"Dime store magic" is the third book in Kelley Armstrong's "Women of the Otherworld" series. These books have a lot of action, magic and yes, some romance. But more importantly, they are thoroughly engaging, so be prepared to be immersed in a world that differs quite a bit from our own.
The narrator of "Dime store magic" is Paige Winterbourne, a 23-year-old witch who suddenly finds herself as guardian of Savannah Levine, the irritable 13-year-old daughter of Eve, the black sheep of Paige's family. Unfortunately, Savannah isn't just an annoyed teenager angry with everything and everyone: she is also a witch with growing powers and a noticeable tendency towards dark magic, like her mother. On top of everything, Paige also becomes the leader of her Coven (due to the death of her mother, narrated in "Stolen"). It is worthwhile to point out that the position is mostly nominal, though, as Paige doesn't get a lot of respect from the other witches.
Life isn't obviously too easy for Paige, but neither is it overly problematic. That changes, though, when Savannah's previously unknown father, a powerful wizard, decides to fight for custody in order to gain control of his daughter's power. Paige won't give in without a fight, as wizards are traditional enemies of witches. The result is that she will have to put her life and reputation on the line, and will need to accept help from whomever can give it. That includes Lucas Cortez, a lawyer but also a wizard that has rebelled against his heritage and goes from quest to quest striving to make justice. In Paige's words, "It was a sad world when a witch had to rely on a work-starved sorcerer for help". The fact is, soon enough she will view Lucas in a different way...
All in all, I highly recommend this book. In my opinion, it is an excellent addition to the series, and will make you want to read the sequel immediately. For that, you will have to buy or borrow "Industrial magic"... But in the meanwhile, enjoy "Dime store magic" :)
Belen Alcat