Keeper of Enchanted Rooms

Written by Charlie N. Holmberg

Narrated by Amanda Leigh Cobb, Graham Halstead and Nicholas Boulton

A house of haunted history and ill temper. Make yourself at home in this beguiling novel of love, magic, and danger by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

Rhode Island, 1846. Estranged from his family, writer Merritt Fernsby is surprised when he inherits a remote estate in the Narragansett Bay. Though the property has been uninhabited for more than a century, Merritt is ready to call it home—until he realizes he has no choice. With its doors slamming shut and locking behind him, Whimbrel House is not about to let Merritt leave. Ever.

Hulda Larkin of the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms has been trained in taming such structures in order to preserve their historical and magical significance. She understands the dangers of bespelled homes given to tantrums. She advises that it’s in Merritt’s best interest to make Whimbrel House their ally. To do that, she’ll need to move in, too.

Prepared as she is with augury, a set of magic tools, and a new staff trained in the uncanny, Hulda’s work still proves unexpectedly difficult. She and Merritt grow closer as the investigation progresses, but the house’s secrets run deeper than they anticipated. And the sentient walls aren’t their only concern—something outside is coming for the enchantments of Whimbrel House, and it could be more dangerous than what rattles within.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Nov 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781713663638

Charlie N. Holmberg

Born in Salt Lake City, Charlie N. Holmberg was raised a Trekkie alongside three sisters who also have boy names. She is a proud BYU alumna, plays the ukulele, owns too many pairs of glasses, and finally adopted a dog. Her fantasy Paper Magician Series, which includes The Paper Magician, The Glass Magician, and The Master Magician, has been optioned by the Walt Disney Company. Her stand-alone novel, Followed by Frost, was nominated for a 2016 RITA Award for Best Young Adult Romance. She currently lives with her family in Utah. Visit her at www.charlienholmberg.com.

Reviews for Keeper of Enchanted Rooms

[Elle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It kept me guessing for quite a while. Great ending.

[Sharon Hall · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is delightful. I was a little sad when it ended, and then pleased to see there is a next book in the series. Here’s to magic!

[avajean94 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

At first I wasn't sure how I felt about this book, but I ended up really liking it. I enjoyed this somewhat unique take on magical abilities. Definitely enjoyed ?

[Lindsay K. · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was such a whimsical story! I enjoyed the characters and their development. They concept and world vuilding were very interesting. I can't wait to read the sequel!

[Ale H · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lovely story, lovely characters. I want to know more of their stories. ?

[Rickey Haggins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A wonderful book! I found the world building to be phenomenal, and the characters as well as the story fun, light, and witty compared to my normal reading.

[Jenna Vaughn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Okay, this one was very cute. A Slow burn but definitely grows on you and I'm sucker for a story where the characters show growth

[Špela Zamljen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A lovely story, i was enchanted after the first chapter and all the way to the end.

[Laurie Reilly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved the charmingly awkward characters, the pace and imagination of the story. A thoroughly enjoyable audiobook, well narrated & easy for me to slip comfortably into.

[Glenna Whiteman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved the development and twists! Especially the three different readers!

[Christian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Magical mystery book worm pride and prejudice. I loved it.

[Sharon Brodie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a wonderful read. Action, suspense, romance & fantasy. It has it all.

[chrisd · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This was absolute rubbish. I am surprised this was allowed to be published. Boring basic story one dimensional storyline and a twist in the end that can be seen from miles. The so called love story is forced, the bad guy is plainly boring and not bad enough and the narration is way sub standard. Avoid like the plague.

[Natasha Reeve · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had been searching for something to listen/read for a while now that kept my interest and well written. I absolutely enjoyed this story to the very end. The characters were beautifully developed and the romance was well paced throughout the novel. The audio version was amazing! The voice actors really portrayed the characters well. 100% recommend!

[yarncatsnbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fun fantasy novel. Pretty light.

[carol420 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Merritt is an author who unexpectedly inherits a house, even though he has been estranged from his family for years. He soon finds that the house’s magical abilities are far above anything he could ever hope to deal with. When my librarian handed it to me and "this is what you will lead the discussion with for the next group read"...I thought "Yeah!!...something paranormal at last". It couldn't have surprised me more if she had given me an M/M Romance:)...which is never going to happen. The "little old ladies" would have heart failure. As I read, I thought they may also have heart failure with this one:) I soon found that I really liked the 'feel" of the story, but it wasn't at all what I expected from the cover and the title. I found a magical, whimsical story that revolved around something like the haunted house theme, but it was more on the light side, more than the creepy. The author created a world where magic exists and everyone knows about it, even people who have no magic themselves. When Merritt inherited Whimbrel House, nothing could prepare him for what he finds when he arrives. It's isolated. He can almost feel "something" but is it welcoming him or warning him? After all it's been abandoned for a century, and it's not unbelievable that the house has developed "a mind of its own". The house also must have been "lonely" because he soon discovers that the house has no intentions of letting him leave...It intends to keep him captive. Hulda Larkin is sent to the estate by the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms (BIKER for short) to uncover the source of the house’s magic and make it "liveable" , if that is even possible. Good news for me!! I discovered that Keeper of Enchanted Rooms is the FIRST book in Charlie N. Holmberg’s "Whimbrel House" series. It is a historical fantasy set mostly in Rhode Island in 1846. There's a little romance in the plot, but it's not the main focus of the story. I liked how the author spreads Merritt's and his families background throughout the storyline rather than info bogging at the beginning of the book. The way the characters learn each other’s histories is presented more naturally rather than given all at once. The only thing I didn't quite understand was the purpose of the side effects of the use of the magic. They were interesting and well thought out, but I just didn't see them as an impact on the story itself. I do hope the library would like to have another group discussion on another of Ms. Holmberg's books in this series. Oh, I can report that no little old ladies suffered heart attacks while in my group.

