I liked this mysterious romance woven around Jack the Ripper. I received this book for free and I voluntarily chose to review this. I've given this a 5* rating. Because of the violent content, this is not for the Under 18 readers. There is a lot of graphic description that is not for the faint of heart. However, there is a cliff hanger, as it does not show them catching the suspect. I did find some of their investigative techniques interesting. This will be in your thoughts long after you finish this. ( )

Drew Foster, the hero of this historical romance, is the bastard son of a duke, a former alcoholic and has spent time in prison accused of being a serial killer. As far as flaws go, these are pretty intense, yet he was still very likable. Anna, a medical student at a time when women were not encouraged in the profession, has joined forces with Drew in order to find the real Jack the Ripper. Their interactions are charming and the chemistry between the two jumps off the page. I was not a fan of the chapters written by the point of view of Jack the Ripper, which I didn’t think was necessary, but I really enjoyed this book. I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

The Temptations of Anna Jacobs ( Dangerous Liaisons # 2) by Robyn DeHart is a 2014 Intermix publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Anna is going against society by attending a school devoted to teaching women to become doctors. Her mother is horrified and terrified Anna will never find a husband if this continues. When Anna's brother, a detective for Scotland Yard, releases Drew Foster from prison despite his being the number one suspect in the grisly "Jack the Ripper" murders, he is lambasted publicly. What the people don't know is , Drew is actually working undercover. He hopes to clean himself up and stay sober and clear his name. When he continues to find himself in Anna's company, the two realize an attraction is growing rapidly between them. Drew will enlist Anna to help him catch the killer when he finds the Yard is not much help to his investigation.
Despite the few stolen kisses and the physical attraction to one another, Drew makes it clear he and Anna can not have a long term proper relationship. Anna is a not a woman to be deterred however, and Drew will find himself unable to resist the temptation.
The focus here is split between the Ripper investigation and the romance between Anna and Drew. Anna's determination to become a doctor is a daily fight against her mother who attempts to dissuade her at every turn. This part was funny because the plot to have Anna's teacher influence her to give up her dreams really backfires. I enjoyed the banter between Anna and Drew and they will make the perfect couple, if they survive the Ripper murders.
I love a good mystery and when it is combined with my favorite romance genre it's a win- win. In this case there were a few times when the story stuttered a little and the back and forth between the ripper's thoughts, Drew and Anna's dangerous pursuit and the romance switched back and forth too quickly and I had a hard time really sinking my teeth into this one. I enjoyed the book for the most part and anytime we have a female protaganist in historical fiction that goes against society and helps to open doors for women to stand on their own two feet without needing a man to provide their basic needs for them is to be applauded. I loved Drew's human side as he struggles to fight off the urge to drink and the temptations are everywhere. He shows us he is very determined to be a productive citizen and make a difference even though it will be a hard fought battle. I think maybe this was just a really massive undertaking and at times it just didn't flow evenly. As I have stated before, it is nearly impossible to include a Jack the Ripper story line and avoid graphic violence but the author did a great job in keeping that area under control. The book does have a darker tone because of the subject matter. Although the book has a few issues, I appreicate the story line having more depth and taking on more serious subjects than many historical romance novels recently. I think it's time to move past the fluff and get back to a more realistic view of what life was really like in this period of time . It doesn't have to be all dark and heavy and melodramatic, but often when I read Regency romance novels I sometimes feel like I am reading the same book over and over. Parties, gowns, balls, polite society and spoiled Dukes and Earls can only amuse for so long. Overall I give this one 3.5 stars ( rounded to 4) ( )