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O Eco dos Livros antigos
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Historical Fiction (2023)Um par de livros misteriosos. Um romance condenado. Os ecos de um amor que nunca morreu. A afinidade da revendedora de livros raros Ashlyn Greer com os livros vai além do cheiro inebriante de papel velho, de tinta e de couro. Ela pode sentir os ecos dos antigos proprietários dos livros — uma impressão digital emocional que só ela consegue ler. Quando Ashlyn descobre dois volumes belamente encadernados que parecem nunca ter sido publicados, seu dom logo se torna uma obsessão. Não apenas cada um está marcado com uma acusação surpreendente, mas os autores, Hemi e Belle, contam lados conflitantes de um romance trágico. Sem nenhum vestígio de como esses livros misteriosos vieram ao mundo, Ashlyn é envolvida em um mistério literário de décadas, atraída por dois corações em ruínas, quem quer que tenham sido, onde quer que estejam. Determinada a descobrir a verdade por trás da história dos amantes condenados, ela continua lendo, seguindo uma trilha de promessas quebradas e traições aparentemente imperdoáveis. Quanto mais Ashlyn aprende sobre Hemi e Belle, mais perto ela chega de encerrar a história de amor deles — e dos capítulos inacabados de sua própria vida. Finalista do Goodreads Choice Award 2023!
395 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 28, 2023
31982 people are currently reading
194637 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Davis
9 books4,604 followersAuthor of The Secrets She Carried, The Wishing Tide, Summer at Hideaway Key, Love, Alice. (Penguin/Berkley) When Never Comes (Lake Union) The Last of the Moon Girls (Lake Union) The Keeper of Happy Endings (Lake Union) The Echo of Old Books (Lake Union) Every Precious and Fragile Thing (Lake Union)
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April 27, 2025
My Favorite Fiction Book - and all-time Favorite Book that I read in 2024
“I have always imagined that closing a book is like pausing a film midframe, the characters frozen in their halted worlds, breath held, waiting for the reader to return and bring it all back to life – like a prince’s kiss in a fairy tale.” – Ashlyn Greer
I wanted to start my review with this quote from one of the main protagonist characters in this book, Ashlyn, because I have just finished this book, and this is how I feel.
I honestly believe I have just read my absolute favorite book of 2024!
And, I don’t say that lightly.
I have read lots of books, and this one has captivated me from the first page to the last. And, as I have come to the very last page, I am filled with many emotions.
Enchanted. Engaged. Centered. Present. Moved. Inspired. Fulfilled. Grateful. Touched.
This book started with a private message from Goodreads friend Lynda, who thought she read my review and felt she needed to thank me. You now must read her review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... She said she was so grateful for my review of this book. I said, I hadn’t read it yet, I was still on the waiting list for the book. But grateful that she enjoyed it so much.
And, then it finally arrived from my local library. It was now my turn to have a reaction to this book.
There is something to be said about a character like Ashlyn, that is so attached to books, that she has a special gift in which she can “read the echoes that attached themselves” to pages within books. In other words, she could feel the people who were apart of the books they touched. The emotions they experienced.
And, when two books come in to her possession, they will not only change her life, they will change the lives of the individuals who wrote them.
What mystery lies within those pages she reads?
How will this mystery help heal Ashlyn and her life?
This is a book within a book. When Ashlyn receives a couple of books, she is curious to discover that these books have no author names or publisher. Who do they belong to, and how can she find the writers? The mystery only deepens.
“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. It only makes sense that some of what we feel when we’re reading would . . . rub off.”
And, so these two books that Ashlyn discovers leads her to Ethan who is the one that was cleaning out his father’s books. Little did each of them know that these stories would unravel a family history of Ethan’s he had little memory of that would possibly open doors for both of them.
What happened to Ethan and Ashlyn that closed doors for them? How will the mystery of the books that they are reading now together open doors for them?
“She still couldn’t say how far she was willing to leap, but she had forced herself to look down and at least judge the distance of the fall. It was a start.”
“We develop a particular fondness for our favorite books, the way they feel and smell and sound, the memories they invoke, until they begin to exist for us as living, breathing things.”
Ashlyn graces each chapter with a quote that leads readers to wonder what we will learn through the “current” year 1984, as she and Ethan read through the books about the mysterious Belle and Hemi of the past. One book was written by Belle. And one book was written by Hemi. But who are they? What happened to them? And, are they still alive?
“Without a reader, a book was a blank slate, an object with no breath or pulse 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.”
Could the power of forgiveness be the gift that helped find a happily ever after ending here?
“But if something tragic happened in a book, you could just close it and choose a new one, unlike real life, where events often played out without the protagonist’s consent.”
My emotions were all over the place as I kept turning pages. But then I would find myself asleep holding the book still. Oh gosh, I needed sleep. Okay, sleep it was. I would have to wait for the ending.
And then I woke up. It was pitch black out. I knew I had a few pages to go. I couldn’t help myself. I needed to know. I was so invested in these characters. I loved Ashlyn and Ethan, and Belle and Hemi. I wanted to know what would happen.
“Like humans, books experienced their share of heartache—and like humans, they remembered.”
How does one describe that feeling when you close a book that you have loved everything about it? There are so many quotes in this book that have been so worthy, that I feel like my review is simply a series of the author’s quotes.
At the same time, I have found myself in a book about books. About a life lived, or missed, or regrets, or needing forgiveness, or finding second chances, or being strong under the worst of circumstances.
And, thus reading this book felt like something more. Not just a love story about people. But my own love story about how I fell in love with a book, if that makes sense.
So, the author’s quote…
“There is nothing quite so alive as a book that has been well loved” feels perfect here.
Because, that is exactly how I feel about this reading experience.
I have come to appreciate that life is something we can’t take for granted. And, when Ashlyn shares that “people’s lives were defined not by the scars they acquired but by what lay on the other side of those scars, by what’s done with the life they have left,” I knew she was speaking a truth we could understand.
And, sometimes books do that to us. And, this one did that to me. Yes, this one to date is most undoubtedly, my favorite book for 2024! Maybe, even yours?
“I have always imagined that closing a book is like pausing a film midframe, the characters frozen in their halted worlds, breath held, waiting for the reader to return and bring it all back to life – like a prince’s kiss in a fairy tale.” – Ashlyn Greer
I wanted to start my review with this quote from one of the main protagonist characters in this book, Ashlyn, because I have just finished this book, and this is how I feel.
I honestly believe I have just read my absolute favorite book of 2024!
And, I don’t say that lightly.
I have read lots of books, and this one has captivated me from the first page to the last. And, as I have come to the very last page, I am filled with many emotions.
Enchanted. Engaged. Centered. Present. Moved. Inspired. Fulfilled. Grateful. Touched.
This book started with a private message from Goodreads friend Lynda, who thought she read my review and felt she needed to thank me. You now must read her review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... She said she was so grateful for my review of this book. I said, I hadn’t read it yet, I was still on the waiting list for the book. But grateful that she enjoyed it so much.
And, then it finally arrived from my local library. It was now my turn to have a reaction to this book.
There is something to be said about a character like Ashlyn, that is so attached to books, that she has a special gift in which she can “read the echoes that attached themselves” to pages within books. In other words, she could feel the people who were apart of the books they touched. The emotions they experienced.
And, when two books come in to her possession, they will not only change her life, they will change the lives of the individuals who wrote them.
What mystery lies within those pages she reads?
How will this mystery help heal Ashlyn and her life?
This is a book within a book. When Ashlyn receives a couple of books, she is curious to discover that these books have no author names or publisher. Who do they belong to, and how can she find the writers? The mystery only deepens.
“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. It only makes sense that some of what we feel when we’re reading would . . . rub off.”
And, so these two books that Ashlyn discovers leads her to Ethan who is the one that was cleaning out his father’s books. Little did each of them know that these stories would unravel a family history of Ethan’s he had little memory of that would possibly open doors for both of them.
What happened to Ethan and Ashlyn that closed doors for them? How will the mystery of the books that they are reading now together open doors for them?
“She still couldn’t say how far she was willing to leap, but she had forced herself to look down and at least judge the distance of the fall. It was a start.”
“We develop a particular fondness for our favorite books, the way they feel and smell and sound, the memories they invoke, until they begin to exist for us as living, breathing things.”
Ashlyn graces each chapter with a quote that leads readers to wonder what we will learn through the “current” year 1984, as she and Ethan read through the books about the mysterious Belle and Hemi of the past. One book was written by Belle. And one book was written by Hemi. But who are they? What happened to them? And, are they still alive?
“Without a reader, a book was a blank slate, an object with no breath or pulse 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.”
Could the power of forgiveness be the gift that helped find a happily ever after ending here?
“But if something tragic happened in a book, you could just close it and choose a new one, unlike real life, where events often played out without the protagonist’s consent.”
My emotions were all over the place as I kept turning pages. But then I would find myself asleep holding the book still. Oh gosh, I needed sleep. Okay, sleep it was. I would have to wait for the ending.
