularly focused on following in her father's footsteps and becoming a pharmacist. But her Aunt Esther is also a pharmacist of a sort, only she focuses on herbs instead of pills. As Augusta learns more, the story also builds what life was like in the 1920s and Augusta's love story with Irvin. The present-day storyline is more focused on Augusta trying to determine her feelings 60 years later and coping with the sudden loss of her life's work.

I thought this was a lovely slice of life novel. I loved the oral history of passing herbal remedies through Augusta's family. It was heartbreaking, but very real that both Aunt Esther and Augusta faced prejudice for being women and treating medical ailments. Aunt Esther, at one point, says in her home village there was a man who did the same thing she did, only he was an apothecary, and she was a witch. That sentiment is repeated in several subtle ways throughout the book. I loved that Augusta accomplishes what she wants in life, and it never truly seems like a sacrifice that she worked for a living.

This is a lovely book, and I can't recommend it enough.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️From St. Martin's Press: On the cusp of turning eighty, newly retired pharmacist Augusta Stern is adrift. When she relocates to Rallentando Springs—an active senior community in southern Florida—she unexpectedly crosses paths with Irving Rivkin, the delivery boy from her father’s old pharmacy—and the man who broke her heart sixty years earlier.

As a teenager growing up in 1920’s Brooklyn, Augusta’s role model was her father, Solomon Stern. When Augusta’s mother dies and Great Aunt Esther moves in, Augusta can’t help but be drawn to Esther’s curious methods. As a healer herself, Esther offers Solomon’s customers her own advice—unconventional remedies ranging from homemade chicken soup to a mysterious array of powders and potions.

As Augusta prepares for pharmacy college, she is torn between loyalty to her father and fascination with her great aunt, all while navigating a budding but complicated relationship with Irving. Desperate for clarity, she impulsively uses Esther’s most potent elixir with disastrous consequences. Disillusioned and alone, Augusta vows to reject Esther’s enchantments forever.

Sixty years later, confronted with Irving, Augusta is still haunted by the mistakes of her past. What happened all those years ago and how did her plan go so spectacularly wrong? Did Irving ever truly love her or was he simply playing a part? And can Augusta reclaim the magic of her youth before it’s too late?
**********************
My review: I loved the two timelines in the book. 1920's Augusta was curious, determined and family oriented. 1980's Augusta was sassy, a little insecure and still determined.
I was anxious to see how the storylines would come together and how Aunt Esther's healing remedies ended up affecting Augusta and Irving. The look into 1920's Jewish family life was amazing...there was a little bit of everything in Augusta's neighborhood. And 60 years later the microcosm of the retirement village also has a bit of everything, and everyone. How does looking back at the past affect decisions you make in the present? And what if past decisions were manipulated? Augusta has a lot on her plate in both time periods and they both kept me interested and reading. Highly recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for my review.

BRILLIANT!!! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my goodness, I never imagined I'd love this book as much as I do!!! It's a delightful, heartwarming and beautifully written historical fiction with a perfect touch of magical realism and romance. Featuring both a tender first love and a beautiful second chance, it reminds us that it's never too late for new beginnings. The Love Exilir of Augusta Stern is a poignant tale of family, loss, and sacrifice, woven with themes of mistakes, and the power of forgiveness-yet, above all, it is a story about love.

The narrative unfolds between dual timelines, following Augusta Stern as a teenager growing up in 1920s Brooklyn, New York, and sixty years later as she settles into a retirement community in Rallentando Springs, Florida, in the 1980s. I often struggle with dual timelines, as I tend to be more interested in one over the other. However, that wasn't the case with this story. I could not put it down-I was completely captivated with Augusta and had to know how the two timelines would ultimately come together. As soon as I finished the last page, I found myself already missing Augusta.

This was my first book by Lynda Cohen Loigman, and I'm already a huge fan. I can't wait to dive into her previous works. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book-it's an absolute must-read!! I will defintely be purchasing the physical copy to add to my personal collection. I wholeheartedly recommend it and it deserves infinite stars! It's easily one of the best historical fiction novels I have ever read!!💫💫💫💫💫💜💜💜💜💜

4/5 ⭐️
This book was so cute and cozy and brought me so much joy. This was my second book by this author, and I love her style of dual narrations with the past and present where the past feels like a close look at the Jewish neighborhoods of 1920s New York. But the best part is that it is predominantly grounded in reality, yet has this one possibly magical detail. I really enjoyed watching these characters get a second chance at love, especially when there was a 60 year gap between. And I loved this look at new medicine vs folk medicine and neither are perfect fail-safes.
My only complaints was that these are very active 80 year olds and I think the handful of chapters from Irving’s POV was unnecessary.
Overall, this was a very cute, feel-good story that I think is perfect for any fans of historical and period dramas, and are romantics at heart.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

“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.”

If you are looking for a heartwarming story with an octogenarian protagonist, look no further! In this dual time line narrative, we follow Augusta Stern in her new life in a retirement community in Florida in her late 70’s and her youth in Brooklyn where her father was a pharmacist and her great aunt was a healer. I loved both time lines equally which is not always the case for me. I fell in love with Augusta and Irving as they reconciled with their pasts and whether or not they could have a future.

