Keeper of Enchanted Rooms

Whimbrel House, Book 1

By: Charlie N. Holmberg

Narrated by: Amanda Leigh Cobb, Graham Halstead, Nicholas Boulton

Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2022 Charlie N. Holmberg (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“A trio of narrators makes this lighthearted historical fantasy with touches of mystery and romance a delight.… Graham Halstead portrays Merritt, a young writer who is somewhat naïve and endearing. Amanda Leigh Cobb brings in Hulda, an employee from the Boston Institute of Keepers of Enchanted Rooms, who seems to be a stern young woman, at first. Nicholas Boulton presents Silas, an Englishman who transforms into the villain of the story. As the narrators hand off chapters to each other, they keep the story's tone and mood consistent.”—AudioFile Magazine

“Filled with delightful period details and artfully shaded characters, this whimsical, thoughtful look at magic and its price is the perfect read for a cold fall night.”—Publishers Weekly

“Holmberg…has a deft hand portraying internal emotional responses…Keeper of Enchanted Rooms combines lighthearted entertainment and nail-biting excitement.”—Historical Novels Review

a bit contrived

the author's books have always been full of heart and feeling, lots of fun world-building and magical concepts, and well fleshed-out characters you cared about. since star mother, though, the writing feels contrived and shallow and the books drawn-out longer than they need to be, with repetitive inner monologues taking the place character development. her ideas are still stellar - she really is brilliant - but the execution just isn't nearly as substantial.

A great read!

This story was enjoyable and the narrator was perfect for this book. A quick and easy read.

Almost There but Good Enough

I've read a few of Holmberg's books and they are often hit or miss, frequently inside the same book. I was fortunate to have read one of the really good ones first and therefore have had the impetus to read more. Her books are sometimes very hard for me to rate in that her story ideas and her way of mixing ideas are wonderful, but often her books are so close to being great and then veer off into the woods. I think a few of her books would have been perfect as a single book, but instead the stories were ruined in a way to keep them going unnaturally to accommodate a sequel or a series. This book and the Paper Magician come to mind. Come to think of it, even Star Mother had a weak sequel.
On the plus side, this was a unique story that combines the idea of a haunted house with magic. The love story developed nicely as well, although I could have done without the eye-rollingly cliche drama from miscommunications between the love interests. Is this a formula they teach inspiring writers to follow or something? It is ever present in romance novels yet does nothing for me other than annoy me.
I'm sorry, I was supposed to be praising the book in this part of the review. My mistake. Let's see... it was super imaginative, entertaining, and kept me interested the whole way through. I was skeptical of a good ending but was even satisfied with that, and it ends in a way that the book could stand on its own if it wanted to.
I now have to decide if I want to read the next book. Typically the author's sequels are somewhat tired repeats of the first book and follow almost the exact same patterns without the novelty of the original idea to see them through, so I'm skeptical. I'll probably add it to my wish list and read it six months from now when I've nearly forgotten about this one. Anyway, enough rambling for me. I recommend this book, just don't be too picky with the details and you will love it.

Good but not her best

Hi enjoyed this story. I like CHs writing and her descriptions are wonderful and you feel the characters. I like the magic aspects, but I wish more of Sila’s story was intertwined and more detail about him was included. I also think the background of the staff (maid and cook) were holes left open. The ending was predictable but I was ready for it to happen. I will read the next book because I am invested but wish there was a bit more depth to the characters and backgrounds.

Pretty cute

Heavy on the love story so just know that going in and you’ll be entertained. Good narration and good writing, but the villain could’ve used more character development.

A complete story

Well narrated and written. It's nice to read a finished book. I also think that there is enough plot and background to make a nice series. The love story climaxes with a kiss in an appropriate 1850's style. Several unforseen surprises that were fun. Nice read for a snowy winter weekend.

Funny

Would make an amusing movie! Genre of Edward Scissorhand ! Keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat. The really dark could have been mitigated.

slow start

At first I thought I was going to regret buying this book, but the plot picked up and threw in some surprises.

Funny and Suspenseful

I just love everything Charlie Holmberg writes. I often find myself laughing out loud when reading or listening to one of her books.

Creative magic

I liked the different kinds of magic and the characters. I enjoyed the reading. The bad guys were very bad and the twist with Hulda’s boss was unexpected. The house magic was also unexpected and how that changed near the end seemed perfect. Fun read!