The second book in the Insiders Trilogy by Tijan does not disappoint. This book is very intense. With new characters to fall in love with, and some to hate but given time may redeem themselves. I enjoyed following Bailey as she learned to interact with the students in her graduate program.

I loved seeing the family dynamic continue to grow and change with the Francis family. The best part for me was probably seeing how much Kash cares for Bailey and seeing how protective he is of his family.

I will say that reading this book makes me have absolutely no desire to ever become rich, or marry into a family with money. These families are crazy. I can't wait to see what is to come in book three of this trilogy.

All I can say is whoa that packed a punch and I am not okay. This book took twists and turns I didn’t even see coming. I was on the edge of my seat more than not just waiting for what would happen next and with this war everyone is caught up in between Kash and his horrible grandfather Calhoun Bastian. Calhoun is just as awful as Kash made him out to be in The Insiders or maybe worse. But despite all the danger and past traumas always lingering Bailey gets her wish to start the graduate program and tries to be as normal as possible or well as normal as Peter Francis’s daughter can be. I’m now dying to get to read The Revenge and find out how this story will end.

ENGLISH & SPANISH REVIEW:

ENG

Every time you think the story can't surprise you anymore, Tijan pulls out his hidden weapons and shakes you up.


The Damaged is the second installment of The Insiders. And you can't stop reading because you want to find out all the secrets. Bailey's life is no longer the same, her heart is busy, her family is grown and she has a chance to prove what she's made of, while new enemies stalk her days.


Not only do I love reading about the main couple, but their relationship with their family and togetherness is what I love the most. My heart widens and I feel so proud of the woman Bailey is becoming. It is so admirable that she is standing up for herself and cultivating her talents.

Tijan's writting is WONDERFUL!

Emojis representing my reactions:
🥰♥️🔥🙈🙊😠😭🤩🥵🥺🤣🤯



ESP
Cada vez que piensas que la historia no puede sorprenderte más, Tijan saca sus armas ocultas y te sacude.


The Damaged es la segunda entrega de The Insiders. Y no puedes parar de leer porque quieres averiguar todos los secretos. La vida de Bailey ya no es la misma, su corazón está ocupado, su familia ha crecido y tiene una oportunidad para demostrar de lo que está hecha, mientras nuevos enemigos acechan sus días.


No solamente me encanta leer sobre la pareja principal, sino que también su relación con su familia y la unión, es lo que más me encanta. Mi corazón se ensancha y me siento tan orgullosa de la mujer que Bailey se está convirtiendo. Es tan admirable que se defienda y cultive sus talentos.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Insiders was enthralling. When that cliffhanger happened, I was lost.

The Damaged came along and did the exact same thing: destroy me with another fantastic story.

Bailey is flailing after being kidnapped by her stepmother, Quinn, and she’s doing all she can to get through school and life. Kash is the ultimate protector and he’s trying to defeat all her dragons. Their love is intense, but outside life keeps getting in the way.

Bailey is trying to figure out who she can trust and how to function as the partner of such a rich and prominent man. Honestly, the fact that she hasn’t had a mental breakdown is a testament to her strength. And Kash was the broody and overprotective Hero I adore.

The suspense was insane. So much happens and it’s hard to keep up. I appreciated having both Bailey’s and Kash’s POVs. It made the story that much more cohesive. And maybe the best part for me—the side characters added so much to the storyline and I couldn’t imagine this story without them.

But we do have the dreaded “keeping secrets” trope. Kash and Bailey, don’t you know that never ends well?

The cliffhanger ending destroyed me and I don’t know how I’m going to survive until we get the conclusion.

