Review of Cynthia and Dan

[sayjil gordhan]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Cynthia and Dan" by Dorothy May Mercer.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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The story follows Cynthia Patterson, a chief security officer for Senator McBride in Washington, D.C. Cynthia's job is to pose as a receptionist for the senator to maintain security and confidentiality within the office. Cynthia simultaneously works alongside her brother (Glenn), a private investigator, to combat cyberterrorism. There is a romance storyline that follows in this action-pact setting. Cynthia, although in a relationship with Dan MacIntyre, is immediately swept away by the mysterious and charming Sky. Cynthia meets Sky when a drone lands on the White House lawn, causing her to be jammed in traffic. This leads to the beginning of their romance. Allured by Sky, Cynthia struggles with the fact that Sky is powerful, and knows a lot about Cynthia, leading to a potential ploy. Cynthia must find a way to deal with her romantic dilemmas, combat the growing threat of cyberterrorism, and protect Senator McBride.
 
The dialogue flows easily from the first page. This makes the book a really quick read if you want it to be. I do think that part of the dialogue and plot may be a bit cliché. I do not mind this in a romance novel, but a potential reader might want to be aware of this. The action part of the novel is sacrificed to focus more on the romance part, creating plot holes. I do enjoy reading novels that use the White House as a focal point in the story. This is one of the reasons I'm sad to say that this book does not focus enough on the suspense, Cynthia’s job, or the setting. However, the romance in the book is enjoyable if that is what you desire more than action. I just wanted the book to have a balance of both.
 
A major criticism I have of this book would be of the protagonist. I feel as though the characters in this book needed more depth, but Cynthia’s character was highly flawed and needed to be rewritten. What truthfully irked me about the main character, Cynthia, was the employment title and setting of the book demanded she be of a certain personality. Cynthia appeared to be impulsive, forgetful, and selfish. It would be more realistic if someone in Cynthia's position was suspicious of new people, aggressive, tough, smart, and constantly ahead of everyone.
 
 
This book contains sexual content, so I would not recommend it to minors. There are themes of contraceptives, unplanned pregnancy, miscarriages, and abortion. Whilst these aren't focal themes, I do believe that some readers might find these topics sensitive to read about. I would recommend this book to readers who like romance and a little bit of action and suspense. The book seems to be well edited, as I have encountered no errors. Despite the flaws in this book, I liked that the protagonist was put in a male-dominated profession, the writing style was superb, and I was captivated thoroughly. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
 
 

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Cynthia and Dan
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[Gerry Steen]

I read this book a while back. I enjoyed the mix of suspense, a cyber-terrorist plot, and romance. A strong and wise person can occasionally be vulnerable and naive, especially when sexual attraction is involved.