The Insiders (The Insiders 1) by Tijan -Review & Excerpt tour
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 4, 2021
Bailey is as normal as could be, with a genius IQ and a photographic memory. But still, normal for her. Then, things happen—a guy breaks into her house in the middle of the night to take her hostage. She finds out her father is actually billionaire tech genius Peter Francis, the same guy she’s idolized all her life. She learns all this when she meets dark, mysterious, and electrifying Kashton Colello. He’s an associate of her father’s, and he gives Bailey two choices—go with him and meet her father or survive on her own because those kidnappers are going to try again. It’s a no-brainer.
After this, three things become clear for Bailey:
1. She’s living at her father’s sprawling estate, complete with bodyguards and the best security that money can buy.
2. She’s no longer an only child. She has three siblings and has no idea what to do with them and vice versa.
3. She is being guarded by Kash himself. Personally guarded. And there is a lot of guarding going on there and some of it is going to drive her crazy.
A complete outsider in a world of wealth and decadence, Bailey has to find her way within a family that has more secrets than she could have imagined. One of these secrets could be deadly
••••••
REVIEW:THE INSIDERS is the first instalment in Tijan’s contemporary, adult THE INSIDERS romantic suspense series focusing on twenty-two year old computer hacker Bailey Hayes, and fixer Kashton ‘Kash’ Colello.
Told from first person perspective (Bailey) THE INSIDERS follows in the aftermath of an attempted abduction of our story line heroine. Bailey Hayes has a genius IQ, and will come to learn she is the illegitimate daughter of billionaire Peter Francis, and as such, has a target on her back but to Bailey’s surprise, she has one of two options, and the lesser and safer of two evils is to move in with the Francis family where she will become the object of ridicule, the subject of gossip, and the lover of the Francis empire ‘fixer’ Kashton Colello. All is not well with the Francis family dynamics, and our heroine will be caught in a fire-storm of power and control, jealousy and revenge, hatred, betrayal, acceptance and love. What ensues is the building relationship and love between Kash and Bailey, and the fall-out as the enemy is closer than anyone could have ever imagined.
Kashton Colello has some secrets of his own but his biggest secret is about to be exposed. Raised by the Francis family in the face of losing everyone he loved, Kash has more power and control over the day to day lives of the Francis family but he is about to lose the upper hand as the enemy comes from within.
The relationship between Kash and Bailey begins as an assignment, a duty that Kash has appointed himself as sole authority and control. Bailey is immediately attracted to her savior and guardian but Kash battles between head and heart knowing his past is determined to take down and destroy everyone he loves.
There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, energetic and broken secondary and supporting characters. We are introduced to Bailey’s mother Chrissy, and her half-siblings: Matt, Seraphina and Cyclone; her father Peter Francis, and his wife Quinn, as well as an assortment of Matt’s friends, security personnel, and Kash’s ex Victoria. The requisite evil has many faces.
THE INSIDERS is a story of secrets and lies, power and control, family, relationships, murder and money. The character driven premise is intriguing, engaging, heart breaking and dramatic; the romance is seductive and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text; the characters are damaged, spirited yet powerful and strong. THE INSIDERS ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.
Copy supplied for Netgalley
Reviewed by Sandy
Wait. Second thought—where we used to live?
What would my mom do now? Could Chrissy Hayes remain in that house after I was just attacked, almost taken hostage? I called my mother by all kinds of names—Chrissy Hayes, Chrissy, or Mom. Or, well, a whole other kind of names too, because to say she’s a character is putting it mildly. And we have an interesting relationship to say the least.
I might be deflecting here.
Numb. I was numb. I should be pissing my pants, but instead I’m ruminating over how I refer to my mother.
Could I stay in that house after what just happened?
I’d been planning to spend time with Chrissy, helping with the house and working at the local computer store to make some extra money before I left for school. But now . . . fuck if I knew.
Myriad curses went through my mind as I realized Chrissy would have to move.
Shivers pierced me as I went over what had happened tonight, but then we were pulling into a driveway, next to a booth. A large gate barricaded us from moving forward.
Official police business, my tech ass.
Then again, nothing seemed official. I was told that I was being taken to my mother, but I left with two detectives. Bright and Wilson. They introduced themselves, then said she couldn’t see me in the hospital. They didn’t explain why, but I was to go with them to see her.
I went.
I was in the backseat of their unmarked car a few minutes later.
Bright’s window rolled down. She flashed her badge. “We’re expected.”
The attendant nodded, hitting a button. The gate opened, showing a campus of buildings behind it. Some made of dark red brick. Some seemingly made of reflective windows, top to bottom. Some painted totally black. A large parking lot sat in the middle of the buildings. “Phoenix Tech” was on a sign in front of the first building, but we went past, heading around it and toward a smaller building on the opposite end of the lot.
My tongue was glued to the back of my throat. We were at Phoenix Tech headquarters.
I had yearned to get an internship there every year since fifth grade, and then through college. I kept applying, but they kept denying. Some might say I was being desperate. I prefer determined. It’s a quality that I feel is honorable. Plus, I wasn’t above hoping they’d take pity on me one day. It worked, because while I might not have been good enough to walk their hallways, I was good enough for them to give me charity. They awarded me the majority of my grants for undergrad, so I’d been able to go to college debt free. I’d been expecting that to change for graduate school, but it hadn’t. Or, well, it kind of had.
I was hired as a graduate assistant, starting in the fall, which gave me a stipend, but the rest was covered by another scholarship from Phoenix Tech.
Phoenix Tech was one of the world’s leading companies on cyber security. I was going into information systems, which was close enough. A job here would be a dream.
“My mom is here?” I asked, when Bright parked, and both her and Wilson got out of the vehicle.
Neither answered.
Bright opened my back door and motioned for me, slipping her sunglasses over her eyes. “It’s time for you to find out some answers.”
Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that 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 the Broken and Screwed Series among others. She is currently writing a new YA series along with so many more from north Minnesota where she lives with a man she couldn’t be without and an English Cocker she adores.
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Website: http://www.tijansbooks.com/
Thanks for another wonderful review Sandy
Very nice review and excerpt, thanks Sandy
Great review, Sandy. Looks like the start of a good series.
Great review, Sandy. Looks like an exciting story. Thanks.
Looks great, thanks Sandy
Terrific review, Sandy. Looks like a great read.
Another terrific review, thanks Sandy.
Wonderful review, Sandy. Looks like a terrific read.
Fantastic review and excerpt thanks Sandy.
this book sounds great. thanks, sandy.
I like the premise of this series. Sounds very good. Thanks, Sandy.
Thanks for the great review and excerpt.