And then I woke up. It was pitch black out. I knew I had a few pages to go. I couldn’t help myself. I needed to know. I was so invested in these characters. I loved Ashlyn and Ethan, and Belle and Hemi. I wanted to know what would happen.
“Like humans, books experienced their share of heartache—and like humans, they remembered.”
How does one describe that feeling when you close a book that you have loved everything about it? There are so many quotes in this book that have been so worthy, that I feel like my review is simply a series of the author’s quotes.
At the same time, I have found myself in a book about books. About a life lived, or missed, or regrets, or needing forgiveness, or finding second chances, or being strong under the worst of circumstances.
And, thus reading this book felt like something more. Not just a love story about people. But my own love story about how I fell in love with a book, if that makes sense.
So, the author’s quote…
“There is nothing quite so alive as a book that has been well loved” feels perfect here.
Because, that is exactly how I feel about this reading experience.
I have come to appreciate that life is something we can’t take for granted. And, when Ashlyn shares that “people’s lives were defined not by the scars they acquired but by what lay on the other side of those scars, by what’s done with the life they have left,” I knew she was speaking a truth we could understand.
And, sometimes books do that to us. And, this one did that to me. Yes, this one to date is most undoubtedly, my favorite book for 2024! Maybe, even yours?
February 24, 2023
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Books are the quietest and most constant friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient teachers. —Charles W. Eliot
When this title became available on NetGalley I couldn't say no, a book about books is for me! This is part romance, part historical fiction and part epistolary novel. The story had me intrigued right from the start, a woman who can feel a book owner's feelings from touching the cover? A book with a mystery inside? Sign me up...take my money!
I loved the unique format of the book, told via two books and in two different historical timelines. So refreshing! I appreciated the delicate way the author handled the anti-Semitism in the story, while still being true to history Davis remained sensitive. The two separate stories were woven together seamlessly holding this reader in rapt attention while reading both.
As sad as this book was I loved every page of it. I can't believe this is my first book by Barbara Davis, it certainly won't be my last. All. The. Stars.
Books are the quietest and most constant friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient teachers. —Charles W. Eliot
When this title became available on NetGalley I couldn't say no, a book about books is for me! This is part romance, part historical fiction and part epistolary novel. The story had me intrigued right from the start, a woman who can feel a book owner's feelings from touching the cover? A book with a mystery inside? Sign me up...take my money!
I loved the unique format of the book, told via two books and in two different historical timelines. So refreshing! I appreciated the delicate way the author handled the anti-Semitism in the story, while still being true to history Davis remained sensitive. The two separate stories were woven together seamlessly holding this reader in rapt attention while reading both.
As sad as this book was I loved every page of it. I can't believe this is my first book by Barbara Davis, it certainly won't be my last. All. The. Stars.
April 12, 2023
The Echo of Old Books was the first book that I have had the pleasure of reading by Barbara Davis. It was a beautifully written and heartwarming story. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It was written in a duel time line. One part of The Echo of Old Books took place in the past during 1941 in New York City and the other part took place in 1984 in New Hampshire. During each timeline, there was a strong female protagonist and a very compelling romance. I don’t usually gravitate towards books that involve romance but both romances in The Echo of Old Books worked well for me. Barbara Davis’s research that she conducted to write this book was very commendable. I found it very hard to put this book down.
Ashlyn Greer grew up in New Hampshire as an only child. Her relationship with both of her parents was lacking the warmth and love that Ashlyn so desperately wanted. She lost both of her parents when she was quite young. They both died within a very short time period of each other. Whenever Ashley wanted to avoid going to her her own home, she always ended up at An Unlikely Story, an antique bookstore. It became her safe place. Even before her parents died, Ashlyn spent a lot of time there. The owner of the bookstore was quite fond of Ashlyn and always welcomed her.
When Ashlyn was about twelve years old, she discovered that she possessed a very special gift. Ashlyn was able to feel the echoes of the book’s previous owners when she opened a book and touched its pages. She was able to feel all kinds of emotions that stemmed from the person who had once owned the book just from handling it. At first Ashlyn thought that everyone had this capability but she later realized it was something that very few people had. Ashlyn learned later on that her special gift was called psychometric.
An Unlikely Story was left to Ashley when the owner of the bookstore died. Over the years, the owner had taught Ashlyn how to restore old books. She became quite proficient at this skill and was often commissioned to do restoration work on rare and old books. One day, a friend of Ashlyn’s informed her that he had received a donation of old books and that she was welcomed to go through them and see if she wanted any of them for her store. Ashlyn discovered two bound books that were very similar to each other in appearance. They were missing a publisher’s name and a copyright. Ashlyn suspected that the books had never been published. Each book revealed a curious inscription. The authors were Belle and Hemi, respectively. The books immediately piqued Ashlyn’s curiosity. One was entitled “Regretting Belle” written by Hemi and the other was entitled “Forever and Other Lies, written by Belle. Ashlyn felt very powerful echoes from each of these two books as she opened each book. She felt compelled to read the books and soon discovered that both books described the same love affair from the perspective of each writer. Ashlyn became obsessed with these books. She could not stop reading them. Ashlyn was determined to discover the identities and fates of the two lovers and would not stop until she had.
The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis was about family, love, forgiveness, betrayal and secrets. It explored the growing anti-Semitic feelings that were taking root among some of the wealthiest and most influential Americans as World War II began. The roles of the affluent women that lived during the 1940’s were described. These women were meant to live their lives in relation to their place in society. Women were expected to marry, dedicate themselves to raising their children and take a backseat to their husbands. Some brave women rebelled against these norms. They wanted more. Those women were not interested in staying home, raising children and planning dinner parties. Some of these women wanted more out of life. They wanted to be treated more as equals to the men in their lives. The Echo of Old Books was also about second chances. I loved how Barbara Davis used “Regretting Belle” and “Forever and Other Lies” to weave together the lives of so many people. The Echo of Old Books brought tears to my eyes, it made me smile and it made me hope. I really enjoyed The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis and highly recommend it. I look forward to reading more books by Barbara Davis.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read The Echoes of Old Books by Barbara Davis through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Ashlyn Greer grew up in New Hampshire as an only child. Her relationship with both of her parents was lacking the warmth and love that Ashlyn so desperately wanted. She lost both of her parents when she was quite young. They both died within a very short time period of each other. Whenever Ashley wanted to avoid going to her her own home, she always ended up at An Unlikely Story, an antique bookstore. It became her safe place. Even before her parents died, Ashlyn spent a lot of time there. The owner of the bookstore was quite fond of Ashlyn and always welcomed her.
When Ashlyn was about twelve years old, she discovered that she possessed a very special gift. Ashlyn was able to feel the echoes of the book’s previous owners when she opened a book and touched its pages. She was able to feel all kinds of emotions that stemmed from the person who had once owned the book just from handling it. At first Ashlyn thought that everyone had this capability but she later realized it was something that very few people had. Ashlyn learned later on that her special gift was called psychometric.
An Unlikely Story was left to Ashley when the owner of the bookstore died. Over the years, the owner had taught Ashlyn how to restore old books. She became quite proficient at this skill and was often commissioned to do restoration work on rare and old books. One day, a friend of Ashlyn’s informed her that he had received a donation of old books and that she was welcomed to go through them and see if she wanted any of them for her store. Ashlyn discovered two bound books that were very similar to each other in appearance. They were missing a publisher’s name and a copyright. Ashlyn suspected that the books had never been published. Each book revealed a curious inscription. The authors were Belle and Hemi, respectively. The books immediately piqued Ashlyn’s curiosity. One was entitled “Regretting Belle” written by Hemi and the other was entitled “Forever and Other Lies, written by Belle. Ashlyn felt very powerful echoes from each of these two books as she opened each book. She felt compelled to read the books and soon discovered that both books described the same love affair from the perspective of each writer. Ashlyn became obsessed with these books. She could not stop reading them. Ashlyn was determined to discover the identities and fates of the two lovers and would not stop until she had.
The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis was about family, love, forgiveness, betrayal and secrets. It explored the growing anti-Semitic feelings that were taking root among some of the wealthiest and most influential Americans as World War II began. The roles of the affluent women that lived during the 1940’s were described. These women were meant to live their lives in relation to their place in society. Women were expected to marry, dedicate themselves to raising their children and take a backseat to their husbands. Some brave women rebelled against these norms. They wanted more. Those women were not interested in staying home, raising children and planning dinner parties. Some of these women wanted more out of life. They wanted to be treated more as equals to the men in their lives. The Echo of Old Books was also about second chances. I loved how Barbara Davis used “Regretting Belle” and “Forever and Other Lies” to weave together the lives of so many people. The Echo of Old Books brought tears to my eyes, it made me smile and it made me hope. I really enjoyed The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis and highly recommend it. I look forward to reading more books by Barbara Davis.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read The Echoes of Old Books by Barbara Davis through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
October 25, 2023
The Echo of Old Books started STRONG- I thought it might be five-star book. The premise was fantastic, the writing was beautiful, and the love story was touching. But as it went on, those stars dropped off, all the way down to two stars.
