Book Review for Keeper of Enchanted Rooms (Whimbrel House Series 1) by Charlie N. Holmberg
This is a fantasy with magic, mystery, and romance. The story takes place in an abandoned estate on the small island of Blaugdone in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island in 1846.
The protagonist, Merritt Fernsby is a thirty-one-year-old writer. He was estranged from his family at the age of eighteen after being falsely accused of getting Ebba pregnant. Ebba disappeared without saying a word and Merritt wants to know why. He is seeking for a sense of belonging and is surprised to inherit a house from his grandmother. The house came with magical properties and requires a staff to help Merritt learn how to manage it. After some time, the staff members at Whimbrel House begin to feel like family to him.
Hulda Larkin, a woman in her mid-thirties, works for The Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms (BIKER) was assigned as the temporary housekeeper to learn about Whimbrel House’s enchantments and to teach Merritt how to care for the house. She has a rigid personality but carries a bag full of tricks. Although she has experienced betrayal in past relationships and had given up on the idea of romance she begins to develop feelings for Merritt. Sometimes Hulda can see future events but she doesn’t always understand what they mean.
When Fletcher Portendorfer, Merritt’s best friend, comes for a visit he informs Merritt that the Genealogical Society arranges marriages for wizards and that he saw Mrs. Larkin talking to Elijah Clarke about that. This leads to some misunderstandings.
Whimbrel House is a character in this story. It is a magical haunted house that appears to have a mind of its own. Among other things, it destroys Merritt’s manuscript turning its pages into random objects. It prevents Merritt from leaving. It rearranges itself as it sees fit. It creates additional rooms as needed to provide for new staff members and visitors. It even mischievously combines rooms while their occupants are asleep. It changes its stairs into a slide according to its whim. It redecorates itself changing the colors and patterns of the carpet and its portraits follow Merritt around the house.
The main antagonist, Silas Hodgwood is a wizard that has a way of extracting magic out of people. He is supposed to have died in jail. However, he is very much alive and creating a good deal of chaos for Merritt and other characters. He continues to destroy anyone with magical abilities along with magical houses to make himself more powerful. He has an accomplice which I will allow you to discover for yourself.
I loved this story. The author does an excellent job at combining historical fantasy with mystery and romance. It kept me engaged and wanting more. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys magical fantasy, mystery, and clean romance. I give this book a solid 4-star rating.