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by Anne Stuart

A silent scream, a bloodstained knife...

A century past, the faceless killer had strolled out of the London fog and into history, the most infamous murderer who ever lived. And only reporter J. R. Damien knew he had never died, could never die. It was impossible, and yet it was true--Saucy Jack was back, plying his trade in the back alleys of Venice, California.. . .

And Saucy Jack takes another life...

Lizzie Stride refused to accept the ravings of this man who swore she was fated to die, again and again, at the hands of a long-dead madman. But J. R. Damien's haunted eyes told her she must follow in a century-old dance of death and desire--with a man who feared he was the reincarnation of Jack the Ripper.. . .

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Contemporary Romance, Suspense, Contemporary, Paranormal Romance

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1993

About the author

Anne Stuart is a grandmaster of the genre, winner of Romance Writers of America's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, survivor of more than thirty-five years in the romance business, and still just keeps getting better.

Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.

She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.

When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.

Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.

Reviews

[Alp · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

[Crista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one just in time for Halloween!

This is Anne Stuart, so anything with her name on it is almost guaranteed to be brilliant. Break the Night, while not my favorite Anne Stuart novel, certainly was brilliant!

This is a story about a serial killer. He is killing prostitutes in the same manner that Jack the Ripper did so many years ago. Our heroine is brought into the madness because she is an artist who specializes in making masks. Each of the prostitutes who are found murdered are wearing masks that Lizzie Stride created. This "link" to the killer involves Lizzie and puts her in the path of danger.

J.R. Damien is a former journalist that has become obsessed with finding the killer. He continues to have disturbing "dreams" and "visions" of the murders. He even begins to believe that he may be doing the killing!

In pure Stuart form, the hero is dangerous and ruthless, but also fiercely protective of Lizzie. I was racing through this book to find out what would happen next. There are definite paranormal aspects to this book (reincarnation, hypnosis, premonitions..ect.) It's different than anything I've ever read. Lizzie was a bit underdeveloped for my taste, but I appreciated her courage and tenacity in the face of true evil and darkness. Damien was intriguing, to say the very least, and I fell for him like I do for every Anne Stuart hero ever created!

I recommend this book and any book with the name Anne Stuart on it!

[Kayla Krantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love. Murder. Darkness.

This book has suspense around every corner.

When a mask maker’s masks are used in a bizarre killing spree, she goes on a quest to try and gather up her masks, stopping the killer before the murders become too many. What she learns, however, is a deep dark secret that puts her right in the line of fire.

The overlapping themes in this book made it unique. While it is a murder mystery, it is also a story of second chances and growth.

The narration was perfect.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

[Eliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

It finally happened! After multiple tries and multiple letdowns, I have finally found, and fell in love with, an Anne Stuart book. Over the years it has been disheartening to not connect with her books. Everything she writes should be right up my alley, but every time I try, something pops my balloon. This book, however, was magic for me! I fell in love with these peculiar, obsessed, struggling characters. No perfect hero here- just a man so lost almost all hope for him is gone. Heroine was just the right amount of sassy.

The creativity Anne Stuart used to intertwine the real Jack the Ripper into this book was what was magic for me. I can’t really give away more. It was a little gory, but not too bad. If you like romance (steam included) mystery and beautifully written story, then this book is for you!

[Mara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overboard stupid

[Sheila Melo · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com

[Aarann · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 30%.

I'm not in any way surprised this one didn't do anything for me. That blurb is... well, it's something. Anne Stuart certainly warns you that you're in for a ride. I can't even be mad about this particular DNF.

If you read the blurb, you know why I put it down: too batshit crazy. I picked it up hoping that maybe it would be the fun kind, the kind I can get into despite the batshit aspect. Still, I didn't care about either of the leads and the possibly supernatural nature of the whole thing was too watered down and made me feel like Anne wasn't going to stick her landing on this one. Then there was the possibility of yet another transgender/LGBTQIA+ bad guy (hard to tell if there was a supernatural bent in the brief glimpse I got of the bad guy, or if it was more like crazy-person-thinks-they're-supernatural-but-is-really-just-off-their-meds). Which if true, would be yet another transgender/mentally ill/homicidal villain in the Anne Stuart backlog, something I have been worried for a while is A Thing for Anne. Which sucks, because I've truly loved some of her books.

This is very much a hit-or-miss author for me. This one was a miss, but I kind of expected it to be when I picked it up, so I can't even be upset about it. I was hoping for at least a fun hot mess though.

[Jane Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot.
Like every AS book, this has a very thin line between a hero and a anti-hero.

