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lauren_soderberg's review
5.0
“One night? I couldn’t do that. I’d need more. I already needed more.”
Tijan’s The Insiders is a delightful, sexy mind puzzle that was a joy to decipher piece by piece. The first in a trilogy, it’s not a standalone, though the ending isn’t a complete cliffhanger and sets up the next book nicely.
When Bailey Hayes becomes the victim of a failed kidnapping attempt, she discovers that she’s the daughter of her idol, billionaire tech god Peter Francis. Instantly, Bailey has a choice. Disappear into with her mother and start over, or finally meet the father and half-siblings she never knew she had. The choice is an easy one, especially when she meets Kashton Colello, the mysterious man designated as her protector. But Bailey will soon realize that beyond the glamour of wealth lies myriad secrets.
As a fan of Tijan’s other work, I can say that this one might be my new favorite. It’s a departure from her typical story telling in fresh and exciting way. The chemistry between Bailey and Kash is nothing short of combustible, and the slow unraveling of their attraction to each other is absolutely captivating to read. (Not to mention super hot.) Add in a great cast of secondary characters and you’ve got yourselves one heck of a story, one that will keep you guessing until the very end.
An ARC was generously provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s in exchange for my honest review.
Tijan’s The Insiders is a delightful, sexy mind puzzle that was a joy to decipher piece by piece. The first in a trilogy, it’s not a standalone, though the ending isn’t a complete cliffhanger and sets up the next book nicely.
When Bailey Hayes becomes the victim of a failed kidnapping attempt, she discovers that she’s the daughter of her idol, billionaire tech god Peter Francis. Instantly, Bailey has a choice. Disappear into with her mother and start over, or finally meet the father and half-siblings she never knew she had. The choice is an easy one, especially when she meets Kashton Colello, the mysterious man designated as her protector. But Bailey will soon realize that beyond the glamour of wealth lies myriad secrets.
As a fan of Tijan’s other work, I can say that this one might be my new favorite. It’s a departure from her typical story telling in fresh and exciting way. The chemistry between Bailey and Kash is nothing short of combustible, and the slow unraveling of their attraction to each other is absolutely captivating to read. (Not to mention super hot.) Add in a great cast of secondary characters and you’ve got yourselves one heck of a story, one that will keep you guessing until the very end.
An ARC was generously provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s in exchange for my honest review.
jaedee's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
romancebookloverinseattle's review
4.0
This started right off throwing you into the action with Bailey escaping a kidnap attempt. I was immediately hooked and dawn into the story, and kept turning pages waiting to see what would happen next. Although this is a trilogy and ends in a somewhat cliffhanger, it wasn't the kind that has me frustrated and annoyed, and that's difficult to explain without spoiling the story.
This was definitely a bit of a slow burn- Kash and Bailey sort of dance around each other and their attraction for the first half of the book, and I'm looking forward to seeing how their relationship progresses in the next installment to the series. The thing that kept this from being a five star read for me was that in the beginning with the kidnapping(this happens in the first few pages so not spoiling anything here) one of her kidnappers seems to be trying to help her. I spent a long time in the book waiting for him to reappear, or to understand what that was about, and he never reappears. It may be he comes up in the other two books, but it was frustrating because you assume it has some meaning to the story but if it wasn't going to be mentioned again in the book, it was incredibly frustrating to have it so in your face in the beginning. But this is definitely worth reading because I was hooked from page one and couldn't put this down until the end because I desperately wanted to read what would happen next!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's for the Advanced Reader Copy. I voluntarily left an honest review.
This was definitely a bit of a slow burn- Kash and Bailey sort of dance around each other and their attraction for the first half of the book, and I'm looking forward to seeing how their relationship progresses in the next installment to the series. The thing that kept this from being a five star read for me was that in the beginning with the kidnapping(this happens in the first few pages so not spoiling anything here) one of her kidnappers seems to be trying to help her. I spent a long time in the book waiting for him to reappear, or to understand what that was about, and he never reappears. It may be he comes up in the other two books, but it was frustrating because you assume it has some meaning to the story but if it wasn't going to be mentioned again in the book, it was incredibly frustrating to have it so in your face in the beginning. But this is definitely worth reading because I was hooked from page one and couldn't put this down until the end because I desperately wanted to read what would happen next!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's for the Advanced Reader Copy. I voluntarily left an honest review.
illstoptheworldandreadwithyou's review
4.0
After strangers break into her house in an attempt to kidnap her, computer genius grad student Bailey’s life is turned upside down. All those stories her mother told her about who her father is—false. And who her real father is? That’s the reason someone tried to take her in the first place.
This trilogy is good for anyone who wants a high stakes escape. We’re talking billionaires, secrets upon secrets upon secrets, death threats, scheming, kidnapping attempts, messed up and mixed up families, computer hacking, massive estates, spoiled rich kid antics, and lots of heat. We also get friendships, intense romantic relationships, and family rebuilding.
The first book (this one) was my favorite of the three, but it is worth sticking around for the ride and finishing the trilogy.
