What do you think about romance and relationships in this book?

Use this forum to discuss the June 2019 Book of the month, "Cynthia and Dan: Cyber War" by Dorothy May Mercer.
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AntonelaMaria
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Icon What do you think about romance and relationships in this book?

Post by AntonelaMaria »

So we have Cynthia and Dan and Cynthia and Sky as romantic relationships in this book? What is your thought on them? How realistic and believable is their behavior? Do you find the reasoning for cheating acceptable? Is our mind as a reader swayed from the beginning with Dan being " a habit" and Sky being " gentlemen"? How likable or believable is instant love in romance books never mind that they are fiction?
How odd is that Cynthia doesn't have any friends?
Sorry people I have so many questions is just that I am trying to get the points that book is trying to make.
Overall I just feel that this should be just a romance book or just a suspense action book, like this is just all over the place.
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Post by DC Brown »

AntonelaMaria wrote: 06 Jun 2019, 13:51 So we have Cynthia and Dan and Cynthia and Sky as romantic relationships in this book? What is your thought on them? How realistic and believable is their behavior? Do you find the reasoning for cheating acceptable? Is our mind as a reader swayed from the beginning with Dan being " a habit" and Sky being " gentlemen"? How likable or believable is instant love in romance books never mind that they are fiction?
How odd is that Cynthia doesn't have any friends?
Sorry people I have so many questions is just that I am trying to get the points that book is trying to make.
Overall I just feel that this should be just a romance book or just a suspense action book, like this is just all over the place.
After I finished the book I couldn't decide if it was a lousy romance novel or a lousy spy novel. It seemed like it was trying to be both and failed completely. The relationships throughout the book were odd, except for the computer nerds. I liked them the best. They actually got things done instead of wallowing in drama.
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Post by maggi3 »

It felt to me like vilifying Dan at the end was just a way to make Sky and Cynthia’s relationship more acceptable. She should have broken up with Dan before she did anything with Sky. Having a boring relationship is no excuse for cheating, since there was no evidence at that point that Dan was obsessive and controlling of Cynthia. Instant love is never likable or believable to me, because I don’t think you can truly love someone that quickly. Sky and Cynthia’s relationship felt ridiculous to me.
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AntonelaMaria
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Post by AntonelaMaria »

DC Brown wrote: 06 Jun 2019, 22:34
AntonelaMaria wrote: 06 Jun 2019, 13:51 So we have Cynthia and Dan and Cynthia and Sky as romantic relationships in this book? What is your thought on them? How realistic and believable is their behavior? Do you find the reasoning for cheating acceptable? Is our mind as a reader swayed from the beginning with Dan being " a habit" and Sky being " gentlemen"? How likable or believable is instant love in romance books never mind that they are fiction?
How odd is that Cynthia doesn't have any friends?
Sorry people I have so many questions is just that I am trying to get the points that book is trying to make.
Overall I just feel that this should be just a romance book or just a suspense action book, like this is just all over the place.
After I finished the book I couldn't decide if it was a lousy romance novel or a lousy spy novel. It seemed like it was trying to be both and failed completely. The relationships throughout the book were odd, except for the computer nerds. I liked them the best. They actually got things done instead of wallowing in drama.
I agree. It was all over the place but never where it should be. I think I will choose the computer guys as my favorite characters and part of the story.
“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”
The Minpins by Roald Dahl
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Post by AntonelaMaria »

maggi3 wrote: 07 Jun 2019, 00:12 It felt to me like vilifying Dan at the end was just a way to make Sky and Cynthia’s relationship more acceptable. She should have broken up with Dan before she did anything with Sky. Having a boring relationship is no excuse for cheating, since there was no evidence at that point that Dan was obsessive and controlling of Cynthia. Instant love is never likable or believable to me, because I don’t think you can truly love someone that quickly. Sky and Cynthia’s relationship felt ridiculous to me.
I think for me the biggest problem was reading about educated I guess a woman in her late 20's getting lectured about sex, period, pregnancy and plan b by a man and man she knows no less than a day. She is written as two different people. And I agree for me too insta love is just not realistic. Every time Sky comes with the " I love you" I just cringe, all that love and marriage talk after one day. :roll:
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Post by Stephanie Elizabeth »

