Rosh’s review of The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern > Likes and Comments

Love dual timeline stories. Having just finished Lessons in Chemistry, this sounds like a great companion read as both address the limits and misogynic realities women faced in the STEM field. I appreciate and enjoyed reading your review.

So sorry that this book is not convincing. Hope your next book is better, Rosh. Thanks so much for sharing your honest thoughts and opinions with me.

Awe shucks! Sorry it wasn't better for you. A very helpful review Rosh 💕

Love the review! 💞

Yes yes and yes!! The contemporary timeline was unrealistic, not relatable and definitely not acting like mature adults. Good grief still fawning over a lost love from 60 years ago, that wasn't even much of a love affair??? I felt I was generous with my 3 *. Great review by the way :)

"The first is exceptional, the second is annoying, and the third is almost non-existent." 😂😂😂😂 That statement needs to go to a couple of novels' editors/marketing depts.

While I’ve never heard of “budhaape mein doosra bachpana” (shocking, I know!), I do agree with the sentiment that the older we get, we do sometimes experience a new childhood. There are people in their nineties who start playing with dolls again, stuff like that. Though I have to admit, I’m not even half that age, and I too can love bathing in childish nostalgia from time to time :) Anyway, good review, Rosh.

Ohh...I'm going to come back to your thoughts, Rosh, as I'm going to read this one. I'm a little disappointed only to see your 3 though :(

The lack of actual magical realism and eighty year olds being written like teenagers will make this a "no" for me. I love that Hindi idiom! Excellent review, Rosh 💞

I love to see a good outlier review dear Rosh and I love every single point you’ve made from what constitutes magical realism to how the characters acted for their age. Brilliant review as always! 💝

It's not fun when supposed adults act like love-sick teenagers! What a pity that the modern timeline dragged the book down. It sounds interesting otherwise. Excellent review, Rosh! :)

Fab review, Rosh! Ugh, why do blurbs gotta do us dirty like that, so annoying. Tuchus cracks me up🤣

Agree, agree, and agree. I thought the detail for the Jewish rep enough but for the rest we agree. Glad to have company on the outliner island. Fab review, Rosh. :D

Terrific review, Rosh! Sorry it wasn't more enjoyable.

Terrific review! 💙

Great review Rosh! Hoping to get to this one on audio this week.

Amazing review, Rosh! I really appreciate your balanced approach to this novel. Good to know that the historical timeline was so well done. And I like the cover of the book. It looks like it has some positive vibes :)

I’m nearing the end of this audiobook and completely agree with you. I enjoyed the earlier timeline, but completely dislike the older version of Augusta. She is so bitter and disagreeable! I wonder if the reading experience might be a little gentler version of the character than the narrator portrays?

An absolutely brilliant brilliant review Rosh 💖

budhaape mein doosra bachpana was a little too accurate hahaha

Jonas wrote: "Love dual timeline stories. Having just finished Lessons in Chemistry, this sounds like a great companion read as both address the limits and misogynic realities women faced in the STEM field. I ap..."

Thank you kindly, Jonas. I am not sure if this book as a whole is a great option to address the limitations of patriarchal STEM attitudes, but the historical timeline will offer you enough on this topic. I hope you enjoy it better than I did. 🙂

Nora wrote: "So sorry that this book is not convincing. Hope your next book is better, Rosh. Thanks so much for sharing your honest thoughts and opinions with me."

Thank you so much, Nora! If you do give it a try, I hope it clicks better with you. 🙂

Tina (so this is GR now, semi-notifications!) wrote: "Awe shucks! Sorry it wasn't better for you. A very helpful review Rosh 💕"

Thanks much, Tina! 🤍

Jayme wrote: "Love the review! 💞"

Thanks, Jayme! 🤍

Dorie - Cats&Books :) wrote: "Yes yes and yes!! The contemporary timeline was unrealistic, not relatable and definitely not acting like mature adults. Good grief still fawning over a lost love from 60 years ago, that wasn't eve..."

Thanks, Dorie! Completely agree! It was so annoying to see their behaviour! Not mature in any way. I can understand a couple of old people not being mature but every single character? Ridiculous! I liked the historical timeline enough, else I would have gone lower in my rating. Glad to have your company on this one! 🤗

Berengaria wrote: ""The first is exceptional, the second is annoying, and the third is almost non-existent." 😂😂😂😂 That statement needs to go to a couple of novels' editors/marketing depts."

Ah well! I can think of many novels' teams who need it. 😛😏

Thibault wrote: "While I’ve never heard of “budhaape mein doosra bachpana” (shocking, I know!), I do agree with the sentiment that the older we get, we do sometimes experience a new childhood. There are people in t..."