I won’t put the book’s blurb here because you can read that for yourself.
Let me condense my review into one paragraph, and you can optionally read the rest of my review (which is extraordinarily long and detailed, just like this book 🤪). 1) Ashlyn’s storyline simply didn’t need to exist. 2) I wish her ability to “sense” books had any purpose or part of the story, but it didn’t. 3) I wish any of the characters had been more likable. All of them turned out to be despicable. 4)I wish the author had simply switched gears and written a duel-narrative love story, because that was her strong suite 5) Every storyline was dragged on too long, and the “shocking twist” was so obvious it could have been seen from outer space.
Now onto my detailed and eternally long list of complaints, plot holes, and irritations!!🫣
- All three narratives (Ashlyn, Belle, and Hemi) are written in EXACTLY the same voice. I can imagine it’s really difficult to write with three different voices, but you shouldn’t write a book with so many narrators unless you can do that. Near the end of this book, we randomly get a FOURTH narrative (older Belle), which felt haphazard and sloppy so late in the game.
- Ashton’s ability to sense “echoes” from holding books turned out to have no impact on story and was only used to introduce the novel. (Someone please tell me if there’s a good book with a similar premise!!!)
- both of the “books inside the book” are actually super long letters written to the other jilted lover, yet it’s obvious that the books are just written for OUR reading. No ex would ever need to introduce people they both knew or remind their lost lover of details surrounding the first time they had sex or how they met, much less describing the color of a chair or the weather.
- Ashlyn is an AVID reader from childhood who owns a bookstore. How could she possibly be SO slow at reading these books?!? She spends hours reading the tiniest chapters. These two short books are taking her literal weeks to finish. WEEKS of engrossed reading, in spite of the fact that she’s a single woman with few responsibilities.
- The “modern narrative” portion of this book was placed in the 1980’s, and clearly It’s placed in that year so that Ashlyn can’t just google everything (instead she must run around pestering everyone and their mother, trying to answer her questions).
- Also like WHY DOESNT SHE JUST FINISH READING THE BOOKS before contacting the entire state of New York trying to find out more info on these people?!? For example, she foes wild trying to find out Goldie’s real name, when Goldie’s real name is right there in next chapter (which btw I think was a slip-up by the author😂).
- ALSO Ashlyn is desperately sleuthing to find these people in real life, but doesn’t notice that a key person has his first and middle name, occupation, birthday, AND place of birth are all laid out (Teddy, the ex fiancé)! Either we are to believe that Ashlyn is sosososo dumb (a reasonable guess based on the rest of the book), or this is a huge plot hole.
- Then Ashlyn CHASES this Ethan guy with the intensity of a psycho stalker, demanding info about his family and answers to her questions… before even finishing the books she has. Like the books are clearly here to answer her questions, so why in the world is she leaving repeated messages on a strangers phone and SHOWING UP AT HIS HOME when he said he wasn’t interested and doesn’t know anything about his family?!? Especially when she could A) finish the book and B) do some research using the names he gave her??? That’s Ashlyn for you!
- And how is this possibly the first time she’s found a book this fascinating?? She can literally feel past book owner’s feelings, and she is a USED bookstore owner. So I’m sorry but she would have likely felt many intense and mysterious stories.
- Plus Ashlyn is kinda awful. She asks a librarian friend to do major research for her, doesn’t even take the time to finish the books to get more info, THEN straight up refuses to tell the friend why she’s researching this (“I’m gonna wait till I know more before I say anything”). Sorry but what?!?
-She also spends the whole book feeling bad for herself because (amongst other things) her abused and battered mother “allowed herself to die from cancer” (yes you read that right), leaving Ashlyn alone. 🫣🥴
- Another reason to dislike Ashlyn is that every time she sees a picture of A CHILD (Zachary) she comments on how attractive he is and also on his full lips??? Weird??
- Note that there are very jarring references to suicide(several suicides, in fact), physical and mental abuse, and racism just tossed around in here like a trauma salad
- Did I mention that nothing in this book was surprising? I knew every single plot twist BEFORE 40%. I genuinely thought I was a few pages or maybe a chapter from the end of the book (because everything was so obviously laid out for us!), so I decided to look at how many pages were left (I was reading on a Kindle). I was at FIFTY PERCENT! That’s how predictable this book was! The second half of the book was an insanely slow uncovering of every single predictable thing I knew would happen.
- To find out at over 75% of the way through that we were essentially covering a backstory to the “main story” is wild. We could have skipped most of the book. I couldn’t believe we suddenly were getting a whole new narrative from present-day Belle.
- Sorry I’m so nitpicky but Hemi is the worst nickname ever (I assume pronounced “hemmy” - just say it out loud a couple times and then consider if you’d ever call your steamy lover HEMI!). Seriously if you want to shorten Hemingway, call him Hem. Or just nickname him something else or call him his name.
- Every little thing we had learned about Ashlyn was repeated *in detail* around the 60-80% mark, so why have it all spread throughout the book? Almost the entirety of Ashlyn’s story happens right around 70% through this book, and then her timeline just disappeared -because it doesn’t matter and never did.
- When Belle and Hemi finally meet each other, it is entirely separate from Ashlyn. She had no part in Belle and Hemi reuniting, finding out the truth, or making up. So I ask again, why is Ashlyn in this book?
- I kinda hate the whole “evil person sabotaging perfect relationship but lovers are too immature to communicate for even five minutes and see that they still love each other and it was just a misunderstanding and this lasts for way too long while said lovers spend endless years being angry at (but also in love with) one another before finally talking for five minutes and finding out that their relationship was sabotaged so they can finally reunite” trope.
- The fact that they wrote letters to one another, and those letters were BOOK LENGTH, yet they managed to randomly leave out the single detail that would have fixed everything is just so dumb haha. I mean every other inconsequential detail is spelled out.
- And finally. Belle was truly awful. Anyone who keeps her child from their father without the father even KNOWING THEY EXIST is horrific - unless the father is dangerous or a criminal. This was SO PETTY of Belle and she did NOT deserve to be forgiven for this. Especially when it was easy to find Hemi. And then! Hemi only needs *2 1/2 hours* to decide that he’s totally cool making up with Belle and forgiving her for THAT. When he spent 43 years, bitter and hardened, hating her, all because he thought she had written him a letter, saying she was going to STAY WITH HER FIANCÉ. Please. They had ten weeks of relationship before deciding to run off and he’s bitter she didn’t do it, but he’s cool just forgiving her for stealing his son from her for forty-three years. I cannot with this book.
Honestly?? After all that, I actually feel like the author is this book is still a good writer. She’s eloquent and had great ideas for characters and storylines and plot twists. I get the feeling that she was really passionate about the topics touched in her book, especially that she wanted to send out a message of forgiveness and letting go of hatred and hurt. I think she just got really caught up in writing and her editor was the one who failed here.
I won’t put the book’s blurb here because you can read that for yourself.
Let me condense my review into one paragraph, and you can optionally read the rest of my review (which is extraordinarily long and detailed, just like this book 🤪). 1) Ashlyn’s storyline simply didn’t need to exist. 2) I wish her ability to “sense” books had any purpose or part of the story, but it didn’t. 3) I wish any of the characters had been more likable. All of them turned out to be despicable. 4)I wish the author had simply switched gears and written a duel-narrative love story, because that was her strong suite 5) Every storyline was dragged on too long, and the “shocking twist” was so obvious it could have been seen from outer space.
Now onto my detailed and eternally long list of complaints, plot holes, and irritations!!🫣
- All three narratives (Ashlyn, Belle, and Hemi) are written in EXACTLY the same voice. I can imagine it’s really difficult to write with three different voices, but you shouldn’t write a book with so many narrators unless you can do that. Near the end of this book, we randomly get a FOURTH narrative (older Belle), which felt haphazard and sloppy so late in the game.
- Ashton’s ability to sense “echoes” from holding books turned out to have no impact on story and was only used to introduce the novel. (Someone please tell me if there’s a good book with a similar premise!!!)
- both of the “books inside the book” are actually super long letters written to the other jilted lover, yet it’s obvious that the books are just written for OUR reading. No ex would ever need to introduce people they both knew or remind their lost lover of details surrounding the first time they had sex or how they met, much less describing the color of a chair or the weather.
- Ashlyn is an AVID reader from childhood who owns a bookstore. How could she possibly be SO slow at reading these books?!? She spends hours reading the tiniest chapters. These two short books are taking her literal weeks to finish. WEEKS of engrossed reading, in spite of the fact that she’s a single woman with few responsibilities.
- The “modern narrative” portion of this book was placed in the 1980’s, and clearly It’s placed in that year so that Ashlyn can’t just google everything (instead she must run around pestering everyone and their mother, trying to answer her questions).
- Also like WHY DOESNT SHE JUST FINISH READING THE BOOKS before contacting the entire state of New York trying to find out more info on these people?!? For example, she foes wild trying to find out Goldie’s real name, when Goldie’s real name is right there in next chapter (which btw I think was a slip-up by the author😂).
