Keeper of Enchanted Rooms (Whimbrel House Book 1)

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This book is told from the past and the present with some great twist and turns that I did not see coming, can't wait for the next book.

With its doors slamming shut and locking behind him, Whimbrel House is not about to let Merritt leave. And the sentient walls aren’t their only concern—something outside is coming for the enchantments of Whimbrel House, and it could be more dangerous than what rattles within. I ached for the event that turned a frightened boy into a villain, laughed at the acronym BIKER, and enjoyed reading. The main plot arc takes some meandering twists and turns, slowly revealing the horror of the identity of the villain and his nefarious ambitions, but ultimately comes to an exciting climax and conclusion.

the author's books have always been full of heart and feeling, lots of fun world-building and magical concepts, and well fleshed-out characters you cared about. Psst… I realise I have three separate bullet points just for the characters, but trust me – they have earned their spots on this list. I devoured this book in one sitting - and while I wish I could have taken the time to enjoy it even more, nothing can take away the enjoyment I had with this story. Instead of lugging the hardcover of Iron Flame along on my ski trip to Montana, I uploaded this eBook.

Not so scary that older kids couldn't handle it (and to be honest, they would probably handle it better than I did. But never fear, thirty four year old Hulda Larkin, of the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms (BIKES), arrives to save Merritt from his enchanted house. If anyone knows a non-historical work by her, I would try it, bc she has a brilliant imagination, I think. Thank you to 47North and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N. He will be more or less swallowed by an evil enchanted house, the lavatory nearly skewers him, real rats and rains fake blood.This story is listed as Historical Fantasy and as much as I like Historical novels, Fantasy doesn't always work for me. I see there is book two (which I’m grabbing after posting this review), so I hope the character arcs have more attention. At first I started to get bogged down with the talk of magic spells and related genealogy but as I became more invested in the characters, I seemed to understand those things better.

This book ended up on my list of favorite books I’ve read in 2022, and it's near the very top of that list. The moment I read what it was about I knew I was going to love it, but I didn't think I’d enjoy it quite this much. It's an entire magical system but you never feel like you're drowning in too much information or left floundering by too little. But when he gets to the house he realizes something is very wrong… shifting rooms, melting ceilings, and his new residence doesn’t seem to want him to leave.

The prologue set in 1818, London is chilling, and took me in a very different direction to what ultimately occurs. The antagonist's plot line piqued my interest, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well it all came together. This property has been vacant for more than a century, but Merritt, who doesn’t really have an alternative, is happy to move in. Holmgren succeeded in breaking this curse with her imaginative, creative story about a magical house and the enchanting, magical characters attempting to live somewhat normal lives inside its walls. 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.

I was just happy that these two finally figured out a way to admit their feelings for each other by the end. Nearly took a star off for the lack-of-communication/misunderstanding between main characters which is a romance format that always irritates me. At first, the writing might seem a bit confusing and disjointed, as the author explores two completely disparate people, in completely different countries. She and Merritt grow closer as the investigation progresses, but the house’s secrets run deeper than they anticipated. her ideas are still stellar - she really is brilliant - but the execution just isn't nearly as substantial.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. Thirty-one year old Merritt Fernsby, who is estranged from his family since more than a decade, gets a shock when he learns that his grandmother has left him a remote estate named Whimbrel House. If you are hard-core about your horror, you will probably find this too lightweight for your tastes.