What!?! How did you not know that Hindi saying, Thibault??? 😛

Just to explain further, the idiom goes much beyond nostalgia. It basically talks of the senility that leads some old people to behave like children. So it is not in the positive context. the part that you agreed to is something all of us indulge in time and again. 🙂

Canadian Jen wrote: "Ohh...I'm going to come back to your thoughts, Rosh, as I'm going to read this one. I'm a little disappointed only to see your 3 though :("

I do hope it works far better for you, Jen! Good luck!

Kat wrote: "The lack of actual magical realism and eighty year olds being written like teenagers will make this a "no" for me. I love that Hindi idiom! Excellent review, Rosh 💞"

Thanks much, Kat! 🤍 I had high expectations, but seeing senior citizens act like teens was just too annoying.

Esta wrote: "I love to see a good outlier review dear Rosh and I love every single point you’ve made from what constitutes magical realism to how the characters acted for their age. Brilliant review as always! 💝"

Thanks so much, dear Esta! 🤍

Alexandra wrote: "It's not fun when supposed adults act like love-sick teenagers! What a pity that the modern timeline dragged the book down. It sounds interesting otherwise. Excellent review, Rosh! :)"

Completely agree, Alexandra. We expect more maturity when we read about this age group. Thank you. 🙂

Heather Adores Books wrote: "Fab review, Rosh! Ugh, why do blurbs gotta do us dirty like that, so annoying. Tuchus cracks me up🤣"

Thanks, Heather! "Tuchus" and "cracks" - good word choice there! 🤣

Srivalli wrote: "Agree, agree, and agree. I thought the detail for the Jewish rep enough but for the rest we agree. Glad to have company on the outliner island. Fab review, Rosh. :D"

Thanks, Sri! 🤍 I don't know, somehow, I didn't *feel* the Jewish parts except through Esther at times. I think it might also be because 'The Whisper Sister', set in the same time period, handled the Jewish part so well that this paled in comparison. But yes, definitely glad to have company on Outlier Island. Your 3 stars had anyway prepared me to go in with lower expectations, else this might have beena 2 star, haha.

Debra wrote: "Terrific review, Rosh! Sorry it wasn't more enjoyable."

Thanks, Debra! Me too!

Mary Beth has lots of catching up to do! wrote: "Terrific review! 💙"

Thanks, Mary Beth!🤍

Maren’s Reads wrote: "Great review Rosh! Hoping to get to this one on audio this week."

Thanks, Maren! I hope you love it far more! 🤍

Nika wrote: "Amazing review, Rosh! I really appreciate your balanced approach to this novel. Good to know that the historical timeline was so well done. And I like the cover of the book. It looks like it has so..."

Thanks so much, Nika! The historical timeline truly saved the book. 😄

Keri wrote: "I’m nearing the end of this audiobook and completely agree with you. I enjoyed the earlier timeline, but completely dislike the older version of Augusta. She is so bitter and disagreeable! I wonder..."

Good point, Keri. The narrator's performance might have aggravated the bitterness of older Augusta. But even without this, the rest of the contemporary story was still weak. I see your three stars. Coming to read your review right away!

Margaret M - (trying to catch up. It doesn't wrote: "An absolutely brilliant brilliant review Rosh 💖"

Thanks much, Margaret! 🤍

Akankshya wrote: "budhaape mein doosra bachpana was a little too accurate hahaha"

Nothing like Hindi sayings to fill in the desi-sentiments gap! 😜

It seems common these days to run across works with an unnecessary "Present" timeline when the historic timeline would be strong enough on its own. I can see why some folks might love this one, but I can also understand why you didn't. Helpful review, Rosh!

A wrote: "It seems common these days to run across works with an unnecessary "Present" timeline when the historic timeline would be strong enough on its own. I can see why some folks might love this one, but..."

Absolutely agree, A! Some books function better in the historical era, and this is one of them.

I wouldn't like to see 80-year-olds act like lovesick teens either. LOL. Nice review Rosh. 😊

Barbara wrote: "I wouldn't like to see 80-year-olds act like lovesick teens either. LOL. Nice review Rosh. 😊"

Me too, Barbara! :D Thank you!

Excellent review! I'm glad so many people are loving this, but I haven't had success with this author and know it's not for me.

Jenny wrote: "Excellent review! I'm glad so many people are loving this, but I haven't had success with this author and know it's not for me."

Thanks, Jenny! This was my first by this author, and looking at the way t went, I might try only her historical fiction novels from now on.

I have seen quite a number of 3 star reviews for this book so I am going to skip it.

SPOT ON review, Rosh!!

Melissa (Home from Greece and in Catch-Up Mode) wrote: "I have seen quite a number of 3 star reviews for this book so I am going to skip it."

I think it is a good decision, Melissa.

Catherine wrote: "SPOT ON review, Rosh!! "

Thanks, Catherine! So happy that you felt the same!