The Damaged by Tijan

No longer an outsider, Bailey has a family and love that she never could’ve imagined.

Used to living in the shadows, Kash will now do anything to protect his family and his woman.

They will take on the world together…

In the meantime, stunning motives, lies, and explosive secrets continue to unfold.

1. Quinn is in jail, awaiting trial.

2. Friends might actually be enemies.

3. And what is Calhoun plotting? More importantly, will Kash discover it before it’s too late?

Everything will come to a head as passion and danger ignite in The Damaged.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of The Insiders Trilogy!
For book one, The Insiders, click HERE.

 

 

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Apple Books  ~  B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  Kobo
Audiobook (US)  ~  Paperback (US)
St. Martin’s (Macmillan)

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the second book in the series, and be very clear, I think this will be almost meaningless to you unless you read book one first. Tijan is the master at the mind warp, and this as twisty a tale as any. You really, really need to get the basics as straight as they have been offered to us, before you can contemplate the additional levels of complexity offered here. I am assuming you are up to date in my review.

As all defences are shored up post-kidnap attempt, we now understand a little more of the dynamics between Kash and Bailey's dad, Peter, and I think we can be pretty confident that Kash and Bailey are in a stable relationship. A lot of other things are still up for grabs, which means that there are hints of danger and mistrust all over the story. This makes for a compelling but intense read, and knowing that there will be another book, it is certain that resolution is not coming yet.

Fabulous, fast-paced, plot-laden, and sexy read! I hope not to have to wait too long for the final installment, and have promised myself that I will read all three together at that point, for maximum impact!


Erica – ☆☆☆☆
The Damaged is the second installment in The Insiders series. Can it be read as a standalone? Nah. No way. Not only do I suggest reading in series order, I'd also suggest a refresher before tackling the novel, especially if it has been some time since initially reading The Insiders.

The novel picks up within weeks of the ending of the previous, smoothly flowing, which is why I do believe it best to read the novels back-to-back. I struggled more than a bit at the start (for various reasons), but I applaud Tijan for adding context clues to jar the reader's memories while avoiding info-dumps.

Bailey is the long-lost, illegitimate daughter of her renowned idol. In her previous life, she struggled day-to-day just to survive, paving her own path through college, everything to her name of her own creation. Struggling to come to terms with the recent events, Bailey wishes to go headlong into her graduate studies, both as a distraction and as a path to success, where she isn't dependent on the generosity of people who were strangers not so long ago. The biggest obstacle is how people now see Bailey as her father's daughter, not giving her the credit for being the strong, intelligent, driven young woman that she is.

Kash was an enigma, and now we are blessed to dig around inside his mind during his narration. The level of love, trust, adoration, and loyalty he has with Bailey is staggering.

While there is no fear on the romance front, Tijan brings the twists and turns from all over angles. I'm talking around the plot as I don't wish to spoil another reader's journey.

To be honest, I enjoyed the first novel much more than this one. The flow of information, Bailey's characterization, her internal struggles, how she viewed the world and connected to those around her. In this installment, I felt the panic attacks were well represented, truly causing me to worry right alongside Bailey.

There were parts of the novel where I felt characters were led to act out of character in order to propel the plot. There were lulls where my mind wandered, the scenes somewhat redundant. The pacing was off-pace, slow with not much going on, then in your face nonstop action, which was jarring with a whiplash effect.

The Damaged is the middle book, where it is a bridge between an epic first book, while setting up events to have an epic final book, which left me feeling as if I was reading a middle book, if you catch my drift. The novel wasn't a page-turner for me, be it my mood or the flow of information, I'm unsure.

Absolutely, I recommend to fans of Tijan. The Damaged was a solid contribution to The Insiders series. I just believe I will find more enjoyment in rereading it alongside the rest of the novels in the series all at once.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance

This book picks up almost right after book one ends. You'll want to read book one for sure. The Damaged is the middle book in a three-book series. You'll get to revisit the characters and see how their journey evolves and changes given different stressors and outside influences.

Bailey has a new challenge of attending classes. She knows these are her people and wants to get back to living in the shadows. And while that might be a dream for her, she knows that the people around her will help to protect her at all costs.

People from Kash's life are going to start to meddle in ways that you can't really comprehend family behaving. Without giving too much away, you'll want to see retribution whenever you can.

These two have such devotion to each other that you know they'll stop at nothing to make sure they survive to live a long life.

There are some portrayals of the characters that seem slightly out of touch with how fierce they were in book one, but I liked that they were allowed to be more human at times. You get to see behind the facades.

You'll love The Damaged. It has love, betrayal, hunting, and all of the goodness you've come to expect from Tijan books. I can't wait for the epic conclusion. I am very hopeful that it is going to be epic. This book, while enjoyable, was not as epic as book one and I'm hoping it just brings it all together.

 

 

TIJAN is a New York Times bestselling author who writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She's written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the Fallen Crest Series, and Ryan's Bed among others. She is currently writing to her heart's content in north Minnesota with an English Cocker Spaniel she adores.

Connect with Tijan

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Facebook Group: Tijan's Crew

 

 

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Damaged (The Insiders Trilogy #2) by Tijan to read and review.