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Amplified: Sean and Alex
Siren Classic Erotic Romance, Contemporary, Alternative, Sci-Fi/Futuristic, Fantasy, MM, HEA] Having money and influence is not enough to save Sean if the fact that he is an Empath is made public. Amplified, people with enhanced senses, are vilified as a whole and Empaths are the most detested among them. He needs to change that, and for that he will need help. But he is not sure Alex, a powerful Amplified, is the best choice for the task. Alex is not ashamed of his abilities and is vocal in his fight for Amplified's rights. Sean has too many secrets and at first Alex vehemently disagrees with his methods. But as they work together, Alex starts to realize there might be more to Sean then he guessed. As he gets to know Sean better, Alex finds himself at unexpected he might be falling for Sean. But with the Amplified situation as it is, do they even have a chance to be together?
142 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 12, 2023
About the author
Sunny Day
29 books54 followersSunny Day's main preoccupation in life is reading and/or writing books, though she much prefers reading what someone else wrote. She is thirty something, single, and can usually be found attached to her laptop. Her only form of exercise is bouncing up and down when whatever story she is working on shapes well.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 16, 2023
This book has a great premise in the Amplifieds and their different abilities. It’s a bit hard to get through, almost like it’s a first draft. It was fairly well developed in the beginning but seemed to get a bit lost further on.
Still, I think it’s pretty good and will definitely read the next book in the series!
Still, I think it’s pretty good and will definitely read the next book in the series!
April 18, 2023
Reviewed for Love Bytes – 2.5 Hearts – a mediocre book.
The general population fear humans with abilities – people of Amplified status. Sean provides sanctuary to those in need, while his longer-term aim is to educate the general populus. He needs a good team that includes a few hand-picked people. Among them is Alex, who is out and proud to be amplified. When sizzle develops, the two become a force to be reckoned with.
While reading, I had distinct early stages of the X-Men vibe in the era when it was first discovered that people could be different, and science was involved. However, I had several issues with this story beginning with:- the first line of the blurb says, ‘Having money and influence is not enough to save Sean if the fact that he is an Empath is made public’ – and yet the first page of the book has Sean in a TV interview going public.
The story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Sean and Alex. Technically, it could have been better. There was some confusion in the tenses, primarily because the narrative begins in an interview, from which other tales emerge. This method of storytelling also made it difficult to navigate a timeline and, consequently, the novel. I’d follow one scene when a name would be mentioned, causing the tale to go off on a tangent unknowing when it would return, often, not for a long time. Then Alex’s viewpoint is introduced before the end of the initial interview – which itself is almost written as an afterthought. I found the latter part of the book much easier to follow, and my subsequent enjoyment increased.
Background to a story is essential, but every nuance isn’t needed – especially within a relatively short novel of approx. 40k – less can be more. Repetition could have been removed in favor of something that enhanced the flow of the arc. The idea behind the story is a good one, and some of the drama is splendid but I believe a damned good beta/editor is needed. Imagine being guided around a house. Then, instead of being shown one floor before the next, you were presented with an upstairs bedroom, then the downstairs lounge, the upstairs bathroom, the garden, another bedroom, and yadi-yadi-yada. That’s what it was like reading this story. The whole was great, but the tour wasn’t.
Due to the above, I found connecting with the characters difficult, and they were lovely people. Other than the initial meeting, their slow burn of a relationship missed the furtive looks and interactions during their team briefings because it is evident that Sean is sensitive. I didn’t want to be told how difficult it was to go public with various things, I wanted to be shown it, feel it, and experience it alongside them. I wanted the same with the dramatic events that led to the finale.
I have given this book 2.5 hearts – a mediocre rating because the concept was good but the story flow was unclear.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for
Love Bytes.
The general population fear humans with abilities – people of Amplified status. Sean provides sanctuary to those in need, while his longer-term aim is to educate the general populus. He needs a good team that includes a few hand-picked people. Among them is Alex, who is out and proud to be amplified. When sizzle develops, the two become a force to be reckoned with.
