The Echo of Old Books was an intriguing story. I loved the premise of having the echoes of people’s feelings lingering in the pages of books.

The story is told over two timelines. 1941 and 1984. In 1984 Ashlyn Greer is a bookseller and bookbinder with the gift of psychometry, the ability to touch a book and feel the echoes of the readers and authors feelings. She is notified by a fellow shopkeeper that owns a vintage store that a gentleman has dropped off a lot of items, including a box of books. In the box is a self-published book called Regretting Belle. There is no author name or publisher to identify, the story is one of betrayal and heartache and Ashlyn can feel the sadness, bitterness and regret in the pages.. She starts to read the story and becomes involved in the story of Hemi and Belle, two star-crossed lovers in 1941. Belle is the high society daughter of a wealthy man and is engaged to the son of a fellow prominent family. Hemi is a British journalist who is in New York to try and out the wealthy isolationists who wish to keep America out of the war. Hemi and Belle meet at Belle’s engagement party and start a doomed love affair. Ashlyn is intrigued by the book and wants to find out what happened to the lovers. She is then notified that another box of books have been dropped off and in it there is another book, entitled Forever, and Other Lies. This book is also self-published with no author or publishing credit. Ashlyn realizes that the books are dueling views written by Belle and Hemi, each with their own version of their love affair and where it went wrong.

Ashlyn tracks down the man, Ethan who donated the books and realizes Belle is a family member.of his. Ethan donated the books at the death of his father who in turn was the nephew of Belle. Belle’s real name is Marian Manning and she may just still be alive. Ashlyn and Ethan go on a journey to uncover the past story of Marian and her lover.

I really enjoyed the mystery of Marian/Belle and her lover Hemi. I enjoyed the dueling stories and how each saw their story through their own prejudices and misunderstandings. Since the novel is set in 1984. Ashlyn could not just call up the internet to solve the mystery, some old-fashioned sleuthing was involved.

The ending was bittersweet but satisfying, and I really enjoyed the journey.

Thanks to Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author for the chance to read and review this book.

The Echo of Old Books
By Barbara Davis
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to @netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an eARC of The Echo of Old Books in return for my honest review.

“Without a reader, a book is a blank slate, an object with no breath or life of its own. But once a book became part of someone’s world, it came to life with a past and a present - and, if properly cared for, a future.”

Ashlyn, a rare book dealer, finds herself caught up in the mystery of two unusual books. With no author or publisher information, these twin stories by two authors tell two sides of a forbidden love from 1941.

It’s not just the intriguing inscriptions that catch her interest, but the echoes of despair that she feels. Because Ashlyn has the gift of psychometry - she is an empath for books. She can feel the echoes - “real, dark, and visceral aftershocks” - of past readers.

Now this type of plot twist isn’t usually my jam 🤣 But it was only a minor aspect of this captivating story.

It is a romance within a romance. A decades long mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. Davis has created characters that will make you so angry, but never stop rooting for at the same time. I highly recommend it!!

Read this if you like…
📚 Books about books
❤️‍🩹 Forbidden love
🥈 Second chances
✌️ Dual timelines
➕ Multiple points of view
💪 Brave women
🎁 Endings wrapped up in a neat little bow

I would have read this book for the title and cover alone. Then I fell in love with the story.💕

When rare book dealer Ashlyn finds two old books that have never been published, she gets caught up in the mystery and romance of their authors. Weaving together the 1940’s and 1980’s timelines in a spellbinding and satisfying tale, I didn’t want this book to end. A must read for any book lover!

I can’t wait to read Barbara’s backlist now!

I enjoyed this dual timeline story of a biblophile rare book seller solving a mystery from decades earlier. Ashlyn is most comfortable with books and loves her small rare bookshop . She also has a talent for book binding that she enjoys as a unique craft. She has a gift of reading books history by touching them and two books aquired by a estate tell her of a mystery gone by from decades ago. As she investigates she finds clues abound to the mystery and learns details of the family she is researching.

This is a well crafted duel timeline story that captures the reader and sweeps you away. I loved the way books are incorporated into the plot and such a important part of the story. Every biblophile will love this book and Ashlyn who lives for books. A very enjoyable read.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

TITLE: The Woman Beyond the Sea
AUTHOR: Sarit Yishai-Levi
TRANSLATED BY: Gilah Kahn Hoffman
PUB DATE: 03.21.2023

A mesmerizing novel about three generations of women who have lost each other―and the quest to weave them back into a family.