This book starts out where book #1 left off. Bailey is attending the graduate program and Kash is her boyfriend. She hasn't really dealt with her emotions over the kidnapping attempt. She shuts down and kind of uses Kash to ground her. He knows she is not coping with it all that well, but is hoping she will hit bottom and climb back up to deal with it. Kash wanted Bailey to open up to him, but he wanted to keep his secrets and demons to himself. It got old after a bit. He also had a hard time opening up about his plans. Tijan did a good job of trying to suck you into the feelings that Kash and Bailey had for each other.
As usual, her father, Peter, was still kind of all over the place. He was made into this almost God-like character and I just couldn't fully embrace that. He didn't seem to know how to treat any of his children. Kash handled more of their personal problems than Peter did. Matthew is trying to be a good brother to Bailey, but he has many faults. There were times I questioned how he could put Bailey in such uncomfortable and unsavory situations. Vic, Fleur and Cedar were nuisances and I questioned how they were able to get access when Matthew was supposed to be protecting Bailey. As usual, there is a lot of drama and some of it was kind of hard to believe.
Chrissy was kind of manic for some of the book. She was tough to like. She wanted Bailey to talk to her, but kept a lot of what was happening in her own life to herself. Hayes women don't cry, but they do seem to run when the going gets tough. Bailey just zoned out and didn't even try to deal with anything that she should have been dealing with. She just kept pushing it down. The fallout was sometimes very obvious and not always at the best of times.
Bailey was in the dark a lot and found herself questioning a lot at the end. I don't want to give away too much, but there was some drama at the end that had me questioning a few things. I wanted to know how neither Bailey, nor Matt, were aware enough of the situation they were in. Will definitely read the final book in this trilogy.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above was my honest opinion on the book.

This second book picks up where The Insiders left off – so that is a must read to get back into this story. I am usually a big fan of the middle story in a planned group of three – you get a lot of the love and “get to know you” relationship building between the two main characters. Kash and Bailey. And we get Bailey’s newfound family ties – Team Batt! Bailey and her brother Matt do some bonding. But his friends are exhausting!

While I would have loved this just being all about Kash and Bailey – Kash seems to be deep into his business and travels, so we miss him. Although he does seem to show up when things start going crazy for Bailey. A little too much college drama, but the pieces do start to click together as Bailey is a super genius and wades thru the mean girl bullyness mostly unharmed.

As with any romantic suspense, the last few chapters are literally roller-coaster dramatic and end with one heck of a bang. Oh yes, and Tijan teases a new sibling at the end? That is a cliff hanger I can’t wait to see pan out and I am sure it will be fabulous!

I was given this ARC from the author, publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
I absolutely loved Bailey and Kash in The Insiders. I was so excited to see that I received a copy of The Damaged to find out what was going on in their life. I was flying through the pages trying to figure out what was going to happen next and where in the work this was going to end up. I can say I had no idea this was going to end the way it did. I was on the edge of my seat who is a friend, who is an enemy pretending to be a friend, who is lying, who is betraying them.
Bailey Hayes was always the one on the sidelines or in the back ground, never one to stand out or be noticed. Now that the world knows who her father and boyfriend is she cannot get out of the spotlight. She is trying to navigate graduate school all whiling dealing with things that are going on in her head, her past, and just around her in general. Kash helps to ground her and protects her.
Kash is still full of secrets and keeps part of his life away from Bailey to protect her. Kash Grandfather is out to get him. They are both constantly trying to stay one step ahead of the other. Only problem is Kash’s Grandfather knows his Achilles heel. We get a small glimpse into what all Kash does for his family and Bailey.
I still have so many questions regarding Kash and his family. I enjoyed seeing Bailey get a “normal” day out. I love that the chemistry between Kash and Bailey is still intense. I enjoy seeing the playful side of Kash when he would let that side show. Even though we got to see more of Kash and the Francis family there are still so many secrets and things that need to be explained. As with The Insider the plot is still amazing, I’m not sure who all the players are in this story good or bad. One minute you think someone is a good person and then your like wow didn’t see that coming. The ending of this one had me on the edge of my seat and now I need to know more of this family and how things are going to end.

The Damaged picks up right where The Insiders left off and Bailey is finally starting off in her graduate program. However, she now has the fallout from her kidnapping to contend with as well as figuring out her place with all of her new found family members. The Damaged is steamy, adventurous and intriguing. A lot happens, and once you start, you will keep turning pages to find out what happens next. We are introduced to some new characters, plus we see a bit more of her brother, Matt, with some added depth to his character. The only downside is having to wait so many months to get the conclusion to this series! I WANT IT NOW!

This was ok but it was missing the intensity and suspense that The Insiders had. The suspense kicked up towards, but I would have liked a bit more throughout the entire book. Much like the first book, this has the feel of Tijan's other mafia themed books. This installment reminded me alot of Canary, especially when it comes to how the characters deal with trauma and emotions. Our main character Bailey has been pretty traumatized after teh events that took place in book one. She has been raised to not cry or show emotion as it is a sign of weakness. She is doing everything she can to push down her emotion and avoid dealing with her trauma. As you can imagine this is not going well for her especially as she is starting a challenging masters degree program at her dream school and her life as Peter Francis' daughter and Kashton Colello's girlfriend is now public information. She is social media fodder and that is stress she doesn't need. Much like her emotions, Bailey's character is kind of all over the place in this book. She's still insanely smart when it comes to her school works, then in the next second she is completely insecure when it comes to her relationships with her family and Kash. That being said Kash while part of the story spends alot of time off of the page making moves and keeping Bailey in the dark. Matt and Bailey are building on their relationship and I liked that they are getting closer and can lean on each other.

