Witches of East End (Beauchamp Family Book Series #1)

A amazing start to a promising new series

The witches of east end is the first great para-romance summer fantastic read of the season! For everyone who loves a clever story, a group of lovable heroines and a little romance, I highly recommend.

15 out of 15 people found this review helpful.

Fall into a World of Romance and Magic

Welcome to the world of Joanna, Ingrid and Freya, the Witches of East End. Three intriguing woman with long histories (hint: They are more than just witches, but I wont give away the surprises). Ingrid is a librarian, Freys a bartender, and Joana the mother. Each of their power if bound in the profession. Freya makes potions and Ingird ties tight knots like the ones a librarian ties in her hair. The book is clever and well thought out, tightly paced and always enjoyable. (Review based on Advanced Copy)

15 out of 15 people found this review helpful.

The next Great Witch Adventure

As a fan of the witch genre I've been waiting for an exciting new take on Witches and I think I've found it. I was drawn by those beautiful eyes on the cover and loved every page. I received an ARC of the book and have had some time to think about my review. The book has really grown on me and I have actually re-read several sections. Please enjoy!

10 out of 11 people found this review helpful.

Amazing

Prior to Witches of East End, I had read and enjoyed several books by Melissa de la Cruz (including her Au Pairs series, which are perfect summer reads, and Angels on a Sunset Boulevard) so it was no surprise that I liked Witches of East. What was surprising, though, was just how much I liked it, or more accurately loved it. Full of witches, spells, and fantastic world building and writing, Witches of East End truly is one of the best new paranormal reads out there!

Witches of East End brought several amazing things to the table, one of them being complex and memorable characters. There's always a small chance that I'll enjoy a book told with separate perspectives, much less one using third person to do this, but with Witches of East End this technique worked perfectly. I loved the switching of narrators between Ingrid, Joanna, and Freya, and without I feel the book would simply not be the same. Because not only did it allow for the reader to get a taste of each of the three main characters, but it also caused for suspense and drama with every switch. My favorite character out of the mix would have to be Ingrid, because we share a love of bookish things. However, I still adored Freya and her wild child ways, even though her life love was always in too many shambles for my taste, and Joanna was a great addition as well- I especially liked her scenes with Tyler, the little boy she helped take care of.

Another high point of this novel was the plot. I never truly knew exactly where it was going, which was a surprising yet highly enjoyable aspect of the novel. I loved the focus on witches, especially, because not was an entertaining part of the plot, but it is also one thing you do not see much of in books these days. I also loved the way in which Melissa de la Cruz told the Beauchamp's history and past troubles. Slowly told yet in a way that kept intrigue and mystic, when everything was finally spilled, it still managed to surprise me.

Cruz's writing was also fabulous. She did a great job of bringing the town of North Hampton to life with her vivid descriptions, and her characters and plot events where nothing but complex and memorable. Moreover, the ending? Such a cliffhanger, though it has made even more excited about the sequel!

Fascinating, alluring, and memorable, Witches of East End is sure to bring out a new fantastic series for her old fans to follow as well as introduce new fans to the amazingness that is Melissa de La Cruz!

Grade: A+

8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

Great start to a new series!

Meet the Beauchamp ladies:

Joanna, the mother and healer.
Ingrid, the oldest daughter and charmer.
Freya, the youngest daughter and the lover.

The Beauchamp women are powerful Witches who have been banned by the Council from using their Magic. After many long years of blending into society they one by one begin to dabble again. Joanna heals sickness, Ingrid makes charms to help the woman of North Hampton get pregnant and Freya mixes cocktails of love.

As they put their magic to use helping the towns people of North Hampton a string of murders happen and all signs point to the magical Beauchamps. Will their magic save them or will the Council take away their magic, this time for good?

There is more than meets the eye in this magical tale of love, murder and mystery.

Lets Talk About It:

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down.

I've read a lot of paranormal books most of which have been vampire related so I was really excited to get into something a little bit different and this book provided it and then some.

I enjoyed the dynamics of each of the characters and how the book devoted time to build each character separately and together. It's the first book in a series so much of the book was laying the foundation for the future but even then there was enough substance through out for a great story that pulled you into their world.

The only part of the book that I didn't like, or rather was disappointed in, was the ending. There was so much that went on in the end, so much that was revealed that I wish it was a bit longer to give more information to those parts.