An immersive historical tale spanning the life stories of three women, The Woman Beyond the Sea traces the paths of a daughter, mother, and grandmother who lead entirely separate lives, until finally their stories and their hearts are joined together.

I found the story historically immersive and fascinating. As a historical fiction reader, I love reading different historical perspectives - this particular story highlights Paris to Tel Aviv and Yugoslavia during the Yom Kippur War and British ruled Israel. It’s a story that is heartbreaking and yet hopeful that illuminates three generations of resilient women.

Ashlyn's world revolves around books; the more unusual the better. She can even feel the emotional imprint left by the last owner, both a gift and a curse. So when she comes across two matching books that share opposing sides of a tragic romance, she is determined to find out what really happened.

'Belle' and 'Hemi' as they were anonymously penned, found themselves at the centre of a scandalous affair in New York during WWII. An American heiress and a British reporter, their worlds couldn't have been further apart. But after several devastating blows they are ripped apart, and it appears they each feel they were the one wronged.

As Ashlyn discovers the true identity of Belle, she realises that there were far more insidious forces at play. With America on the brink of entering the war and Jewish genocide occurring in Europe, this was not simply a love affair gone wrong. Will uncovering the truth bring more harm than good? And are Belle and Hemi even alive to right the past?

I adored this book! I loved the dual timeline and the way that we are able to read Belle & Hemi's perspectives as Ashlyn does. Each main character was given such depth and as more twists are revealed, my heart really ached for what they had endured. The premise is similar in nature to The Last Letter From Your Letter which is one of my favourites, so I thoroughly enjoyed the style.

I appreciate that the Author didn't gloss over the opposing political forces occuring within America at the time, and the fact that many were supportive of Hitler and his anti-semitic dogma. It provided further evidence as to why both Belle and Hemi responded in the ways they did.

I highly recommend this book and haven't been able to stop thinking about it! There's so much more I want to say, but I really believe you should read it for yourself and then come find me to chat!

Thank you to Author Barbara Davis, Lake Union Publishers and Netgalley for this ARC. I've provided this review willingly & all views are my own.

Thank you to Lake Union and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

I enjoyed the unique structure of this novel. Ashlynn, owner of a rare books store, discovers two books. These old books, lacking an author or publisher, lead her on a quest to find answers.

As she reads the books she discovers they are connected, and they tell the story of the wealthy Belle and her newspaperman secret lover, Hemi ( taking place during WWII). The storyline kept me interested as we alternated between each mysterious book and Ashlynn. To keep matters interesting we also become invested in Ashlynn and the young man who had originally gotten rid of the books.

There is also a bit of a magical element to the story - Ashlynn has the gift of psychometry - which means she can sense other’s feelings through the objects they have touched. I liked this element of the story and wish the author could have made even more of that!

Mystery, romance, forgiveness, and regret dominate the book. My only criticism is that the events worked out rather predictably - I would have preferred more surprises. This is the first book I have read by Barbara Davis and I would like to read more! All in all, a great read that kept me turning the pages!

“Lives are defined not by the scars that are acquired, but by what lay on the other side of those scars, by what’s done with the life they have left. She’d been given a second chance.”

I honestly wasn’t sure what to make of this when I first started it, but I actually ended up really liking it. It takes place in 1984 but also in 1941 and it is a little bit love story and a little bit mystery. There are 2 books in this book that convey a large chunk of the story.
In 1984, Ashlyn Greer is the owner of a rare book shop, but Ashlyn also has a rare ability to feel the echoes of emotion of the last person who handled a book. One day she stumbles upon 2 books without authors or publisher information and both are giving off the same echoes. In reading the books she discovers a love story written from both lovers’ viewpoints. She is so curious about the authors of these that she does some sleuthing (not so easy in the early eighties) and with the help of the gentleman who donated the books she solves the mystery of the books.
I really loved how “present day” took place in 1984. It certainly brings back how hard any kind of research was back then. I also enjoyed both of the books within this book, though they read more like diaries.
The theme through the diaries, if you will, is quite deep. Taking place in 1941 they show how America felt about the beginning of WW2. I loved the Jewish aspect of the book and the characters.
I have never read any books by Barbara Davis before, but after this I’ll definitely be reading more. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced copy. This book hits shelves on March 28th.

