A cozy, playful, & easy read perfect for fall. 🍁👻 When Merritt inherits a house from his estranged family, he is surprised but pleased. However, he quickly realizes the house- a mansion in Rhode Island that hasn’t been occupied in decades- is haunted. Hulda, an expert in the preservation of enchanted homes, comes to his rescue, and the two of them embark on a mission to learn the identity of the ghost, while coming to terms with their newfound camaraderie after being alone for so long.

Set in a delightful magical world that we learn more about as the book progresses, this was entertaining from start to finish. I loved how the house had a personality of its own, and I thought the romance was adorable. However, there were multiple POVs throughout the book, and one of them gave me a serious ick. I don’t think his backstory added anything to the plot, and it took away from the rest of the story. I also wish we had seen a bit more of the romance, as it felt rushed towards the end.

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms is a must read! It’s such an entertaining story! I wasn’t prepared for how in-depth the magic system in the book would be, but it was so interesting! I’ll definitely be rereading this one and I can’t wait to read more from Holmberg.

Rhode Island, 1846. Estranged from his family, writer Merritt Fernsby inherits an estate in a remote area. He is ready to make it his home until the house won't let him leave, Enter Hulda Larkin of the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms. She is trained to help in these situations. She decides that she must move into the home in order to help the in the best way. While they unravel the secrets to the home, they must dig deeper and look further than just the house.

I really loved this book. Charlie Holmberg is one of those authors that often drops off my radar, but then brings me a delightful book that I can't put down!
I loved the dual POV of Merritt and Hulda. They were dynamic characters and I really enjoyed following along as they unraveled the mystery surrounding the house, and then dealt with a rather harrowing villain. The supporting cast was also fabulous and I hope we see more of them as well, in the next book.
This book gave me The Diviners vibes, but if you toned down the creepiness a bit and gave it a little dash of cozy mystery. Merritt and Hulda make a great team and I can't wait for the next book!

I absolutely adored this charming funny fantasy read and I can't wait to read the next book.

When Merritt inherits a house on an island from his estranged family, he goes to the house to discover its actually enchanted (and a little stuborn). So he seeks the help of an agency that works to get magical items under control. We get a dual pot story that is funny and interesting the whole way through

If you love quality writing, unique but not complicated magic systems, adorable slow burn romances, bantering dialog, mischievous houses, satisfying climaxes, then this is the book for you. And if you don't think you like those things you're wrong, read this great book anyway.

I'm very excited for book 2

I consider myself a Charlie Holmberg fan. I loved the paper magician series. And rhere was alot of here to love, but one of the storyline that I found so boring. Whenever I got to a new chapter and it was him... ick.. I skimmed many of those sections after awhile. And he was a hood idea for a villiam but the way his storyline built, I hated him before we got there. Loved the other storyline though!

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms is not my usual read, a little bit too much fantasy romance but having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed this story of haunted houses. When Merritt Fernsby unexpectedly inherits a house from his grandmother he is quite surprised, after all he has not spoken to any of his family in a decade. That the house is haunted comes as an even bigger surprise. When Hulda Larkin from BIKER (Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms is sent to investigate the haunted house what she finds is a very grumpy spirit that likes to throw tantrums. But as Merritt and Hulda start to know and understand the spirit, they discover their is a great evil from Hulda's past that wants take the spirits powers.
Charlie Holmberg gets a lot of well deserved praise for her worldbuilding and her magic systems, both of which are on display in this novel.

What a truly original and imaginative tale! This book was perfect for me. It straddles so many genres so eloquently and smoothly that readers of each can savor every word, from historical to fantasy to mystery and romance. There are many words that attract you.

The story of a haunted home, the guy who unintentionally inherits it, and the lady who helps tame it is told in this gorgeous, entertaining tale.

As the author explores two completely dissimilar people in two utterly dissimilar places, the writing may initially seem a little muddled and disconnected. however, you don't want to put it down once the action truly gets going. The events that followed will stir your curiosity.

I like how the author explains the MCs' origins gradually throughout the plot rather than all at once at the start of the book. The characters' past are also revealed to one other in a more subtle and genuine approach than all at once.

Charlie has defenitely created a wonderful world and a system that is as fantastic as ever. I enjoyed discovering how everything functioned and observing how the magic impacted every other aspect of the narrative. Along with the other powers, Hulda's augury was well explained and utterly captivating.

In all honesty, this story has a lot going on, but it appeals to me. I found it difficult to put this down since it made the plot seem compelling. The antagonist's plot line piqued my interest, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well it all came together.

Even though I occasionally thought it moved a little slowly, I truly liked this book and would recommend it.

I wholeheartedly suggest this book, especially to everyone who enjoyed or is currently desiring the blend of historical fiction and fantasy in magical language!