- ALSO Ashlyn is desperately sleuthing to find these people in real life, but doesn’t notice that a key person has his first and middle name, occupation, birthday, AND place of birth are all laid out (Teddy, the ex fiancé)! Either we are to believe that Ashlyn is sosososo dumb (a reasonable guess based on the rest of the book), or this is a huge plot hole.
- Then Ashlyn CHASES this Ethan guy with the intensity of a psycho stalker, demanding info about his family and answers to her questions… before even finishing the books she has. Like the books are clearly here to answer her questions, so why in the world is she leaving repeated messages on a strangers phone and SHOWING UP AT HIS HOME when he said he wasn’t interested and doesn’t know anything about his family?!? Especially when she could A) finish the book and B) do some research using the names he gave her??? That’s Ashlyn for you!
- And how is this possibly the first time she’s found a book this fascinating?? She can literally feel past book owner’s feelings, and she is a USED bookstore owner. So I’m sorry but she would have likely felt many intense and mysterious stories.
- Plus Ashlyn is kinda awful. She asks a librarian friend to do major research for her, doesn’t even take the time to finish the books to get more info, THEN straight up refuses to tell the friend why she’s researching this (“I’m gonna wait till I know more before I say anything”). Sorry but what?!?
-She also spends the whole book feeling bad for herself because (amongst other things) her abused and battered mother “allowed herself to die from cancer” (yes you read that right), leaving Ashlyn alone. 🫣🥴
- Another reason to dislike Ashlyn is that every time she sees a picture of A CHILD (Zachary) she comments on how attractive he is and also on his full lips??? Weird??
- Note that there are very jarring references to suicide(several suicides, in fact), physical and mental abuse, and racism just tossed around in here like a trauma salad
- Did I mention that nothing in this book was surprising? I knew every single plot twist BEFORE 40%. I genuinely thought I was a few pages or maybe a chapter from the end of the book (because everything was so obviously laid out for us!), so I decided to look at how many pages were left (I was reading on a Kindle). I was at FIFTY PERCENT! That’s how predictable this book was! The second half of the book was an insanely slow uncovering of every single predictable thing I knew would happen.
- To find out at over 75% of the way through that we were essentially covering a backstory to the “main story” is wild. We could have skipped most of the book. I couldn’t believe we suddenly were getting a whole new narrative from present-day Belle.
- Sorry I’m so nitpicky but Hemi is the worst nickname ever (I assume pronounced “hemmy” - just say it out loud a couple times and then consider if you’d ever call your steamy lover HEMI!). Seriously if you want to shorten Hemingway, call him Hem. Or just nickname him something else or call him his name.
- Every little thing we had learned about Ashlyn was repeated *in detail* around the 60-80% mark, so why have it all spread throughout the book? Almost the entirety of Ashlyn’s story happens right around 70% through this book, and then her timeline just disappeared -because it doesn’t matter and never did.
- When Belle and Hemi finally meet each other, it is entirely separate from Ashlyn. She had no part in Belle and Hemi reuniting, finding out the truth, or making up. So I ask again, why is Ashlyn in this book?
- I kinda hate the whole “evil person sabotaging perfect relationship but lovers are too immature to communicate for even five minutes and see that they still love each other and it was just a misunderstanding and this lasts for way too long while said lovers spend endless years being angry at (but also in love with) one another before finally talking for five minutes and finding out that their relationship was sabotaged so they can finally reunite” trope.
- The fact that they wrote letters to one another, and those letters were BOOK LENGTH, yet they managed to randomly leave out the single detail that would have fixed everything is just so dumb haha. I mean every other inconsequential detail is spelled out.
- And finally. Belle was truly awful. Anyone who keeps her child from their father without the father even KNOWING THEY EXIST is horrific - unless the father is dangerous or a criminal. This was SO PETTY of Belle and she did NOT deserve to be forgiven for this. Especially when it was easy to find Hemi. And then! Hemi only needs *2 1/2 hours* to decide that he’s totally cool making up with Belle and forgiving her for THAT. When he spent 43 years, bitter and hardened, hating her, all because he thought she had written him a letter, saying she was going to STAY WITH HER FIANCÉ. Please. They had ten weeks of relationship before deciding to run off and he’s bitter she didn’t do it, but he’s cool just forgiving her for stealing his son from her for forty-three years. I cannot with this book.
Honestly?? After all that, I actually feel like the author is this book is still a good writer. She’s eloquent and had great ideas for characters and storylines and plot twists. I get the feeling that she was really passionate about the topics touched in her book, especially that she wanted to send out a message of forgiveness and letting go of hatred and hurt. I think she just got really caught up in writing and her editor was the one who failed here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2023
What a fascinating story! Finding a couple of old books with curious inscriptions, Ashlyn goes on a hunt to find the origin of their stories. It appears Hemi and Belle's books went unpublished, yet packed an intriguing story of their forbidden love, regrets and betrayal. The dual timeline of 1984 is Ashlyn's story of her inherited antique bookstore "An Unlikely Story" with all the old books wafting of discolored paper and ink with beautiful leather bound books.
~This reminds me of the old bookstores that dot the streets of New Orleans. With books laying haphazardly, yet poetically telling their own story, their authors are even more interesting. Ashlyn has a unique gift of psychometric vibes and can feel the authors' stories within. When she inquires about Hemi and Belle, she finds forbidden love and the history of some of the wealthiest people and a link to anti-Semitic secrets.
In the 1940's, "Regretting Belle" & "Hemi and Other Lies" are conflicting stories of a tragic romance. With no trace of how the books came to be, it is amazing how this author pieced the story together so it flowed flawlessly and beautifully. I was touched by the whole scene of two timelines and didn't mind the change up. The characters are touching and dealt with emotions of families ideology that was impossible to break through.
~This reminds me of the old bookstores that dot the streets of New Orleans. With books laying haphazardly, yet poetically telling their own story, their authors are even more interesting. Ashlyn has a unique gift of psychometric vibes and can feel the authors' stories within. When she inquires about Hemi and Belle, she finds forbidden love and the history of some of the wealthiest people and a link to anti-Semitic secrets.
In the 1940's, "Regretting Belle" & "Hemi and Other Lies" are conflicting stories of a tragic romance. With no trace of how the books came to be, it is amazing how this author pieced the story together so it flowed flawlessly and beautifully. I was touched by the whole scene of two timelines and didn't mind the change up. The characters are touching and dealt with emotions of families ideology that was impossible to break through.
December 27, 2023
EXCERPT: It (wasn't) the first time she had been caught off guard by a book's echoes. It happened quite often, actually. Secrets so scandalous, they singed the tips of her fingers. Sadness that felt like a stone lodged in her throat. Joy so fierce, it made her scalp prickle. There wasn't much she hadn't come across. But she had never experienced anything close to what she felt while holding Regretting Belle.
Her eyes slid to the book. Even closed, she could feel the pull of it, the allure of its anonymity, its careful, inscrutable prose, beckoning to be read after who knew how long.
And the echoes.
Over the years, she'd come to think of them the way a perfumer describes the notes of a scent. Some were simple, others more complex - subtle layers of emotion combined to create a whole. Top, heart, base.
With Regretting Belle the notes were complex, heavy, and slow to lift. Against her better judgement, she placed a hand on its cover. It was bitterness that came through first, hot and sharp against the pads of her fingers. That was the top note, the initial impression. Next came the deeper and rounder heart note, betrayal, which carved a hollow place beneath her ribs. And finally, there was the base note, the most resonant of all the layers - grief. But whose grief?
How Belle?
ABOUT 'THE ECHO OF OLD BOOKS': Rare-book dealer Ashlyn Greer’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.
With no trace of how these mysterious books came into the world, Ashlyn is caught up in a decades-old literary mystery, beckoned by two hearts in ruins, whoever they were, wherever they are. Determined to learn the truth behind the doomed lovers’ tale, she reads on, following a trail of broken promises and seemingly unforgivable betrayals. The more Ashlyn learns about Hemi and Belle, the nearer she comes to bringing closure to their love story—and to the unfinished chapters of her own life.
MY THOUGHTS: What a great read to end the year on. I have a book hangover and doubt I will be able to look at another book for several more days. The Echo of Old Books is a love story. Not a romance. A love story. And a mystery spanning decades.
Barbara Davis tied my hearts in knots. She wrung every emotion possible from me. I plunged from the heights of joy to the depths of despair. I am emotionally bereft, quietly excited, and absolutely satisfied.
The story is told over two historical timelines, aided by alternating chapters of two books: Regretting Belle written by Hemi, and Forever and Other Lies written in reply to Hemi's book by Belle.
I couldn't stop reading. I cried. I smiled. I felt frustrated, angry and ultimately, satisfied.
This was my first book by Barbara Davis. It won't be my last.
