Serpent's Kiss (The Beauchamp Family #2)

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Serpent's Kiss (The Beauchamp Family #2)

by Melissa de la Cruz (Goodreads Author)

3.57 of 5 stars 3.57 · rating details · 1,481 ratings · 219 reviews

The powerful Beauchamp family, introduced in the New York Times bestselling Witches of East End, returns in The Serpent's Kiss, with dizzying plot twists and the spell-binding magic that have made both Witches of East End and Melissa's Blue Bloods series such enormous successes.

Just as things have settled down in the off-the-map Long Island town of North Hampton for the ma...more

Paperback, UK Edition, 384 pages

Published June 12th 2012 by Sphere

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Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

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Dec 16, 2012 Stacy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Holy cow! When I gave the first book a scathing review, I really had no intention of continuing further in the series. But then I poke my head into the new releases room at the library...see it sitting there...and because I'm a freak who can't seem to let things go when it comes to books, I think "Hey, it's free! Maybe this one will be better." Well, all I can say is, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Unbelievably, this book was even more insipid and boring than the last. I...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Melody rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-supernatural

The prose was extremely simplistic, especially for adult fiction. The narrator was odd and clunky. The POV changed from character to character each chapter, but the tone did not really alter. Additionally, the narration was often just obnoxious. It sought to tell rather than show, but then what it told was actually undermined by the action. For instance, I did not believe Freddie had power over much of anything.

The action seemed contrived for convenience, not necessarily plot connection. The pi...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Hayden Casey marked it as wishlist · review of another edition

I hate how the UK version is the primary version. I'm not going to read the UK one! Most people aren't -_-'

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Sep 01, 2012 Carmela rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: nookbooks, read-2012, witches

This book is stupid .. Why am I reading it? Update: That was a month of my life I can't get back. The writing is bad, the story is stupid, the characters are flat. There is just about nothing right with this book. I love witches, YA and other assorted smut. But this was just poorly done avengers fan fiction.

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Sep 04, 2012 Sandie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Strange things are still happening in North Hampton, Long Island and the Beauchamp family is right in the middle of it. Although the centuries-old restriction on practicing magic is gone, that doesn't mean everyone is comfortable with it or even believes in it. The Beauchamp family, made of goddesses/witches, is determined to use their magic to help those around them but fate always seems to interrupt their plans.

The family matriarch is Joanna, who can give life back when needed and travel to Li...more Strange things are still happening in North Hampton, Long Island and the Beauchamp family is right in the middle of it. Although the centuries-old restriction on practicing magic is gone, that doesn't mean everyone is comfortable with it or even believes in it. The Beauchamp family, made of goddesses/witches, is determined to use their magic to help those around them but fate always seems to interrupt their plans.

The family matriarch is Joanna, who can give life back when needed and travel to Limbo. Ingrid is the town librarian and cool and reserved. Freya is the wild child, made for all things sensual and has found the perfect job as a bartender where she can throw in love potions. All they want is a calm life, but fate intervenes.

First, Freddie, who is Freya's twin brother and is the sun god, has escaped from limbo where he has been languishing for five thousand years. The guardians of limbo are searching for him to serve the rest of his punishment for destroying the bridge that separates Earth from the other worlds. Freddie insists he is innocent, and worse, that Freya's lover, Killian, is the true culprit. Who will she believe?

Ingrid has fallen in love for the first time with an unlikely man. Matt Noble and Ingrid met when he was investigating her family as he is a detective on the police force. Ingrid doesn't know anything about this love stuff, and can't seem to work it out.

Joanna has her own issues. Her long-long husband whom she hasn't seen in centuries, has reappeared and seems interested in reestablishing their marriage. But, she has just started a relationship with an interesting local man. Then there is the spirit from the other world that insists she has a message Joanna needs to hear, but can't quite make the connection.

