Fans of the Tradd Street series will love the Royal Street series as fan favorite characters and their offspring often appear. The House on Prytania is the second book in the Royal Street series. Jack and and Melanie's oldest daughter Nola is featured as she returns to the city where she grew up. While Nola isn't a psychic, she gets a certain vibe when ghosts are present and it's not long before she senses the spirits inhabiting her new home, Creole Cottage. While most are friendly, Nola senses a malevolent spirit and needs to figure out what's preventing them from crossing over. When a shocking revelation throws her and Beau (the brother of Sunny who's returned home) together, sparks fly but both are resolved to the fact that nothing can happen between them. Nola throws herself into solving the mystery of the ghosts in her house, the childhood kidnapping of Sunny and what involvement, if any, her former beau Michael and his powerful family have in it all.

Karen White has a delightful way of pulling readers right into the middle of her highly atmospheric settings. You breathe in the ambiance - the sights, sounds and smells of an old city like New Orleans. I felt like I was touring NOLA in The House on Prytania - the restaurants, streets, old cemeteries, and famous landmarks. She has a gift for incorporating it all into a steady paced mystery that unfolds through well developed characters that you can't help but love. A hint of romance, a touch of paranormal and a side dose of humor are added enticement to keep turning pages. And while I can't say the big reveal was shocking to me, the story was highly readable and entertaining. While this is a spin-off series of Tradd Street, you can start here without a bump in your reading due to the great job White does of weaving in needed backstory. Having said that, I do advise reading book one, The Shop On Royal Street, only because it's a great story and introduction to the Royal Street series.

The House On Prytania is an intense, character driven story with all the elements of a great mystery. The characters, both alive and dead, are intriguing, easy to find empathy for and make up the perfect support cast for Nola as she tackles home renovations, the mystery of the ghosts surrounding her and answers to the mystery of who kidnapped Sunny. Fans of paranormal suspense will love this book and series. I highly recommend it to them plus fans of mysteries and suspense thrillers.

Happy Pub Day to The House on Prytania!
I love Karen Whites books for so many reasons. Years ago I met Karen with my book bestie Kate and fell in love with sassy, classy, and smart assy Karen. She’s picture perfection and put together but when she starts talking you are blown away by her silly personality. I adore her!
The House on Prytania was such a pleasure to read and brought back all the feels from my trip to New Orleans. I went on a walking literary tour and took pictures of all the gorgeous houses and got to hear about all the houses built on top of burials and so many ghosts stories. So I loved that this book was centered around a house with a story to tell.
The story follows Nola ( love that Karen named the main character this name) and her Creole home she purchased that seems to already be occupied…by spirits. Nola needs to figure out what these spirits are trying to tell her and hopefully solve a long forgotten murder.
There will be many distractions keeping Nola from completing her renovations but she feels a sense of responsibility over caring for this historic home and the spirits who dwell inside.
The House on Prytania is the second novel in the Royal a street series but can be read as a stand alone. Karen fills her books with Rick history as well as characters you find yourself touting for. Pick up a copy and get ready for some chilling ghost stories!

This is a wonderful follow up to the first book in the series. I love characters and the writing. Being back with these characters feels like being back with old friends.

📖𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙋𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙖
✍🏻Karen White
🗓️5.9.23
🔎Mystery + Women’s Fiction
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I’ve been reading and loving The Tradd Street series for years, and it makes me so happy that @karenwhitewrite has continued on with this new spinoff Royal Street series that features a fascinating setting, the charm, the characters, and all the ghosts once again.

𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵
👻ghosts with a past, but not scary
🕰️historic charm of New Orleans
🔎paranormal mystery
🫶🏻a great cast of characters
💘potential romance

The House on Prytania is the second book in the Royal Street series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. Author Karen White fills in the backstory from the first book, and begins this story right where The Shop on Royal Street ends, but it’s such a great series that I would also read book one.

I loved the rich writing, the great characters that find their way into your heart, along with the funny moments too, the beautiful historic homes and New Orleans setting, and the spine-tingling suspense that surrounds the mystery of the ghosts. It was just enough suspense without feeling scary, and I loved it!