[foggidawn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Merritt Fernsby is surprised and pleased to inherit Whimbrel House, a dwelling on a remote island in Narragansett Bay. He's less pleased when he discovers that the house is magical -- and it won't let him leave. Fortunately for him, Hulda Larkin arrives to take charge of the house and evaluate its magic. As an employee of the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms, she's seen worse. Unfortunately, one of the things that she's seen isn't content to remain in her past, and even Whimbrel House may not be safe...

This isn't exactly gentle or cozy fantasy (the house plays some gruesome tricks before it settles down, and there's some violence in both the climax and the backstory), but it has some cozy vibes in between. The magic system is well-described. The pacing is a little slow in the middle, but not enough that I lost interest. The main characters get plenty of character development, though the secondary characters are less dynamic. All in all, an enjoyable fantasy that reminded me just a little bit of The House in the Cerulean Sea. I'll be continuing with the series.

[sedodge-608996 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An intriguing read with a totally original plot! I enjoyed the characters and the premise that you don't have to have an abundance of magic to be able to work with it every day like Hulda does. I enjoyed the historical Rhode Island setting, and the journey the characters went on was certainly entertaining. I think i was just disappointed by how quickly the Whimbrel house mystery was solved. The most interesting part was when the house was throwing a fit and trying to harm them and that seemed to be resolved with little fuss. I wish more of the story had focused on adventures of the group being stuck in the house, and having to win it over. Despite this though, it was a fun read that I would suggest for those trying to dip their toes into the world of fantasy!

[baochuan-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting story set in 19 century. Although I qualify the book as slow burn and the two story lines (one in England and one in the U.S.) finally converged later in the book, the story is capitivating.

[jennybeast · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

*spoiler alert *

Argh! This has so many great elements that I love — interesting magic, a sentient house, romance, people healing from trauma. I loved that the motivation to be a home owner overcomes the fear of a house that’s basically attacking. And yet… it was a bit of a slog for me. Eventually I really liked the characters, and wanted all the bells and whistles on the wrap up — only to discover that it’s a series. I’ll have to think on that. It reminds me somehow of the house in the cerulean sea, which I hated, so I don’t know if I need more from this universe. I feel hopelessly contrary, so I guess it’s just not my cup of tea.

I think part of the disconnect is the extreme violence and various betrayals that are just… backstory? Context? And I also found it unbelievable that anyone would try to work with an enchanted house that is literally raining rats down and using the rooms to attack the occupants — serious horror vibes early on, and sort of a ho-hum reaction. It’s such a weird contrast with the main storyline.

[elorin-114220 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What is a struggling writer to do when he inherits a haunted house? Move in, of course! And keep on writing.
This book is tremendously well written and full of haunted house hijinks and hair raising housekeeper adventures, too. Plus an evil wizard and a gentle romance and miscommunicating main characters. The world building and magical system are well developed and all of the secondary characters are endearing. I can't wait to continue the story.

[tornadox-962417 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's a fine book. Cool magic system.

From the worldbuilding, I expected a lot more weirdness from this book. But it turned out to be so mundane and straight.

[spiritedstardust · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was adorable while also kinda dark.
The romance is slow burn and very proper but cute. The magic was really interesting.
I loved the characters.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hulda and Merritt are great together - witty and talented and skilled. It's no surprise that they gravitate towards each other. But there is all this stuff in the way - his rejection by his family, her failure to find love and the magical enchanted house that brings them together. I loved this story and the characters.

[zjakkelien · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very nice. Cute story, nice characters, camaraderie, strange magic. Romance worked for me, no misogyny even of the romantic sort, with mutual saving and respect.

[craftybilda · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well researches and written, will keep you enthralled and entertained

[catseyegreen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a sweet little fantasy romance set in the early 1800s. Writer Merrit inherits a haunted house. He is trapped there and rescued by Hulda, a housekeeper and agent of BIKER, Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms. She helps him identify and get the house under control. Meanwhile, the villain of the book is in the background planning a long-delayed revenge against Hulda.
The author presents a pretty accurate 19th century setting with only a few anachronisms. The magic aspect is well-thought out and creative.
This was the most fun book I have read this year to date.

Library book read 2/6/2023

[kimkimkim-7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have absolutely no idea where I heard about this book, but no matter - it was a delight. Wonderful, quirky characters with names that match their strangeness, sort of. The Prologue, set in May of 1818 in London, England, was a great way to introduce the reader to the villain and to set the stage for what is to come. Moving forward to 1846 Merritt Fernsby has inherited Whimbrel House on a remote island in Rhode Island which may or may not be haunted. Now is the time where the reader needs to embrace the concept that magic is afoot and welcome the concept of wizards and the Doctrines of Magic. Things are going to get interesting as Merritt visits his new property and upon entering is unable to leave. Walls that move, staircases that turn into slides, books flying off shelves becoming projectiles, and a bathroom that turns into a shrinking torture chamber. Enter Hulda Larkin, an employee of “the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms, or Biker for Short”. She is going to be Fernsby’s Housekeeper and ultimate salvation.

Amid the evil doings there are many funny situations, dialog and goings on. Suspend your sensibilities and enjoy the barely believable.