Fans of De La Cruz's Witches of East End will be delighted to read this sequel and follow the further adventures of the Beauchamp family. Those who missed the first book in the series can pick up here with no problem. The characters are interesting and the problems intriguing. This book is recommended for readers of paranormal romance. (less)

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Apr 26, 2013 Paula Phillips rated it 3 of 5 stars

In book #1 we were introduced to mother Joanna and her two daughters Freya and Ingrid Beauchamp , each with the secret that they were witches. We then meet two brothers Killian and his brother who turned out to be in fact Baldor and Loki. Loki being the "evil one" that we read about in the myths and legends books and think about Jennifer Estep's series Mythos Academy. At the end of Book #1 we saw Freya start a relationship with Killian , Joanne strike a close friendship with next-door neighbour...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Lumpenprole rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of M. de la Cruz's other books

Shelves: 2013, borrowed, fantasy

Curiously, it seemed like MdlC dug her fingernails in and did a bit more research than it looks to me like she'd ever done in any of her other books. If nothing else, I learned I was wrong to consider Freya a member of the Aesir, or that she and Frigg are necessarily one and the same. (Apparently they are or were in some places, not in others.) Thumbs up for that. As in, she didn't trample wholesale over various bits of mythology and theology to get her story where she wanted it to go. Well, the...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Sara rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

I said I wasn't going to read this book after reading the first. I found it on my Kindle, and attempted to read it....I should have followed my own advice. The first book at least started off well enough. There's not much redeeming about this book. The entire book is like the convoluted, overly complicated end of the last book—only there's less action, tension and plot to tie up. At least plot that you care about. And then some of the plot lines and characters don't go anywhere—sloppiness not re...more I said I wasn't going to read this book after reading the first. I found it on my Kindle, and attempted to read it....I should have followed my own advice. The first book at least started off well enough. There's not much redeeming about this book. The entire book is like the convoluted, overly complicated end of the last book—only there's less action, tension and plot to tie up. At least plot that you care about. And then some of the plot lines and characters don't go anywhere—sloppiness not red herrings. So the plot doesn't really even tie up. It's just so messy.

It's hard to get into the story, because so much is going on, and you care nothing about any of it. The characters sabotage themselves in really unlikable ways.

And while I find most of the characters (except Norman) supremely unlikable, Freddie was the worst. There's no depth in his character. Definitely not fully formed. (And enough with the Norse mythology. I don't care and you're doing it WRONG!)

Sloppy is a good way to describe the book: in one scene, they're sitting on the beach and in the next lines someone is ordered out of a car. That's pretty much the quality of the whole book. Also, there's time travel in this book. Time travel really annoys me in writing. It's too complicated, messy and rarely necessary. Ick! I should take off another star just for the time travel.

(view spoiler)

Under no circumstance will I read the next book. I just can't.
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Oct 27, 2012 Kim Strattie rated it 5 of 5 stars

More magic!

I enjoyed SERPENT’S KISS so much I can hardly wait for the follow up to this one, WINDS OF SALEM, which is definitely at the top of my next summer’s reading list.

But as for this book - SERPENT’S KISS - it’s very exciting, really well paced and chock full of the fantasy, romance, rivalries and the paranormal and fascinating forays into (Norse) mythology we’ve come to expect from Melissa de la Cruz. I found myself reading it more than once and each time I read it I couldn’t put it down....more

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Sep 02, 2012 Marleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Copy received from Sphere through Book Geeks

North Hampton is a town in New York state, but it is off the map, not completely part of the rest of the world, although by no means separate from it either. In North Hampton the three Beauchamp witches are trying to live their lives in a quiet way, using their magic to help those around them without interfering too much or being too open about it. But although life appears peaceful and good, stormy times are ahead for the witches. Joanne Beauchamp, th...more Copy received from Sphere through Book Geeks

North Hampton is a town in New York state, but it is off the map, not completely part of the rest of the world, although by no means separate from it either. In North Hampton the three Beauchamp witches are trying to live their lives in a quiet way, using their magic to help those around them without interfering too much or being too open about it. But although life appears peaceful and good, stormy times are ahead for the witches. Joanne Beauchamp, the matriarch is receiving signs from an unsettled spirit. This spirit has an important message for Joanne but in order to retrieve it Joanne has to decipher a code and try to link up with the past. Her youngest daughter Freya should be completely happy, dividing her time between her job in a bar and the love of her life, Killian except that her twin Freddie has escaped from limbo and is convinced that Killian is the one who betrayed him and the one who should be imprisoned. Torn between her brother and her lover, Freya has to uncover the truth in order to save both men. Ingrid is a quiet girl, working as a librarian she has fallen in love for the very first time, despite having lived for centuries. That the object of her affection is the local, mortal, policeman who doesn’t believe in magic complicates matters almost as much as the fact that she is still a virgin does. And really, this description only scratches at the service of the problems the Beauchamp women will have to deal with.