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the chance to read an advanced copy of The echo of old books by Barbara Davis. The premise of the story is what drew me to read it; Rare-book dealer Ashlyn Greer’s affinity for books allows her to feel the echoes of the books’ previous owners—an emotional fingerprint only she can read. When she discovers an unpublished anonymous book and a follow up story she is driven to discover who were the authors, and why there was so much love, anger, and feelings of betrayal in them. While this is a dual timeline story (Ashlyn in 1984 and Belle and Hemi in 1941) it is actually 3 stories: Ashlyn's and a he said/she said recount of Hemi's and Belle's love affair, presented as their novels. I enjoyed Ashlyn's story, but had a hard time getting into the other timeline which was told in letter format. The constant use of the word "You" was annoying and I did not like Hemi or Belle, but Ashlyn's ability to feel the emotions of previous owners of books was a highlight. I believe some people will enjoy reading The echo of old books especially for those who love dual timeline historical novels and lovers of books.

Two books that aren't really books. They are more like two explanations of how someone saw the events and why they think things turned out the way they did. One is like a letter of apology and the other is an irritated response. Both are beautifully bound, but the books are missing the names of the authors.

When Ashlyn's familiar antique store owner offers her a box of old books, she naturally accepts it and finds one of those special "letters" hidden in blue leather, "Regretting Belle". As Ashlin feels the feelings of the last owner when she touches old books, the book arouses her interest because it exudes sadness, forgiveness, longing. Ashlin begins to read the book, hoping to find out who the author is. And then she gets her hands on the twin of the first book, "Forever and Other Lies".

If the dedication of the first book is “How Belle? After all…how could you do that?” then the dedication of the second book is “How?? After all - how can you ask me that?” and this book oozes accusation, betrayal, and heartbreak.

This book can be compared to Jojo Moyes's "The Last Letter from Your Lover", a similar painful moment of stolen love, which is read by representatives of the next generation, who then start looking for those people whose fate has cruelly torn them apart. It was interesting to read, the chapters describing the lives of the main characters alternate with the chapters of the found "books, letting the readers gradually unravel the events that happened in the past and that are happening now. Yes, there is love and drama and painful events in history.
A very good read.

I was completely drawn into this story of a book seller.finding some old books who tries to find out who wrote them and what happened to the people. There is a book within a book, dual timelines and I liked both of the stories. Barbara Davis weaves together another beautifully compelling read.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I picked up this story because I was very intrigued by the premise - that a person could touch items (specifically books) and feel the imprints of emotion from past owners. When I finished the book, I was left wondering why that was in the story at all.

Don’t get me wrong, that is an incredibly cool concept. But it wasn’t important to this story at all, and I think the novel suffered because of it. The most important story of the book is the flashback timeline between the two authors of the found books. That story is incredibly complex and fascinating. Instead what we got is a weak present timeline that added all sorts of extraneous details that ultimately didn’t even seem all that important (and spoiler alert: I swear by the end the author even realized this because it stops being the main focus of the novel randomly?) It basically just summarized what happened in the part of the book that was actually interesting.

I wish the past story wasn’t told only in letter format and was told in its entirety because it is the strongest part. I wish someone had sat the author down and said, you have an intriguing story here but you aren’t telling it in an interesting way. So overall, I thought this was fine but fairly mediocre, and it annoyed me because I think it had the potential to be so much more.

2.5/5

Another great book by Barbara Davis! It's a book about books, love, heartbreak and learning to trust again with a little mystery and mysticism along the way. I loved that there were actually three different stories and the way it was written as two books within a book. It was engaging and as you read the different character's stories you become really invested in their lives. Barbara Davis has a unique way of connecting readers to the characters and their stories. Thanks #NetGalley #LakeUnion #BarbaraDavis

Perfect for fans of novels about books. Ashlyn, who feels the "echo" of the last person who read the book she touches owns a bookstore. She finds herself swept up by two anonymous books that tell the same story yet seem to have no echos. Ethan, who she meet during her search for more information about Hemi and Belle, becomes a love interest for her but the real love story is between those two authors. This has a lot going on but it's engaging and entertaining. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read,

Rounding up from 4 and a half stars.

