Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

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.

My Take: I started this book after I watched the Lifetime Pilot based on the book. I enjoyed the pilot and enjoy witches in general so it seemed a perfect fit but I actually preferred the TV pilot to the book (which never happens). It was difficult to ignore the significant story line changes made from book to pilot but frankly they were positive changes. The first 75% of the novel was entertaining but then everything changed. The ending was convoluted and childish. I felt like I was reading a YA book. There are additional books following this family but I don't think I'll continue with the series. I will keep watching the Lifetime series though.