Which brings me to my only lament : why couldn't the hero have been Jack the Ripper in his previous life?
It would have made the story way scarier :D

[MBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Break the Night by Anne Stuart is another one of her masterpieces in her long list of books (which I am forever grateful for), that more or less belong in the same category. Taking on the events surrounding the killer Jack the Ripper as a premise, Anne Stuart weaves a tale that left me wanting more on every single aspect of the story that unfolded.

Elizabeth Stride (Lizzie) is an artist trying to survive the LA scene. A creator of masks, Lizzie is caught in a nightmarish circumstance when a serial killer takes on her masks as part of the killer’s signature. Known as the Venice Ripper, Lizzie’s only saving grace comes from the fact that members of the public remain unaware of the use of Lizzie’s masks in the killer’s grotesque pastime.

However, Lizzie’s “anonymity” when it comes to the Venice Ripper becomes a thing of the past when news reporter John Ripley Damien i.e. J. R. Damien takes it upon himself to release the details about the masks in one of his articles featuring the Venice Ripper. Damien’s interest in the killer comes at a cost to both his personal and professional life. Renowned for his skill and talent as a reporter, Damien’s life takes a turn for the worse when he starts blaming himself for failing to see the line that exists between professional reporting standards and what is not. What could have been and what actually did happen.

Damien is haunted by dreams of a past that is filled with bloodshed, nightmares that seem hauntingly too real, when those dreams coincide with murders that happen in the present. Damien believes that stopping the killer is a job that is his duty, perhaps his past life had made it his responsibility to be the savior. But Damien knows that avenging the killer would come at a cost, a payment that he might have to make by giving his own life up in the process.

All of that is fine with Damien until Lizzie shows up in his life. Damien is none too shocked when an outraged Lizzie turns up on his doorstep, calling him out for publishing her details in relation with the Venice Ripper. While Damien tries to project an aura of indifference to all that is Lizzie, deep inside he knows that he is in deep trouble when it comes to her. The farthest thing from his usual style of women, Lizzie is what Damien would call a homebody, and for the very first time in Damien’s life, he wants to embrace the dreams of togetherness forever that he can see in Lizzie’s eyes.

However, there is a killer who is relentless, who is closing in on them as the passion between Damien and Lizzie ignites and burns with a ferocity that leaves them both stunned. And it will take everything Damien has got, all his wits about him to protect the most precious person in existence for him from a killer whose blood-lust has reached uncontrollable levels, taking on the task of the “cleanser of sinful souls” in the world.

I loved Break the Night. It is hard to believe that this was a story published more than ten years ago. Standing true to the test of time, as is the case with all Anne Stuart novels, both Damien and Lizzie are lovable and enticing characters. There is a vulnerability to Lizzie that is hard not to fall for, and a heart that yearns to open up to Damien and take him for all that he is – darkness and light together.

Damien is another topnotch example of heroes that Anne Stuart brings to life so effortlessly. Tall, lean, and darkly handsome in a way that makes a woman sit up and take notice, Damien’s demons run deep into his psyche, starting from a childhood that had been less than idyllic under most circumstances. However, it is Damien’s ties to a past that has long come and gone that is most intriguing, his often misplaced “blame” of self that takes place, because he is that kind of man.

Every Anne Stuart I pick up gives me a meaty read to sink my teeth into, delivers sexy and sinful heroes, pieces of whom I carry with me always; these are just some of the reasons why I would always keep coming back for more.

Recommended for fans of romantic suspense novels with a bit of creepy ethereality in the mix.

Final Verdict: Break the Night is the sort of novel that would rightfully leave you with the heebie-jeebies. Entwining long gone past events with the present, this is a story that will keep you reading into the wee hours of the night.

Rating = 4/5

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[Aneca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne Stuart is one of my favourite authors and last week I read 2 of her series books.

BREAK THE NIGHT I started it because Rosario mentioned it on her blog and coincidentally I had just received it from a friend.

I checked Anne Stuart's site and just couldn't resist picking it up:



Break the Night (1993) was Anne’s take on Jack the Ripper for the beginning of the short-lived Silhouette Shadows line.

I pulled back on Break the Night, for the simple reason that I knew I couldn’t carry off my original thought. I wanted the hero to be the reincarnation of Jack the Ripper, and be horrified by his past life, but there was no way I could make it work. Instead, he has visions of the murder scenes from 100 years ago and is afraid he was Saucy Jack himself. The heroine is reincarnated as well, and the same drama plays out all over again in LA, where the sky turned red when it rains.

I really enjoyed it, it had a gothic atmosphere and the characters were interesting. I think you get to know the hero better than the heroine although at first it seems she will be the main character. When they first come together it's probably as much from lust as from desperation and it worked for me.

This particular hero was not as cold and remote as some of her better known ones. His inicial actions seem to endanger the heroine but he actually wants to protect her and in fact starts accompanying her everywhere to do just that... He is still very tortured which I think is a trait most Anne Stuart's heroes possess.
For me it was a B read, maybe not as complex as some of her full length but a really interesting suspense story.

