To Hell And Back

Lily Harper #3

by H.P. Mallory

Lily Harper’s third mission into the depths of the Underground City finds her battling its demonic residents in the Toy Store, level four of the hellish afterlife.
Although Lily’s guardian angel, Bill, is by her side every step of the way, Bill isn’t much of a consolation when it comes to fighting things that go bump in the night. Instead, Lily would much prefer to rely on the brawn and brains of the two thousand year old Celtic warrior, Tallis Black. But Tallis is busy battling his own demons…the internal type.

While in the Underground City, Lily finds herself on the wrong end of a demon’s wrath. A surprising encounter with the Master of the Underground City, Alaire, not only ensures her survival but also leaves her in the unenviable position of being in Alaire’s debt. It’s no secret that Alaire harbors a strange and unsettling fascination with Lily but she’s more concerned with solving Tallis’s deep and dark mysteries hidden beneath his stoic exterior.


While becoming better acquainted with the master of the Underground City and coming ever closer to unraveling the enigma that is Tallis Black, Lily can only hope she makes it through hell and back.

Genres: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Romance, Contemporary, Ebooks

200 pages, ebook

First published November 3, 2014

About the author

I’m a huge fan of anything paranormal and I always have been. I get super excited whenever they have those Twilight Zone Marathon days and anything ghost or vampire related will always attract my attention.

My interests are varied but aside from writing, I’m most excited about traveling. I’m extremely fortunate to have been able to live in England and Scotland, both places really having a profound effect on my books.

Thanks for checking out my books and I hope you enjoy them! Happy Haunting!

H.P.

Reviews

[V · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didnt see all that much happening in this book. Scenes were wordly stretched out, and nothing really happened. Even the so called cliffhanger at the end, and I do mean the very end was disappointing. I had higher expectations for this one, and it failed to deliver. If thee next book im this series is the same, then I may have to take Mallory off of ky favorites list.

[Jeanne Klingler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seemed too short and I am soooo over Bill....

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been waiting on this book and it didn't disappoint! I cannot wait for the next one in this series. H.P. Mallory is one of my favorite authors. Her Dulcie O'Neil series and Jolie Wilkins series are among my favorites.

This book picks up exactly where the last book left off. Lily finds Tallis and helps him through his ordeal. Afterwards, she heads back to the Underground City to have dinner with Alaire. Tallis comes to her rescue once again and they go on a trip to retrieve another soul. There are several disceptions along the way, and Lily has to figure out where her loyalties lie. Lily's guardian angel, Bill, comes a long way in this book for me. In the previous books he was close to intolerable. In this book, he grew on me. Without giving too much away, my view of Tallis comes down several notches, but even then, I can't help but want Lily and him to get together. All in all, it was a good read.

[Krystle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much of them asking the Angel what he mens or saying. I love this series but too much of Lili saying "huh?" Or "what?" And then the angel explaining what he is saying. Very aggravating. Almost did not finish.

[Cassie Hess · Rating 1 out of 5]

This will be the last one in the series, and the last one for this author for me. It felt as if someone else wrote this one - it simply was bad.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating is 2.8 stars.

I began this series quite some time ago and drifted away as I discovered and started other series. I appreciate the author and have read several of her other series over the years. I enjoyed this installment, but the characters seem to have stagnated since I last read about them. I expected some development from all of them, though the Angel might never change as much as the others could. I am content with the settings, as such elements can either evolve or remain static, depending on their trajectory.

My guardian angel, Bill, is constantly by my side, yet he offers little comfort when confronting the nocturnal terrors. I would rather depend on the strength and intellect of the two-millennia-old Celtic warrior, Tallis Black.

However, Tallis is preoccupied with his battles... the ones within. Oh, the complexities of men.

In the Underground City, I encounter the wrath of a demon. An unexpected meeting with Alaire, the Master of the Underground City, not only secures my survival but also places me in the difficult position of owing Alaire a debt.

Alaire's peculiar and disconcerting interest in me is well-known, but my focus lies in deciphering the profound and obscure secrets that Tallis Black conceals behind his impassive facade.

As I grow more familiar with the master of the Underground City and inch closer to solving the puzzle that is Tallis Black, my only wish is to emerge unscathed from this infernal journey.

