The Raven Room by Ana Medeiros

Summary
Anything you can imagine. Everything you crave. For the members of The Raven Room, it’s every fantasy fulfilled. But for some, that desire is a matter of life and death. 

Drawn by needs he cannot control, Julian ventures to The Raven Room, a secret and exclusive sex club in the underbelly of Chicago. It goes beyond sex. It goes beyond kink. The Raven Room is the only place where Julian finds release from the dangerous urges that threaten to destroy the successful life he’s worked so hard to build. 

When the police link the Raven Room to the death of a young woman, it threatens to expose a number of powerful people—people who would kill to stay anonymous...

Meredith’s body can’t get enough of Julian. He has opened her sexual horizons to tempting new possibilities. But out of bed she’s an aspiring journalist, and The Raven Room is the story she’s been looking for. By writing an exposé on the club and its elite clientele, she plans to launch her career. 

As Meredith embarks on a sexual journey into the forbidden world that Julian inhabits, questions emerge, and dark appetites threaten to swallow her whole. How much can she trust the man who has laid bare her erotic nature and how much will she sacrifice in order to protect him?

Impressions
A mystery/suspense story with erotic elements rather dark sometimes.

It has been a long time since I've read a BDSM story that I grab my attention. And with "The Raven Room", there is some interesting aspects. I like the relationship between Alana and Julian. 

I've liked the magnetic dangerous bond they share from the start. 

As well as the secrets, you've learned about them as you start to discover the plot. They have a dark past, a need to dominate and submit through pain and even darker play.

Something vulnerable and delicate was taking place between them and the author was really good at making them strip  of there walls in front of the reader eyes. The sex scenes between them are hot too.

What has given me mixed feelings, it's Meredith's role and character. She is ambitious and curious to uncover Julian's secrets. But her reasons are cold.

It's really not about a love triangle as the characters have non exclusive sex but Meredith, even if she cares and love Julian, is off for me. Something is not working with me in her persona.
So much that in the middle of the book, I thought of closing it, as she was ruining my read with ther reactions. Strong feelings for a fictional character. Lol.

But I'm glad I've continued until the end since the thriller part was interesting. The ending is good and let you with a lot of questions.
Too bad it has taken too much time for real actions to take place. In my opinion, the author spent too much time trying to build an atmosphere and on sex scenes before really going into the mystery part.

So a bit unbalanced but with some potential now, that the sceneray is standing flat on the table.
The sequel should be promisssing.


Source 
Arc provided by Netgalley. I received this book in exchange of a fair and honest review.