[Linda (NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Anne Stuart book with a different take on Jack the Ripper. It was a little slow with some editing problems: green eyes, brown eyes, green eyes.....

I wondered if I'd like Damien in the beginning because he was so obnoxious but A.S. did a good job explaining why he acted the way he did. Sometimes the heroine, Lizzie, came across as too naive. We are talking about an unknown serial killer who is tied to Liz through the masks she makes and she leaves her home unescorted. Duh!

Lastly, what police department is not going to offer protection in what appears to be your prime connection to a serial killer? I don't care what kind of budget cuts there are. Still, most of the illogical stuff that happened did so for a reason.

Is it a keeper? No.

Did I enjoy the story? It waffled between good and OK.

Will I read another book by Anne Stuart? Yes, knowing that this was one of her earlier books published in 1993, I will look for others.

[Norma · Rating 2 out of 5]

( Format : audiobook )
"As no man had ever done before..."
The London Jack the Ripper murders of the 1880s continue to fascinate even today and speculation continues over who committed the gruesome crimes. When I requested, and was generously gifted a complimentary copy of Break the Night by the rights holder, via Audiobook Boom, I had expected a more crime based story perhaps mirroring the original London acts interpreted into a modern setting, or something a little supernatural with the lead characters reincarnated and replaying their old roles in perpetuity. Something dark and gritty, with proper crime scene investigation. And to a very limited degree, both of the first two of these assumptions were correct.

But, essentially this is really a very soft porn bodice ripper of a story with Jack's presence only there to hold it all together and provide a reason for the on-off passion of the main protagonists. Whilst I am sure that this form of slushy sex (why do lips always taste bruised in early kisses?) plus the occasional rape (and how much more the passion flowed thereafter) writing must appeal to many readers, I am not one of them and found that wading through so much of this to find an occasional nugget of story, tedious and annoying.

Fortunately, narrator Caroline McLaughlin has a pleasant voice, her reading well paced and modulated. Although not greatly differentiated, her character voices are passable, with the possible exception of a brief attempt at London Cockney, and it was her reading which ultimately carried me through to the end.
.My thanks again to the rights holder for this book. The idea was good but I really did not enjoy the execution..

[DKC · Rating 2 out of 5]

Saw who Jack was gonna be within the first two chapters. That kind of ruined it, but I decided to plug along and finish. Also, I almost didn't even get past the first two chapters, because of the possessed, shape-shifting, reincarnated, psycho, killing-for-God weirdness. I wanted something different, but this was a bit wacko-Jack-o for me (haha! totally unintentional, until I looked at what I'd typed).

It felt like a half-developed story. I like a good "Dead Again" type love story most of the time, but things were a little contrived, especially with her name being a past victim's, but her being a reincarnation of a different past victim. It was enough of a shoe-horn tactic that it felt like that's what the entire denouement hinged on and had been written around.

It would've been nice for there to be a better reason for Jack being "reactivated" - 150 years could see a few regenerations go by. I could've used more reasons why two main characters would've been in love in this lifetime. Damien sounded smelly and a bit repulsive -- I mean, geez, Sam Spade was at least presentable and suave in his own way! And how could someone be as naive as Liz after living in L.A. all that time, AND with her past history?

As noted, I did finish it, but not because I was enjoying it. Just because I'm that damn stubborn, and it was A.S. writing.

[Miekenstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Kitty_ranma · Rating 4 out of 5]

It strikes me that there doesn't seem to be a explanation for the stars that are given. So I thought I'd start giving my take on it.
1 horrible no redeeming qualities.
2 there are redeeming qualities.
3 good worth reading, or well written but not my cup of tea.
4 great but there's something off.
5 loved it.

I want to say more about this story but I absolutely hate spoilers, so I won't go into details.
The narrator brings the story to life.
Reasons I enjoyed this audio book:
Happily Ever After, Wonderful characters, Page-turner, Great world building, Unpredictable, Original, Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Action-packed, Twisted, Tragic, Haunting, Scary.
This Audiobook was given to me for free at my request from the publisher, author or narrator and I provided this unbiased voluntary review.

[Laurie Beemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[EvilAntie Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

spellbinding

what an extraordinary storyline based on the gruesome history of Jack the Ripper. This book challenge is you to think about good and evil true love endurance in and out of time throughout time and that’s the strength of the story. It is a short buck, but it packs a powerful punch.

[Natalie Darby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Caroline McLaughlin for providing me with a free copy of this audiobook in return for an honest review.

Break the Night is an interesting story following the reincarnation of the Infamous Jack the Ripper. In this book, we follow Lizzie Stride, a mask making artist who the new age Ripper has developed an infatuation with, the police are useless at keeping her safe. The only person willing to protect her is reporter J.Damien.

I was really looking forward to listening to this book when Caroline offered it to me. I'm one of those psycho women that can watch documentaries on serial killers for hours on end, and Jack the Ripper really fascinates me.


I really liked the characters in this story. Especially Damien, who was an arrogant idiot with so many flaws. He wasn't the perfect character, but his dry humor was brilliant.
Lizzie was similar, she wasn't a complete damsel in distress but she wasn't a completely strong character. At times she really did annoy me but I think that both characters were deliberately written with such flaws to seem much more realistic,

The storyline itself was really interesting, I'm not usually into reincarnation stories but the idea of the Ripper returning because of unfinished business was really interesting, the author has quite obviously really thought about this before sitting down to read it.

The idea of the masks was great too, Lizzie, our heroine, made masks, which the Ripper would use, and the different characters that we would read into as the Ripper would wear these, such as the old bag lady, were a good, creepy touch.

The little romance between Lizzie and Damien was great too. It broke a little suspense and added that sweet little touch.

The narrator, Caroline McLaughlin is brilliant. She has a really great voice that was so suited for this story, it has a touchy edge to it that helped to make some of the creepy and suspicious scenes really interesting to listen to. It's also quite obvious that she's enjoying the story and really getting into it with the reader.

The mystery of the story was fantastic. I couldn't even guess who the Ripper was because there weren't really red herrings, other than an obvious one who I discarded from the first few chapters. The conclusion of the story was really interesting and I didn't see it coming.

There were a few raunchy scenes in this book. Although they didn't bother me, I didn't feel like they were really needed.

Some parts of the book did drag a little, but they set the scene and I could see why they were needed.

Some bits were a little cheesy, as I mentioned above, I'm not really into stories of reincarnation, especially when they suddenly remember each other as lovers 150 years prior...just a little unrealistic to me.

It did waffle a little at times but the narrator got me through these points and the storyline itself was well thought out and very interesting

[Christa · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Mazel]

Mortelle randonnée !

Cette île du golfe du Mexique n'est rien de moins qu'hostile.

A peine y a-t-elle mis les pieds qu'Annie prend conscience de sa folie. James McKinley la terrorise. Et à le voir soudain si froid, si implacable, le regard dévastateur, elle lui trouve l'air d'un ange de l'enfer.

Qui a assassiné son père, Win Sutherland ? C'est la question qu'elle veut poser à James. Car tous deux travaillaient pour la CIA.

Annie en a l'intuition. Comme elle sait que McKinley détient la clé de l'énigme. Mais voudra-t-il l'aider ? James est avant tout un tueur.

Impitoyable mais tellement séduisant ! Comment ne pas succomber ?

James pratique la politique de la terre brûlée. Rien ni personne ne résiste à son passage. Mais si elle veut la vérité a-t-elle d'autre issue que de s'abandonner à cet ange déchu ?

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

More than 100 years after Jack the Ripper's murders in Whitechapel, Jack was in Venice, California, plying his trade in the back alleys. J.R. Damien, an expert on the infamous murders, dreams of the new murders as they happen. He also warns artist Lizzie Stride that she may be the next victim. Lizzie's masks have been left at the scene of each murder. She also shares a name with one of the original Ripper victims.

I usually like most fiction that deals with Jack the Ripper, but this book wasn't the best. Damien and Lizzie run from one place to another, trying to hide from the serial killer. They never seem to have a plan, just run, run, run. The reincarnation aspect of the book was the only interesting portion. My rating: 3 Stars.

[Tanisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and plotted. It could be seen that Anne has researched a lot on 'Jack the ripper' to write this book. Villain was choosen
But there are few things about which I am not so sure like if the villain was shape shifter or just very good in taking different disguises. Also why at the end, he thought the heroine was Mary.
This may be because, the past life of both the leads were explored well but not the villain. This made the book a bit unclear on few points and left us to make assumptions on our own.

[Betty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Anne Stuart and have been fascinated with the Jack the Ripper case, since I was ten years old. So, I was looking forward to see what she would do with it all.

While the book had great atmosphere and an intriguing concept, it couldn't keep the tension and excitement up through the whole story. It's still an entertaining read (nice for a rainy day).

Not one of Stuart's best, but it has it's enjoyable moments.

[Jenn Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would rate this about a 4.3. Had a great storyline entwining the Jack the Ripper mystery with reincarnated lives. Really liked both the heroine & her guy in this one. It reminded me a bit of the movie Dead Again because of the past lives not having finished & still impacting the current lives. It's an older book, but definitely worth the read if you can find it :)

[sbtbkb · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any book about Jack The Ripper tends to make me happy and this one had some really cool ideas about masks, reincarnation and jack people some sort of supernatural creature.