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Ashlyn Greer loves books; she runs a rare-book/used-book store and bindery. She’s not only skilled at her job, but she has an unusual gift. For years, she’s felt echoes of the emotions of people who previously owned books when she touches them.
So when two beautifully bound but completely anonymous books come into her shop, Ashlyn is curious about who wrote them and how they came to be published. Feeling the strong emotions that come from within their pages just intensifies her curiosity.
The set of books are written by lovers who are looking back on a failed relationship. The man first wrote his to Belle, and the pages drip with anger, heartbreak and resentment. He starts from the beginning, with their meeting, and proceeds through the tragic end. The second book is a response from Belle to Hemi, giving her viewpoint. Her feelings are just as strong and very similar: heartbroken, angry and betrayed.
Ashlyn gets caught up in reading the books; she just has to figure out who these people were and what happened to lead to the strong feelings still lingering in the pages. She starts investigating using clues in their story. She asks the town librarian for help, and she goes to the man who had donated the box of books.
Deeply invested in unraveling the puzzle, Ashlyn is determined to give some kind of closure to Belle and Hemi’s love story. In the process, her own life and heart slowly change.
The Echo of Old Books is a nice clean read with satisfying conclusions to the mysteries and romance. It is really mostly a romance book, though it’s built on the foundation of a mystery. I think I would have preferred more mystery, more of the magical-realism component than the romance. But many looking for intertwined romance stories, particularly set in the 1940s, should enjoy this.
Rated: Mild. Profanity includes around 10 instances of moderate profanity, about 30 uses of mild language, and about 15-20 instances of the name of Deity in vain. Sexual content includes kissing and some closed-door sex scenes. Some references to extramarital affairs and suicide.
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