REVIEW Heart of the Damned (Alice Worth #9) by Lisa Edmonds

Heart of the Damned (Alice Worth #9) by Lisa Edmonds 
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: October 29, 2024
Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)
Publisher: Storybook House, LLC

“Do you know how someone who’s been beaten down finds their strength? They get the chance to be the strength for someone else.”

Lisa Edmonds’ latest release in the Alice Worth series, Heart of the Damned, delivered another urban fantasy adventure complete with mystery, suspense, and lots of character development and growth. 

I love the way that the storyline has built over the course of multiple books, and how the author pulled on plot threads she set up a long time ago. There are some very heartwarming moments in the book (such as Daniel’s marriage to Nan), but there are also a lot of frustrating and heartbreaking ones. Alice has been through a lot, and this book is no exception. However, it’s been rewarding to see how she’s finally built a support system around herself and how that support system rallied to help her. 

Other characters (and part of said support system) have a lot to go through as well, such as Malcolm’s continual quest to get his boyfriend and fellow ghost Liam back and Sean’s wolf riding him hard with all of the danger that Alice gets into. Their struggles played a lot into the storyline, and it was interesting to see how they eventually resolved. I’m really curious to see how things play out with Alice’s villainous grandfather, but I think we’re probably a couple of books away from a resolution on that. 

I highly recommend this book (and series) to anyone who loves urban fantasy and paranormal romance. It was another great installment in the series, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.  

REVIEW Mortal Heart (Alice Worth World #1) by Lisa Edmonds

Mortal Heart (Alice Worth World #1) 

by Lisa Edmonds
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: November 1, 2022
Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)
Publisher: City Owl Press

“A mortal heart may seem weak or fragile compared to what you’re used to, but it can withstand far more than you give it credit for. And a mortal heart offers more joy than any immortal life could ever experience.”

I’m a big fan of Lisa Edmond’s main Alice Worth series, so it was super exciting when she announced the release of a spin-off book based on side characters Ronan and Arkady. Mortal Heart, the first book in the Alice Worth World series, is a high-action, fast-paced urban fantasy and paranormal romance read. The book is ideally suited for fans of the main series, but the author does a good job of making it accessible to those unfamiliar with the main books.  

Ronan and Arkady by themselves were two of my favorite characters in the original books. However, once you put them together everything gets so much better. They make a great team, they have fantastic chemistry (it’s practically instantaneous), and they are both badasses who are coming into the relationship with a lot of skeletons in their closet. It’s interesting to contrast Alice and Sean’s relationship to Arkady and Ronan’s; Sean has to work for a long time (over the course of multiple books) to earn Alice’s trust and break through all of the walls that she’s built up. Ronan and Arkady’s relationship, on the other hand, progresses very quickly (the majority of the book takes place in the span of fewer than 12 hours), and they get fairly hot and heavy quite quickly. For those who have read the author’s previous books, it is about the same level of heat but a little more explicitly detailed. 

In addition to featuring Arkady and Ronan, the book also features cameos by other familiar faces from the original Alice Worth books. The world-building and character development Ms. Edmonds achieved in this book will surely help set the stage for Alice’s next adventure. If the author does another spin-off book not based on Arkady and Ronan, I’d love to see a story based on the witches! 

Overall, Mortal Heart was another entertaining book by Lisa Edmonds. I’m excited to read more books based on Ronan and Arkady’s storyline, and more of the main series books based on Alice and Sean’s story in the future. If you love fast-paced, high-action urban fantasy books, then this is a great addition to your to-be-read (TBR) list. As a bonus, at the time of writing this review, it was available to all Kindle Unlimited members to read for free. 

About the Book

A fallen angel sentenced to a mortal life on Earth.

A former soldier turned private investigator who’s been there, killed that.

The bad guys don't have a prayer...

Ronan, once the archangel Remiel, chose to fall from Heaven after breaking angelic law. For centuries, he used his skills to live and work among humans as a bounty hunter. A chance encounter with a mysterious mage named Alice Worth in the so-called Broken World forced him to violate angelic law once more, this time to save millions of lives. Now cut off from his angelic kin with his wings and power bound, Ronan is a man without a future, purpose, or reason to live.

Arkady Woodall left a dangerous job at the Vampire Court to return to the profession she loves most: private investigator. Now she’s Alice Worth’s business partner, and for the first time in years she’s calling her own shots. But now that she’s between cases, it’s the perfect time to find out more about Ronan, the enigmatic man who’d mysteriously shown up beaten and near death in Alice’s yard and then vanished again as soon as he’d recovered.

Knives, punches, and sparks fly when Ronan and Arkady cross paths at a roadside dive bar and stumble upon a kidnapping in progress. What starts as a simple rescue quickly turns into a deadly mystery that sends them on a wild and daring chase from the city’s most depraved depths to its highest and most luxurious penthouses, dodging bullets and black magic along the way. When their shared addiction to danger puts them on a collision course with a merciless and powerful enemy, Ronan and Arkady realize their only hope of success and survival is each other, but a devastating secret might spell doom for them both…

About the Author:

Lisa Edmonds was born and raised in Kansas. A graduate of Buhler High School, she studied English and forensic criminology at Wichita State University. After acquiring her Bachelor’s degree, she considered a career in law enforcement as a behavioral analyst before earning a Master's from Wichita State and then a Ph.D. in English from Texas A&M University.

She is currently an associate professor of English at a college in Texas, where she teaches a variety of writing and literature courses.

When not in the classroom, she shares a quiet country home with her husband Bill D’Amico and their cats, and enjoys writing, reading, traveling, spoiling her niece and nephew, and singing karaoke.

Author Photo Credit: Madison Hurley Photography in Hot Springs, AR

Heart of the Pack (Alice Worth #8) by Lisa Edmonds

Heart of the Pack (Alice Worth #8) by Lisa Edmonds
Rating: 5 Stars
Release Date: December 7, 2021
Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)
Publisher: City Owl Press

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Lisa Edmonds spoiled her readers by releasing two installments to the Alice Worth series within a week of each other. After reading both (and giving each a 5-star rating), the wait for the next book (and the upcoming Trent Lake spin-off series) is going to be agonizing. 

The pacing of the book was, as always, amazing. There was never a dull moment or a time where too much was being crammed into a small section. Another highlight of the Alice Worth series for me has always been the characters, and the author did not disappoint in that regard. I loved how Alice’s place in the pack and at Sean’s side was really explored in this book. Alice also develops her relationship with her long-lost father Daniel, which was long overdue in my opinion and so sweet to see. They both have unresolved trauma from the past that they were able to work through together. Ms. Edmonds has done a great job connecting readers to her characters and getting them invested. At this point, I’m committed to seeing the series through to the end no matter what. All my fingers and toes are crossed in the hopes that Alice will finally get the happily ever after ending she so deserves. No spoilers, but things seem to be moving in the right direction to make a happily ever after ending a not so impossible option for Alice and Sean in the future. 

A lot happened in Heart of Lies, but even more happens in Heart of the Pack. The two books seemed to compliment each other, as Heart of Lies felt darker where Heart of the Pack was more humorous and light-hearted. Despite this being a shorter book (281 pages versus Heart of Lies’ 618), I would not recommend skipping it. The events of this book seem like they will play a pivotal role in the ones to follow. 

Overall, I highly recommend this book (and series) to anyone who loves urban fantasy and paranormal romance. You won’t be disappointed! Heart of the Pack was my favorite book in the series so far. I’m eagerly awaiting news of when Alice Book 9 and the Trent Lake spin-off will be released. 

About the Author:

Lisa Edmonds was born and raised in Kansas. A graduate of Buhler High School, she studied English and forensic criminology at Wichita State University. After acquiring her Bachelor’s degree, she considered a career in law enforcement as a behavioral analyst before earning a Master's from Wichita State and then a Ph.D. in English from Texas A&M University.

She is currently an associate professor of English at a college in Texas, where she teaches a variety of writing and literature courses.

When not in the classroom, she shares a quiet country home with her husband Bill D’Amico and their cats, and enjoys writing, reading, traveling, spoiling her niece and nephew, and singing karaoke.

Author Photo Credit: Madison Hurley Photography in Hot Springs, AR

ARC REVIEW: Heart of Lies (Alice Worth #7) by Lisa Edmonds

Heart of Lies (Alice Worth Book 7) by Lisa Edmonds

Rating: 5 Stars

Release Date: November 30, 2021

Format: eARC

Publisher: City Owl Press

All hail one of the queens of urban fantasy, Lisa Edmonds. She has earned a fan for life in me with her latest installment in the Alice Worth series, Heart of Lies. 

At the start of this book, all of our favorite characters are dealing with the fallout from the events of Heart of Vengeance. Sean is feeling uber protective, Alice is clueless on how to deal with her father being in her life after going so long without, and Malcolm’s heart is broken over the disappearance of his ghostly love. Alice's newest case, a missing artist, ends up being a lot more complicated than she initially anticipated (or Sean would like). To complicate matters even further, evil grandpa Moses Murphy is still a thorn in Alice and Sean's side - thankfully the stage has been set for Alice to deal with him in the (hopefully) not-so-distant future. 

Weaker men might have left when things got complicated, but Sean has steadfastly remained at Alice's side. He also continues to remind her that she's not alone, even when she reverts to her habit of trying to do everything by herself. I want to commend Ms. Edmonds for how Alice's past trauma is delicately and appropriately handled. Sean (and others in the pack) recognize that some of her quirks are the result of the torture she endured at the hands of her grandfather and his minions. She doesn’t need to be “fixed” - sometimes she just needs someone to be there and remind her that she has friends and family ready to support her once she’s ready.

One of my favorite aspects of the Alice Worth series has always been the attention to detail and the well-crafted ensemble cast. There are numerous side characters in this book, and they all served a purpose. Some of the side characters were new, and some were reintroductions of characters we haven't seen in a couple books. I'm curious to see where Ms. Edmonds may take their minor storylines in the future. I know that Trent Lake's spin-off is in the works, so it will be fun to see how his character develops. He deserves to find his happily ever after and life partner like Alice has. 

Thank you to the author for allowing me the chance to read and review early! I appreciate the opportunity immensely, and can't wait to read Heart of the Pack. I voluntarily read and reviewed Heart of Lies; all opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way. 

About the Author:

Lisa Edmonds was born and raised in Kansas. A graduate of Buhler High School, she studied English and forensic criminology at Wichita State University. After acquiring her Bachelor’s degree, she considered a career in law enforcement as a behavioral analyst before earning a Master's from Wichita State and then a Ph.D. in English from Texas A&M University.

She is currently an associate professor of English at a college in Texas, where she teaches a variety of writing and literature courses.

When not in the classroom, she shares a quiet country home with her husband Bill D’Amico and their cats, and enjoys writing, reading, traveling, spoiling her niece and nephew, and singing karaoke.

Author Photo Credit: Madison Hurley Photography in Hot Springs, AR

Heart of Vengeance (Alice Worth #6) by Lisa Edmonds

Heart of Vengeance (Alice Worth #6) by Lisa Edmonds

RATING: 5 STARS

Release Date: October 13, 2020

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Publisher: City Owl Press

What a great novel. Every time I finish a book in this series, I think Edmonds has set the bar extremely high and won't be able to outdo herself. I worry about this especially when the quality of some author's books can suffer as they increase the number of titles in a series. I'm very happy to say that I was proven wrong with this latest installment and that Edmonds has managed to cement my loyalty and interest yet again. 

Sean and Alice have a very unique relationship that I haven't seen in other books. They both have a lot of compromising to do for this relationship, which is really interesting to read as an outside observer. For example, Alice has to work on trust issues stemming from her childhood and Sean has to work on curbing his desire to constantly protect someone who doesn't need protection. Alice is nobody's damsel in distress. 

The relationship and interactions between Alice and Malcolm are also really fun to watch. They have such a unique brother/sister relationship that it's really refreshing to see, especially when Malcolm reminds Alice that's she's reverting to her old ways (which happens very frequently). 

The journey to the Broken World in this book is super fun! I loved seeing all the magical creatures (dragons, angels, monsters who eat everything but the head, grave robbing monsters...). While it's nice to see some of the familiar supernatural creatures like dragons, it's also really nice to see new innovative creatures too as it leaves me guessing and on the edge of my seat. 

I loved this book, and I'm really sad that I finished it so quickly because it means it will be that much longer of a wait till the next book comes out. Great job again to the author, can't wait to see the next installment!