I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Break the Night by Anne Stuart
Published by Bell Bridge Books on June 8th 2017
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Goodreads

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.