Keeper of Enchanted Rooms (Whimbrel House Book 1)

I truly am enjoying books that build a world without technology. This book takes place in a pre-industrial world where magic is part of one’s soul. It is passed down through familial ties, and has limits. One can’t learn different magic you must be born with spells. They can be weak or strong but enhancement is nearly impossible.The book tells two stories simultaneously and collide through the house matron Hulda. She is on her first job under a greedy criminal employer in the past. He later is found as catalyst in the second story told in the present.Without technology the characters interact with depth in almost every interaction and give the reader significant information as needed to move the story forward.When the novel ends I suspect both heroine and her hero may find that they possess more than magic between them.

This book takes magic very seriously, making it a part of normal life for people and society. I was new to this kind of idea, so it surprised me.The thing I liked about this book is that the author could have easily turned it into a horror story - haunted house on an island that at first won’t let its owner leave - but chose not to. Instead of a fear based narrative, we get one based on understanding and compassion. With the help of a mysterious housekeeper, the owner learns to understand the house and its magic. They settle for peaceful coexistence.What I didn’t like in this book was the romance, whereby an otherwise confident, capable, independent, very intelligent woman is constantly fretting about her looks and how it makes her not good enough for the man she thinks she likes. That’s ridiculous. It’s like mixing stupid schoolgirl narrative with a seasoned female warrior - they don’t go together!I don’t think I’ll be reading the sequel because all this taking magic too seriously is not my cup of tea. But this book was quite good.

This book starts out very slowly. It took about 100 pages for the story to really take off. The best way that I can describe the pacing is to say that it resembled the pacing of some nonfiction books where the book throws a bunch of important but not always interesting background information at you in the beginning. You appreciate that background information later, but it does slow down the pace of the book.Once this book took off, it was an interesting read. For me, fantasy novels are a bit of a gamble. Some of my favorite series are fantasy series (Harry Potter, Fablehaven, The Hunger Games), but there are also a lot of fantasy novels that I really do not enjoy. Now that the story has taken off, I anticipate the rest of the series being enjoyable.Overall, this is a clean novel. The romance is mild PG at most. Based on the information given about our main character, we do know that he had some scandalous (for the time) relations with a woman in his youth, but we don't get the intimate details. People are killed in the book, and we know that many of their bodies were left behind looking gruesome, but the reader is left to imagine that without the gory details. I feel like potentially the most offensive part of this book is that there is some swearing. I didn't count the swear words, but I'd guess somewhere around ten, most of them the d-word.

So I got this as a free book for Kindle Unlimited subscribers. To be completely honest, I only chose this book because I didn't really care for any of the other selections more. I got it in October and only read it now at the end of May beginning of June and I have to say that I've been blown away. I'm almost halfway through the second book and am making plans to preorder the next that is due out in Feb. of 2024 because I don't want to miss it! :) I tend toward mysteries, Regency romance, Star Trek fiction, Medieval mysteries (love Gwen and Gareth as well as Cadfael and Ann Swinfin stories), so this this wasn't my norm at all. But I love the quirkiness of the characters and the whole situation. The author has done a fabulous job of creating interesting and likable secondary characters who seem to have a bit of mystery or possibility in their past. As least enough that I'm already thinking that there might be a story there! I highly recommend this book!

What a special book! I was entranced and engrossed, and only put it down for pesky things like driving to an appointment and answering work emails. This is the kind of book I adore reading, where a world is woven I can step into, with characters who don’t just talk but whom I can visualize in all their mannerisms and interactions. Honestly what a contrast to the last book I read that I had to demote to three stars from four because this exceptional book reminded me exactly of the kind of style I love. My only disappointment is that I’m pretty sure Whimbrel House Book 2 (and more hopefully?) doesn’t exist yet.I smiled, giggled and chuckled aloud, barked a loud laugh throughout. My heart seized in terror, stopped a beat (or several), squeezed in anticipation of a love on a bumpy path. Some light sobs even made it through as Holmberg was quite adept at describing the rawness and pure feelings of love, loneliness, and heartbreak (perhaps hitting me just a tad too close for comfort at the moment - sobs and tears likely wouldn’t have come otherwise so it’s not a tearjerker, people!). The characters are clever, likable, developed, layered. The writing overall is smooth, delightful, charming, and witty, and a creative concept to boot. I devoured it and can’t wait to start on Holmberg’s others (though I can’t also help being nervous because what if this one just set the bar too high?). I need to buy the hard copy now…it’s undeniably moved into my “favorites” category.

Merritt inherits an house, not any old house, one that is haunted. As he tried to 'survive' his new house, he is aided by his new friends.However, someone else wants the house - a very dangerous someone.

A skilfully fast paced adventure with an excellent amount of adversity, twists and genuine characters coming complete with a romance. An exciting feel good story for any age able to read well ( plus 13yrs).Thank you Charlie N Holmberg.

Absolutely loved this book, it is one of the best I’ve read in recent years. Loved the characters, story line and ending. Can’t wait to read the next one!

A heartwarming, funny, and moving read.I haven't read this author before, but I'll be sure to read her other books.'The reading of a will was far more exciting when one hadn’t been disinherited thirteen years prior.' ... from this intriguing opening line, the reader is taken into the world of a possessed house--yes, you read that correctly!--and an unwitting main character who hasn't had any previous exposure to the dying world of magic.Whimbrel House, and its ghostly inhabitant, hasn't had any company in a long time ... say around a 100 years or so, and it (they) have gotten lonely. So when writer Merritt Fernsby arrives at the remote home he's just inherited, he's in for one heck of a surprise ... especially when, just minutes after arriving, the house melts beneath his feet and won't let him leave.Not to worry, though, as Hulda Larkin of the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms comes to the rescue with her bag of tricks and knowledge of the arcane. Unfortunately, trouble of a different kind follows her.What follows is a rip-roaring read full of magic, menace, humour, love, and wonderful interplay and dialogue between characters in a fantastical world the writer makes all too real. Honestly, I found myself alternately scowling at the bad guy, moved at the thwarted romantic feelings, and laughing at the humour threading throughout. Then there's the wonderful world building and characterisations. What can I say?--The Keeper of Enchanted Rooms is an enchanting read. Here are some lines I loved (and it was difficult to choose just a few.) ...'There was an enclosed porch just behind the kitchen, but with the floor bubbling like tar, she determined it best not to explore it at this time."And ...'“And what spell does that have on it?” Mr. Fernsby nearly sounded entertained. “It is a crowbar, Mr. Fernsby. Simple as that.”' ... Teeehehee.And ...'Merritt stood in the cellar, hands on his hips, digging a shallow grave for his mounting despair and burying it messily.'Okay, you've twisted my arm--here's one more ... 'The wall rippled before him. He didn’t step back. Neither did the house.'All right, I lied--one final pull quote: 'The warmth wafting off him, enveloping her with spring when she was surrounded by winter.'As you may have guessed, this read by Charlie N Holmberg gets a resounding 5 stars from me, and I'd give it more if I could. If you like magical/fantasy reads with a historical setting and a romantic subplot with plenty of humour, you'll adore this book!***NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

Enjoying the actual story so far, however the size of font in the printed book is extremely small.