*many thanks to @uplitreads @berkleypub @karenwhitewrite #gifted

Nola is still working on renovating her Creole Cottage in Louisiana thinking that the spirit of Beau’s grandfather and Jeanne Broussard have moved on. Unfortunately, Beau’s grandfather is still there along with another malevolent presence. Nola knows there must be something still holding Beau’s grandfather there, but with the appearance of Beau’s long-lost sister that issue gets sidelined. But not for long.

I really like Nola and along with her I wanted to know why the spirit of Beau’s grandfather, and his mother, Adele was still hanging around when Sunny was found. There’s also the matter of the evil spirit also lurking. I love all the side characters in this series, Jolene, Nola’s best friend particularly! She cracks me up so much with all her Southern sayings, like “Never iron or fry chicken naked” her need to monogram everything for everyone, even their dog Mardi, her driving, and her constant efforts to bring Nola’s style up to par. Efforts Nola mostly tries to evade, but reluctantly appreciates. Nola and Jolene’s friendship is one of my favorite things about this series!

The ongoing messy romantic situation, with a Beau involved with someone else while there’s a clear attraction between Beau and Nola, would usually bother me, but somehow, it’s tolerable here. In fact, if I’m being honest, it’s part of the reason I keep reading on, and the fact that it isn’t the main feature of this story. The mystery, the ghosts, Nola’s friends, and progress in renovations make this story captivating. I love the setting of historic Louisiana and the subject of restoring old homes. I wish I was there in person to see it as it happens (yes, I do realize this is a fictional story, haha)!

This is a series where it's best to read in order. This mystery wraps up, but there’s an ongoing story arc and the relationships that make me eager for the next one!

I alternately listened and read an e-copy. Sophie Amoss’ performance brings these characters to life, and I love her Southern accents! I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed. I recommend either format.

Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy.

Karen White is back with the sequel to The Shop on Royal Street, a spin off of her Tradd Street series. Nola is still in New Orleans, but after they solved the mysteries from the first book, they realize that the ghosts aren't all gone. Also, Beau's sister Sunny has returned from being missing for many years, but Nola still thinks something is off.

I kind of felt that this book is really setting up for book 3. It didn't have me quite as hooked as the previous book, but I still really enjoyed it. Karen has a way of making the paranormal seem very realistic, especially knowing New Orleans as well as I do. I could picture the locations, the cemeteries, Commander's Palace, the houses...and it's so creepily awesome.

I can't wait for the next book to continue the series!

The House on Prytania by Karen White
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Nola is living in New Orleans with her friend and roomie, Jolene. She is remodeling a home that her friend Beau (who she’s trying not to catch feelings for) is helping her with. After a supernatural run in at the house she will need all the help she can get to solve a mystery she thought they had closed the door on.
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-I didn’t read the first book in the Royal Street series but this book made me wish I did. Not because I was lost reading this book, because the story explains exactly what is going on, but because I can tell that it was a good story and I know I missed out. I’ll have to go back and read it now.
-I loved Nola and her family! Her bond with her step-mom and younger half-sister was so sweet.
-The reviews for this book says “no one does ghosts like Karen White” and after reading this I agree. The ghost aspect was written very well and I was sucked into the story. At the end I was hungry for more and will be looking forward to continuing the series after I backtrack to book one.
-Now I want to go to New Orleans so wish me luck in talking my husband into that. 😅😅😅
-Side note: I can WHOLEHEARTEDLY relate to Nola’s feeling on the bug situation in the south. I still have vivid nightmares about flying cockroaches. They are TERRIFYING.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I am so happy to find a new series set in the south, it was so much fun to read and entertaining.

