Captivated by these books and driven to find out what happened to the people who wrote them, Ashlyn sets out on a quest to track down the two lovers who had loved and hurt each other a long time ago. Not only was the story told through the two old books, but the two sides of the story were interlocked by these two books. As it continues, you become immersed in the love story unfolding between Belle and Hemi, the historical period characters, which is told within the pages of the books Ashlyn acquired and really reads like an argument on paper between the two of them. The more we learn about both couples, the more we hope for HEAs all around – no matter how impossible that might seem.

Originally a Jersey girl, Barbara has lived in Florida, North and South Carolina, and New Hampshire. Ashlyn Greer can hold a book in her hand and become aware of the emotion of the previous owner - an empath for books! She comes across two books with no author that appear to be two people who had a romance that ended badly. Ashlyn was able to feel the echoes of the book’s previous owners when she opened a book and touched its pages.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. The present-day story takes place in New Hampshire and Massachusetts in 1984 where the mysterious books are found by Ashlyn. I appreciated the delicate way the author handled the anti-Semitism in the story, while still being true to history Davis remained sensitive. Along the way, they learn more than either of them wanted to know about a past that STILL isn’t quite dead. I absolutely loved the way the love story, which is what this really is, was told through the two old books found by one of the present-day contemporary characters Ashlyn who is the rare book dealer and bookbinder.

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. In "Echos," Ashlyn Greer can hold an old book in her hands and perceive the emotion of the person who previously owned it. Finding a couple of old books with curious inscriptions, Ashlyn goes on a hunt to find the origin of their stories.

Ashlyn becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of who these people were and what, exactly, actually happened.

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. I don’t usually gravitate towards books that involve romance but both romances in The Echo of Old Books worked well for me.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? This is an excellent book, and you’ll especially like it if you’re a historical fiction fan and enjoy the time period leading up to WWII. Ashlyn was determined to discover the identities and fates of the two lovers and would not stop until she had. When she finds two unpublished volumes that reveal the secrets and lies of Hemi and Belle, two lovers who wrote their own versions of their romance, she becomes obsessed with finding out the truth about them. 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!

Instead of Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Echo of Old Books is a tale of Four Tragedies and an HEA – at least – and on both counts.This takes her on a journey of discovery as she learns their stories, tries to sift the truth, and knows when it rings hollow because she's got a little "gift. 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.