While reading, I had distinct early stages of the X-Men vibe in the era when it was first discovered that people could be different, and science was involved. However, I had several issues with this story beginning with:- the first line of the blurb says, ‘Having money and influence is not enough to save Sean if the fact that he is an Empath is made public’ – and yet the first page of the book has Sean in a TV interview going public.
The story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Sean and Alex. Technically, it could have been better. There was some confusion in the tenses, primarily because the narrative begins in an interview, from which other tales emerge. This method of storytelling also made it difficult to navigate a timeline and, consequently, the novel. I’d follow one scene when a name would be mentioned, causing the tale to go off on a tangent unknowing when it would return, often, not for a long time. Then Alex’s viewpoint is introduced before the end of the initial interview – which itself is almost written as an afterthought. I found the latter part of the book much easier to follow, and my subsequent enjoyment increased.
Background to a story is essential, but every nuance isn’t needed – especially within a relatively short novel of approx. 40k – less can be more. Repetition could have been removed in favor of something that enhanced the flow of the arc. The idea behind the story is a good one, and some of the drama is splendid but I believe a damned good beta/editor is needed. Imagine being guided around a house. Then, instead of being shown one floor before the next, you were presented with an upstairs bedroom, then the downstairs lounge, the upstairs bathroom, the garden, another bedroom, and yadi-yadi-yada. That’s what it was like reading this story. The whole was great, but the tour wasn’t.
Due to the above, I found connecting with the characters difficult, and they were lovely people. Other than the initial meeting, their slow burn of a relationship missed the furtive looks and interactions during their team briefings because it is evident that Sean is sensitive. I didn’t want to be told how difficult it was to go public with various things, I wanted to be shown it, feel it, and experience it alongside them. I wanted the same with the dramatic events that led to the finale.
I have given this book 2.5 hearts – a mediocre rating because the concept was good but the story flow was unclear.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for
Love Bytes.
April 13, 2023
I'm a big fan of stories where characters with certain special abilities have to keep them hidden and that's definitely true for empaths like Sean in this world. What I enjoy reading about even more is when those characters are fighting for their rights and we get protests and politics woven in. That's also true in this story and Sean and Alex after a rocky start find a way to work for a better world and a relationship together.
April 17, 2023
I really did enjoy the story, the characters were wonderful and engaging with a really intriguing storyline but there were issues. There were no clear delineations between the flashbacks and the present, it threw me out my reading zone. Even with the issues I still enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to reading more in the series.
*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book*
*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book*
April 10, 2023
Good Story
This is a good story. It just took quite a bit of time for me to get into it. I had to come back to it a few times.
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
This is a good story. It just took quite a bit of time for me to get into it. I had to come back to it a few times.
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
March 11, 2024
AMPLIFIED: SEAN AND ALEX is the first book in the Amplified series. In it, we learn how some people (Amplified) have gifts others don't - speed, sight, hearing, touch, that sort of thing. We also learn that the general public is afraid of all of them, but especially the empaths... which ties us in with Sean.
The actual premise of the story is amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed it. What I didn't enjoy so much was that I never knew if it was a flashback or not, or basically what timeframe I was in. It felt quite disjointed as we leapt from the past, to the present, and back again; never knowing why. At least, not in my copy. Because of this, I felt like I spent more time trying to put it in order than I did actually getting into the story, so I never really connected with either of the main characters or the supporting characters. I also felt as though Sean and Alex didn't connect fully themselves.
This is the first book in this series and also the first book by this author I have read. There are enough positives here for me to say it was a good read and I will definitely read book two when it comes out.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 4, 2023
The actual premise of the story is amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed it. What I didn't enjoy so much was that I never knew if it was a flashback or not, or basically what timeframe I was in. It felt quite disjointed as we leapt from the past, to the present, and back again; never knowing why. At least, not in my copy. Because of this, I felt like I spent more time trying to put it in order than I did actually getting into the story, so I never really connected with either of the main characters or the supporting characters. I also felt as though Sean and Alex didn't connect fully themselves.
This is the first book in this series and also the first book by this author I have read. There are enough positives here for me to say it was a good read and I will definitely read book two when it comes out.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 4, 2023
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews