Review of Cynthia and Dan

[Cheryl Erickson]

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

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3 out of 4 stars

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Cynthia and Dan: Cyber War is another book in Dorothy May Mercer’s Out of Time series. It is a political crime novel filled with action. Cynthia Patterson was a beautiful and intelligent woman. She worked for a senator in Washington D.C. On the side, she teamed up with her brother to wage a cyber war against terrorists. Glenn Patterson was a private investigator with the latest high-tech equipment and contacts across the globe. Their mission was to thwart terrorist propaganda on social media and assist to end foreign terrorism in the United States. Did they make a difference and help to protect our country? In her personal life, Cynthia juggled a stagnant relationship with Dan MacIntyre and a tryst with the charming and charismatic Sky Eastman. Which man won her over?

To my surprise, I became quite interested in the protagonist and her cyber war plot line. I admired Cynthia’s ambition! She was the senator’s chief of security and lead investigator. She also served as his bodyguard because she had earned a black belt. In addition, she was a weapons expert with a license to carry. On top of all of that, she fought cyber terrorism with her brother. They created a team with two college tech wizards and worked together in a secret cyber war room of Glenn’s office. They worked online to identify terrorist cells without being detected. Then they intercepted and prevented attacks on America. Were they able to prevent drones from attacking the president on the White House lawn?

Although Cynthia was the consummate professional, her love life left a lot to be desired. She was stuck in a rut with her boyfriend of three years. Sergeant Dan MacIntyre worked for the police department. Due to his modest salary, he had conservative spending habits. He was very possessive of Cynthia. The main problem was that the passion between the two of them had fizzled out. Then Sky Eastman unexpectedly swept her off of her feet and into his arms. He proclaimed that it was love at first sight. However, he was quite presumptuous and controlling. I was bothered by his invasive behavior. Who captured Cynthia’s heart in the end? In addition, I was not a fan of the book’s cover and title. I believe that the cover art could be improved. The font and placement of the words could use some additional consideration. I also wondered why Dan’s name was in the title because he had nothing to do with the cyber war. Finally, the author wrote the book title, series title, and her name at the start of each chapter. This immediately stole my focus and interrupted the story each time.

I give Cynthia and Dan: Cyber War a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. It was a well-written book. I only spotted one error. Most of the plot lines were engaging and easy to follow. But some of the events that happened with Dan and Sky were somewhat unbelievable. Some of Sky’s inappropriate behavior and unrealistic expectations didn’t sit right with me.

I recommend this book to adult readers. It included sexual content. The author labeled that section of the book with a rated R. There were also topics of conversation meant for adults only. Readers who enjoy action books about terrorism, technology, and romance should give this book a try.

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Cynthia and Dan
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[Darin Erickson]

Thank you for this clearly written review. It is filled with interesting details to help the reader decide if it should go on their book list. Personally, I am intrigued by the cyber war plot and the tech group that sabotaged terrorist groups before they could strike America. I'll take a pass on the love triangle. Overall, it sounds like a good read. Great job!

[Nwaka Chukwuemeka]

Cyber War is another book that gave me enough knowledge on how to protect myself from danger. Great review.

[Amy Luman]

I've read several reviews of this book and reviewed it myself. It's interesting how almost everyone that reads it finds something different.

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

I reviewed this book too. I love Cynthia as a character and the funny banter between the members of the cyber war but it baffled me that such a strong woman could be naive regarding sex and love. Though I applaud that the author brought up interesting topics regarding women's reproductive rights.
I think you are right, the cover art could be improved and the title could be stronger without Dan's name.
Great review!

[Vine Michael]

I have always loved books with strong female lead characters, like Cynthia. I have reviewed this book yet but I’ll definitely search for it for my next review.

[Cheryl Erickson]

I have always loved books with strong female lead characters, like Cynthia. I have reviewed this book yet but I’ll definitely search for it for my next review.

I was going to recommend The Reel Sisters since you like books about strong female characters. But when I went to return the favor and comment on one of your reviews, I saw that you have already read it! You should check out Cynthia. She's quite the professional woman.

[Cheryl Erickson]

I reviewed this book too. I love Cynthia as a character and the funny banter between the members of the cyber war but it baffled me that such a strong woman could be naive regarding sex and love. Though I applaud that the author brought up interesting topics regarding women's reproductive rights.
I think you are right, the cover art could be improved and the title could be stronger without Dan's name.
Great review!

I also enjoyed the camaraderie of the team that worked together in the secret Cyber War room. The two college tech guys were highly intelligent and also humorous.

[Nicholet Haumann]

Well done on this Review. I liked that it was so honest and open.

[Joyce Nwaogazie]

You carried out an excellent analysis on your review. This was a fascinating book to read. I admired how Cynthia got together her team to wage a war against cyber crimes.

[Christell Lindeque]

I agree with other comments, your review is very well written and I agree with your comments about Sky Eastman. I also felt the same way about him but I did enjoy the book.

[Susanna Williams]

Thank you for the comprehensive review. The book sounds interesting and worth the read

[Kayla Archer]

This sounds like an interesting story. You expounded on the positives of the book but only briefly mentioned the negatives. I'd be curious to know what behaviors you found unbelievable. Nice job!

[Swede-16]

After reading this well written overview of Cynthia and Dan, I would not buy the book. I am not really interested in the tech world or cyber warfare. I love to read so I will pick another review by Ms. Erickson

[Kaitlyn Canedy]

I also reviewed this book, and I loved it! I do think the title should have been written as Cynthia and Sky, as the book seems more focused on these two characters and leaves out Dan. Great job on your review.