Tag Archives: Karen White

The Lady on Esplanade by Karen White – a Review

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The Lady on Esplanade by Karen White – a Review

 

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Description:

People and secrets from the past threaten to disrupt Nola Trenholm’s new life in New Orleans. Nola is ready to focus on starting over in the Big Easy. She wants to get back to work on the renovations of her Creole cottage, and she is eager to launch a new murder-house-flipping business with contractor, closet psychic, and part-time nemesis Beau Ryan. After a near-death ghostly encounter and the return of Beau’s missing sister, they are confident that the ghost of his mother can finally rest.

Nola believes the shotgun house on famed Esplanade Avenue is a prime fixer-upper for her first project. It may have been the site of a woman’s murder and the disappearance of an entire family, but the house will be perfect for new-to-town Cooper Ravenel—who happens to have caused Nola’s first heartbreak. 

That’s the least of Nola’s worries, though. In addition to the elusive spirit of an angry young woman who accompanied Cooper to New Orleans, the house on Esplanade has its own ghosts, including one that is becoming increasingly dangerous as he tries to hide his dark secrets.  And the wet footprints from the spirit of Beau’s mother have returned to let them know there is still unfinished business before she can rest.  Spectral danger is headed toward them, and it’s up to Nola to convince Beau to help before it’s too late. .

 

 

 

Review:

The Lady on Esplanade by Karen White is the 3rd book in her Royal Street series. Nola Trenholm is renovating her new home in New Orleans, with vengeful ghosts, psychic gifts, unsolved murders; with her business partner and reluctant psychic, Beau Ryan. We meet a few new characters and get to know some old characters a bit better, with each of them playing major parts in the story, adding charm & humor to the story.

There continued to be a mystery surrounding Beau’s family, and Nola’s determination to discover the truths behind the Esplanade house.  Nola and her friend Jolene investigate a mystery involving ghostly spirits that are under renovation. The supernatural elements lead to an old murder case involving the death of Adele, with ghosts and psychics that gives us suspense and hints of danger.

I loved some of the wonderful characters, such as Sarah, who was only 13 years old, with her ability to see and hear ghosts; she was a fantastic addition, helping Nola reveal what the ghosts are telling her.  I also loved Nola’s best friend, Jolene. She too was a fun and awesome character, helping to cook for others, and helping Nola dress good.  I did like Beau, though somewhere they will eventually find a way for them to discover their real feelings.

The Lady on Esplanade is a story that is packed with tension, humor, intrigue, and suspense. What follows is the mystery as well why the ghosts continue to haunt the house on Esplanade; with Beau helping to rescue Nola.

The Lady on Esplanade was so very well written by Karen White, which was an excellent story, with a fabulous heroine in Nola. There was so much history in New Orleans, with ghosts, mystery, suspense and historical homes. Karen White once again gives us a fabulous addition to this series, and I look forward to the next book.

Reviewed by Barb

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The House on Prytania by Karen White – a Review

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The House on Prytania by Karen White – a Review

 

 

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Description:
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…

 

 

Review:

The House on Prytania by Karen White is the 2nd book in her Royal Street series. The story continues with Nola Trenholm (heroine) still working on her new Creole cottage in New Orleans, which is haunted with ghosts (some good and some evil). Nola learned a lot of historic preservation, especially being the step daughter of Melanie, who has the ability to talk to ghosts (Tradd series).  We follow Nola, as she tries to get Beau (who does see ghosts, but refuses to talk to them); and with Beau’s sister (taken as a young girl) returning home, he is bent to find those who kidnapped her. Though Nola loves working on the house, she does fear the evil entity that seems to cause problems.

Beau is convinced that Michael’s (Nola’s ex-boyfriend) family was behind Sunny’s disappearance and that Michael is the key to getting information the police won’t be able to ignore.  Nola has second thoughts, but agrees to meet with Michael and his family to discover the truths, but first she welcomes her family who are visiting.  

It was great to see Mellie, Jack and the twins (Sarah and JJ), as well as an old flame, Cooper.   Sarah is only 13 years old, but she had the ability of seeing and hearing ghosts, which she gained from her mother, Melanie (Mellie).  Sarah was such a great addition, always giving Nola information she gained from reading certain books, as well as revealing what the ghosts are telling her.  Jolene, who has become Nola’s best friend, is such a fun and awesome character, always making sure Nola dressed properly, and cooking/baking for everyone. Thibeau and Jorge continues to help Nola with renovating the house, despite the ghosts. 

What follows is the mystery as to who kidnapped Sunny all those years ago, as well why the ghosts who haunt her house. As we reach closer to the end, some surprising secrets are revealed, and lives are threatened, with Nola and Beau working together to fight the evil entity.

The House on Prytania was so very well written by Karen White, which was an excellent story, with a fabulous heroine in Nola, in a town that has so much history, with ghosts, mystery, suspense and historical homes. I loved the wonderful secondary characters, especially Jolene. Karen White once again gives us a fabulous addition to this series and I look forward to the next book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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The Shop on Royal Street by Karen White – a Review

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The Shop on Royal Street by Karen White – a Review

 

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Description:
After a difficult hiccup on her road to adulthood, Nola Trenholm is looking to begin anew in New Orleans, and what better way to start her future than with her first house? But the historic fixer-upper she buys comes with even more work than she anticipated when the house’s previous occupants don’t seem to be ready to depart. Although she can’t communicate with ghosts like her stepmother, luckily Nola knows someone in New Orleans who can–even if he’s the last person on earth she wants anything to do with, ever again. Because Beau Ryan comes with his own dark past, a past that involves the disappearance of his sister and parents during Hurricane Katrina, and the unsolved murder of a woman who once lived in the old Creole Cottage Nola is determined to make her own whether or not the resident restless spirits agree…

 

 

Review:

The Shop on Royal Street by Karen White is the first book in her new Royal Street series. Nola Trenholm, who was in the Tradd Street series, is the heroine in this book; as she has moved from Charleston, South Carolina to New Orleans.   Nola has purchased a historic fixer upper, which requires a lot of work, not to mention the house is haunted, with ghosts who do not want to leave. Nola learned a lot of historic preservation, especially being the step daughter of Melanie, who had the ability to talk to ghosts (Tradd series). 

