Scan barcode
A review by naiapard
The Damaged by Tijan
3.0
If you have not read the first book, then go check out my review of The Insiders #1.
I will be the first one to admit that the sole reason for which I got again into Tijan is their Canary book. It was so freacking spectacular. I liked the protagonist so much. I loved the writing style, above all else. I have so many praises for that jewelry of a book.
I wanted to prolong that sentiment of fulfilment so I tried my hand at this new series of Tijan, hoping to be at least half a good as the Canary.
The sad part it was that indeed, it was just half as good. At least, the first book. This one, well, this one performed quite poorly.
My quarrel it is with the main couple. Their romace is immediately instaurated, no question asked, nothing to be weighted. We take the male lead as good from the start and we are not to let go of that assumption.
And I arrived to dispised how their relationship became to grow as the intslament advanced. At least for this book there were dozens of time she kept referring to the male love interest as “my man” when talking with others about him. I understand that you want to assert your territory, but holly f$ck.
“My phone buzzed. Kash.
At Naveah. Hallway.
I said, “Gotta go. My man’s here.”
stop saying that!
Often enough in Tijan`s book we get a version of a male protagonist that is akin to some divinity. I think it is a kind of objectivifying (of which I am not complaining because they do not hurt nobody), but holly cow, this time it was too much. He is a god on earth at how quickly he is there to save her or to help her with everything and anything. He knows what she needs before SHE is aware of those needs.
I think this omnipresence should have been read as sexy and cute, but the only thing that crossed my mind was “CONTROLLING”.
Take this situation: A colleague of HERS was working at a place owned by HIM. That colleague wronged HER and because SHE knew that HE would fire that colleague on the spot, SHE kept that hidden. But HE found out about it and this is a piece out of their conversation on that subject (It is in her PoV):
“I’m assuming you don’t want her fired. That’s why you tried to hide that from me?”
I nodded.
“Okay.” He tugged me back to him. His arms wrapped around me, his head resting against mine.”
I don't like how little agency she has here. All these men in her life that have so much wealth and connections --it makes her fall silent in arguments and stay silent--where is her spunk? Where is that kick-ass-heroine energy I was so used with in a Tijan book?
Overall, a pretty decent book if compared with what has been published in the past two years, but in comparison with Tijan`s other masterpieces this falls short.