Counterfeit Magic (Otherworld Stories, #10.3) - Kelley Armstrong,  Maurizio Manzieri I always enjoy Paige. The only character I enjoy more than Paige is perhaps Elena. Or Eve, come to think of it. Okay, so I enjoy a number of the main characters in the Women of the Otherworld series. One of the things I really enjoy about Paige is her relationship with Lucas. I adore Lucas.

I didn't have strong feelings about the case itself here. I was a little bored with the investigation initially, but I gradually did start to like the characters connected to it, Tommy and Ethan. I did begin to care for them. Although the story wasn't really about them. It spent enough time for the reader to be concerned with their situation, and then you never see them again, as it was really about Paige and Lucas. Once their issues were dealt with, they solved the case almost as an afterthought. It felt very rushed.

I also wasn't thrilled with Paige and Lucas's personal plot. When we first see Lucas, he and Paige are really eager to see each other. We see people who are very busy, but incredibly passionate about one another. For two people who've been together for eight years, it looked to me that they had a great relationship. They obviously love each other and think of one another's needs, and the physical side of the relationship is still going strong. But part of the purpose of this story is that they are not doing well. It was obvious in the beginning, with Paige thinking things like, "We're fine." Over and over again. The main plot device intended to mess with them was just unbelievable, as a reader.

This whole thing felt rushed and rather forced, unfortunately.