Such a good book that I immediately went and bought paperbacks of this and book 2 (Heir of Uncertain Magic) for my ‘keep’ shelf.

The worldbuilding is fantastic – I love the system of genetic magic passed through family bloodlines in complex percentages and recessive/dominant strains, like eye colour but with more variety.

There is loads of action and mystery, romance and a fair helping of horror (those living, raisin-doll people… *shudders*). And the characters are immediately lovable and engaging – not just Merritt and Hulda, but the side characters like Beth, Baptiste, Owein, and Whimbrel House itself (¡Hola slightly-scary casita!). Plus we get some of the chapters from Silas Hogswood’s perspective so can empathise with his motivations to some extent, even as we completely abhor his actions and (lack of) morals.

Honestly, this book was literally un-put-down-able for me. I was riveted, mesmerised, transfixed.

More please, Charlie N. Holmberg!

This was one of my favorite reads of 2022. This was my first read from this author and won’t be my last

Hulda Larkin is just here to do a job. She has dealt with plenty of homes with enchanted rooms before, and whether or not Merritt Fernsby believes in the magic certainly won't influence its existence.

The plot untangled in a delightful manner, with unexpected twists and turns regarding the house's magic, and the surprising histories of Ms. Larken and Mr. Fernsby.

I especially liked that this 19th century story talked about magic as commonplace - while you may not have any magic yourself, everyone had learned about in school, and probably knew of some families who were still passing it down through their genetics. Magic was even measurable based on your lineage, so you knew not only if you probably had magic, but also what types!

I obviously found the book completely charming. The late 1800s characters and their backgrounds were interesting (both for good and for evil) and the history of the communities and organizations that dealt with magic and other issues of the time really lent something to the story as well. I gave the book 4 out of 5 stars and look forward to more books about Hulda Larkin and the others who are blended into her story.

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Keeper of Enchanted Rooms
Charlie N. Holmberg
Historical Fantasy
347 pages

Sᴴᴼᖇᵀ Sʸᴺᴼᴾsᴵs

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms is about a man, Merritt, who inherits an enchanted house in the 1800s.

He hires staff, and Hulda from the Boston Institute for the Keeping of enchanted rooms joins them to help him learn about and handle the shenanigans his house throws out. Her job is to preserve the history and charm of homes such as these.

While all this is happening, a bad fellow is trying to steal magic for less than upstanding purposes, and some secrets come out of the woodwork.

Mʏ Tʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs

This is such an original story! The plot, the characters, the house itself - all tremendously awe inspiring!

This house! It could transform itself. Rooms were added at times. The stairs would shapeshift as people were using them. Walls could move. Doors would refuse to open. I loved it!

Along with this crazy house, there were new relationships developing among the characters living in the home. I found these people to be gracious, caring, and helpful.

The evil Hogwood portrays is so dang creepy. His incredibly selfish ways make him stoop to low levels. The method of his madness is disturbing. I can’t give any details, as that would ruin it for you.

Will good win over evil? Does the house ever accept Merritt? How did this evil escape to mess up more lives? What relationships will develop? Read Keeper of Enchanted Rooms to find out!

4/5! I really didn't expect to love this as much as I did. The story primarily follows Merritt, a 31 year old writer who was abandoned by his family at 18, who inherits an enchanted house that isn't quite behaving as it should. A representative from BIKER (Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms), Hulda, is sent over to the house to help diagnose the source of the enchantments.

There is a second storyline which wasn't as interesting to read but was important for the plot, and the book didn't really pick up until around the halfway mark for me. I however adored the coziness of the story and the romance subplot was really sweet.

Definitely a read I would recommend to people - it does read well as a standalone but a second book is coming out and I will be picking that up too!

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms is the captivating first book in the Whimbrel House series, in which Charlie Holmberg gives us another taste of his mastery of the art of story weaving.
Merritt Fernsby is a young writer, single by choice and disinherited by his father, who is bequeathed to Whimbrel House by his grandmother.
Whimbrel House is a charming haunted property that has its own idiosyncrasy and somewhat unstable character.
Entering the scene is Hulda Larkin of the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms, who has been trained to solve just this kind of "domestic problem" and is trying to forget a traumatic experience she lived through on a previous assignment.
Magic, romance and the desire for power are interwoven in the plot, which leads the protagonists to live memorable and dangerous adventures, with twists and turns that make the reader want to know the outcome, but at the same time wish that the story do not finish.
I thank the author, 47North, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
The opinion I have expressed above is based solely on what I think and feel about this book.

I loved this magical universe!

Set in the 1800's this story is full of magic, this historical fiction, fantasy romance story has it all and you will devour it!

An enchanted home that does as it wants, a new owner who's going insane because of it, a representative of the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms who is hoping to help and her ex boss who want this house for himself.

You wont be able to put this book down! totally recommended!

'Keeper of Enchanted Rooms' is a lovely historical fantasy built on the premise of magic being genetically based, divided into specific talents and passed along through family trees. Though the guide to the magic system at the very front of the book was a bit overwhelming, I really enjoyed the system itself. It felt familiar enough to understand yet unique enough to offer novelty. The introduction of enchanted, haunted, and possessed locations and items was also really neat. The pacing was a bit slow on the front end of the book and didn't quite pick up until maybe the 75% mark, which is the main reason this is a four star read for me.