This is the second book in a series of which I didn’t read the first book. And, considering the numerous references to earlier events, I assume that it would be smart to read the first book before starting this one. Having said that, this book can be read as a stand-alone novel. While I did at times find myself wondering about certain events that were referenced in the story, I never had a problem keeping up with what was going on in this book even though there is an awful lot happening on these pages and a lot of information to absorb.

I enjoyed the story but liked the way in which it was told less. The story is told in fragments and doesn’t really flow. It is almost as if each chapter is a separate short story. I felt I was being thrown from scene to scene with none of them being properly concluded or connected to each other. With the start of each new chapter I felt as if I had landed in the middle of the next scene with no idea how the previous one had ended. I also felt the writing was a bit too descriptive. The surroundings and everything the characters do or feel is described in detail but as if from a distance. While I was told what people were thinking or feeling, there was no emotion attached to those bits of information. I read what was happening but I never experienced it. And this is a shame since I feel this is a story that could have truly captivated me had it been told in a different way. I really liked the idea of the witches and the Gods. I love that the author has them living in our world while using their magic to help those around them. And I was intrigued by the rivalries and politics in the magical world. I just never felt truly involved in the story.

Overall I would call this an interesting story that would have been more captivating if had been written in a more flowing style.
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Aug 18, 2012 iamjenai rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fryr or Freddie, Freya's twin brother is back. He was locked up in Limbo by the Valkyries because they thought he was responsible for the destruction of the Bofrir bridge but it isn't Freddie who destroyed the bridge. He believes Killian did it and he wants Freya to help him get his revenge. Problem is, Killian is Freya's fiancé. She loves her twin brother as much as she loves Killian. Who will she choose? Brother or lover?

Serpent's Kiss is the second book to the Witches of East End novel. With...more

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Jun 28, 2012 The Y.A. Bookworm Blogger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Read FULL review at The Y.A. Bookworm Blogger

This book may have taken me a bit longer to read, but it wasn't due to the lack of interest (exams can be blamed for that one). From the very beginning, Melissa de la Cruz sucks you right back into the plot and then teases you so you'll be begging for more. The pace of the story was tasteful and kept you entertained without any moments of boredom while also hitting the climax at just the right time. I stayed up pretty late last night just so I could...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Debra Martin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Joanna Beauchamp along with her daughters Ingrid and Freya are happily practicing magic once again. The Restriction Against Magic has been lifted after a centuries-long ban, but practicing magic does not solve all the problems they encounter in SERPENT'S KISS. A long-dead spirit from the 1600s is haunting Joanna, desperate for her help to right a terrible wrong. Ingrid is in love for the first time, but her inexperience causes problems with her boyfriend, Matt Noble, and Freya is dealing with th...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Freya's twin brother, Freddie has returned from prison. Freddie believes that Freya's beau, Killian is the one that caused Freddie to be sent away. Freya wants so bad to ask Killian if he had anything to do with her brother's punishment but she can't. This in turn has caused Freya to withdraw from Killian.

Then there is Ingrid and Matt. They are finally going out on a date. It is about time. These two move like molasses. In addition, there is some strange happenings in the house. Tyler's mother...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is one of those books you read, and while you are reading it, you enjoy it, but then when its over you don't think about it that much. It was light and fluffy, a welcome break from any stress.

The book started off poorly in my mind - it was all about sex, and the characters sexual relationships. I found myself thinking back to the first book and trying to remember if it was as borderline raunchy. Around the middle of the book, the actual plot began to pick up - but at first I didn't even rea...more This is one of those books you read, and while you are reading it, you enjoy it, but then when its over you don't think about it that much. It was light and fluffy, a welcome break from any stress.

The book started off poorly in my mind - it was all about sex, and the characters sexual relationships. I found myself thinking back to the first book and trying to remember if it was as borderline raunchy. Around the middle of the book, the actual plot began to pick up - but at first I didn't even realize that it was the plot, I guess because the focus in the beginning was off a bit.