It’s a strange experience to be impatient and indulge eye-rolling disbelief with a book and yet still find it page-turning compelling. It’s not often I respond this way to a novel, but I did with Karen White’s The House on Prytania, second in her Royal Street series and a spin-off from the Tradd Street series. Part of the problem was that it was second in the series and I suspect I would have enjoyed the ghostly shenanigans more if I’d read the first. But this doesn’t say much for a novel that brings on boredom and confusion in its suspense element. Insomuch as we can be oriented in this convoluted tale, here’s the blurb which makes Prytania sound more focussed than it was in my reading:

Nola Trenholm may not be psychic herself, but she’s spent enough time around people who are to know when ghosts are present, and there are definitely a few lingering spirits in her recently purchased Creole cottage in New Orleans. Something, or someone, is keeping them tethered to this world. And not all of them are benign.

But with the sudden return of Sunny Ryan, Beau Ryan’s long-lost sister, Nola has plenty to distract her from her ghostly housemates. Especially when the tempting—yet firmly unavailable—Beau, wanting to mete out justice to those he blames for Sunny’s kidnapping, asks Nola for a favor that threatens to derail her hard-won recovery and send her hurtling backward. He asks her to welcome Michael Hebert back into her life, even though Michael is the reason for Nola’s bruised heart. Beau is convinced that Michael’s powerful family was behind Sunny’s disappearance and that Michael is the key to getting information the police won’t be able to ignore—if Nola is willing to risk everything for which she’s worked so hard.

Torn between helping Beau and protecting herself, Nola doesn’t realize until it’s almost too late why the ghosts are haunting her house—a startling revelation that will throw her and Beau together to fight a common enemy. Assuming Nola can get Beau to listen to what the spirits are trying to tell him, because ignoring them could prove to be a fatal mistake…

To start, this series belongs to Tradd Street’s Melanie and Jack’s oldest daughter, Nola Holmes. Where Tradd Street was set in Charleston, Royal Street is set in New Orleans. The focus on city history through architecture is still present, but not to the same extent. I could tell because I delightedly Googled Charleston architecture countless time to my one or two Googles this time around. Still, I liked Nola’s Creole cottage renovations, her struggle to help her friend-and-maybe-more Beau and to make a life for herself on her own. I particularly loved the visit Melanie, Jack, and the twins, JJ and Sarah, paid. But what I really loved was Nola’s mouthy, brilliant, hair-spray-wielding friend and roommate, Jolene, and their adorable dog, Mardi (yes, of Mardi Gras). Jolene dresses him in a variety of themed outfits and those were the best bits of the novel…uh, doesn’t say much, does it? Yet it was charming and Jolene jumped off the page with her humour and heart.

What didn’t jump off the page? The mystery of Beau’s sister, Sunny, and the saga of her childhood kidnapping, the woo-woo ghosts inspired sniggers rather than suspense, and what has always frustrated me about White’s paranormal mysteries: how mean her heroes are. Beau, like Jack, is attracted to Nola, but doesn’t hesitate to ask her to reconnect with an old boyfriend who hurt her, to put herself in a precarious place emotionally and physically. I was caught up in the scenes they shared, but I didn’t respect myself in the morning. If you’re a White fan, like I was, thanks to Tradd Street, you’ll want to read Prytania; if this is your first White, you’ll appreciate her better if you start with Tradd Street. As for Prytania, well, Miss Austen and I have to agree it offers “tolerable comfort,” Mansfield Park.

Karen White’s The House on Prytania is published by Berkley and was released on May 9th. I received an e-ARC, from Berkley, via Netgalley. This does not impede the expression of my honest opinion.

The House on Prytania
Karen White
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the second book in the Royal Street series and it is a real page turner. Karen writes books that have fun characters, great storyline and the setting is always so vivid.

Nola is still working on renovating her cottage and there are still ghosts there. Jolene returns as Nola’s roommate and always has something funny to say!! Jolene is one of my favorite characters ever.

Beau is back and his long lost sister, Sunny has returned. There is a lot of suspicion around how Sunny was abducted and Beau wants Nola to get involved with helping find out about the kidnapping. Will this be too much to ask of Nola? Is Sunny who sh says she is?? Why has she returned now??

I really enjoyed this book!! I like Karen’s humor, her character development and she puts you right there in New Orleans!! Happy Reading!!!

