Dime Store Magic

Description: Paige Winterbourne was always either too young or too rebellious to succeed her mother as leader of one of the world's most powerful elite organizations-the American Coven of Witches. Now that she is twenty-three and her mother is dead, the Elders can no longer deny her. But even Paige's wildest antics can't hold a candle to those of her new charge-an orphan who is all too willing to use her budding powers for evil...and evil is all too willing to claim her. For this girl is being pursued by a dark faction of the supernatural underworld. They are a vicious group who will do anything to woo the young, malleable, and extremely powerful neophyte, including commit murder-and frame Paige for the crime. It's an initiation into adulthood, womanhood, and the brutal side of magic that Paige will have to do everything within her power to make sure they both survive. -Amazon

Author: Kelley Armstrong
Release date: 2004
Publisher: Bantam
Pages: 464
Source: My personal copy
Reading level: Adult 

Teaser Sentence(s): 'So we ran... away from the gun-toting state troopers, through a swirling mass of spirits, pursued by baying hounds, surrounded by the screams of the damned. You know, I think the mind has a saturation point, beyond which it just doesn't give a damn. Spirits? Hounds? Cops? Who cares?'

My thoughts: When I start a new book in this series, I always have a hard time getting into it. I will usually start a book by Kelley Armstrong and then read 2 or 3 other books in between. Every time I am about to give up hope something happens, and I am hooked and cannot put the book down. 
 Since this is the third book in the Women of the Underworld series I went into it kind of blind. At first I was disappointed that this book is not focused around Elena and Clay. Paige makes 2 phone calls to Elena during the course of the book and that's all the interaction you get with the werewolfs. This read was strictly witch and sorcerer oriented. Paige was introduced in book two, Bitten, and, to be honest, I was not a fan. My distaste was the same the first quarter of the book, but she began to grow on me once I started to get to know her. I am very glad this book came early in the series, because I like the witches much more than before. 
 Lucas Cortez was a new character introduced to the series in this book. He was plain and boring at first. But after finishing the book, I really hope he makes future appearances. As much as I want to get back to Elena and Clay's part of the story, I really find myself hoping for more from the witches and sorcerers. I never would have predicted that. I became so caught up in the last few chapters of this book I didn't even hear my husband calling my name..and he was sitting right beside me. I recommend this book. Just make it past the boring first half then it's worth it! 

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