A Few Favorite Lines: We develop a particular fondness for our favorite books, the way they feel and smell and sound, the memoires they invoke, until they begin to exist for us as living, breathing things. - Ashlyn Greer, The Care & Feeding of Old Books
We never think of our parents that way, as people with dreams and passions. They're just parents.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
THE AUTHOR: I’m a Jersey girl raised in the south, now living and writing in New England. Confused? Constantly. Happy? Deliriously! But then, living your dream will do that! After fifteen years of wearing heels and schlepping a briefcase as an executive in the jewelry industry, I traded in my pinstripes for a little peace of mind, and decided to follow my dream of becoming a women’s fiction author. And what a ride it’s been! Six books later, I’m still pinching myself, and I’m still as much in love with writing as I was the day I began this journey. Maybe it’s because I believe in miracles, in happy endings and new beginnings. Heaven knows I’ve had my share.
I’m blessed to be married to my best friend and soul mate, Tom, who I must say, sets the bar pretty high for my on-the-page heroes. We also have a lovely ginger cat named Simon, who is twenty years old, wretchedly spoiled, and doesn’t give a fig if I’m on deadline or not. When I’m not making up stories, you’re likely to find me reading, cooking, watching college football, (Go Gators!)
DISCLOSURE: I own my copy of The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis.
Her eyes slid to the book. Even closed, she could feel the pull of it, the allure of its anonymity, its careful, inscrutable prose, beckoning to be read after who knew how long.
And the echoes.
Over the years, she'd come to think of them the way a perfumer describes the notes of a scent. Some were simple, others more complex - subtle layers of emotion combined to create a whole. Top, heart, base.
With Regretting Belle the notes were complex, heavy, and slow to lift. Against her better judgement, she placed a hand on its cover. It was bitterness that came through first, hot and sharp against the pads of her fingers. That was the top note, the initial impression. Next came the deeper and rounder heart note, betrayal, which carved a hollow place beneath her ribs. And finally, there was the base note, the most resonant of all the layers - grief. But whose grief?
How Belle?
ABOUT 'THE ECHO OF OLD BOOKS': Rare-book dealer Ashlyn Greer’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.
With no trace of how these mysterious books came into the world, Ashlyn is caught up in a decades-old literary mystery, beckoned by two hearts in ruins, whoever they were, wherever they are. Determined to learn the truth behind the doomed lovers’ tale, she reads on, following a trail of broken promises and seemingly unforgivable betrayals. The more Ashlyn learns about Hemi and Belle, the nearer she comes to bringing closure to their love story—and to the unfinished chapters of her own life.
MY THOUGHTS: What a great read to end the year on. I have a book hangover and doubt I will be able to look at another book for several more days. The Echo of Old Books is a love story. Not a romance. A love story. And a mystery spanning decades.
Barbara Davis tied my hearts in knots. She wrung every emotion possible from me. I plunged from the heights of joy to the depths of despair. I am emotionally bereft, quietly excited, and absolutely satisfied.
The story is told over two historical timelines, aided by alternating chapters of two books: Regretting Belle written by Hemi, and Forever and Other Lies written in reply to Hemi's book by Belle.
I couldn't stop reading. I cried. I smiled. I felt frustrated, angry and ultimately, satisfied.
This was my first book by Barbara Davis. It won't be my last.
A Few Favorite Lines: We develop a particular fondness for our favorite books, the way they feel and smell and sound, the memoires they invoke, until they begin to exist for us as living, breathing things. - Ashlyn Greer, The Care & Feeding of Old Books
We never think of our parents that way, as people with dreams and passions. They're just parents.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
THE AUTHOR: I’m a Jersey girl raised in the south, now living and writing in New England. Confused? Constantly. Happy? Deliriously! But then, living your dream will do that! After fifteen years of wearing heels and schlepping a briefcase as an executive in the jewelry industry, I traded in my pinstripes for a little peace of mind, and decided to follow my dream of becoming a women’s fiction author. And what a ride it’s been! Six books later, I’m still pinching myself, and I’m still as much in love with writing as I was the day I began this journey. Maybe it’s because I believe in miracles, in happy endings and new beginnings. Heaven knows I’ve had my share.
I’m blessed to be married to my best friend and soul mate, Tom, who I must say, sets the bar pretty high for my on-the-page heroes. We also have a lovely ginger cat named Simon, who is twenty years old, wretchedly spoiled, and doesn’t give a fig if I’m on deadline or not. When I’m not making up stories, you’re likely to find me reading, cooking, watching college football, (Go Gators!)
DISCLOSURE: I own my copy of The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis.
March 13, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.
Read this book if you enjoy
✅Dual Timelines
✅He said/she said stories
✅Journals/Diaries/Books that reveal the past
✅Passionate affairs with characters of different class systems
✅Second chance love
✅Family centric
&
Also, check it out if you enjoy:
✅Learning about the Fascism movement & Anti-Semitism in the United States in the first half of the 20th century
✅Protagonists that have a little "magic."
✅Book-loving protagonists
✅Discussion about the way women with mental illness were treated in the early 1900s
Quite truthfully, these are all the ingredients that had me desire to read this book. However, there were a lot of moments when I chose to put it aside and read other titles because I was struggling. Now I cannot help but notice that the majority of the reviews are glowing and full of praise.
Unfortunately, I am not one of them! I felt that the book was way too long and packed full of so many storylines that I wish Barbara Davis had just picked a few of the above ingredients to focus on.
Expected Publication Date 28/03/23
Goodreads Review Published 13/03/23
#TheEchoofOldBooks #NetGalley.
Read this book if you enjoy
✅Dual Timelines
✅He said/she said stories
✅Journals/Diaries/Books that reveal the past
✅Passionate affairs with characters of different class systems
✅Second chance love
✅Family centric
&
Also, check it out if you enjoy:
✅Learning about the Fascism movement & Anti-Semitism in the United States in the first half of the 20th century
✅Protagonists that have a little "magic."
✅Book-loving protagonists
✅Discussion about the way women with mental illness were treated in the early 1900s
Quite truthfully, these are all the ingredients that had me desire to read this book. However, there were a lot of moments when I chose to put it aside and read other titles because I was struggling. Now I cannot help but notice that the majority of the reviews are glowing and full of praise.
Unfortunately, I am not one of them! I felt that the book was way too long and packed full of so many storylines that I wish Barbara Davis had just picked a few of the above ingredients to focus on.
Expected Publication Date 28/03/23
Goodreads Review Published 13/03/23
#TheEchoofOldBooks #NetGalley.
May 28, 2023
I loved this book!!! ❤️ I was sold at the cover and title alone! A book about books? With an actual book within the book? Sign me up!! 🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️ Two time lines? Love it!!
1980’s - Ashlyn is a rare book 📕 dealer. She stumbles upon two books..that she instantly feels a connection with. She feels an emotional connection as soon as she picks them up! When she starts reading she realizes… this is in fact.. a love ❤️ story…. Hemi and Belle… 🥰
I LOVED Hemi and Belle’s story!! The 1940’s… a forbidden love… 🤫…OH but it’s just a story… or is it more?😬🤭🤔
There was so much wrapped into this book. It was one of those books that you SIGH a content sigh at the end and say well.. that was amazing and wonderful. 🥰
Unique… captivating… mysterious.. I loved going on this journey with Aslyn to find out the secret of these two books!! ❤️ This was my first @bdavisauthor book and I absolutely adored it!! I definitely want to read her backlist!!
❤️ Is this on your list? Do you have a favorite @bdavisauthor book? Do tell so I can add it!! What are you reading today?? ❤️
Thank you SuzyApproved Tours for my gifted copy
1980’s - Ashlyn is a rare book 📕 dealer. She stumbles upon two books..that she instantly feels a connection with. She feels an emotional connection as soon as she picks them up! When she starts reading she realizes… this is in fact.. a love ❤️ story…. Hemi and Belle… 🥰
I LOVED Hemi and Belle’s story!! The 1940’s… a forbidden love… 🤫…OH but it’s just a story… or is it more?😬🤭🤔
There was so much wrapped into this book. It was one of those books that you SIGH a content sigh at the end and say well.. that was amazing and wonderful. 🥰
Unique… captivating… mysterious.. I loved going on this journey with Aslyn to find out the secret of these two books!! ❤️ This was my first @bdavisauthor book and I absolutely adored it!! I definitely want to read her backlist!!
❤️ Is this on your list? Do you have a favorite @bdavisauthor book? Do tell so I can add it!! What are you reading today?? ❤️
Thank you SuzyApproved Tours for my gifted copy
August 2, 2024
The main character here, Ashlyn Greer, is the owner of a shop that restores old books. However, she also has a talent for ‘feeling’ the echoes of previous book owners when she touches a book. Can you imagine that? We’ve all looked at scribbled notes in pencil in second hand books and wondered who wrote them – imagine if we could feel what they felt, know what they knew?
There is nothing quite so alive as a book that has been read
Ashlyn came across two books, her echo detector went off the charts when handling these books. They were nicely bound but without author names. Each book telling the story of a romance from many years ago, each in the first person and as with all relationships – each with a quite distinct perspective. Ashlyn needs to solve this puzzle, who are these people? What happened to them, Are they still alive? Who is telling the truth?