So many parts of the story were perfect to intrigue and draw me in. The half star I debited in my rating was in the early part of the book where the majority of time was spent in reading the text of the mysterious two authorless books. It's only when Ashley Greer, bookstore owner and book restorer, begins to search for the providence of these stories that the book took flight for me. I read the second half in one sitting, devouring every page.

WOW! Kudos to Barbara Davis for the unique and creative premise of “an empath of books” (“Psychometry) in “The Echo of Old Books” Sometimes, I have felt that “certain books” reach out and create unforgettable memories. Can you imagine the special ability to pick up a book and get the authors’ or owners’ feelings and emotions involved in creating and reading? I love everything about this book. Two timelines do connect.

The genres for this book are fiction, mystery, women’s fiction, and romance, with a touch of magical realism. Barbara Davis is a fantastic storyteller and writer and vividly describes the characters, setting, events, and plot. The author sketches her dramatic and colorful characters as complex and complicated. There are betrayals, secrets, and saboteurs. The story’s female protagonist, Ashlyn Greer, has the remarkable ability to feel the emotions of the previous owners; Ashlyn has had a difficult life and often seems like a closed book in her personal life, but in her professional life, she restores books and gives them new “life.” When several strange books are given to Ashlyn, she reacts strongly to the characters.

The books have a mystery that has Ashlyn determined to discover more about the characters. There are twists and turns, surprises, and unexpected events. I highly recommend this mesmerizing and captivating book to others.

Books are powerful and no one realizes that more than rare book seller Ashlyn Greer. When she picks up a book, she can feel the echoes of the book's previous owners - their love, pain, loss and fear. Sometimes she wonders if having this is a gift or not. She owns a book shop that sells rare books and is constantly surrounded by books that share their feelings with her when she touches them. As she is going through several boxes of books that a friend who owns a re-sale shop has recently received, she finds a book that gives her strong feelings. When she examines it, she finds no author's name or copyright information. Intrigued, she takes the book back to her shop and starts reading it. When she also finds a companion book, that is also beautifully bound, she realizes that neither book had been published and neither book had any identifying information. She soon discovers the two authors, Belle and Hemi, are giving opposing sides of a tragic romance. As Ashlyn continues to read both books, she is further pulled into the mystery and romance between the two authors and needs to learn more about the story behind the books. She is sure that the books are not fiction and wants to find out who the authors really are. She has few clues to go on but that doesn't stop her in her quest. Will she be able to find the two bitter ex-lovers and discover the real story behind the two beautiful books?

Ashlyn was a complex and beautifully written character. She had a sad childhood and a bad marriage and was afraid to move on in her life due to all of her bad memories. Books were the main happiness in her life and she was determined to solve this mystery. The authors of the two books -- Belle and Hemi were also well written and full of mystery. Even though the reader knew very early in the book that their affair would end, the reveal of why it ended was slowly unfolded in the story.

This book was unique in the way that it was written. It was told in two different time periods - Ashlyn in 1984 and Belle/Hemi in 1941. The unique part of the book was that the story in the past was told as Ashlyn read their books. First a chapter from Belle and then a chapter from Hemi that gave two sides to what was going on in their lives. I really enjoyed reading the two books inside the book and thought that it was a very interesting and fantastic to tell their stories. I love reading books about books and this one with two books inside of it was a real treasure. It was well written and all of the pieces melded perfectly to tell the story.

I have read all of Barbara Davis's books and she just keeps getting better. This book told in three voices must have been a challenge but she does a fantastic job of making the integration of the voices seamless and not in the least confusing. It's a emotional book with characters that I felt like I knew and won't soon forget.

Ashlyn finds two intriguing books that have been donated to her bookstore. She can’t get them out of her mind as she reads them and uncovers a story from long ago, told in two different perspectives. This was a fun read!

I reviewed this book for Historical Novels Review, the magazine of The Historical Society. Per their policy, I cannot post the review online until after it is published on their website May 1st.

Very poorly written with one dimensional characters, a meandering story line and dialogue that made the plot difficult to follow