This trilogy is good for anyone who wants a high stakes escape. We’re talking billionaires, secrets upon secrets upon secrets, death threats, scheming, kidnapping attempts, messed up and mixed up families, computer hacking, massive estates, spoiled rich kid antics, and lots of heat. We also get friendships, intense romantic relationships, and family rebuilding.
The first book (this one) was my favorite of the three, but it is worth sticking around for the ride and finishing the trilogy.
filthylittlereader's review
5.0
Tijan definitely knows how to kick off a trilogy because wow. I’m not even sure where to start. There were times I had no idea where the story was going, I just know I was along for the ride! My heart was constantly racing because there was always something waiting at every turn of the page. The air of mystery and intrigue had my anticipation levels through the roof. There was so many intricate webbings of secrets, lies and betrayal that surrounded Bailey, Kash and her new family. This story had a plot that was refreshingly unique and had me seriously obsessed with every word. That ending has me starved for the next book!
kayladbruns's review
3.0
Rating this less than 5 stars really hurt. I was so excited to see that Tijan was being traditionally published, however the actual story itself didn’t wow me. I never really saw a point to this story. With that, it also ends on a cliffhanger to let me know that there will be more of this story that the author could’ve wrapped up in this one. When I first heard about this book, I didn’t know it was going to be a trilogy.
I do have to say that Tijan always knows how to bait me. She sprinkles some secrets and a love interest that I want to know more about and she has me hook, line, and sinker. I like her ability to weave a story and make it to even if I’m not loving it I have to keep reading. That right there is why I’m giving it three stars.
This had your typical Tijan characters that I would have normally loved. It was just missing that flair to get me really hooked.
Will I read the next one? Most likely for anything just so I can see how this ends.
*I received an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.
I do have to say that Tijan always knows how to bait me. She sprinkles some secrets and a love interest that I want to know more about and she has me hook, line, and sinker. I like her ability to weave a story and make it to even if I’m not loving it I have to keep reading. That right there is why I’m giving it three stars.
This had your typical Tijan characters that I would have normally loved. It was just missing that flair to get me really hooked.
Will I read the next one? Most likely for anything just so I can see how this ends.
*I received an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.
read_on_reader's review
4.0
From the very beginning this book had me seated in intense intrigue. Bailey seems like an ordinary girl just trying to survive by helping her mom, going to school, but she has a photographic memory, so she also comes across as odd to some. Some people are out to kidnap her, and help comes in the form of an incredibly attractive but aloof guy, Kash. As things continue to happen, we learn more about Bailey’s life, family, and more. The book is full of details because I feel it is laying the groundwork for what is to come in this trilogy. So, at times it may come across as the book is slow to get into but when I looked back at what I read and the ending I realized it was just setting us up for more. There seems to be a lot of secrecy surrounding not only Bailey but her estranged family and Kash. Everyone is hiding something and there are a lot of twists that I didn’t see coming and some that I did but I was very invested in how it all would play out. Some say that Bailey came off as immature at times, but I get her. Her life is in an upheaval, she is in a new environment, no one is willing to tell her anything, and they claim it’s all to protect her, but she is the one being treated as a prisoner. If it were me at 22, I would act out and want to get to the bottom of things as well, even if it wasn’t seen as the mature thing to do. Kash and Bailey had an intense attraction that is fought by both, yet they can’t seem to stop it. There were so many different mysteries and suspense to keep me intrigued that I will be patiently impatient while waiting on the next one.
bekahrod_reads's review
3.0
I like the characters, well some of them I hated but I think the reader was supposed to hate them. I was invested in their story and what would happen but this book didn’t do it for me. After the initial kidnapping attempt that brings Bailey to meet her biological father, nothing really happens until the last 3 chapters. Also, as much as I like Bailey and was invested/rooting for her…I wish she was stronger. She’s supposed to be a genius but Kash has to tell her everything about her “families” motivations. She is supposed to be stronger and stubborn but she’s also crying and doing what everyone wants. I’d love to see her come into her own and be a BOSS BABE!
I think I wanted to get more dialogue between Kash and Bailey. More of their relationship (the flirty texts, the “romance”). I wanted more of her genius IQ, hacking, working with her father. I wanted more development of the relationships between her and her new family. I also have a lot of questions about her mother…that woman is a little crazy!
Basically, I just wanted more. Which is why I probably will still be reading the rest of the trilogy…
I think I wanted to get more dialogue between Kash and Bailey. More of their relationship (the flirty texts, the “romance”). I wanted more of her genius IQ, hacking, working with her father. I wanted more development of the relationships between her and her new family. I also have a lot of questions about her mother…that woman is a little crazy!
Basically, I just wanted more. Which is why I probably will still be reading the rest of the trilogy…
erinremen's review
5.0
Baileys life is turned upside down when a kidnapping attempt reveals that everything she thought she knew is wrong. The person she idolized all her life is actually her father, she has siblings, a frosty stepmother and she is no longer safe. Forced unto hiding with the family she does now know, she struggles. Except when she is around Kash. Her protector. The one who makes her heart beat faster. Or a computer where she can do what she does best. A great start to a new series. Captivating. Intense. Hot. Secrets on top of secrets. Thrilling. It's got it all. I cannot wait for the next part! It's left me with a definite hangover and an intense need to have the next one in my hand!!