Wow!!!!! This book is so beautifully written! I devoured this story! I love all her books and this one is just spectacular! Highly highly recommend

I always love a story with a bookish angle, so of course I was intrigued as soon as I saw The Echo Of Old Books first mentioned. Then I read the blurb, and I knew I HAD to add it to my shelves. Between the main character being able to feel echoes of the previous owners when touching books, the bound volumes and the mystery around the identity of their authors, the premise has so much potential, and I've been looking forward to read it. And it turned out to be an excellent read!

If you enjoy a bookish angle in your stories, you are in for a treat here. Not only is part of the story set in a book store, but the main character is also a rare-book dealer who restores books and has a special bookish talent. On top of this, we have the two mystery bound volumes, and I do love a good historical mystery to mix things up. This is not all though... Because The Echo Of Old Books uses a very unusual plot structure. Not only do we have Ashlyn and Marian's POVs, but the plot actually includes the full stories of both bound volumes as well. Yes, you read that right: you get three books for the price of one here! Being able to read the volumes yourself and in time with the developments in the present timeline really took this story to the next level for me.

The Echo Of Old Books uses a dual (triple?) time structure, where we switch between the 'present' in New Hampshire/Massachusetts (1984), 1954 Massachusetts/London where the bound volumes are first created and the content of the volumes themselves set in 1941 New York. This means a lot of different settings, timelines and characters, but somehow it's quite easy to keep them apart. The main focus is on the 1984 timeline and the 1941 flashbacks though, and I felt that both complemented each other beautifully. I do have to say that the bound volume chapters did read a bit slow in the beginning, but this was only until things got more interesting. The present timeline took a little while speeding up as well, but as soon as you learn more about the mystery around the volumes you will find yourself hooked.

As for the characters... I do have mixed thoughts about them in general. Ashlyn can get a bit frustrating, but I love her special talent and the fact that she doesn't give up searching for the authors of the volumes. Belle and Hemi... Well, I do always hate stories with an active cheating element, and some of their actions were quite irritating, but somehow the actual cheating didn't bother me as much this time around. Probably because there never seemed to be a real connection between Teddy and Belle in the first place, and the marriage was arranged. What did bother me was that so many of their suffering could have been prevented if only one of the two had reached out to the other.

The writing itself was quite engaging despite the slow start, and I enjoyed the literary mystery, the descriptions of 1941 New York and the political climate back then as well as class differences. I did see part of the twist in the present coming (it was quite obvious to be honest), but as a whole I liked how everything was wrapped up in the end. The Echo Of Old Books is a great mix of bookish contemporary, historical fiction and forbidden love, all wrapped up with some mystery to give the story extra flavor. I can definitely recommend it!

The Echo of Old Books is a low-stakes, slice of life mystery which covers a dual timeline, with three POVs: a 1941 story of love and loss from each POV of the heterosexual couple, Belle and Hemi, and a 1984 account if reading said story from bookstore owner and book restorer Ashlyn. I would personally describe it as You (Caroline Kepnes) meets the Great Gatsby, with a focus on manipulation of a love interest, and class disparity.

Beautifully poetic in its ability to romanticise books in both the stories they hold within, and the outward character of old books. I was COMPLETELY drawn in and obsessed with the narrative for a good portion. At around 60% it started to lose momentum for me but that picked up again soon, then about the 80% mark I really struggled to continue (you'll see what went wrong next, with one of the big "twists").

Representation and content warnings (in order of appearance)
Badly written representation: suicide as a "choice", a "decision", and "selfish" (one of the two POVs which reflect on suicide is understanding of the fact that it isn't a choice, but a symptom of mental health which could not be helped even with medication or hospitalisation, while one strongly believes it is a deliberate choice someone makes); the last suicide in the book also has been twisted so there's a "motive" to the suicide, to hurt someone else, which no mental illness accounts for - no one takes their life with the sole purpose of hurting another person, that's what threats, faking etc are for, so they can watch someone they love suffer, but taking one's life in such finality is too personal and it shows there has been no research into suicide done by the author and no sensitivity/ accuracy reader engaged for this book, leading to harmful stereotypes. I excused the first part as someone who doesn't know much about mental health and was a child when the first suicides happened may assume it is a choice if they've never chosen to educate themself on the topic. However writing in a nonsensical death that touches on a topic which requires deep research, and is clearly lacking said research or sensitivity readers, is inexcusable in this day and age.