We read not to escape but how to live it more deeply and richly, to experience the world through the eyes of the other
Then there’s Ashlyn’s life – unfortunate thing has been through her own sorrow and hurt. An old fiancé who played one of the cruellest ‘tricks’ of all. She is certainly trying to find her way through her life and recover. Her book restorations being her main source of solace.
We have family conflict, relationship dramas, deceit, regret (oh lashings of regret), love, anger, jealousy, hate – and more. I won’t say if this ends happily or with sadness – is it a ‘cop out’ if I say it ends with multiple layers of emotion?
This is a page turner, beautifully written and even if this isn’t your genre there’s a particularly good chance you’ll be hooked.
I loved this 5 Stars
There is nothing quite so alive as a book that has been read
Ashlyn came across two books, her echo detector went off the charts when handling these books. They were nicely bound but without author names. Each book telling the story of a romance from many years ago, each in the first person and as with all relationships – each with a quite distinct perspective. Ashlyn needs to solve this puzzle, who are these people? What happened to them, Are they still alive? Who is telling the truth?
We read not to escape but how to live it more deeply and richly, to experience the world through the eyes of the other
Then there’s Ashlyn’s life – unfortunate thing has been through her own sorrow and hurt. An old fiancé who played one of the cruellest ‘tricks’ of all. She is certainly trying to find her way through her life and recover. Her book restorations being her main source of solace.
We have family conflict, relationship dramas, deceit, regret (oh lashings of regret), love, anger, jealousy, hate – and more. I won’t say if this ends happily or with sadness – is it a ‘cop out’ if I say it ends with multiple layers of emotion?
This is a page turner, beautifully written and even if this isn’t your genre there’s a particularly good chance you’ll be hooked.
I loved this 5 Stars
May 3, 2023
3.0⭐️ I really, really wanted to like this book more. The premise of a book seller who can touch old books and feel their history had me sold, but this book quickly devolved into something completely different. The story wasn’t necessarily bad, but there were so many themes and tropes happening at once that then caused the story to feel messy. This book was also so repetitive and long! It could have easily been 150 pages shorter. I also have issues with the chemistry between Hemi and Belle- how is the reader going to believe in their love when they are both such dry, immature characters? There were parts of this I loved, and parts I really didn’t like.
February 22, 2023
I have to admit that this book ticked a lot of boxes of things I love to read. It was told in dual timelines with reading of journal like material to see the past. It features a book seller and takes place in a book shop. And the main protagonist has a special magical connection with books. Ashlyn has a talent of when she touches a book she sometimes feels the leftover emotions of the books previous owner. Embracing this she owns a bookshop and restores old books. One day another book store owner asks if she wants to go through some boxes of books he can’t sell and she finds an unusual book with no copyright page or author listed and strong echos. This leads her on a journey to what happened to the people in the book as it’s obvious to her these were real people and she finds the companion book and other side of the story. The writing was good. I did think the story started out very slowly and I struggled to get into the journals the first few chapters (which is odd, it’s usually my favorite part) but I got there and the stories did eventually completely draw me in.
January 21, 2023
4.5 stars. Ashyln Greer restores and sells rare books. She has a gift (or curse?) of feeling the emotions of the people who possessed the books before felt. She comes across two books with no author that appear to be two people who had a romance that ended badly. The books, told from the two writers, reflect on their affair and how the other was to blame for its failure. Ashlyn becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of who these people were and what, exactly, actually happened.
This novel has both romance and mystery. It’s an enjoyable read.
NetGalley provided an advance reader copy of this novel, which RELEASES MARCH 28, 2023.
This novel has both romance and mystery. It’s an enjoyable read.
NetGalley provided an advance reader copy of this novel, which RELEASES MARCH 28, 2023.
May 4, 2023
I realize I’m the minority here, so sorry! I loved the concept and some of the beautiful writing. But I felt the story was all over the place and way too long
June 23, 2023
Ashlyn Greer had a gift. She owned a book shop and dealt with rare books, recovering and mending damaged books. Her love of books had seen the gift be first felt when she was only twelve. Now, touching the pages of a book would let her see the emotions of the previous owner, and when she discovered a book which had been donated among boxes of books, she was astounded. With no author, no publisher, no cover page - was it a journal of a person's life? Within days another book was found, looking the same as the first. It was the partner to the first, but written by a different person. Belle (for belle of the ball) and Hemi (for Hemingway) And it seemed like a decades old mystery, with two lovers who were betrayed. Would Ashlyn's obsession with the books bring answers?
The beautiful cover drew me to The Echo of Old Books, plus the intrigue of the content, but it disappointed a little. Long and drawn out, it was like reading another book within this book and unfortunately I couldn't get a feel for the characters. This is my first read by author Barbara Davis and I'll definitely try another sometime.
The beautiful cover drew me to The Echo of Old Books, plus the intrigue of the content, but it disappointed a little. Long and drawn out, it was like reading another book within this book and unfortunately I couldn't get a feel for the characters. This is my first read by author Barbara Davis and I'll definitely try another sometime.
April 12, 2024
The Echo of Old Books was a recommendation from a dear friend. This is a book meant to be savored by those of us who love books. It’s beautifully written and I was highlighting multiple phrases. But make no mistake, it’s primarily a romance. And your ultimate enjoyment will depend on your tolerance for romance stories.
The first storyline takes place in 1984. Ashlyn is a special kind of empath. In her case, she can feel the emotions of the prior owners of books. It’s a good thing she’s the owner of a bookstore. I’m not often a fan of magical realism, but it worked here. To quote “Books were like people. Each carried its own unique energy, like a signature or a fingerprint, and sometimes that energy rubbed off”. And the phrases about books are the ones that truly grabbed both my heart and mind. She speaks of books like some folks talk about perfumes or wines - the different notes one discerns with time.
She comes across a book, titled Regretting Belle, that bears no info about its publication, not even the author’s name. Is it a memoir? A novel? It dates back to 1941. And then, a few days later, she’s given a similar book told from the perspective of “Belle”. The chapters of these books are interspersed with Ashlyn’s chapters. It’s like watching an emotional tennis match - his vs. her perspective. I will admit to having trouble connecting with either Belle or Hemi (her nickname for him, short for Hemingway). She came across as the poor little rich girl, too much of a cliche. She is oblivious to what’s happening in the world. And was it the narrator’s voice or was she meant to be that petulant? Hemi makes much of his poor boy breaking into high society. We’re left to speculate why, if he’s such a British patriot, he’s not back home fighting.
Now, I am not a fan of romance stories and there was way too much of it for my taste. I was more interested in what would come of the anti-semiticism subplot involving her family and what the book had to say about a woman’s place in society. The big reveal and the several supposed twists were all obvious to me from early on. The plot was way too predictable.
But I definitely enjoyed the quotes that start Ashlyn’s chapters. “Where is human nature so weak as in a bookstore?” There’s not a soul on GR that can’t relate to that!
I am definitely in the minority here, so check out other reviews.
The first storyline takes place in 1984. Ashlyn is a special kind of empath. In her case, she can feel the emotions of the prior owners of books. It’s a good thing she’s the owner of a bookstore. I’m not often a fan of magical realism, but it worked here. To quote “Books were like people. Each carried its own unique energy, like a signature or a fingerprint, and sometimes that energy rubbed off”. And the phrases about books are the ones that truly grabbed both my heart and mind. She speaks of books like some folks talk about perfumes or wines - the different notes one discerns with time.
She comes across a book, titled Regretting Belle, that bears no info about its publication, not even the author’s name. Is it a memoir? A novel? It dates back to 1941. And then, a few days later, she’s given a similar book told from the perspective of “Belle”. The chapters of these books are interspersed with Ashlyn’s chapters. It’s like watching an emotional tennis match - his vs. her perspective. I will admit to having trouble connecting with either Belle or Hemi (her nickname for him, short for Hemingway). She came across as the poor little rich girl, too much of a cliche. She is oblivious to what’s happening in the world. And was it the narrator’s voice or was she meant to be that petulant? Hemi makes much of his poor boy breaking into high society. We’re left to speculate why, if he’s such a British patriot, he’s not back home fighting.
Now, I am not a fan of romance stories and there was way too much of it for my taste. I was more interested in what would come of the anti-semiticism subplot involving her family and what the book had to say about a woman’s place in society. The big reveal and the several supposed twists were all obvious to me from early on. The plot was way too predictable.
But I definitely enjoyed the quotes that start Ashlyn’s chapters. “Where is human nature so weak as in a bookstore?” There’s not a soul on GR that can’t relate to that!
I am definitely in the minority here, so check out other reviews.
March 24, 2023
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
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
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January 3, 2024I went into this novel believing it was historical fiction with a touch of the paranormal. I was intrigued, especially because the main character, Ashlyn Greer, owned a bookstore featuring old and rare books. Ashlyn also has a gift: she can detect the emotions of the book’s previous owner. Unfortunately, the bookstore setting isn’t paramount, and Ashlyn’s gift is only mentioned a few times. The book is mainly a romance. Actually, there are two: the romance between the authors of two old books and the romance between Ashlyn and a contemporary non-fiction author.