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
Octogenarian MC’s
Curmudgeon stories
Slight magical realism
Jewish representation
Second chance romance
The Matchmaker’s Gift

Thank you St Martins Press for a gifted digital ARC through NetGalley.

It's an interesting dual timeline read, covering the teenage years and the retirement era of a single pharmacist in NYC, who relocates to Florida at 80. There she encounters her childhood sweetheart for whom she has always carried a torch. As her stories unfold, we learn of her family, how she learned ffom both her father, a pharmacist, and her great-aunt, an apothecary/homeopath who both treated their Bronx neighbors in the 1920's. Somehow, it didn't really grab me, though.

4.8 stars rounded up to 5
You will not be disappointed if you've read Loigman's The Matchmaker's Gift, this author delivers history, romance and charm in one fell swoop! Do not miss this one. Characters who live an active living community will make you laugh, cry and always inspire you. Life is not done for these aging, comical and wise individuals.
Told in back and forth chapters, you will get to know these characters and become a part of their families. A beautiful story of living a worthwhile life.
Perhaps because I am closer to these characters ages (and not their 20 year old selves), I immensely enjoyed their adventures and sensibilities. Love at any age is wonderful, but as it ages with time, matures with experience, and becomes oh so realistic, it is funny and amazing. Thanks for letting us share this with you, Ms Loigman.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartin'sPress for this early copy for my honest review. #LyndaCohenLoigman you’re an author to follow!

This book was so cute! Second chance romance but make it old people 🥰 loved the dual time line and uncovering Irving and Augusta’s relationship, heartbreak, and love story unfold piece by piece. Sometimes I felt like the stories got repetitive at times but over all super cute.

Having lied about her age for years in order to continue working, Augusta is forced to retire and makes her way to a retirement complex in Florida only to be confronted by a man who worked for her father and that she lived. Alternating between past and present, Augusta’s story is revealed and her current story brings love.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy of The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman

Augusta Stern may be the at the center of author Lynda Cohen Loigman's totally readable and enchanting The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern, but a host of additional characters add up to a delight on every page---Irving Rivkin, Aunt Esther, and niece Jackie just to name a few of the people who enter and change Augusta's life.

As a teen, Augusta had a desire to become a pharmacist due to the hours spent at her father's pharmacy in the 1920s. From dusting shelves to filling prescriptions, Augusta was a natural in her drive to help others in pain. When her Aunt Esther arrives at her house to stay following the death of her mother, the mysterious powers of Aunt Esther's chicken soup as a remedy for a myriad of issues adds to Augusta's intuitive keenness in aiding others. As a student of Aunt Esther's concoctions, Augusta learns that healing is a delicate process and certainly not assured. She will eventually take over the pharmacy and later work at a hospital.

Augusta's niece, Jackie, has found the ideal Florida retirement community for Augusta; but in no time the complication of a former love in her life leads Augusta to handle a number of situations she never anticipated.

The fun, the problem-solving and the revelations from the past all combine to create a novel that the reader will not forget. Do not miss this wonderful imagining of how powerful love in all its forms can be!

I was so pleased to be invited to read the latest historical fiction from Lynda Cohen Loigman. I have enjoyed her previous books and expected no less from her newest.

Told on two timelines mainly from the point of view of Augusta Stern, we move back and forth from the 1920s when she was a young girl coming of age, to the 1980s when she is an elderly woman forced into retirement.
Augusta grew up in an apartment over the pharmacy that her father owned. Losing her mother to diabetes at a young age shortly before insulin treatment existed fueled her passion for pharmacology. When Great Aunt Esther moves in to help the family, Augusta develops an interest in natural cures. Esther had been known as a witch in her old village. Maybe there is some magic in the way she can sometimes cure what doctors can't.

Decades later when Augusta is pushed out of her job, she reluctantly settles in a Florida retirement community. Could it be magic or fate that the man who broke her heart 62 years ago is also a resident?

This was an enchanting story. The historical accuracy of the days when whisky required a doctor's prescription and diabetes was a death sentence lent a touch of realism.
I loved Esther and her middle-of-the-night kitchen witch escapades that Augusta's father eventually made peace with although he disapproved.

I would recommend it to any fan of historical fiction or anyone looking for a light-hearted, quick and easy read.

This is a second chance love story, which is my favorite trope. However, it is 62 years later. We have a timeline in the 1920s and a timeline in the 1980s. So in the 20s, Augusta's dad is a pharmacist and she wants to follow in his footsteps. Irving becomes a delivery boy at the pharmacy. They are of course attracted to each other but then he just up and marries another girl and moves away. What the heck?! So now we are at a retirement community in the 80s and Augusta discovers Irving is also living there. The man that broke her heart. She is not going to fall for him again but what happens when the truth from so long ago comes out? It was a charming story and I liked not having current day technology in the book. The chapters are short so it was a quick read.

-Was this what it felt like to be with someone who knew you? Who knew both the best and bleakest parts of your past? Was this what it meant to have someone support you, to have a companion who pushed you to be better and braver than you ever thought you could be?