The narrative was somewhat static, centering more on Tallis than on the salvation of souls. It was decent but lacked excitement, although it was a quick read.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily doesn't like how her and Tallis parted. She gets the strangest feeling something isn't quite right with him? That is how Lily finds herself trekking through the dark forest to find Tallis. She isn't prepared for what she's about to discover. Tallis is totally under Donnchad's control. Somehow, she must bring Tallis back.

As if helping Tallis regain control over himself isn't enough, Lily is tasked with another job in the Underground City. Not only that, but she must also accept the Master, Alaire's, invitation to dinner. Things go about as expected. Tallis and Alaire have a quarrel, which leads to Lily being in the middle of an untenable situation. Will these new-found secrets destroy Tallis and Lily's fragile relationship?

Author H.P. Mallory's LILY HARPER series is so engrossing and I've been hooked since book one. It currently consists of three novels, BETTER OFF DEAD, THE UNDERGROUND CITY and TO HELL AND BACK. Each book follows Lily on her journey deeper into The Underground City while working as a "soul retriever" for AE, Afterlife Enterprises. I love the depth of the characters, and they just keep surprising me, especially Tallis. It's clear Alaire, master of the Underground City, is up to something, but I'm not 100% convinced he's all bad. The Lily Harper series is my new addiction.

[Ilona Nurmela · Rating 4 out of 5]

While book 3 has some shocking reveals, it feels like dawdling on storyline

Still love Lily, still want to hit Tallis over the head with a pan, still chuckling over Bill’s shenanigans, still loving the Dante quotes, but 9 rings of hell await and the storyline feels drawn out. Yes, there’s betrayal, yes there’s an awkward seduction scene bw Alaire and Lily where he kindly explains his violent art choices, but there’s minimal development in Tallis’ and Lily’s relationship…until the very last line - what a hook! Still, despite that hook that’s meant to entice you to go read book 4 immediately, I’m losing confidence anything will happen bw Lily & Tallis for a few more books at least. So, am putting this series aside for a while and am going to find a start-to-finish standalone to read for a change.

Recommended for lovers of veeery long romance buildup bw grumpy sunshine / clueless damsel (who isn’t as innocent as she lets on, actually) in mythological Hell setting with lots of action adventure and a side dish of humour from a sidecharacter.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow...

Your feelings will go up and down in this book. One minute you want Tallis and Lily to get together and the next...you want to hit Tallis upside the head and ask him what is wrong with him.
I feel there should be some kind of prophecy going on here and that's why Lily is so important...time will tell!

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes I'm totally loving this series, but I will say Book 3 has brought out in me every emotion and feeling that I have. Yes there is still the soul retrieving, but the emotion written by this Author into this book are superb. Absolutely well written. I felt I was part of the book just watching from the foreground. I'm going on to book 4.

[Laurel Perkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really Enjoying

This series. Action, romance, comedy, all in a story for grown ups! Great characters, too. So glad I got the whole set of books so there is no waiting to start the next one.

[Rebecca Goss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily’s next mission send her to the Toy Store in the Underground City, which is a creepy as the name sounds. When Lily has a fatal demon bite, she is rescued by Alaire. She survived but is now beholding to him which is not a good position. He never does a favor out of goodness.

[Michelle Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cw- attempted rape

I was not expecting the attempted rape after the humorous first 2 books and it shocked me.

I also don't think Lily would react in the way she did to some of the actions in the book.

Overall, the weakest of the first 3 books in this series

[Bigred6126 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back

This one is really cool. It's the first job by herself and Alaire definitely showed some of his true colors. However, we all know he's a scumbag. The cats it of the bag with Tellis or some of it is anyways. I loved it.

[Linda Collister · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unusual romance

Lily finds Tallis irresistible and though he tries to hide his feelings from her he loves her too. Betrayal puts them both at odds with each other. Can they overcome the evil of Alaire and be honest with each other or is death the answer. I love this series!

[Margarita Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh no he didn't

What a fast paced and action packed read. Deceit and lies. Twist and turns throughout the plot. Wow. Unbelievable. Shock.