Overall I really enjoyed the book and have a feeling it will be one of a few series that I will be on the look out for and rush to read as soon as it comes out.

Melissa
Reviewer for 1000 + Books to Read

7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

Devastating Love!

I read and review paranormal and romance novels. Naturally I love a book that has a bit of both. The debut adult novel from de la cruz (you may know her from the blue bloods books - think vamps and angels) delivers a heavy dose of love and intrigue. A witches brew of romantic fun and good old fashioned story telling.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

In Between Adult and YA. AdultLite.

Something Wicked this way comes in Del La Cruz's more grown up version of YA fiction. Witches of East End is like her Blue Bloods series just with more graphic sexual content. I know I was a bit surprised not knowing before I read this that it wasn't YA. If you like the world where vampires are fallen angels then you'll love witches who were Norse gods.

The Beauchamp's are modern day witches who survived the Salem witch trials just to have their family ripped apart and sentenced to a half life, since they were shut out of the other world and forced to live as humans do, without the use of magic. Strange things start happening in their normally sleepy town, people are sick, animals are dying, as are a few of the locals. Joanna, Freya, and Ingrid are going to have to come out of hiding and break a few rules to solve a few mysteries and possible save the world.

I was a kind of disappointed with this book. I am a fan of the Blue Bloods series and the tone of the book is much the same. But at the same time it was confusing since it read like her usual YA but with more maturely natured scenes. I found the contrast didn't work well. To me this felt like Del La Cruz wanted to write a young adult book but had to age up the characters for the mythology she was using. I wish she would have gone all out and pick a genre instead of bridging two. It was also a little strange that there were tie ins to the Blue Bloods novels. To me this would appeal to the built in aging audience, but also be cause for the younger fans to pick up a copy before the next installment Lost in Time. What bothers me most is that I found this book in the YA section of a bookstore.

The storylines were also simpler than I would have expected. Blue Bloods reads like a spanish soap opera where as Witches of E.E. seemed to take forever to come together and can be predictable. While I like the concepts that Del La Cruz puts in her stories about Vampires being the fallen and the witches are taken from Norse gods, like the evolution of the paranormal races. But sometimes the explanations get thin and I wish a vampire was just a vamp and a witch simply a witch.

Witches of East End straddles the line between Adult and Young Adult. Not mature enough to be Adult. Too racy to be YA. More like AdultLite. The author and publishers seem to want to appeal to an older audience or grow with the earlier one but still attract the teens who read her other books. I think if your going to write for an older audience you should go all the way. More complex storylines, hot romances, engaging prose, and characters to match. Hopefully the follow up will pick an age group and stick with it.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

New Characters with and Old Twist.

Melissa de la Cruz creates a reality that is hidden within ours, the world and works of the Witches.
The Witches of East End follows the tale of a family of witches who reside in a protected part of the North Hamptons, and these three ladies have lived through a lot.

After having been stripped and denied their lineage of witchcraft from prior transgressions this family just wants to continue on living like normal people, until the itch to practice magic turns to each of the women and a whole host of effects run rampant through the town.
Witches of East End is a magnificent tale of family and survival. It portrays these three strong women, and their struggle to keep themselves and their family together after so much that has happened to them over the years.

Some old characters make it into the story from the Blue Bloods series while really bringing us into their whole new world that Cruz has created for us.

This first book in a series was amazing to read, and it has me looking forward for more.
Lovers of the Blue Bloods will find a whole new set of amazing characters to grow into a series with.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

An Exciting New Series!

I was delighted to receive my copy of the Witches of East End in a box this morning and I am even happier to report that the book was enchanting and beautiful. Witches is a story that reads fast, but leaves the reader with a lot to think about. The characters are deep and their backstories are complex. If you've read the author's previous series you will recognize a few new characters, but witches stands on its own as a bright new series with its own world. The Blue Bloods series focuses on a christian mythology while de la Cruz switches to Norse myths for this new series. Much like the Blue bloods, her characters are not simply witches. They have a dense history and many previous lives. All of this leaves a lot for the reader to think about and enjoy.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Walk with me into a new World

Of witches, zombies, and love. If you like romance, young and old, have an itch for young love, but like a little back story and some history, witches might be a perfect read for the train, plane or bus this summer.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great for fans of Witchy Magic

My thoughts...As a fan of Melissa's YA series, Blue Bloods, I was excited to see what she would do in the adult genre. I was pleasantly surprised to see that while it is an adult novel, there is tons of crossover appeal.

