Che-Michelle Tales

Book: The Echo of Old Books

Author: Barbara Davis

Published: March 28, 2023

Wine Choice:  Southside Gin and Tonic/ Debeaune Special Selection Beaujolais

Stand Alone, Series, or Other: Standalone

Type of book: Novel

Genre: Mystery, Romance, Historical Fiction (multiple genres)

How long did it take me to read this book? Ten days

Rating: 🥃🥃🥃🤯🤯

I recently read a book. PAUSE I am always reading a book. I am unsure how I stumbled upon this book. Again, I was trying to get an elusive mystery badge for this quarter’s Kindle Unlimited Achievement. At first, the book confused me. I was unsure if it was a mystery, fantasy, or slice of life. The story’s setup was odd, and I was trying to determine if, as the reader, we would follow the life of one character, Ashlyn, or sucked into a story in a story with Ashlyn being the omniscient reader. As the story progresses, we find the stories are events that occurred under a fictional story’s guise. This little detail turns a quirky novel into a suspense novel. We, the readers, try to unravel the authors of unknown origins, sorting through fact and fiction. As the story progresses, I am intrigued by the stories of Regretting Belle, Forever, and Other Lies. The author does a fantastic job weaving the present-day characters into characters from the past. As one reads, one understands Ashlyn’s hesitance for romance and intimacy while developing a bond with another person over the mystery books.

The best part of the book was the little quotes Ashlyn provided for her Newsletter for her bookshop. In one section, “The Number of Lives we are capable of living is limited only by the number of books we choose to read,” as you read this book, you learn about the lives of different characters from Ashlyn, Ethan, Hemi, and Belle. My favorite quote of Ashlyn’s is from chapter fourteen: “In the happiest times of my life, I have reached for my books. In the saddest times of my life, my books have reached back.”  As you read, you realize the interwoven stories and books are to help the individuals involved heal from past trauma and move forward.

Overall, it is a sturdy book, which picks up and gets good around the middle; you become invested in Belle and Hemi’s story, and Ashlyn and Ethan function as our proxies discussing our innermost thoughts about what happened and why Belle and Hemi did not work. Ashlyn, in a trauma-bonding way, connects to Belle, identifying the loss of a parent at an early age; she relates to Belle’s strength and willingness to stand by her convictions, no matter how stubborn they may be. The book has exciting twists and turns; some you see coming, others you discover simultaneously as other characters find the same twist.

This book reminds me of a Hallmark Murder Mystery with a hint of romance. The romance in the book, though present, is not overpowering. I would have liked to see more of the secondary characters’ romance develop, but how it evolved felt right, allowing Ethan and Ashlyn to learn to trust again. (I do not want to spoil the character’s backstory, but it worked.) I hope you decide to pick up the book; it does touch on subjects of suicide, anti-Semitism, Narcissistic Abuse, neglect, and depression. Each issue is managed with care and empathy from other characters.

Instead of three wine glasses, my rating is three glasses of scotch on the rocks, with two mind-blown emojis. When, as a reader, you start putting the pieces together. I realized this story could have been three different stories. I can see this as an epic mini-series, with one part of the miniseries following Belle and another following Hemi. A third party even explores their lives parallel during the 1960s. If they do this, I want to see Clarie Foy play Belle in her 30s-40s; she still has an air of naivete but a sharp wit that would be perfect for Belle’s character.

Usually, I would suggest wine with a book. During one scene, two characters drink a Malbec, and a Malbec might be too heavy for this book (well too heavy for me). Due to reading this book in November and mentioning French Vineyards, I would like to offer Debeaune Special Selection Beaujolais, an easy-sips wine with notes of berries and stone fruit, with just enough bite. But the best drink for this book is Gin and tonic. Hemi would drink a gin and tonic in multiple scenes. Gin and tonics are delicious, but a jazzier version of gin and tonic is needed for this book. Try a fresh Southside gin with some mint. It will give you an incredible feeling as you unravel the mystery of each character and wonder what the next twist and turn is.

Southside Gin and Tonic

Two ounces (¼ of a cup) of Spiced Gin

Six mint leaves or more

¾ to one ounce (1 ½ to 2 Tablespoons) of simple syrup

¾ ounce (1 ½ Tablespoons) Fresh Lime Juice

Three drops of Angostura Bitters

Ice

Have some Fresh lime wedges for garnish.

Add Gin, Mint, lime juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Shake until the leaves are bruised. Alternatively, you can also shake for 30 to 45 seconds. Pour over Ice and add mint and fresh lime slices for garnish. Open The Echo of Lost Books and sip as you read.

Until Next time,

Che Michelle