Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N. Holmberg - Book Review

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N. Holmberg

Series: Whimbrel House #1 (Standalone)

Genre: Historical Fantasy 

3.8 Stars 

One Liner: Entertaining but drags in the middle 

*****

Rhode Island, 1846 

Writer Merritt Fernsby is surprised when he inherits the Whimbrel House from his estranged family. His delight doesn’t last long when the house decides to take control and trap him inside. 

Enter Hulda Larkin from the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms (BIKER). She is a tamer of possessed and enchanted houses and sees it as her duty to preserve the disappearing magic in such ancient houses. 

As the duo tries to find the source of magic, they also battle a sense of attraction between them. However, unseen larger forces are at work, threatening to get revenge and settle scores. Can Hulda and Merritt survive the fight? 

The story comes in the third person POV of three main characters. 

What I Like: 

The MCs are 30+ and not your traditional beautiful, handsome, delicate, or whatever! While they act childish a couple of times, they are also dealing with their pasts and vulnerabilities. 

Magic is an inherent part of the plot and a common phenomenon. Those who don’t have it also know about it (and, in fact, study it at school). 

The book starts with a blueprint of the interiors of the Whimbrel House. It also gives a brief definition of different types of magical powers. This was very useful to refer to. 

The setting is descriptive without being boring. I love the house and its antics. It gets endearing once we realize the source. 

There are enough quirky and humorous moments to keep the story lighthearted. It’s a fairly easy read (ignoring words from the period that pop up). 

What Didn’t Work for Me: 

The characters take time to reveal their depth. It gets a little tiring to read about them in the beginning when they are cardboard cutouts. They seem immature and are not likable until we get to 35-40% of the story. 

While some elements of magic have been handled with care, a few seem to be left without much attention. Also, the villain needs a better arc. There is potential to make him dangerous (not just physically), but that’s what we get. 

The climax started well but didn’t wow me. The ending was rather sweet (and a little lovey-dovey). But you’ll enjoy it if you like happy endings with a touch of romance. 

The pacing is a bit uneven. The story drags in the middle, where things seem to go around in circles. Hulda needs to rely on her instincts and pay attention to her visions (it’s her gift, after all). 

I see there is book two (which I’m grabbing after posting this review), so I hope the character arcs have more attention. 

To summarize, Keeper of Enchanted Rooms is a dark, cozy read without being twisted or scary. Owein is adorable, so that’s a plus. 

Thank you, NetGalley and 47North, for the eARC. 

#KeeperofEnchantedRooms #NetGalley