The characters in Witches of East End are young and interesting. Well actually they are old, but their immortality keeps them looking youthful. Freya, the star of the show is a hot, social bartender with a talent for mixing potions. Her sister Ingrid, spends her time surrounded by books. We also meet Joanna, their mother, who is not without her talents. What would a story be without a bad boy or two? Bran and his sultry brother fill those shoes nicely. Readers will not be disappointed with the drama that unfolds.

This book had all the elements of a good story. First, plenty of witchy action. I am sucker for magic and Melissa delivered. Second, there were quite a few mysteries that needed unraveled. I stayed on my toes trying to guess "who-done-it". Being that this was an ADULT novel, there were some steamy scenes, nothing very graphic, but just enough to make it interesting. There was also plenty of action infused with great characters. The story took place mainly on a small island, but the world development was interesting and it left room to grow.

The sequel to Witches, titled Serpent's Kiss come out in June of 2012. I will be reading more in this series.

Rather Boring

It had a good premise but things seemed to go astray towards the middle of the book. The end was interesting but came out of nowhere.

Another excellent series....

I cant wait fir them to be made a movie or tv series out them...

GREAT STORY

This was an excellent story. It has a little bit of everythjng. If you like stories about witchcraft, you will enjoy this.

awesome witch book

loved loved loved this book. Have been waiting for a long time for a witch series to come out- can't wait for the next one in the series

Fun read

Interesting and fun to read about LI. Enjoyable! Can't wait for the sequel.

Something new and refreshing

This book is a smooth and easy read for those of you who love good witch stories. Melissa's character development is carried throughout the novel and explains many things which are necessary to know before continuing onto the next novel in the series. I love the way the story moves from present to the past and other regions. There is more to the Beauchamp women than just being witches!

Nice Start to a new adult series from a YA author!

What I Liked: 1) North Hampton - this little hamlet of a town was a great invention on the part of Miz de la Cruz. It was a sweet little place that was seemingly untouched by modernization. (Well, they had cars and cell phones and computers and stuff). But she managed to keep it from being all Stepford, because it definitely had the potential to go that way. 2) This is a very...girl power book. These ladies were not damsels expecting a man to swoop in and save them. Actually, the men played a rather weak role in the book, sort of there just to move the plot forward. Don't expect to fall in love in this book. 3) The Norse Gods tie-in. I guess I wasn't expecting it, but it was definitely a welcome surprise. I know very little about Norse mythology (I had to look it up), but I am looking forward to learning more about it. 4) The epilogue. Do you ever read a book where you think you're finishing it and you are completely satisfied with the ending, and then suddenly, in the last page, you are yanked back in? I don't know if all of her books are that way, but man, that was awesome. 5) I read a lot of YA books, but this was a nice change of pace. I'd consider this a great adult book for people who like YA books! It wasn't really graphic or anything, the characters are adults, but at the heart of it, the plot can match pace with any great YA book. 6) Loved the magic. The magic that the three Beauchamp women weave was great fun, and simple enough to believe.

What I Didn't Like: The only thing I'll say for this book is that I didn't find a character that I really just connected with. But that was just me. I do think that other people will find things to connect with within these characters. It's the only thing that kept me from being completely swept up in the story.

Overall thoughts: This was definitely the nice start to a new series. For a YA author jumping into the adult lit world, I think Miz de la Cruz is just dipping her toe in the water, easing her way in, but it definitely worked. For fans of myths and magic, even YA fans, this book is a fun way to spend an evening. I'm definitely curious about what's next for the Beauchamp family and plan on reading book 2 when it's released!

*side note - I both read and listened to the audiobook of Witches of East End. The audio version was enjoyable, but I liked reading the book better. The ending moves a little fast, and for myself (who multitasks with audiobooks) it required more attention than I could dedicate to the audiobook.

EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!

This was a great book. I can't wait for the next one to come out. Can't believe I have to wait until this summer! I wish I had started reading this series when it was three or four deep, so I didn't have to wait for the next one!

Quick read but didn't leave me wanting more

It all wrapped up so clean and neat in the end it does not make we want to read the next one. It wasn't bad. But it just wrapped up so quickly, seemed cheesy.