Sunday, July 22, 2012

April's review of 'Witches of East End' by Melissa de la Cruz

Witches of East End (The Beauchamp Family #1) by Melissa de la Cruz
Publication Date: June 21, 2011
Publisher: Hyperion
Number of Pages: 272
Format:Hardback
Buy: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Description:  From the author of the highly addictive and bestselling Blue Bloods series, with almost 3 million copies sold, comes a new novel, Melissa de la Cruz's first for adults, featuring a family of formidable and beguiling witches.

The three Beauchamp women--Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid--live in North Hampton, out on the tip of Long Island. Their beautiful, mist-shrouded town seems almost stuck in time, and all three women lead seemingly quiet, uneventful existences. But they are harboring a mighty secret--they are powerful witches banned from using their magic. Joanna can resurrect people from the dead and heal the most serious of injuries. Ingrid, her bookish daughter, has the ability to predict the future and weave knots that can solve anything from infertility to infidelity. And finally, there's Freya, the wild child, who has a charm or a potion that can cure most any heartache.

For centuries, all three women have been forced to suppress their abilities. But then Freya, who is about to get married to the wealthy and mysterious Bran Gardiner, finds that her increasingly complicated romantic life makes it more difficult than ever to hide her secret. Soon Ingrid and Joanna confront similar dilemmas, and the Beauchamp women realize they can no longer conceal their true selves. They unearth their wands from the attic, dust off their broomsticks, and begin casting spells on the townspeople. It all seems like a bit of good-natured, innocent magic, but then mysterious, violent attacks begin to plague the town. When a young girl disappears over the Fourth of July weekend, they realize it's time to uncover who and what dark forces are working against them.

With a brand-new cast of characters, a fascinating and fresh world to discover, and a few surprise appearances from some of the Blue Blood fan favorites, this is a page-turning, deliciously fun, magical summer read fraught with love affairs, witchcraft, and an unforgettable battle between good and evil.


A very short and fast read. Although the story doesn't get that interesting until half way through the book. I was unsure of the book at first, but when I was through end up loving it. Those that are fans of Cruz's Blue Bloods series would enjoy to find that Mimi and Oliver makes a small appearance in the story looking for information. 

Each of the Beauchamp women find themselves facing their own problems. Joanna finds herself "adapting" her cleaning lady's little boy as her own, seeing how her own boy is lost to her forever. Freya finds herself in her own love triangle, even though she's in love with her fiance, she can't seem to stay away from his brother.  Ingrid fights to keep her beloved library open, while one of her co workers dates a detective that Ingrids keeps telling herself she's not attractive to. 

It's not too long before it seems like it's the Salem Witch Trials all over again. I loved all the references to that time period. The ending took me by even more of a surprise. When all the Norse mythology comes into play it's kind of hard to keep up, but it's not too bad.  And of course what kind of good book doesn't leave off with a cliffhanger? If you like a little magic, mystery, and summer romance than you should check this book out. 

Rating: 4/5 
 

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