Book Review: Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Series: Women of the Otherworld #3

My Rating: 5 cups

Blurb (from Goodreads):

From Canada’s new queen of suspense, another hugely entertaining supernatural thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. Prepare to be enchanted . . .

Forget the cackling green hag in The Wizard of Oz, forget Samantha from Bewitched. Real witches are nothing, NOTHING like this. For years real witches have hidden their powers, afraid of being persecuted. They have integrated so well into the community, you could have a witch living right next door and never know about it. Take Paige, for instance, whom we first met in Kelley Armstrong’s novel Stolen. Just an ordinary twenty-something who runs her own website design company, worries about her weight and wonders if she’ll ever find a boyfriend. Okay, so she’s leader of the American Coven and guardian of Savannah, the teenage daughter of a black witch. Really, life is ordinary. But then a telekinetic half-demon, Leah O’Donnell, shows up to fight for custody of Savannah. And although Paige is ready for her, she’s not quite so prepared for the team of supernaturals that Leah brings with her, including a powerful sorcerer who claims to be Savannah’s father.

When all hell breaks loose -- literally -- and Paige is accused of witchcraft, Satanism and murder, the Coven, fearing exposure, abandons her. Cut off from her friends, Paige is forced against her better judgment to accept the help of a young sorcerer lawyer. And she quickly comes to realize that keeping Savannah could mean losing everything else.

I must admit that while reading Stolen, the second book of this series, I didn't exactly like Paige. She seemed annoying at first, probably because she was young and impulsive. Then we read about her in Dime Store Magic and we see a mature Paige, one that isn't so impulsive. Also, I loved how she wants to help witches regain their full powers. It is possible that Savannah helped her mature, besides the things that happened in the previous book and that Paige witnessed. All I know is that I liked the change.

Her knight in shinning armor is Lucas Cortez, lawyer and sorcerer, son of one of the most important man in the supernatural world. I liked that some of Paige's beliefs were challenged by this relationship. As we learned before, witches and sorcerers are enemies and hate each other, each thinking the others are beneath them. Yes, Paige and Lucas do have some rough moments and they butt heads a time or two, but in the end they fall in love and overcome their differences. I actually loved Lucas. He was so patient and he helped Paige get out of some really difficult situations in the beginning of the book, even though she did her best to keep him away from her.

I was sad that Adam didn't appear more :( I know it wasn't his story, but still.. Other than that tinny little detail, I can say I loved this book. Very fast-paced, full of suspense, romance, action, humor. Oh, and some sarcasm. I do love a sarcastic character.