This was the perfect fall read! I absolutely loved the narrator and hope to find more audiobooks by her. The story was interesting, cozy, and I loved the dual timeline. It was slightly predictable but I still loved all of the characters and the background of of a women growing up in the 20's in a pharmacy.

Senior stories are having a moment and this one was absolutely lovely. I adored it as an audiobook, super easy to follow with just the right amount of characters in the book. Definitely recommend it if you're looking to get into audiobooks.

This is such a cute book and the audio was very entertaining. The characters, their story and spunk were so great! I enjoy reading about older characters, their life and love. This is a character driven story and I am more drawn toward plot driven stories, so sometimes it seemed to drag or lose my attention. The end and the authors note were SO great! I think this is a perfect book for some.
3.75 rounded up.

What worked for me:
- lovable characters
- dual timeline
- great side characters
- a great second chance romance
- a little bit of magic

What didn't work for me:
- maybe a tad bit slow and drawn out but it still worked

I love when I’m surprised by how much I love a book. Don’t get me wrong— I read the premise of THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN by Lynda Cohen Loigman months ago and thought it sounded good. I didn’t expect it to be one of my favorites this year.

Augusta Stern, soon to be 80 years old, finally retires her pharmacy career and moves to Florida. In her retirement community, she reconnects with friends and an old flame from her teenage years. A past timeline set in Brooklyn in the 1920s uncovers what truly went wrong in the relationships between Augusta and her friends, and it provides the background for why Augusta had a love for healing as a pharmacist. There’s history, magic, and second chances and I couldn’t get enough of it. The backdrops and timelines of 1920s Brooklyn and 1980s Boca Raton were perfect for this read. I absolutely adored this book! Adding all of her books to my TBR.

Many thanks to @stmartinspress for this #gifted copy (with signed book plate!) and thank you to @macmillan.audio for offering the audiobook to allow me to read and listen. The narrator was fantastic! I won’t forget this book.

👉🏻 For my friends who enjoy strong, intelligent, mature female characters, historical fiction, second-chance romance, and a wee smidge of magical realism.

THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN by Lynda Cohen Loigman (Gabra Zackman, Narrator) @lloigman @gabracadabranyc

🎧Thanks, Macmillan Audio, for the gifted audiobook. #macaudio24 (Available now) 10 hrs, 18 min

Selfishly, I enjoy reading stories with characters my age or older, but this is becoming increasingly difficult. Give me a 20-something being stubborn, miscommunicating, and making poor choices, and I will roll my eyes and think, “Doesn’t she know better?” Give me the same behavior in an 80-something, and I think, “I can see that. Poor dear. No wonder she’s frustrated.”

We shift back and forth between two timelines as we follow Augusta’s life, first as a teenager working in her father’s drugstore (and falling in love with the delivery boy, Irving) in 1920s Brooklyn, and later as she settles into a retirement community as an 80-year-old. At 18, curious and intelligent, Augusta wants to attend pharmacy college. Still, she’s also fascinated by the “homeopathic” medicine her great-aunt practices in their apartment after midnight with mysterious herbs and chants. At 80, she is retired from a successful career in pharmacy but has been alone for 60 years, bitter over Irving’s betrayal.

The story moves along at a perfect pace as we learn more about Augusta, her mysterious aunt, and Irving. There is much to unpack about being female in a male-dominated profession, choosing a career instead of family, redemption, loyalty, and second chances. This would make an excellent book club selection (of course, you’d need to serve chicken soup!).

The audio narration is top-notch, with completely different voices for each character and the narrator. Gabra delivers a full-cast performance without resorting to stereotypes. I especially liked how Augusta's “young” and “older” voices were different yet similar.

P/S - Always read the author’s note! Lynda offers terrific insight into her process and the inspiration for the story.

I so enjoyed this book. The magic, the hope, the story all of it sucked me in.
The audiobook was well done. Highly recommend. May even be a reread for me.

I was gifted an audio version of The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Net Galley (thank you!) and loved it so very much I bought a hard copy and immediately read it! It is a book about love, family, second chances, secrets and a little magic. The story timeline is the 1920's and the 1980's weaving Augusta's life story perfectly from being a "local healer" to going to pharmacy school in a male dominated field to finally "retiring" and started her life over again. I found the author notes so profound... "It is a reminder that age doesn't change who we are, that 2nd chances are always possible, and that it is never to late to find love again. Five Stars well deserved for this wonderful read! I am now going to read her backlist books also looking forward to reading them all!

I loved this one! I loved the dual timeline where we followed Augusta and Irving in the present in their retirement home and as we slowly learned about their history in Brooklyn. The pacing of the story kept me intrigued and I really wanted to know what happened in the past timeline and how things went "wrong." I thought this story had lots of layers but nothing seemed irrelevant or less important. I thought the pharmacy vs apothecary discussion was extremely well done. There is so much to love about this one!

"The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern" by Lynda Cohen Loigman is a magical realism fiction novel.

Augusta Stern is almost 80 years old, and she has just moved to a retirement community in Southern Florida in 1987. She never married. She's rather reserved and a bit grumpy, reminding me a bit of Ove (from "A Man Called Ove"), but not as extreme.

She is shocked to find, not one but two friends from her hometown neighborhood. One is her first boyfriend, Irving. But, there is history, and she is still carrying pain from that.

The book alternates chapters from the present (1980s) and the past (1920s). Augusta grew up the daughter of a pharmacist in the 1920s in Brooklyn, New York. Irving is the delivery boy for the pharmacy, and he and Augusta become good friends

When Augusta's Great Aunt Esther moves in, she is able to help people with medical issues that her father's medicine isn't able to help. It involves common sense, chicken soup, herbs, and maybe a little magic. The spell or prayer she says each time she prepares healing herbs is this:

"To ease the pain of those who suffer,
To repair the bodies of those who are ill,
To ease the minds of those in need."

