Keeper of Enchanted Rooms (Whimbrel House Book 1)

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.

4.5/5I really enjoyed this. As a fan of a slow burn romance between older people other than the typical teen characters, this ticked most of the boxes.And in the world of magic it led to some fun situations. The characters were likeable and believable and I found myself reading into the early hours of the morning and looking forward to reading some more each day.The only reason I give it a 4.5 other than 5 is because I wasn’t interested in Silas’ chapters to begin with. Also there are a few typos and grammatical errors which irritate me but I’m just being picky. It waffles on a bit in places. And when it gets to the part you’ve been waiting for, it wasn’t enough. Quite a bit left to the imagination. Would have liked to have seen more of the ‘anticipation’ moments between the two. Overall this is a fun book :)

Merritt, a man aged 31, is surprised to inherit Whimbrel House, the sole property on Blaugdone Island, Narragansett Bay, in Rhode Island Sound, as he was ostracised from his family aged 18 years old.The house is enchanted. Merritt has problems with the house playing tricks on him, trying to harm him and he's unnerved by the thought of being watched.Hulda, a lady from BIKER, an organisation that deals with magical buildings, arrives to assist Merritt adjust to living in an enchanted property.The story goes on to detail how Merritt deals with Whimbrel House, the employees who come to live with him, along with Hulda's quest to get to the bottom of what magic Whimbrel House possesses.Meanwhile, danger is lurking, threatening their futures.This story, though a little slow to warm up (that's why I gave it only ⭐⭐⭐⭐) , was well worth reading. I received it through Amazon First Reads.✳️This story is better on Kindle as there's occasional archaic language. Some of which can be worked out by context, sometimes the meaning is given, but the dictionary facility has proved necessary for a few words✳️

Having read Star Mother, Star Father and Followed By Frost (all of which I became engrossed in), I was keen to read another Charlie Holmberg book.This was very different. In parts, it was like reading something Harry Potterish, but written by Philip Pullman (or the other way around). I did spot a couple of plotlines coming, but that isn't unusual for me, and does not necessarily spoil the story. I won't put spoilers in, but magical ability and lineage.....I did think on several occasions that the descriptives were so precise as to almost be describing SFX in a film, agaIn like H. Potter. Was this written with a film in mind? Only Ms Holmberg knows.I look forward to the next book in this series with interest.

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes magic and mystery. If contains a collection of interesting characters each with their own magic. There are twists and turns and the ending leaves you waiting for the next in the series. An enjoyable read.

A different type of magic tale. I found myself reading occasionally to start, then suddenly wanted to know where it led. Definitely enjoyed it, I will look for more from Charlie

It's a magical story that has romance and a villain in theory everything.However I found the book slow to start. Once you get past that it's a good book

Slightly wacky, certainly out of the ordinary, but endearing characters. An easy read but most enjoyable from start to finish. Won't appeal to everyone but I thoroughly enjoyed!