Witches of East End

Melissa de la Cruz

Publisher: Hyperion

Publish Date: June 21, 2011

Version: Hardcover print

Series: Beauchamp Family

There was something new and strange in town; something wicked this way had come.

The Beauchamp family lives in an island town of North Hampton, New York.  They are a family of witches who were forbidden to use magic.  Everything is going well with their lives, Freya is engaged to Bran and works at the North Inn, Ingrid works at the library and Joanna busies herself with taking care of Tyler Alvarez.  Then one day, while working at the North Inn, Freya does the unthinkable.  She uses her magic to help a couple that is having problems.  This has an avalanche effect on the Beauchamp women.  Next Ingrid and Joanna dare to use their magic and all three realized how much they have missed doing so.

The book starts out at Freya’s and Bran’s engagement party.  This is where she meets Killian Gardner for the first time.  It is after this first meeting that Freya cannot get Killian off her mind especially during Bran’s philanthropic travels.  Bran seems to be away from New Haven more than he is there and this is troublesome for the couple.  Freya has a difficult time with his absence and soon the Beauchamp women learn that all is not as it seems, but is it worth risking using their magic to stop what is happening on North Hampton?

It is interesting to hear of how the witches feel when they cannot use their magic.  I found that I was more intrigued by the feelings that they got from doing little spells here and there because of it.  I like how De La Cruz made Bran’s character as kind, awkward and self-conscious.  This makes him more likeable. I was sad to see this book end because that means I’ll have to wait for the next book in the Beauchamp Family series.  This is a good book that I highly recommend.  

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.

 

 Since this book has so many people in it, I decided to do a list of the major characters.

•Freya Beauchamp—Youngest daughter who is engaged to Bran Gardiner.  She works as a bartender at North Inn

•Ingrid Beauchamp—Oldest child who is a librarian

•Joanna Beauchamp—Mother of Freya, Ingrid and Fryr

•Norman Beauchamp—Father of Ingrid, Freya and Fryr  

•Fryr Beauchamp—Freya's twin brother who was banished to “rot in limbo for eternity”

•Killian Gardiner—Younger brother of Bran

•Branford “Bran” Gardiner—Fiancé of Freya and a philanthropist

•Hudson Rafferty, Caitlin Parker and Tabitha Robinson—Library co-workers

•Sal McLaughlin—Owner of North Inn

•Kristy Hannagan—Bartender at North Inn

•Matthew Noble—Senior detective with police department

•Gracella, Hector and Tyler Alvarez—Gracella is hired to keep the Beauchamp’s house.  Her husband, Hector is hired to take care of the grounds.  Tyler is their four year old son.

•How Freya, Ingrid and Joanna feel good after using their magic again.  How this makes them feel “alive.”

•How Freya, Ingrid and Joanna all have something that they are struggling with when it comes to using their magic.

•How Freya, Ingrid and Joanna stick together throughout all of this and help each other.

•The way that the story is told, lets you see inside of the Beauchamp family and how the things that have happened in the past affects them.

•People who mislead others in this story.

•Blake Aland wanting to destroy the library to put new condominiums there.

•Ending on a cliff hanger and having to wait for the next book to find out what happens.

 This is the UK cover.  I like this one better than the US cover.