I just finished reading Keeper of Enchanted Rooms and absolutely loved this book. This really surprised me because this is not a genre that I usually read! I had never read anything by Charlie N. Holmberg before but seen this was an Amazon First Reads choice and I was very intrigued by the sounds of it. However, I didn’t get it from there because I chose another book instead. Luckily I then found it on the NetGalleys Read Now section so I quickly grabbed it up. I’m so glad I did! This story had a little bit of everything, but mainly it was the attraction between Merritt and Hulda that took center stage for me. I loved all the magic, just imagining the house doing all the crazy things that the author described. It was so much fun! I would love to see this book made into a movie. I think viewers of all ages would enjoy seeing it. After finishing this, I was excited to learn that the author has a second book releasing on April 11, 2023 named Heir of Uncertain Magic which is Book 2 in this series. I’m looking forward to reading this story as well! This was a book that really opened my eyes and made me realize that it’s fun and enlightening to read out of your norm. It’s a story I will be recommending to my friends and one I’d like to add in physical form to my own home collection. I’m even considering ordering some of her backlist to see if I enjoy them as much. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc. I enjoyed it so much and am giving it a 5 star rating!

4.5/5.0

I simply could not put this book down, I raced through it in under 24 hours.

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms was such a cosy, whimsical read with a slow burn adorable romance and of course a healthy helping of magic & macabre. The magic system and concept behind the book was completely unique and not something I have encountered before - I now really wish my house was enchanted.
Holmberg managed to create characters I genuinely began to care about and rooted for throughout the book.

I was so happy to see that there would be a sequel to this book - it cannot come quick enough, I need more Merritt and Hulda in my life!

When Merritt inherits a house, he is excited at first. However, he soon realizes his house is enchanted, and not in a good way. Enter Hulda from BIKER - the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms. She is sent to diagnose the enchantment of the house and help Merritt get it in order. As they work together, romance starts to bloom. However, a dark force from Hulda's past is determined to take all the magic for himself.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but at times I found it a bit slow. I definitely liked the more magical parts especially before the house is diagnosed more, as I found the pace faster. A good magical read though.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun romantic fantasy. The characters are all wrapped up in their own angst and it was amusing to watch them dance around each other. I see there’s a book two listed on Goodreads. I just marked it as to read and I look forward to it!

Thank you for the ARC. This was the coolest and sweetest book I have read in a while. We have a man who was abandoned by his family and he receives an inheritance. It is an isolated old house no one has lived in in 100 years. He goes and moves in, as one does, and it turns out to be sentient.
It ends up being a creepy fun mystery and a romance. There is magic and a really cool housekeeper. He gets a maid and the funniest cook.
I just loved it.

The cover is what captured my attention immediately. I enjoyed this read a lot. The writing drew me in countless times and I realised how immersed I was in the story until I was more than half way done. I really ended up enjoying this!

There isn't any genre Charlie can't write!

This was the perfect story to wrap up the spooky season, and I especially loved the audiobook narration as well. The blend of magic, mystery and romance was better than I could've hoped for, and I can't wait for the next book in the Whimbrel House series.

If you could take the enchanted characters from the Beast's castle and sprinkle them with a little magic from Hogwarts, then you'd have Keeper of Enchanted Rooms. A delightful book that will draw you in and keep you on your toes until the very last page.

Once again, Charlie N. Holmberg has created a magic system that blows my mind. The concept for Keeper of Enchanted Rooms intrigued me immediately. I mean, a magic house holding its owner hostage? Who wouldn’t want to hear how that works out? I loved this book! It felt like a quirky Mary Poppins filled with magic and mayhem. The story is creative and fun with hints of adventure and romance. I can’t wait to see what happens next in the series.

*Thank you Charlie N. Holmberg and 47North for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Congratulations to Charlie N. Holmberg on yet another fantastical, whimsical, and binge worthy book!

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms follows Merritt, a writer who has just inherited a magical house, and Hulda, a woman educated in the ways of house taming.

The mystery of the house was interesting enough for me, and then the added secondary plot that brought in the villain, Silas, who was so absolutely creepy, took this book to the next level for me. I was glued to the pages until the very end.

Very excited to see what the next book in the series will be about!

I loved this book! Such a fun fantasy with a unique magic system. The villain was so creepy and awful and so perfect. Hulda and Merritt were great! Loved the splash of romance. Such a fun book. Highly recommend. This makes me want to read everything by this author.

Whimsical, enchanting, and delightful!
This may be my favorite Charlie Holmberg book to date. I love the historical aspects, the old house, Hulda, and Merritt. The characters are flawed in the best way with room to grow and endearing quirks. The mystery was wonderful. Just enough clues dropped to keep me guessing and unsure if I really knew what was going on. I'm very excited for the sequel. This was a perfect read for fall!

*Mild fear and suspense, brief depiction of child abuse, murder, and injuries

4.5 stars, rounded up.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Howard Marketing for my advanced copy of this book. All opinions here are my own.

I cannot say how much I loved this book. The unique magic system was amazing, and the characters were so well developed I find myself thinking about them even though I’ve been done with the book for a while. I’m so in love with this world, with Hulda and Merritt and their house, and I just want more of them all!

Another amazing book by this author! I can’t wait for more in this series!!