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louisekf's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Medical content, Death of parent, and Infertility
Minor: Misogyny and Terminal illness
raceyburden's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
cmareads's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ana_distracted's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was a lighthearted, charming read. Augusta Stern was a teenager living over her father's pharmacy in 1920s. She wanted to help people like her father did - dispensing medicines to ease their problems. When her great-aunt moved in to help out, Augusta discovered a new way to help others. Meanwhile she fell in love with the delivery boy, Irving. Fast-forward to 1987, when newly retired Augusta discovers Irving is living in the retirement community that she just moved into. Since Augusta hadn't seen Irving since he broke her heart 60 years ago, she's not entirely thrilled to see him! This book is filled with hopes and dreams and lots of misunderstandings. This is the second novel I've read by Lynda Cohen Loigman and I'm hoping for a 3rd! Both books have strong female characters, stories told in 2 different time periods, and a touch of magic. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
mirth88's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
rachels_booknook's review
5.0
Advanced Book Review! Thank you @stmartinspress for sending this book for review. Opinions are my own.
The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern isn’t out until October, but when I received an advanced copy, I picked it up, and it was exactly the right time.
I loved this book. The Jewish representation, the magical realism, the dual timelines of 1920s Brooklyn and 1980s Florida – all of it. At its heart, it is not only a second-chance romance, but a tribute to the people of your past and the lessons they leave behind.
As a teenager in the 1920’s, Augusta prepares for pharmacy college just like her role model, her father. When she loses her mother, her great-aunt Esther moves in, bringing her unconventional healing remedies ranging from homemade chicken soup to a mysterious array of powders and potions. I loved the stories of the people Aunt Esther helped. Trying to blend methods of her father and her aunt, Augusta searches for a way to save more people, like she wishes she could have saved her mother.
When Augusta turns eighty she retires to Florida where she gets a second chance with the love of her life, and calls upon the teachings of her long-gone loved ones to help guide her.
I highly recommend picking up this beautiful book when it’s published on October 8.
reading_ladies_blog's review
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing
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