The story was interesting but needed some trimming. I wanted less romance and more books, but I am definitely in the minority, so if you like a blend of bookish themes and romance, this one’s for you.
The story was interesting but needed some trimming. I wanted less romance and more books, but I am definitely in the minority, so if you like a blend of bookish themes and romance, this one’s for you.
July 25, 2023
This is a story within a story. I’d call it a love story mystery.
Ashlyn Greer is a rare book dealer who has the ‘gift’ of picking up emotions from the books she handles. The ‘echoes’, as she calls them, tells her what the reader was feeling as they were holding the book.
Going through a box of old books just received she finds a beautifully bound book entitled “Regretting Belle” no author, no publisher or any other identification except the inscription: “How, Belle? After everything…how could you do it?” The emotion this book is putting out is too strong to ignore and Ashlyn decides to read the book.
Not long after another such book comes into her possession “Forever, and Other Lies”, similar binding, no author or publisher with the inscription “How??? After everything – you can ask that of me?”
These two books are obviously meant to go together and the more she reads the more she finds a love story full of betrayal, regrets, misunderstandings, greed, jealousy and family secrets.
Ashlyn begins the journey to unlock the mystery of these two star-crossed lovers.
There is of course a dual time line with Ashlyn in 1984 and the two mysterious books from the 1940’s.
Not a romance reader but I was drawn in by this deeply moving story.
January 6, 2023
I read this book nonstop, from start to finish, completely engrossed by the story and its characters. Main character Ashlyn Greer deals in rare books, and is blessed with the uncanny ability to feel the emotions and echoes of her books’ previous owners. Her gift comes alive when she discovers a pair of unpublished books—and she becomes caught up in the love and mystery of their authors. Like Ashlyn, I too was swept away by Hemi and Belle, and by Ashlyn’s own story. This dual timeline story was beautifully written, as well as being told in a way that is original and unique. Each story is intricate in detail and emotions, and they are woven together seamlessly and artfully. The author dealt with some difficult subjects in this book, and all were handled with care, grace, and dignity. The Echo of Old Books is an incredible novel that will become a favorite of anyone who reads it, captivating readers who love an intriguing, heartfelt story. This wonderful book features well-drawn characters who will reach into the crevices of readers’ hearts, as they did mine. I loved it all—I wept a lot— and my heart was full when I reached the end.
January 8, 2024
I was intrigued by the title and completely drawn in by the cover...not a great reason to read a book I know...but whatever it was that placed this little treasure in my hands will forever have my sincere gratitude. Now I have a book hangover, and my husband just waved to me as he went off to bed....and I vowed to read "just one more chapter". We all know how well that works for us! I stayed up most of the night and a great deal of the morning to finish it. I can honestly tell you that The Echo of Old Books is a love story. Not a romance.... a genuine love story....and a mystery that spans decades. It will tie your heart in knots and wring emotions from you that you didn't even know you had. Be prepared to raise to the heights of joy and to plunge to the depths of despair. It is emotional, quietly exciting and leaves the reader absolutely satisfied. The story is told over two historical timelines, aided by alternating chapters of two books: "Regretting Belle" written by Hemi, and "Forever and Other Lies" written in reply to Hemi's book by Belle. I just couldn't stop reading. I wiped away tears...I smiled...I was frustrated, angry...but ultimately, satisfied. This was my first book by Barbara Davis book, but it won't be my last.
August 15, 2024
3.5 stars
I really wanted to love this one because of the premise which sounded so enticing to book lovers like us all. There seemed to be a lot going on and it detracted from the parts I did enjoy. It had a bit of a messy feel to me but it’s undeniably well written. It was far too long imo with parts being over detailed which made it feel laboured. I like to relate to characters in some way and I didn’t. As it made its way to the finale it wasn’t hard to predict what was going to happen. However, there were parts I loved but others less so. Other people liked this much more than myself so be sure to check those reviews out as I’m somewhat of an outlier. How unusual 😂
Kindle Unlimited read
I really wanted to love this one because of the premise which sounded so enticing to book lovers like us all. There seemed to be a lot going on and it detracted from the parts I did enjoy. It had a bit of a messy feel to me but it’s undeniably well written. It was far too long imo with parts being over detailed which made it feel laboured. I like to relate to characters in some way and I didn’t. As it made its way to the finale it wasn’t hard to predict what was going to happen. However, there were parts I loved but others less so. Other people liked this much more than myself so be sure to check those reviews out as I’m somewhat of an outlier. How unusual 😂
Kindle Unlimited read
January 17, 2025
This is my first taste of Barbara Davis's writing, and I'm here to tell you- I am SOLD on her talent! And her beautiful imagination, not to mention her artistic way of words to open your mind's eye to see exactly what she wants you to see, to feel, to understand her words that make this a wonderful read!
Ashlyn, the main character, is the owner of an old bookstore just chock full of old, antique, musty old books.....ooohh, what I'd give to be there! And Barbara puts you right in the middle of the store...you can smell the mustiness, feel the aged page, actually smell the ink on the printed page. Oh good heavens I'm on cloud nine!! But I digress,
You see, Ashlynn has this wonderful gift (some would call it a curse, not me tho-- this is a gift I'd love to possess!) She can feel the "echo" of the former owner of the book she's holding, and sometimes even the writer of that book. And she's been given a book that's well bound, but unknown author, no fly leaf page- nothing! But she has strong echos just emanating off the pages. An echo she's not accustomed to, because it's so strong..And as she begins to read, she's finding herself being drawn into the story of Belle, by "Hemi. As she continues reading,researching the story, her friend Kevin drops off a second book which is from Belle's point of view.(regarding Hemi)
Oh heaven's folks, I just had to take a break- you see, I sometimes just daydream (or mentally relive what I've read and reimagine the story) then repull threads to get back on track!
Yes, this is a love story, kinda. Yes, it is a heart broken story. Yes, it is a family built on hard work. Yes, it is a mystery, a family history built with hidden secrets, and you could say lying by omission.
And you will say- Hey! Did you like the book? My answer, is a resounding YES! Will I read more by Barbara?, oh you bet! Now, I ask - will you read and like this book? Sadly, I can't answer that...But, I will let you know that I truly think you should give it a try, I believe you'll find it entertaining, and a good read (no pun) .Because, by golly, I most certainly did! -- P/
Ashlyn, the main character, is the owner of an old bookstore just chock full of old, antique, musty old books.....ooohh, what I'd give to be there! And Barbara puts you right in the middle of the store...you can smell the mustiness, feel the aged page, actually smell the ink on the printed page. Oh good heavens I'm on cloud nine!! But I digress,
You see, Ashlynn has this wonderful gift (some would call it a curse, not me tho-- this is a gift I'd love to possess!) She can feel the "echo" of the former owner of the book she's holding, and sometimes even the writer of that book. And she's been given a book that's well bound, but unknown author, no fly leaf page- nothing! But she has strong echos just emanating off the pages. An echo she's not accustomed to, because it's so strong..And as she begins to read, she's finding herself being drawn into the story of Belle, by "Hemi. As she continues reading,researching the story, her friend Kevin drops off a second book which is from Belle's point of view.(regarding Hemi)
Oh heaven's folks, I just had to take a break- you see, I sometimes just daydream (or mentally relive what I've read and reimagine the story) then repull threads to get back on track!
Yes, this is a love story, kinda. Yes, it is a heart broken story. Yes, it is a family built on hard work. Yes, it is a mystery, a family history built with hidden secrets, and you could say lying by omission.
And you will say- Hey! Did you like the book? My answer, is a resounding YES! Will I read more by Barbara?, oh you bet! Now, I ask - will you read and like this book? Sadly, I can't answer that...But, I will let you know that I truly think you should give it a try, I believe you'll find it entertaining, and a good read (no pun) .Because, by golly, I most certainly did! -- P/
July 12, 2024
Review soon.
December 29, 2023
I loved the story being told here but found that I was not feeling a connection with the characters. It is well written and I would say give it a try...sometimes outside happenings affect our reading.
January 26, 2023
“Books were like people. Each carried its own unique energy, like a signature or fingerprint, and sometimes that energy rubbed off.”
Barbara Davis’ novel, The Echo of Old Books, centers around the redeeming power of love and a bookseller with a special gift. Ashlyn Greer can hold a book in her hand and become aware of the emotion of the previous owner - an empath for books!
When she discovers two unpublished books, the mystery of searching for the author of these love stories begins. Can Ashlyn use her gift to uncover the mystery?
If you are reading this, you already know about the magical lure of books, but perhaps you need reminding that rewriting your own story is possible with a little bit of courage. This book will help you summon the courage needed.
Davis has made sure to give her readers a ‘twofer’ - two love stories within one book - each a compelling romance on its own. She also explores family drama, lies, betrayals and secrets, and reminds us that it’s never too late to change.