The audiobook runs 10 hrs. and 18 min. and is narrated by Gabra Zackman, who did a wonderful job.

I recommend this novel, which is a mix of historical fiction, women's fiction, a bit of magical realism, and romance. Happy ending book.

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 5/5
Plot - 3/5
Pacing - 3/5
Unputdownability - 3/5
Enjoyment - 3/5
Narration - 5/5
Cover - 5/5
Overall - 32/8 = 4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, MacMillan Audio, and Lynda Cohen Loigman for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Love love loved this. I don’t know what I was expecting, but Augusta Stern stole my heart. Cute, clever, quick, and so heart warming. The audiobook was well done and I never wanted to stop listening.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ALC.

Really wonderful book, much needed in this time. i was glad also for the opportunity to meet Lynda at RJ Julias and to get a signed copy. I’ve shared all over social media.

I had high hopes for The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman but unfortunately it feel short for me. I love historical fiction books and was interested in this aspect but the magical realism is barely there and I have mixed feelings about the overall plot. I did enjoy the historical timeline way more than the contemporary timeline.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is a dual timeline story with one part of the story taking place when the characters are young and the second story taking place many years later when the characters are retired and living in Florida. I enjoyed these interwoven tales and learning more about the characters. Read this story if you enjoy stories with second chances, love stories, and magical realism.

One of the best books I’ve read this year. I love the culture and magic that play into the life and history of Augusta. She is a force to be reckoned with and I loved the dual plot lines that connect and develop the characters so well in a way that hooks readers and makes it feel so magical and intimate for the reader too.

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman is a heartwarming story of strength and second chances.

At almost eighty and recently retired, Augusta Stern moves to Rallentando Springs, Florida, where she unexpectedly reunites with Irving Rivkin, the man who broke her heart six decades ago.

This meeting sparks memories of Brooklyn in the 1920’s, where Augusta has to navigate between her pharmacist Dad and her Great Aunt Esther’s unconventional remedies.
When an error occurs with one of Esther's potions which leads to heartache and a decision to change her methods forever.

This book is truly a treasure. The author writes of resilience, second chances, and reconciling with past mistakes.
This book is beautifully crafted and profoundly relatable, and Augusta’s journey serves as a poignant reminder that it’s never too late to forge new connections, seek love, and embrace happiness.

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern is a touching, poignant, and hopeful read that will resonate with readers of all ages.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing the opportunity to experience this inspiring novel.

4.5/5 stars, rounded up

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

I loved this story so much! Augusta's story was so sweet, heartfelt, heartbreaking and hopeful. The narrator did a fantastic job of conveying the entire range of emotions throughout the book. This book defies genres -- it was party romance, coming of age, women's fiction, historical fiction, literary, suspenseful and mysterious. There were twists and turns that had me truly shocked at some revelations. Each of the characters had complexities that I wasn't expecting and added so much dimension to the story. I really did enjoy every single second of this book! Worth the read!

I enjoyed reading THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN, especially after loving Linda Cohen Loigman's wonderful THE MATCHMAKER’S GIFT. This story captivated me with its blend of nostalgia, mystery, and second chances. I loved following Augusta as she wrestled with her past—a mix of old wounds, lost love, and family secrets—and watching her start a new chapter in Rallentando Springs. The seamless interweaving of 1920s Brooklyn and present-day Florida, along with Augusta’s memories of her family’s pharmacy and her eccentric Great Aunt Esther’s unconventional remedies, added so much depth. Loigman’s warm and enchanting storytelling brings heart and a touch of magical realism, making this a thoughtful, charming read about aging, healing, and rediscovering oneself.

I alternated between reading the book and listening to the audiobook narrated by Gabra Zackman, who brought the characters to life wonderfully. I highly recommend experiencing this story in either format!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was so excited to be approved for this audiobook copy. And it didn't disappoint. This had the perfect mixture of all the genres and things i love in a story; magical realism, historical fiction and romance. Augusta Stern may be one of my new favorite characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

Augusta Stern is eighty-years old. She has finally retired from her hospital pharmacist job in NY and is moving to a retirement community in Florida. Never married, she finds herself face to face with the man she once loved. Irving Rivkin broke her heart when she was in her teens and she vividly recalls how devastated she was by his betrayal. Another old neighborhood friend also lives in the community and he’s a widower. The two men dislike each other and are at loggerheads over reconnecting with Augusta.

There’s humor and witty dialog that enliven each scene. Augusta can’t forget her past wounds but also can’t deny how much she once cared for Irving. Watching octogenarians act like romantic fools is great fun. Augusta may be worldly wise, but her heart is still young, recalling the touching moments she once spent with Irving.

The story of Esther, Augusta’s aunt, also figures prominently in the novel. Augusta recalls how her aunt, who was an apothecary, would make chicken soup and medicinal concoctions. She imbued her tonics (potions) with spiritual incantations and her successes could not be denied.
She was an inspiration to her niece and also a mentor. Even in retirement Augusta turns to the lessons she learned from her aunt; sometimes with unexpected results.

Loigman based her central character on her husband’s great-grandmother who was a rare, early female pharmacist. The author also used her husband’s father's life as fodder for her fictional setting. She wrote of second chances and a love re-kindled. This book will have appeal for people of all ages, especially those who are young at heart.

The audio book was wonderfully narrated by Gabra Zackman. She adds just the right tone and lightness to these endearing characters.