Beau Ryan, who Nola broke up with awhile back, is the hero in this book, and though they no longer are together, she knows she needs Beau’s help to renovate the house.  Beau lives with his grandmother, Mimi, and they are the ones who sold the house to Nola.  Beau is like Nola’s stepmother, able to see ghosts, but he hides this from others, and Nola already can tell he has that ability; even though he refuses to listen to her.

Nola has gained a lot of new friends, who will help her with the house renovation. Jolene is Nola’s friend, and also works with Beau; who will assign Jolene to be the project manager of the renovation; she will also become a roommate of Nola.  Jolene was such an awesome character, so much fun and always cooking/baking for everyone; and I liked Jaxson, who used to be Jolene’s boyfriend, and they remain good friends. Thibeau and Jorge are the men who work in the house to renovate, as they are willing to work there, despite the ghosts.

There is a mystery surrounding Beau’s family, that Nola is determined to discover more; which relates to a powerful New Orleans family.  A woman was killed years ago, and she is one of the ghosts that are in the house, as well as Beau’s grandfather; with the powerful family threatening Mimi’s family, which also resulted in Sunny, Beau’s sister disappearing.  Nola will push Beau to help her get the ghosts to finally move on.

The Shop on Royal Street was so very well written by Karen White, which was an excellent story, with a fabulous heroine in Nola, in a town that has so much history, with ghosts and historical homes. Besides rooting for Nola and Beau to find a way to get together, I loved Jolene and many other secondary characters.  Karen White once again gives us a fabulous new series, and I look forward to the next book in this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

 

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The Last Night in London by Karen White – a Review

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The Last Night in London by Karen White – a Review

 

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Description:
A captivating story of friendship, love and betrayal – and finding hope in the darkness of war.

London, 1939. Beautiful and ambitious Eva Harlow and her American best friend, Precious Dubose, are trying to make their way as fashion models. When Eva falls in love with Graham St. John, an aristocrat and Royal Air Force pilot, she can’t believe her luck – she’s getting everything she ever wanted. Then the Blitz devastates her world, and Eva finds herself slipping into a web of intrigue, spies and secrets. As Eva struggles to protect everything she holds dear, all it takes is one unwary moment to change their lives forever.

London, 2019. American journalist Maddie Warner travels to London to interview Precious about her life in pre-WWII London. Maddie, healing from past trauma and careful to close herself off to others, finds herself drawn to both Precious and to Colin, Precious’ enigmatic surrogate nephew. As Maddie gets closer to her, she begins to unravel Precious’ haunting past – and the secrets she swore she’d never reveal …

 

 

Review:

The Last Night in London by Karen White is a wonderful standalone novel. This story switches between the past in 1939, during war torn London, and in the present of London 2019. 

It is a story of two best friends, who were fashion models and roommates; we get to meet American Precious Dubose, and Londoner Eva Harlow. Eva comes from a low-class poor family, and decides to re-invent herself, and only Precious knows about Eva changing her name. When Precious and Eva make friends with Sophia, her fiancé, David, it is Eva who meets Sophia’s handsome brother, Graham.  In a short time, Eva and Graham will fall for each other, with her determined to keep her identity a secret. When Graham goes off to war, Eva finds herself fighting off the attention of Alex, who begins to blackmail her (knowing the truth of her true background), and she ends up in the middle of spies and intrigue.  Precious is Eva’s rock, always there to help and protect her.

In present time 2019 London, we meet Madison (Maddie) Warner, who is a journalist, having just arrived in London to do an interview with 99-year-old former fashion model, Precious Dubose.  Turns out Maddie has discovered she is a distant relative to the family, with her friend Arabella inviting her to do the interview; as well as browse through all the wonderful collections of clothes.  Maddie becomes engrossed in Precious story; her life then, what happened to Eva, how they survived the war, the secrets she discovers in pictures and forgiveness.  Maddie is shocked to discover that an old school friend, Colin is living with his nana, Precious, which makes things a little difficult. 

What follows in the past is a story of love, friendship, betrayal, tragedy, with two fantastic women, one content in her life with friends, and helping during the war, and the other reinventing her life to be with the man she loves, and being blackmailed to help a traitor, and hide her truths.  The present revolves around Maddie, as she delves into papers, photos, accessories to learn more about Precious and trying to discover more about Eva and Graham and the secrets that will be revealed along the way. 

I loved Precious, both the young woman in 1939 and the one in the present that was 99 years old.   I liked Eva in the past, and her love for Graham.  I loved the character of Maddie, who had her own issues, but working with Colin, she began to care for him, as they worked together to resolve the missing pieces from the past.

The Last Night in London was an amazing story that kept me glued to my kindle, devouring both the past and the present.  Karen White wrote a fantastic story, with wonderful characters, a bit of suspense and intrigue, as well as a twist closer to the end.  The Last Night in London was a thrilling story, built around friendship, trust, love, secrets, war and betrayal.  This is a must read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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