I loved learning about psychometry, seeing the parallelism between rebinding and healing emotional wounds, being reminded that forgiveness is more about one’s own healing than anything to do with the other person and that our wounds/scars hold significance for us.
This book is a fantastic read and I can imagine how wonderful it would be on the silver screen.
I was gifted this copy by Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Barbara Davis’ novel, The Echo of Old Books, centers around the redeeming power of love and a bookseller with a special gift. Ashlyn Greer can hold a book in her hand and become aware of the emotion of the previous owner - an empath for books!
When she discovers two unpublished books, the mystery of searching for the author of these love stories begins. Can Ashlyn use her gift to uncover the mystery?
If you are reading this, you already know about the magical lure of books, but perhaps you need reminding that rewriting your own story is possible with a little bit of courage. This book will help you summon the courage needed.
Davis has made sure to give her readers a ‘twofer’ - two love stories within one book - each a compelling romance on its own. She also explores family drama, lies, betrayals and secrets, and reminds us that it’s never too late to change.
I loved learning about psychometry, seeing the parallelism between rebinding and healing emotional wounds, being reminded that forgiveness is more about one’s own healing than anything to do with the other person and that our wounds/scars hold significance for us.
This book is a fantastic read and I can imagine how wonderful it would be on the silver screen.
I was gifted this copy by Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
March 29, 2023
Finding books that have no author had Ashlyn on a mission to find out who had written these treasures about a love story gone wrong.
Ashlyn owns a bookstore called THE UNLIKELY STORY filled with rare books.
She also has a rare but special feeling about books. When she touches certain books, she can feel what the person who last held the book was feeling. She wasn’t sure if it was a detriment or a blessing.
We follow Ashlyn as she reads these book and tries to find out who these people are/were.
At first I was very confused as to what was going on, but when I figured it out, I couldn't put the book down.
I enjoyed the present-day chapters as Ashlyn was unraveling the mystery and enjoyed the past stories as we learn how the books told actual stories of real people's lives.
THE ECHO OF OLD BOOKS has the imaginative, descriptive, pull-you-in writing style Ms. Davis excels at.
You will be in for a treat...don't miss it.
It is marvelous as always.
And look at that GORGEOUS cover!! 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
Ashlyn owns a bookstore called THE UNLIKELY STORY filled with rare books.
She also has a rare but special feeling about books. When she touches certain books, she can feel what the person who last held the book was feeling. She wasn’t sure if it was a detriment or a blessing.
We follow Ashlyn as she reads these book and tries to find out who these people are/were.
At first I was very confused as to what was going on, but when I figured it out, I couldn't put the book down.
I enjoyed the present-day chapters as Ashlyn was unraveling the mystery and enjoyed the past stories as we learn how the books told actual stories of real people's lives.
THE ECHO OF OLD BOOKS has the imaginative, descriptive, pull-you-in writing style Ms. Davis excels at.
You will be in for a treat...don't miss it.
It is marvelous as always.
And look at that GORGEOUS cover!! 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
January 14, 2026
This was a big old love story, two actually, told mostly through two old books written over 40 years previous to the now time, which is the 1980s. It really should not have worked, but in the end it does. The two writers of the books tell their shared story from two viewpoints and initially I did not like either of the writers very much. When a bookbinder finds the books in a box from a deceased estate and slowly starts reading, the mystery of who wrote them and were they about real people or places becomes an obsession for Ashlyn, the bookbinder who has psychometry, the ability to discover facts about an event or person by touching objects associated with them, here the books.
I have read previous books by Ms Davis and enjoyed some, but this was written with skill beyond her other books for me. It shouldn't have worked, but by the end I was enthralled, even though the main story was somewhat unbelievable. 4 stars for me, two love stories for the ages.
I have read previous books by Ms Davis and enjoyed some, but this was written with skill beyond her other books for me. It shouldn't have worked, but by the end I was enthralled, even though the main story was somewhat unbelievable. 4 stars for me, two love stories for the ages.
October 21, 2024
What a fantastic story about love, duty, betrayal, and forgiveness! The well-crafted plot and cleverly developed, complex characters captivate the reader. The author vividly describes the scenery and events. The pacing is just right. I was hooked from beginning to end and highly recommend this book.
July 11, 2024
*Love and Betrayal*
This book really touched my heart. It is a book that has really made an impression on me. I love a book about books. This tale is predominantly told from 3 POV’s. We have Ashlyn in the present, she owns a rare book shop that was gifted to her by the owner. IT was a place of solace for her as she was coping with a tragic childhood. When she touches old books she feels emotions from them. One day books are dropped off and she is itching to read them especially as they both start off with “How could you do it?” She quickly realises they are from a couple that were once together. She senses that each version is not the whole story. The puzzling thing is who are the authors? There are no names and it piques Ashlyn’s curiosity.
In the not too distant past we have two people, Belle who is from a well to do family, a father who only cared about appearances whilst he cozied up to people who could help him get to where he wanted to get in society. A mother she adored who was broken and sent away and an older sister who toed the line and despised the fact that Belle would challenge it.
Hemi is a struggling writer come journalist who happened to be in the right place at the right time. He stumbles upon a much older woman ahead of her time who inherited her family’s newspaper business and she uses the paper to bring down anyone including the high and mighty to expose their failings and more.
When Hemi meets Belle he does not have two pennies to rub together. He is charming and to him he is investigating a story about Belle’s family. But their attraction is undeniable.
Trouble is Belle is engaged to a man her father has chosen…..
Ashlyn wants to find out their real names and feels it in her bones that there is unfinished business between the pair. Her investigations take her to the man who dropped off the books. While Ashlyn is so busy trying to get to the bottom of things another story is playing out right in front of her eyes.
This story is about love, betrayal and sacrifices, I absolutely loved it.
This book really touched my heart. It is a book that has really made an impression on me. I love a book about books. This tale is predominantly told from 3 POV’s. We have Ashlyn in the present, she owns a rare book shop that was gifted to her by the owner. IT was a place of solace for her as she was coping with a tragic childhood. When she touches old books she feels emotions from them. One day books are dropped off and she is itching to read them especially as they both start off with “How could you do it?” She quickly realises they are from a couple that were once together. She senses that each version is not the whole story. The puzzling thing is who are the authors? There are no names and it piques Ashlyn’s curiosity.
In the not too distant past we have two people, Belle who is from a well to do family, a father who only cared about appearances whilst he cozied up to people who could help him get to where he wanted to get in society. A mother she adored who was broken and sent away and an older sister who toed the line and despised the fact that Belle would challenge it.
Hemi is a struggling writer come journalist who happened to be in the right place at the right time. He stumbles upon a much older woman ahead of her time who inherited her family’s newspaper business and she uses the paper to bring down anyone including the high and mighty to expose their failings and more.
When Hemi meets Belle he does not have two pennies to rub together. He is charming and to him he is investigating a story about Belle’s family. But their attraction is undeniable.
Trouble is Belle is engaged to a man her father has chosen…..
Ashlyn wants to find out their real names and feels it in her bones that there is unfinished business between the pair. Her investigations take her to the man who dropped off the books. While Ashlyn is so busy trying to get to the bottom of things another story is playing out right in front of her eyes.
This story is about love, betrayal and sacrifices, I absolutely loved it.
July 28, 2023
Pedantic and asinine drivel
This book is terrible! The plot is a poorly contrived effort at stringing together the most implausible series of events. Both of the “star crossed lovers” are childish, stupid, deliberately ignorant, and unbelievable in their idiocy. The reader has to completely suspend a belief in reality in order to think the characters would be so vapid, proud, and willfully naive. The characters are cold and unlikeable, and make such chronic bad choices that it is obvious they are simply a series of events put there extend the already too long book. This could have been a short story and would still have been too long to justify its existence. Every main character is a caricature of some damaged person whose behavior is a one-dimensional version of a realistic human being. The two plot twist are glaringly obvious and predictable very early on in the book, and the inevitable explanation that comes after painfully long, boring, and needless additional chapters is redundant since the reader already knows exactly what happened, how, and why. The villains and villainy are laughable in their pointlessness and absurd narratives. I kept praying this book would end because I was so irritated with it, but the mindlessness and absurdity just keeps on giving.
This book is terrible! The plot is a poorly contrived effort at stringing together the most implausible series of events. Both of the “star crossed lovers” are childish, stupid, deliberately ignorant, and unbelievable in their idiocy. The reader has to completely suspend a belief in reality in order to think the characters would be so vapid, proud, and willfully naive. The characters are cold and unlikeable, and make such chronic bad choices that it is obvious they are simply a series of events put there extend the already too long book. This could have been a short story and would still have been too long to justify its existence. Every main character is a caricature of some damaged person whose behavior is a one-dimensional version of a realistic human being. The two plot twist are glaringly obvious and predictable very early on in the book, and the inevitable explanation that comes after painfully long, boring, and needless additional chapters is redundant since the reader already knows exactly what happened, how, and why. The villains and villainy are laughable in their pointlessness and absurd narratives. I kept praying this book would end because I was so irritated with it, but the mindlessness and absurdity just keeps on giving.
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