[Tiffany Dickerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow so much better then the rest. But the betrayal is too much to handle.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the third book Lily senses that something is wrong with Tallis and goes to find him. What she finds is “Donnchadh” (not sure of the spelling, but this is the warrior that inhabits Tallis) is in control of Tallis. It takes Lily waaaay too long to figure out that Tallis isn’t in control. I knew it almost immediately and maybe the author was hoping to cause some suspense here, but it just makes Lily seem daft. I still really enjoyed this scene as it shows Lily being resourceful and in control. Eventually we get our Tallis back, but only right before Lily must leave for her dinner with Alaire. You can imagine that Tallis is none too pleased about this news.

Lily ends up getting another mission while she is already in the Underground City and makes her way to the Toy Store. I remember from book 2 that Lily’s friend Saxon (from the gym) said it was his least favorite place. Tallis and Bill both seem to enjoy themselves immensely there. I will admit I am not really sure how it fits in with the rest of the Underground City, except maybe the author needed an excuse to put some sexy ladies in Tallis’s path to make Lily jealous. There ends up being more drama than usual while Lily is in the Toy Story and what is left over of the book leaves Lily almost dying (more so than is typical for Lily). Alaire ends up being the problem and conveniently the solution. Through this Lily learns some stuff about Tallis that may end their friendship.

I really enjoyed this book. I hope I don’t have to wait too much longer to read the next one. We got a lot more alone time with Lily and while I don’t always agree with her logic I can see where she is coming from in making her decisions.

To read more reviews or get book suggestions visit my blog at: http://bibliobibulireviews.blogspot.com/

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in the Lily Harper is not as action packed as the first two. Instead, it focuses on her relationships with Tallis and Alaire, a.k.a. the one she wants, but can't have, and the one she can have, but doesn't want.

I really liked that this book focused on interpersonal relations, however flawed they may be. Delving into Tallis' tormented soul was a treat, and his reasons for rejection Lily's advances are made perfectly clear and understandable. Albeit a little sad, not only for Lily, but most of all for Tallis himself. That being said, I would like to know more about his past, Alaire's tidbits of information and his relationship with the horny women in level 4 proves that he's still keeping secrets from Lily.

I know some people may not agree with me, but aside from Tallis, Alaire's my favorite character/creep. He may be able to hold onto his gentlemanly veneer for a little while, but true to character, he always reverts to his ruthless, soul corrupting self. I just wonder why, or shall we say who really wants Lily. Himself or his inner demon.

Angel Bill has never been my favorite, he's ok in small doses & I'm happy to report that this is exactly what we got:-) (Hallelujah!)

The end provided me with the "revelation" I was waiting for, and I can't wait to see how this plays out for or star-crossed lovers in the 4th installment.

[evergreencrime · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was absolutely great. It was funny (courtesy of Bill) it was sexy (courtesy of Tallis) and there was just the right about of immoral and suspicious sexy acts, (courtesy of the deliciously evil Alaire).
Boy do I love a little bit of conniving, deceitful and up to no good sexy gentlemen in my book...Alaire delivers. Tallis was hot and cute at the same time.. how is that possible? You would have to ask this amazing author. His accent, demeanor..phew.
I saw that some people hated Bill.. well.. I didn't. He was so funny.. the way he speaks cracks me up every time.
Anyways, the plot was reasonable and interesting. it kept my interest. The only thing I would have changed is the length of the book. I wish it was longer. Not much of a cliff hanger, but, I am not disappointed or worried cos I have the next book already!..which was ridiculously expensive by the way(rip off by hp mallory).
There is a love triangle in the book that gets me squealing like an idiot! loving it!

[Aarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahh...good old fashioned angst, romance, and the paranormal

I have been waiting forever (it seems like) to read this book. And now that I have I reaaaaally wish I didn't. Don't get me wrong, it was beyond great. BUT..I have to know what happens next! The next one probably won't be finished until June. I understand that it takes time to generate the creative juices that makes these books so good. However, that does not help me right now. Ms. Malloy included so many surprises, so much progress, there was almost a....well I won't spoil the book. Just know it's an awesome follow up to the last book that will answer your questions, pique your interest, make you laugh, gasp out loud (annoying people will interrupt you to ask what you're reading at these points), and die slowly while awaiting the next book right along with me:)

Happy Reading!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series. This one was a little harder to read because there was less action and less world building. We get to see the Underground City and even Tallis' house more, but we see less of it because Lily is mostly in one place the whole time she is there. My only real complaint is the rape scene...and the fact that Lily says "almost raped"...no, she was raped. But that was early on and I understand what it was building to, although I still maintain you can get the gist without going through with it. Well, that and we see that arrogant Alaire entirely too much for my taste!I agree that there wasn't enough Bill. The series can be dark at times and Bill adds the needed levity. Overall, a fun read and I look forward to the next installment!

