Charlie N. Holmberg continues her tale of Merritt Fernsby who had inherited the haunted Whimbrel House near Boston in a version of 1846 where magic is becoming diluted. Hulda Larkin, who works for the Boston Institute for the Keeper of Enchanted Rooms (paper) also known as Biker. They had faced a wizard who could absorb powers from other magicians and in the process the spirit haunting Whimbrel House is now in a dog. Unfortunately the London office has sent people to investigate the disappearance of the Head of Biker and missing money. Merritt, as Heir of Uncertain Magic(paper from 47North) is trying to control his new found magical powers, and Hulda is facing the committee from London with evil intentions. Light, romantic fun, and another is promised.

Charming and intriguing, the premise held a lot and I was not -quite- as taken with this one as I had been with the second. I still found myself enjoying the ride quite a bit, however. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity with the title.

I got this arc before I’d even read the first book, that’s how much faith I had that I’d like this series. As usual, Charlie N. Holmberg does not disappoint. In the past I’ve been a bit sad there wasn’t more magic in her books because the systems she creates are always really interesting. It was great to see that magic was far more prominent here and that Heir of Uncertain Magic kept going with what Keeper of Enchanted Rooms started. It does suffer slightly from being a middle book, with lots to continue and expand upon while setting up for more, but overall it was a pleasant read that I would recommend as a nice break from the dark and epic books we usually see in fantasy.

Note: arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for honest review

I enjoyed the first book better than this one. I'm not sure what felt off, maybe it was the pacing? I still can't truly pinpoint it because I still like the characters and where the plot was headed.

Maybe it's the curse of the middle book, but I just couldn't find it in me to be bothered. It took me almost a month to read it, mostly because I was just so bored. There was very little action, not enough character development to keep me happy, the more whimsical atmosphere from the first book was missing, and we didn't get very many places as far the over-arcing plot either. I'm willing to give Book 3 a try, but I'm not excited for it at this point.

This is the second book in the Whimbrel House series. The first, "Keeper of Enchanted Rooms" was a five star for me, so it was hard when I kept comparing "Heir of Uncertain Magic" to it. It was a good sequel, continuing with the sweet, slow-burn romance between Hulda and Merritt, their friends and coworkers, and the danger brought on by evil warlocks. While I thought the overall plot was thought out and a good transition from what happened in the first book, I found the pacing on and off and that some of the same problems, Hulda's confidence in falling in love and Merritt's struggle with his family, becoming repetitive. I would have liked to see more development between the two love birds, Merritt's use of his powers, and Owein, fantastically as a dog, having more of a role within the story. I would read the third book, assuming one comes out, because I think a lot more can happen and am excited to see it develop more.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in return for an honest review!

Wow I love this story! Cannot wait for book 3.
Merrit and Hulda continue their story! There is so much more to discover in this book. I love how their relationship developes and the mystery unfolded.
Looking forward to book 3

I had downloaded "The Keeper of Enchanted Rooms" when it was an Amazon First Read and had forgotten about it until my book club chose it as our April read. I devoured it in a few days and was ecstatic to learn the sequel was available on Netgalley. I was approved! Joy!

The element that made me want to continue this series the most was the romance. I love Hulda & Merritt. In this book they are learning how the other needs to be loved and supported. Swoon! The plot centers around Merritt learning how to control his magic, confronting his family and some nefarious LIKER/BIKER business. Myra has also mysteriously disappeared after the evil showdown in book one, and Hulda is trying to track her down. Owein is learning how to be a super hero pup and makes me really want another dog that I can teach to spell. He's my fave character. He's everyone's. How could he not be?

If you loved the first book, you'll love this one too. It is not as scary and has more team work and romance (Hulda's vision** SQUEE! I got to read the next book to see that unfold IRL!) If you love books with magic, historical romance and characters you wish were your friends, pick up this series!

Heir of Uncertain Magic is a wonderful follow-up to Charlie N. Holmberg's Keeper of Magical Rooms. All of our favorite Whimbrel House residents are back and being pulled back into a suspenseful magic plot. While this book didn't have as much of the whimsical creepiness of the first book, I still felt right at home with the characters and world. I can't wait for the third book in this series.

*I received a review copy from the publisher through Netgalley

Heir of Uncertain Magic
Whimbrel House
by Charlie N. Holmberg

Compared to the 1st book in The Whimbrel House series, I found this one lacking depth. It's a Cozy historical romance the characters join from the previous book. Though the house is magical, it feels like it lacks that mystery of the last book. This is a pleasant series with a lot of warmth, which I believe is mainly due to the characters established by the author. Hulda, a lady assigned with the care and management of magical structures, is a strong independent woman with a reserved streak that I enjoyed watching her overcome in this novel. This shift is mainly due to Merritt, her former boss, who is grappling with his magical abilities while also suffering from a family tragedy. Unfortunately, I found the plot of this book to be weak; I found it difficult to care about what was going on at Hulda's company B.I.K.E.R. or what had happened to her companion, who had vanished, which was normal for her.


