Books are magic. Every single one carries within it the power to transport us out of our everyday, mundane lives into wondrous and fantastical worlds. We meet characters we love and loathe, and travel to places near and far.
And the best part? We can revisit these worlds whenever we want.
That’s why books about books are so enchanting. They take the magic we’re experiencing and add another layer to the mix. One where we get the unique ability to experience someone else’s love of books with them in real-time.
Sure, you can talk books with your friends, but what if you could be inside the book, seeing what they see, hearing what they hear, and discovering the clues to unlock the mystery with them at the same time?
If that sounds like a grand adventure, we have the perfect book for you. The Echo of Old Books features a protagonist who loves books. She connects with them. Or, she connects with their previous owners.
But what happens when she finds a pair of books steeped in tragedy and unresolved accusations? If that sounds like the kind of story you’d love to get swept away in, here’s everything you need to know about The Echo of Old Books.
What Is The Echo of Old Books About?
Ashlyn Greer loves old books. As a rare book dealer, she revels in the intoxicating scent of old leather, ink, and paper. But for Ashlyn, old books offer something even more personal.
She can feel the echo each owner left on the book. These emotional fingerprints tell her stories about the stories and make each book unique.
When she finds a pair of beautifully bound books that appear to have never been published, Ashlyn is immediately intrigued. The two authors each tell their side of a tragic romance.
But there’s no information on where these books came from or how they made their way to Ashlyn. It’s a mystery she can’t help but try to solve, especially as she reads deeper into the pages.
Through heartbreak, betrayal, and broken promises, Ashlyn feels like she might be able to bring these doomed lovers’ closure by uncovering the truth of how these books came into existence.
But more importantly, the closer she gets to the end, the more she realizes perhaps these books also hold the key to the unfinished chapters of her own life.
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Who Wrote The Echo of Old Books?
The Echo of Old Books is the latest novel by author Barbara Davis. Davis debuted in 2013 with the historical mystery The Secrets She Carried. Since then, she’s published eight books, all blending the genre elements of historical fiction with romance and mystery.
Davis was born a Jersey girl who grew up in the South and now lives in New England. Before becoming an author, she was an executive in the jewelry industry.
Embracing her belief in miracles, new beginnings, and happily-ever-after’s, she decided to trade in her briefcase and pursue her dream of becoming a women’s fiction author. And she hasn’t looked back.
Did Readers Like The Echo of Old Books?
On Goodreads, The Echo of Old Books holds an impressive 4.3 stars out of five stars with almost eight thousand reviews, with almost as many readers having marked it as “want to read”.
On Amazon, the ratings are just as impressive, with over fifty thousand ratings maintaining a solid 4.6 out of five stars.
Overall, readers love the dual timelines, with each story weaving tension and depth into the other. There is a heartwarming quality to Davis’ writing that makes it easy to get swept into the character’s hearts and minds.
As the mystery builds, the heartbreak and hope woven inside each timeline makes the book nearly impossible to put down.
This is a story about family and forgiveness, betrayal and love. Everyone in it has secrets. Some are harmful, some more mundane. But as with all tragedies, it’s the unspoken missteps and mistakes that can cause the worst harm to the people we never meant to hurt.
The mystery is gripping, the romance enchanting, the heartbreak wrenching, the historical elements intriguing, and the format unique.
If you love compelling romances with strong female protagonists, The Echo of Old Books is perfect for you.
Where Can You Read The Echo of Old Books?
The Echo of Old Books was released through Lake Union Publishing in March 2023.
Right now, it’s available wherever books are sold in ebook, hardback, paperback, and audio. It’s also on Kindle Unlimited.
Featured image: Robert Anasch / Unsplash
