To Hell and Back

League of Guardians #1.5

by Juliana Stone

Logan and Kira’s epic love story, first seen in Wrong Side of Hell, continues…

All Logan Winters wants is to be left alone with the woman he loves. But fate isn’t on his side and the demon Lilith isn’t to be trifled with. She wants to know the secrets he will never give up and he’ll do anything to make sure they stay hidden. On the run, with a secret of her own to keep and protect, Kira Dove must do whatever it takes to survive. But Kira and Logan soon discover that the path to salvation is littered with treachery, and they’ll each have to journey to hell and back to make sure their love survives the oncoming storm…

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Demons, Romance, Ebooks, Angels

100 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 30, 2012

About the author

Juliana Stone is also known as J.A. Stone.

USA Today bestselling author and 2015 RITA® winner JULIANA STONE fell in love with books in the fifth grade when her teacher introduced her to Tom Sawyer. A tomboy at heart, she splits her time between baseball, books, and music. When she’s not singing with her band, she’s thrilled to be writing young adult as well as adult contemporary romance—books that have garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly & Booklist—from somewhere in the wilds of Canada.

Reviews

[Crystal _ Reading Between the Wines Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fell in love with Logan and Kira in Wrong Side of Hell. They have one of those love stories that just instantly captures your heart and sticks with you long after the book ends. Thankfully though, that wasn't the end of their story...

To Hell and Back is a continuation of Wrong Side of Hell and begins a few weeks after that first novella ends. Logan Winters is desperate to get his beloved mate, Kira Dove, to a safe haven and away from the otherworlder's following them. But he cannot tell her no when she implores him to stop in a small Halloween town. When Logan goes out for breakfast and never returns though, Kira notices that the sweet little town now has a menacing shadow over it. On her own and unsure who to trust, Kira escapes with the help of a Guardian from the League. But demons are hot on their tale and after a dream visit from Logan, Kira must somehow loose her so-called protectors as well. With more than just herself to protect, Kira races to fulfill her promise to Logan. Logan must escape Hell's clutches though to reunite with Kira and you know what they say, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned...

I adore Logan and Kira's story; it is bursting with passion, love, suspense and infinite danger. I wish it would never end, but despite the novella length of To Hell and Back Juliana Stone packs a whole bunch of story into this small package and I'm glad there will be a continuation to it.
Logan is without a doubt, a swoon-worthy hero. Willing to go to any length to protect the woman he loves and make her happy, how can you not fall in love with him? And overcoming a past that would break most people, Kira is a strong heroine who continues to be a perfect fit for the alpha, Logan. He'd walk right over one of those fragile lilies of a heroine.
The world that Juliana Stone has created for her League of Guardians series is beyond intriguing and I love the unknown in the League. Someone isn't to be trusted, but who? We'll just have to keep reading to find out, I guess! Another fantastic book from this author and I can't wait for more of Logan and Kira's story, it can't come soon enough!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

review posted at Got Fiction?

Note: Sadly I got this from edelweiss for review, and it expired from my nook, so I can't finish it until I get the chance to buy and read it :(

Edit: I bought it and finished it!

3.5 stars

We return to Logan and Kira in this novella from the League of Guardians.

Kira and Logan are enjoying a night in a quaint town when Logan begins to have feelings of trepidation. Something isn't right. He needs to get Kira to safety. Unfortunately though, he ignores that feeling and lets Kira convince him to stay the night.

The next morning, Logan never returns from getting them breakfast and a man comes to Kira and demands to see Logan. This man is Priest, one of the League. Kira isn't sure she should trust him, but she knows she can't stay where she is.

Within seconds of leaving the Bed & Breakfast, they are attacked. Then they are attacked again. At this point, we know where Logan is, but Kira doesn't. All she knows is she has a dream with Logan (not "of" but "with"), and he tells her not to trust anyone but the Blue Lady (his mother). So Kira escapes Priest and fellow League member Cale, and hitchhikes to the Blue Lady.

Meanwhile, Lilith has Logan and when Logan's overlord finds out, all hell breaks loose. Literally. Logan issues a challenge for his freedom, but there's one catch-the Overlord is his father.

The ending of this was pretty abrupt for my taste, but the story was exciting and I enjoy this series a lot. I can't wait to read more of Juliana Stone's paranormal series The League of Guardians.

***ARC courtesy of Avon Books via edelweiss

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted at Vampire Book Club.

Only 10 pages into To Hell and Back I wondered how I had never read a Juliana Stone book. Her voice and characters are the types I enjoy so much. (Wondering about that 3.5 up there? It’s probably more my fault for starting with a shorter novel that featured already-established characters.)

Logan, a hell hound, saved Kira from purgatory. (This is from previous books, I gather.) Now they’re on the run as underworld denizens are less than thrilled about him absconding her and, you know, falling in love. They’re fiercely protective of one another and it’s clear from the beginning these two have a strong connection. This isn’t a novella about characters falling in love. It’s a book about a couple fighting to stay together when everyone wants to pull them apart.

Logan is ripped away from his lady’s side. She’s forced to run without him. He’s tortured. They’re able to meet in a dream world where dirty, sexy things happen. If you want a taste of Stone’s ultra alpha characters—Logan does crazy things to get back to Kira—and her engaging writing, To Hell and Back is a quick way to do so. Though, I wish I had started with Wrong Side of Hell or, better yet, the first full-length in the League of Guardians series Wicked Road to Hell.

Fans of Pamela Palmer and Jeaniene Frost will find a kindred spirit in Stone’s writing. I plan to read more. Soon.

Sexual content: Sex

[Vanessa theJeepDiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Logan and Kira in Wrong Side of Hell so of course I was more than eager to read To Hell and Back. Logan is one of the most loving, caring, doting hero’s I have read in a long time. His care and devotion to Kira is so sweet. All he wants is for her to be happy and taken care of. He wants her to never experience any pain or misery ever again.

This novella picks up only a few weeks after the end of Wrong Side of Hell. Logan is trying to get Kira to a place where he knows she will be safe. He has a problem telling her no when all she wants to do is experience life that others take for granted. He soon finds himself in a tiny town that is fully embracing all things fall and under attack by an unknown foe.

Logan and Kira are so easy to read. They are very likeable characters. Kira is learning how to defend herself and it’s a good thing that Logan has taught her all that he has. Kira finds herself in a position where she must outwit people that she may or may not be able to trust and Logan is dealing with his own problems and can’t help her in the way
that he would prefer.

I love Juliana’s Hell. It is full of my favorite types of characters. Those who you question exactly what team are they playing for. What are the motives for them to help? Logan already stated in To Hell and Back that he feels the League has at least one member who is not to be trusted.

[Paraphrodite · Rating 4 out of 5]

This continues the love story of Logan Winters and Kira Dove from the first novella Wrong Side of Hell. Great read. Logan is such a HERO!! Loved it. Hope to see more of them in the future...

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually 4 and half stars. Would've been a solid 5+++ had it ended better.

TO HELL AND BACK by Juliana Stone is the continuation of the story first introduced to us in WRONG SIDE OF HELL - the first entry in the League of Guardians series. We met Logan Winters, a hellhound who has been sent on a mission to bring out Kira Dove from the gray realm. At the end of the first novella, he and Kira had escaped and were heading north to a safe place where we hoped to finally get the answers to why the demons of Hell wanted Kira and the secret to what makes Logan different than other hellhounds. Juliana has created a cast of characters and two worlds that are so opposite yet similar that you can believe that the unreal is as solidly real as the one we know as reality. With each story in the League of Guardian series, we meet new characters but revisit past ones and are comfortable with their reappearance. I'm hoping that as each story is interwoven to draw you to the next, that this is NOT the end of Kira and Logan.

I am a huge fan of Juliana Stone's novels and will read anything she writes but that is not to say that every one will hit the mark. The writing in TO HELL AND BACK is exceptional. When she takes you to the gray realm, a sense of uneasiness surrounds you and you can almost smell the evil that permeates this place. But - yes, there's that word - because the writing is so creative, imaginative and vivid, we get drawn into her stories so deep that we always come away needing more. I was VERY disappointed with how TO HELL AND BACK ended. Not because it was a poorly written ending, not because I thought Kira and Logan didn't deserve to be together again - no, none of these things. I simply think the story isn't finished. I turned the page and thought - What? Am I missing some pages? The ending lacked resolution. The ending left more unanswered questions. It felt rushed and left me feeling letdown. I can only assume that because this was a novella that Juliana was forced to fit the story into a tight word count and since the scenes in Hell could not possibly be cut because of their importance, the ending suffered by being truncated to accommodate.

