The Echo of Old Books

This book was clearly written by a book lover, about a book lover, for book lovers.

???There is nothing quite so alive as a book that has been well loved.???

???Books have feelings???? ???Books are feelings,??? he replied simply. ???They exist to make us feel. To connect us to what???s inside, sometimes to things we don???t even know are there.???

Ashlyn Greer is a bookshop owner with the ability to touch a book and feel the echoes of its past owners. She comes across two beautiful books with no listed authors, both aching with feelings of love, loss, and betrayal. One titled ???Regretting Belle??? and the other ???Forever, and Other Lies???, the two volumes appear to tell the story of the same doomed love affair from two different perspectives. We read the two volumes along with Ashlyn, weaving back and forth between the past in 1941 and Ashlyn???s present in 1984 as she tries to identify the unnamed authors and discover what happened to them. And in the process, finds her own path to healing.

Oh, I loved this book so much. A literary mystery to solve, a cozy bookstore/bindery, romance and heartbreak. What???s not to love? I???m a sucker for books that do parallel timelines well, and this one does it well. We get a forbidden romance between people of different social classes, hidden family secrets, betrayal and redemption. This book felt like a delight to me, and I didn???t want to put it down until it was finally finished. Ashlyn is consumed with finding out what happened to the mysterious authors, and so was I!

If you like parallel timelines, historical romances, and unreliable narrators, I think you should pick this up!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The Echo of Old Books” by Barbara Davis is a captivating novel that explores the world of rare-book dealer Ashlyn Greer and her unique ability to feel the emotional imprints left by the previous owners of books. When Ashlyn stumbles upon two beautifully bound volumes with unpublished stories and conflicting narratives, her curiosity becomes an all-consuming obsession. Determined to uncover the truth behind these mysterious books, Ashlyn embarks on a journey that intertwines her own life with the tragic romance of Hemi and Belle.

The book is well written, with Davis skillfully immersing readers in the intoxicating atmosphere of old paper, ink, and leather. The pacing is excellent, keeping readers engaged from beginning to end. The dual timeline narrative is executed seamlessly, adding depth and intrigue to the story. The romantic elements are also well-developed and contribute to the overall emotional impact.

One impressive aspect of “The Echo of Old Books” is its meticulous research. The plot is intricately crafted, leading readers through a trail of broken promises and betrayals. As Ashlyn delves deeper into Hemi and Belle's love story, she uncovers secrets that bring closure not only to their tale but also to her own unfinished chapters.

The characters in this novel are complex and intriguing. Davis has taken great care in developing them, making them feel authentic and relatable. However, there was one minor issue I had with the backstory involving Ashlyn's ex's death–it felt unrealistic and farfetched considering his portrayed personality type.

Overall, “The Echo of Old Books” is a truly enjoyable read with its beautiful cover capturing attention from the start. The writing is compelling, blending mystery, romance, and historical elements seamlessly. Despite a small hiccup regarding believability in one aspect of the story, this novel proves itself as a solid addition to any book lover's collection.

ARC Via NetGalley

Innovative Use Of Both Duology And Story-Within-A-Story. There is so much to like about this book, but I suspect that later reviews will hit all you need to know about just how strong at least one of the two romances here is - one is clearly one of those life-altering once-in-a-lifetime loves which we mostly see play out via two books, the other romance is a more contemporary (40 years ago anyway, which is still more recent than the 80 yrs ago for the first romance) tale of two people coming together via unusual circumstance. But it is truly the duology/ story-within-a-story structure that I want to highlight here, as this is what truly propels this book and makes it everything that it eventually becomes. I'd never seen this particular approach done - yes, there are other books with stories-within-stories, but this was truly the first time I'd ever encountered a duology done this way, and Davis manages to make all three books - the duology plus this actual book we're actually reading “in real life” - truly compelling due to the nature of how she has crafted this. Simply superb, and truly, truly well executed. And yes, the actual romance aspects of this are well done, as are the heart-wrenching dramatics. You want a book for “Most Anticipated of 2023”? This very book had better be on that list. Very much recommended.

Barbara Davis's “The Echo of Old Books” is more than just a novel; it's a captivating journey through a literary mystery that intertwines the past with the present. At the heart of the story is Ashlyn Greer, a rare-book dealer with a unique ability to feel the “emotional fingerprint” of books' previous owners. When she stumbles upon unpublished volumes with a tragic love story and incriminating inscriptions, her pursuit to unravel the truth behind the authors, Hemi and Belle, becomes an obsession. This quest not only brings her closer to solving a decades-old mystery but also to understanding her own life's unfinished chapters.

From the start, I was drawn into what I expected to be a cozy read, but it transformed into an incredibly beautiful and deeply engaging experience. Davis's exquisite writing and the profound connection I felt with the characters made it impossible to put down, especially beyond the halfway mark. The intensity of my reactions to the characters' journeys was unexpected, making this book unforgettable. Highly recommend this ultimately romantic story!