I found Cynthia and Sky's relationship very off-putting. I think Sky is a shady type of character who is not authentic. There love is in no way believable and should not be seen as a healthy relationship. Cynthia is far too trusting.
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

maggi3 wrote: 07 Jun 2019, 00:12 It felt to me like vilifying Dan at the end was just a way to make Sky and Cynthia’s relationship more acceptable. She should have broken up with Dan before she did anything with Sky. Having a boring relationship is no excuse for cheating, since there was no evidence at that point that Dan was obsessive and controlling of Cynthia. Instant love is never likable or believable to me, because I don’t think you can truly love someone that quickly. Sky and Cynthia’s relationship felt ridiculous to me.
I also do not believe in instant love because most of the time it will begin fading away. I will not support any reason for cheating in a relationship. Boredom can never be an excuse either.
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Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

Stephanie Elizabeth wrote: 07 Jun 2019, 15:42 I found Cynthia and Sky's relationship very off-putting. I think Sky is a shady type of character who is not authentic. There love is in no way believable and should not be seen as a healthy relationship. Cynthia is far too trusting.
I agree. The relationship starts with a grownup essentially giving away her car.
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Post by mmm17 »

I did not enjoy the romance passages at all. They felt forced and stereotyped to me, but most of all, I found them a bit cheesy. I basically liked the parts involving the computer geeks.
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Post by DC Brown »

AntonelaMaria wrote: 07 Jun 2019, 10:28
maggi3 wrote: 07 Jun 2019, 00:12 It felt to me like vilifying Dan at the end was just a way to make Sky and Cynthia’s relationship more acceptable. She should have broken up with Dan before she did anything with Sky. Having a boring relationship is no excuse for cheating, since there was no evidence at that point that Dan was obsessive and controlling of Cynthia. Instant love is never likable or believable to me, because I don’t think you can truly love someone that quickly. Sky and Cynthia’s relationship felt ridiculous to me.
I think for me the biggest problem was reading about educated I guess a woman in her late 20's getting lectured about sex, period, pregnancy and plan b by a man and man she knows no less than a day. She is written as two different people. And I agree for me too insta love is just not realistic. Every time Sky comes with the " I love you" I just cringe, all that love and marriage talk after one day. :roll:
I like your point that Cynthia is written as two different people. I actually had the thought that there were two different writers, each took a chapter, and they didn't compare notes. LOL!!
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Post by DC Brown »

mmm17 wrote: 08 Jun 2019, 13:15 I did not enjoy the romance passages at all. They felt forced and stereotyped to me, but most of all, I found them a bit cheesy. I basically liked the parts involving the computer geeks.
Yeah!! Another vote for the geeks!! They are my favorites. They got things done and enjoyed their work! Let's have them be the stars of the next book!
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Post by Victoria zindo Jones »

Romance and relationship are the key ingredients to making an interesting love story in a book though Cynthia and Dan's relationship seemed to be forced which totally made it lack passion
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Post by mmm17 »

Stephanie Elizabeth wrote: 07 Jun 2019, 15:42 I found Cynthia and Sky's relationship very off-putting. I think Sky is a shady type of character who is not authentic. There love is in no way believable and should not be seen as a healthy relationship. Cynthia is far too trusting.
I completely agree! Cynthia and Sky's relationship just didn't seem believable to me. I don't exactly know why, but it felt too stereotyped.
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Post by AntonelaMaria »

mmm17 wrote: 09 Jun 2019, 10:17
Stephanie Elizabeth wrote: 07 Jun 2019, 15:42 I found Cynthia and Sky's relationship very off-putting. I think Sky is a shady type of character who is not authentic. There love is in no way believable and should not be seen as a healthy relationship. Cynthia is far too trusting.
I completely agree! Cynthia and Sky's relationship just didn't seem believable to me. I don't exactly know why, but it felt too stereotyped.
Yeah, 100 % unbelievable. I am also trying to understand the title of the book why is Dan name there? Didn't really surprised me with Sky twist as that happens so early on in the book. :eusa-think:
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Post by Stephanie Elizabeth »

mmm17 wrote: 09 Jun 2019, 10:17
Stephanie Elizabeth wrote: 07 Jun 2019, 15:42 I found Cynthia and Sky's relationship very off-putting. I think Sky is a shady type of character who is not authentic. There love is in no way believable and should not be seen as a healthy relationship. Cynthia is far too trusting.
I completely agree! Cynthia and Sky's relationship just didn't seem believable to me. I don't exactly know why, but it felt too stereotyped.
It felt insincere. I can't put my finger on what exactly it was, but I didn't find it believable.
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