As with book one there are some graphic sexual scenes, alcohol consumption, and violence. This was a fast, easy read. It is full of drama, and sets us up for what is sure to be an epic showdown between Kash and his grandfather.

The Damaged is the second book in The Insiders Trilogy by Tijan. It is a romantic thriller full of mystery and suspense that is sure to take readers on a roller coaster of emotions with each page they read. There is drama, angst, heat and sizzle, making this a book I could not put down—the Damaged ends in a whopping cliffhanger and some intense angst dangling over the reader's head. I cannot wait to learn what happens!

**3.75 Stars**

The Damged is book two in the series and picks up right where The Insiders leaves off. Bailey is going to school and working around challenges associated with that, particularly in relation to one of her classmates. She does seem to make a couple friends and things with her and Kash are going strong. The family drama is endless and it seems like a lot of people are out for Bailey.

There was a ton of drama and action in this story. There was always something happening. Similar to the first book, I kind of felt like maybe there was too much happening at times, but I also felt like there was a lot of extra thrown in that maybe wasn't imperative to the story and could have been streamlined a little. I do think the overall story was interesting and I was engaged in this book a little more than book one, and I am interested to see how book three plays out as this book ended on a pretty big cliffhanger. I absolutely love Kash and his protectiveness and love for Bailey so I am rooting for them!

The Damaged is book two in The Insiders Trilogy by Tijan. It continues the story of Bailey Hayes and Ashton Colello. It starts three weeks after the end of the first book with both the main characters recovering from the shocks and revelations. The world now knows who they both are and we see what damage that information will inflict on the couple. Mainly in Bailey’s POV but with some chapters from Kash which helps explain some of the situations. An action-packed suspense romance which will keep you guessing while enjoying the protective and loyal Kash.
Bailey still feisty and determined to be a successful Hayes woman even though her life far form normal now. She has found love with Kash and has a family she didn’t know about. She is excited to be starting college but is still struggling with the after effects of her attempted kidnapping.
Kash is very protective of Bailey and the Francis family. He is serious, controlled and dominant but still a very mysterious character. He is having to cope with everyone knowing his true identity and how wealthy he now is. He is desperate to be everything Bailey needs while running his business so he provides her with personal bodyguards. He also has to deal with all the mind games and plots involving his grandfather.
The couple still have lots of secrets to negotiate but their love shines through even if others are trying to pull them apart. Her college life is full of intrigue as she tries to work out which students are being friendly because they like her or if they want to be near her due to who her father is. For someone so smart Bailey does get swept away with her feelings for Kash but their chemistry was strong so understandable. I liked the variety of characters that the author introduced us to and seeing the dynamics between the different groups of friends.
Matthew is still very outgoing and we learn more about his entitled best friends. His relationship with Bailey improves throughout the book as he works on his insecurities and the guilt he feels for his part in her trauma. He actually grew on me the more he opened up and you could see how much he adored Bailey and Kash. There are so many twists and turns in all the relationships and friendships to keep you entertained and intrigued. I really liked Melissa and can’t wait to see how she solves the predicament she finds herself in.
I was really looking forward to this book as I had really enjoyed the first one, however I found this a little bit drawn out and I would have liked a few more answers to the questions I had from the first book. I felt it was just a question of who did what to who, especially in the tit for tat for control and revenge between Kash and Calhoun. We are left with a very explosive and horrific event that affects the whole Francis family then a mysterious and shocking cliffhanger that could set the cat amongst the pigeons and change everything for Bailey and Kash.

Tijan is weaving together romantic suspense, billionaires, and mafia vibes to perfection with this trilogy! This is one of those books that make me question why I ever let myself start a trilogy/series that isn’t all available yet! I need to know what happens next for Kash & Bailey like I need air.

After finishing the first book, The Insiders, was dying to get my hands on the next one. I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to read and listen to this as an ARC and will now again be anxiously awaiting the release of the next book before this one even officially releases.

