Was the love triangle necessary?

Use this forum to discuss the August 2021 Book of the month, "Chameleons" by Onyx Gold
Elena Nechita
Posts: 201
Joined: 29 Jul 2021, 17:27
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 21
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-elena-nechita.html
Latest Review: Zara Hanson & The Mystery of the Painted Symbol by J.L. Haynes

Re: Was the love triangle necessary?

Post by Elena Nechita »

I usually hate love triangles, and this one wasn't the exception. Bryce just wasn't believable enough for me. There are rarely any men who would forgive their partners for cheating, and Bryce was just too quick to do it. I felt he was one-dimentional and not well developed at all.
abadamiy
Posts: 13
Joined: 24 Jul 2021, 08:11
Currently Reading: Forgotten Heroes of wW-II, the French Resistance
Bookshelf Size: 14

Post by abadamiy »

Bryce felt out of place in the story and wondered if the story could have been more poignant if it focused only on Zia's encounter with a charming killer. I think the story would have been more engaging if Bryce was just an inconsequential personality or at least one that is second to Zia and Baxter. H I felt Zia owning up to her sins and growing as a character was an important part of her character, and that could not have happened without Bryce.
User avatar
63tty
Posts: 768
Joined: 16 Oct 2020, 09:16
Favorite Author: Tayma Tameem
Currently Reading: Killing Abel
Bookshelf Size: 349
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-63tty.html
Latest Review: The Maestro Monologue by Rob White
fav_author_id: 199293

Post by 63tty »

I believe the love triangle was necessary. Just because Bryce had money does not mean he cannot fall easily in love. It is unfortunate that that disturbed you also. It id just fiction.
“If love is the answer, could you rephrase the question?”
~Lily Tomlin
Akshobhya B
Posts: 57
Joined: 27 May 2021, 09:38
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 25
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-akshobhya-b.html
Latest Review: Zona: The Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker

Post by Akshobhya B »

I think it made sense. According to Bryce, he was trying to give Zia a "spiritual" experience while Baxter satisfied her sexually. Also, it was Bryce's unwillingness to have sex with Zia that led her to have sex with Baxter in the first place. (In the sequel "Ravenous Snakes" we find out the reason behind Bryce falling in love with Zia so quickly and not wanting to have sex with her.)
Namuddu Erin
Posts: 14
Joined: 13 Jul 2021, 02:08
Favorite Author: Pen Patience lovely
Favorite Book: God’s Victorious Army
Currently Reading: Cracker Jacked
Bookshelf Size: 89
Reading Device: 1400697484
fav_author_id: 224334

Post by Namuddu Erin »

Love triangle was necessary according to the author's illustrations. Bruce's wallet was stable . The content is really relatable and I genuinely enjoyed the book. Readers who want romantic novels will enjoy while reading.
User avatar
Elon Gathungu
Posts: 65
Joined: 08 May 2021, 12:55
Favorite Book: The Legacy of Job's Wife
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 30
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-elon-gathungu.html
Latest Review: Red Wave Imperative by Alan Schein

Post by Elon Gathungu »

I enjoyed the love triangle. I think what can be improved is Bryce's character development. If Bryce was more realistic and relatable, the love triangle would not be in question. Furthermore, I think realistic reactions to Zia's shortcomings would have added a little spice to the triangle.
Peace Chux
Posts: 78
Joined: 27 Jun 2021, 07:40
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 30
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-peace-chux.html
Latest Review: Killing Abel by Michael Tieman

Post by Peace Chux »

valeriejane wrote: 07 Aug 2021, 13:58 I did not think Bryce was a believable character. How could he be so in love so quickly and then so ready to forgive. Then a billionaire on top of that. I think the book did not need the love triangle, I found it rather disturbing. what do you think?
Yes, I do agree. I found it really disturbing that he permitted a lot of things in their relationship. Even when he knew she was cheating. It just seemed too perfect and unrealistic. The love triangle however made the story more interesting for me.
User avatar
Esther11
Posts: 70
Joined: 27 Jul 2019, 08:26
Favorite Book: The Shining
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 18
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-esther11.html
Latest Review: Manifesto for a Cancer Patient by Colleen Huber, NMD
Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU

Post by Esther11 »

I normally enjoy love triangles but this one doesn't feel right. Bryce's character feels out of place and unrealistic. In real life, I don't think Bryce will be this forgiving.
Dustin Stopher
Posts: 72
Joined: 10 Aug 2021, 21:29
Currently Reading: Perk's of being a Wallflower
Bookshelf Size: 42
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-dustin-stopher.html
Latest Review: Reconfigurement by E. Alan Fleischauer