We meet up with Joanna, Freya, and Ingrid pretty much where the first book ended. Freya is sleeping with Killian and says she loves him, but yet she doubts him quite a bit. Joanna seems really absentminded and scatty, and Ingrid, my favorite in the first book, was written as frigid. Then we meet their long lost brother Freddie. He had been in limbo jail for the crime of destroying the rainbow bridge. In this book he has escaped from limbo, and is living in a sunken hotel. I really tried to like his character, but he seemed so stupid!! He is supposed to be a Norse god, but he just seems so dumb. And his mother Joanna is creepily obsessed with him. Ingrid is working on her relationship with Matt the whole book, and dealing with pixies, who were really one of the best parts of the story. Freya's storyline was probably the most complex, but the one I cared the least about.

There were parts I liked though. There was a part where Freya went back in time, and I really liked that part, actually. I like Ingrid, although she was written really strangely. I think the central mystery was interesting too - I just think it needed to be more prominent and more developed.

I think this is a set up for her next book, which is called The Winds of Salem, and I think if it focuses on the main plot more than relationships, I will probably like it better. This was a fun easy read, but it is not a book I will revisit. (less)

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Jun 23, 2012 Lindsay Heller rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, chick-lit

I don't know what exactly it is about Melissa de la Cruz that I love so much, but I suppose it goes hand in hand with my love of creative YA books. I read her Au Pairs series a while ago followed by 'Angels on Sunset Boulevard' (which I thought was very inventive and wish she would have explored a little more) and like them well enough but it wasn't until last summer that I randomly picked up the 'Blue Bloods' series and became obsessed. Okay, so yes, I'm way to old for this stuff but with her p...more I don't know what exactly it is about Melissa de la Cruz that I love so much, but I suppose it goes hand in hand with my love of creative YA books. I read her Au Pairs series a while ago followed by 'Angels on Sunset Boulevard' (which I thought was very inventive and wish she would have explored a little more) and like them well enough but it wasn't until last summer that I randomly picked up the 'Blue Bloods' series and became obsessed. Okay, so yes, I'm way to old for this stuff but with her penchant for layering mythology on top of mythology I really can't help myself. The Witches of East End series is a sort of spin off from Blue Bloods. That is to say, they exist in the same universe and while witch Freya Beauchamp made an appearance in a Blue Bloods story, Blue Bloods characters Oliver Hazard-Perry and Mimi Force made their way into the first novel, 'Witches of East End'. And while the Blue Bloods series is about fallen angels living out their immortal lives as vampires in this world, the Witches of East End series is about Norse gods living out their immortal lives trapped in Midgard after the destruction of the bofrir (which is really the Bifröst, I have never heard the term bofrir before and apparently neither has google), the bridge between Midgard (earth) and Asgard. We don't find this out until nearly the end of the first book though. Perhaps their were clues I didn't really pick up one (I mean, the name Freya for one...) but I doubt I was the only one. I would have been much more apt to pick it up if I'd known they were more than just... witches.

After the events of the first book have calmed it looks like things are on even keel for witches Joanna, Ingrid, and Freya. But with the return of Freya's twin brother who'd been lost to Limbo, framed for the bofrir's destruction, a group of amnesiac pixies, two suitors for mother Joanna, and an over anxious spirit trying to get into contact things are all set to get complicated again. And boy do they. While reading several people asked me to plot and I found I really couldn't get into it without going on and on and on. Which is obviously ridiculous so we'll leave any summery at that.

De la Cruz is, if anything, very clever. She's clearly done a lot of research into Norse mythology for this series but I have to sort of wonder sometimes which sources she's using. A lot of times her plot points don't match up to the mythology I'm aware of. Now, of course, she's an author and she needs to license, but sometimes I have to wonder why.

The writing is top notch for this sort of thing. She wont be winning any awards in masterful word play but she trusts her audience enough not to insult them. This isn't great literature, it's great fun and, thankfully, de la Cruz is aware of that.