I feel like saying much more than how much I loved the first two books in this trilogy would be spoilers, because the entire ride is what makes them so special. So, you’ll just have to check them out for yourself to get the details!

If you haven’t already, I highly recommend grabbing The Insiders now and reading in preparation for this release coming up soon! If you enjoy audiobooks like I do, Joe Arden and Emma Galvin knock the audio out of the park with both The Insiders and The Damaged, serving as the absolute perfect voices of Kash and Bailey.

I hit the ARC jackpot with this one- being approved for both the ebook and the audio! So, I did my own version of whisper-sync, following along on my kindle while listening to the audio. Either way you read it, The Damaged is another incredible installment in an all-consuming trilogy. Thank you to Tijan, St. Martin's Griffin (SMP Romance), Macmillion Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read/listen and provide my honest review!

Holy, Kash Colello, this book! That ending!

Ok, ok, back up. The Damaged is the second book in the Insiders trilogy by Tijan. This book picks up a couple weeks after the events in The Insiders. Bailey Hayes is the formerly secret daughter of tech genius Peter Francis and it had just come out that she was such and the girlfriend of Kashton Colello all around badass and billionaire when she was kidnapped (no spoiler, unless you haven’t read the first book and, in that case, SPOILER ALLERT). In The Damaged we follow Bailey as she navigates her new status, life, and graduate program while she tries to figure out her role in this new life and who she wants/needs to be. Still dealing with the traumas of the past few months, Bailey is just as confused as ever about her life and herself. Matt Francis (whom I am under the strong opinion deserves his own book bc he is simply the best) is also trying to figure out just who he is and who he wants to be. Kash is at war with his grandfather, the ever-dangerous Calhoun Bastian.

Man, my nerves are done. Fried. Is the next book out yet bc I NEED more. I need answers. I need something. This book is one fast paced even after another and then concludes with a BANG. Like, my brain doesn’t want to handle this.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and options are my own.

Starting off right where book one ends, The Damaged is a fast paced, nail biting mystery from beginning to end. I didn’t mention this in my first review for a big one but I’ll mention it now, all of the side characters that we meet throughout book one and this book play such a vital role to the story. Each and every single one of them are very important and though some are not likable, most of them I love. Throughout this book we see not only how Bailey and Kash’s relationship grows and gets even more intense, but we see how much Bailey‘s relationship with her siblings and father changes and gets stronger. I really don’t want to go into too many details of the book because I feel like I’d give something away, but overall I did enjoy this book. Some parts felt a little repetitive and unnecessary but overall I thought this book was great. I’m certainly anxious to see how things end with this series and would like book 3 right now, because that ending killed me!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh my...

How do I even finish that phrase!?! I'm trembling. Wrapped in blankets to fight off the absolute horror, I am trembling.

Tijan counted the warnings. She gave us hope and when she snatched it away- the world exploded.

People are coming out of the woodwork to play vital parts of this twisted game. I'm  left here trembling and lost, hoping for book 3 NOWWWWWWW.

Whoa! Just whoa!

Wow, That ending!!! I had a feeling something would happen but not really expected it to actually happen!!
The Damaged is similar to the Insiders, yet goes more in depth and you get to see how everything is panning out. Bailey is such an interesting heroine. She’s super smart, strong- but also vulnerable and I feel like that makes her even more real. You get to see more of her personality come out with her relationship with Kash. I also love Matt!! He’s so different from the others that I enjoy his presence so much! Hopefully he gets his own book!
The Damaged had a lot of tension, but excitement for what will happen next. I cannot wait to see how Bailey and Kash’s story ends!!

Book 2 of a crazy trilogy! I think I liked this better than book 1.And this cover is sexy as hell! The book is fast pasted with all the same characters. They were all looking for normal and that didn’t happen. And Matt.Matt…Matt! Are you ever going to get your life together?
It’s clear everyone here is privileged and it’s a simple life. Or is it?
Lots of steam in this one with our favorite characters and a whole lot of enemies. And I think everyone needs therapy. Things are so complicated.
Am I going to read book 3??? Of course.

.Thanks St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

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.

I am a huge fan of Tijan’s writing. She can fully immerse you into the worlds she creates within a few chapters. Her characters always leave you wanting more and The Damaged was no exception. Kash and Bailey have a strong relationship that I think people will enjoy seeing. No matter the amount of drama we know that they will continue to support and protect each other.

The steam level was perfect! I will definitely continue the series especially after that cliffhanger.