THE HOUSE ON PRYTANIA is a scary story of intrigue, eccentricities, interspersed with romance and a chilling, atmospheric plot. This is the second story in the Royal Street series. This one stars Nola Trenholm who is busy renovating her recently acquired cottage in New Orleans. The work is plodding along slowly, because her house is haunted and people refuse to go in there. Nola is busy with news of Sunny's return, who is Beau's long lost sister. When Sunny was a child she was kidnapped. However, Nola's acquaintances want the kidnapper’s to pay. Beau thinks Nola's ex-boyfriend, Michael Herbert's family is involved. Beau and Nola concoct a scheme to reveal the truth behind the kidnapping that happened years ago. Meanwhile, Nola deals with apparitions lurking here, there and everywhere, while dealing with hurt, betrayals and romance. Will she and Beau uncover the mystery behind the kidnapping and everything ghostly before something tragic happens?

This is a fast-paced paranormal mystery with a sprinkling of romance. I totally enjoyed Ms. White's second story and read straight through to the end! Nola is intelligent and likable. Her romantic interests are interesting, flawed characters. The setting of the plot in New Orleans is fantastic! I felt like I was there in the ancient city touring with Nola, with its tantalizing smells, interesting sights and tangible atmosphere, that I could feel emanating from the pages. This is another fantastic story Ms. White has spun for us paranormal lovers! I can't wait to read the next one! THE HOUSE ON PRYTANIA is a clever cut above the ordinary, shivery mystery!

I have read every single book she has written and I am thrilled to announce the release of #TheHouseonPrytania! The second of the Royal Street series, Nola is haunted both by ghosts of the past and ghosts of HER past. A quick read, picking up right where The Shop on Royal Street left off, I’m already wanting the next installment. The writing is just so good. Seriously, pick this one up.

So much fun!!!! I love Karen's writing voice and think this was a great second book in the series. The paranormal element is something new for me and I'm loving it. Good work!!

This picked up right after book one ended. I loved being back with Nola, Jolene, and Beau! & the New Orleans atmosphere.. I’ve never been but man, this book has me itching to travel there!

The paranormal aspect is so good, not too spooky but just the right amount! Plus, it has house renovation projects which I love to read about.

Even though this is book two in the series, it can be read as a standalone. Karen adds the important background info you need from book one to understand what’s happening. But I totally think it’s better to read book one as you get to love and learn about the characters better!

I wish we had more resolution on the romance (because I love a good romance in a story!) for Nola but looks like maybe the next book will give me the answer!!

Overall, this was such a great book. I’m really enjoying this series and now I definitely need to read The Tradd Street series!

[ Thank you UpLitReads & Karen White for the eARC & finished copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own! ]

This second installment of the Royal Street series by Karen White is the story of Nola Trenholm and her quest to rid historic homes that are for sale of their ghosts. With the help of several psychic characters and the return of a mysterious sibling from the past, Nola embarks upon a multi-faceted mystery that is full of suspense right to the very end! If you appreciate spooky stories, this one's for you. I did find it difficult to understand a few of the character connections and plotlines since I did not read the first book in this series.

The Royal Street series is a spin-off of White’s Tradd Street novels, books that I’ve never read. I will say that despite some references and characters showing up from those novels, I do feel like you can jump right into this series with book #1. Karen White writes a story that engages the reader and makes them want to keep reading to discover where the heck this mystery is going. At least that’s how I felt.

It’s been awhile since I’ve read a spooky mystery and The House on Prytania delivered on the ghostly aspects of this story. The spirits inhabiting Nola’s house gave a creepy vibe that contrasted with what was happening as Nola investigated the almost normal mystery. Where this story shone was in Nola’s friendships. Her roommate and best friend was the absolute opposite of Nola and their interactions added a fun element to this novel that I feel like it really needed. I can’t wait for the evolution of Nola’s relationship with Beau to lover. Sorry, but I’m a romance fiend and despite his having a girlfriend, their chemistry is off the charts and you know that it’s coming in a future book.