The Witches series is supposed to be geared to a more adult audience than Blue Bloods and at points you can see that. There's some profanities and scenes of a sexual nature, but I honestly don't think this isn't something most readers of Blue Bloods have seen before. And perhaps it's best for de la Cruz to stick to what she knows best, the Young Adult market. But either way this book was very entertaining, I couldn't wait to find out what happens next. Unfortunately I have to wait a year. Or... half a year for the Blue Bloods conclusion. I guess I should be please she doesn't crank them out as fast as others, her imagination and writing are good enough to wait for. (less)

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Jun 13, 2012 Leslie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, adventure, book-reviews, fantasy, fiction, historical, historical-romance, humor, imagination, magic, murder, mystery, romance, romantic-fantasy, suspense

Article first published as Book Review:Serpent's Kiss by Melissa De La Cruz on Blogcritics.

Serpent’s Kiss by Melissa De La Cruz is an exciting follow up to her prior novel in the series, Witches of East End. With Serpent’s Kiss we follow the continued exploits of the Beauchamp family, Joanna along with her daughters Freya and Ingrid. After the restriction on using magic was lifted in her prior work, life has been interesting for the family. Back in their comfort zone after centuries of restrict...more Article first published as Book Review:Serpent's Kiss by Melissa De La Cruz on Blogcritics.

Serpent’s Kiss by Melissa De La Cruz is an exciting follow up to her prior novel in the series, Witches of East End. With Serpent’s Kiss we follow the continued exploits of the Beauchamp family, Joanna along with her daughters Freya and Ingrid. After the restriction on using magic was lifted in her prior work, life has been interesting for the family. Back in their comfort zone after centuries of restriction, life is as it should be, or is it. Something is happening in Joanna’s house, her house keeper imagines there are ghosts or spirits, and Joanna is not sure. Is someone trying to contact her?

Freya’s life takes a turn when her twin brother suddenly shows up, and Ingrid is finally in love. But there is something happening to tear the family further asunder. Why is Freddie back and professing innocence to a crime he was convicted of committing? Can Freya help him find the evidence he needs when he thinks the actual culprit that set him up is the love of her life, Killian Gardiner?

Will Ingrid’s ne love, Matt Noble, a police detective be able to reconcile his belief system with the unknown to him fact that he has fallen in love with a witch. Tempers flare and anger threatens to drive a wedge into their new and tender feelings.

Throw another wrench into the making of a cauldron of trouble, but Joanna’s husband has now determined to come back into her life and that of her daughters. What more can happen that will stir the noxious mixture of fear, trust and chaos, especially when Joanna finds that a spirit is trying to contact her? Is this spirit really looking for help or out to cause more harm? Can they find what is behind Freddie’s conviction and who is behind the other strange happenings in their beloved home?

De La Cruz has delivered a satisfying and enchanted follow up that takes you further into the background of a fascinating family of witches. Her characters are unique and have their own temperaments and drama which add to the life and characterization of the backdrop. Tie in some super sexy men and a bit of suspense and danger you get a very heady brew.

The family harkens from years of witch craft which extends even further back then the Salem Witch trials, although that time in history is part of who and what they have become. The love between the members is like all families, fraught with anger and misunderstanding. Tempers and passions flare throughout, and trust becomes the buzz word. Who can you trust when you have been through the very fires of hell?

This would be a great novel for a reading group. There is suspense, danger, mystery, and a few of the things that go bump in the night. The romance is hot and the love is tender. There is something for the most passionate of readers, a satisfying quality that brings closure. This would be a great book for your library.

This book was received free from the authors publicist. All opinions are my own based off my readind and understanding of the material. (less)

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Jul 17, 2012 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars

I did not enjoy Serpent's Kiss as much as the first book in the series. This book served the purpose of leading in to the next in the series. While I do not wish to give away any of the plot lines, I do feel that there were several characters that could have been utilized in more than the background.
I felt that the tone of Kiss was distinctly more YA than the first book; while I realize that de la Cruz also writes within that genre, I did not expect this book to be so PG-13. I enjoyed reading ab...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Victoria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Excellent sequel to Witches Of East End. Melissa does such a wonderful job of bring in the Norse mythology. I really enjoy it. The way she set up the next book, THE WINDS OF SALEM, is unbelievable. I'm really looking forward to it. I also thinks it's great how all three series are tied together in some fashion. Needless to say Wolf Pack is on my TBR list for September :).

Freya and Killian are doing great loving every minute of each other. That is until Freddie (aka Fryr Freya's twin brother esca...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Lynda Tatad rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: series-r-us

The 2nd book in the Witches of East End series took me a little longer to read than normal (compared to my usual pace), and it was primarily because I had a harder time getting into this story like I did the first. I had a lot of distractions that made it easy to put the book down. I did enjoy it once things got going in the story and things finally started moving along and I was able to finish the book!