The world of magic is fading, the blood lines wearing thin. But that isn't a problem for one desperate man...

Okay, so when I picked up this book to read, I thought it would be a cozy historical fantasy, but what I read was far more than I had anticipated. The world is similar enough to understand, yet the magic system has such depth that I feel a whole series of books would be needed to fully flesh out its potential range.

As for the characters...Hulda is so uptight and particular, yet knowledgable and As an almost perfect foil, Merritt's unruly hair and messy lifestyle offer the opposite end of the spectrum. My favorite parts of their interactions took place when one was quite frazzled and the other overly calm; and yes, they both have mulitple turns in each role throughout the story. And goodness, if the slow burn romance isn't the most adorable thing.

I won't give it away, but another character also stood out as a very unique personality in the story...

The pacing is restrained up until the climax when I felt everything burst out into an all-out sprint to the end. I would have enjoyed a little more agony before the end, but maybe that's just me...

Overall, the book was surprising in all the best ways, the characters extremely likable and the story a believable and exhilarating journey. 4.5 stars.

The perfect combination of historical fiction, fantasy and a touch of both mystery and romance!

I love how the author makes these enchanted house that should feel creepy and scare people like a haunted house should be feels magical and playful instead, because of the magic that plays a huge part in the story.

Great writing style which describe the world building and parts of the house vividly, makes it easier to envision these places.
The magic system is also fascinating, there’s so many different type of powers. While it might feel a bit overwhelming at first, but you’ll remember it easily as the story goes.

Both main andside characters are well developed and easy to connect with.
I love the banter between the main characters (Merritt and Hulda) – how different they are but ended up getting along together.

My favorite part of the story would be the found family aspect and the enchanted Whimbrel House which just liven up the story with its pranks set for the characters that live in there.

The twist near the ending is very unexpected because I guess the wrong villain, I thought that one person was the villain in disguise when in fact it’s the other one!

Overall, this is a great and enjoyable read!
I would read the second book immediately to continue the story and find out more about Merritt’s power and family. I wish there would be more romantic interaction between Merritt and Hulda cause I love seeing both of them!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: Murder, body horror, animal cruelty, emotional abuse, panic attacks, death of a parent

I received an advanced review copy for free through Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Huge thank you to the publisher and the author!

I enjoyed this magical realism story. It was kind of a slow build romance and reminded me of Harlequin with the sweet story. It also had a fun magic background that tied in and a bit of a mystery murder story too! No spice at all. I don't even think there was any language! I have been interested in the Paper Magician series so I definitely will read those now!

A house haunted by magic... I loved this concept, and any story where the house is a character. And I love a cozy fantasy—warm, delightful, perfect for curling up with and getting lost in the world without worrying about super high stakes-anxiety inducing situations.

Oh, I loved reading these books! I loved getting to know this world of magic and how it works, and BIKER, it was all so fascinating! After reading Keeper, I needed to read Heir, and it was available for me on NetGalley, and I got it, and I read it right then and there!

The magic of this world, with the different types, and the stones associated with them, and the costs, were really interesting. That magic is declining with each generation because of genetics, and how their world was changing was really interesting!

These books were cosy, but they did have some underlying plot. Like in the first book, we had the flashbacks to . There was the thing about how his house was enchanted, and the mystery of was how. And when they found out how, that lead to other questions. And in the second book, there's dealing with the reveal about him being a bastard, and that he has magic.

I adored the romance! It's slow and steady, and she's fighting it, because it isn't proper, she's the housekeeper, even if she isn't his employee. Plus she's been disappointed by love, and is certain that she's content with her life. I really enjoyed watching them together!

These were fantastic reads, and I can't wait to read more by Charlie N. Holmberg!

A little out of my comfort zone but enjoyed it nonetheless. Characters and pacing were spot on and the story is engaging.

This book was so well written. It was whimsical, and I can definitely see it being something that I come back to year after year.

The Keeper of Enchanted Rooms is a wonderfully haunting tale. I loved the quirky humor interspersed throughout the story. The plot was engaging and active. Merritt and Hulda are captivating characters. I can't wait for the second book!

this was such an amazing book! i'm so thankful to netgalley for letting me read this one early! it was so much fun and intriguing!! what a fun, fun, fun read!!!!

I thought this book was very good!! I really enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I was going to. It was well written and I just couldn’t put the book down. I read it all in one day. It was just a great book.

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms is a story of magic, mystery, and romance. The early chapters jump between three characters until two of them (Merritt and Hulda) converge in a house-owner/housekeeper relationship. The catch is that the house is haunted by magic, and Hulda is working to find out what kind of magic so she can tame the house. Their relationship begins quite professionally, but as they spend more time together, it turns into more. However, there is a third character (Silas) who is quite nefarious and is someone the housekeeper encountered in a previous employment. This character is a magic criminal (criminal of magic?) and Hulda played a role in stopping him. As predicted, he is now out for revenge, but his vendetta is not so simple.

This was an enjoyable story that was heavy on magic, medium on mystery, and light on romance.

An enchanting book with enough love, magic and atmosphere to put it at the top of my magical realism book list. Great historical fiction - can't wait to read #2.