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Ridiculously fun read that keeps you on your toes.

Charlie has you loving every hero; human and canine.

She writes with excellent comedic relief paired with fabulous suspense and intrigue that keeps you turning every page.

This was such a magical and sweet sequel to Keeper of Enchanted rooms. I fell in love
with every character in the whimbrel house from Owein, Baptiste, Hulda, Miss Taylor, and Merritt. I can’t wait to see more blossom with Hulda and Merritt and I love this magical world that Charlie had built for us:

The magic continues in the Whimbrel House series. Merritt and Hulda’s relationship blossoms while Merritt deepens the knowledge of his own magic. All your favorite characters are back and just as loveable. This was a quick and enjoyable read. Looking forward to what comes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this lovingly magical book.

A little romance, a bit of intrigue, and a furry companion that might be something more…

While BIKER is under investigation, a conspirator is in the mist and plotting against Merritt and his friends.

At every turn, Merritt must face a new challenge and face his fears when it comes to his family.

I loved Owien and how his character shaped the story along with Merritt's connection to his family.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Bored. I'm so bored! This is a slow paced novel that has no "hook." The first book, Keeper of Enchanted Rooms, was a fun read because there was a magical house with a mystery, there was a magical killer on the loose, there was a possible romance. All very compelling elements for a plot.

This book, the house isn't magical, because the soul that was "haunting" it is now in a dog. Instead, we have a mystery of what is going on in Hulda's company - could care less. Merritt is trying to figure out his powers, which could have been interesting, but wasn't.

The dog was boring too.

It was all boring. At the 30% mark there should be SOMETHING to propel the reader, a turning point, something -- but it's so underwhelming that I just gave up.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I was very excited for a chance to read the follow up "Heir of Uncertain Magic". The reason the first brook gripped me so was due to the characters who ended up inside the enchanted home. They were again what made this sequel so enjoyable. Merritt, Hulda, Beth and Baptiste are back along with the most adorable dog ever, Owein. The fallout from the first book is the main plot here. I have to say that this plot itself was quite a bit less engaging than that of the first book. The stakes seemed much lower and the best parts of the book were the ones that featured the main cast from Whimbrel house. I loved being inside Owein's head as well at a few points. I am very intrigued by the extremely short glimpse at the end of the book of the possible plot of book #3.

'Heir of Uncertain Magic' was a decent sequel. I'd say that if you enjoyed the first book, then you'll like this one just as much. The pacing, plot structure, and character dynamics are all very similar, but with enough growth in the characters that things don't feel stale. I appreciated the twists and turns regarding the main antagonist, as I was worried this book would fall into the worn trope of the same Big Bad returning book after book.

Whimbrel House #2 - Heir of Uncertain Magic put such a smile on my face the moment I saw Netgalley and the Publishers offered our Podcast the next book in this fantastical series. Even though I knew it was due in April, I could not wait to rejoin Merritt, Hulda, Owen, and the rest in their continued adventures.

As with the first book of this series, Heir of Uncertain Magic is light hearted and fun with a little bit of mystery and mayhem mixed in. The events of book two seem to happen fairly quickly after the first book ends and Hulda and BIKER (The Boston Institute of the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms) are trying to discover what happened to the previous director of the organization and how her actions lead to where they are now.

This is not a heavy read and it has some slow moments and naivety on the part of the main characters but overall I can forgive a lot of these things since the book is really one that seems to just make the reader feel good. I didn’t feel nearly as bogged down with this sequel as I did with the first when the author was trying to help us understand the magic system and heredity. I look forward to seeing if Holmberg will continue her exploration of Whimbrel House and its occupants.

Heir of Uncertain Magic is the second book in the series. The first book was one of my favorites when I read it, so I knew going in that would be hard to top. This series in general is so different and fun. It’s full of adventure and mystery solving. The only reason I knocked a star off, is becase this felt more like the second part of the first book or the beginning of the second one. I only wished it was longer! This book was more upbeat and quirky compared to the first one. I loved that it gave the characters more dept and history to better understand them. It doesn’t feel like the relationships are rushed and characters are given more time to know each other.

A cozy romantic historical fantasy with likeable, witty and well fleshed-out characters, quite an angsty plot and as well a touch of romance. It was a pleasant read with the second half of the book being way better/more engaging.