Revolutionary Temptation

I don't like to write negative reviews, but I didn't enjoy this very much. I'm shocked the average rating is so high here.

It was pretty dull throughout with no real plot other than Jack and Eli's relationship and a lot of sex scenes. So many sex scenes. Then at like 75%, there was (what felt like) a sudden crisis, and Eli was in danger. Then, although I understand why it served the plot, we got two extra points of view, when up to that point it had been alternating between Jack and Eli. I don't mind extra points of view outside of the main pairing, but here it feels like clumsy structure. It would've been great to see Constance's point of view from the beginning - she has her own story in this book and is an interesting character - instead of only when the plot required it.

I really didn't feel Eli and Jack's love for each other for most of the book. They just seemed like they enjoyed having sex with each other, not that they admired or even liked each other all that much. We don't even learn about Eli's real motivations until very far into the story.

There's a happy ending, but the actual last scene really does not sit well with me. Warning for NSFW language behind spoiler tags (and spoilers).

Eli is still recovering from injuries which almost killed him. Jack gets into bed with him for frottage/hand jobs. Jack initially resists because Eli is still in bad shape, but Eli is insistent, and Jack just can't hold himself back or whatever (because of their deep and abiding love for each other, I guess). The placement of this sex scene feels disrespectful to me. The ending is all about them committing to each other, and kissing would have gotten that emotion across. Eli literally cannot stand up on his own at this point.

There was a dubious-consent moment which made me uncomfortable in one of the other sex scenes - Jack is not enjoying Eli penetrating him, and Eli doesn't stop; he just keeps telling Jack to relax, it will feel better in a moment, etc.

I was originally happy about an openly and happily bisexual character (Eli), but on reflection, he fits some awful bisexual stereotypes - he's promiscuous in a way that seems unhealthy, using sex to hide from himself and to manipulate others. He is not using Jack; his feelings for Jack are genuine, or so he says. But it almost seems like he mostly wants to keep Jack because Jack won't really commit to him, since Jack is afraid of the possible consequences of having sex with men. I don't know how a relationship survives if it's mainly based on the thrill of conquest - what happens when you get what you want? I don't have faith that these two will be happy together.