Post by Dustin Stopher »

I completely agree that the love triangle was unnecessary. Bryce’s character felt very unrealistic, and I believe that the relationship between him and Zia was solely there so that there would be a dramatic love triangle. Plus, it gives the book a happier ending if there’s someone for Zia to be with in the end. I personally would’ve preferred the Bryce character to be absent. Then, the story would have felt more realistic, and we could focus a bit more on fleshing out Baxter, who was much more compelling in my opinion.
Harshi4
Posts: 29
Joined: 16 Jun 2021, 13:27
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 25
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-harshi4.html
Latest Review: The Trafficking Murders by Brian O'Hare

Post by Harshi4 »

Love triangles are the most intriguing parts of romantic books, as they leave us rooting for one character to win. I was not very fond of the love triangle in this book, as the character of Bryce was not realistic. I think the story would have been so much better if it purely focused on zia.
Rachael S 1
Posts: 298
Joined: 24 Aug 2021, 09:59
Currently Reading: Eye of the World
Bookshelf Size: 135
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-rachael-s-1.html
Latest Review: SandPeople by Cheryl Kerr

Post by Rachael S 1 »

I was not a fan of the love triangle here. We have all been in the situation where there is the sweet guy that we *should* end up with, but desire the bad boy. Here, Bryce was just too much of a push-over. Nothing Zia did would have driven him away. No one wants a guy that let's you go off and do whatever you want and then come home to them. No one wants to be with a guy that does not care what you do on the side as long as you come home to them. A real relationship involves a give/take and Bryce just let her take.
kdstrack
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 6473
Joined: 10 May 2017, 19:49
Currently Reading: The Savior
Bookshelf Size: 530
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kdstrack.html
Latest Review: How To Be Successful by M. Curtis McCoy

Post by kdstrack »

I thought Zia would have been more stand-offish since we are told from the beginning that she was not interested in dating. "Resolved that no man would ever understand her," (p. 15), she wanted to concentrate on her career. Both men appear in the first chapter, but Baxter gets more time and is written as a more memorable character. By the time Bryce was developed as a character, readers were already emotionally invested in Zia and Baxter's relationship.
User avatar
Timothy Rucinski
Book of the Month Participant
Posts: 1391
Joined: 22 Apr 2018, 07:20
Favorite Book: Dead Bob
Currently Reading: The Nutmeg of Consolation
Bookshelf Size: 605
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-timothy-rucinski.html
Latest Review: The Socratic Contract by D C Russell
Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU
2024 Reading Goal: 81
2024 Goal Completion: 24%

Post by Timothy Rucinski »

I think that the love triangle was not only necessary but essential for the story to take the path it did. Sure, as others have said, Bryce may not be as well fleshed-out as the other characters. But if you removed the Baxter character, a character that is complex and well-defined, Bryce's character doesn't seem all that flat. In addition, if Bryce was more of a dominant character, there would be less impetus for Zia to become enamored with the more complex Baxter. Simply put, without the love triangle, there really isn't any story and certainly, any complexity in Zia's character would disappear as the process of choice was removed.
Drew Davis
Posts: 9
Joined: 11 Jul 2021, 11:28
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 16
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-drew-davis.html
Latest Review: Wilderness Cry by Hilary L Hunt M.D.

Post by Drew Davis »

I felt that Bryce's character was a bit odd which made the love triangle unrealistic. People are usually not as forgiving after a betrayal like Zia's. Also, he seems a bit too good to be true. However, I think the love triangle is a good part of the story. if Bryce's character had been developed realistically the love triangle would have added to the story rather than deduct from it.
Eriny Youssef
Posts: 471
Joined: 11 Aug 2020, 07:35
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 97
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-eriny-youssef.html
Latest Review: Yesterday by Samyann

Post by Eriny Youssef »

valeriejane wrote: 07 Aug 2021, 13:58 I did not think Bryce was a believable character. How could he be so in love so quickly and then so ready to forgive. Then a billionaire on top of that. I think the book did not need the love triangle, I found it rather disturbing. what do you think?
I agree with you. Sometimes writers believe a love triangle keeps the readers engaged and invested. However, if not written right or within a well-plotted believable story, it can have a countr effect.
Latest Review: Yesterday by Samyann
Post Reply

Return to “Discuss "Chameleons" by Onyx Gold”