Well written representation: loss of a spouse post-breakup and associated inner-conflict; Post-Partum Depression, the husband's misunderstanding of the dire situation, and an 8yo child's perspective; accidental death of a young child; cheating; manipulation of a young girl by older man; spousal manipulation; acts of suicide; anti-Semitic beliefs

As I read this book, it was like being in a cinema and watching the events unfold in a 1940/50s black and white film. It had that vibe to it. Ashlyn is a rare book dealer and she also has a gift. When she touches a book, she can feel the emotions of it's previous owners. Therefore, when she comes into possession of a beautifully bound book with no author or publisher details but with so many deep emotions trapped within it, she is hooked. When she also finds a companion book - again with no publisher or author details but again full of emotion - she realises that these books tell of a love affair that ended badly. She is so caught up in the story that she sets out to find out more about these two lovers and to find out of they are still alive. It is a search that takes you, the reader, along with it. I was totally invested in the story told within the two books, the 'argument' between the two lovers as they each gave their own perspectives of events. This is a story of family drama, a story of secrets and a story of betrayal. It is also a story about healing and forgiveness and I like the idea that as a bookbinder, Ashlyn 'heals' broken books and does she set out on this search in the hope that she can work her magic? A super read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my copy of The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis in exchange for an honest review. It publishes March 28, 2023.
This was such a great book! I loved the magical realism, I loved the historical fiction, I loved the bookstore, I love the mystery, I loved it all! I found the way the book was told through various stories and points of views to be very engaging and unique. I did not want to put this book down, and found every chance I could to read it!

The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis is a charming book about the magic of the written word, reminding us that there are at least two sides to every story.
Ashlyn Greer works as a rare book dealer and restorer in the tiny shop she first sought refuge in as a teenager. Her love for books is no secret, but she has a special ability that she rarely talks about, sometimes when she picks up a book she feels an echo of the emotions of the previous owner. One day she finds a beautifully leather bound book with no author name or copyright details, the only identifying marker is a rather unusual handwritten inscription. Intrigued by the mystery and by the feeling she picks up, Ashlyn begins investigating the book, which leads her to a companion volume, and Ethan, the man who donated the books as part of a clear out of his father's library . The two books, "Regretting Belle" and "Forever, and Other Lies" tell both sides of a tragic love story set in 1940's New York and Ashlyn with her special gift is determined to find out the truth about the matter, and in turn the truth about Ethan's family as it soon becomes clear that these volumes are very personal indeed. Solving the mystery could lead to another romance.
I really enjoyed this charming and well told story within a story , I was intrigued by the mystery of Belle and Hemi and was fully engaged with Ashlyn and Ethan on their quest to uncover the truth hidden in the beautifully bound books.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own,

I am in an utterly and hopeless book hangover after reading this book! Oh! My! Gosh! I am speechless! I Just had an "experience"! It was more than just reading a book. It was like going into the pages and becoming a part of the story. It was a complete bonding with the characters, each of them gripping my heart and not letting go. It was an unbelievable and unforgettable encounter with an epic read.

I don't even know how I can write a review close to worthy of this book. There are so many emotions I felt that were as real as if I were dealing with them myself. Barbara Davis drew me into this story and I'm in awe of her talent to pull so much out of me with her extraordinary prose. Each page in this magnificent novel drew me deeper into the lives of the characters. The characters are unforgettable people. I'm just mind boggled at the intimate and minute details that created a living journey for me to travel in the pages of this book. What is actually amazing is that this is like three books in one but so beautifully blended together to make one fantastic novel.

There are passages that blew me away with the depth and meanings they held. Passages that made me stop and ponder. This is one (among so many!) that is particularly profound:
"Books are rib and spine, blood and ink, the stuff of dreams dreamed and lives lived. One page, one day, one journey at a time. - Ashlyn Greer, The Care & Feeding of Old Books."

This book is a treasure trove of what readers LOVE in stories....every word that's written in it is perfection. I truly didn't want it to end. Another quote from the book....."He said all truly good writing--fiction or nonfiction--has a heartbeat, a life force that comes from the writer, like an invisible cord connecting them to the reader." Ms. Davis did this and more in this phenomenal book! The invisible cord was connected to my heart and impossible to sever. This book will be a part of me and echo in my heart for a very, very long time.

I want to thank Barbara Davis for the extreme privilege I had of reading this book! This is my honest and heartfelt review of a book that ranks as one of my top 5 this year. It's so much more than I can ever express. I highly encourage readers to pick up this book and be totally amazed in this breathtaking story.

Barbara Davis’ writing is gorgeous! I loved the concept of our main character being able to feel emotions from a book’s previous reader. However, this story just dragged for me. Beautifully written, but far too long and drawn out for me.

I really liked the idea of a story about a woman who got feelings from the previous owner of a book. And I generally enjoy dual timelines. But this book just wasn’t for me. I didn’t like either of the main characters from the past timeline and never connected with Ashlyn in the present one. It was a slog getting through the book.

I liked the concept of this book, Ashlyn can feel the presence of emotions in books, she finds a pair of books that changes her life for the good. This read is basically three books in one , many secrets to come to light, mysteries solved . Fate has a way of bringing people into each other's lives past and present .

With thanks to netgalley and the author for allowing me to review this book.