[Jordan Skye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright, Bill was as hilarious as ever, of course. I must say the covers only get more amazing as they go along. Lily looks beautiful and tough.

HOWEVER, to Tallis, I need to say:

I hope you realize I do not like you. I will never like you. You're a jerk. You are player and a jerk with a rapey evil warrior spirit in you. You say you love Lily? Ha. I don't believe you.

To Alaire:

Ya nasty.

To Bill:

Keep it up, Casanova.

Lily:

Why TALLIS? UGHH. What about that dude you met in book 2? He seemed like a decent guy... why you gotta be attracted to the behemoth rapist?? I love you, but you have poor taste and judgement.

H.P.:

I SINCERELY HOPE A BOOK 4 COVER WILL APPEAR SOON BECAUSE I LOVE THEM.


The end.

[Mary E. Jung · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprise at every turn

I really thought I knew how this was going to go, however this book took turns and leaps I never saw coming. there was more detail of the underground city, which is the most interesting part of this book. tallis is a deep and complicated character I can't help but love and want to learn more about. Lilly is so loving and wise. she is really an admirable character. a woman you can really look up to. the adventure, trickery and dance with the devil keeps me reading this series over and over again. I'm so addicted it's painful to wait for the next book.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third in the Lily Harper series. Another great book by H.P. Mallory! This is my favorite so far. I'll probably catch some flack from others, but I enjoyed that there was less of Angel Bill. I really liked that this book focused on Tallis and Lily's relationship. We get to see more of Tallis' feelings and torment. Throwing in the antagonist Alaire who is wants Lily and some hot and horny women from the the 4th level of the Underground to stir the pot. Although I wanted to see more evolve before the book ending, the ending at least provided the one thing I was waiting for. Thank you H.P. Looking forward the the 4th book!

[Relina Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

H.P. Mallory created another fantastic story with "To Hell and Back." Lily Harper can't catch a break. Even though she is employed to retrieve souls, the monsters of the Underground City don't play nice. In fact if she kills any one of them she could be punished by being sent off to Shade. Overall, I can't wait until the next book comes out. I predict that we'll learn that Tallis was once in charge of the Underground City and that Alaire will have Lily hurt either Tallis or Bill in order to pay her debt. I just hope she sends a formal complaint to AfterLife Enterprises about Alaire's behaviour.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

H P Mallory has done it again! As an author she has the ability to make me feel what her characters are feeling. I cry with their heart break, laugh with them and rejoice when they are happy. In my opinion it takes a really talented author to pull this off. One that can make you devote yourself to her stories and the characters in them. To Hell and Back is no exception, once again I have traveled with Lily through all her ups and downs and thoroughly enjoyed it. I look forward to the next adventure.

[Alicia Prochnow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its interesting that most of this book takes place outside of a 'mission'. While I'm glad we got to see another level of the Underground City, this book was really transitional. I'm not sure why but I didn't feel a lot of meat behind the story. That said, I did like to see the relationship between Lily and Tallis, but it was too drama filled. The dinner and what followed with Alaire was very interesting. I especially liked that Alaire poisoned Lily, which made no sense with everything he had done to date. But it all makes sense in the end.

[K. VON VLECK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a filler with too many stories she is writing

Here I sat for months on end impatiently waiting for the next book in this series and the book actually said "To be continued." While I truly adore Sinjin of the Harper Connelly series I'd rather wait a bit longer for his next book in order to have a full story for Lilly and company to have a featured length novel. Even her book about a ghost sharing a mortal's body had a synopsis for a couple of months prior to the book's release. I just hope the next one will get the proper length it is due.

[Jan Niblock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Ms. Mallory’s storytelling and her books are just awesome. I have to say that I really like Lily Harper and Tallis Black because their struggles are so much like people’s struggles in the real world. You can totally identify with what is going on in their heads.

As usual, Ms. Mallory left us with a cliffhanger. But I now have more questions that need answers then I usually do. Also, I hate waiting to find out whether the answers will be what I would like them to be or not. That is the main question/problem, where do things go from here.