I enjoyed The House on Prytania’s creepy vibe and fabulous characters and can’t wait to see how Nola evolves. I’ll be reading the next one for sure! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

Combine renovating old houses and mystery with a dash of romance and restless spirits and you have Karen White’s newest book to date – The House on Prytania. Catching up with favorite characters from White’s The House on Royal Street and Tradd Street series is such a welcome treat, but reading those books is not a prerequisite to be drawn into the page-turning story of The House on Prytania.

If you have enjoyed previous books by the author, you will be thrilled with The House on Prytania. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

The House on Prytania is a masterfully crafted novel that expertly weaves together suspense and family secrets, all while immersing the reader in the rich atmosphere of New Orleans. With its intricate plot twists and satisfying conclusion, I found myself unable to put it down, staying up far too late to see how it all played out.

What a story! It has just about everything a reader could ask. It has a pernicious power that won’t leave, an imposter, a blast from Nola’s past, intrigue, and plenty of spirits to keep things interesting.
It also has Jolene and Bubba. I am keeping a list of all of her euphemisms such as socks in a rooster. She adds the lightness, stability, and sense to the high drama narrative.
White is very good at planting enough seeds at the end to make readers writhing in impatient agony for the next book!

What's it about (in a nutshell):
The House on Prytania by Karen White is a spine-tingling paranormal (ghost) mystery about Nola Trenholm, the old house she bought and is remodeling, and the spirits sticking around with unfinished business. This is the second book in a series that is a spinoff from another series, but despite all of that, it can easily be read as a stand-alone.
My Reading Experience:
Wow, this book sent cold chills up my spine more than once, scared the bejesus out of me, and was not what I expected at all. It's not a horror story, but it is a ghost story, and at least one of those ghosts is pure evil. Malevolent ghosts are what scare me, and they scare me far more than the typical gore and violence of traditional horror stories. Give that ghost an evil past, and I am staying up late to see what happens, partly because I want to know and somewhat because the ghost scared me so bad that I can't get to sleep.

I loved the New Orleans setting and the whole ghostly New Orleans atmosphere, most of all. It is created to perfection. Even if it was not stated that the characters are in New Orleans, I would have known just from the atmosphere and the numerous Southernisms.

I also loved the mystery that is so layered and so deceptively complex. Suppose I sum up the mystery in simple terms. In that case, it is about discovering the unfinished business of a malevolent ghost and then pushing it to cross over. But that's the only thing that is simple about it. Solving it is exceptionally complex, with many layers and possibilities.

I've never read a story like this before. Some people call it a cozy, but I can't entirely agree with that label. It is a paranormal mystery that is spine-tingling, creepy, and complex.
Characters:
The characters are all so well-developed and interesting. Nola is determined to make it on her own. She is close to her family but doesn't want to rely on them. I loved her determination, independence, and fearlessness. If I were her, the moment by house started oozing and windows began opening and closing on their own, I would be out of there. But she sticks it out and works to solve the mystery of the unfinished business.

Narration & Pacing:
Nola tells her story in first-person narration, which works exceptionally well for creating the atmosphere and keeping the suspense and scariness at high levels. The only thing I had a problem with in this story (possibly due to the narration style) was too much extraneous information. The book could have easily been sheared by one hundred pages or so, and it would have been a much more focused and fast-paced story. As it is, it's medium-paced at best and often slows down.

Setting:
I loved the setting. New Orleans is always a great setting for a paranormal story. It is created in this book with such detail and atmosphere that the story's location is instantly recognizable. Old homes and old families with members that have scandalous pasts all come together in this story. The setting is as essential to this story as any character.

Read if you like:
Ghost stories
Things that go bump in the night
New Orleans's paranormal atmosphere

Thank you to #netgalley , #prhaudio , and #uplitreads for these #gifted copies.
Release Date: May 9, 2023

I enjoyed The Shop on Royal Street (Book #1 in this series), so I was super excited to read Book #2! This book didn't disappoint. It is filled with tense paranormal moments, a few burgeoning romances, and a continuing mystery with many dubious characters. The narrator was fantastic with her New Orleans drawl and creepy ghost voices. I love Nola's quirky sidekick, Jolene! This only makes me want to go back and read the Tradd Street Series back list.