The idea of this book seemed good and the type of a book I would normally read, but sadly this was a could not finish book for me

This book is incredible! The most beautifully woven tale of lost love, new love and found love. I cannot remember the last time I highlighted so many passages in a book. This book is a love letter to the power of books. The narrative within the narrative structure has been handled expertly to create the most rich and wonderful story! It will stay with me long after the final lines have been read.

I really loved the beginning of this one but I didn't manage to finish it before it expired. The idea of experiencing the history of a book and the powerful emotions of its previous owners is incredibly intriguing. Every book has a history and I can think of a few which are very sentimental to me that would give off powerful emotions. I will definitely be seeking this one out to finish the story!

The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis was so many different, wonderful things!

There were books within a book, which is always interesting and keeps the reader invested.
There was past romance during WWII, weaving the events of the time and the importance of societal hierarchy into the story.
There is present romance and personal growth. We have a main character who experiences several different traumatizing events and works through overcoming those obstacles and living a full life.
There was a bit of mystery as the main character "solves" the origin and the true story of the mysterious books.

Themes of family, loyalty, grief, and regret are strong throughout this novel. There are many different issues within the families we get to know in the story. The characters are real and flawed. Their character growth is also real, although maybe a bit speedy!

Overall, I enjoyed reading this! There were a lot of things going on and while sometimes it was a little much, it never got too overwhelming. I think it was a touch too long and some of the repetitive parts could have been cut out. But otherwise I enjoyed the characters, the mystery books, and the time periods we got to learn about as we solve the mystery.

I have read and enjoyed every other book this author has written so I was very surprised to find I couldn’t get into this one. I tried it a few times. Having said that I might pick it up in the future but for now it’s a miss for me.

A beautiful story to go with a beautiful book cover. This was my first Barbara Davis book -- and it won't be my last! The characters are easy to cheer for, the storyline is well done (especially considering how it jumps between people, authors, and timelines), and I continued thinking about it after turning the final page. 4.5 stars!

Love the setting of a bookstore. Ashlyn's gift of feeling emotions when picking up a book was quite different. The mystery of Belle and Hemi was intriguing. So many storylines throughout made it hard to sort out at times.

A very interesting book based on special powers that allows someone to feel the history/ feels surrounding a book.
There are two stories to this book, the one being read and the one being told. It’s very clever, you will need to concentrate.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing & NetGalley for an advance digital reader’s copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

I loved the cover, the title, and considered the premise irresistibly intriguing. Rare-book dealer Ashlyn Greer owns An Unlikely Story, a rare bookshop and bindery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Ashlyn’s “affinity for books extends beyond the intoxicating scent of old paper, ink, and leather. She can feel the echoes of the books’ previous owners—an emotional fingerprint only she can read. When Ashlyn discovers a pair of beautifully bound volumes that appear to have never been published, her gift quickly becomes an obsession. Not only is each inscribed with a startling incrimination, but the authors, Hemi and Belle, tell conflicting sides of a tragic romance.” (Goodreads’ description).

This dual-timeline novel (1941 and 1984) is really three books in one as it includes Hemi’s book, Regretting Belle and Belle’s response, Forever, and Other Lies. Their stories are woven together, like an argument taking place across the pages. But they’re completely (and deliberately) anonymous.

The mystery of the authors as well as why they wrote and published these works propels Ashlyn to search for the authors, the origins of their story, and its outcome – where are these people today? In addition to solving this mystery, and managing her rare bookstore, Ashlyn works as a book restorer. Author Barbara Davis explains the symbolism of this craft, with “each restoration a labor of love, like a kind of resurrection, a broken and discarded thing given new life.”

This is a story of second chances, healing, trust, and family. It’s also a romance. I appreciated the well-written descriptions, articulate phrases and evocative observations throughout. I particularly enjoyed the book’s dedication: “This book is dedicated to the librarians and the booksellers…custodians of imagination, feeders of hungry hearts, matchmakers of the written word. Where would we be without your labors of love?” Each chapter begins with a quote, often from Ashlyn’s (fictional) book The Care and Feeding of Old Books. The novel concludes with discussion questions, making this perfect for book groups or anyone who wants to spend more time considering the many thought-provoking themes.

The first thing that pulled me into this book is the gorgeous cover. (Anyone who thinks covers don’t sell books is delusional). The description also sold me. I truly believe I’ve never read anything quite like this. I never knew psychometry existed until I stumbled upon this book, and it is really fascinating. As a librarian, I was delighted to see book sellers and bookshops featured prominently in this story, and Barbara Davis has such a beautiful way with words. I will admit I struggled a bit to get through the first few chapters, but once I did I couldn’t put it down. You get it all with The Echo of Old Books - romance, mystery, history, intrigue, etc. I would happily recommend it to everyone, and I look forward to purchasing it for my library.