If you read the first book: Witches of East End, then you know what happened before. If you h...more The 2nd book in the Witches of East End series took me a little longer to read than normal (compared to my usual pace), and it was primarily because I had a harder time getting into this story like I did the first. I had a lot of distractions that made it easy to put the book down. I did enjoy it once things got going in the story and things finally started moving along and I was able to finish the book!

If you read the first book: Witches of East End, then you know what happened before. If you had not, don't read any further until you get the first book read!

Some things dragged out too long, like Freaya's twin Freddy (who escaped from Limbo) making her doubt her lover Killian, and also making her search his place for an item that was stolen from Freddy that caused him to be accused of making the bridge between Asgard and Midgard fall, weekending all those with magic, and losing the passage between worlds. Then, because of her experience with Loki, she doesn't know who to trust! For me, ths part dragged too long, but in the concept of the story, it makes sense.

I did enjoy Ingrid's blossoming relationship with detective Matt Nobel, but that also wasn't without it's moments, especially dealing with Ingrid's inexperience with relationships with men in any romantic sense. This shouldn't really be a spoiler if you read the first book in this series. I really like this couple though, and I'm pulling for them!

Joann, the girls's mother, has her own suitor in Harold, and the complication that her estranged husband would also like a chance with trying to be with her and the girls. She also has a dead spirit trying to get a hold of her by moving things around her house, disappearances of things she just put away... She's finally led to a spot with a message in runes!

I got a kick out of the events that happened around the Thanksgiving dinner, and that is when the story finally came together for me! At first I thought each book might pertain to each of the 3 Beauchamp women, but all three of their stories actually intertwine, so it makes for a better storyline the way the author has put it together. I will definitely read the 3rd book to find out what happens next. But, as much as I enjoy these books, I hope this series will not go as long as the Blue Bloods books seem to be going.
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Jun 28, 2012 YAL Book Briefs rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: witches, face-palm

To See full review which includes pictures, Youtube clips, and casting click here: http://yalbookbriefs.blogspot.com/201...

I feel like I just found out that Santa Claus isn't real and that the Easter Bunny got ran over by a semi.

Yep, that should tell you how disappointed I was with this book. Melissa de la Cruz has published some great books. The Blue Bloods series, for example, just awesome. Grant it, I do understand why people have grown annoyed with them recently, but I do think the last inst...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book picks up almost right where Witches of the East End leaves off. You have Joanna and Norman tryig to repair their marriage. Freya, still in love with Killian, is trying to reconcile her brother's accusations that Killian set him up with the absolute belief in Killian's innocence and her love for him. She has momments of doubt, but these quickly pass; and it is a believable situation as she's having to choose between her twin brother, Freddie and Killian. My favorite POV character is sti...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Literary rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I know some reviews start off rehashing what the book summary states plus a little extra. I'm not going to do that this time. The book summary perfectly explains what takes place between the covers of this book. What is doesn't express is the hold the story has on you while you're reading it. It's almost as if Melissa herself has placed an enchantment spell on the words she's written.

Oh yeah ... The one thing the book summary didn't mention, that I adored in this book, were the pixies. They are...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'm finished. The last few chapters really stating at chapter 47 is where things finally start to pick up speed. Love Hudson, Ingrid assistant. His response to Ingrid's virginity was priceless. She and Matts love story is slow but they finally become a couple.

Jason Stackhouse from Sookie Stackhouse series, I mean Freddie, isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. He's in love with Hilly, tricked by Henry Liman, and now engaged to Gert. But it's okay he got tricked because he once again got bested an...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Deb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

This series by Melissa de la Cruz is a nice read. It doesn't have you lamenting any cliffhanger endings, but keeps you looking forward to the next book. When I began this book, I couldn't remember every detail of the 1st bookWitches of East End as far as the gentlemen went, but remembered as I began to read this book. The ladies are definitely the focus and it is interesting to see the twists and turns and trying to figure out who actually is responsible for the bridge being destroyed. Some time...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Shawna rated it 1 of 5 stars

