The Echo of Old Books: a rare book dealer finds two books which tell the story of a tragic romance

The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis is a story about the power of books. Books have been the ultimate escape for Ashlyn Greer. It is more than the scent of the ink, paper and bindings. She can feel the echoes of the books’ previous owners, the emotional fingerprint left behind. This ability makes her job as a rare book dealer more exciting. When she discovers a pair of beautifully bound volumes that appear to have never been officially published and the authors, Belle and Hemi, are telling conflicting sides of a tragic romance. Ashlyn finds herself caught up in the literary mystery and she is determined to learn the truth behind the heartbreaking tale. As she tracks down where the books came from, can she discover who Belle and Hemi really are? Can she bring closure to the love story and maybe even the unwritten chapters of her own life? 

As I loved Ms. Davis’ previous books, The Keeper of Happy Endings and The Last of the Moon Girls, I was looking forward to reading The Echo of Old Books. I was intrigued by Ashlyn’s ability to feel the emotions left behind with the books. The story started off great; however, Ashlyn’s ability doesn’t really matter in the overall story. I didn’t care for any of the characters, especially Ashlyn. We get a lot of the book is the story told through the unpublished book, a lot of he said/she said bitterness and resentment that I did not care why this couple’s romance ended so tragically. The book is marketed as a dual timeline; however, I feel it is more of a book within a book story. Sadly, The Echo of Old Books just doesn’t compare to her previous books I have read. I do not recommend The Echo of Old Books. 

The Echo of Old Books is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook