Ana Medeiros

I've read a lot of NA and it just doesn't work for me. So I was a bit worried about this book since it was Erotica and BDSM and it's just not what I'm used to reading. So this is a review from someone that usually don't read this genre.

I was surprised and pleased how good this book is. As I stated above, this is not my genre of books. But after months of trying to read NA and being frustrated with the lack of a good story and plenty of one dimension character and boring sex scenes have I read a book that worked. So apparently a well-written erotica works for me. And, I think that this book works so good is that is has a very interesting story. We have a sex club with important members, a murder mystery, the mysterious Alana and Julian who has a dark past and together they make this story worth reading. I do admit that I after a while found that the sex scenes took too much place in the story. I don't mind the kinkiness, the three-way or anything, well the sex scene in the bookstore was a bit too much, I mean those poor books could have been hurt, but anyway no matter how well written they were I just wanted to know more about the case, about Alana etc. It felt sometimes that two (or three) people couldn't meet in this book without sex. So that felt like a draw back.

But despite that was the book good. I was surprised when I learned why Julian doesn't want to spend time with his best friends twins. I didn't expect that. Also, the ending, I was expecting something like that in a way. Hard to explain without giving it away. Let's ay it ended in a way that makes me really wanting to read the next book in this series.

3.5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a blog tour at TLC Book Tours.… (lisätietoja)

2.5 - 3 stars
Many thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Raven Room is an exclusive sex club, the kind where anything goes and no one bats an eye. There are well known members of society there, they know to keep their mouths shut. However Julian has a new woman he fancies and she just so happens to want to write an article on The Raven Room.

Julian's a well known Child Psychologist and teacher, he also has a strong side of kink. He uses The Raven Room for his sexual desires that are linked to his rough childhood. He keeps this side of him a secret, covered up by a facade of put-togetherness. Meredith is a student and an up-and-coming journalist. She doesn't want to climb the ropes and she's got a plan to get herself noticed. She wants to write a story on The Raven Room and Julian's her connect to get in. However, she's been warned off by her stepmom, Pam, who is investigating a suspicious murder that just might be linked to The Raven Room.

I have a lot of feelings about this book, a lot of bad and a handful of good. I finished it and immediately wanted the next book in the series, if that tells you anything. However, I also wanted to throw it against the wall and choke the characters.

Julian is...infuriating. I can't understand him, I felt like I kept running into a brick wall with him, which may be what Meredith felt like half the book as well. He seems to judge from a glass house at times, though he recognizes his faults as well. I don't get it. His kink doesn't so much bother me as much as his unwillingness to share it. He seems to think everyone else's kink are okay, but not his own. He doesn't want others to do things to harm their own life, but harms his own. What a character. Meredith, on the other hand, I could read about forever. She's intriguing, strong, and lacking some common sense, but she's got a story line that kept me so interested. I enjoyed reading her inner turmoil as she found feelings, but also wanted to focus on herself. I think she was the most realistic character out of everyone in the book.

The side characters of Alana and Jan should have been given a lot more page time. I knew the twist of Alana way too early, which took away some of the thrill, but I have no clue what Jan is up to. I almost wish the book was told with a lot more POV from Jan, as she's the one with the thriller story to stick into this. I felt like I got more of an erotic novel than suspense and mystery and almost wouldn't categorize this as a thriller. I ended this book with somewhat of a conclusion, a heck of a lot of confusion, and a wish that the twist hadn't been so easy to guess. I do want to read the next books in this series and hope that the thriller part of these comes into play a bit more.… (lisätietoja)

The Raven Room by Ana Medeiros
Book #1: The Raven Room Series
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 1/5 stars
My Review:

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

I was totally seduced by the synopsis for The Raven Room and the promise such words held. Had I gotten really lucky, the read itself would have lived up to that initial promise. Unfortunately, The Raven Room falls into the category of “I can’t believe I read that book!” Here’s the skinny:

Characters: In many cases, I have found that characters, if well-written and believable, can carry a book that has other issues like a weak plot. Characters bring the story to life as much as the plot and a good, well-written character can really save a read. The opposite is also true. The Raven Room doesn’t contain a single character that has any sort of substance. Julian is rather disgusting (and this has nothing to do with his kink!) in his attitude, his habits, and practices. He is seriously broken from his sad past and needs the kind of professional help he doles out every day to his patients. Rather than coming across as a hot and sexy man tortured by his personal demons, Julian comes across as pathetic and somewhat cruel. Meredith, Julian’s playmate doesn’t read any better. Meredith is a spoiled, rich girl looking to gain her daddy’s attention and love through self-destructive behavior. She is selfish and conceited and has little regard for anyone other than herself. Only when things go well and truly sideways does Meredith show even a hint of humanity and by that time, it is too little, too late. Julian’s best friend, Peter is a detestable misogynist. Though he has a beautiful wife and twin boys, Peter is constantly looking for some side action and engages in such action whenever he thinks he can get away with it. His words and actions clearly indicate he dislikes women and his treatment of his wife is reprehensible. In truth, Peter has no redeeming qualities. In addition to these characters, there are a handful of others that read in much the same way. It is as if there is a competition among the characters to see who can be the most ridiculous and awful.

The Plot: The plot started off OK with Julian and Meredith and their consensual arrangement but quickly took a wrong turn. Meredith is all about Meredith and Julian is a means to an end for her. She is working on her Master’s in Journalism and Julian’s access to the Raven Room is exactly what Meredith needs to put her ahead of the curve. The Raven Room is a long-standing rumor in the community, a place where anything goes and some of the area’s biggest names go to get their kink on. Meredith intends to use Julian to get the story of lifetime; she will expose the Raven Room and name the bigwigs who frequent the joint which will, in turn land her a job at a major newspaper. As Meredith continues to conduct her “research,” Julian finds his “soulmate” among the Raven Room’s clientele but he isn’t allowed to approach her at the club because of her involvement with a very powerful and cruel man. Additionally, the Raven Room has been linked to a series of murders and Julian appears to be the most likely suspect. Meredith is privy to all of this information because she is sleeping with her stepmother’s partner and asking her stepmother to dig up information on the various players. Finally, Meredith’s stepmother is somehow tied to the very powerful and cruel man who has control of Julian’s “soulmate.” Yeah, all of this is going on in this read simultaneously 

The Bottom Line: I’m not even sure where to begin with this one. I read this book cover to cover and when I got to the cliffhanger ending I wanted to throw my iPad across the room in pure disgust. At only 250 pages, The Raven Room suffers from a serious case of waaaaay too much. The characters really are in competition with one another to see who can be the most wretched and the plot has far too many parts and pieces. While I appreciate the author’s desire to create a complex and intriguing plot, it doesn’t actually read as complex and intriguing but more along the lines of “Oh, what fresh hell is this?” My final complaint, and this is really the one that pushed everything over the edge for me, is the sex between Julian and his “soulmate.” Let me be clear, I don’t mind kink in my reads and BDSM isn’t a deal breaker for me. What is a deal breaker is the kind of kink Julian is involved in and how he practices his particular brand of kink . . . . WITHOUT A SAFE WORD!!! This is the one that did it for me and I likely would have been OK with his practices had he and his “soulmate” practiced responsibly and safely. There is more than one time in this read when it truly felt like Julian was forcing his partner to participate in acts she wasn’t entirely comfortable with and that’s never going to be OK with me. In all, The Raven Room has too many issues with its major parts (characters and plot) to be a good or even decent read. I can say with all confidence, it isn’t a book I would recommend to readers.… (lisätietoja)