When I read the first installment of the witches of east end I really liked it so I waited on the count down for the second book i looked and looked at stores on the day it came out finally found it a week later and bought it for a very expensive $26.99 for a very small book. I was VERY Dissapointed. I bought it a week after it was released and I'm still not done reading it. her blog says that this series is her fist in adult books and honestly there wasn't enough on Freya and to be honest i did...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Carla rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Part Two of Th e Witches of East End brings further adventure to the town of North Hampton. With Fryr's (aka Freddie) hidden return and the suspicion he has given Freya on the love of her life, Killian, and so the search for truth begins. The romance between Matt Noble and Ingrid find many bumps along the way, from escaped pixies, misunderstandings, and his non belief of magic. To enhance the plot, Joanna finds herself not just caught in a love triangle but also being commmunicated with a restle...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Chev E rated it 3 of 5 stars

At the end of Witches of East End everything was in order, and then Freddie, Freya's twin who is supposed to be stuck in Limbo, mysteriously turns up. Now he is claiming that he is in fact innocent of the crime he did to get himself there (breaking some bridge) and that the guilty party is Freya's one true love, Killian. Freya is torn between her brother and her fiance, unsure who to trust but desperate to believe them both innocent. Meanwhile, Ingrid is navigating the shallow waters of a new ro...more At the end of Witches of East End everything was in order, and then Freddie, Freya's twin who is supposed to be stuck in Limbo, mysteriously turns up. Now he is claiming that he is in fact innocent of the crime he did to get himself there (breaking some bridge) and that the guilty party is Freya's one true love, Killian. Freya is torn between her brother and her fiance, unsure who to trust but desperate to believe them both innocent. Meanwhile, Ingrid is navigating the shallow waters of a new romance with police officer Matt, but keeps messing things up and making up with him, this being her first relationship in the history of time. (Literally, the history of time because she's some sort of goddess.) Ingrid is also helping some lost amnesiac pixies (no, I didn't make that up) manage in our world while trying to get them to remember who they are, where they're from, what they're doing here, and who sent them. And Joanna is being stalked by a spirit, each of them trying to get messages to the other and failing. All the different stories connect eventually, but for the most part the story seemed kind of disjointed.

It's kind of a pain to read a book with three main characters sharing the point of view while being totally indifferent to one of them. I couldn't stand reading Joanna's story because of how immensely tedious I found it. I would skim her pages, looking words to draw me back in to the story, and often I would have to turn back to read what I missed when the story got confusing. Freya's point of view was lackluster compared to her part in East End, but I enjoyed it anyway, and Ingrid's was annoying because of her self-doubt and her repeated conversations with the pixies which seemed pretty much identical save for a plot-changing detail or two revealed in each one. And Freddie's story just made me dislike the interloper even more than I did when he blamed my precious Killian.

Around a hundred pages in I was all ready to just give up and put the book down. If I don't feel that urgent need to know what happens next and I have to convince myself to actually continue, what's the point of reading it? However, after flipping to the last page and reading about the really cool thing that happened I decided to give it a couple more pages. Serpent's Kiss wasn't amazing, but it wasn't boring or dumb enough to give up on. I wouldn't recommend the series to someone who isn't a fan of Melissa de la Cruz or fantasy, but I am looking forward to reading the final book in the trilogy. The only problem was that I had to get through the first two books first. (less)

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Jun 26, 2012 stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, chicklit, paranormal

i don't even know if i can call these books guilty pleasures because i go through them so fast.

however, this was very much a middle book (but i loved the pixies, i don't know why) and i'm bummed it's going to be a year until the next book.

apparently arthur, joanna's brother, is in wolf pact though? isn't that the one with bliss from blue bloods? and i'm somehow expect some of these characters to appear in the last blue bloods book at well.

someone else mentioned in their review that this is ve...more

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Nov 06, 2012 M. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-fiction

I really like this second book better than the first one, probably because Freya and Ingrid's relationships were more fleshed out. I love the Ingrid/Matthew relationship best.

Also, some of the other reviews frown on the about the amount of sex in this book. Obviously, those reviewers don't read romance novels because the sex here was usually very brief and not a main part of the storyline. Relax people. People have sex in real life, why shouldn't they have sex in a book too?

My only issue was th...more

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About Melissa de la Cruz

Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.

Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like...more

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