Aside from my complaint about the left-me-hanging ending - TO HELL AND BACK by Juliana Stone rocks it! Here's hoping Kira and Logan will back to really finish their tale.

I highly recommend TO HELL AND BACK, a League of Guardians novella by Juliana Stone if you have already read WRONG SIDE OF HELL and are, of course already hooked by this incredibly imaginative, action-packed, scintillating series that is some of the best paranormal romance work available. If you haven't dipped your reading toe into this world of good and evil yet, then get yourself a copy of both of these novellas and join the rest of us as witnesses to the epic battle to save our world from destruction.

I purchased this one because I had to read it - am very glad I did.

[Jen Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know. I know. You can't judge a book by it's cover, but before I start talking about the pages inside, let's all take a moment to appreciate the absolutely gorgeous cover art for this book. . . . Wow.

Moving to the actual story, To Hell and Back is a companion novella to Wrong Side of Hell. It continues the story of the tortured heroine Kira -- and Logan, the hellhound who loves her. The story picks up right on the heels of the last one. Logan is trying to get Kira to safety after having rescued her from Purgatory. They are happy together, but the odds are stacked against them. And it's only a matter of time before they can no longer outrun the monsters that are chasing them.

Logan is kidnapped and dragged back to hell. There, he must finally face his past and his enemies. He must find a way vanquish them if he ever hopes to have a real future with the woman he loves. In the meantime, Kira is offered help from some familiar faces from the League. But can she trust them?

The story is pretty fast paced and our couple must fight their battles separately for most of the book. There are a few love scenes, but this is really a story about these two fighting to get back to one another. I liked it. I was glad to see more of Kira and Logan. These are two people who complete one another. Both have endured horrific pasts. But in each other, they have found the peace and happiness that they never believed existed for themselves.

We do get cameos from Priest and Cale, in addition to Lillith, Seth the Golden, and Samael. This book could be read as a standalone, but you are really better off reading Wrong Side of Hell first, so you can see how these two fell in love.

I enjoyed it. I hope there will be a third story for these two one day.

Rating: B

*ARC Provided by Avon

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick

To Hell and Back was another great story by Juliana Stone packed with lots of action and suspense. I love that even though it's a novella it's still packed with so much. Each page is full of so much info and story. My only complaint is that it's a novella. I am really loving the characters of Logan and Kira, much more so in this installment and I just want more time with them. It just seems that once I wrap my head around everything that is happening the story is over and I'm left with a bunch of unanswered questions. Don't get me wrong, this is definitely a good thing.

I remember when I read Wrong Side of Hell I wasn't completely sure of Logan and Kira's relationship and their true feelings towards one another. Oh my goodness, that was definitely not an issue in To Hell and Back. I was blown away with how much these two love and care for another. I love that both will do everything in their powers to keep the other safe. It's definitely sigh worthy.

Logan is everything that I love in a hero. He's passionate, caring and willing to do anything to keep his woman safe and happy. What's not to love about that? As for Kira, she has come a long way in such a short time. She is pretty kickass and I love her loyalty to Logan. Both characters are such a pleasure to read about. I find myself completely engrossed with their story and rooting for them to find the happiness that they deserve and want.

I really hope we get to see more of these two in the future because I really feel like their story isn't finished.

**ARC copy provided by Edelweiss**

[Barbara ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the further adventures (and misadventures) of Logan and Kira. Of course, Logan gets dragged kicking and screaming (well not really) back to hell to be tortured by Lilith who is a sadistic bitch. I am sick to death of reading about people (creatures whatever) being tortured by whack-a-doos. Hence the 4 stars and not 5 for this story. I'm waiting for King of the Damned and hope we don't get sucked back into hell but with a title like that, I'm sure we will. Hmm wonder whose going to be tortured near to death this time.

[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arc provided by Avon***Review to come***

[Debra Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC downloaded courtesy of Avon Publishing. Full review a little later.

[Stephanie Mayfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC received courtesy of Avon Books.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed Kira and Logan's story, looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Sandy Harroun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really whet my appetite for this series. I'm thinking I will have to now search out the other books so I can catch up!

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review from part 1 still stands. Yes, there is some chasing and some fighting, but I just feel the story is progressing too slowly.

[Jennifer Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series

I read the first novella many times before finding the rest of the series and can't wait to continue. I definitely recommend.

[Greeneyes Belle28 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent