FINAL DECISION: A gothic-type romance where the line between the hero being the "hero" or being the one who threatens the heroine is blurred, this book has an intriguing concept and at times a very interesting plot. Not as well developed as Stuart's later books, this one is still a fun and only slightly scary read.

THE STORY: Jack the Ripper is terrorizing Los Angeles. Lizzie Stride has become involved because her custom masks are being used by the Ripper in the murders. J.R. Damien is haunted by the murders and he fears that he might have a closer connection to the murders than anyone expects. Lizzie might be the next target for the Ripper and Damien and Lizzie work together to protect Lizzie. But what are their connections to the murders?

OPINION: Anne Stuart is known for her anti-heroes that walk the edge between being the hero and being the villain. This book also has that device although I wasn't as convinced as I should have been that Damien was the villain -- but he did some atrocious things. And at times he treated the heroine abominably.

Yet, I always enjoy the Gothic feel of these types of stories. The book combines a murder and suspense story with a creepy feel that always keeps me unbalanced as I read the story. I know this type of story is not for everyone and isn't even the best example of Stuart's work. The Jack the Ripper story was approached in a different manner. This book's best feature is it's story concept. The characters were not as developed as I like (especially Lizzie who we never really know much about) and there are some gaping plot holes, but the entire feel of the story led me to enjoy the journey.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book was originally published in the early 1990s.

CONNECTED BOOKS: BREAK THE NIGHT is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

A different take on a serial killer. Do we have past lives,who knows. An engaging story with intricate characters.

Back when I was in high school and college, I loved Silhouette's Shadows line and Break the Night by Anne Stuart was a particular favorite of mine. I recently reread the book to see how it holds up. The suspense is still compelling and I still enjoyed the story, though there were some issues with the romance that had slipped right by me as a teen that, when read with a bit more maturity, take away from my enjoyment somewhat.

Break the Night is a serial killer thriller from back in the days before these were trendy and got to be a tad overdone. Since it's the Shadows line, the book has a paranormal twist to it, and it's one that really works rather than feeling overdone. The basic premise is this: What if Jack the Ripper never died? Reporter J. R. Damien believes the Ripper is back to his gruesome old tricks - this time on the streets of Venice, California.

A serial killer is terrorizing Venice. At the scene of each murder, police have found one of the carnival masks made by local artist Lizzie Stride. As readers, we are dropped into a book that features characters very much on edge. The city nervously awaits the apprehension of a vicious killer, Lizzie's nerves are shot from interview after interview with the authorities as well as the knowledge that her creations are a killer's fixation. And then Damien steps into her life, obviously haunted by the crimes and convinced that Lizzie is in danger.

Upon rereading, I can see that this book lacks the polish of some of Stuart's better known works, but her ability to play with dark and menacing moods in a story is very much apparent here. The dialogue has more than a touch of melodrama to it, and Damien makes a fantastic edgy hero. As a somewhat washed-up reporter haunted by a crime that he knows harks back to the terror-filled killing spree of Jack the Ripper, Damien feels like a character from film noir at times. He's smart, determined and so close to the darkness that at times he feels like an anti-hero. Some heroes of this type are actually teddy bears underneath all that angst but in true Anne Stuart fashion, this one sometimes does feel downright dangerous.

The suspense plot still works for me and the dark moodiness of the book is rather effective. Watching Lizzie and Damien try to find a killer even as they know they're in his crosshairs feels as inevitable as watching their attraction flare to life. There are some plot holes you could drive a truck through (the police don't even halfway bother trying to protect a star witness and known target? Seriously, people??) but the author holds the mood well enough that one keeps right on reading anyway.

The one big weakness of the love story is one I've seen in more than a few darker romances. The author excels at creating a believably dangerous outsider for a hero, but there is a fine line between a deliciously edgy, passionate bad boy hero and, well, consent issues. Without getting too spoilery, I'll just say that this book falls very uncomfortably into that trap.

Even with its flaws, I still enjoyed Break the Night as a piece of fiction. However, some elements of the romance caused me problems as I read this time, so while I'll still keep this book around, it's not quite the big category romance favorite it used to be.

Buy Now: A/BN/iB/K

I normally love Anne Stuart's books, but this was not among my favorites. This is a reissue of an older book, and I believe she has grown significantly as a writer since it was first released. The characters were not ones that I connected well with, which is definitely unusual with her books, and I found that the storyline drug for me at times. Stuart is a great writer, but this one wasn't really for me.

This novel intrigued me as soon as I read the description. I thought that the entire idea of reincarnation and the addition of the famous serial killer Jack the Ripper made this novel a must read among mystery readers everywhere. From the beginning of this story the life of Lizzie and Damien become entwined and their trust in each other becomes an important aspect of their survival; will they learn to trust in each other and survive? or will one of the meet an awful fate because they cannot trust in each other? Thank you NetGalley, and the amazing author Anne Stuart for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

I loved her ice series but this book was a huge miss. The hero came across as an ass with no redeeming qualities and the heroine was ridiculous. The text also came across as very outdated and the paranormal aspect was too much.

I generally enjoy Anne Stuart books and I did enjoy this one. I think what took the book down from a 4 star to a 3 star book was that this is a re-release, and honestly, it seems a bit dated.

When I requested this book I didn't realize that this book was a re-release of a book I read in the 90's. After the initial meeting of Lizzie and Damien, when Damien actually stated "May God have mercy on your soul," I knew I was in for a melodrama filled ride.

The characters in the book are a little bit too soap opera horror for me and I kept imaging dun-dun-duuuuun every time something dramatic happened. This is not necessarily a bad thing but the drama level seemed almost comical at times instead of thrilling or tense.

I did enjoy the book, even though I'm a little bit critical of it, and I would recommend it to fans of Anne Stuart or other dark romance fans with a melodrama disclaimer.

I read this story several years ago and it is still as good today as then. Excellent writing.